QUESTION:

Hello John, Thank you for your site. It is a tremendous resource. After years of running and swimming regularly (a few pull ups and push ups mixed in) but without any sort of training strategy, I’ve become more deliberate about my “physical living” over the past several months. Bodyweight training has figured prominently in this shift, as it aligns with my lifestyle and physical goals. Gyms don’t let you bring the dog along, or provide sunshine! I’ve collected a few tools along the way to add variety- a rope for climbing, homemade parallettes and adjustable straps, a timer for HIIT sprints, a sledge hammer, jump rope, sand bag, pull up bar, and balance ball. I’m learning more about the work of individuals such as Steve Maxwell and Scott Sonnon. Also, I’ve just started Intuflow.

I appreciate your emphasis on tailoring workouts to individuals. My training goals are oriented towards long term physical health. Though the idea of sophisticating movements is very appealing to me, I seek general preparedness for activities like hiking and surfing. Given these generalist tendencies, and my desire for variety and the ability to alter workouts due to weather conditions, daily schedule etc., I don’t think programs like the 4×7, prescribed workouts of the day, or alternating complementary cycles are for me. At the same time, I don’t want variety to descend into randomness.

It is difficult for a novice to wade through the sometimes heated disagreements between proponents of different training strategies. For elite athletes, the consequences of poor training can be serious and severe, but it is hard to know how and whether these arguments truly apply to someone with my goals. Since I am coaching myself, I lean towards safety, and do not push my limits in the way that an elite athlete might. I am willing to work hard, hoping to work smart, and interested in sophisticating my skills. Many programs intensely focused on maximizing particular results, however, don’t fit me too well.

I wonder whether you might provide some general training guidelines for someone in my situation. I don’t want random variety without any direction or deliberation, but I like the ability to just go on a nice run in the woods when it fits the weather or my mental state. I realize my question may eventually lead to a more intense engagement with the CST system (ideas of compensation and functional opposites), but in the meantime, are there some guidelines I can follow to fit balance variation with the desire to train safely and progress over time?

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
James
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