Start where you are

No training history, or coming back after a long break. The focus here is technique and frequency, not intensity. Lighter loads, fewer variables, more repetition of the basics until they feel automatic.

Comfortable with the fundamentals and ready to add structure. This is where progressive overload starts mattering more, where LISS and HIIT get scheduled deliberately instead of randomly, and where tracking starts paying off in visible trends.

Years of consistent training. The gains slow down here, so the pillars that get skipped early (balance, flexibility, recovery) start carrying more weight. Programming gets more specific, and small technical details matter more than they used to.