Start here 👇
If you’re new here, welcome.
This Substack isn’t about hacks, workouts of the week, or chasing the latest fad. It’s about proven long-term athletic development - staying healthy, capable, and improving for decades, not just seasons.
Everything I write here is guided by a small set of principles I’ve arrived at over the past 30 years working as an exercise physiologist and coach with athletes ranging from “off the couch” to world champions.
Rather than starting chronologically, this post will point you to the pieces that best explain how I think - and why the rest of the archive looks the way it does.
The core principles behind everything here
At a high level:
Movement is medicine, to be taken over the lifespan
Training works when the right dose is applied at the right time
The right dose is highly individual and shaped by life stress
Consistency beats heroics
Aerobic volume is the foundation; intensity is a tool
Robust athletes are built through variety, strength, recovery, and restraint
If those ideas resonate, you’ll feel at home here.
1. Why living an athletic life matters (beyond performance)
These pieces explain why I view athletic training not as a phase of life, but as a lifelong practice tied to health, resilience, and identity.
Chapter 1: The Importance of Living an Athletic Life
https://alancouzens.substack.com/p/chapter-1-athletic-development-throughYour Whole Day is a Workout, and These are Your Zones
https://alancouzens.substack.com/p/your-whole-day-is-a-workout-and-theseA Day in the Life of Perfect Health
https://alancouzens.substack.com/p/a-day-in-the-life-of-perfect-health
2. First principles of training (the backbone)
Most disagreements about training come from arguing individual protocols without understanding universal principles.
First, Principles – The Key Ingredients in Any Successful Training Plan
https://alancouzens.substack.com/p/chapter-2-first-principlesThe Foundation of Fitness – Building a Strong Base
https://alancouzens.substack.com/p/chapter-4-the-foundation-of-fitness
3. Individual response: why the same plan doesn’t work for everyone
One of the biggest mistakes in endurance sport is assuming the “right” plan works for everyone.
How Do Athletes Differ in Training Response?
https://alancouzens.substack.com/p/chapter-9-are-you-responding-to-yourRise Stronger – A Comprehensive Guide
https://alancouzens.substack.com/p/rise-stronger-a-comprehensive-guide
4. Metrics, HRV, and readiness (how to interpret signals)
Data is useful - but only if you know how to interpret it correctly.
Weekly Planning to Maximize Readiness
https://alancouzens.substack.com/p/weekly-planning-to-maximize-readinessUnderstanding HRV on the Next Level
https://alancouzens.substack.com/p/taking-your-understanding-of-hrv
5. Consistency, restraint, and why people stall
Most athletes don’t fail because of physiology or genetics - they fail because of impatience.
It’s Time to Get Real About the Work Required
https://alancouzens.substack.com/p/its-time-to-get-real-about-the-workThe Importance of Knowing - and Sticking - to Your Training Zones
https://alancouzens.substack.com/p/the-importance-of-knowing-and-sticking
6. Longevity: where this all leads
Zooming out beyond performance to what really matters…
Relationships Between Ageing and Training
https://alancouzens.substack.com/p/chapter-1-athletic-development-throughRecovery, Lifestyle & Stress Management
https://alancouzens.substack.com/p/chapter-24-case-studies-of-athletic
How to use this archive going forward
You don’t need to read everything.
But if you understand the ideas above, you’ll be able to place new posts - and your own training decisions - in context.
When you’re unsure where to go next, ask yourself:
Am I sticking to the universal, proven principles?
Am I misreading signals?
Am I trying to rush something that takes time?
Chances are, the answer already exists somewhere here.
Want to go deeper - or share the journey?
If you’re looking for a place to apply these ideas, ask questions, and share the ups and downs of training over the long term, that’s exactly what the MADcrew forum is for.
It’s a small, thoughtful community of athletes who care about:
Long-term development over quick wins
Health and performance co-existing
Doing the work, consistently, without noise
Many of the ideas in this Substack are discussed, debated, and refined there - often with real-world context from athletes at different stages of their journey.
You can learn more about the forum here:
👉 https://forum.madcrew.app
If Substack is where the ideas are laid out, the forum is where they’re lived.
Final note
This Substack isn’t a collection of tips.
It’s a long-form argument for a particular way of thinking about athletic development - shaped by decades of applied work, real athletes, and a strong bias toward health and longevity.
Start with the pieces above. The rest will follow naturally.
Let’s walk this long-term athletic journey together 🙏
Love it AC - particularly “It’s a long-form argument for a particular way of thinking about athletic development”.
What, no hacks?!?
🚀