Poll result from T Nation Instagram.
These polls are always interesting. Of course, they may not represent all lifters or even T Nation fans. So, to be accurate, we’d have to say that these results reflect “Instagram users who follow a fitness account and vote on Story polls on Mondays.”
Anyway, how would you have voted?
I’d say when I’m starting a new program for the first time, I follow it exactly as written (or as close as I possibly can). When I’m not doing that, I’m still following the general outline of a program and making reasonable swaps based on my preferences and other activities I’m doing.
I did the general outline plan for over a decade… did quite well with that, but i had gotten to a point where i wasn’t progressing anymore.
When i changed up to a strict plan, i added a significant amount of muscle mass and strength.
Both work well, but it depends on your goals. The more specific your goal, the more specific your plan must be.
There is a difference between working out and training. Working out can be whatever. Training means a goal, a timetable, and strict steps to be made to reach the goal.
People train for bodybuilding shows, for fights, for strength goals, sports games.
No one “works out” for something with an actual goal.
Workout plan can be anything and you can fuck with it.
Training plan is strict and can even predict the results ahead and you will never fuck with it unless you are an experienced coach.
Much like @antiquity , first time though, I tend to follow it: as is. Second time and beyond: I consider the program “bare minimum”.
But these days, I definitely “lawyer up” when reading programs. Unless they specifically say “thou shalt”: I go with “nothing is true: everything is permitted”.
So if a program says I need to do 5x10 of squats, 5x10 chins and 5x10 dips, I interpret that to mean I can do a 5 round circuit of 10 squats-10 chins-10 dips, for example.
Pretty ditto to @antiquity on this one.
I’m kind of surprised to see your view on this, as you tend to be our resident bodybuilding nihilist. My impression of your thought was that details don’t matter, so long as you’re getting the work in. Perhaps I’ve misinterpreted, though. You might be more saying: “which program you pick doesn’t matter, but once you pick you have to do it”? I tend to fall into that camp myself.
I need firm rules.
Give me some guidelines and soon I’ll be painting outside of them.
Pertains to nutrition as well.
You are right about me. Its just that i put diet in the bodybuilding part also, and i also know that when bodybuilders hire a coach they follow his plans. So i do believe that exercises dont matter but i would still follow a plan if i was to compete.
When you work out you can do whatever. When you TRAIN the time to experiment is over imo.
I like being told exactly how much and what to do for my main lifts, but like flexibility in the accessory lifts
Thats the same with me. The less options the better. No options is best 
Does anyone crave rules enough to follow this?
I follow a strict plan and have done so for a few years now. From what I see in the gym more that 50% of people are not following a plan. This needed a poll for those who just ‘wing it’
Maybe for burpees.
I’m somewhere between the two. I have a plan that I follow with firm rules but I autoregulate accessory variations every 4-8 weeks and regularly change up my isolations. There’s no real knowing what I’ll switch them for until possibly the night before. I plan for 5-6 exercises a day but sometimes as long as I get my 4 main movements in for the day I am happy. Try to beat the logbook every week. If I have extra time to kill I may add some hangs, leg raises, and maybe a couple of kettlebell farmers walks without straps.
I rarely follow training plans because I get bored very quickly. The only thing is that I am serious about going to the gym often. Either I train the Full Body in one workout as I like or I alternate the exercises on different days. Today I may want to train with one work set to failure, tomorrow I may want to do 10x1 with 90% 1RM, there are days when I want to train on machines, other days I want to do street fitness. That’s who I am.
Generally, I like to have a fairly well thought out plan…albeit with a lil wiggle room for the lesser details, like, how many reps on isolation work or if I’m paying to train at a gym (which means crazy high volume bro! lol).
80% of the time im following a loose plan, but it can change during the session. I have a goal each session but how i achieve that can be free balled.
Every now and again i follow a strict plan but honestly i can only do it for 6 weeks tops, i just dont like following strict % based routines.
I think principles are more important than the actual plan, for my goals anyway.
This 100% 
Ive trained at home for 5 years, when i find myself in an actual gym im using everything!
