Here we go, friends!  Another new 4 week block of programming!  You’ll notice a new warmup routine and an absence of olympic weightlifting.  (Don’t worry it will be coming back, but I’m testing some ideas out over the next two months.)

Below you’ll find out about the focus of training for each day and how the programming shifts from week to week!

Week 1 Day 1, Week 2 Day 6, Week 3 Day 5, Week 4 Day 4
SKILL: Reaction
STRENGTH:  Speed Strength, Maximal
ENERGY SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT (ESD): Aerobic

The block begins with some half kneeling medball reaction toss.  No countermovement on these throws.  Load up and wait for your partner to give you the signal to release.  Strength work will feature some heavier back squats superset with some dumbbell strict pressing.  A new guideline will be introduced:  R.I.R. or Reps in Reserve.  This is a simple little metric to help you load more appropriately each week.  Reps in Reserve refers to how many reps you have in reserve at the end of a set.  In other words, how many more reps could you perform at the chosen weight.  If a prescription is written “build to no heavier than RIR 2” that would mean that if you completed a set of 5 you would be able to complete two more reps of that given weight.  The session concludes with a moderate intensity, moderate duration ESD piece.

Week 1 Day 2, Week 2 Day 1, Week 3 Day 6, Week 4 Day 5
SKILL: Agility
STRENGTH:  Speed, Maximal
ESD:  Aerobic

Dribble a tennis ball and don’t let other people knock it out of your hands…while they are also dribbling.  Fun little game to work hand eye coordination and friendly competitiveness.  Today’s session will be very Strength focused.   We kick off this portion of class with a superset of deadlifts, box jumps, and strict ring dips or pushups, depending on your current fitness level.  While heavier weights can be lifted when deadlifting, weights tend to move a bit slower.  Box jumps are used to keep the nervous system sharp and snappy, post deadlifts.  Another superset of strict pull-ups and banded/weighted deabugs will greet you and help chisel that back and anterior core. The session concludes with a moderate intensity, moderate duration ESD piece.

Week 1 Day 3, Week 2 Day 2, Week 3 Day 1, Week 4 Day 6
SKILL:  Balance
STRENGTH:  Speed Strength, Power, Maximal
ESD:  Aerobic

Back to the upside down grind!  Freestanding Handstand or Headstand Balance work will kick off the Skill session.  More  rotational medball work concludes this portion of the day’s work.  Single arm dumbbell power snatches begin the day’s Strength work.  Weights on this are secondary to speed and acceleration of the movement.  Continuing the theme of balance and overhead work, we reintroduce the overhead squat to the program. The session concludes with a moderate intensity, moderate duration ESD piece.

Week 1 Day 4, Week 2 Day 3, Week 3 Day 2, Week 4 Day 1
SKILL:  Reaction
STRENGTH:  Maximal
ESD:  Alactic

Tennis ball “revolving door” throw and catch returns to the program in our Skill work.  Strict chin-ups begin the Strength work.  Many in our community here at Steelworks have stated that a strict chin-up or pullup is a big goal.  That’s why they will come first in our Strength session.  Sumo deadlifts arrive in the Strength work after the chin-ups.  The prowler sprint returns to the program and concludes this day.  Super short pushes (6 seconds) at 100% max intensity with loads of rest after each effort.

Week 1 Day 5, Week 2 Day 4, Week 3 Day 3, Week 4 Day 2
SKILL:  None
STRENGTH:  Maximal
ESD:  Glycolytic

No Skill work on this day to ensure plenty of time and energy for the day’s ESD.  Front squats with pauses at parallel are the sole Strength movement for the day. We’ll conclude the day with 2 sets of moderate duration, high intensity lactic endurance intervals.  Come ready to push, dig, and see what you got.

Week 1 Day 6, Week 2 Day 5, Week 3 Day 4, Week 4 Day 3
SKILL:  Agility
STRENGTH:  Speed Strength, Maximal
ESD:  Aerobic

Hip turns get mixed into some medball throws in the day’s Skill work.  Move quick and throw hard!  Pause Deadlifts are the sole Strength movement for the day.  We’ll conclude the session with the longest duration, moderate intensity ESD of the block.

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