Recovery as the limiting factor

Summary: Recovery capacity declines with age and becomes the main bottleneck to improvement.

Playbook

1. Objective: Maximize adaptation and reduce accumulated fatigue.
2. What to do: Prioritize sleep and truly easy days.
3. How to do it: Schedule active recovery and regular down weeks.
4. Frequency: Every microcycle.
5. Progress indicator: Feeling fresh before key sessions.
6. Common mistake: Interpreting fatigue as lack of discipline.

Generic mini case: A triathlete improves performance by sleeping more and reducing hard training days.