REAL training: a framework for developing exercise capacity

REAL Training is a framework to guide athletes in developing their exercise capacity. It consolidates contemporary training principles into four categories of training session: Recovery, Endurance, Accumulation, & Limitless — the initials of which give the framework its name. Understanding the purpose of these training sessions and how they interact gives athletes the tools to plan their training effectively and confidently coach themselves.

Knowing how Recovery, Endurance, Accumulation, & Limitless training sessions interact with each other gives athletes the understanding to plan their training week intelligently and take control of their development.

The REAL Training framework is intended for athletes performing exercise measured in minutes, hours or even days. So whatever your sport and whatever your event duration, the REAL Training framework can be implemented to improve one's exercise capacity.

REAL Training Diagram

The above diagram represents the REAL Training framework. Four coloured circles depict Recovery, Endurance, Accumulation and Limitless training and their relationship in the overall process of developing exercise capacity.

Recovery, the most essential part of an athlete's training, starts as the large green outer circle encompassing the REAL Training framework. Moving inwards, Endurance training is depicted by a large blue circle, emphasising that it should be the bulk of one's training volume. Further inwards, Accumulation is depicted by a small orange circle, indicating its limited training volume and its specificity - being closer to the centre. Limitless training is depicted by a small red circle in the centre of the diagram symbolising an athlete's target.

As you learn more about Recovery, Endurance, Accumulation, and Limitless training, the symbolism of the diagram will make more sense; however, as you can probably see already, it's all about combining training sessions appropriately to achieve a target.

RECOVERY

Recovery is an essential part of any athlete's programme. It’s where your body adapts to the training you've completed and prepares for future training. In the REAL Training diagram, Recovery training sessions are depicted by the green outer circle. If you are in a recovered state, you are ready to take the next step and conduct Endurance, Accumulation or Limitless training sessions.

There are two types of recovery: passive and active. Passive recovery is essentially happening whenever you are not specifically training. We typically think of passive recovery in terms of complete rest, such as taking a rest day, or  a morning or afternoon without training for those who routinely train twice a day. The REAL Training framework recommends that passive recovery should be routinely incorporated into one's training plan.

Active Recovery is where short low intensity training sessions are conducted. On a scale from 1-10, where 1 is very easy (walking) and 10 is absolute maximum effort (a short sprint), Recovery training sits at 1-2, occasionally reaching 3-4. While there is no scientific evidence that active recovery offers a direct performance advantage over passive recovery, regular low intensity activity does support cardiovascular health and general wellbeing. Active Recovery training sessions are a practical and enjoyable way to stay active and add some volume without adding stress to the body. This is beneficial for younger or less developed athletes, older athletes, athletes that may be injured and for those participating in high impact sports like running.

Recovery training sessions do help athletes maintain a training routine, increase overall volume, provide time for working on technique and skills, allow for cross training, and offer valuable mental health benefits. Recovery training sessions are also a great time for athletes to socialize and relax - something harder training doesn’t allow for. 

Uniquely, in the REAL Training framework we designate both active and passive recovery as training sessions. This means, in an athlete’s schedule, a rest day, or afternoon off will be indicated as a Recovery training session. This is to emphasise that recovery is just as important as training. And that whilst you may practically be doing nothing, this is actually where you are adapting to previous training, and your body is actively preparing for future efforts.

ENDURANCE

Endurance training is the groundwork for supporting all aspects of an athlete's performance potential in all but the shortest maximal efforts. It is depicted by the large blue circle in the REAL Training diagram indicating it should represent the majority of an athlete's training time.

Endurance training targets the aerobic energy system where the body burns fat and carbohydrates to produce usable energy. The aerobic energy system operates optimally at a low sustainable effort. Typically you can hold a conversation at this effort and don’t need to consciously try to maintain the pace. Importantly, effort should be kept below the Aerobic Threshold - the boundary between effort that feels easy versus an effort that feels moderate, steady, or strong. On a scale from 1-10, Endurance training sits at 3-4, though for extended training sessions the effort will naturally range from 1-4.

Because the aerobic energy system improves with sustained effort, Endurance training sessions need to be of extended duration, this would be over an hour for runners and over 2 hours for cyclists. Frequency is also important in building total duration. Endurance training sessions should be performed weekly at a minimum. 

Given that the aerobic energy system is the primary contributor of energy, whether an event lasts 3 minutes, 3 hours, or even 3 days, improving its efficiency and capacity is a substantial component of improving one's exercise capacity. Developing and maintaining the aerobic energy system is fundamental to exercise capacity and should be part of an athlete's training year-round, year after year.

In many ways, Endurance training follows the same principle as Accumulation training (which we will explore next) - both are about building time at a specific effort level. However, because training below the Aerobic Threshold produces a distinctly different physiological response to training above it, the REAL Training framework treats them as separate categories. Where Endurance builds the foundation, Accumulation shapes the athlete more specifically.

ACCUMULATION:

Accumulation training is simply where you “accumulate” time at Effort. Accumulation is depicted by a small orange circle within the blue Endurance circle in the REAL Training diagram. This highlights that its overall volume is small compared to Endurance training.

Effort is defined as exercising above the Aerobic Threshold, a point where the aerobic energy system cannot supply energy fast enough. Above this threshold our bodies turn to anaerobic energy systems, burning readily available sugar to meet the demand.

On our Effort scale from 1-10, Accumulation training sits between 4 and 9. Where an athlete works within this range depends largely on the duration of their efforts — shorter efforts naturally demand higher intensity - 7 to 9, whilst longer efforts are conducted at a more controlled pace - 4 to 6.

Time spent at Effort is a powerful stimulator of adaptation and key to improved performance. However, it should be performed sparingly. Anaerobic energy systems, whilst powerful, are ultimately limited in capacity; our sugar supplies are not endless.

In general, Accumulation sessions take the form of a specific Effort Duration being repeated. Multiplying the Duration by the number of repetitions gives us the Accumulation. For example, a 5 minute Effort Duration repeated 4 times would give 20 minutes of Accumulation.

Accumulation, "the total" amount of time spent above the Aerobic Threshold in a given session, is a key metric to monitor. Principles of progressive overload and periodisation should be utilised to manipulate the Accumulation of a given session from week to week. For example, if you completed 5 minute Efforts 4 times one week, the following week you could do 5 minute Efforts again but with 5 repetitions. So you would have an increase in Accumulation.

In the REAL Training framework, Accumulation is where an athlete shapes their fitness. This is done by choosing the Effort Duration they wish to train. An athlete who chooses "20 minute Effort Duration X 4 repetitions" Accumulation Sessions will be shaped into a very different athlete from one who performs "30 second Effort Duration X 8 repetitions". This concept is explored in greater detail in the Accumulation blog.

Accumulation, "the total" amount of time spent above the aerobic threshold in a given session, is a key metric to monitor. Principles of progressive overload should be utilised to manipulate the Accumulation of a given session from week to week. The Total Accumulation of a week of training should also be periodised.

In the REAL Training framework, Accumulation is where an athlete shapes their fitness. This is done by choosing the Effort Duration they wish to train. An athlete who chooses "20 minute duration X 4 repetitions" accumulation sessions will be shaped into a very different athlete from one who performs "30 second duration X 8 repetitions".

LIMITLESS

Limitless training represents an athlete's target. Not surprisingly, Limitless Sessions are depicted by a red circle in the centre of the REAL Training diagram.

Limitless Sessions aren't specifically training; they are races, events, testing, personal challenges, and unrestricted sessions. Limitless Sessions are what an athlete trains for and should be challenging.

Limitless Sessions by nature have no limit to effort (intensity), duration (time) or both. For example, a race by nature has no set time or prescribed effort. During Limitless Sessions, the limits of an athlete's exercise capacity are exposed. We call this REALising one’s fitness.

Pushing to one's limits is extremely taxing on the body and mind. Limitless Sessions should be a regular part of an athlete's calendar, but approached mindfully and followed by multiple days of Recovery. After all, even the most competitive athletes don't race every week — Limitless Sessions should be treated with the same respect.

REAL Training: Summary

The REAL Training framework is a useful tool for ensuring an athlete's training sessions are always purposeful, appropriately periodised and always focused on the target. Knowing why you are performing a Recovery, Endurance, Accumulation, or Limitless session should lead to better adherence, execution, and planning, maximising one's exercise capacity. 

Importantly, with the REAL Training framework athletes have the knowledge to coach themselves confidently and effectively. Smart athletes keep it REAL.

REAL Training: Assumptions

When discussing REAL Training, there are some assumptions made about the athletes the framework is for:

REAL athletes are individuals of all fitness levels.

REAL athletes train consistently. They train at least 5 times a week.

REAL athletes base their training around a 7-day cycle. This is perhaps not the best practice, but for most people, it is the easiest way to plan their training.

REAL athletes are training to achieve a goal.