The next step after a peak...

I'm currently in Wyoming with my brother for my second of three climbing trips this year. This time we'll be summitting the iconic Grand Teton before making a quick jaunt to Colorado to hike Mount Elbert, the second highest peak in the 48 contiguous states. (If you missed the story & tips from the first trip of the year to Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48, you can read that here.)

While I'm away, the training at the gym will include a testing week — capping the end of a six-month progressive plan and setting benchmarks for the next plan — and a relatively easy week to begin a new training cycle. Since I've been following a similar plan for a similar length of time to prepare for these two climbing trips, I'll be doing the same when I return. (Although most of my "tests" will actually be done on the mountains.)

Let me introduce you to a few new training concepts if that makes you think, "After spending so much time building up your (and our) capabilities, why are you building in easier training instead of continuing to make progress?"

Progressive overload, Peaking, and recycling

In previous tips I've discussed why we need to exercise, the difference between exercise and training, and the benefits of rest.

For the super-quick summary: Movement (i.e. exercise) of any kind keeps us healthy. Exercise is often unplanned or random while training is movement that follows a plan which includes rest days and typically leads to greater long-term progress. And rest days enable the body to recover from hard training sessions.

But there are three more important points that I didn't specifically emphasize in those tips:

1. For a training program to be effective, it generally needs to start somewhat easy and become progressively more challenging over time, a concept known as progressive overload.
2. As the program becomes more challenging, the body will develop greater capabilities up to a point, or peak.
3. At some point, the body's adaptive capabilities will begin to run thin, and the program will need to become easy again — that is, recycled — in order to give the body time to recover and reduce the potential for injury.

Mark Reifkind, StrongFirst Master Instructor Emeritus, has explained this succinctly: "Remember, the next step off a peak is always down. Step back, or fall off... Stepping back hurts less (except to the ego) and leads to bigger gains in the future. Fall off frequently enough and it won't be a tweak you're facing but a real injury that can set you back for a long time."

I like his comparison to an actual peak because it reminds me of the mountains. Still, it doesn't paint quite the right picture of how the process should work.

On a mountain, you slowly work your way up to the summit. Then when you reach the summit, the preferred way to complete the journey is to reverse your course and gradually descend — that is, to step down from the peak — as opposed to falling.

But in training, slowly working your way up (i.e. progressive overload) and then slowly working your way back down (i.e. progressive de-loading) is still rather hard on the body. The more effective strategy after slowly working your way to a peak is actually to jump straight back to a point slightly higher than where you started.

Kind of like this raccoon.

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In all seriousness, re-starting a program (or beginning a similar one) from a point slightly higher than where you previously began feels great. Doing so not only gives your body extra time to recover but also enables you to refine your technique with a pace, weight, or volume that is well within your newly progressed capabilities.

Repeat that process long enough, and you might eventually discover that your current valley (i.e. starting point) is higher than some of your previous peaks.

Putting It Into Practice

I've asked some of the following questions before, but it's still good to review your answers occasionally:

Have you been exercising, training, or doing a little of both (or neither) lately? How does that strategy align with your goals? Do you have specific goals?

Have you taken a rest day (or had a massage, sat in a sauna or ice bath, or taken a nap) lately? Alternatively, are most days rest days?

Are you experiencing the results you're pursuing?

After you have your answers, spend a few minutes considering where you might make some simple improvements, and then get to it! Of course, the other TNT coaches and I are always here if you need a little help.