We spend a lot of time at CS talking about power, strength, and managing fatigue in the specific environment of rock climbing. But the reality is that to be a durable athlete—to be able to put in consistent work over years—you need a real aerobic engine, and a way of organizing all of this training. That’s why Rob Sleamaker’s book, Serious Training For Endurance Athletes, remains relevant even decades after its original publication. This isn’t some quick-fix guide to getting fast for a single race; it’s a foundational text on the how and why of organized, multi-year preparation. Sleamaker gives a unique view of athletic development, emphasizing that serious results come only from a systematic approach that respects human physiology, not from chasing Instagram-trendy high-intensity workouts. If you can’t commit to the structure, you won’t get the outcome.
The core of Sleamaker’s program—and its lasting value—is his no-nonsense adherence to careful and progressed planning. He breaks the training year into classic, distinct phases: Base, Intensity, Peak, and Race. For climbers and strength athletes, the Base Phase is especially critical. Sleamaker nails the purpose here: building the “plumbing system”—improving mitochondrial density and capillary beds so your local tissues can actually handle the fuel and oxygen you feed them. We talk about “capacity” in climbing as the ability to do more hard moves in a session; Sleamaker’s programming is a great tool to help us build the foundation that supports that. More importantly, he gives you the framework to correctly integrate strength work (which he advocates for) without compromising the aerobic goal, almost solving the classic conflict of concurrent training.
The book is a planning tool for coaches and committed athletes, which means it demands adherence and focus. The book continually frames training as a cumulative stress-and-adaptation cycle. Rob dedicates significant space to monitoring metrics—from heart rate zones to perceived exertion—and even though the book is decades old, the ideas are still sound. We see too many athletes guess themselves right into a deep overtraining hole. Sleamaker’s systematic monitoring provides the critical brake pedal, forcing you to prioritize recovery and adaptation over simply piling on more mileage or sets or laps on the board.
Our coaches preach that consistency over time beats intensity every time. Serious Training For Endurance Athletes is the textbook demonstration of that principle. It teaches you that high-end performance in any discipline—whether it’s running an ultra or redpointing a multi-pitch project—is the result of methodical, often boring, foundational work done over many months. If your goal is durability, longevity, and predictable performance improvement, you need to understand and apply this kind of structured thought to your training. It’s not just a book for triathletes or runners; it’s a brilliant instruction manual for any athlete who wants to build a career, not just an intense summer.