By Mike Tuchscherer

 

            Planning long term training can be difficult.  It can be so difficult, in fact, that many will opt to not do it rather than go to the trouble.  The problem is that long term planning is critically important to one thing we all care about – long term development!  Contrary to the beliefs of some, there is more to long term planning than simply piecing together a lot of shorter training blocks.

            But rather than spend time convincing you of the need to utilize long term planning, I thought I’d just try to make it easier.

 

Enter Training Generator

 

            Training Generator puts your training process into an easier to understand format so you can create professional grade training plans that lead you right up to your next contest.  There will be other articles in the near future that discuss the benefits of using such a generator and how it takes so much guess work out of the training process.  But now, I’d like to tell you how to USE the generator to build your own training plan.

 

            When entering the Training Generator, the first screen you come to will define the start date and length of your training cycle.  You can start on any date you choose, but it is generally recommended that you start on a Sunday so you have complete training weeks.  This makes the planning process easier.

            The next screen you will come to is where you will define your templates.  You will name each template that you plan on using during your cycle and then define which lifts will happen on which days.  You also define what kind of lift you would like it to be.  The following are the recommended positions:

 

Main:  Prime Squat, Prime Deadlift, Prime Bench Main, Secondary Bench Main

Assist:  Secondary Squat, Secondary Deadlift, Prime Bench Assist, Secondary Bench Assist

Low Supplement:  Squat Supplement, Prime Bench Supplement

High Supplement:  Deadlift Supplement, Secondary Bench Supplement

 

If you think you would like to deviate from the above suggestions, it is recommended that you are familiar with the definitions of Main, Assist, Low Supplement, and High Supplement as outlined in the RTS Manual.

            Add as many templates as you want and use the tabs near the top to navigate between them.  After you have all of the templates adjusted as you want, click “submit” at the bottom of the page.

            The next screen you see will allow you to plan your macro cycle.  The first column you can make inputs is for notes.  Just click the button to open a window where you can type your notes.  Close the window when you’re done – the note is automatically saved.  Then move across the fields generally from left to right, although any order you choose will be fine. 

After you have finished the overview of your cycle, use the tabs at the top and select movements for each week of your training cycle.  Movements that have no place in the selected template will be blacked out.  If you want to use that movement, you will have to select a different template for that week.

Once all of your movements are programmed, submit and you can view your training for this week and also preview the training to be completed next week.  You can also modify any training cycles that you have created by clicking the modify link in the menu on the right side of the page.

 

This is the “quick and dirty” on how to operate the training generator.  A video will suit this well because it will give examples as well.  I will see about getting an example video put in the works.  In the meantime, you are encouraged to just play around with it and think about your cycle in larger terms.  Practicing will help you learn to utilize long term planning in your training and will result in better gains over time.

 

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Reactive Training Systems always strives to provide the most advanced and effective training system on the planet as well as the equipment you need to train and compete with unrivaled success.  For the most recent news on RTS developments, sign up for our newsletter (form at the right of the page), or follow us on Facebook.  If you would like to discuss this article, please visit our Forum or Contact page.