Weekly Tips for Athlete Track: Week 2

Welcome to week 2 of the Athlete track! You’ve started laying the groundwork, and this week is about building on that progress by finding your rhythm, staying consistent and preparing to improve your speed, power and performance.

Week 2 – Build the Foundation

Show up, get comfortable with your track, and start building the habit. This isn’t about pushing hard yet, it’s about getting consistent.

ATHLETICS

This week we’ll focus on building your rhythm across cardio, hybrid and resistance. Use these session notes below to guide how you approach each class type this week.

NUTRITION

Train Hard. Recover Smart. Fuel Your Next Session.

• When performance is your goal, recovery nutrition matters just as much as training.
• Protein supports muscle repair and adaptation, while carbohydrates replenish muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrate), helping fuel your next demanding session.
• Rather than focusing solely on a post-workout protein shake, consider how your overall nutrition supports recovery and consistent performance.

Put it into practice with your F45 meal plan:

• Open your F45 Training Challenge app and review your meals alongside your training schedule. Are you getting enough protein and carbohydrates to support your training?
• Look for combinations like chicken with rice, salmon with potatoes, tofu with noodles or eggs on wholegrain toast.
• On harder training days, you may need additional fuel. This could mean adding a banana before training, choosing a carbohydrate-rich meal afterwards or including a protein-rich snack to support recovery.

Remember, your fuelling needs aren’t necessarily the same every day. Longer or higher-intensity sessions may require more energy and carbohydrate than lighter training days.

Try this: Review tomorrow’s training and meal plan. Identify one simple adjustment to better support your performance and recovery.

Key message: Fuel the work, support recovery and give your body what it needs to perform again.

WELLNESS

Recovery Is a Performance Strategy

• Improving athletic performance isn’t just about how hard you can train. It’s about how well you recover, adapt and repeat that effort.
• Consistent sleep, adequate fuelling, hydration and appropriate rest all influence how prepared your body is for your next session.
• Pay attention to patterns in your performance and how you’re feeling outside the studio. Persistent fatigue, unusually heavy legs, declining training output or lingering soreness may indicate that your recovery isn’t keeping up with training demands.

Try this: Start a simple daily recovery check-in. Ask yourself: How did I sleep? How are my energy levels? Am I feeling ready to train?

If you use a wearable or fitness tracker, consider trends in resting heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV) and sleep alongside how you actually feel. These metrics provide additional context but shouldn’t be interpreted in isolation.

ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

How to Train in Different Heart Rate Zones for Your Fitness Goals

A higher heart rate doesn’t always mean a better workout. Training in the right heart rate zone for your specific goal can help you push harder when it counts, recover smarter, and make the most of every session. Learn what each of the five zones means and how Power, Lean and Athlete use heart rate differently to support your goals.

WEEK 2 TAKEAWAY

Building athletic performance takes more than going all out every session. Focus on consistent effort, controlled pacing and quality movement, while fuelling your training and prioritizing recovery. The goal is to build a strong foundation so you can perform, recover and come back ready for your next session.

Written and published by F45 Training HQ, and reposted here for the F45 North Paramus community.