#18 - 3 Elements of a Great Training Plan

Today we are going to cover 3 things that I think all great training plans should try and achieve.

• Aesthetics = Looking the way you want to look.

• Functionality = Having the body, joints and muscles in good working order and pain-free.

• Athleticism = Having the ability to run, jump, move and throw well, and perform strongly in sport.

There will be some crossover between these elements. But for the most part, they are distinct training goals.

The way I go about my training is to divide the year into three. This allows me to focus on each of these areas for an extended time.

These three areas do not have to be trained equally. If there is one element you want to prioritise, more time can be allocated to it.

Now, let's get into the mistakes that many training plans make.

Only focusing on aesthetics

I have already said aesthetics and looks are important.

They are one-third of this whole framework.

But they are far from everything.

This is the problem I see with many training plans.

They are about looks and looks only.

Think about how many times have you seen, “Build Muscle! Lose Fat!”

Probably quite a lot right?

These are great goals to have.

But training is about so much more than just these two things.

Training should go beyond the superficial.

As I have mentioned, things like functionality and athleticism are great things to train for.

But the mental benefits of training are far-reaching too and more than we can touch on here.

So yes, aesthetics should be one of the main goals of training.

But there is much more to it than that.

Now let’s get into it.

Aesthetics

A quote I heard recently went something like this,

“Show me one person who wants to be strong and I’ll show you 10 who want to look strong.”

We all want to look our best.

This is great and how it should be. Part of our training should reflect this.

Looks are highly individual.

We all want something slightly different.

But as a general rule, adding some muscle and losing some fat will benefit how we look.

When it comes to body changes such as these, nutrition plays a massive role.

This is out of my area of expertise so I will focus on the training aspect here.

Training for muscular hypertrophy will be key.

Think about what muscles you want to target and why. Do you have any weak points that you want to improve?

Consider adding more endurance training at times when you want to emphasise fat loss.

Whatever it is, do it for you.

Functionality

The next box to tick is functionality.

This aspect of training is about getting the body to work as intended.

No limitations. No chronic pain. No injuries holding you back.

This is based on the idea that the body was designed correctly.

However, due to the nature of our modern lives, things start to go wrong.

Chronic pains. Tightness. Areas of weakness.

Functionality should address these areas to allow us to move freely.

In other words, these are the fitness basics:

• Mobility

• Strength in fundamental movements (push, pull, hinge etc)

• Aerobic fitness

When it comes to fitness, start here.

Get these areas right and you will make progress for years to come.

Athleticism

So, we’re looking good and our bodies are working well.

What’s next?

Becoming athletic is the answer.

Athletic training offers a whole new dimension to one’s training.

It also builds nicely on the foundation created by the functionality aspect.

Athleticism allows your body to perform at its best.

You can try many different sports and activities and have the physical capabilities to do well.

Muscular power is at the core of athleticism.

We want to be able to produce a lot of force and do so rapidly.

It is about running fast, jumping high and throwing far.

If you play a sport, at any level, these sorts of attributes are so valuable.

Don’t sleep on athleticism. It allows you to expand your physicality like nothing else.

That’s it for today.

I hope you enjoyed this breakdown.

Have a good one!

• Adam