For us a Good training day isn’t defined by how hard you can push—it’s defined by how well the work is set up so real coaching can happen along side the effort given. That means teaching, observing, and adjusting from start to finish. Once athletes are warmed up and moving the way they should, the real question becomes: how do we introduce intensity in a way that actually leads to adaptation?
What I’ve learned over the years is that intensity by itself isn’t the answer. What matters most is what an athlete has to demonstrate before intensity is added.
Inside our group classes—and through an individualized lens—I’ll never stop reinforcing the same three things:
MECHANICS
CONSISTENCY
INTENSITY
Everything we do starts there and is developed across a lifespan. Using this as our framework, let’s first talk about how we lay out the program, and then zoom out to the bigger picture.
How We Lay Out Our Programming
Our programming is written in 3–4 week training blocks. Within each block, we intentionally touch on three major areas:
- Strength / weightlifting
- Gymnastics and bodyweight strength
- Conditioning across varying modalities
The goal of each block is simple: progress over four weeks. Each block builds on the one before it, which helps us avoid overtraining while giving athletes enough time to learn, practice, and refine movements—without things becoming stale or repetitive.
When you zoom in on a single block, our structure closely resembles a conjugate-style approach, originally developed by Coach Louie Simmons. I’ve written more in depth about how we apply the conjugate system at Pursuit Fitness, and I’ll link that blog here if you want a deeper breakdown.
This model allows us to continue building a strong foundation while still supporting life outside the gym. It’s not about maxing out all the time—it’s about sustainability and balance.
Within this framework, you’ll see us rotate through:
- Heavy lifting, most often at sub maximal (Moderate to Heavy) loads
- Dynamic, speed-focused efforts
- Threshold-based conditioning in different formats
- Aerobic base work to improve cardiovascular health and recovery between strength sessions
- Dedicated recovery through cooldowns that include mobility and breath work
Looking at the Bigger Picture
When we step back and look at an entire year of training, the question becomes: did we improve work capacity across broad time and modal domains? Were we able to develop fitness even in the smallest ways over time?
Our program is intentionally biased toward general physical preparedness. That means fitness won’t always look the same throughout the year. You’ll experience different focuses, challenges, and expressions of fitness depending on the phase of training. We also include testing—not for competition’s sake—but to make sure we’re actually moving the needle long term, not just chasing short-term wins.
Why Structure Matters
How the program is written matters—but what matters even more is that coaching can happen from start to finish, especially as intensity increases.
I could write the most well-thought-out program in the world, but if athletes don’t understand why they’re doing what they’re doing, it won’t last. Understanding creates buy-in. Buy-in creates consistency. And consistency, more than anything else, is what drives results.
Last week, I shared a graph from Greg Glassman that outlines three ways to evaluate a fitness program: safety, efficacy, and efficiency. He refers to this as evidence-based fitness—training that can be measured, observed, and repeated.
Here’s how we look at those ideas.
Efficacy
Efficacy asks: What did you actually get from the work you put in?
If we’re serious about lifelong fitness, we have to look beyond just “feeling better.” Maybe blood markers improved. Maybe body fat went down while lean muscle increased. Maybe strength numbers climbed across major lifts. Those outcomes matter.
Efficiency
Efficiency looks at how long it takes to see meaningful progress. Getting your first strict pull-up in year one versus year three is a huge difference—not just in fitness, but in long-term health and movement potential.
Safety
Safety asks the hardest question: Who stayed healthy?
Programming in four-week blocks allows us to constantly reassess and adjust. It gives us smaller windows to ensure what we’re doing in the gym translates to pain-free, confident movement outside of it.
Where the Magic Actually Happens
Once the program is written and we step onto the floor, that’s where the real work begins.
By focusing on mechanics first, building consistency, and then layering in intensity, we’re able to find the balance between technique and threshold. That balance is what leads to long-term adaptations—more efficient movement, better output, and increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains.
That’s fitness to me.
Coaching that balance—especially in a group setting—is an art. It’s something you only get better at by doing. And it’s exactly what we mean when we talk about The Pursuit.
In this week’s YouTube video, I included a clip of our morning crew transitioning from the general warm-up into specific work and then into the strength portion of the day. I’m not a professional filmer—the phone stays in one spot—so bear with me. My main focus is becoming a better coach, and I’m trusting that the more I record myself, the better everything else will get along the way including my camera skills lol.
