11.30.25 . Firsts and High Points - A Training Update
The most recent poll I posted on Instagram showed that people are most interested in the training I’m doing for my 50-50 challenge so today I’m going to break down a couple of guiding principles I use.
Before I get into the details of what I’ve been doing I need to give some insight into how I design plans for myself and my clients.
As a coach I never design one program and apply it to multiple people. Each client’s program is bespoke and designed for their goals, lifestyle and their body (current fitness, injuries, limitations, etc).
Whether I’m working with a new client or updating a program for someone I’ve worked with for a couple of decades I always go through the same process - the same set of questions:
What is the primary goal?
What is the secondary goal?
What limitations/imbalances/injuries do we need to address?
What time constraints are we working with?
Will the nutrition, supplementation, and recovery allow us to achieve the training targets?
After I answer the questions I design a program based on a theory/theme that we are focusing on for the next phase.
Each phase lasts anywhere from 3 - 12 weeks (depending on the client and the goal).
Two guiding thoughts I use in all of my plans are The High Point Theory™ and The Collecting Firsts Principle™.
The High Point Theory & Collecting Firsts
The goals of my current phase are:
Build my cardiovascular base by increasing my total time in Z1/Z2 to over 80% (annual)
Build resilience and durability in my lower body (specifically in my feet, ankles, knees and hips)
Because I’ve never done a challenge like this I’m basing the majoring of my phase on The High Point Theory™ and The Collecting Firsts Principle™.
The High Point Theory is something gleaned from the work done by strength and conditioning greats Yuri Verkhoshansky and Mel Siff, later popularized in the US by the late-great Louie Simmons.
Louie and the boys at Westside Barbell pioneered in the US the concept of hitting a new max lift every week. This week it may be a box squat bench and then next may be in a dumbbell bench press, but each week they were chasing a new max.
My High Point Theory™ is that each week, if I hit some high point (new trail, new elevation, new high in a lift) I will be training my body and brain for winning.
So, when I sit down and plan my week I’m looking for 1-2 new high points to chase.
For instance, this week my high point was to get the highest back to back elevation gain climbs I’ve done this year. Sunday and Monday I did back to back high elevation days and topped out my largest back to back climbs.
Stacking The Deck To Win
One of the primary objectives of this theory is to stack the deck for winning - physically and mentally.
The physical benefits of changing up the high points are:
Rotation of effort and reduction of risk for overuse injuries.
Increased speed, strength, or endurance by stretching for new peak performances weekly.
Respect for the nervous system, ligaments and tendons need to take a longer time to recover than muscle tissue.
Respect for the central governor theory (more on that below) and the need to continually push the governor higher.
The psychological benefits of of the High Point Theory™ are:
You consistently stack wins - each week is a new win which trains your mind to win.
You are able to find a new high point each week without stalling out - this creates mental momentum for the next challenge.
I can’t stress the importance of the psychological benefits enough. Working with high performers for close to 3 decades has taught me that we are all wired the same way. We SUCK at tracking wins and spend more time in the gap than others.
The gap is what I call the space between where we are and where we want to be.
High performers tend to be in the gap more often than those who produce average results. They see what needs to be done, what the current gap looks like and they constantly work to bridge the gap.
This is why, in my weekly coaching calls I force my clients to start the call by recapping the wins from the week.
Some clients get very good at this over time and others, well, let’s just say it’s like pulling teeth to get ONE win out of them each week.
By hitting a high point weekly we start to stack the deck in our favor and create winning momentum.
Collecting Firsts Principle™
Without going too deep into the central governor theory, first proposed by Archibald Hill in 1924, I need to introduce the concept to you.
The central governor theory supposes that our brains have a central governor that regulates how hard we can work, how long we can go and how much effort we can expend. It’s a protective mechanism designed to keep us alive. This theory is behind the concept “your mind will give out before your body does.”
Taking this into account I created the Collecting Firsts Principle™, which states that:
“As soon as your body has experienced a new/novel activity, movement, effort or duration it will begin to adapt and adjust for ‘the next time.’ The nervous system now remembers the novel and will begin to map pathways making subsequent attempts easier, more fluid and more effortless.”
With this in mind I’m constantly collecting new “firsts.”
The first time on a new trail maps the terrain, the elevation gain and the overall experience in my mind and throughout my nervous system.
The first time doing a new distance trains my body to adapt and work more efficiently the next time.
Weekly Collection
Each week I’m working to collect new firsts. For instance I could -
Go for a long run after a leg day to work through fatigue
Attempt a new long distance that I’ve never done before
Gain back to back high elevation days
Etc…
A few weeks back my wife, son and I went to the trail we will be racing on to get time on foot on the trail.
That “first” helped me understand a bit more what we are getting into.
I now know what to expect at the start and end of the trail, what the first several miles will look like, and what type of terrain we’ll be tackling.
What’s Next?
As we close out November and go into December my plan shifts but the two guiding concepts remain.
I’m looking for new high points weekly and I’m chasing firsts.
As a part of my “firsts” collection I’m focused on getting as much time outdoors as possible.
My theory is that if I can get on the trail, lift outdoors and spend more time in the weather I’m going to toughen up and develop more resilience (an overarching objective of mine throughout the 50-50).
I’m curious…
Are you chasing high points in your training?
Are you chasing firsts?
More importantly - what do you want to see next? How can I help you?
Message me HERE so I know what you are doing and what you want to see next!
Until next time - keep rolling!
