Overview

This is a guide on how to coach yourself in fitness. There’s sections for both newbies and seasoned folks, but the content here is especially suitable for you if:

• you just want ‘general training’ or hybrid training in the gym
• you have specific hypertrophy goals
• you’re not a currently competing high level athlete

The aim is to have a practical guide, not an encyclopaedic tome. The focus will be on specific suggestions and useful guidelines, rather than theoretical details filled with PubMed references.

In keeping with the practical nature of this guide, the sections are laid out to allow for two primary and different audiences.

• For folks starting out
• For folks already with experience

I’m new, give me a cue

If you’re brand new to fitness or resistance training specifically, you’ll want to begin in a structured manner to build up foundational aspects of your fitness.

Complexity is the enemy here, and the time old adage of KISS – keep it simple stupid – is very appropriate when we’re taking our first steps.

The best thing to do is dive head first and follow a straightforward program for novices.

Go here for the Starter Program.

Once you’ve made a good habit of that, you can peruse through additional topics as you work through the program:

• Identify your goals and have realistic expectations.
• Understand training from a top-down and bottom-up level.
  • With a top-down approach get a grasp of the big picture of training variables.
  • With a bottom-up approach start by troubleshooting your existing program or plan.
• Realise that recovery is the flip side of training.
  • More on the diet about the basics of a diet.

Already a rat, ready to bat

If you’re here you’ve been gymming for a while at least, and you’re either browsing for a new program or looking to troubleshoot an existing one.

Just tell me what to do

If you’re looking to jump into a new program, the first decision tree we have to make is how many hours a week you can reliably commit to training (including gym, cardio, mobility).

• If it’s somewhere between 3-6 hours, look at the Standard Programs.
• If it’s less than 3 hours, consider the Minimalist Programs.
• If it’s more than 6 hours, consider the Enthusiast Programs.

I want to troubleshoot and explore at my own pace

• The home page and the program list has the contents laid out as logically as possible