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Other/Mixed Seasonal Training

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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DavThew

DavThew

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Does anyone on this forum use their body's natural rythmn through the year to work with their training? For example as the days get shorter and colder, and the effect that might have on your sleep and appetite may change what your body finds easier to do. Does anyone know if there is much merit to this idea?
My absolute guess would be that autumn might lend itself to hypertrophy, winter to strength work and spring and summer more to conditioning. That said this could all be absolute bunk that comes from spending a bit too much time quietly thinking this weekend.
P.S as it gets darker don't forget to take your vitamin D!
 
Hello,

My training is based on cycles, which means that I change my workout every X months. Nevertheless I observed that I have more "rest days" - or at least shorter training sessions - during winter. So in a way, I slow down my rythm...as Nature does.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
@DavThew, yes, absolutely. It's a nature fit for an outdoor endurance athlete to focus on strength over the winter, and in more general terms, it's a good fit for an athlete to work on different attributes during their off-season to improve their athletic "base" on which they build their competition performance.

In my life at the moment, I tend to focus on a competition - that drives my training for several months leading up to it, and then I take a break afterwards to work on other things before thinking about the next competition.

-S-
 
Thank you gentlemen. @pet' I've noticed this for more rest days recently too, and perhaps need to shift my training approach to accommodate for it, instead of putting in some low quality sessions.

@Steve Freides I have thought about using the TSC as a similar stimulus, for example using alternating 3 month blocks to focus on specific aims, i.e. work on snatching and pulling primarily leading up to the TSC (with one of the many good programs on the blog), and focusing more on squats and press for the 3 months following this to balance out all the pulling.
 
Hello,

Most of the time, I "listen" to my body. On training days, if I wake up already tired, I don't train. I don't want to get injured or being unsatisfied with my training session. In that case, I switch day on / off and I rest more.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Dan John actually just wrote a piece about this (Getup-2-2016), but I tend to choose my workouts on my goals rather than my weather. I need more sprint work, so I'm going to do be hill sprinting 2 times a week for a good portion of this winter. I also usually find it nicer to workout outside no matter what the temperature is.
 
Hello,

In that case it depends on your goals. If you are preparing an event, indeed you will not follow the natural rythm.

But if you train only for your own and you are not preparing something, you can have more flexibility and follow the Nature.

In all cases, you are right : it is clearly nicer training outside !

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
@DavThew, focusing on the TSC twice a year is perfect - take the 3 months immediately prior to each competition and focus on getting your best result, and take the other 3 month periods to focus on addressing your weakness, enjoying lifts that don't fit in with your TSC training, etc.

-S-
 
@DavThew Breaking up your training into cycles is smart for many reasons not the least of which is putting goals into the proper perspective.

Too many folks get brainwashed by media trends and believe the only way to get "results" is to push hard all the time. They want everything all at once.

As many of us on this forum know, the kettlebell will punish you if you go to hard too soon so the very nature of the tool is cyclical.

Most of the exercises (grinds & ballistics) used in kettlebell programming compliment following a cycle based program, can be easily modified based on skill level, and also can be paired up with countless bodyweight only exercises. Using this type of "de-loading" in your program is great for increasing volumes and work capacity especially with students over 40 ( like me HA!)

S & S takes this one step further as the perfect balance of swings and getups can be performed nearly year round with tremendous results.

If you haven't already, check out Senior Instructor Pavel Macek's training log ("Repeat Until Strong" in the training log forum). He has been primarily training S & S with just a small dose of martial arts for over a year with awesome results and no injuries.

Lastly, nothing will kill your mojo like small nagging injuries. Continue to follow your instincts, train with cycles in mind and stay healthy year round.
 
definitely - baseball in summer, winter random (from basketball to volleyball to soccer to karate to bjj) and strength train around those activities
 
+1 to cycles. But for me it's not seasonal but event based. I usually train for two or three (or four) events each year. Depending upon what they are and when they fall sort of dictates the makeup of the periodization. Currently I live where there is real winter (cold,snow,short days) and often I find I have to spend a lot of time running outdoors through the winter months.
The nice thing about S&S is that for me it acts as a great glue to bind everything else together.
 
I have done cycles the last couple years. I really liked breaking up my year with specific goals. However, I am beginning to shift back to less cyclical. I found that the gains I was making during specific cycles would be nearly lost by the next time I came around to it. I am starting to work on more of an objective-weighted constant program instead. I am wanting to maintain multiple objectives while improving them simultaneously (just much more gradual improvement).
 
Hello,

Yes your progress will be slower but you will maintain everything.

I noted that if I do a long cycle (3 months) let's call it A, and then another, let's call it B, when I go back to A, I am still close to my PRs. Close but I not maintained. I supposed it dépends of what I do in B though.

Kind regards,

Pet
 
natewhite39 said:
Too many folks get brainwashed by media trends and believe the only way to get "results" is to push hard all the time.
Click to expand...
If I had a dime for everything I have read saying you just need to up the intensity...

Seriously, I remember reading all the articles saying that intensity was key and if it wasn't all-out it wasn't effective. I was giving 100% and spinning my wheels. Furthermore, I was already at 100%. I couldn't do "more" to get better results.

Anyway, I don't know what types of training fit with what types of season (although fall/winter seems to be a more internal, slowing down, resting time of year and spring/summer seems intense). But personally I am starting to think for longevity's sake its good to take a recuperative time period. Maybe a smart thing to do would be to ask oneself what they neglect, what needs tended to (mobility/nagging injury, etc) and spend a cycle focusing on that and recuperation.
 
pet' said:
Most of the time, I "listen" to my body. On training days, if I wake up already tired, I don't train. I don't want to get injured or being unsatisfied with my training session. In that case, I switch day on / off and I rest more.
Click to expand...
For me it's totally different. I'm prone to winter depression. Nothing too serious, but it's definitely noticeable, because I'm losing my usual drive and feel tired most of the day.
Keeping a 4-6x/week workout schedule and taking some vitamine D during the winter completely negates the effects of winter depression for me.
So on a winter day when I would wake up tired, I would do a session even if it wasn't planed for that day, because it heightens my mood.
 
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