Inside The OPEX Method Week 3: Program Design (OPEX Gain)
What matters most when writing a resistance training program? In Week 3 of the OPEX Method mentorship, we shifted from relationships (Week 1) and assessment (Week 2) to building better programs with OPEX Gain, the resistance training pillar.
The promise is simple: design with the person in mind, match the dose to the goal, and make sure the client knows why it matters.
This week tied the science to the real world, using the stress, recover, adapt model, training age progressions, and clear mechanisms like motor control, hypertrophy, and strength. In the lab, coaches co-wrote for a client avatar, then refined their thinking in office hours. If you value individual design and want clients to be consistent, this is the blueprint.
Next week we move into OPEX Sustain, aerobic training, and the MAP progression. For now, here is what stood out and how to use it.
Week 3 highlights: OPEX Gain and the big rocks of resistance training
This block focused on resistance training principles, then pulled those ideas into practical design choices. The lecture covered motor control, hypertrophy, training age progressions, the contraction continuum, the strength continuum, and how to turn principles into sets, reps, tempo, and rest. The lab took those ideas into action, as groups co-wrote programs for a client avatar and shared choices.
The goal was not to make you memorize every method. It was to make design feel simple and repeatable. Think in mechanisms first, then pick the stress that fits the person, then assess if it worked.
Try these right away:
Anchor each phase to a clear mechanism. Motor control, hypertrophy, or strength must be obvious in the design.
Use tempo to drive quality. Slow eccentrics build control, pauses build position, steady tempos build repeatable output.
Program by training age, not ego. Beginners earn exposure and skill. Intermediates earn volume. Advanced clients earn intensity.
Keep the stress, recover, adapt loop front and center. If recovery markers drop, reduce stress, not standards.
Track compliance and connect the why. People stick to plans they understand and believe in.
Key mechanisms in plain English: motor control, hypertrophy, strength
Motor control: Own positions and paths. Success looks like stable reps with no compensations. Cue: slow 3 to 4 second eccentrics and a 1 second pause in the hardest position.
Hypertrophy: Build muscle size. Success looks like full range, steady reps with local fatigue near the end. Dose: moderate loads, 6 to 12 reps, short to moderate rests.
Strength: Increase force output. Success looks like crisp singles to fives with no grind early in the cycle. Dose: heavier loading, lower reps, longer rests.
Progress with training age, not ego
Training age is how long someone has trained with good structure. It guides exercise choices and volume. A new lifter needs patterns and positions more than intensity. An intermediate lifter can handle more volume and variety. An advanced lifter can benefit from targeted intensity, longer cycles, and slower progression.
Novice: 3 sets of 8 to 10, 3-1-2-0 tempo, simple patterns like goblet squat and ring row.
Intermediate: 4 sets of 6 to 8, 3-0-1-0 tempo, barbell lifts with accessories.
Advanced: 5 sets of 3 to 5, controlled tempos on heavy lifts, higher specificity with longer rests.
Contraction and strength continuums, simplified
The contraction continuum covers eccentric, isometric, and concentric emphasis. Build control, then add load. The strength continuum runs from local control to maximal strength.
Use a simple sequence:
Eccentric focus, 3 to 4 second lowers to build control.
Isometric holds, 1 to 3 seconds at the bottom or sticking point to own positions.
Concentric focus with heavier loads and longer rests to move big weights well.
From macro principles to micro choices: sets, reps, tempo
Start with the mechanism, then pick tempo to set quality, reps and sets to set stress, and rest to guide recovery.
Example day for motor control:
Back squat, 3-3-1-1 tempo, 4 sets of 6, rest 90 seconds.
Split squat, 3-2-1-0, 3 sets of 8 per side, rest 60 seconds.
Ring row, 2-2-1-1, 4 sets of 8 to 10, rest 60 seconds.
The tempo keeps the focus on control, the rep ranges keep stress manageable, and the rests support steady movement quality.
Use the stress, recover, adapt model to design smarter programs
When design feels complex, zoom out. Every program is a loop: apply the right stressor, allow recovery, then check for adaptation. If the goal is clear and the stress matches the person, you can track progress without guesswork.
Set the mechanism, choose the stressor (exercises, tempo, reps, sets, rest), then build a hypothesis for the next few weeks. Inside that cycle, run small assessments. Observe movement quality, session RPE, grip after sessions, and readiness. At the end of the cycle, measure the mechanism again. Did you move it? If not, adjust the stressor, not the goal.
This model de-stresses design because it frames each block as a test. It also honors the fact that every client is N equals 1. The same stress does not work the same way for everyone. Stay close to principles, then tailor based on recovery and results.
Turn goals into clear mechanisms
Translate vague goals into testable targets. Get stronger becomes improve 5RM back squat by 5 to 10 pounds, or increase isometric mid-thigh pull by 5 percent. Control a hinge becomes 8 stable tempo RDLs at a given load with zero lumbar compensation. Make it observable so you can judge if the design worked.
Pick the right stressor for the person, not the template
The same goal can require different stressors. A tall novice working on strength might use high-bar squats to a box, 4 sets of 5 with a 3-1-1-1 tempo and longer rests for control. A shorter intermediate might back squat low-bar, 5 sets of 3 with a 2-0-1-1 tempo and 3 minute rests. The mechanism is strength for both, but exercise selection, tempo, and volume match the lifter.
Assess and iterate each week inside the cycle
Use fast checks:
Movement video for positions and tempo quality.
Session RPE and heart rate trends to watch fatigue.
Readiness notes on sleep, stress, and soreness.
If quality drops or recovery flags, reduce volume or slow tempo, not standards. If the client is fresh and crisp, add a set, small load, or shorten rests slightly.
Program for N equals 1: individual constraints and context
People adapt at different rates. Fast adapters can handle small weekly progressions in load or volume. Normal adapters do well with step loading and planned deloads. Slow adapters need longer exposures at the same dose and more time in control work. Keep stress inside what they can recover from, then increase only when they show stable output and solid positions.
Connection and compliance: make clients do the work and enjoy it
Programs only work if people do them. The best designers in this space are the best connectors. When a client understands the plan and sees how it ties to their life, compliance goes up. That is why underprogramming is a smart starting point. Give work you know they can crush, build early wins, and use those weeks as an extension of assessment.
Track compliance rates and talk about them. If a client is only 50 percent consistent, even a perfect plan will fail. Build simple check-ins, show progress in plain language, and link training to what they care about. Relationship-first coaching came through strong this week, with a nod to Anaki, whose nurturing approach helps coaches develop this exact skill.
Explain the why and link it to real life and longevity
Make longevity and health span practical:
Play pain-free with your kids after work, not just on weekends.
Hike two hours every Saturday without feeling wrecked on Sunday.
Shoot hoops at 55 without knee pain.
Tie the plan to those outcomes. Clients stay consistent when training protects and improves the life they love.
Underprogram first to build early wins
Start with work you are certain they can do well. This builds trust and gives you clean data. Treat the first program as an extension of assessment.
Example early-win week for a beginner:
Full-body, 3 days, 30 to 40 minutes.
Simple patterns, controlled tempos, 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10.
Clear stops before failure, steady breathing, quality reps.
Track compliance and feedback with simple metrics
Build a basic dashboard:
Sessions completed percent each week.
Session RPE and a 1 to 10 soreness scale.
Average sleep hours.
Progress when compliance is 85 percent or higher, soreness is low to moderate, and RPE trends steady. If any drop, hold or reduce stress.
Lab insight: relationships drive results
Inaki, the relationships-focused instructor, models how to connect design to the person. Try this script: “We’re using slower lowers on your squats so you build control in your knees. That keeps you pain-free and helps you keep up with Saturday basketball. When these feel smooth for two weeks, we’ll add load.” Clear, personal, and tied to their why.
What is next in Week 4: OPEX Sustain, aerobic training, and the MAP progression
Next week turns to OPEX Sustain, the aerobic side of the method. Aerobic training supports strength, health, and consistency. Expect a deep look at mechanisms and benefits, plus the MAP progression (maximum aerobic power) from MAP 10 down to MAP 1. You will see how to pick an entry point, who should progress, and how to help clients learn their gears. You will also explore why we say reward the pacer, a reminder to be patient and build sustainable capacity. In the lab, coaches will build a four-week aerobic progression, then unpack choices in office hours. If you want to start Week 4 strong or you are considering joining, you can explore the OPEX Method mentorship and get early access to the digital curriculum before the January cohort.
Why aerobic training matters for health and performance
Better aerobic capacity improves recovery between sets, increases total work you can handle, and supports heart health. It also makes weekly training more repeatable. Strength sessions feel smoother when your aerobic base is solid, since you clear fatigue faster and keep technique crisp under volume.
How the MAP 10 to MAP 1 progression works
MAP work moves from easier, sustainable efforts to higher aerobic power. Many start with MAP 10 or MAP 9, steady efforts you could keep for a long time while breathing through the nose or with calm mouth breathing. As control and repeatability improve, progress to shorter, higher-output efforts like MAP 6 to MAP 4. Progress when pacing is even, breathing is controlled, and repeat sets match.
Teach pacing skills and reward the pacer
Clients learn gears by noticing their breathing, stride or cadence, and repeatability. Pacing well is a skill that carries into life and training. A simple drill: repeat 3 to 5 equal-time efforts on a machine at a sustainable pace, aim for the same output each round, and finish feeling like you could do one more.
Action steps this week and how to join the January cohort
Audit your clients’ aerobic foundations. Note who needs sustainable work versus who can progress.
Pick one client and outline a four-week MAP plan with clear entry point and criteria to advance.
Add a pacing drill to one session, track breathing and output.
If you want to be ready for the mentorship, explore the OPEX Method mentorship and request early digital access so you start January prepared.
Conclusion
Week 3 was about clarity and execution. Choose clear mechanisms, run the stress, recover, adapt cycle, underprogram early to build wins, and connect the why so compliance stays high. That mix of principle and person makes resistance training programs land in real life. Next up is OPEX Sustain, where aerobic training and the MAP progression round out the system. If you plan to join the next cohort in January, you can start the digital curriculum early through the OPEX Method mentorship. Thanks for reading, and keep rewarding the pacer in your training and your coaching.
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