New Phase: Naughty and Nice

This will be the first part of an ongoing series designed to sit alongside our Long and Strong training program. As we start new phases of training (approx. every 6-8 weeks), I’ll publish a quick write up explaining some of the structure and my thoughts behind some of the programming. The goal is to be as transparent as possible so that athletes and coaches alike can gain a better understanding of the “why” behind the training. We say this often, but there are many ways to skin a cat. This just happens to be one of them.

NAUGHTY AND NICE

  • Main Focus: 10k to Half-Marathon Distance

  • Secondary Focus: Compound Strength

COACH THOUGHTS

Our previous phase, Jacked Rabbit, focused on the two-mile run distance with unilateral strength work sprinkled in to support the faster endurance efforts. Using that as a stepping-off point, this second phase will prioritize longer-distance efforts and more compound-type lifts. I’ve pegged the 10k/Half-Marathon distance as a rough marker for endurance, but by no means does that mean you need to be comfortable “racing” for 13 miles. 

Whereas before we were working off of a one-week template, this phase will expand to a two-week template, meaning we’ll see some alternating sessions every other week. This won’t necessarily be the case for every session (some will progress week-to-week), but in an effort to include extra stressors and alleviate boredom.

For the endurance work, we’ll use a combination of time and distance in our prescriptions (i.e. .5 mile run versus 5:00 run). Our paces will be derived from the run calculator on the website using the latest two-mile time trial as our benchmark; however, if you’re new to the program or didn’t complete the baseline you should be completely fine. As always, each week will culminate with a longer weekend Zone 2 effort to build the aerobic base. 

The strength work is a bit higher volume than we’re used to, with heavier top sets followed by drop set work at lighter percentages. Expect to see a healthy dose of bodybuilding-type accessory work to make sure we’re keeping touches on everything.

Finally, because we’re looking at pushing the endurance out to a longer distance, we’ll see a decrease in metcon volume as a way of preserving adaptation currency. Finishers will be slightly lower intensity; however, by no means does this imply they’ll be any less effective.

As always, enjoyment of training is our number one priority. Feel free to reach out on the TrainHeroic community board with any questions you might have. If you’re new to MOPs and MOEs and are curious to see what the training mentioned here actually looks like, sign up for Long and Strong HERE.

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A Letter to a Young Strength Coach

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How a Maintenance Company Maximized H2F