MON: BLOCK 3 Programming Prep

BLOCK 3 Cycle:

Monday: Strength (Back Squats)
Tuesday: All Purpose
Wednesday: Strength (Clean &  Jerks)
Thursday:  All Purpose
Friday:  Muscle

Name: “From Dusk ’til Dawn”
Timeline: 4/1 -5/12 (6 Weeks)
End of Cycle Testing: 5-Rep Back Squat
PPB: 5 Minute Row
(NEW) Skill Focus: Jumping + Pistol Squats
(NEW) Muscle Focus: Hamstrings + Shoulders

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: Back Squats

–Neutral Wrist
Why? – Stronger/Fuller Grip to pull down and activate lats. The lats are needed isometrically in the strong to stabilize our spine, and a great way to also get stronger at pull-ups.

–Tight Upper Back
Why? – Secure the bar to the traps and lock the trunk in.

–Brace, aka “Fill the Can”
Why? – To stabilize the spine and create tension, load + depth is dictated by ability to maintain the brace, as well as protecting ourselves from lower back pain.

Strength-Speed: Clean & Jerks

–Turn on the Lats to keep the bar close.
Why? – Maintain a straight bar path.

–Meet the bar, Active catch
Why? – Control the landing and push back into it with force standing up.

–Get the bar in the palm for the Jerk and drive UNDER
Why? – The full hand has to be able to squeeze it as it leaves the shoulders, while the body drops under the bar.

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.

Read about it here.

Personal Progress Benchmark (PPB)

We will have the 5 minute row as our PPB this month, and our goal as a gym is to drive attendance on this day. It is a tough workout that frankly, many avoid, but one that will pay some solid dividends by showing up consistently and working towards it.

Check out this article on why rowing is a sneaky good movement for overall strength.

(NEW) Skill Focus

We’ll have a variety of jumping and pistol progressions throughout the month. Both are valuable skills as jumping teaches us to use the full extension of our hips (butt stuff) as well as how to decelerate (joint health). Pistols for single leg and core strength, as well as hammies which we see as one of our MUSCLE focus this month.

(NEW) Muscle Focus

While muscle-focused PSCs will not always be on Fridays, it falls on Friday again for this cycle. In these classes, you can expect the same type of class. A first tier where we work on developing the muscle in a high rep setting, and continuing that for more of the same in a slower, steady paced muscle-focused circuit for tier two.

The muscles predominantly targeted will be our hamstrings and our shoulders.

(NEW) Varied Tier 1 Rep Options

You will notice that on many strength days, we will be offering a higher rep count at lighter weight as an option for folks who are less strength focused and would rather focus on overall fitness, with a bit more emphasis on physique and muscle.

–Jules

Monday, 4.1.19

First. For Strength OR Muscle.
5 Back Squats @ 60-80%
~OR~
10 Back Squats @60%
8/s DB Leaning Bench Row
Complete 1 set every 5′ for 20′
—
Then. For Conditioning.
8 DB Sumo Squats
8 Renegade Row
8 MB Slams
80m Sprint
(x10’)

PHASE 1: Squat Test (Optional)