I’m new to this platform, but have been consistently active with regards to training and physical activities. It’s only taken me 50 odd years to finally figure out how to properly stretch. I’m not talking about the light warm up stretching we do prior to a WO, but really settling and breathing into a position for 5 mins or longer. So my questions are: Do you do these stretches the same day after you workout the same joint areas? Or do you do them the day after or before or at some other time?

Ok I need to start by sayng that this is not medical advise, however it is some very effective information that has benefited many I have worked with over the last few years. I have been fortunate to study with a number of incredible teachers and work with colleagues who have been in the health space for a long time and have trialled many routines with athletes at professional level. As well as thousands of people who feel they sit on the opposite side of that spectrum. In the last 12 months I have also worked with many people who have experienced chronic fatigue, which seems to be something that I am hearing about more than ever before. I won't discuss why I personally feel this is happening ... as a focus on solutions is what really matters. The following are two methods which have a proven track record for recovery following illness or when experiencing chronic fatigue. THE 3TO4 ROUTINE I recently took part in a course with Paul Chek, within this course he mentioned something that has been profound and benefitted everyone I have passed this information onto. After a viral infection Paul utilised the following protocol to get clients back on track - I have since named this the 3to4 routine. Simply it is ... 3-4 x Cardio sessions per week at ... zones 3-4 for ... 30-40 minutes This can be done with any form of cardio, however I personally feel that chosing a discipline that allows me to get warm is best (something out of the water like running, hiking, cycling etc). Below is an example of a client I have worked with for over 3 years who start to experience chronic fatigue (a lack of energy, an inability to train and perform). The 3to4 routine was initiated and sauna was also thrown into the mix (discussed below). As you can see there is a significant change in the numbers shown on her Whoop dashboard. SAUNA Other methods which hold significant weight is the use of sauna. At the first sign of a virus or "sickness" I will get in the sauna to induce a light fever. For many years my view has been that everything is trainable and the body has many natural mechanisms to combat illness, heat is undoubtedly one of them. Numerous experts in the health space have also confirmed the huge benefits that can be attained from long standing traditions derived from Norway, Finland and other colder regions around the globe. Dr Rhonda Patrick has also discussed the incredible benefits of regular sauna use for cardio vascular health and longevity, with as little as 2 sessions a week having profound long term benefits that extend way beyond the 24 hours following the heat exposure (heath shock proteins etc). In regards to the post virus recovery I will get into a sauna at least 3 times within a 10 day period following any illness and the metric I am working towards is - 1 minute following discomfort. This could be 12 minutes + 1 minute or 20 minutes + 1 minute. By using this framework it creates a more intuitive approach based on feeling instead of arbitrary time frames. OVERVIEW In my opinion - the key for most things is movement; movement of breath, blood, lymph, muscles, connective tissue etc. When things become stagnant recovery can be stifled which is why so many protocols now focus on moving after an acute (settling) phase has been honoured. On the next post I will discuss a concept from my good friend Dr Steve James (who I work closely with on a longevity coaching course) and how the "duality method" can improve overall health and human performance in daily life, sports and alike. Wishing you an incredible week! "Train everything" DT

This is often a question I am asked in regards to how to structure a weeks worth of training. However, the answer is difficult due to the many possibilities and variations we all have to deal with in our daily lives as well as; recovery, sickness, goals, movement capabilities etc. But ... there are some generic formats that can be adopted which work well as a loose framework. Option 1 - Neurological Weave Day 1 - No Intensity - Mobility Focus - Zones 1-2 Day 2 - Low Intensity - Strength Focus - Zones 2-3 Day 3 - Medium Intensity - Conditioning Focus - Zones 3-4 Day 4 - No Intensity - Mobility Focus - Zones 1-2 Day 5 - Low Intensity - Strength Focus - Zones 2-3 Day 6 - Medium Intensity - Conditioning Focus - Zones 3-4 Day 7 - High Intensity - Hard Cardio in short bursts - Zones 4-5 This is one of my favourite formats as it focused on recovery for the whole body as opposed to muscle groups. It allows the time for a full recovery and promotes hard training once a week. Many of us don't rest sufficiently and don't train hard enough, this ensures you do! Option 2 - Bodypart Split Day 1 - Upper Day 2 - Lower Day 3 - Mobility / Rest Day 4 - Upper Day 5 - Lower Day 6 - Challenging Cardio Day 7 - Mobility / Rest The bodypart split is popular, especially for those partaking in a particular discipline or those that need to keep a specific area of the body fresh due to high load - example - road cycling etc. By using this split it shifts the emphasis to different zones. One thing I would recommend with this is to try to hit patterns or bodyparts at least twice per week to promote forms of progress here. Option 3 - Full Body Split Day 1 - Full Body Day 2 - Mobility / Rest Day 3 - Full Body Day 4 - Mobility / Rest Day 5 - Full Body Day 6 - Challenging Cardio Day 7 - Mobility / Rest This is a very time friendly approach to training and it is especially popular with those who are keen to hit the whole body multiple times per week. Many entrepeneurs and business owners that I would with default to this due to their long days and time restrictions that limit their ability to train extensively. These are just three examples of ways to split the week, there are an infinite amount of options available to experiment with and when I work with clients on a 1-2-1 basis I have to go through a three stage process to make sure I have given them the best attainable structure specific to them and their life. The platform was designed to be able to pick classes that fall within a certain category. Skill work is often an area that is not added to traditional programming, however I believe that this is one of the most important sections of all. Skill training is added into my routine and those I work with daily. It deals with refined motorpatterns and things that ripple through the rest of ones day & life. When designing your week it is important to plan in time for skill work and always placing demanding skill work at the beginning of your training session prior to strength, conditioning or cardio, due to the need for fine motor patterns and fast twitch muscle fibre corrections. It is also important to note that lactic acid buffers proprioceptive feedback - so you become numb to small movements. This is another reason why it is important to place skill work before or away from demanding sessions when looking to develop that particular skill. One more thing ... whatever you think you can achieve ... divide it by two. The 50% rule has been highly successful for consistency and can always be scaled up if required. Consistency always beats sporadic efforts! As always my aim is to get you thinking, not to always provide the answers, the more you have to process something that has been said the more likely you are to own it though experimentation and practice. Wishing you all an incredible week / weekend ahead! DT