Your 2026 game plan

Hi team,

As we step into 2026, I want to re-anchor everyone to what sits at the heart of everything we do at SLM - the SWEAT LIFT METHOD.

When I first started training seriously many years ago, I was obsessed with training every day. I genuinely believed more sessions meant more results. If I wasn’t in the gym, I felt like I was falling behind.
 

I couldn’t have been more wrong.
 

There were plenty of days I dragged myself through sessions, sore, tired, and flat, convincing myself that simply being in the gym meant I was progressing. But progress only happens when you can lift a little heavier, do a few more reps, or move a bit faster or further. When you’re run down, that doesn’t happen. At that point, you’ve really just turned up for a chat.

I see a similar pattern when people try to train every day to offset poor lifestyle choices. Over-indulged on the weekend, slept poorly, drank too much, then try to bury themselves in training to make up for it.
 

That doesn’t work either. Trying to out-train poor habits is like trying to empty a bathtub with a teaspoon while the tap is still on.
 

Training is a multiplier, not a cure. If nutrition, sleep, stress, alcohol, and recovery are off, more training simply amplifies fatigue, not results. So what’s the lesson?
 

Less is more - but it has to be done properly.
 

Over the years I’ve reduced my own training from seven lifting days, to six, to five, to four, and now to three. And after a lot of trial and error, I’m convinced that three resistance training sessions per week is the sweet spot - provided you train with intent.

Those sessions need to be hard. You need to be willing to push close to failure, often. We’re talking about those final one to three reps - the ones that grind, challenge technique, and demand focus. That’s where progress lives. And that’s exactly why we’re here: to coach you safely through that process.

Trying to back up that level of intensity every single day just isn’t realistic.
 

That’s why I recommend this:

• 3 LIFT sessions per week
• 1 SWEAT session per week
• 10,000 steps per day
 

That training load is more than enough to drive incredible long-term results, especially when paired with good nutrition and proper recovery. Just as importantly, it’s sustainable - even when life gets busy.

Yes, just one SWEAT session per week - but it needs to be done properly. Toward the end of those sessions we often challenge VO₂ max. This type of work should empty the tank and test you mentally and physically. Done too often, it can overload the nervous system and compromise your ability to train hard on LIFT days. One high-quality SWEAT session is all you need.
 

The 10,000 steps per day is what ties it all together.


This ensures you live an active lifestyle beyond the gym. The research is clear - low-intensity movement accumulated across the day has enormous benefits for health, recovery, and longevity. If you choose to change just one thing this year, make it this.

This will be my training structure for 2026, and unless you’re preparing for a specific event, it should probably be yours too. When event prep comes around - runs, rides, swims, triathlons (Noosa crew, we’re coming) - cardio volume can increase temporarily. That’s how it should be. If you’re training for something specific this year, let us know so we can support you properly.

 

You now have the plan.

All that’s left is execution.

We’ll be waiting for you on the gym floor.

 

Let’s go,
Coach Jeremy