Why I Don’t Use Cookie-Cutter Programs (And What Real Coaching Looks Like Instead)

One of the questions I get often is:

“Why don’t you just give everyone the same program?”

It would certainly be easier.

But it wouldn’t be effective.

The Problem with Cookie-Cutter Programs

Cookie-cutter programs are exactly what they sound like — one plan, applied to everyone.

And while they can be helpful, they’re not designed around you.

Most rowers have:

• Different movement patterns

• Different strengths and weaknesses

• Different injury histories

• Different goals

A generic program can give you structure.
It can give you consistency.

But it can’t tell you:

• What you specifically need to fix

• What’s holding your stroke back

• Why your progress has plateaued

That’s where most athletes get stuck.

They’re doing the work — but not seeing the results.

Where Cookie-Cutter Programs Can Help

To be clear, I’m not against structured programs.

They can:

• Provide direction

• Build consistency

• Give you a starting point

In fact, many rowers benefit from having a plan to follow.

But a program alone is often not enough to move you to the next level.

Where Real Coaching Changes Everything

The difference comes when you combine a program with real coaching.

Real coaching isn’t just telling you what workout to do.

It’s about:

• Watching how you move

• Identifying what’s limiting your performance

• Making targeted adjustments

• Giving you feedback that actually applies to your body

Sometimes the difference between staying stuck and improving comes down to one or two small changes.

A coach’s role is to see what you can’t see.

That outside perspective is often the missing piece.

The “Special Sauce” of Progress

When you take:

• A structured program
  and combine it with

• Individualized coaching

That’s where progress happens.

That’s the “special sauce.”

Because now you’re not just working hard —
you’re working on the right things.

If You Feel Stuck, You’re Not Alone

If you’ve been following programs, putting in the work, and still feel like:

• Your stroke hasn’t improved

• Your splits aren’t dropping

• You’re not getting the results you expected

It’s likely not a lack of effort.

It’s a lack of specific feedback and adjustment.

What Real Coaching Looks Like

Real coaching is not one-size-fits-all.

It’s:

• Specific

• Individual

• Responsive

• Focused on what you need

And often, it’s those small, targeted changes that create the biggest shifts in performance.

At Rowing on the Square, we don’t believe in forcing athletes into a system.

We believe in building the system around the athlete.

Because that’s how real progress happens.