Some coaches love coaching, some coaches love programming, and some coaches love analysing all the data. However, despite what you enjoy most you have to do all 3. Balancing these can become tricky and time consuming. If you are going to allow yourself the time to do what you love, you need to streamline your process and automate where you can. The following post outlines 3 ways to automate your programming process.
Using IFS Function to Guide Decision Making
When using Google Sheets, the IFS function can save you a whole heap of time! The function itself tests multiple conditions and returns a specific value, depending on the first condition that is true.
In the graphic below I have show 2 basic ways to use the IFS function. In the top example, a text string is generated depending on the athletes score. In contrast, the second example takes the amount of reps achieved and either adds 5% to the athletes weight, or leaves it the same.
Mastering the IFS function can save hours of time when programming for multiple athletes. You can build in progression schemes for reps, weight, sets, intensity etc that auto update, meaning you don't have to.
Use Google Forms to Collect Data
Collecting and inputting data can be ridiculously time consuming. No doubt you've spent an evening or two (perhaps 3), sat behind a laptop inputting scores into a spreadsheet that athletes have hand scribbled on a bit of paper.
Google forms can answer all you've been looking for! Athletes simply follow a link you send to them and fill in their answers. The answers then automatically fill in a tab on your spreadsheet.
You can also automate your sheet (using the IFS function) to highlight any issues, programming changes you may need to make, much much more.
Use Categories
Creating categories allows you to lay out a session structure and then essentially tick box your way through the exercise selection. There are many ways you can set out your categories, and ultimately it comes down to what works for you. Additionally, your categories don’t have to remain fixed and will always evolve and adapt, just as you do as a coach.
In an upcoming template built in conjunction with The Progress Theory Podcast we used a different method of categorising exercises. We set the categories based on high much fatigue (mostly CNS fatigue) the exercises were likely to cause. We also agreed set and rep parameters for each category to ensure the desired stimulus was met. By doing this we can streamline the decision making process and not waste endless amounts of time deliberating over each and every exercise.
In Summary
The goal isn't to become lazy. The goal is to put guidelines in place to enable you to complete your job as effectively and efficiently as possible. The three methods I have talked about can help you make your decisions quickly, but are just the icing on the cake when it comes to streamlining your process.
Keep an eye out for the new release of the 12 Week Hybrid Training Template where we use a huge amount of streamlining to make life easier.
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