Why does anyone even bother with exercise? Wouldn’t it be great if we just didn’t need it? After all, we only cram made up sets and reps into 30-60 min time blocks to avoid the consequences of a lifestyle that’s otherwise devoid of natural movement. If you think about it, so much of our health & fitness routines revolve around compensating for 21st century comforts & conveniences while maximizing efficiency. That may be true, but we also have to recognize that modern society affords us the luxury of movement that goes beyond health, like competitive sport & recreation. In reality, people’s need and desire for exercise is messy. There’s a lot of things, good and bad, that compel people to move, but it’s important to understand why if we want to get results. This could mean unpacking the “bad” to coach behavior change and develop a healthy relationship with movement, taking a more nuanced approach to layers of multifaceted health & fitness related goals, or (most likely) both.
Read MoreProgram Design (A Comprehensive Guide)
Training on your own, success often revolves not around your abilities as an athlete, but as a coach; being able to evaluate a training log with clarity, write and execute today’s workout without fear or ego, and plan future training with the right balance of ambitious progression and cautious realism. You’ll need to equip yourself with certain fundamental skills and a knowledge of program design. The purpose of this brief guide is get you started with key principles to think about when writing your own program and progressing your workouts, as well as define some common terms that coaches like to throw around so that you can continue your education with a solid base. By no means is it all-encompassing, definitive, or even correct.
Read MoreTraining Like a Pro
When searching for the perfect workout program, it's natural to look up to the pros and try to emulate their approaches to nutrition, training, and recovery. After all, there's a lot to be learned from someone who's mastered your sport! While that may be true, certain aspects of elite training should not trickle down to novice and intermediate levels. Here's a few examples of how high level training is different and why you shouldn't copy the pros.
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