Well it’s that time again! New block of programming begins this Monday February 1. Below you will find the focus for each day’s training.
Weekly Structure
Planning out a training week can be subject to many things: work, family….a pandemic. In our four week block of programming, the Skill and Strength workouts will remain relatively unchanged, save for increases or decreases in relative intensity or volume. While the theme of Energy System Development work will remain unchanged each day, the structure of the workouts will vary from week to week.
The chart above shows how the theme of each day shifts from week to week. Please use it to plan your sessions accordingly.
And now, on to the breakdown of each session!
Thematic Structure
Week 1 Day 1, Week 2 Day 6, Week 3 Day 5, Week 4 Day 4
Skill: Reaction
Strength: Power, Speed
Energy System Development: Alactic
The human body possesses many “passive” structures that absorb and redirect force. Fascia, tendons, ligaments, even bone stretch and bend and can aid in movement without any kind of muscular contraction driving locomotion. Today, we introduce the Rudiment Jump Series created by world renown track and field coach Dan Pfaff. A series of hops, these drills are entry level plyometrics. For our purposes at Steelworks, these simple but incredibly power drills teach you how to create and absorb force quickly. If you are a runner, don’t miss out on these!
The session shifts over to the barbell and dumbbell in the Strength work as we focus on coordinating the upper and lower body’s ability to move weight overhead and develop horizontal pulling and scapular rotation.
Short duration, super high intensity Prowler Pushes return to the program to develop alactic power.
Week 1 Day 2, Week 2 Day 3, Week 3 Day 6, Week 4 Day 5
Skill: Balance
Strength: Maximal
Energy System Development: Glycolytic
Today’s skill work will be supersetted with the first part of the strength work. Standing balance work returns with strict chinups. One thing of note will be the high volume of vertical pulling in a non-fatigue based setting during this block. Time to start working on getting that first chinup/pullup!!!
Back squats with a long pause in the bottom will be the focus on today’s strength work. The pause helps develop a stronger bottom position and “starting strength” the ability to generate high levels of force on an object while at rest.
The intensity on the energy system development will be HIGH with some lactic power intervals. This block will feature not one, but TWO days where we target this energy system. There will be at least 48 hours before the next bout of high intensity work so recovery should be adequate enough.
Week 1 Day 3, Week 2 Day 2, Week 3 Day 1, Week 4 Day 6
Skill: Agility
Strength: Power, Speed Strength
Energy System Development: Aerobic
Field athletes need to be able to change direction in the drop of a hat. While we aren’t training to get to the Super Bowl, there’s a lot of value in teaching the body how to create the positions necessary to execute this skill. We’ll be reducing this movement into a drill that teaches the core how to rotate the lower body separately from the upper body. Participants will learn how to quickly relax and tension the core to generate the most rotational power.
Higher volume power clean and split jerks return to the menu in this day’s strength work.
We’ll conclude this session with some controlled effort aerobic work. On day’s such as this, the goal is to teach pace, control, and steady movement. Ending the workout tired, but not wasted, is the right kind of effort on this day.
Week 1 Day 4, Week 2 Day 3, Week 3 Day 2, Week 4 Day 1
Skill: Reaction
Strength: Maximal, Speed
Energy System Development: Aerobic
Being able to perceive, create intent, and generate movement are key aspects of reaction based skills. Today’s skill work develops reactive abilities in the frontal plane using lateral shuffles in response to a visual or auditory stimulus.
Today’s strength work will feature front squats and pull-ups.
From Week 1-3, a high volume pushup EMOM will be featured in this session’s conditioning, culminating in a timed pushup test in week 4.
Week 1 Day 5, Week 2 Day 4, Week 3 Day 3, Week 4 Day 2
Skill: Balance
Strength: Power
Energy System Development: Glycolytic
Folks have been making such great progress on handstand balance work that this skill will stay in the next block with one small change. Instead of handstand taps and walks, clients will have some focused time to work on regular handstand pushups or, for an extra challenge, wall facing handstand pushups.
A wave loading pattern of snatches will be featured in this day’s strength work. If heavy snatches are an itch that needs to be scratched, today is recommended.
Lactic power intervals conclude the days session. Remember, these sessions are all about high intensity!!!!
Week 1 Day 6, Week 2 Day 5, Week 3 Day 4, Week 4 Day 3
Skill: Agility
Strength: Speed Strength, Maximal
Energy System Development: Aerobic
Clients will find themselves moving through the agility ladder today but with some banded resistance along the way. Field athletes use this drill to learn how to properly plant the leg in preparation for a cut. For our purposes, we are learning how to generate tension and relaxation quickly in the frontal plane and develop coordination between the feet.
Strength work will feature some rotational medball throwing and pull-ups.
Today’s session will conclude with paced, controlled effort aerobic work.
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Really excited to see how everyone does over the next month! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected]!