For a new trainer, and sometimes even for an experienced trainer, creating a successful program can feel overwhelming. There are so many components and variables to consider. What will it take to help your client progress, while enjoying the process? How do you meet people where they are and help them get where they want to go? As you gain knowledge and experience, you can make your programs more complex, but in the beginning, your best bet is to stick with the fundamentals.

Resistance Training

Everyone needs muscular strength and endurance training. As people age, they lose muscle mass and function. However, your programs will differ depending on the fitness level of your client, as well as his past experiences with weight training. With a beginner you will start with simple, stable exercises using lighter weights and higher repetitions. You might even use mostly machines to build her baseline strength. If your client has been training for years or is an athlete, the exercises will need to be more complex and more difficult in order to increase muscular strength and endurance. For this type of client you would use more functional training as well as heavier weights.

Regardless of the difficulty of the program, order of exercise and proper rest between sets are important, so the muscles can be safely overloaded. Fatiguing the muscles too early in the program will not allow for an efficient workout. Generally, you want to start training the large muscle groups first, then move on to the smaller muscles. If you work the smaller muscles first, you may not be able to train the larger muscles as hard, because the assisting muscles are already fatigued. If you choose to work the larger muscles first, the order of muscles used might look something like this:

• Chest: bench press

• Back: chin-ups

• Thighs and Butt: lunges

• Shoulders: overhead press

• Calves: calf raises

• Arms: bicep curls and triceps dips

You could also choose to train certain muscle groups on certain days, but most of your clients will not have the time to do this type of training; they'll need a full-body workout two to three times per week.

The amount of time you spend on each body part will depend on the client's goals. Some people do not like to do lower-body weight training because they want to keep their legs fresh for their cardiovascular training. For these people, you may spend a few minutes on these areas, but focus more on upper body and core. Other clients will really want to tone their legs and butt, so you will spend more time working those areas. It is fine to focus more effort on a specific area, but try not to neglect any muscle groups. If you do, you can create muscular imbalances that will predispose your clients to injury.

Cardiovascular Training

Your average client should be participating in cardiovascular exercise three to five times per week for twenty minutes to an hour. The intensity will vary depending on age and fitness level, but should generally be between 55 and 80 percent of their maximum heart rate. For a less precise way to tell your clients how hard they should be working, you can instruct them to work hard enough to breathe heavily, but still be able to talk to someone. If the workout is not intense enough, your client will not be improving heart and lung health, and will also not be burning many calories. If your client is highly conditioned or wishes to become highly conditioned, the frequency, intensity, and duration of the exercise will be much greater.

When a client is just beginning a program, you may need to start very slowly and simply. For some people, just walking for ten minutes is a challenge. Take your client where he is comfortable, and create a manageable way for him to progress to where he needs to be. Perhaps he will begin by walking three times per week for ten minutes, then add two minutes per week to each session. In five weeks, he will be walking for twenty minutes, and in ten weeks he will be walking for thirty. If walking is too difficult, the stationary bike is a good place to start. Whatever you choose, remember to consider what your client will enjoy. Many people find cardiovascular exercise to be boring. So encourage your clients to find a buddy and choose a variety of modes of exercise.