Most of the time for our athlete/adults, we run a simple linear scheme when programming. I know the science says that undulating is better but...during that early window for adaptation, linear works just fine.
We do these for two big reasons:
1) During a session, we have a finite amount of time. We need to be able to coach/cue and keep people safe and be as efficient as possible.
2) Keeping things simple allows for our clients to build confidence much more effectively. This is a large rock for us to pick because it will carry to each subsequent training bout and we will be able to introduce newer exercises more effectively.
One of the negatives of simplicity is that it does not sell well on social media. People want "new" or "cutting edge" techniques...however, a vast majority of people will not benefit from these "techniques" if baselines are not met.
For example, we do not let our youth athletes move onto dumbbell bench variations without being able to do 3 x 10 perfect push ups.
Why?
A full push up is a difficult exercise. It is fairly advanced and takes a lot of requisite strength to perform correctly. Most of our youth come into the gym and maybe get 1 or 2 push ups with knees off ground while some have to be elevated to perform them correctly.
So, if a kid can only do 5 push ups before his midsection gives out, that would be comparable to hitting a 5 rep max on a bench. We can get the same training effect from the push ups without the risk of putting weight over their chest to just say we bench pressed today.
Another example is Goblet squats.
We start with kettlebells. As soon as they are too difficult to hang on to, we move to dumbbells. From there we can introduce a back squat or a front squat. However, if a 25lb dumbbell folds you like a lawn chair when doing a goblet squat, putting a bar on that individual's back should be criminal.
See the pattern?
We have gotten people to twice their bodyweight strong using nothing more than a hex bar and adding 5 to 10 pounds to their lift per week.
At the end of the day, that is what most beginners need. Simple exercise selection done consistently over time to yield the desired results.
