Frameworks Episode 9 Recap: EFFORT: The Missing Ingredient in Your Fitness Program!
Frameworks with Carl Hardwick | CoachRx Podcast Network
If your clients aren’t progressing the way they should…
It might not be the programming.
It might be the effort.
In Episode 9 of Frameworks, Carl Hardwick zeroes in on a truth many coaches overlook, not because they don’t know it, but because they don’t emphasize it:
The best program in the world won’t work if it’s executed half-heartedly.
This episode dives into why effort matters more than perfection, what real effort looks like, and how coaches can teach it, track it, and train it.
Why Effort Is the Real Needle-Mover
There’s no shortage of great periodization templates or training splits. But those tools only work if they’re met with the intensity and presence required to generate change.
Most clients aren’t undertrained, they’re under-challenged.
Effort isn’t about grinding.
It’s about intention. It’s about showing up, tuning in, and doing the work with presence.
The Frameworks of Effort
1. Adaptation Requires Effort
Physiology doesn’t lie:
To grow stronger, fitter, or more resilient, the body needs to be pushed beyond its current capacity.
Research says:
Resistance training intensity is the strongest predictor of strength gains (ACSM, 2011)
Threshold matters: whether it’s for hypertrophy, VO₂ max, or mitochondrial density, intensity drives adaptation
Without enough effort, the training signal isn’t loud enough to create change.
2. Effort ≠ Exhaustion
This episode clears up a common misconception:
Effort isn’t about redlining every workout.
It’s about:
Challenging your edge
Executing with focus
Staying consistent under load
Carl reframes effort as a posture of attention, not punishment.
Ask your clients: “Did that challenge you?”
If the answer’s no, the adaptation window might be closed.
3. Coaching Effort Is a Skill
Most clients don’t naturally know what “hard” actually feels like in training.
That’s where coaching comes in.
✅ Teach clients how to assess intensity:
RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion)
RIR (Reps in Reserve)
Heart rate or breath rate awareness
✅ Give them language and feedback:
“That looked too easy. Let’s bump it up next round.”
“Where would you rate that on a 1–10 effort scale?”
Effort isn’t just physical—it’s a mindset that needs to be taught, reinforced, and celebrated.
Real-World Application
Carl shares stories from the gym floor:
Clients who were stuck—not from lack of programming, but lack of intensity
How a simpler program paired with more effort created better results
How to build “effort literacy” across all fitness levels
“Once people learn what it feels like to push—with precision, everything changes.”
The Takeaway
Forget chasing the perfect program. Start coaching the human inside it.
Because without effort:
There is no stimulus.
There is no change.
There is no progress.
As Carl says: “Effort is the difference between busy work and beneficial work.”
Listen to Episode 9 Now
▶️ Watch on YouTube
🎧 Listen on Spotify
📖 Catch up on past episodes + blog recaps
Have questions? DM Carl on Instagram @hardwickcarl
Frameworks is part of the CoachRx Podcast Network, your hub for principled, purpose-driven coaching conversations.
For more shows, visit: coachrx.app/podcast-network
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