With SOO much information out there, I wanted to share a few tips and tricks that I’ve found to be super helpful for builidng a training program for anyone. These are founded in science, but also simply helpful for keeping you grounded in what really matters with moving your body. I hear and read so much about “try this, it’ll definitely work” or “I tried that and it didn’t work.” There’s definitely truth to some things working better than others, but there are also some great principles that can lead to great results, no matter what type of movement you choose.
I’ve started running from scratch (couldn’t run down the block); I’ve started strength training from scratch (couldn’t do a pushup); started swimming, biking, hiking, yoga, etc. I’ve started all of these from very beginner starting points and applied the principles below and seen improvement in all of them. Great improvement in fact.
When I first started running, I absolutely hated it. Well, I loved sports like soccer, softball, or basketball so I guess I only liked running after a ball haha. Even in soccer practice I hated when we had to run laps. Just running for the sake of running? No. Way. Why?
Sure, my growing up years consisted of various sport and outdoor activity that all included running. But again, never running just for running. I played soccer & softball mostly. They happened to be opposite seasons, so it meant I could play both without much conflict so I could play a sport much of the year.
In high school, the summer before my junior year, I decided to join the cross country team because it was a Summer/Fall sport that would help me get into better shape for soccer.
Boy the first few weeks were brutal. I hated it. Every moment. All you do is running drills or long distance running! Ugh. Sometimes a few of us would actually would sneak off the path and then join the team as they ran back! Don’t tell.
At some point, maybe around 2 months in, I noticed some of the runs we’d done before “suddenly” weren’t as difficult. I started noticing more energy in general. I’d come back from practices refreshed and not wiped out. I actually began to enjoy the 5:30am practices! Hmm could this be what it feels like to be in shape? It’s quite possible …
Along the way I started reading books on running to learn more about this strange thing I encountered. I really only knew team sports: soccer, softball, basketball, volleyball, and even skateboarding were all on that list. They all had strategies, ways of improving, and clear elements of technique (juggling a soccer ball is still my favorite).
One day while my mom and I went on a vacation, I realized I wasn’t going to be doing my normal running routine planned out by the coaches, but I wanted to stay in shape. Something inside kicked in, I grabbed a spiral notebook (before cell phones and laptops!) and started jotting down a run training plan based on the concepts I’d learned both in training & the books I was reading.
I got so much joy out of the complexity of it all, I just kept writing plans, researching, trying things out, making new plans, and filled loads of spiral notebooks with training plans! (Eventually I switched over to Excel, thank goodness) I made up fictitious people and scenarios. Then I’d lay out a couple different plans for them. What an odd thing to spend my time doing.
Anyways, we are now years down the road from those moments, but they’re still so engrained in my mind … the early days of just starting out. Since then I’ve had to restart my own training program a few times over: post-injury, sickness, long breaks due to work and life, or just simply changing up routine, etc. It’s never fun starting over.
What IS incredible though is that given consistency your body will build strength and endurance.
If you could learn one thing from anything I write, it would be this:
CONSISTENCY.
Just. Stay. Consistent.
But here’s the truth about consistency that you should know:
- Miss a day? Miss a week? Have a hard month?
- Don’t worry about it. It’s about the long term day in day out.
- Just get back up when you can and keep moving forward.
So many times I see people start a plan, miss 1-2 days, then stop completely because they couldn’t “stick with it”, but the truth is, none of us can be perfect. Life happens.
Consistency is not about perfection.
Consistency is about regularly showing up. Over time.
Take steps day in and day out.
Our bodies are truly amazing. When you love them well, they learn, they grow, they get stronger. The old saying really is true “use it or lose it.” And trust me, when you get older, it’s even MORE true.
- Muscles work if we work them.
- Our metabolism works if we set it up for success.
- Our bodies heal if we eat well and heal our emotions.
All that said, here are a few things you should know about building a training plan for yourself. It doesn’t have to be hard or complex.
Once you understand a few of these things, you can really do the type of movement that you enjoy. If you like yoga, walking, strength training, running, cycling, etc.
Let’s jump in.
Here are some basic principles of any good training plan:
Progression
Start smaller to build a foundation. Think long term fitness over short term results. You will progress over time if you are consistent. In order to improve, you need to gradually increase intensity and duration over time. This is the best way to avoid injury, keep a habit going strong, and enjoy life-long fitness.
Just keep moving and move a little more and more over time.
Regularity
Doesn’t this sound like consistency? If you want to improve, you need to do it regularly. Try to move your body 3-6 days per week.
Overload
If you want to develop muscle, or get stronger, lose weight, you do need to overload your body in some way. This can be done
Variety
Now, this one is interesting. With the principle of progression & regularity, you also need to have consistent work that you do so that you can actually see improvement. So, variety is not just about changing it up week after week. You won’t actually see a lot of direct improvement if you change it too much. Slight variations can be powerful and effective.
For example even if all you do is run, you can have a lot of variety by varying the intensity, duration, and type of run. You can do the same with yoga, strength training, and any type of activity. You can also combine the two concepts by running 3 days and doing strength or mobility work 2-3 other days.
Balance
With any training program, whether it’s for weight loss all the way to sports performance, you need balance in your training. For example, runners need to work their side-to-side muscles because running only uses a forward motion. In order to avoid injury, and to have overall structural support, we need to have balanced training in our whole body.
Here are 4 Key Types of Movement to include:
1. Strength / Resistance (Builds bone density, burns more fat, builds metabolism)
2. Aerobic low intensity (Stamina, mitochondrial density)
3. High intensity (Fat burning, strength, power)
4. Mobility / Balance (Promotes recovery, injury prevention, greater stability during workouts, and longevity)
Recovery
You actually build your muscles when you rest. You must rest and recover. This is an absolute key to building a healthy body. Everyone’s amount of recovery will depend on how fit they are in the given type of movement. And your recovery window will decrease as your body gets healthier.
One of the best ways I’ve found to incorporate recovery into training is in 3 different cycles:
- Weekly: you should have “peaks and valleys” within your week. If you have a hard day (peak), then follow it up by an easy day (valley) or a day that uses different muscles. Allow 24-48 hours between hard work outs.
- Every 4-8 weeks: you’ll want to reduce your training load. This can be called an “offload” week, a recovery week, a deload week. Whatever you call it, it’s not a week you just take off and go to the Bahamas. It’s an overall reduction in intensity (how hard) and duration (how long).
- Once or Twice a Year: Every 6 months, or so, take a week or two fully off. Most people use this time for their vacations. Again, don’t just sit around completely. Walk or do other activities. But your entire system needs a break, including your mental space. Do this and you’ll return invigorated for a fresh round. It’s
Specificity
Lastly, if you have specific goals, then you do need to train towards those. For example, if your goal is to become stronger and look fit, then you’ll need to do specific weight training in order to get there. If you want to become a better runner without injury, you’ll need to focus on specific running-related movements. While swimming will help your cardio system, it won’t make you a better runner.
Hope this helps!
– Kirsten
PS — If you’re interested in a training plan, I’d love to help! I’m opening up more space for a few 1-1 health coaching time. In these times, we look at your personal goals and review nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, stress, habits, mindset, and balance. We’ll work through obstacles to create a sustainable plan that works with your lifestyle and health needs. Sign up for a free consultation here!
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Kirsten Larsen is a wholeness coach, helping people experience freedom and breakthrough in body, soul, and spirit.
