{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Meghan Callaway","provider_url":"https:\/\/meghancallawayfitness.com\/my-blog","author_name":"Meghan","author_url":"https:\/\/meghancallawayfitness.com\/my-blog\/author\/stuffdastuff\/","title":"How I Program My Own Training - Meghan Callaway","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"38FaorpkEE\"><a href=\"https:\/\/meghancallawayfitness.com\/my-blog\/how-i-program-my-own-training\/\">How I Program My Own Training<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/meghancallawayfitness.com\/my-blog\/how-i-program-my-own-training\/embed\/#?secret=38FaorpkEE\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;How I Program My Own Training&#8221; &#8212; Meghan Callaway\" data-secret=\"38FaorpkEE\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/meghancallawayfitness.com\/my-blog\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/meghancallawayfitness.com\/my-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/smaller.jpg","thumbnail_width":653,"thumbnail_height":347,"description":"For quite some time, I&#8217;ve had many people ask me how I program my own training. While I know exactly what I want to accomplish, and how I want my body and mind to feel, my training is very loosely programmed so I rarely get into specifics, as I do believe that many people benefit from a more regimented approach. I have become very proficient at listening to my body, giving my body what it needs, pushing my body more when I can, and backing off when I need to. I don&#8217;t have any specific goals, at least in terms of specific numbers, and this works very well for me. Conversely, many people thrive when they set very specific goals. The key is to figure out what works best for you, and determine what you will be able to do consistently. You should absolutely enjoy what you are doing, and your training should make you feel physically competent, healthy, and empowered. As many people know as I have written about this topic extensively, when I was 28, I was in a really bad car accident. For over five years, my body was completely screwed up, I was pretty depressed, and felt like a complete imposter. I dealt with a wide array of symptoms, and was living in a chronic state of dysfunction and extreme discomfort. When somebody finally figured out what was causing all of my issues, because I had been compensating so badly for all of those years, and was not able to work out properly, I had become incredibly weak, and was not able to move properly. As a result, I basically had to start from scratch and train my body how to move again, and I systematically rebuilt my body from the ground up. I focused on mastering all of the fundamental movements. I also did a lot of research and studied a lot of Stu McGill&#8217;s work, and really prioritized core stability\/developing spinal stiffness. This helped me build a very solid base, and I was able to really take off from there. While some people might argue that my plan has flaws, what I do works extremely well for me. While my training is relatively loosely programmed, make no mistake, I absolutely own 100% of my movements, 100% of my reps, follow very regimented progressions, and essentially coach myself the way I would when I&#8217;m working with my clients. My focus is on making myself better, and doing everything properly. This is why I have been able to achieve a relatively high level of strength, overall fitness, and health. Before I get into the specifics, I want to be very painfully clear. I am not suggesting that this is how you should organize your training. This is what I do, and is what works well for me. I have spent many years fine-tuning my workouts and programming, and learning what works best for me. I am always refining what I do, and you should do the same. There is no cookie cutter, or one size fits all approach. Your training program should be individualized, and should fit your unique needs, goals, equipment, schedule, lifestyle, and so forth. With my training, my main purpose (vs specific goals) is to: Get stronger Improve my conditioning (stay match\/soccer fit year round) Improve my athleticism Be able to do\/master many cool\/crazy exercises Have fun and feel empowered Feel healthy (mentally and physically) Add muscle While the first six points have been a huge focus of my training since I came back from my 5+ years of body issues, I have also added in wanting to get more muscular as I love how being muscular makes me feel. While my training style allows me to add muscle without even focusing on it, I have added in a little more volume for my shoulders. This is the only tweak I have made. I pay very little attention to my aesthetics as I&#8217;ve learned that if I train the way I want to, and consistently, the aesthetic part will occur pretty automatically. After struggling with body image issues for much of my 20&#8217;s, and this was extremely mentally and physically exhausting, and counterproductive, my focus is on improving my performance and health, having fun, and feeling pretty badass. This is what motivates me. Working out is a huge passion of mine, and is part of my daily routine. Here is an outline of the components of my training program. Strength Training When it comes to my strength training, I aim to train my lower body 2\/week, and my upper body 3-4\/week. I perform 2 full body workouts per week where my main focus is on my legs, and I&#8217;ll do an additional 1-2 sessions for my upper body where I&#8217;ll focus on a combination of bodyweight exercises, barbell and dumbbell exercises, and &#8221;play&#8221; exercises. I usually perform one of my upper body workouts after a conditioning session, or on days when I have an evening soccer game. Generally, when I train my lower body, I start my workout with an exercise where the purpose is to gain strength. I usually opt for a lower rep range (3-6 reps), and perform this exercise alone, or pair it with an &#8221;active rest&#8221; exercise (usually a scapula stabilizer exercise). When my priority is squatting, I often start my workout with a barbell front squat variation. I have always preferred front squatting over back squatting, and back squat very infrequently. Lately, I have been doing a lot of negatives, or double pause front squats. If my priority is hip hinging, I will often start my workout with trap bar deadlifts, or barbell RDL&#8217;s. For the past year, I haven&#8217;t been doing many conventional or sumo deadlifts. I enjoy these lifts, but prefer trap bar deadlifts. Once I have completed 3-5 working sets of my main strength exercise, my remaining exercises are typically in the 8-12 rep range, and I usually pair a lower body exercise with an upper body exercise. For the past year or so, I have been opting for full body workouts as they give me a much bigger bang for my buck and free up my schedule to do more conditioning workouts. Because my conditioning level is very high, I&#8217;m able to perform supersets without getting gassed or needing a lot of time to recover. When it comes to training my upper body, I am much less regimented, and rarely go into a workout with a set plan. I admit, I pretty much go with the flow, and end up performing a lot of exercises. I do a lot of bodyweight exercises, exercises with dumbbells and barbells, and quite a few of my &#8221;crazy\/play&#8221; exercises. When I train my upper body, I really like to have fun and be creative, and this works for me as my strength and ability to perform more advanced exercises continues to increase. I&#8217;d estimate that at least 50% of my upper body exercises are done with just my bodyweight. Most of my upper body exercises are in the 8-12 rep range, although I sometimes go for 15 or more reps, particularly during some of my bodyweight exercises. I also like to add band resistance to some of my exercises, particularly to different Landmine variations, and bodyweight exercises like push-ups. Exercise Variation: I am a huge believer that if you want to continue to make progress, you need to perform the same exercises, and consistently. I do not switch up my workouts, or most of my exercises. What I do is perform different variations of the same exercises, including some of my more innovative but effective variations, and I vary the tempo, reps, sets, and exercise order. I don&#8217;t get bored, but I always entertain myself by performing my &#8221;play&#8221; exercises, and my very basic training style allows me to be able to do so. Form: While I am not very rigid when it comes to my workouts, I am extremely rigid and meticulous when it comes to my form. No matter what I am doing, I make sure that my form is as close to my perfect as possible. Keep in mind that form will vary on an individual basis, and no two people will look identical when they are performing the same exercise. Talking about technical vs absolutefailure is also extremely important. When I perform any form of strength training, or conditioning that is technical, I ALWAYS stop when I reach technical failure. In other words, when my form breaks down, I stop. If I need to adjust the weight so I hit a particular rep range, I will. But my priority is using good form 100% of the time as my goal is to make myself better, and improve my health. When I perform less technical conditioning, I will go to absolute failure, but am still mindful of my form at all times. Sets\/Reps: I usually perform 3-5 working sets of each exercise. This does not include a warm-up set. Length Of My Workouts: I used to spend up to 2 hours working out, but now both due to time constraints, and efficiency, my workouts are just over 60-75 minutes in length. On some days, I will only spend 30-45 minutes working out. Over the years, I have learned that more isn&#8217;t always better. Tempo: I like to mix up my tempo. Sometimes I perform my exercises very explosively (but with control). Much of the time I use a 1-0-1-0 tempo, and I am a huge fan of performing pause, double pause, or negative reps (3-5 second eccentric). Rest Intervals: When I squat, deadlift, and am using lower reps\/heavier weight, I often rest for 90 seconds to 2 minutes between sets. During this rest, I like to perform a &#8221;filler&#8221; exercise (often a scapula stabilizer exercise). When I perform bodyweight exercises, I usually rest for just 60 seconds between rounds. When I perform supersets (often a superset of a lower body and upper body exercise) I rest for 60-120 seconds. As my conditioning level is very high, I recover very quickly so I do not need that much rest. This allows me to accomplish a lot more in much less time. Number Of Exercises: When I train my legs, I usually perform 5-6 exercises, plus a glute exercise either during my warm-up or at the end of my workout. As I often do full body workouts, I perform 5-6 supersets of a lower body exercise plus an upper body exercise. When I train my upper body on its own, I often perform 10-12 exercises, but I rarely keep track of my overall volume. I just pay attention to how my body and mind are feeling. I usually do 1 core stability exercise per workout, 1 band resisted glute exercise\/bodyweight glute exercise 2 days per week, and 1 scapula stability exercise 3-4 days per week. Ratios I follow: When I train my lower body, I follow a ratio of 1:1 quad dominant to hamstring dominant exercises. Because my hamstrings used to be a weak link, I was doing 2:1 hamstring to quad dominant exercises, but am back to the 1:1 ratio. I make sure that at least 50% of my lower body exercises are unilateral. So many people get caught up chasing numbers with the flashier bilateral squats, hip thrusts, and deadlifts, and I won&#8217;t make this mistake. Single leg exercises matter! When I train my upper body, I aim to follow a ratio of 2:1 pulling to pressing exercises, and I try my best to follow a ratio of 2:1 horizontal pulling to vertical pulling exercises, but because I love doing pull-ups and chin-ups so much, this doesn&#8217;t always happen. I&#8217;d guess that about 25% of my upper body exercises are unilateral. Rest Days: I legitimately love working out and would 7\/week if I could as it is a miracle tonic for me, and helps me as much mentally as it does physically. However, I know..."}