Welcome to the Training Notes Newsletter.
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Monday is where the week gets calibrated. Not with hype, but with a pace you can actually repeat when meetings run long and sleep isn’t perfect. The goal is to start controlled enough that you don’t need a rescue plan by Thursday.
A simple lens: pick a “baseline pace” for the week—an effort level you could hit even on a slightly off day. If you earn more later, great. But you don’t get to borrow it from tomorrow.
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TODAY’S TRAINING NOTES
Here are two options for today’s training session. Choose Strength if you want the more resistance-focused option or better lifting practice today. Choose Conditioning if you want simpler aerobic work or a lower-lifting-stress session. Pick the one that best fits your schedule, readiness, and goals. Feel free to make substitutions if you need to adjust the exercises.
Strength
Warm Up
- Cat Camel — 1 Set × 8 Reps
- 90 90 Hip Switch — 1 Set × 8 Reps
- Scapular Wall Slide — 1 Set × 10 Reps
- Ankle Rockers on Wall — 1 Set × 10 Reps
- Dead Bug — 1 Set × 8 Reps
Main Workout
- Back Squat — 4 Sets × 5 Reps
- Chest Supported Dumbbell Row — 3 Sets × 10 Reps
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press — 3 Sets × 8 Reps
- Kettlebell Romanian Deadlift — 2 Sets × 12 Reps
- Goblet Squat — 2 Sets × 10 Reps
- Band Face Pull — 2 Sets × 15 Reps
- Ab Wheel Rollout — 2 Sets × 8 Reps
Cool Down
- Couch Stretch — 2 Sets × 45 Seconds
- Doorway Pec Stretch — 2 Sets × 45 Seconds
- Seated Hamstring Stretch — 2 Sets × 45 Seconds
- Supine Spinal Twist — 2 Sets × 45 Seconds
Total time: 55 minutes
Conditioning
Warm Up
- Easy steady effort — 10 Minutes @ 55–65% max HR
Main Workout
- Steady aerobic work — 30 Minutes @ 60–75% max HR
Cool Down
- Very easy effort — 5 Minutes @ 50–60% max HR
Total time: 45 minutes
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Today’s Research Note
A useful concept for busy lifters is stimulus-to-fatigue ratio: how much adaptation you get for the fatigue you pay. Two sessions can look equally “hard” on paper, but one leaves you feeling normal tomorrow while the other drags your whole week down. The difference is usually exercise selection, proximity to failure, and how much total work you stack in one day.
This matters most on Mondays because early-week fatigue has compound interest. If you overspend, you don’t just feel it today—you lose training quality later, and you start making compensations: shorter warm-ups, rushed sleep, skipped conditioning, or “making up” volume on the weekend. Over time, that pattern is what makes training feel inconsistent even when you’re showing up.
The coaching move is to chase the cleanest signal: solid reps, stable breathing, and a finish that still feels like you could do a little more. That’s not being conservative; it’s choosing a plan that survives real life.
Practical takeaway: When you’re deciding how hard to go, choose the option that gives you a clear training stimulus while keeping tomorrow’s energy intact.
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Today’s Final Note
Set one baseline rule for the week: “I start at a pace I can repeat.” That means you don’t need perfect motivation, perfect sleep, or perfect timing to get value from training. You’re just establishing the floor.
Baseline rules work because they reduce negotiation. When the day gets messy, you’re not asking “Do I feel like it?”—you’re asking “Can I hit my baseline?” If yes, you go. If no, you downshift without guilt and protect the rest of the week.
Use today: Decide your baseline pace before the day starts, and keep it steady even if you feel great in the first 10 minutes.
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Signing Off
Monday sets the tone, but it doesn’t need to set you on fire. Start controlled, keep the signal clean, and leave yourself room to train well again soon. The Training Notes is built to make that baseline pace automatic by giving you a structured, adaptive plan without the mental overhead. Come back tomorrow for a tighter execution-focused note and a fresh training option.
It never gets easier, you just go faster.
Greg LeMond