Readiness Isn’t Starting Over — It’s the Next Right Step
If you know anything about us here at SHAPE, you know we’d never presume to tell you how to think.
…okay, maybe just a little.
So do me a small favor — keep an open mind while I make a few suggestions.
It’s Christmas Eve. And whether or not this holiday is meaningful to you personally, this time of year is a good opportunity to pause and be grateful.
Take a moment to reflect on the progress you’ve made this year — whatever that looks like for you:
Feeling strong and confident in your body
Saying goodbye to a medication or two
Building new friendships and Squad-mates
Lifting weights you never thought you’d move
Or simply showing up consistently for yourself
That matters.
And it’s worth acknowledging.
Looking Forward
Now, let’s look ahead and set some intentions for 2026.
This is always a tempting exercise — picturing ourselves twelve months from now and imagining everything that might be better. And that’s not a bad thing.
But one mistake many of us make when setting goals is focusing too much on the jackpot outcome — the gold medal, the Super Bowl win — without giving enough attention to the very next best step.
So yes, picture yourself living, moving, and feeling the way you want to feel.
Then take a breath and zoom your focus back to what’s right in front of you.
That next step is Readiness.
What Readiness Actually Is
Readiness is the first phase of our RREPS training system. It runs for 7 weeks, from Monday 12/29/25 through Sunday 2/15/26.
This phase gives us the opportunity to intentionally rebuild and reinforce the foundation that supports everything else we do in training.
During Readiness, we focus on:
improving aerobic conditioning and heart health
building better breathing efficiency and work capacity
improving movement quality, balance, and stability
reducing aches, pains, and injury risk
creating consistency you can carry forward
This phase isn’t flashy — and it isn’t meant to be.
It’s strategic.
If You’ve Been Through Readiness Before
If this isn’t your first time moving through Readiness, that’s a good thing.
Each pass through this phase happens with a stronger body, more experience, and better awareness. You’re not repeating the same work — you’re executing it at a higher level. That’s how long-term training actually compounds.
The goal isn’t to “start over.”
The goal is to build a better base so the next phases can push further.
Why This Matters
None of these benefits happen by accident.
They happen when you commit to showing up for yourself — not perfectly, not heroically — but consistently.
Readiness isn’t about dialing things back.
It’s about giving yourself the chance to level up your conditioning, refine your movement, and lay an even stronger foundation so you can truly kick serious ass when we move into more strength- and power-focused phases later in the year.
So don’t get distracted by the big dream just yet.
Just focus on today’s work.
This week’s sessions.
This phase.
That’s how progress actually happens.
