Stop Chasing the Perfect Program. Start Building the Right Athlete.
Let’s get one thing straight:
If you came here looking for a perfectly structured week of training to copy and paste…
You’re already missing the point.
Because the athletes who actually make it in this sport?
They don’t follow templates.
They build robust systems.
The Real Question: How Should You Train?
Most athletes think in terms of:
- “What should my week look like?”
- “Where do I add zone 2?”
- “How many sessions per day?”
That’s surface-level thinking.
The better question is:
What does your body actually need more of right now?
Because here’s the truth most people don’t want to hear:
Two athletes at the same level can require completely different types of training.
Two Paths. Same Goal.
Let’s simplify it.
Athlete A: Aerobic Responder
- Big “engine” – perform well in longer workouts with simple movements (e.g. Open style tests)
- Recovers quickly because of a big aerobic base
- Lacks top end strength and coordination/athleticism for more complex and explosive movements
This athlete doesn’t need more easy work.
They need:
- High neural drive strength work
- A strength biased program
- Muscle and positional development
Think:
Heavy lifts, bodybuilding, pushing the nervous system.
Athlete B: The Naturally “Explosive” One
- Strong
- Fast-twitch dominant
- Background in traditional sports
This athlete?
They don’t need more intensity.
They need:
- More low-intensity volume
- More aerobic development
- More patience & consistency in training
Think: Longer, easier work (extensive)
The Mistake Almost Everyone Makes
Most athletes try to train everything… all at once… at full throttle.
And then they’re left wondering why they have…
- A fried nervous system
- Plateaued strength metrics
- Stagnant conditioning and lacking that “top gear”
Basically, they are left wondering why nothing is improving.
You don’t need more intensity.
You need better distribution.
The Role of Easy Work (That Everyone Resists)
Let’s address the elephant in the room:
Low-intensity training gets ignored because it doesn’t feel productive.
No leaderboard.
No adrenaline.
No suffering badge.
But here’s the reality:
- It builds your aerobic ceiling
- It supports recovery
- It allows you to train more overall
And most importantly:
It gives you the capacity to actually benefit from your hard training.
“It Doesn’t Transfer” — Or You’re Not Doing Enough
A common complaint:
“I tried zone 2… it didn’t help.”
Cool. How much did you do?
Because five hours a week isn’t “a lot” in the context of elite conditioning.
Endurance athletes train:
- 15–25 hours/week (Olympic level)
- 25–35 hours/week (Ultra Endurance)
Now compare that to your:
- 60-minute class
- Maybe a second session
That’s not a volume problem.
That’s a perspective problem.
The Real Constraint: Mindset
Most athletes are stuck in the “MetCon mindset.”
They believe:
- Training must be intense to count
- It has to happen in a gym
- If it’s not hard, it’s not working
So they ignore:
- Walking
- Easy biking
- Long aerobic sessions
- “Unsexy” volume
And then wonder why their engine never levels up.
The Hidden Limiter: You’re Under-Recovered and Under-Fueled
Here’s where it gets real.
You can’t increase volume without supporting it.
And most athletes are:
- Under-eating carbs
- Over-eating protein/fat
- Chronically under-recovered
So when they add more work?
They crash.
It’s not the training that’s broken.
It’s the system supporting it.
Balance Isn’t Sexy — But It Wins
The Big Takeaway
If you want to train like a serious athlete, understand this:
You’re not just doing CrossFit.
You’re training to be:
- A weightlifter
- An endurance athlete
- A gymnast
All at once.
And that requires:
- Strategic intensity
- Intentional volume
- Honest self-assessment
Action Steps
- Identify Your Bias
- Do you need a strength or aerobic bias in your program?
- Add What You’re Avoiding
- Strong? → Add easy volume
- Fit? → Add strength + neural work
- Create Separation
- Stop cramming everything into one session
- Build dedicated time for each quality
- Expand Your Definition of Training
- Walk, bike, jog, move
- Not everything needs to be a MetCon
- Fuel Like It Matters
- More carbs
- Support the work you’re asking your body to do
Final Thoughts
Stop avoiding the work that doesn’t feel rewarding.
You’re likely overvaluing intensity and underestimating volume.
Fix that and everything else starts moving again.