Training article
Choosing Your First Programme (And When To Move On)
How to pick a starting point, and how to tell you've outgrown it
General information about training and eating, not personal advice. It is not medical or dietary advice and it cannot account for your circumstances. If you are pregnant, have a medical condition, take medication, or have a history of disordered eating, talk to a GP or a registered dietitian before changing how you eat or train.
The programmes above are ordered by level for a reason — starting in the right place matters more than most people think.
If you're new to structured training, start with SP First Steps, SP Foundations or, if you prefer machines, SP Machine Full Body rather than anything with a wave or split structure. The goal in the first few months is learning the movements and building the habit, not optimising anything.
Linear progression — adding a little weight every session — stops working for most people somewhere between three and twelve months in, depending on how consistent they've been. When you're missing reps on the same lift two or three sessions running despite resting and eating properly, that's usually the sign a beginner programme has done its job, and it's time to move to something with more structure, like SP Push / Pull / Legs or SP Upper / Lower.
It's tempting to jump to a more complicated programme the moment progress feels slow, but a stall lasting one or two weeks is normal, not a sign the programme's broken. Give it a fair run before deciding you've outgrown it.