Know what matters. Train with independence.

Essential is for athletes who want a coach responsible for the plan and a weekly review, while training independently between check-ins. I write your training around your goal, recent experience and available hours. You get clear priorities and email support without paying for scheduled strategy calls or daily messaging.

Coaching by Breno Melo · Boston and online

RRCA Certified Coach · USA Triathlon Certified Coach · TrainingPeaks Level 2 Coach

Is Essential the right fit?

You can follow a session on your own, describe how it went and raise a question by email. Your main need is deciding what belongs in the week—not having a conversation about every workout.

If you regularly need weekday back-and-forth or a scheduled monthly strategy conversation, compare Performance. A higher tier buys more contact, not a promise of a faster result.

Compare all three tiers

What does the weekly review change?

I look at the training you completed and the feedback you provide, then use that context to shape the next week. A session that felt unusually hard, a missed long run or a change in available time belongs in the review. The goal is a useful next step, not filling every empty square on a calendar.

How should I use email support?

Send the question with the session, what you noticed and the decision you need help making. For a schedule change, include the days you can actually train. Essential includes a reply within one business day; it is not same-day or on-demand support. There are no scheduled strategy calls in this tier.

An example: a weekend that gets shorter

Suppose your usual long-session window disappears because of family plans. Tell me what time remains rather than moving the whole workout into an already demanding day. We can review the priority of the session and how it fits the rest of the block. This is an example of the coaching process, not a fixed workout prescription.

Getting started

Bring your real week.

After checkout, coaching begins with an intake and a training schedule agreed with Breno. Before the first block, prepare:

Your event or training goal and any important dates.
A representative recent training week, including how sessions felt.
Days you can train, equipment access and commitments that cannot move.

Tell me about limitations and relevant professional guidance, as well as your goal. Coaching does not replace medical assessment. If your start date or roster availability is essential to your decision, discuss it before payment.

Total roster capped at 15; Elite capped at 4. Current openings are confirmed individually.

Questions about Essential

Is Essential a generic training plan?

No. Breno writes your personal training plan and reviews your training weekly. A self-guided PDF plan is a separate offer without ongoing personal review.

Do I need TrainingPeaks Premium?

Essential does not include TrainingPeaks Premium. We agree on the training setup during intake; do not buy additional software just to begin that conversation.

Can a first-time athlete choose Essential?

Experience alone does not decide the tier. Essential can fit when you are comfortable training independently and email plus weekly review is enough. Discuss your skills, event and timeline before choosing if you are unsure.

How does billing work?

Essential costs $250 USD every four weeks, with 13 payments per year. Review the Coaching agreement · refund policy and terms before checkout. Your client portal provides billing access; subscription changes follow the terms shown there.

Choose the contact you will use.

You can buy Essential directly, or compare the support before deciding.

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