Fysiqal
Knowledge Library

Programming

51 topics
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Programming51 topics
ExercisesProgram DesignCardioTrackingPrinciples
AnatomyAssessmentBalanceCalisthenicsCardioConditioningEquipmentExercisesFlexibilityMind & BodyNutritionPhysiologyPopulationsPowerPrinciplesProgram DesignProgrammingSafetyTrackingTraining SystemsWellness
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On this page:MethodProgramConceptFramework
Duration

◆ Method

18 topics

Programming
Adjusting the Plan by Assessment ResultsUsing baseline and re-test data to set starting loads, target the weakest links, and decide objectively when the program has done its job.
Programming
RPE / RIR AutoregulationAdjusting load and volume day to day by how hard a set actually feels — using Reps in Reserve (RIR) or a 1–10 RPE scale — so the dose tracks real readiness instead of a fixed number on paper.
Programming
Block PeriodizationSequencing concentrated, single-focus blocks (accumulation → transmutation → realization) so each builds on the residual effects of the last, rather than chasing many qualities at once.
Programming
Conjugate / Concurrent PeriodizationTraining several qualities in parallel within the same week — rather than in sequence — using rotating exercises and complementary methods, as in the Westside conjugate system.
Programming
Deload WeeksA planned lighter week that sheds accumulated fatigue so adaptation can catch up — the routine recovery valve that keeps a program out of the exhaustion stage.
Programming
Double ProgressionProgress reps first within a target range, then add load and drop back to the bottom of the range — a simple, self-paced way to advance without test maxes or percentages.
Programming
Exercise Selection StrategyChoosing exercises by matching the goal's movement patterns, leading with compounds, balancing opposing patterns, and fitting the trainee's equipment and skill.
Programming
Goal Setting for Program DesignTurning a vague desire into a specific, measurable, time-bound goal that fixes program priorities and gives monitoring something to measure against.
Programming
Linear (Traditional) PeriodizationThe classic model in which volume starts high and intensity low, then volume gradually falls as intensity rises across the macrocycle toward a strength/power peak.
Programming
Managing PlateausA diagnostic ladder for stalled progress — rule out recovery and adherence first, then deload, then change a variable — instead of blindly adding more work.
Programming
Needs AnalysisThe first design step — a two-part evaluation of what the goal demands and who the trainee is — that anchors every later programming decision in reality.
Programming
Peaking & TaperingThe final phase that strips accumulated fatigue while preserving fitness — by cutting volume sharply and holding intensity — so peak performance lands on the event date.
Programming
Percentage-Based ProgrammingPrescribing load as a percentage of a known one-rep max (or a slightly conservative "training max"), giving precise, repeatable intensity targets — at the cost of ignoring daily readiness.
Programming
Applying Progressive OverloadThe practical ways to make training gradually harder over time — more load, reps, sets, density, or range — so adaptation continues without overshooting recovery.
Programming
Exercise Order Within a SessionThe default sequence — power, then heavy compounds, then assistance, then isolation/core — that puts the most neurally demanding work where you are freshest.
Programming
Undulating Periodization (DUP / WUP)A nonlinear model that varies volume and intensity frequently — within a week (WUP) or session to session (DUP) — so several qualities are trained in the same period rather than in long sequential blocks.
Programming
Warm-Up & Cool-Down StructureA two-part warm-up (general aerobic raise, then specific/dynamic prep and ramp-up sets) and a brief cool-down, structured to prime performance and protect tissue without sapping the main work.
Programming
When & How to Add LoadConcrete decision rules for raising weight — the 2-for-2 rule, sensible increment sizes, and microloading — so progression is earned and recoverable rather than arbitrary.

◆ Program

16 topics

Programming
At-Home / Minimal-Equipment ProgramA full-body plan that covers every movement pattern using bodyweight, bands, and a pair of adjustable dumbbells — built so progression doesn't depend on a loaded barbell.
Programming
Beginner Full-Body ProgramA simple 3-day-a-week full-body plan of basic compound lifts with near-session load progression — the highest-leverage program for someone in their first months of training.
Programming
Body-Part Split ProgramA 5–6 day "bro split" that dedicates each session to one or two muscle groups at high per-session volume and once-weekly frequency — for advanced bodybuilders with the recovery to use it.
Programming
Marathon / 5K Base-Building ProgramA running plan that builds a large easy-aerobic base first, then layers in threshold and VO2max work, governed by the 10% rule and a mostly-easy intensity distribution.
Programming
Fat-Loss ProgramA resistance-led plan inside a moderate calorie deficit, with adequate protein and added cardio, designed to lose fat while keeping the muscle you have.
Programming
General Fitness / Health ProgramA balanced weekly plan that meets ACSM's public-health targets — aerobic + resistance + flexibility + neuromotor — for someone whose goal is overall health, not a specific performance peak.
Programming
Hybrid / Concurrent (Strength + Cardio) ProgramA plan that builds strength and endurance together, sequenced and dosed to keep the interference effect small — for people who want to lift and run/ride/row.
Programming
Maximal Strength ProgramA low-rep, high-load plan built on a handful of big compound lifts, long rests, and a percentage- or RPE-driven progression toward a heavier 1RM.
Programming
Mobility / Longevity ProgramA sustainable, joint-friendly plan that protects strength, mobility, balance, and aerobic health into later decades — optimizing healthspan rather than peak performance.
Programming
Muscle Hypertrophy ProgramA moderate-rep, volume-driven plan training each muscle ~2×/week with progressive overload near (but not always to) failure, supported by a slight calorie surplus and adequate protein.
Programming
Muscular Endurance ProgramHigh-rep, light-to-moderate-load training with short rests — often in circuits — to build a muscle's resistance to fatigue.
Programming
Power / Athletic ProgramA strength-base plus explosive plan — heavy lifts for force, ballistic/plyometric and speed work for velocity — sequenced so explosive efforts are always done fresh.
Programming
Push / Pull / Legs (PPL) ProgramA split that groups the body by function — pushing muscles, pulling muscles, legs — run 3 or 6 days a week, giving balanced coverage and (at 6 days) ~2× frequency.
Programming
3-Day Full-Body ProgramThree full-body sessions a week, each rotating exercise emphasis, giving every muscle ~3× weekly frequency — ideal when only three training days are available.
Programming
Time-Crunched / Express ProgramA minimal-time plan that concentrates results into a few short sessions using big compounds, supersets/circuits, and short high-intensity cardio.
Programming
Upper / Lower Split ProgramA four-day split alternating upper-body and lower-body sessions, giving each muscle ~2× weekly frequency — the balanced default for intermediates with four days.

◆ Concept

12 topics

Programming
Training Frequency ConsiderationsHow often to train each muscle or movement per week — driven by how weekly volume is distributed and how long each muscle needs to recover, not by a magic number.
Programming
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)Selye's three-stage stress model — alarm, resistance, exhaustion — that explains why training must overload, then recover, then change, and why too much stress without recovery breaks down adaptation.
Programming
Macro-, Meso-, and MicrocyclesThe three nested time units of a periodized plan — the macrocycle (the whole campaign), mesocycles (multi-week blocks with one focus), and microcycles (the repeating weekly pattern).
Programming
Movement-Pattern BalanceA checklist of fundamental human movement patterns — and the rule to balance opposing ones — so a program builds a complete, injury-resistant body rather than a lopsided one.
Programming
Periodization OverviewThe deliberate, time-based variation of training volume and intensity through planned cycles, so that adaptation continues long after a constant routine would stall.
Programming
Recovery Between SessionsHow much rest a muscle or system needs before being trained hard again — the constraint that sets training frequency and prevents fatigue from accumulating faster than adaptation.
Programming
Training Age & Experience LevelsHow long and how seriously someone has trained — which determines how fast they can progress, how much variation they need, and how complex their program should be.
Programming
Training Splits ComparedHow the main ways of dividing the body across the week — full-body, upper/lower, push-pull-legs, body-part — trade off per-muscle frequency, session length, and weekly availability.
Programming
Volume Landmarks (MV / MEV / MAV / MRV)A set of weekly-volume reference points — minimum, minimum-effective, maximum-adaptive, maximum-recoverable — that frame how many sets per muscle to do for growth without over-reaching.
Programming
Weekly Sets per MusclePractical weekly hard-set targets per muscle group — roughly 10–20 sets for growth — and how those numbers shift with experience, with the muscle, and across frequency.
Programming
What Is a Training ProgramA training program is an organized, goal-driven plan that arranges exercises, loads, and rest over time so that adaptation is repeatable, progressive, and not left to chance.
Programming
Abdominal Work — Common Misconceptions (Gym & Class Setting)Abdominal work may be the single best fitness activity a trainer can prescribe, but its benefits are confused, invisible in the short term, and usually trained the wrong way — four specific myths explain why.

Suggested routes through Programming

First programStart here
  1. 1. Training Age & Experience Levels
  2. 2. Beginner Full-Body Program
  3. 3. Double Progression
PlateauRebuild momentum
  1. 1. Managing Plateaus
  2. 2. RPE / RIR Autoregulation
  3. 3. Deload Weeks
Return after a breakReset and ramp
  1. 1. Principle of Disuse (Reversibility / "Use It or Lose It")
  2. 2. Sedentary / Deconditioned Individuals
  3. 3. Beginner Full-Body Program
Sport seasonCompete and peak
  1. 1. Periodization Overview
  2. 2. Block Periodization
  3. 3. Peaking & Tapering