MON: BLOCK 4 Programming Prep

BLOCK 4 Cycle:

Monday: Strength (Deadlifts)
Tuesday: All Purpose
Wednesday: Strength (Snatch)
Thursday:  Muscle
Friday:  All Purpose

Name: “Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica”
Timeline: 5/13 – 6/23  (6 Weeks)
End of Cycle Testing: 5R Deadlift (3R: Advanced), Snatch Options, Aerobic Capacity 1 aka “Forrest Gump”
PPB: Aerobic Capacity 1
(NEW) Skill Focus: Pull-Ups + Unilateral Movements
(NEW) Muscle Focus: Glutes + Pecs

Primary Lifts

To learn why we pick (1) absolute strength lift and (1) strength-speed lift every cycle, check out this installment of “Behind the Whiteboard.”

Absolute Strength: Deadlift

Shoulders stacked over wrists.
–Why? – Enforces sitting back further and creating a positive back angle.

Complete tension/ no slack in the bar “Lats.”
–Why? – Fully engaged and activated at liftoff, force production more efficient into the floor.

Lead with the chest
–Knees/Hips extend fully together. Be mindful of your knees not locking out first – indication of improper set up and taxing of lumbar spine.
–Why? – Efficiency of bar path and proper timing.

Strength-Speed: Clean & Jerks

Wide grip (bar settles into hip crease)
—Why? Proper positioning through the pull and turn into a stable OH Squat position.

Hips Back and Shoulders FORWARD
–Why? – Hips pull back to load the hamstrings and shoulders forward to maintain bar path.

Squeeze and Push
–Why? – When you receive the bar overhead, squeezing helps lock the joints and pushing back into the bar creates tension in the upper back for a stable catch.

End of Cycle Testing

The 5-Rep lift is the most productive lift you can do for overall fitness. It has a strength, muscle, and conditioning  benefit not offered by any rep that count that is lower or higher. It is the sweet spot of well rounded strength, physique, and performance.

There will also be a 3-Rep option for the deadlift, and there will be variations for different levels for the snatch re-test.

Read about it here.

Personal Progress Benchmark (PPB)

Aerobic Capacity 1 aka “Forrest Gump.” This is probably our most dreaded conditioning benchmark that we offer. It was masterminded by Pritz seven and a half years ago as a workout for our outdoor classes, and since then, it’s been following us around ever since.

Get comfortable with the uncomfortable, and surprise yourself.

Skill Focus

All month long we will be developing different skills and strengths that equate to more pull-ups. We’ll also be targeting imbalances with lots of different unilateral accessory movements in both the lower and upper body.

Pull Ups

–Improve grip strength and pulling endurance.
–Focus on technique and proper activation of the lats.
–Opportunity to work toward goals and clubs.
–Consistent weekly opportunities to perform them and progress through varied options (volume, clusters, strength)

Unilateral Strength 

–Stability and greater overall low back/hip health through elimination of imbalance.
–More beneficial/strong/safer overhead positioning and loading.

Don’t be surprised if you hit your first pull-up or get a sneaky PR this BLOCK.

Muscle Focus

Glutes and Pecs will be spread out throughout the next six weeks, with most of the focus coming on Thursdays (but not all of it).

–The Team