Response Heterogeneity & Individualized Exercise

“It is wise to note that we are all individuals, and that whereas physiological responses to particular stimuli are largely predictable, the precise responses and adaptations to those stimuli will vary among individuals. Therefore, the same training regimen may not equally benefit all those who follow it”  — George Brooks

Imagine we performed an experiment where we took 100 athletes and trained them all in the exact same manner for one year. What do you predict would happen at the end of the experiment when we checked in on their results?

If the program was well constructed we’d probably see a bell curve distribution with the majority (~70 of individuals) getting ‘good’ results and then ~15–20 athletes getting either excellent results or doing very poorly as depicted in the figure below.

In the training community, we tend to act as though everyone is capable of looking, performing, and adapting the same. This is the premise on which every training plan sold in mass, and most training bo…