🔮 Fitness Program Crystal Ball

How to evaluate any program in 5 minutes with 3 key questions—and fix what's missing

Earlier this week I wrote about why people quit fitness programs.

Not discipline. Not motivation.

Most programs just don’t give you what you need to stay consistent.

They don’t show you early progress. They don’t give you specific feedback. They don’t have structure that makes showing up easier when you’re tired or busy.

Programs like Peloton figured this out. People pay $40 for studio live classes and keep coming back even as monthly membership fees have climbed from $39 in 2022 to $50 today. The workouts aren’t magic—the structure is.

In this article, I’m going to show you how to evaluate any program against three specific criteria. You’ll know in five minutes whether the program you’re doing now or you’re thinking about doing has what you need to stick with it. And if it doesn’t, you’ll know exactly what’s missing and how to fix it.

How Most People Find a Fitness Program

Maybe you want to lose weight. Train for a marathon. See your abs. Get stronger. Or just get back in shape after letting things slide for awhile.

Whatever your goal, you do what everyone does—you search. Google. YouTube. Reddit. Instagram. “Best program for weight loss.” “Couch to marathon plan.” “Lose belly fat at home.” “Workouts for men/women in their 40s.”

The results are overwhelming. Hundreds of programs. Thousands of opinions. Everyone swears theirs is the one that works.

You pick one that sounds doable. The testimonials are convincing. The before-and-after photos look like where you want to be. The promise matches your goal exactly. Maybe it’s free from an Instagram trainer you follow. Maybe you pay for a PDF or access to a training portal. Regardless, you’re motivated.

You’re ready. You start.

Two weeks later, you’ve quit.

Not because the program was bad. Not because you lack discipline. But because you had no way to tell if it was actually working.

The Fitness Program Crystal Ball 🔮

These three questions will predict your success for ANY fitness program. If the answer is NO to any of them, you most likely won’t continue the program beyond two weeks.

1. Does my program show me early progress? Can I see or feel improvement in the first two weeks, or am I supposed to “trust the process” for months?

2. Does my program give me specific feedback? Does someone or something tell me exactly what’s improving, or am I just guessing?

3. Does my program have built-in structure? Is there accountability that makes showing up easier, or do I need willpower every single time?

These three things determine whether you’ll stick with a fitness program long enough for it to work.

Question 1: Does my program show me early progress?

This is the most important question.

If you can’t see or feel improvement in the first two weeks, you’ll quit. It doesn’t matter how good the program is long-term. You need proof it’s working.

What to look for:

Does the program have built-in markers for week 1 and week 2? Things like:

• Baseline measurement: Test something on day 1, check it again on day 7 or 14 (pace, weight lifted, etc.)

• Clear milestones: “Hold a plank 10 seconds longer by the end of week 2”

• Noticeable changes: “Recover faster after workouts by day 10”

• Progressive markers: “Hold a conversation while running - should get easier each week”

• Celebration points: First day completed, first streak (2 days in a row), first week done, first time you beat your previous best

Red flags:

• No tracking or measurement system at all (just lists or shows videos of workouts)

• Only focuses on long-term results: “See results in 12 weeks” with nothing before then

• No progress benchmarks or milestones built in

• No way to tell if you’re improving week to week

Good vs Bad Examples:

Good: Peloton tracks every ride output, shows you personal records, awards badges (even on Day 1), celebrates streak milestones. You see improvement immediately.

Bad: A PDF workout plan that just lists exercises with no way to track whether you’re getting stronger, faster, or better at anything.

How to fix it if your program doesn’t show early progress:

• No tracking system? Use an app (or even a simple spreadsheet) to track date, exercise, weight/reps/time/distance. That’s it. Track every workout.

• Only focuses on 12-week results? Break it down yourself. Set a 2-week mini-goal. Then another one for week 4. Make the long-term goal feel closer.

• No progress benchmarks? Pick 3 things to test on day 1: how many pushups you can do, how long you can hold a plank, how long does it take you to run or walk a mile. Retest every 7-14 days.

• No way to tell if you’re improving? Compare week 1 to week 2. Same workout should feel easier, or you should be able to do more reps, lift more weight, or go longer. If nothing changes in 2 weeks, the program isn’t working.

Question 2: Does it give me specific feedback?

Generic encouragement doesn’t cut it. “Good job!” “Keep it up!” “You got this!” might feel nice, but it doesn’t tell you if you’re actually improving.

You need specific feedback that shows you what’s changing. Otherwise, you’re just guessing whether the work is paying off.

What to look for:

Does the program tell you specifically what’s improving? Things like:

• Performance comparisons: “You lifted 5 lbs more than last week”

• Time improvements: “You finished 2 minutes faster than your first attempt”

• Volume tracking: “You completed 10 more reps than day 1”

• Technique progress: “Your form improved on [specific movement]”

• Data you can see: Charts, graphs, leaderboards, personal records

Red flags:

• Only motivational quotes and generic praise

• No way to compare your performance to previous workouts

• No data tracking or metrics visible to you

• You have to manually figure out if you’re improving

Good vs Bad Examples:

Good: Strava shows you every segment time, compares to your previous attempts, shows PRs, and generates AI summaries of your workouts. You know exactly where you improved.

Bad: A workout app that just says “Great workout!” after every session with no data on what you actually did or how it compared to last time.

How to fix it if your program doesn’t give specific feedback?

• No performance comparisons or visible data? Keep a simple log or use a fitness tracking app. Write down what you did each workout (weight, reps, time, distance). Look back weekly—you should see improvement.

• Can’t tell if you’re improving? Pick one key movement to track over time. Compare week 1 to week 2 to week 3. If the numbers aren’t changing, something needs to adjust.

Question 3: Does it have built-in structure?

Willpower runs out. Motivation fades. Life gets busy.

If your program requires you to decide every single time whether to show up, you won’t. You need structure that makes it easier to keep going when you don’t feel like it.

What to look for:

Does the program have accountability built in? Things like:

• Set schedule: Specific days and times to work out

• Community aspect: Other people doing it with you or expecting you

• Streak tracking: Visual reminder of how many days you’ve shown up

• Check-ins: Someone (coach, app, group) following up on your progress

• Routine you don’t have to think about: Program tells you exactly what to do each day

Red flags:

• “Do these workouts whenever you want” with no schedule

• No community, accountability partner, or check-in system

• You have to figure out what to do every time you work out

• No way to track consistency or streaks

• Completely self-directed with no external structure

Good vs Bad Examples:

Good: CrossFit has scheduled class times, a coach watching you, and people who notice when you miss. The structure makes showing up the default.

Bad: A workout list you saved on your phone that you tell yourself you’ll “do when you have time.”

How to fix it if your program doesn’t have built-in structure:

• No set schedule or daily plan? Pick specific days and times right now. Put them in your calendar. Plan your whole week on Sunday—write down exactly what workout you’re doing each day. Remove all decision-making.

• No accountability? Tell someone what you’re doing. Text a friend after each workout. Join an online group doing the same program. Find one person who expects to hear from you.

• No streak tracking? Use a calendar or app. Mark an X for every day you complete. Don’t break the chain.

Week 0: Setup

You have a specific goal. You’ve evaluated your program.

Maybe it passed all three questions. Maybe it didn’t.

Either way, here’s how to make sure you have what you need to actually stick with it.

From here you’ll learn how to never quit another program:

-Metrics to track for your goals (so you’re not guessing if it’s working)

-Weeks 1 and 2 milestones + actions that guarantee early wins

-Accountability methods that actually keep you showing up

-What you need to make the most critical weeks impossible to fail