Why Most DEKA Athletes Plateau (And What to Do About It)

Feel like you have stalled on your DEKA performance? You might fall into one of these common traps that are holding your back.

If you have completed a DEKA before, you understand feeling terrible while racing sometimes, when you see that final time beat your personal best, it is an amazing feeling.

In the beginning, it is easy. After your first couple of races, you learned better pacing maybe or improved your fitness to handle the zones better. Just about any training program will help with those initial gains.

For some that might be ok. But if you are reading this, I am assuming you are not satisfied with just a little improvement. You are looking to level up.

Of course there may be a few reasons for hitting a plateau. The cause usually comes down to one of two training mistakes.

The Two Training Traps Holding You Back

Trap #1: Winging It

A little bit of this and a little bit of that. Hybrid doesn't mean random, yet that is the approach many still seem to take. I think this became popular with the idea of a WOD or workout of the day.

This is cool to throw in your training every once and awhile for fun and to break things up, but this style of training lacks structure. The best way to see progress is by following a program versus jumping from workout to workout.

The problem with random training is that it doesn't build on itself. Your body adapts to what you consistently expose it to. Without progressive overload, without periodization, and without specificity to the actual demands of DEKA, you're just accumulating fatigue without accumulating fitness.

Trap #2: Treating Every Workout Like Race Day

The thought process is, if you can practice the test you will get better at the test. The nice part about DEKA is you already know the exercises. This makes it tempting to just keep treating every workout like a race practice. This starts to turn every session into a grind.

Remember the goal of the training is to create adaptions in the body so you can recover and improve a little better each time. Or you can find areas where you struggle and focus on them specifically to avoid bottlenecks.

This also means you can't train with the highest intensity every time. Your nervous system needs recovery time so you can actually adapt. The goal of training is to adapt. If you are constantly redlining, you have no time to give your body a break to adapt.

What Actually Drive Better Performance

DEKA is a hybrid event. The word hybrid is the key, but remember hybrid is not random. You will need a variety of skills to excel in this sport including:

Functional Strength to handle the loads and repetition of each zone.
An adequate aerobic engine to maintain threshold paces and not fade.
Efficiency in movements and technique for each zone.

General fitness programs are a great start, but until you embrace the specific skills needed you may seem limited results.

The goal of your training is to work out each aspect without them interfering with each other. You can't train for everything at the same time. Having a structured plan helps you navigate each to maximize results.

The Science Behind Breaking Through a Plateau

The term periodization has been around for decades, but many still embrace it. It is one of the most supported concepts in exercise science. When you structure training isn't specific phases with specific goals, it makes your life easier and results much more significant.

For DEKA training it might look like this:

Build a general strength and conditioning foundation. The idea here is to get your body resilient for the intensity that we will add later on.
Improve your aerobic capacity. The bigger your aerobic engine the more horsepower we can add later.
Maximize your threshold. The idea behind success in DEKA events is being able to maintain higher levels of intensity for prolonged times. This is a skill you can develop.

Reay to Break Through Your Plateau?

My new 12-week DEKA Performance Program is built off of these principles. In just 12 weeks you will see significant improvements.

Three strategic phases. Five workouts per week. Zone-specific video lessons for all 10 DEKA stations. A clear, progressive plan from Day 1 to race day.

Whether you're chasing your first finish or hunting for a podium spot, this program gives you the structure and strategy to actually get there.

For $59, you get everything you need to show up to your next DEKA event more prepared than you've ever been.

Click here to learn more and get starting

Need more help? Check out the next post on how you can master each DEKA zone and avoid common mistakes.

Categories: : DEKA, Hybrid Training