Be Smart with Tougher Than Normal Training on Weekends - Add Recovery / Mobility Day on Monday

Many weekends are made for longer workouts requiring more time and effort than a typical 60-minute workout. If you are preparing for a near future in special ops selection training, you may want to put in some time doing things that take more time. Things like swimming with fins, rucking, running, and high-rep calisthenics workouts that challenge the muscle stamina and endurance components of tactical fitness.  But, if you are lifting heavy over the weekend, testing out 1RMs on various lifts, you should make a change at the start of next week's training.

Here Are Some Tough Workouts with Recovery Monday Answers: 

The Spec Ops Triathlon (or Long Run/Ruck Weekend) - If you are doing longer distances to prepare for more extended cardio events in spec ops selection or you are competing in marathons or triathlons, the weekends are an ideal time to put in the time getting these multi-hour events completed.  For events that take 3-4 hours, you should progress to this level first but then test yourself on occasion. On the following Monday and start of a new week of training, consider non-impact cardio, mobility day, or a lift mixed with minimum cardio (to break up any soreness).  It is ensuring you recover from any extended miles you may have pushed outside your normal progression. 

Tough Workouts with Load Bearing / High Reps - We have a few workouts we would like to do that simulate log PT, grinder PT, and other load-bearing activities. The Sand-Baby Devil Murph is one such full-body workout that typically requires a cardio-only day the day before doing it and a cardio-only or mobility day the following Monday (if completed on a Saturday).  This workout is relatively tough as the high reps of the Log PT events, a full Murph, weighted lunges, fireman carries, farmer walks, and bear crawls are considered enough work to deserve a day off and an easy day following. We usually do a mobility or cardio-only day (run, swim, bike) for the start of the new week if we crush this one on a Saturday. 

Heavy Lift Cycles (1RM Day) - Building up to heavier lifts in a cycle where lifting was introduced requires a similar progression as running (nice and steady). But testing the main lifts (deadlift, squats, bench, WVpullups, farmerwalk for max distance, & more) requires an easier day after for many - especially those fairly new to lifting. There is a special soreness and recovery time required after such lifts, so if you are on a generic training program, you may want to add a moderate day of training instead of crushing a Monday after a Saturday max lift session.  Consider mobility day or non-impact cardio day for another day to recover the muscle groups used.

Do You Need a Winter Lift Cycle? 

Split Routines - If you decide to do a challenging lower body day on Saturday, add a mobility day on Sunday, and you are free to do an upper body day on Monday. The split routine is a great option to continue with a certain intensity and volume throughout the week as "rest/recovery days" are built into such programs. But even the best-split routines may require a de-load day or recovery day depending on how well you sleep, eat, hydrate, and work through intense training.  Easy zone 2 cardio days can be the right call after some challenging high rep cals or heavy lift days.  The split routine does allow the option to continue training harder but some days adding an easy day just make sense for your recovery - especially if you performed poorly in the previous longer workout. You may need the rest/recovery time. 

I am not a fan of adding tougher/longer workouts just to see how tough we are. But if you use them as an assessment tool to monitor muscle stamina and overall durability, you will discover essential strategies like fueling (adding carbs, electrolytes, water) to keep moving. For this alone, longer workouts, frequent tests, or even gut checks can have their place in training.  Remember, however, that gut checks are always relative. What is one person's gut-check can be another person's warmup. 

See related Tactical Fitness Report podcast I did with Jeff Nichols on the Gut Check

But the Seasonal Tactical Fitness Programs Will Build Optimal Performance and Specifically Address Weaknesses Each Phase

Consider the long-term training system of the seasonal tactical fitness model as it offers the opportunity never to neglect your weaknesses, helps with flexibility and mobility, and will also put you at a level of physical abilities where you are happy with your overall ability to just about anything. We have a system where the strengths and weaknesses dictate our training. Check it out: What is Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization?.    

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