Having a clear plan – and the right detail in the programming – is crucial to success in any walk of life.

And it could not be more key than when you are looking to start your journey at a gym or in sports, to improve your health and fitness.

Having a plan that holds you accountable and gives you motivation to adhere to, is vital.

Without that, in the gym for instance, you can become disillusioned and lose the desire to go – especially if you do not know what you are actually going to do that session.

This is where I feel many people fall down, whether it be in gyms or simply sticking to lifestyle changes.

It’s the guesswork, the lack of planning, and the lack of direction which are main reasons people fail when trying to chase their goals.

So get your plan in place, and work out what you’re doing today complements or causes a negative effect on your training.

A plan needs a clear aim, and be flexible enough to accommodate what life throws at you.

Whatever happens, you have to be able to stay on course.

That blueprint is the thing you can fall back to when you need that drive and determination.

And with all plans, the devil is in the detail.

In my role as performance coach with the USA rugby sevens team, we spend a lot of time on the programming of the team’s training, every repetition, every second and how that all links to the bigger picture of our goals.

This detail is crucial to the success of your training.

Your sessions all need to be linked, not ad hoc – getting this wrong can be another reason why people can find they are never improving.

Often one session combats against the next. There can be over-use, or elements not used enough.

These all affect the end goal, and how efficiently or fast you reach it.

Every programme, every plan in health and fitness needs to be aligned to the goal, no matter how large or small it is.

Programming is something we offer everyone at The Athlete Factory, because we understand just how important it is

  • The Athlete Factory is a state-of-the-art training facility next to Chester RUFC at Hare Lane.

Expert professionals and a range of classes are there for everyone, regardless of age, ability or aim.

For details call 0161 2989797, visit www.afchester.global or email speaktous@theathletefactory.global.