From total fitness newbies to seasoned athletes: the right programming makes all the difference when chasing your strength, weight loss, or competition goals.

If your New Year Resolution is to get fitter, you’re only as strong as your level of commitment to that new you. What’s your plan of attack when you walk into the gym? If you’re just showing up with no idea what to do and making things up on the fly, you’re gonna fizzle out eventually. A lack of direction will ruin your progress.

Lone wolfs and solo gym-warriors, take heed

Maybe you program for yourself, or you bought a PDF from a fitness influencer, or your coach is stuck in the dark ages and just sends you an Excel spreadsheet. Hopefully you’re tracking your weights and logging your workouts or you’ll only have some vague idea of your progress. 

What happens when you get to the end of your cycle? Do you re-up? Find something new? Wing it for a while?

If you don’t have your workouts set weeks in advance, preferably by a coach, you’re missing out on some key components to goal-setting (and goal-smashing).

All the big dogs and bad babes have coaches or at least a plan of action for chasing their physique and strength goals. Recycling the same movements week after week forever can stall your progress. But a solid game plan provides structure and holds you accountable to your daily fitness.

To reach your strongest and leanest self, it pays to know what you’re doing or to outsource your training format to someone who does. Here are some solid reasons athletes benefit from following a program. 

Why You Need a Training Plan to Get Those Strength Gains

Get personalized attention from a coach.

The value of individual, one-on-one coaching can’t be overstated. You only stand to benefit when a knowledgeable professional gives you their full attention. Having a coach program for you means they can recognize your weaknesses and give you progressions to help you conquer them. 

When you sign up for a training plan subscription in the TrainHeroic Marketplace, you can connect with a coach, send them videos to check your form, ask them questions, complain about cardio, and get individual feedback on your lifts. Even if you don’t live in the same state (or country!), you have access to them. 

Know the workout before you get to the gym.

Having a set training plan means you can focus on getting the work done, because the programming is already in front of you. You can trust that the sets, reps, and weights you’ve got to do today will move the needle on your fitness. Programming takes the guesswork out of training and allows you to attack your workouts with fewer distractions. 

Training plans are often designed to prep you for competitions or meets, and to educate you on why you need to work on something in a specific way. Stop wasting precious mental energy on figuring it all out yourself, or going the trial-and-error route just hoping something clicks. 

Track your progress & avoid plateaus.

If you’re winging it, you’re probably going to default to using the same exercises over and over again without learning anything new. And even if you’re actually doing the movements you hate, you’re more likely to go easy on yourself. Or maybe you want to push harder, but don’t really know how.

Logging your weights gives you measurable progress over time. And if you’re using a smart log like TH, you can see tons of historical data for your performance. Having a training plan gets you out of your comfort zone so you can attempt heavier weights, drill the skills you suck at, and evolve into a better athlete. 

Hold yourself accountable.

If you’re not making progress, the truth could be painfully simple: you might just not be working hard enough. It’s a tough pill to swallow for someone dedicated to being fit, but the good news is, it’s an easier fix than you think. Having someone coach you or program your workouts is usually all it takes to step on the gas.

If you want to become the kind of person who works harder and smarter to be athletic, the right plan will get you there. Holding yourself to a higher standard of fitness means doing things most people don’t do. Most people don’t realize just how important their training plan is. Get support from a coach so you can put in the work and become the fittest version of yourself.