Does program matter?
I like the distinction upthread between routines and programs; a routine lists exercises, sets, and reps, whereas a program has an overarching goal and periodizes the routine to reach the goal. In light of that information, I think both programs and routines are important for beginners but increasingly lose their value as people experientially learn what their goals are and how their individual bodies respond to different training types.
As a newb lifter, an equally inexperienced friend introduced me to Arnoldâs Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. Although it took a couple years to try his âbeginnerâ routine, I did jump headlong into believing each muscle group needed four sets of six to eight different exercises to be fully worked. Enter the three-hour-long workouts with a spinlock weight set, a friend or two, and attacking each muscle from every existing angle and plane of motion. I think we even made up some new ones while trying to implement Arnoldâs advice.
My teenage and early 20-somethings were filled with upper/lower and bodypart splits. It wasnât until I stumbled across T-Nation in 2007-ish that I gained credible info about alternative types of lifting. Yes, I have Rippetoeâs articles to thank.
Fast forward to 2013. A woman I was dating was entrenched in the notion that Stronglifts 5 x 5 was the only valid lifting program on Godâs green Earth, nevermind the fact sheâd literally never lifted weights. I was crunched for time, so full-body sessions three times a week appealed to me. In the four months we lifted together, I gained more strength at OHP and bench pressing than ever before. It opened my eyes to different routines and programming approaches.
In 2016, while reading a Dan John article about strength clusters, something pinged my radar. This was one of the hard-right turns I took away from body part splits. I lifted two or three times a week, ran twice a week, and gained more strength on several compound lifts (squats, push press, deadlift, weighted pullups, close grip bench, and sled pushing) than even on Stronglifts.
@TrainForPain postulated that most of us probably default to the lifting style we did when we first became committed to lifting. I tend to agree. Even though lower rep, less frequent lifting sessions consistently work best for me, my mental preset is to try to include all the exercises from all the angles, and I have to consciously force myself to do fewer lifts than I believe I âought to.â
So does program matter? I think itâs important for beginners, because the simple act of moving objects and/or oneâs body through space can be surprisingly nuanced. Work is nearly always more productive when paired with order, so beginners progress faster and further when learning program techniques. The more routines and methods, the better, in my opinion. As we gain experience, if we employ self-reflection and analysis to our lifting, we can learn how our bodies respond to different modalities. This knowledge, when translated into principles, can make using specific programs less important.
Iâll caveat that with TfPâs observation that we default to a particular method. I believe programs can be helpful in a few different situations. Sometimes, we get stuck in a rut or physically plateau. A different type of program and methodology can tow us out of a well-worn training ditch. As we age, our recovery and abilities change, and fresh programs can introduce us to new, more productive ways to train. On the whole though, I think programs arenât as crucial as the myriad articles and research may lead us to believe.
