Why you NEED TO DUMP your generic gym programme and get one tailor MADE FOR YOU!

We have all done it, open a fitness magazine or website and you’ll find an article detailing the “next best thing” training programme.

Occasionally you’ll even find the exact programmes that top level bodybuilders, actors or athletes use. So you can train like them, to look like them! This is all great for selling magazines, but is it really useful for you?

The short answer is NO, and here’s why:

Prescribing a one size fits all programme to the entire population that has read that magazine or website is clearly illogical. We are all different. We have different bio-mechanics, we have varying ranges of mobility and vastly different injury histories. Oh and were also not all bodybuilders, actors or athletes!

As well as this, we are all starting from different points in our training, both in our muscular development and neural adaptation.

Can this same programme really be applicable to both the casual gym goer and to someone with years of effective strength training history, and will the prescribed exercises, reps and sets all be appropriate for both of these people?

Will the casual gym goer have developed the mobility to perform the prescribed exercises safely and effectively? The answer to all of these questions is…..

NO!!!

These programmes have been designed by trainers specifically for this person – NOT YOU!

Fitness magazines, celebrity workouts and specialist training programs can all be great places to gain inspiration, motivation and knowledge about training and nutrition (sometimes) but should be used very carefully, the key is to understand why these methods are being prescribed, what they achieve, and how they can be implemented or adapted to work for you as a unique individual.

Yes there are fundamental principles that will benefit the majority of us depending on our level of experience. But specific exercise selection and training styles should be planned around an individual, not a generic template.

So whether you undertake the research yourself, or seek the experience of a personal trainer, understanding your own body should always be the first step when planning your training.