Principles
1. Acquire attributes in this order:
a. Muscle Mass
b. Strength + Power
c. Conditioning
Resistance training (RT) does not negatively impact endurance adaptations but endurance training appears to negatively impact RT adaptations.
If you focus too early on becoming conditioned then it’s very tough to build the structure you need, and gain the strength you need.
This “concurrent training effect” or CTE (formerly known as the “interference effect” and revealed in the 1980s by Hickson) applies more and more as you become more advanced.
Novices can achieve the “novice effect” and progress quickly in multiple disciplines at the same time. But for advanced athletes, the fatigue cost of each training piece is higher and training time and effort has to be more carefully partitioned.
Look at the priorities of years and macrocycles. Priorities are fixed for a mesocycle (3-5 weeks), but they can change over years and macrocycles.
2. There are compatible and incompatible disciplines.
The more incompatible the disciplines are, the longer term your plan needs to be. You need more time because incompatible disciplines cannot be developed at the same time. You have to periodize and prioritize. The more compatible they are, the more you can train them simultaneously.
Compatible Pairings:
Running + Upper Body RT
Cycling + Upper Body RT
Leg Size + Strength + Slow Aerobic Cycling
Incompatible Pairings:
Leg Size + Fast Aerobic Running
Fast Aerobic Mixed + Muscle Mass
3. Focus on what your genetics didn’t give you.
The less suited your genetics are for your sport, the longer term your plan needs to be.
Part of the beauty of multidisciplinary athletics is that it is less likely for a single athlete to have an all-encompassing genetic advantage.
If you are more adaptable to RT, then you will likely prioritize aerobic development more. If you are more adaptable aerobically, then you will likely prioritize RT more.
I hope this helps you:
1. Pick the sport you have the most talent for
2. Develop a long term plan for ascending to the level you want to get to
Typal values for males
Army Special Operator
175+ lbs
12-15% BF
150 lbs of lean mass
12:00 2 mile run
35:00 5 mile run
2:20:00 12 mile ruck
CrossFit Athlete
195+ lbs
10% BF
175 lbs of lean mass
285 Snatch
465 BS
300# CGBP, WPU
220 cals
20 LLRC in 10 minutes
Domestic Law Enforcement Operator
215+ lbs
10% BF
190 lbs of lean mass
BJJ + Striking Expert
Resilient to Plyos
Short to middle distance Sprinter (100-800m)
Hybrid/Hyrox/Deka/Spartan – depends on distance, events
Guidelines:
+0.5-1 lb per month of bodyweight – assume 10 lbs per year, not all muscle
Citations:
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/6/4/127
