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I normally plan my athletes' training more than ten weeks in advance. However, when I print up the workouts after ten weeks of training, the diary often shows significant deviations from the original plan. Much like preparing your favorite recipe, sometimes all the necessary ingredients are not present and have to be improvised upon. Unforeseen circumstances such as misjudgment of ability, injury, rescheduled workouts, sickness, etc. frequently force some restructuring of the original program. A careful combination of planning and improvisation is necessary for success.When a workout schedule is planned, something magical happens: it allows the serious athlete to ponder the looming intensity for days prior to the battle. It's hard, after all, to prepare yourself for what you have to do when you don't know exactly what that is! There is definitely a psychological edge for the bodybuilder or weightlifter who has mentally prepared himself to bench 300lbs for 5x5, compared to the bodybuilder who stumbles into the gym and thinks 'Hmmm, I think I'll hit pecs today.' Additionally, athletes who plan their training do a better job of periodically increasing intensity, which is imperative for hypertrophy or strength gains, any way you look at it. Finally, those who plan their training are better able to track their results. I created the Myodynamics Training & Nutrition Manager software for just this purpose. If you don't record what you're doing in the gym, how do you know what's worked, and just as importantly, what hasn't worked? If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten. Incidentally, my opinion of "instinctive training" is dependent on your definition. I don't agree with a bodybuilder who walks in the gym and says "No one on the squat rack, guess it's leg day." I do, however, like to see an athlete say 'my warm ups look miserable, I've obviously habituated to 4x8 and need to re-think the plan.' To answer your question directly, there definitely should be a plan. However, when that plan is not working exactly the way it was intended, be prepared to change any variable whether it be longer breaks than planned, or seizing the opportunity to elevate the bar ten pounds after underestimating your strength on paper. Look at your training history and see what factors have helped you progress in the past. Have a plan, realizing that it's OK to make modifications— in fact, it's a given! |
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