Energy System Training This Week

Our two weeks of strength programming are over and we are back into Metabolic Week.
The idea behind our 4 week program is based on the Russian Conjugate System.  This system was developed largely by the researcher and coach Viktor Verkhoshansky.

I am attracted to the Russian Conjugate System because it is arranged so that the athlete is constantly training all of the neural and energy system pathways. There is a progressive adaptation that occurs not just with strength, but also with muscular endurance and speed. It is designed so that the athlete can continuously perform at a high level.  I am the first to admit that there is a certain plasticity in my application and interpretation of the RCS. Some weeks, I prescribe the power clean as a skill, and some weeks, as a strength movement.  Typically, with the Conjugate system, in one week the athlete would work on all 3 neural pathways - strength, speed and  volume (muscular endurance). What I have done is place the RCS into blocks. 2 weeks of a strength bias, one of a metabolic bias, and one week of skills and tapering.  Tapering is incredibly important to training.  The body needs rest in order to push hard through three weeks of high intensity training. But the body needs ACTIVE rest.  And this is where the importance of skills based training comes into play.  

One of the most important lessons I have learned from Charles Poliquin and OPT is that on a metabolic level, the body cannot be tested every single day of the week. Your cortisol will go through the roof, you will become weaker and gain weight around the midline and your performance will go down.  This is why we so often introduce rest periods in our training and have been doing so for many years.  

Enjoy metabolic week. Work on your muscular endurance and speed. Have Fun!!! This week is about both developing and testing the many different energy systems of our body.  

THis is a photo of Rochelle at our satellite campus at SeedMaster.