REAL Training Prologue: communicating endurance training ideas

When I first studied exercise I was introduced to the FIT training concept. It entailed Frequency, Intensity, and Time as the key factors in training. As a basic way to communicate training theory, it still holds up pretty well.

Over the years I've studied, coached, observed, and of course trained the ultimate guinea pig, myself. Throughout this time the knowledge base surrounding training has grown exponentially. Training concepts have become more and more complex. Many ideas come from a scientific approach, and many concepts come from hands-on coaching. Frustratingly for athletes, the concepts have become increasingly divergent.

Simply, the whole topic of how to train most effectively has just gotten more confusing.

Looking at the FIT model we can highlight some of the training frustrations athletes encounter.

It is pretty much given that the Frequency of training should be as often as possible, bar a rest day once a week. Apart from this there really are no guidelines as to what training should look like at the day-to-day level or the basic structure of a training week. Every amateur athlete has pondered, what training session should I do today? But there really are no concrete answers, or methodologies to help an athlete answer this question.

In the realm of intensity - one of the biggest areas to emerge has been training zones. Some experts propose five zones, some seven, some nine. Lately, there has been a regression to the idea of three training zones. All of this has highlighted the importance of training at different intensities. But inherently created confusion - where the aim was really to simplify things.

When it comes to time, prescribing duration for each intensity to train is also problematic. There are many different intensity distribution models, pyramidal, polarized, threshold, and high intensity. But no concrete answers as to which is best, and how these apply to athletes who can train 6 hours a week, compared to those who can train 20 hours a week.

For the average athlete, and I mean the average person who trains as a hobby with the aim of improving their performance, it is pretty much impossible to read all there is to read on training, never mind understanding it and then making good decisions on what to do.

Of course, they can turn to a coach, or grab a training program. But I believe people should be able to train themselves with great success.

This is why I came up with the REAL training concept. To help people train themselves with confidence. And be able to juggle the key elements of frequency, intensity, and time with clarity.

Importantly the REAL training framework is not just for amateurs, athletes and coaches at all levels can use the concepts to guide their training.

The REAL training framework is based on core scientific knowledge but expressed in a more descriptive way. Specifically, REAL Training is a framework for developing exercise capacity centred around 4 easily understood categories of exercise: Recovery, Endurance, Accumulation, and Limitless.

Understanding the aims and how to perform the 4 REAL training categories of exercise is essential for any athlete aiming to improve their exercise capacity. Furthermore, knowing how they interact with each other allows individuals to self-coach their training progression.

Learn more here...