The purpose of this blog is to clear a few things up regarding my World's Toughest Mudder training schedule. I have had a few questions from folks regarding the finer details of my training, plus I wanted to add a few details, so here goes.
Repetition Goals
I just finished a 'strength phase', where my goal was simply that - to try and maximize the strength of the muscles. To achieve this, I increased my resistance and aimed for lower reps. Three weeks for a strength phase could've been a bit longer, but I am sort of on a limited time-frame now, so I made due with what I had.
The three weeks was still productive, as I was able to reach some personal bests in many different exercises, so I am arguably at the strongest point I have been at. So now, my goal is to make my strength 'functional'.
All of my resistance routines will be aiming for a 12-15+ repetition range. Pushups and pullups will naturally reach these repetition goals, as with bodyweight exercises, you are aiming for maximum reps. "Assistance" exercises (bicep curls, triceps extensions, etc.) are a bit of a trickier breed because you really have to focus-in on an ideal resistance to hit your desired rep goal. Trickier, but doable!
There shouldn't be too much strength loss (if any) during the 7 weeks I will be training in the higher repetition range. Not only that, but my goal is to train my muscles in that 'endurance' range so that they can be more efficient at producing energy by aerobic means.
Also, since I will be using P90X2, virtually ALL exercises aim to involve multiple joints, along multiple planes at once. This improves the overall total-body coordination as well as improve core stability and joint stability. All of this will not only improve performance, but will also reduce risk of injury.
Double Runs
On my original schedule, I don't have more than one workout scheduled for any given day. This, more than likely, will not stay this way. I am leaving my double workouts up to how I feel on any given day. If there is a day when I feel great and have some extra energy to burn, I will head out for a second run.
One of the best tips I received from last year's World's Toughest Mudder winner, however, is that the most momentum and progress can sometimes be gained from those workouts when you "just aren't feeling it!" So, there will be some days when it will be cold, rainy, and I am in no mood to workout, but I will head out anyways because those are the mental battles that I must also train, and win, in order to do well at the WTM.
Quote of the day:
"Quality is not an act, it is a habit."
~ Aristotle
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