Training theory, applied

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Practical articles on building workout plans, the scientific guidelines, and running a practice as a personal trainer.

Looking for the full step-by-step guide? It is at how to create a workout plan for a client.

September 14, 2026 · 8 min read

How do you build a workout plan for a client with shoulder pain?

Which exercises to leave out with impingement-like shoulder pain, what rotator cuff work to keep, and how to build a complete plan around a sore shoulder.

September 14, 2026 · 8 min read

How do you build a workout plan for a pregnant client?

What ACOG actually recommends for exercise in pregnancy, which positions and lifts to drop per trimester, and how to keep the plan complete and safe.

September 14, 2026 · 8 min read

How do you build a workout plan for a client with high blood pressure?

Why breath-holding is the real risk with high blood pressure, which exercises to leave out, and how to dose training that lowers pressure instead.

September 14, 2026 · 8 min read

How do you build a workout plan for a client with wrist or elbow pain?

How to train around tennis elbow and sore wrists: what to leave out, which loading progression to use, and why the rest of the plan barely changes.

September 14, 2026 · 8 min read

How do you build a workout plan for a client with balance problems?

How to plan for a client at risk of falling: what the Otago programme does, which exercises to drop, and why balance work has to be genuinely hard.

September 14, 2026 · 8 min read

How do you build a workout plan for a beginner carrying excess weight?

How to start a beginner with excess weight: session frequency, why bodyweight exercises are the wrong tool, and how to build up without losing the client.

August 30, 2026 · 7 min read

Progressive overload: how much load do you add per week?

A concrete rule for personal trainers: how much weight to add per week, why 5% is a workable default, and when adding load is the wrong move.

August 30, 2026 · 7 min read

How do you build a workout plan for a client with knee pain?

Which exercises to avoid with knee complaints, why leg training should not be dropped, and how to build a complete plan around a sensitive knee.

August 14, 2026 · 8 min read

A strength training program for beginners: what the first block looks like

What a first plan looks like: 2 to 3 full body sessions a week, 5 to 6 basic exercises, 3 sets of 10, and the build-up over six weeks.

August 14, 2026 · 7 min read

How many sets per muscle group per week are needed?

Ten sets per muscle group per week is the reference for muscle growth. What that means, how to count it, and when more or less is right.

August 14, 2026 · 7 min read

Full body or split: which layout do you pick per client?

Full body or split follows from the number of sessions per week, not from the level. How to check which layout fits your client.

August 13, 2026 · 6 min read

Building workout plans: Excel, templates or software?

An honest comparison between writing plans yourself, using Excel templates, and using software, with the trade-offs of each approach.

August 12, 2026 · 6 min read

Why working in mesocycles beats planning session by session

What a mesocycle is, why blocks of 3 to 6 weeks beat inventing separate sessions, and how to note progressive overload for a client.

August 10, 2026 · 8 min read

The ACSM resistance training guidelines, explained practically

What the ACSM position stand says about sets, reps, load, frequency and rest, and how to translate that into an ordinary client's plan.

August 7, 2026 · 6 min read

How many clients can a personal trainer realistically handle?

A calculation for personal trainers: how many clients fit into a week, where the hidden hours sit, and at what point administration eats your margin.

August 4, 2026 · 7 min read

How do you create a workout plan for a client with low back pain?

Which exercises to avoid with low back pain, why McGill's Big 3 is the standard, and how to still build a complete plan for your client.