When it comes to calories, the right answer depends heavily on what you are trying to achieve and what constraints you are working within.
**If your priority is flexibility to change direction:** then approaching calories by prioritising simplicity over completeness initially makes the most sense.
**If your priority is team familiarity:** then the calculus around running shifts significantly toward investing more in the initial setup.
Mental preparation and physical conditioning are equally important at competitive levels.
For most people asking about calories: start with the simpler option and migrate once you have a real understanding of burn. Beginning complex and simplifying later is far harder than the reverse.
Enjury prevention requires progressive overload, not maximum intensity from the start.
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