Wow! This is exciting! We’re in the middle of our Endurance block of training and in my estimation, October is perhaps the best month for getting outside and going long. The fall colors, light, and air are spectacular in most parts of the country. In keeping with the tradition of our Annual Training Plan, we are balancing some distance-focused training with some supplemental conditioning. I can’t say enough that you are amazing and I commend you on your dedication to excellence!
I’m issuing the entire month of training in one post for several reasons. First, I want to give you a chance to appreciate one of the many facets of scientific training that we build into our T2 programming. More on this in a minute. Second, I’m heading out in a few days on my trip to get my shoulder operated on. Many of you know the story, but I’ll be sharing the details on the podcast over the next several episodes. I’d be honored if you gave it a listen. I’m going to try to present my experience with all this in a way that you might find interesting and useful as we go through this TLA journey. Anyhoo, I didn’t want to risk my schedule causing you to have a lapse in your programming.
| MASTERCLASS | DAY | TIME | LINK |
| LIVE TEAM SESSION (training and learning) | SAT | 9AM MT | Join Zoom Meeting ID: 87640683371 Passcode: VPyNMr62 |
Now back to that science of training thing. Not only do we have a PLAN that we follow with training, we layer in some proven principles. The Tribe works on the 5 key components of human performance (strength, speed, power, agility, and endurance). We touch on all those things regularly. But the year is divided into five 2-3 month blocks that allow you to emphasize one component more than the other. In fall we focus on endurance. Here’s where the cool part is. Each month has a wavelike cycle to it. We introduce movements and concepts in the first week. In the second week we accumulate volume. In the third week we intensify and test. And in the fourth and final week we deload and consolidate the gains, ensuring that you recover properly from the undulating workload.
I realize that’s a lot to think about all at once, but the neat thing here is that you’ll see this part of the plan clearly as you look at October’s programming. There is going to be a Workout A and a Workout B, with the general suggestion that you get 2-3 of each in a week. In a perfect world, that would look like Workout A on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and Workout B on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday…with Sunday off. But you can do whatever you like (and you should).
Week of 2021-09-27 (week 1 of month 2: Endurance Block)
| WOW | PREP | PRIMARY | ACCESSORY | TIPS |
| A Aerobic X2-3 | Walk 5’ 20 slow, deep breaths | Introduction Free choice cardio 45 minutes Easy effort | Walk 5’ Stretch as preferred | Learn your low gear. |
| B Muscle X2-3 | KB (or bucket) Side Carry MB Russian Twists 1 minute each | Technique Focus 2 sets each 10 reps Moderate weight Circuit style DB Bench Press DB Incline Row DB OHP DB Front Raise DB Curl DB Kickback Assisted Pull-up | KB Swings Tubing Trunk twists 1 minute each | Find the groove for each movement. |
Week of 2021-10-04 (week 2 of month 2: Endurance Block)
| WOW | PREP | PRIMARY | ACCESSORY | TIPS |
| A Aerobic X2-3 | Walk 5’ 20 slow, deep breaths | Accumulation Free choice cardio 60 minutes Easy effort | Walk 5’ Stretch as preferred | Keep the pace easy but build distance. |
| B Muscle X2-3 | KB (or bucket) Side Carry MB Russian Twists 90 seconds each | Volume Increase 3 sets each 10 reps Moderate weight Circuit style DB Bench Press DB Incline Row DB OHP DB Front Raise DB Curl DB Kickback Assisted Pull-up | KB Swings Tubing Trunk twists 90 seconds each | Keep your rest breaks minimal. |
Week of 2021-10-11 (week 3 of month 2: Endurance Block)
| WOW | PREP | PRIMARY | ACCESSORY | TIPS |
| A Aerobic X2-3 | Walk 5’ 20 slow, deep breaths | Intensification Free choice cardio 60-90 minutes Moderate effort | Walk 5’ Stretch as preferred | Goal: see how far you can go in your session. |
| B Muscle X2-3 | KB (or bucket) Side Carry MB Russian Twists 2 minutes each | KPI Tests 4 sets each 10 reps Moderate weight Circuit style DB Bench Press DB Incline Row DB OHP DB Front Raise DB Curl DB Kickback Assisted Pull-up | KB Swings Tubing Trunk twists 2 minutes each | Keep a steady pace. |
Week of 2021-10-18 (week 4 of month 2: Endurance Block)
| WOW | PREP | PRIMARY | ACCESSORY | TIPS |
| A Aerobic X2-3 | Walk 5’ 20 slow, deep breaths | Consolidation Free choice cardio 30 minutes Easy effort | Walk 5’ Stretch as preferred | Enjoy the fact that less is more this week. |
| B Muscle X2-3 | KB (or bucket) Side Carry MB Russian Twists 30 seconds each | Deload 1 set each 15 reps Light weight DB Bench Press DB Incline Row DB OHP DB Front Raise DB Curl DB Kickback Assisted Pull-up | KB Swings Tubing Trunk twists 2 minutes each | Flex and flush. |
Workout A Details: Free choice cardio means you can do whatever aerobic exercise you prefer, but I’d actually suggest you do the same mode all month and not change it up. This way, you get more deep and specific adaptations. Start out the first week practicing going easy for 45 minutes. Week 2 gets you an hour with the same effort. But in the third week you push toward 90 minutes, and you raise your output to moderate (your designation). Final week you coast easy for half an hour. A Lifetime Athlete will embrace that challenge, build to a big push in Week 3, and then go super chill in Week 4. Try to avoid missing too many workouts or going random with the system. Doing so could potentially lead to disappointment over lackluster results. This is a simple month, but I’m leaning on you to bear down and get consistent. Here’s something funny but true which a coach actually once said to me. There are only 2 things you can make here. You can make things happen or you can make excuses. There really is only one choice. I know you’ll make the right one!
Workout B Details: Following along with the theme of the month, we use the same exercises for every workout. The goal here is to get really good at performing these movements, and to rest assured it’s a total body (and spirit) comprehensive program. You’re going to build from 2-3-4 sets done in circuit fashion and then drop to 1 in the final week (but with 15 reps and lighter weight). You’ll notice the effects at month end. You might get a little tired or sore as you progress but you will rebound magnificently. This is known as workload adaptation or supercompensation. It’s like lifting a bull calf every day as it grows (and so do you). More tough love. You might feel tempted to modify the workouts or skip a few sessions. Don’t. Stay with the program. Trust the system. Trust your talent. In the end, YOU win.
Now let’s talk about the MasterClasses. Many of you have taken me up on my offer of doing a personalized session. We’ve discussed goals, long-term programming, injury issues, diet, and more. It’s been fun for me and I think I’ve provided some value. Moving forward, probably as we get close to Halloween, we’ll begin our weekly (or more often sometimes) MasterClass video workout sessions. This is a great way to get in some training, connect virtually with some of your fellow tribe members, and also get some coaching from Daddy. I’ll keep you posted on how the schedule will flesh out for these offerings.
I salute you and thank you for all that you are, all that you do, and all you shall become!
Finally, let’s take a look at the final week of this month. This will be starting on Monday the 25th of October and running through Halloween. You’ve been working hard for a while. We have some new challenges coming up in November. Therefore, I want to keep things unstructured for this final week. Since we are working on endurance there are two things that are our primary drivers: Workout DURATION and overall VOLUME. That stated, we want to accumulate as much low-intensity work as possible, within reason. So, I’m going to suggest that you mix your favorite cardio mode(s) of training with your favorite resistance exercises and blend them together each day for a workout. Our goal is to amass time. An example of a blended workout would be to jog or bike for a while and then run through a few circuits of exercises, like pushups, goblet squats, kettlebell swings, and assisted pullups. You can do as many reps or circuits as you like. Just keep an eye on the clock and try to total up the following:
| MONDAY | OCTOBER 25 | 30 MINUTES |
| TUESDAY | OCTOBER 26 | 40 MINUTES |
| WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 27 | 50 MINUTES |
| THURSDAY | OCTOBER 28 | 60 MINUTES |
| FRIDAY | OCTOBER 29 | 45 MINUTES |
| SATURDAY | OCTOBER 30 | 30 MINUTES |