Why Custom Training Plans Give You Better Performance and Health Results

A lot of coaches use standardized programs with everyone. While this has the benefit of creating consistency and makes it easier to manage training for their entire client base, it doesn’t take into account the different abilities, goals, and limitations that each individual has. So while one person might see great progress, someone else will struggle to achieve their aims. In this article, we’ll explore how I create customized online and in-person training plans and why they are more effective. 

How to Start a Customized Training Plan 

There are undoubtedly some training methodologies that are lines of best fit. For example, low reps with heavier weights are likely to increase strength, high reps usually increase hypertrophy (increased muscle size) and endurance, and moving explosively improves power. But while these principles are universally applicable, trainers and coaches often rely too much on predefined set and rep ranges without understanding that each client is different. This leads to them copying and pasting workouts rather than taking the time to individualize programs. Such lazy programming rarely provides good results. 

In contrast, I take time to understand each new client from a holistic perspective. It’s important to take into account sports experience, training age, current activities, and exposure to different kinds of exercises. This starts to create greater context that feeds into the program I will tailor to them. I also need to know about any restrictions that they have, whether that’s health issues, past and present injuries, or both. That way I can appropriately modify their programming. 

It's also key to know where someone is at in their life. With this in mind, I find out if they’re working, going to school, traveling a lot, and have a family. These lifestyle factors impact stress and recovery, and also determine how much time they’ll have for each workout and how often they’re able to train. A common question is, “What equipment will I need?” If you’re an in-person client, I’ll give you access to a wide range of gear. Whereas if you’re online, I’ll take into account what you have access to and offer options accordingly (e.g., dumbbell or kettlebell variations instead of barbell exercises). 

Using Technology to Inform Personalized Programs and Improve Wellness 

To plan where we’re going next together, I need to know where someone is at now. That’s why I will often have them perform certain exercises that provide a clear view into their current capabilities. This includes utilizing technology for more accurate and insightful physical assessment. Force plates are one of the most versatile tools at my disposal. VALD ForceDecks are the gold standard in the industry and the portable, two-plate system I have allows me to evaluate someone’s total power and rate of force development. 

If a client isn’t local in the Seattle area, I can help them find a skilled practitioner near them who can perform the same assessment. It helps me see how much power they’re able to produce, how quickly they can do it, and if they have any imbalances or asymmetries, all of which feeds into what we’ll focus on in their program. Once we begin training together, I also use a TENDO Unit to assess strength, speed, and power during velocity-based training (VBT). If a client is injured when they come to me or gets hurt, an electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) unit can help progress their healing faster. 

Another way I use technology to inform tailored programming is by incorporating data from clients’ wearables. A Garmin or Apple watch, Oura ring, and other devices not only log workouts, but also show stats for sleep, daily physical activity, recovery, and more. When combined with the simple questionnaires I use, this data helps show how someone is responding to training, reveals other stressors, and demonstrates how lifestyle factors are coming into play. This helps me with load monitoring and management, so I know when to push someone and when to back off.

Combining an Evidence-Based Approach and Real-World Experience

My years in the Army – which included multiple deployments in Iraq – taught me valuable lessons about what is needed to perform well with less-than-ideal sleep, nutrition, and recovery. I then built on this as a consultant at Smartabase (now Teamworks AMS), working with Special Forces and regular military units on solutions that better managed their training. These also extended to mental, emotional, and spiritual readiness, as we supported holistic programs such as H2F and POTFF. 

I’ve also gained a wide range of experiences applying sports science and coaching to working with civilians. This included a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and rehabilitative sciences at the University of Hawaii. During this time, I complemented my studies by training for and competing at nationals for Olympic weightlifting, and I also learned a lot about personalized programming from Bryant Powers at CrossFit Oahu. While interning at the University of Hawaii, James Chassin and Matt Houston (who’s now with the Miami Heat) taught me valuable lessons about coaching athletes across all sports with an evidence-based approach and allowed me to put these into practice.  

After my time in Hawaii, I moved to the East Coast to put these lessons into practice as a sports coach for multiple men’s and women’s teams at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.  I also progressed my learning with a master’s in sport and exercise at Southern Utah University. Serving as the head strength and conditioning coach at Zelos Athletics enabled me to work with everyone from children playing youth sports to older folks looking to move well. 

At Zelos, I created a movement and performance screen for incoming clients that I still use today, and adapted workouts through ongoing monitoring and evaluations. This combination of training as a tactical and collegiate athlete, coaching competitors in many pro, college, and recreational sports, and working with the entire span of the general population equipped me to create personalized training plans based on the latest research that is effective in the real world. 

Online vs. In-Person Customized Training Plans

One of the things I loved most about working at colleges, gyms, and performance centers is the face-to-face interactions with the people I trained. They became more than just clients as I got to know them, walked alongside them in their journey through training and life, and helped them through their ups and downs. 

I still enjoy coaching like this today in north Seattle and at Emerald City CrossFit. Seeing people in person allows me to not only perform the kind of comprehensive intake assessment I mentioned earlier, but also to read between the lines by noticing body language, tone of voice, and non-verbal cues that indicate how someone’s doing with their workouts and if there’s anything wrong that I might be able to help fix – or just provide a listening ear. 

That being said, I also relish remote coaching. COVID-19 created a greater opportunity to do this, and it’s amazing how quickly I got used to evaluating and coaching people through web-based technology. During a performance consultation, I’ll use tools like Coach’s Eye to complement what I see in movement assessments and then provide technique pointers. 

Once I’ve evaluated an online client, I use TeamBuildr to create and deliver a tailored training plan. Just like with my in-person clients, I want to empower people to train safely and effectively on their own. So once they’ve mastered basic movement patterns, they go away and do most of their workouts independently. I check in regularly to see if they’re on track toward their goals and make sure they’re sticking to and benefiting from the program.  

When a client uploads data from their fitness tracker or smartwatch (many of which integrate with TeamBuildr), it helps me monitor their training and overall health. Then I can put on my sports science hat and adjust their workouts as needed so they’re doing enough to make steady progress without overtraining or under-recovering. TeamBuildr also provides more touchpoints through instant messaging. If someone just wants to get started quickly with strength training, they can see great benefits with my prebuilt online coaching plans. I also offer nutritional coaching remotely.

Who Benefits from Personalized Training Plans?

In a word, everyone! From my time at Zelos onward, I’ve had a lot of success coaching young athletes and getting them strong enough to handle the demands of youth sports without getting hurt. My hands-on experiences in college athletics equipped me to prepare high school athletes to get to the next level, collegiate competitors to excel, and the top athletes to get ready for drafts in pro sports. At the other end of the scale, I know how to use simple yet tailored strength programs to help older people stay active and independent. 

I’ve also worked closely with recreational and competitive amateurs who race in open and masters divisions and different age groups, as well as CrossFitters who’ve succeeded in the Open. My own background in Olympic lifting and powerlifting equipped me to develop proven, individualized plans for people in these sports, and I enjoy working with endurance athletes like runners and Ironman triathletes. It’s equally satisfying to apply personalized workout plans to individuals, small groups, and teams – which is where my college coaching experience comes into play.   

Anyone who is injured can also benefit from my customized coaching. If someone starts working with me while they’re hurt, I collaborate with my partner, fellow coach, and physical therapist Beth Ansley to help them. She can provide an assessment and ongoing PT if needed and helps me modify training plans so that people can maintain their function and fitness while remedying the issue. We enable athletes to get back to practice and play faster and program to reduce the chance of recurring injuries and acute issues becoming chronic ones. 

Want to benefit from customized online coaching or personalized in-person workouts? Contact me today!