CategoriesProgram Design

Become a Certified Program Design Specialist

What often separates the okay trainers from the kinda-sorta good trainers to the great trainers is often their ability to write effective, thorough, albeit simple programs that help get people results.

As I’ve written about before, writing training programs can be a crap-shoot.

However, there aren’t many people better at that than Robert Dos Remedios. His Certified Program Design Specialist resource is currently on sale at $100 off the regular price and I think it’s a “must have” for any fitness professional looking to hone their program writing skills.1

Dos was kind enough to talk some shop with me on the topic of program design below. You should read it 1) because I said so and 2) because Dos knows his shit.

Dos Knows His Shit

TG: What your take on individualization? I mean, in the beginning, when someone has such little experience, how much individualization does someone need from a program design standpoint? How does it change from intermediate to advanced level lifters?

Dos: Individualization can often be over emphasized in training – it can also be unrealistic in many situations (think large teams without multiple coaches etc.). I personally don’t think we need to overthink this at times. The templates in CPDS allows for lots of individualization in terms of choosing exercises, types of program layouts, circuits etc. but the best part is that it keeps us honest and doesn’t let us overemphasize movements or leave out important exercises.

TG: Outside of a current injury, unique health history, or if someone happens to be training for something specific, most beginners don’t need that much individualization. It’s not uncommon for me to use a program I’ve already written for a new client and I just tweak it here when warranted.

Then, a month or two (or three) down the road, when he or she has a little more experience under the bar, that’s when I start to make it more individualized based off where technique breaks down, glaring weak points, etc. Just my two cents.

Okay, this will be a very vanilla question, but it HAS to be asked (and please feel free to drop as many f-bombs as you see fit). What are the most common mistakes you see trainers/coaches making when it comes to program design?

Dos: I think this is probably threefold: Overthinking things, trying to be different for the sake of being different, and simply making up internet style workouts that have never actually been tested on actual human beings.

Let me explain a bit….

With the first one, sometimes we think more complicated programs equate to better results. I think this is the complete opposite – I want to make things simple so we can focus on the important aspects of training, sound layouts, loading, and becoming great at performing movements.

For the second one I am referring to workouts like ones that sort of go against the majority of trainers or focus on one piece of equipment or movement. You know what I’m talking about….the guy who says “All you need to do is carries!” or the one that says “This (insert tool or piece of equipment of choice here) is all you need for a complete training session” – this is simply untrue, we know what movements NEED to be trained and we know the best exercises to train them.

 

For the third one I see lots of ‘outside the box’ thinking but like I always say it’s great to think outside the box…as long as you know what’s inside the box. There are some time-tested rules we need to follow before we get crazy with unrealistic protocols – just browse the internet for 5 minutes after googling “HIIT Circuits” and you will see what I mean, folks breaking rules without ever really knowing the rules.

TG: YES. I wish your answer in that last paragraph would be the litmus test for every trainer thinking about writing an ebook on program design who only has four months of experience in a commercial gym.

Are they are tenets of program design you feel are non-negotiable? And, if so, what are they?

Dos: OVERLOAD. I can’t stress this enough. I see too many trainers with programs that simply don’t work hard enough.

We cannot expect change without sacrifice….you should face some form of adversity (at least that little voice in our head that says  ‘HEY! What the heck are you thinking?!” numerous times during your training regardless of your training goals.

The #1 premise of my training philosophy is WORK CAPACITY – building our conditioning, strength, and even our mental toughness so that we can continue to improve and thrive as we continue to train.

TG: I know you train a lot of athletes (and I “think” general pop too). Regardless, what similarities and differences are there when writing programs between the two?

Dos: In Men’s Health Power Training nearly 10 years ago I wrote about just this – that there are VERY FEW differences in how I write programs for my athletes and my general population clients.

Of course choice of exercises, intensities, even format of the workout may look different but we always go back to programming the essential movement patterns for each person.

For example,  I would program an explosive exercise for both my college volleyball player and my 86 year old mother…..but they would look very different. I may use more of a Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT) circuit for a general population client vs. a full body “traditional” lifting session for my sport athlete…. But all the same essential movements will be programmed.

TG: What are some things about program design that some people give way more credence towards? You know, things that you look at and are like, “really?” What are some things you feel most people tend to gloss over?

Dos: I think the whole ‘whiteboard workout’ craze that we see really hosts a ton of problems – lots of programs that look to gas trainees for that crushed effect. Workout Dice, poster workouts with crazy, unrealistic HIIT protocols etc.

There’s a lot of ‘throw a bunch of stuff at people…get them tired…get them sore…and this will help people reach their goals.

An overall lack of actual PROGRAMMING is what I tend to see these days.

I think the thing people tens to gloss over is LOADING. Even the general pop client who is trying to get wedding dress ready needs to lift heavy stuff – I’m not saying we need to be max lifting but we need to be doing much more than burpees and tricep bicep curls…. This goes back to the overload comment I made earlier. Nothing great comes easy ;o)

TG: Lastly, What do you feel separates Certified Program Design Specialist from all the other similar resources out there?

Dos: I really don’t think there is anything like this available to folks – I like to feel like this is programming that has developed over years and years of training, literally thousands and thousands of ‘subjects’.

The program and philosophy you will find in CPDS is a proven, not only in my personal training experiences but in many other teams, gyms etc. I like to think that my plug and play system is almost foolproof and the choices allow for anyone to find the perfect match for their athletes and clients.
Those who complete the program and pass the exam will have a solid based of knowledge in designing programs for Performance, Fitness, and function.

 

—> Get Better. Invest in Yourself. Save $100 <—

CategoriesInterview Program Design

Talking Shop With ‘Coach Dos’

I have a special cameo appearance today from one of the best collegiate strength and conditioning coaches on the planet, Coach Robert dos Remedios (or, ‘Coach Dos’).

Coach Dos is someone whom I respect a ton, and someone I feel has forgotten more than many of will ever know. 27 years “in the trenches” coaching, a lot, will do that.

He’s achieved the status of Master Strength & Conditioning Coach by the CSCCa (one of only 100 in the world), is a Nike Elite Performance Coach and was also the 2006 NSCA Strength Coach of the Year.

I once scored 18 points in a JV basketball game. No big deal.

He’s the creator of Complete Program Design, his latest resource which just became available, and was kind enough to take time to answer a few questions for me.

Enjoy.

Tony Gentilcore (TG):I live in Boston. We had THE worst winter in history last year. We had a 30 day stretch where we had 6-7 feet of snow fall. It made the national and world news. You live in California with 80 degree weather year round. Can you please explain to me why I continue to put myself

Coach Dos (CD): HAHA! Well as a Californian who puts on the beanie when it drops below 60 I completely understand where you are coming from. That being said, the beer and Pub game in Boston is second to none….that alone can get me scrape some ice off my car to grab a proper pint :o)

TG:Speaking of misery, as a reputable strength coach yourself, I know you don’t buy into the “I must destroy myself with every training session” mentality: can you give some insight – or at least an umbrella themed review – on your approach to program design?

Maybe some “big rock” methodologies or words of wisdom?

CD: I think I am pretty simplistic when it comes to program design….but it’s important to not associate ‘simple’ with ineffective. If you take an approach where you address all essential movement categories (explosive, push, pull, hinge, squat/step/lunge, and core (pillar and rotational) it’s hard to go wrong.

You won’t have any holes and you will avoid over/under training any movements.

As far as crushing folks every session, it’s a common theme we see these days but the first indicator that the coach/trainer doesn’t have experience in the real-world.

I need my athletes to be able to perform and I can’t afford for them to not be ready to DO WORK in their next session with me. If folks are paying you to train them and you continually crush them each session, you will most likely not be a very successful private sector coach/trainer.

TG:No diggidy, no doubt. What are some of your biggest pet peeves with regards to program design that some fitness professionals make?

CD: The ‘whiteboard workouts’ –  these are the workouts that are generally created on the spot and have little rhyme or reason to the intensity, volume or actual exercises. It’s that random-randomness of these workouts that make them ineffective for most long term goals. Sure it can result in lots of sweat and anguish, but what role does this session play in your big picture?

The other kind of workout that bugs me? The fictional kind.

These are the ones that lots of internet gurus come up with on their computers and have never actually been tested on humans. They are generally characterized by unrealistic volumes, rest periods, or simple things like tri-setting deadlifts, DB walking lunges and chinups (Hint: aint gonna work haha!).

TG:Wait, what? Why?….;o)

With regards to assessment, what are some of the big hitting things you look at with your athletes and clients? Can you give insight on what “markers” you look for and want to improve on with your programs?

CD: We may use the FMS or we may just take athletes through simple movement prep drills and actual exercises to expose some red flags. We obviously want them all to move well and some do immediately while others are a work in progress.

Over the past 5-6 years we have really made mobility a priority with everyone (which is why we incorporate mobility drills within all of our lifting sessions) and we have seen great benefits. Some of the things we strive for are great squatters, hingers, and athletes with great unilateral strength and stability.

TG:Overtraining? Discuss.

CD: I’m a big ‘work capacity’ guy, it has always been the bedrock of my training philosophy.

Because of this we try to push the envelope when we train. I feel like the system we have used allows us to get after it hard, recover, and bounce back to attack the next training session. Our history of building better athletes and resisting injury has been pretty outstanding over the past 17 years at the college.

So in a nutshell can you overtrain? Sure, but if you have proper systems in place and keep the big picture in mind you can easily avoid it.

TG:For general fitness clients with little or no experience with the OLY lifts: what are some of your “go to” drills to help kick-start the process?

CD: The Olympic lifts (and all their variations) are favorites of mine but I am in it for one reason – Quadruple extension (yes I said quadruple, not triple haha!).

Think ankles, knees, hips, and low back powerfully extending. This can be easily accomplished via jumps, Med ball Scoops etc. band resisted jumps of all kinds are big go-to exercises for all populations as they add load and really force this ‘quadruple extension’.

TG:In terms of conditioning, any pet peeves or insights you can offer? How much is too much?

CD: I think people having a lack of understanding of energy systems especially when it comes to specific sport-demands.

I hate it when I see coaches make twitchy-explosive athletes do long, slow, aerobic activity. I call it ‘making joggers out of jumpers’.

If you truly believe that even your explosive athletes with virtually no aerobic demands in their sport need some sort of aerobic work at least accomplish this via fartleks or other aerobic-interval work. Makes me cringe seeing power athletes plodding along a cross country trail or track.

TG:Thanks so much for your time Coach! All useful information and just the tip of the iceberg in terms of your knowledge and how you go about making your athletes (and general fitness clients) savages.

I’m a movie geek, and I like to expose to people that not all us coaches are Terminators (<– See, what I just did there?) and that we have life outside of strength and conditioning. So I have to ask: top 5 favorite films of all-time?

CD: Tough Question so I’ll give you an eclectic mix….Happy Gilmore, Super Troopers, Old School, Vanilla Sky, and Silence of the Lambs.

This should give a little insight into my psyche haha!

Complete Program Design

Is a culmination of 27 years of coaching. 27 years of trial and error, successes, modifications, additions and most important of all…results.

You get a 100+ page manual breaking things down into several 2-3 and 4x per week programs. You also get an extensive exercise database of 130+ exercises and movements. Coach Dos coaches YOU.

It’s impressive to say the least, and something I know will help me step up my own coaching game. It’s an excellent resource for any coach – newbie or experienced – and it’s on SALE this week at a hefty discount.

For more information go HERE.