Photo: Me and my buddies on a March 1978 backcountry ski tour, Sun Valley, Idaho
Fitness programming works. There is a formula for success: goal + reality + determination = a positive outcome. You need to have clear goals. Decide what you really want and commit. Prioritize, you can have most anything, but not everything. Great expectations create great capabilities. Be a realist. Identify your problems and barriers to success, then confront them. Create a plan to achieve your goals and measure your progress. Execution is the key. Practice good work habits. Don’t worry about looking good, worry about achieving your goal.
Week Six was a recovery week, the second in my Nine Week Periodization Program. If you are under 40 you should go four weeks before a recovery week. Recovery weeks are critical for making progress. You need these weeks for your body to repair and eliminate mental fatigue.
Week Seven was the start of endurance training. These workouts are characterized by lower weights, higher reps and three to five sets. An example is doing a four exercise circuit with the anchor leg being 4 sets of 15 squats. This is the time to add sport specific exercises. I added long duration cycling and walking. If the ice were good I would go ice climbing and if the snow was good here I would go skiing. This was Hell week, the hardest week of the whole program.
In Week Eight, I added power exercises to endurance workouts. Kettle bell swings, sled push, box jumps, med ball slams. I also added hill climbs to our aerobic/anaerobic workouts. These exercises are designed to push you to develop your fast twitch muscles. Power is important in endurance sports. It gives you a reserve to call upon in times of stress.
Next week is a taper week before I head out to Jackson Wyoming for ten days of backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. I feel strong, rested and ready.
Workouts:
Week 7_Endurance Training 12_17_18
Week 8_Endurance and Power Training 12_26_18
