How to choose an exercise program

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/08/2019 (2272 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This weekend, I attended the wedding of two close friends who are part of my gym and the local fitness community.

It’s amazing how often “the gym” was mentioned during the toasts and speeches. I became engrossed in long, deep conversations about the finer details of exercise program design, coaching best practices, and tailoring training to personal goals and personality types.

My kind of wedding.

One of the topics that came up a lot was the value of a specialized program over a generalized one that you might find in a book or online. In my gym, we offer both type of programs; custom program design in a personal training setting and a more general program in our group fitness classes. So how do you know what program is right for you?  How do you choose between an online program, personal training, and group fitness?  

First, consider your personality. If you are an extrovert who thrives off the energy of others, you might do better in a group setting. Group fitness classes are fun, which can be the difference between a successful habit change and total failure. This works best if you have general fitness goals such as weight loss or increased energy. Keep in mind that in a group class, the workouts will be designed to cater to the majority of the group, and may not address your individual needs.

On the other hand, if you’re more introverted, you might find it intimidating and counterproductive to be around large groups of people, you might prefer to work out on your own or one-on-one with a personal trainer.

Other factors to consider are your training goal and your training age. Training age refers to how long you have been consistently working out with a specific goal. If you have been lifting weights to compete in sport for 10 years, you will need a different training program than if you have been lifting weights for 10 months to lose weight. If you are fairly new to exercise and have general goals such as feeling better and looking better, you are likely to get the results you need with a general routine in a group or online setting.

The body adapts to the specific stressors to which it is exposed, so if you are going from a sedentary lifestyle to a more active lifestyle, you are likely to see changes with just about any type of physical exercise.

If on the other hand, you are dealing with challenges such as injury, chronic illness, or pain, you may want to consider a custom workout routine from someone who specializes in your condition. Another scenario that might require a specialized training program is an athlete competing at a high level.

These are situations where a good personal trainer or coach can assess your current baseline and work with you to reach your goal in a shorter time frame.  

Tania Tetrault Vrga is owner and head
trainer at CrossFit Winnipeg. Send questions to her at www.crossfitwinnipeg.com