I am often asked what is the difference between my universal programs and my individual programs.
When I write an individual program for a specific lifter I pay attention to his/her technique. If I find mistakes in the execution of the lifts I plan specific preparatory exercises to correct these mistakes. Furthermore, I look at which muscles of the lifter are weak. I plan specific exercises and appropriate volume to increase the strength of these muscles. And the most important thing is that each individual athlete has different recovery abilities, living conditions, training conditions, working conditions, etc.
Each scheduled week is analyzed twice. The first time - I analyze the written program by volume and intensity in accordance with the previous weeks, the second time - for the follow up I analyze what actually transpired during that training week. If the lifter didn’t complete all of the week’s program, I take this into account when planning the following week. I can make either upwards or downwards corrections to the volume or intensity for example.
When I write individual programs there is always very close contact with the lifter. The coach and athlete discuss the number of competitions a year for one thing. Due to the fact that the athlete is not able to be in the highest condition throughout the year, we select 1-2 of the most important competitions for him/her. All the training is then planned with regard to the fact that twice a year the lifter must reach his/her peak strength.
Also of great importance is the gym equipment available to the lifter. I have to know if there are chains, bands, boards, boxes/blocks, types of machines, etc. These will affect the development of strength in the competition movements.
All of the above I do not have when writing universal programs for everyone. This means that my universal programs should be taken as a starting point and adding corrections for yourself due to your own capabilities and circumstances.
Your coach Boris Sheiko.
