Watch: Session Variability

If you're stuck, it's probably not detailing out a more complex workout that is going to get you unstuck. It's going to be doing simple things better.

Most of us like the idea that each session we do is a developmental session. We seek out physical markers of having worked hard, such as sweat, weak muscles, nausea, or soreness. There is a twofold problem here. First, our bodies have a hard time adapting to constant increases in load and volume. Most of us can truly handle just two developmental sessions per week.

Second, the perceived markers of a successful workout are not really that at all. We can create any of the states listed above during submaximal efforts, in poor environments, or with novel training we’re simply not used to.

For example, we could do a general grip training workout with weights, ropes, grippers, etc. and leave a strong climber very sore…and not trained in the direction of greater climbing performance.

Most of us base our session length on two factors: Available time that day or available energy for training. Life schedules are a real thing and fitting training time into the day is a constant issue. We can deal with that separately.

The issue at hand is our adaptation to training load. We each have a fixed amount of possible energy for activity. We either get tired, are too sore to train again, or risk injury with too much training.

With this in mind, I propose we let go of our default session, which for most of us is probably a somewhat fixed amount of time we spend in the gym at a somewhat fixed intensity.

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