Monday. With the weekend’s debauchery now well behind us (Victory Helles Lager, I heart you!), it is time to embark upon the next training cycle.
If I could be prancing around with bounds of joy while typing this, I would. Alas, I am chained to this cold computer, uncomfortable chair, and squeaky old poker table. With that said, it is a momentous time for joy. Let me explain why.
1. There will be much more snatching, cleaning, and jerking.
Every day, expect to have a barbell in your hand.
2. Weightlifting / Gymnastics skill complexes
Early on in the week will consist of higher volume “touch and go” weightlifting combined with a high level gymnastics movement. I’ve chosen to implement this manner of weightlifting as I feel it relates the closest to submaximal efforts found in most workouts. Being able to efficiently cycle loads in a conditioning workout is a skill that is paramount to the success of every ter. The added gymnastics element will allow you to practice your handstand walks, kipping pullups, muscle-ups, or double unders in light of the increased time focusing on barbell work. The gymnastics elements will also control the amount of “intensity” (the load lifted) that you will be capable of lifting and as a result save your soft tissues from heavier loads, while still feeling like the load is heavy.
3. Squats, twice a week.
Nothing ground breaking here. Mondays and Fridays or Saturdays will be our days for squats. I have had great success with Gayle Hatch’s Squat Cycle and as a result will be implementing it. We’ll be squatting from the high bar and the front squat.
4. Aerobic intervals / steady state efforts.
Just because we will be lifting heavier and utilizing more weightlifting doesn’t mean that we need to sacrifice our engines. To enable your body to handle the gradually increasing volume, we’ll be focusing a lot of our conditioning on cyclical monostructural / gymnastics movements with a low eccentric load. Expect lots of airdyning, rowing, double unders, bear crawling, wall walking, etc.
5. Competitions
To help us guide our training, I’ve selected two competitions to help us guide or training efforts.
November 16, 2014 – Mount Laurel Throwdown
January 24-25, 2014 – Frank Spellman Classic
If any other competitions come up that look legit and well run, I recommend you compete.
So, there you have it. Naturally, these are the broad strokes and the specifics will be monitored and tweaked as we progress throughout the cycle. If today is any gauge about how….interesting…the cycle will be, it is going to be lots of fun!
Brian.