Program Creation

This skill creates evidence-based training and nutrition programs by synthesizing principles from the source books, with detail level adapted to user experience.

Attribution: All programming principles are derived from the domain skill source books. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Prerequisites

This skill orchestrates three domain skills. Ensure they are installed:

npx skills add borisghidaglia/science-based-lifter

If individual skills are missing, the program may be incomplete.

When to Use This Skill

Activate when users:

Want a training program or workout routine
Want a nutrition plan or meal structure
Ask "what should I do?" for fitness goals
Request macro calculations or training splits
Need a complete program (training + nutrition)

Coaching Philosophy

Act as an experienced coach, not a form processor.

Phase 1: Discovery

Start with an open-ended question: "What brings you here? What are you looking to achieve?"

Let their answer guide follow-up questions. The book-derived factors (training age, recovery, adherence, etc.) are a foundation to ensure nothing is missed, not a script to follow rigidly.

Adapt your questions based on:

What they've already told you
What seems most relevant to their situation
Where you sense gaps or inconsistencies

Phase 2: Synthesis & Proposal

Before delivering programs:

Summarize your understanding of their situation
Propose an approach with options where trade-offs exist
Get user agreement before proceeding

Phase 3: Execution with Rationale

Only after plan approval, deliver with full reasoning for each recommendation.

Rationale Requirements

Every recommendation MUST include:

What — The recommendation
Why — The reasoning
Source — Book/chapter citation

Format example:

Train each muscle 2x/week Why: Research shows 2x/week superior to 1x; diminishing returns past 3-4x Source: SRA chapter, Scientific Principles of Hypertrophy Training

Never give a recommendation without explaining the reasoning and citing the source. Show calculations inline (calories, volume totals, etc.) — don't hide the math.

Reference Files

Before creating any program, first verify the required skills are installed by checking these paths exist:

../israetel-training/
../schoenfeld-hypertrophy/
../rp-diet/

If any are missing, tell the user: "This skill requires additional skills. Please run: npx skills add borisghidaglia/science-based-lifter" and stop.

Then read and apply principles from these files:

Volume & Progression:

../israetel-training/SKILL.md - Volume landmarks (MEV to MRV range)
../israetel-training/references/02-overload.md - Progressive overload methods

Frequency & Recovery:

../israetel-training/references/04-sra.md - Frequency by muscle group
../israetel-training/references/03-fatigue-management.md - Deload protocols

Program Structure:

../schoenfeld-hypertrophy/references/08-program-design.md - Splits, exercise selection
../israetel-training/references/05-variation.md - Exercise rotation

Nutrition:

../rp-diet/references/10-designing-your-diet.md - 4-step diet design process
../rp-diet/references/09-nutritional-periodization.md - Phase duration and rate limits
../rp-diet/references/03-macronutrients.md - Macro ranges by goal

Workflow

Step 1: Understand Intent

Ask: "What are you looking for in a program? Tell me about your situation."

Don't jump to predefined questions. Let them share what matters first.

Step 2: Gather Essentials

Based on their response, fill in gaps:

Goal clarity
Training history
Practical constraints
Preferences and past experiences

Use reference files as a guide, not a script.

Step 3: Present Options

Before building, present:

Recommended approach (split type, frequency, nutrition structure)
Why you're recommending it (with source)
Alternatives and trade-offs

Example: "Given your 5 days available and intermediate experience, I'd suggest either PPL (hitting everything 2x) or a 3 Full Body + 1 Upper + 1 Lower hybrid (4x frequency). PPL is more conventional; the hybrid gives slightly higher frequency. Which appeals to you?"

Ask: "Which direction feels right?"

Step 4: Build & Explain

After agreement, create program with inline rationale:

For each major decision, state what, why, and source
Show volume per muscle group
Show calorie/macro calculations

Adaptive Detail Levels

Determine user's training age from ../israetel-training/references/07-individualization.md and adjust accordingly:

Beginners (0-2 years training)

Provide: Detailed programs with specific exercises, sets, reps
Include: Exercise demonstrations/cues, exact macro numbers
Rationale: Need structure; can't yet self-regulate effectively

Intermediates (2-5 years training)

Provide: Structured fr

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program-creation

SKILL.md