How I structure my training
An insight into my methodology
I have a short process that I go through when choosing what exercise to do on any given training day. Here are the steps that I follow:
Lay out my training week: generally I separate my training days by movement pattern (squat, press, pull, hinge), mostly because I come from a powerlifting/Olympic weightlifting background and that is usually how training is divided in those disciplines. There are many other ways to break up your training days, most of which are organized by desire training outcome. Dividing up your training week or month by physical skill focus or desired training outcome makes the layout process much more clear.
Intention: if I have a specific skill or movement I intend to work on that day, it takes priority over any other variation (ie preparing for an event that requires a specific skill or lift). Otherwise I choose based on more subjective criteria: have I been working on any specific lifts or skills that I want to keep chasing? Are there any training or movement threads I’m interested in picking up? Or more simply: what sounds fun today?
Listen to my body: the third step is warming up - trying light weight or modified versions of the movement I’m doing to see what feels right for that day. I try difference stances, load positions, and ranges of motions. I use this process to figure out what feels good and allows me to fulfill my intention for the exercise - ie, do I feel strong and stable in this position? Do I think I could do a number of reps with a repeatable technique? Does anything feel weak, tweaky, or generally crappy? In addition to helping determine what the best exercise variation is for the day, this process can also be used generally figure out what version of an exercise works best for you.
Load it up: if I’m doing a weighted movement, I start adding load, working toward the top end of what feels doable for my intention and volume for the day (I’ll cover how to choose reps and sets for intention-based volume in a future post). If I’m doing a bodyweight movement, I’ll play with position and exercise complexity to find the right variation for the day. This requires a bit more nuance than adding weight, but functions by the same overall principle.
Final note:
This is not the only way to structure training. It’s just a version that I use. If you do something else, or find that this doesn’t work for you, that doesn’t mean either is wrong. Training is a largely anecdotal pursuit, so mess around and figure out what works for you!
Interesting reading about your approach! I definitely identify with point 3. Depending on what I've done already that week (lots of gravel riding, walking, etc.), sometimes I just sense that my body is not up for a heavy load on certain tasks, so I back off where needed. I have noticed my recovery getting longer and longer the older I get. What I used to bounce back from in just a day or so now takes me a couple of days, which feels a little frustrating but inevitable (unless there's some magic recovery serum (other than diet & sleep) that I don't know about).