What should change when a plan is personal?

Start with the person, not the exercise list

“I want to feel fitter” is a useful opening, but it leaves important questions unanswered. What would feeling fitter let you do? What are you doing already? Which parts of the week are predictable, and which are not? A personal plan needs this context before a collection of exercises becomes a meaningful choice.

There are three parts to that context: your current capacities, your present situation and your daily routine. The purpose is not to produce a complicated label for your body. It is to understand which decisions need adapting, and which information is still missing.

Shared principles, different application

ACSM’s 2026 guidance concerns resistance training in healthy adults. It supports tailoring training to individual goals and circumstances. It does not say every person needs a completely different set of scientific principles, or that a particular coaching service has been validated.

Two people may practise some of the same movements. The reason for choosing them, starting difficulty, amount of practice and way of reviewing progress can differ. Variety alone is not evidence of personalisation. The better question is whether the choice makes sense for the person doing it.

An example: the same goal, different questions

Consider two fictional adults who both want to return to regular training. One has familiar equipment but an unpredictable work rota. The other has reliable time but has never learned the movements. The first conversation might examine which parts of the week can support a realistic routine. The second might focus on instruction and a manageable learning sequence.

These details do not produce an instant prescription. They show why the questions matter. A diagnosis, an injury concern or new symptoms could change the conversation again and may require a health professional’s input.

A plan is also a way to learn

Ask what each part is intended to achieve and what information should lead to a change. “I completed it” and “I understood it” tell your coach different things. A brief record of what you practised, what felt unclear and what disrupted the week can make feedback more useful.

My Body Plan includes a start assessment, a weekly check-in and a monthly update. Those are opportunities to discuss the person’s response. They are service commitments, not proof that progress follows the same curve for everyone.

What to bring to the conversation

Describe a normal week as it actually happens, including the awkward parts. Mention previous training, relevant health guidance, equipment and the outcome that matters most to you. If something is uncertain, say so. More honest context is useful; a more impressive starting story is not required.