Know Your Training Days: Performance, Strength, Pacing, and Skill

Keith E. Knapp
Jul 1
3 min read

“Don’t confuse movement with progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but doesn’t make any progress.” — Will Rogers

Understanding the 4 Training Types

In our last newsletter, we talked about how and why our programming has evolved—to give you more clarity, better structure, and results that build over time. Today, we’re diving into the heart of that new structure: the four core training day types.

Each one serves a unique purpose. And when you understand what each day is designed to build, you can train with even more intention.

1. Performance Days - This is your chance to test capacity under pressure

Think of Performance Days as "game day" in the gym. These workouts are often faster-paced, high-effort, and designed to challenge you mentally and physically.

Focus: Digging deep, pushing your threshold, and showing up ready to compete—with yourself.
How to approach it: Show up ready to go. Use warm-up time to mentally and physically prep. Push, but stay smart. Fuel and recover accordingly.

2. Strength Days - Building capacity that supports everything else

Whether it’s a heavy barbell, bodyweight strength, or a strict gymnastics progression, Strength Days give us time under tension.

Focus: Lifting well, building foundational muscle, and reinforcing positions and technique.
How to approach it: Don’t chase the heaviest number every time. Stick to the prescribed % or effort, focus on form, and trust the progression over time.

3. Pacing Days - Dialing in your aerobic engine and awareness

Not every day is about going hard. Pacing days help build your sustainable intensity and engine. You'll often see intervals, EMOMs, or longer aerobic pieces here.

Focus: Controlling your output, maintaining effort, and learning to breathe and move efficiently.
How to approach it: Move with control. Don’t burn out in round one. These days teach your body (and brain) how to endure.

4. Skill Days - Practice makes progress

We all want to be better at something—pull-ups, double-unders, barbell cycling, handstands. Skill Days slow things down so you can focus on quality.

Focus: Refining movement, developing awareness, and laying the groundwork for future progress.
How to approach it: Be patient. Ask questions. Focus more on mechanics than intensity.

What It Means for You

We’re not chasing variety for variety’s sake. We’re chasing progress. We’ve said all along that we’re her for the the distinct purpose of helping you — our members — become the better version on yourselves. Whether you want to compete, stay healthy for the long haul, or just get a little bit better each week, this system is built to help you do exactly that.

Show up. Trust the process. And lean into the structure—because it’s designed to make your hard work go further.

What to expect in our next letter?

In the next letter in this series we’re going to discuss The Benefit of the Whiteboard and why we track workouts.

This is just the next step in making that journey even better.

Train With Intention

Each day builds something different, and every piece has a purpose. When you understand the goal, you can scale smarter, move better, and track your progress more meaningfully.

Let your training match your goals. And remember: showing up consistently, with intention, will always win out over random effort.

See you on the floor,Coach Keith