Training methods
How training is structured — intervals, steady work, circuits, strength and mobility — explained simply, with the qualities each develops.
A note on training information
Browse training methods
Each entry links to the sports, physical qualities and muscles it relates to.
Active Recovery Sessions
Active recovery sessions are deliberately easy bouts of gentle movement — an easy walk, spin or swim — used on lighter days to keep moving without adding hard work.
Circuit Training
Circuit training moves you through a series of stations back to back with little rest, blending strength and cardio into one time-efficient session.
Cross-Training
Cross-training mixes different activities into your routine so you build all-round fitness and give repeatedly-used muscles a change of stimulus.
Endurance Base Training
Endurance base training is an extended phase of mostly easy, steady aerobic work that lays the aerobic foundation the rest of a training plan builds on.
Fartlek
Fartlek — Swedish for 'speed play' — mixes faster and easier efforts freely and by feel within one continuous session, blending steady and interval work.
Flexibility Training
Flexibility training uses stretching to gradually improve how far your muscles and joints can comfortably lengthen and move.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, packs short, hard efforts against brief recoveries into a compact session, making it a time-efficient way to train.
Hypertrophy Training
Hypertrophy training is resistance work structured to encourage muscle growth, typically using moderate repetitions and a steady, controlled tempo.
Interval Training
Interval training alternates short bursts of harder effort with easier recovery periods, letting you accumulate more quality work than a single continuous push.
Mobility Training
Mobility training works on moving your joints actively through their full range, combining control and flexibility so movement feels free and easy.
Periodisation
Periodisation is the practice of organising training into phases across weeks and months, varying the focus so you build steadily and peak at the right time.
Plyometrics
Plyometrics are jumping and bounding drills that train muscles to produce force quickly, developing power and springiness through explosive movement.
Progressive Overload
Progressive overload is the principle of gradually increasing the demand you place on your body so it keeps adapting and improving over time.
Steady-State Cardio
Steady-state cardio means holding one comfortable, continuous pace for the whole session, building an aerobic base without the peaks of interval work.
Strength Training
Strength training uses resistance — bodyweight, bands or weights — to challenge your muscles so they gradually adapt and get stronger over time.
Tempo Training
Tempo training holds a firm, controlled 'comfortably hard' pace for a sustained stretch, teaching the body to sustain effort without tipping into a sprint.
Build the qualities your sport needs
Pick a sport or a quality and follow the thread through the encyclopedia.