Thinking about this weeks programs for the individual clients of our facility, it always comes back to tempering intensity with recovery. Anyone that has achieved any decent level of fitness will tell you, they had to understand intensity and stimulus before they made any headway. No one got seriously, multi dimensionally fit by doing yoga breathing or pilates on its own.
Without adequate stimulus, the body has no reason to change. I have said that more times that I chose to remember. What this means is, you have to give your body a reason to use up its stored resources, in order to make you better, because it won't give those resources up without a reason.
Walking through the gym in your brand new gym clothes and shoes, stretching for 45 minutes and then walking on a treadmill for 10 minutes is not going to get it done.
Whatever you want to label/name (or not label) your method of multi dimensional intensive conditioning, it must include methods to make you breath hard, and lift relatively heavy stuff, preferably at the same time. Just running, or just lifting is not gonna do it!
The other part is continuously escalating intensity. Don't sit on your butt once you have reached a decent level and expect your body to maintain your levels of fitness. You must progress in some manner, every time you train.
This is where the art and science of program design comes in. You can hunt and peck your way for a while, but a solid educational background in exercise physiology and its associated theory is a necessary key to continued improvement.
