3 reasons to focus on training this fall

I understand we have a few more days of summer before fall begins, but after how the past week has been feeling in Denver, I think it's safe to say fall is here. The trees have begun to change in my neighborhood and I'm itchin' to see the fall colors in the mountains. As running races finish out for the season and hiking trails become more bare and snow covered, fall is an excellent time to shift your focus from endurance training to strength and hypertrophy training. Here are three reasons to focus on resistance training in fall and winter: 1. More availability. It's likely you spent the summer months with friends and family, maybe went on a couple vacations, hiked some mountains, and competed in a couple races. Summer can get busy fast, which is why it's nice to be in an endurance phase or maintenance mode during that time. Once fall rolls around, those vacations and mountain adventures taper off allowing for more time to focus on resistance training regularly. For example, during the last couple summers, I've focused on strength training 3x/week and doing cardio/adventuring 2-3x/week. Starting a couple weeks ago, I shifted to fall/winter mode where I will be strength training 4x/week and doing cardio/adventuring 2-3x/week since I have more time to focus on training post-travel/summer adventures. 2. Less likely to be playing outside. As the weather cools down and snow starts to fall, it's less likely you're going to be heading out to the trails if hiking and trail running is your thing. Skiing and snowboarding on the other hand is story... Overall, the number of summer outdoor activities is minimized allowing for more time to dedicate to resistance training. 3. Build your base for 2024. You might be thinking, "but the 2023 trail season is barely over?!" You're not wrong! But the off-season is when strength, muscle, and power are built. This is the time to address any weaknesses you noticed this year that you can improve for next year. Building in the off-season will allow you to hit the ground running (literally) during the spring and summer. Yes, fitness can still be improved during the in-season, but why not buckle down and do the hard stuff in the off-season so you can enjoy the fun stuff in the in-season?! KATHLETICS Trail is a templated training program that keeps you type-2 fun ready year-round. This program structures you to build your strength and aerobic base during the fall and winter and prepares you to crush your endurance season in the spring and summer. We'll be entering hypertrophy and strength phases soon! Join KATHLETICS Trail now to get a head start on the 2024 season.