Inside the OPEX Method Mentorship Week 4: Aerobic Training That Changes Coaching

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Written By OPEX Fitness

This blog series will document the 10 week experience of Dr. David Skolnik as he goes through the OPEX Method Mentorship. Follow along as we add to this blog each week.

Week 4: Aerobic Training That Changes Coaching

What if the biggest unlock for your clients’ progress is not more strength work, but smarter aerobic training? That was the theme of week four in the OPEX Method mentorship, and it hit hard. With a background in strength and physical therapy, I’ve always loved lifting, movement quality, and problem solving. The gap has been aerobic prescription and analysis, from zone 2 up to zone 5. This week started to close that gap in a big way.

Why Aerobic Capacity Matters For Everyone

Carl put it simply, every time you get up and move, you use your aerobic energy system. That one line reframed how I think about training. Strength, power, and speed matter, but most of real life sits on an aerobic base.

For many of my clients, the goal is not just a PR. It is energy to play with kids, confidence to travel without feeling beaten down, and stamina for busy careers. Aerobic capacity supports recovery between sessions, steadies day-to-day energy, and makes hard training feel easier when it counts.

The Clients This Helps Most

I work with a mix of hybrid clients, in-person and remote, and online-only folks. Some chase specific performance targets. Most are high-performing adults in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, including other coaches and health care professionals. They want to feel athletic again, or keep the athletic identity they’ve always carried.

Travel came up a lot. Several clients love global trips and want the physical autonomy to explore all day without dragging. That is not a max deadlift problem. It is an aerobic base problem.

Quick snapshot of who benefits

Client group Primary aim How aerobic work helps General population lifestyle clients Energy, health, consistency Supports recovery and daily movement High performers in midlife Maintain vitality and resilience Builds a base for sustainable training Other fitness or health pros Professional longevity and personal fitness Improves repeatability and program quality Travel lovers Walk, hike, explore without fatigue Stamina for long days of steady movement Sport or performance focused clients Tolerate volume and sharpen top-end efforts Faster recovery and better pacing strategy

What Clicked In Week 4

OPEX outlines aerobic training with the MAP continuum, simple work and rest structures, RPE guidelines, and the cadence or tempo you should aim for in each interval level. The focus is repeatability and breathing, not smashing yourself and hoping it makes you fitter.

Two parts stood out:

  • Clear intent for each interval length: Each interval has a purpose in the aerobic spectrum, from easy sustainable work to harder efforts that still stay aerobic.

  • RPE guidance: A practical anchor that helps clients self-regulate, so the work fits the target system and does not drift into a sprint.

This is the structure I have been missing. Not complicated science for its own sake, just usable rules that lead to better outcomes.

The Simple Rule That Keeps Intervals Aerobic

Here is the concept that landed. If you train a 2-minute aerobic interval, you pace it like something you could hold for about 8 minutes, not like an all-out 2-minute test. Go at a true 2-minute pace and you will end up at max effort. Recovery will need to be very long, and the work will shift away from the aerobic base you want to build.

That single idea is a great coaching filter:

  • Choose the interval length.

  • Match the pace to a longer sustainable effort.

  • Use RPE to keep repeatability.

  • Keep rest appropriate so you can come back at the same quality.

You stay in the aerobic lane, build the base, and protect the goal of the session.

A quick example

  • Interval: 2 minutes of mixed cyclical work (bike, row, or run)

  • Pacing intent: Move like you could hold the same pace for 8 minutes

  • RPE: Smooth 6 to 7 out of 10, breathing controlled, repeatable

  • Outcome: The second and third intervals look like the first, which is the point

The magic is not in the tool or machine. It is in the pacing, breath, and ability to repeat without spiking.

Why This Matters For Recovery And Daily Life

A big aerobic reservoir helps almost everything:

  • You recover faster between sets and sessions.

  • You can train more frequently without feeling crushed.

  • You handle real-life stress better because your body has more capacity to move, walk, and stand for long stretches.

If the goal is to feel free in your body, to do what you want when you want for as long as you want, then aerobic capacity is the base layer. Strength sits on top of it. Power and speed sit on top of that.

How This Changes My Coaching Approach

I plan to tighten three parts of the process: assessment, prescription, and progression.

  • Assessment: Identify the current aerobic capacity and tolerance for repeatable intervals. Watch breathing, pacing, and drop-off.

  • Prescription: Use the MAP continuum, clear work and rest intervals, and RPE guidance to set the right stimulus. Match interval length to pace intent so it stays aerobic.

  • Progression: Progress time, pace, or density without losing repeatability. Adjust only one variable at a time.

This structure scales well. It works for in-person sessions, hybrid plans, and online-only coaching. It gives clients confidence because they know exactly how each piece should feel.

Practical Ways To Build An Aerobic Base

These are simple, coachable moves that line up with what we covered.

  • Anchor to RPE: Keep most aerobic intervals in the 6 to 7 range. Clients learn their own gears and stay out of junk intensity.

  • Train repeatable efforts: If the second bout falls off a cliff, the first was too hot. The goal is same quality across sets.

  • Use mixed modes: Bike, row, easy running, or brisk circuits with cyclical tools. The mode matters less than the intent.

  • Respect the interval intent: Shorter intervals still need a sustainable pace if the goal is aerobic. Do not sprint and call it capacity.

  • Breathe the pace: If speech drops to single words right away, ease off. If breathing is smooth and nasal for parts, you are likely in the right spot.

A simple pacing thought experiment

Ask, could I keep this pace for four times the work interval? If yes, you are likely in the aerobic zone for that bout. If no, you are redlining and turning it into a max test.

Coaching For Longevity And Joy

Several clients have said they want to be the healthiest 70-year-old they can be. They want to take that annual trip, hike new cities, and feel present during the day, not wiped out by afternoon. That vision needs a steady engine, not just a big lift or a flashy sprint. It needs consistency, aerobic repeatability, and smart exposure to effort.

Exercise is medicine when the dose fits the person. Aerobic training is a big part of the right dose for most.

What’s Next In The Mentorship

Next week shifts to intervals. Perfect timing, since aerobic intervals are a clear weak spot in my own toolkit. I’m ready to tighten the details, build better progressions, and sharpen my eye for pacing errors.

As I put this into practice, I expect cleaner sessions, better recovery, and fewer dead zones in programs. And yes, I plan to use the same structure to improve my own training. That is one of the best parts of continuing education. You grow as a coach and as an athlete at the same time.

How I’ll Implement This With Hybrid And Online Clients

Here is how it looks across different client setups.

  • In-person hybrid: We will build repeatable interval days into weekly templates. I will cue RPE, breath, and pacing, then send homework sessions that mirror the intent.

  • Online-only: I will write clear pacing notes and RPE targets. I will ask for simple feedback like breathing quality, talk test, and pace drift across sets.

  • Professionals with tight schedules: Short aerobic sessions with crisp structure. No fluff, just controlled intervals that fit a busy day.

The thread across all cases is clarity. Tell clients what the work should feel like, how it should look from set to set, and how to know if they hit the goal.

Small Wins I Expect To See

  • Fewer early blow-ups in interval days

  • Better day-to-day energy and mood

  • More consistent training weeks without crash cycles

  • Stronger tolerance for mixed sessions that include lifting and cyclical work

  • Clients learning their true gears instead of guessing

Want To Go Deeper On Coaching Education?

OPEX is focused on building better coaches with real careers, not burnout. If you coach and want structure you can use right away, explore the programs and tools below.

Final Thoughts

Week four reshaped how I see aerobic training. The MAP continuum, RPE guidance, and sustainable pacing give me a clear path to build a bigger aerobic base for every client. It is not about going harder. It is about hitting the right effort, then repeating it with quality. I am excited to roll this out, learn from the results, and carry those lessons into next week’s work on intervals. If you care about longevity, travel, or simply feeling good, this is the stuff that makes it happen.

Next Steps

Become A Professional Coach.

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Inside The OPEX Method Week 3: Program Design (OPEX Gain)