Seasons of Change- training blog

So here it is.

The start of a writing journey I hope to continue long term. And the start of delving into a different way of training with the intention of reaching multiple goals over the course of the year.

My problem has always been this.

I love training. But I love it all.

I love to run. I love to lift heavy weights. I love to be strong in functional movements. I love to move well.

And then something which underlies all of this, is that an element of my pursuit, is health. Is of longevity. And being able to retain function into old age.

But here lies the problem. Often I try to do too much at once.

And if I try to get bigger, stronger, leaner, run faster and further all at the same time, I won’t have time for anything else.

It will also more than likely mean that I won’t be able to continue to build my business. My partner won’t like me. And my son won’t know me.

So I can’t do everything.

However what I have devised is a new plan, where I can begin to work on certain elements of the disciplines listed above, at certain times of the year.

Aiming to improve some while maintain the others. And then swap the focus.

Much like we should eat with the seasons, I have decided to train with them too.

This whole idea began to come into fruition after I listened to a book called wintering.

I get many book recommendations from clients. But when a couple of people mention the same book more than once, I think it deserves me to take notice.

The whole emphasis of the book is to work with the concept of winter not against it. To stay indoors and create warm spaces. To eat hearty foods that are good for the soul. To sleep more when it’s dark and uninviting outside.

The sleep one is the one I am struggling with currently. A 5 month year old isn’t really conducive to much rest. I have however taken note of the other elements. And naturally leant into them over the last few months of winter.

And as a result I have really enjoyed and got a lot out of this period.

So I started to think about how I could further apply this logic. And actually, how that if I began to change the way I trained to align with the seasons that may help too.

So this is my first attempt to do exactly that. Heres how I see my training over the course of the year:

Jan- May: Boyd composition focus. A.k.a. dropping body fat. Something that ideally I will do and maintain better.

May - September/ October: running focus. Enjoy the good weather and aim for some PBs/ training outdoors.

September- December: Strength and hypertrophy focus. An opportunity to put the calories to good use and gain a bit of strength while being indoors.

In the future I may just change that to two periods. Spring and summer with a running focus. Autumn and Winter with a strength and hypertrophy focus.

However, lets not count our chickens before they have hatched.

First thing is completing the year in this fashion, before I start worrying about next year.

Current set up

My current focus is on improving body composition. Which generally is more diet focussed but I have also biased my training towards regaining some strength.

I figured that my running can be maintained a bit on two days a week plus will benefit from the weight loss. So although it isn’t the goal I wouldn’t be surprised to see some positive outcomes from a drop in bodyweight.

Currently I am doing between 5-7 sessions a weekly. A couple of them can be combined which makes them much easier to pull together and not spend ages in the gym.

Sessions are as follows:

• Short run

• Upper/lower weights

• Strength

• Long run

• Callisthenics

• Kettlebells

• Arms (optional extra)

Currently my set up is as follows.

Monday- Rest or U\L weights

Tuesday- Short run and U/L weights if not done Monday

Wedneday- Rest

Thursday- Strength and callisthenics

Friday- Rest/ make up anything I missed

Saturday- Kettlebells

Sunday- Long run and arms

The week does change weekly depending on clients and what else is going on in life. It also depends on the sleep I get the night before.

So that is how I will train leading unto May. This blog is aimed to essentially document some of my training while also discussing further fitness related topics.

Looking forward to having you along for the ride.

If you need any help navigating your training feel free to drop me a message.

About the Author:

Hi my name is Ollie McCarthy and I am a Running Coach and Personal Trainer in Tunbridge Wells. I help people to build fit, robust and capable bodies that look good but also perform well. This is done through a combination of running, mobility, strength and conditioning work.

E: Ollie@mccarthysf.com

T: 07828573920