Every exercise should have a reason

Every exercise in a program takes time you could spend on something else. A trainer who chose it on purpose tells you why it is there in a sentence or two, usually as you start it, and the reason leads back to what you came in for.

What a good reason sounds like

• Specific: which muscle, movement or weakness the exercise is for.
• Connected: how that links to your goal, whether that is lifting more, moving without pain or keeping up with a sport.
• Short: a sentence or two, not a lecture.
• Honest about tradeoffs: sometimes the reason is simply that it is easier on a sore joint today.

Why knowing the reason helps you

When you know what an exercise is for, you know what to pay attention to while you do it. You notice when it starts working, you can tell your trainer when it does not, and you can keep doing it on your own when the sessions end.

What a weak reason sounds like

• “Because it is good for you.”
• “Trust the process.”
• A different reason each time you ask.
• Irritation that you asked at all.

The standard: the reason comes without asking

Some people want the detail and some just want to train, and a good trainer reads that. The standard is still that the reason arrives without you having to ask for it: a sentence, as the exercise starts, about what it is for and how it serves your goal.

A clear answer only when you ask is a start, not the standard. If the reasons only ever come when you ask, the program may not have been built with your goal in mind.

How to ask

Until the reasons come on their own, ask for them. Pick one exercise and ask: “What is this exercise for, and how does it connect to my goal?” If the answer is specific, you have learned something about your program, and a good trainer will start offering the next reason without the question. If it is vague, ask about the next one and see whether the pattern holds.