Individualized Training epub

Get real results by developing individualized resistance training programs.

Creating an individualized resistance training program can feel like an overwhelming task, especially for coaches working with a variety of athletes—all with different goals—or for serious individuals who want to maximize their training results. Individualized Training: A System for Designing Strength and Hypertrophy Programs simplifies program design with straightforward guidance on assessment, programming, and implementation.

This resource covers the principles of program design, with the goal of helping you to write more effective, targeted resistance training programs for your athletes or for yourself. Taking an unbiased approach, it educates you on how to make informed decisions based on the goal or outcome of a program. You will learn the following:

• Principles and tools for program design
• Why each principle is important
• When they are most beneficial to use
• Who will benefit from them
• How to apply them practically in a training setting

Detailed assessment is vital to creating an individualized training program, and the book provides an assessment protocol to create an athlete profile that you can use to guide your program design. This profile identifies the most effective type of program based on an individual’s abilities, needs, and goals. Individuals are unique in their training styles and preferences, so Individualized Training does not ask you to use someone else’s sample program. Instead, it provides a blueprint for you to develop your own programming based on specific goals.

As a resource for coaches and athletes, Individualized Training helps you assess what an individual needs from a training program, how to identify the factors shaping those needs, and how to create a program that addresses them. Rather than offering a dogmatic blueprint or claiming there is only one correct way to write programs, Individualized Training emphasizes that effective programming depends on understanding context, recognizing deficits, and learning how and when to apply a wide variety of tools. A good program is not built from every possible assessment, training split, exercise, or training method but from selecting the right options for the right person.

Earn continuing education credits/units! A continuing education exam that uses this book is also available. It may be purchased separately or as part of a package that includes both the book and exam.

Audience

Strength and conditioning professionals, sport performance coaches, and sport-specific coaches. Individuals designing their own strength or hypertrophy training programs.

Chapter 1. The Importance of Individualization

Chapter 2. Physiology of Hypertrophy and Strength

Chapter 3. Athlete Assessment

Chapter 4. Training Splits

Chapter 5. Loading Zones

Chapter 6. Training Methods

Chapter 7. Exercise Selection

Chapter 8. Progression Models

Chapter 9. Deloading and Managing Neurological Stress

Chapter 10. Specialization Training

Tom Sheppard is a strength coach who bases his practice around a holistic approach to performance, which has been inspired by his time spent learning from experts across all areas, including the monks at Shaolin Temple. His coaching and expertise encompass advanced training; nutrition strategies, peptides, and supplementation; and mindfulness and mental health practices. The end goal is creating an integrated approach to improving individuals across all facets of life and performance.

In his career of more than 15 years, he has worked with individuals from all demographics, from the general population to professional athletes of all varieties. His penchant for biomechanics and optimizing movement quality has garnered him great success. This is particularly evident in his success in the sport of powerlifting, where he has coached multiple world champions and all-time world record holders. He is the cofounder and head coach of Train Kaizen, a company he created alongside his wife, Naomi, to bring to life their holistic approach to human performance. Sheppard is also head coach at Thibarmy and EliteFTS, where he works alongside industry icons such as Christian Thibaudeau and Dave Tate.

As a writer, he has written articles for a variety of respected websites, including T Nation, EliteFTS, and Thibarmy. He and Christian Thibaudeau coauthored The Overload System for Strength, published by Human Kinetics in 2023.

As an educator, Sheppard has presented seminars and workshops all across Europe and North America, including the SWIS Symposium (2022, 2023, 2024) and CanFitPro Global (2025). He has worked with coaches from a variety of institutions, including The Ohio State University and the Irish Rugby Football Union.

Sheppard was honored with a SWIS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024 for his service to the industry and his role as cohost in the popular podcast Dave Tate’s Table Talk, where he interviews industry experts on a wide variety of topics related to performance and well-being.

“I’ve known Tom for years, and he’s one of the best coaches I’ve met in the industry. Individualized Training breaks down what actually matters when it comes to assessing, programming, and getting better results.”

—Dave Tate, Founder of EliteFTS Inc.

“Tom’s knowledge of physiology, kinesiology, and biomechanics, paired with his understanding of program design and exercise execution, has made an immediate impact on my coaching, my athletes, and how I view training. Individualized Training will help you do the same!”

—Colton Razo, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at The Ohio State University

“This book is THE go-to guide for anyone: from those looking to learn the basics of training design, all the way up to advanced individuals looking to polish their current protocols! Tom is not only a top name and expert in the strength development world but also a top-notch human being who truly cares for people. THANK YOU for this book, Tom!”

—Alex Kikel (a.k.a. “The Prep Coach”), World-Leading Biohacker