New month.  New block of programming.  Check out what this month’s training themes are below!

White and Gray Goals

  • Improve upper body vertical pulling.
  • Improve scapula stability.
  • Improve glycolytic power.

Monday
Strength: Power, Speed Strength
Energy System Development (ESD): Alactic

Mondays will be the speed days this cycle. With the weather getting a bit colder, this session will be focused less around max velocity running and instead focus on developing acceleration through medball throws + sprints. The session will transition to the barbell with technical work on the power clean and power snatch, respectively for each track. To conclude the day, we’ll target both anterior and posterior fascial slings in our accessory work.

Tuesday
Strength: Maximal, Speed
ESD: Aerobic

JUMP! We’ll start off both tracks with plyometrics to help improve rate of force development and subsequently improve “post-activation potentiation” for single leg strength movements. How many strict chinups can you do? You’ll answer that question every Tuesday, too. Following a max test set, we’ll work a similar tempo chinup as last cycle with an extended hold at the top, but superset that with some lower trap hypertrophy work. The session will conclude with shorter time domain aerobic ESD.

Wednesday
Strength: Power
ESD: Glycolytic

Olympic weightlifting will kick off Wednesdays. ESD will be some nasty glycolytic intervals. If you want to burn and hurt, keep Wednesdays on your calendar. Great care must be taken when training this energy system due to the higher intensity and associated stress response. Improving this system, however, allows your body to process lactate more efficiently and subsequently prolong your body’s ability to handle sub-maximal intensities.

Thursday
Strength: Speed Strength (Rotational), Power
ESD: Aerobic

Rotational medball work and overhead movements will be the focus of the day. Thursdays will conclude with moderate duration aerobic ESD.

Friday
Strength: Speed, Maximal
ESD: Aerobic

We’ll challenge the frontal plane stabilizers with some single leg lateral jumping. Fridays will also be our second upper body vertical pulling day of the week. A max set of strict pullups kicks off the day, followed by the same superset as Tuesdays i.e. pullups and lower trap hypertrophy work. Moderate duration aerobic ESD concludes the session.

Saturday
Strength: Power
ESD: Glycolytic

Squats and hang cleans are on the menu for White and Gray, respectively. Our fun filled Saturday class becomes even more enjoyable with some glycolytic intervals for the day’s ESD! Again, the goal is learning how to ride that razor’s edge of improved performance and totally bonking and crashing. Suffer well. Hooray!

Blue Programming Goals

  • Determine level of neuromuscular efficiency.
  • Improve “Touch and Go” proficiency in strength and conditioning modalities.
  • Introduce skill work for handstand walking.
  • Continue to improve Olympic Weightlifting.

Mondays
Strength: Maximal
ESD: Aerobic

Squats will be the cornerstone of the session. We will test 1 RM back squat at the beginning of the block and then use the movement to determine the body’s neuromuscular efficiency. (High v. Low) Testing this is more appropriate for more experienced athletes with higher training ages. Identifying this level improves understanding around each athlete’s essence (powerful/explosive v. strong/enduring). Accessory work will include strict gymnastics movements super-setted with anterior fascial sling development. Aerobic ESD concludes the session.

Tuesdays
Strength: Speed, Power
ESD: Glycolytic, Aerobic

Plyometrics will kick off the session and be used as a post-activation potentiator for some touch and go barbell work in both strength and conditioning settings. Training will conclude with “hardish” intensity ESD.

Wednesdays
Strength: Speed Strength, Power
ESD: Aerobic

Rotational speed strength movements start the session, followed by muscle snatches and snatches. Wednesdays will be LONG aerobic ESD interspersed with some alactic work.

Thursdays
REST DAY!

Fridays
Strength: Speed, Power, Maximal
ESD: Aerobic

Fridays will be a very strength heavy day with no structured ESD. While geared around strength the total volume of work will have a pronounced metabolic effect, specifically the aerobic system. Technical gymnastics work and plyometrics begin the session, followed by split jerks. Single leg strength work will be next to help iron out any imbalances between limbs. The session will conclude with gymnastics core and pulling movements followed by some dumbbell hypertrophy work to support upper body vertical pressing.

Saturday
Choose your own adventure! Recommended skill work on individualized technical deficiencies with aerobic ESD.