Elite Endurance Coach: “They Trained More… and Got Worse” — The Science of Endurance w/ Alan Couzens

Alan Couzens is one of the sharpest minds in endurance training. Alan works with everyone from first-time triathletes to world-class pros, bringing a data-driven, long-term approach to getting better.

Episode Website: https://johngetstrong.substack.com/p/...
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4HoTJkO...

In this conversation, we break down what actually drives endurance progress, why most athletes train too hard and improve too little, and how long it really takes to reach your potential. We also get into HRV, glycogen, metabolic testing, and why rest might be the most underrated tool in your training arsenal.

👇 Full episode breakdown:

00:00 Intro
00:30 What causes endurance improvements?
02:40 How long does it take to reach endurance potential?
06:06 What separates world-class pros from promising amateurs?
10:30 Volume of elite endurance athletes
13:00 Who does Alan work with?
14:30 What does working with Alan look like?
17:00 What is training response?
20:50 What to do when you hit a plateau
27:50 Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
29:20 How to make training dynamic
31:15 Why dynamic training is key
35:30 Why Alan doesn't like minimum effective dose thinking
35:45 Why is fitness worth pursuing?
38:40 What does it feel like to be fit?
41:00 Alan's journey into coaching
43:40 Alan's testing setup
47:15 What is metabolic testing?
50:20 Fat vs. carb burning
53:00 Zone 1 and Zone 2 training
54:30 How muscular should you be?
56:37 Alan's thoughts on Hyrox
59:50 Why Alan likes circuit training
1:01:00 How Alan writes so much
1:04:00 Alan’s new forum – MAD Crew
1:07:00 Alan’s views on AI

Check out Alan's book The Science of Maximal Athletic Development. Alan also runs the MAD Crew forum, which is an excellent resource for endurance training.

Thanks for watching!

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