Cycle #6: The Heat Wave – Squat Cleans & Positional Thresholds

‍

Monday, July 6 – Sunday, August 2

‍

Welcome to Cycle #6! Starting Monday, July 6, we’re diving straight into the second half of our 10-week strength macro-cycle. We spent the last five weeks building baseline stability, position endurance, and vertical movement mechanics during Cycle #5. Now, it’s time to crank up the percentages, strip away the high repetition ranges, and translate that structural framework into absolute power.

‍

Why We're Doing This: The Outcome

This block is designed to contrast pure strength with strict time-under-tension parameters, forcing your nervous system to adapt to maximum loads.

‍

• Vertical Peak: We continue climbing the ladder on our Strict Press progression toward an official 1RM re-test.
• Squat Dynamics: By alternating weeks of paused work with pure heavy lifting, we’re building solid posture and drive out of the hole.
• The Full Olympic Extension: We’re taking the speed and power built from last cycle's hang work and channeling it into the full, classic Olympic lift.

‍

Strength Progressions: Peak Thresholds

‍

Strict Press: Volume Accumulation

We’re stepping into Week 6 of our 10-week overhead macro-cycle. The blueprint remains focused on structural alignment, but the intensity is moving up.

‍

• The Build: We’ll continue building working sets and pushing heavy volume at higher percentages over the next few weeks.
• The Retest: Mark your calendars — Week 9 will serve as an intentional taper week for the press, leading us straight into our 1RM re-test during Week 10.

‍

Front Squat & OHS: Time Under Tension vs. Load

Our Front Squat and Overhead Squat (OHS) development enters a contrast phase over the next 5 weeks. We’re systematically dropping the reps while utilizing pauses to challenge your midline.

‍

• Week 1 (Week 6 overall): 4RM with a strict pause in the bottom.
• Week 2: No pause. Pure, heavy lifting.
• Week 3: 2RM with a strict pause in the bottom.
• Week 4: 1 and 1/4 Reps (Down, up a quarter, back down, drive up) to overload the quads.
• Week 5 (Week 10 overall): The 1RM Test.

‍

Olympic Power: The Squat Clean & Jerk

We’re finally putting all the pieces of the puzzle together. The Hang Power Clean work from last cycle has primed your speed and pull; now it's time to get under the bar fast.

‍

• We kick off Week 1 with a heavy 3-Position Squat Clean & Jerk complex. As the weeks progress, the complexity will decrease while the weight increases, culminating in a 1RM Squat Clean & Jerk test on Week 4.

‍

Skills, Prehab & Metcon Engine

‍

Day 4: Skill Review & Long WODs

Our fourth training day remains dedicated to a "Skill + Long Metcon" format to keep building your engine through the summer.

‍

• The Kip & The Double Under: We’re dialing in the mechanics for Double Unders and Kipping efficiency. Beginners will spend time mastering the gymnastics kip. Intermediate and advanced athletes will focus on maximizing efficiency for kipping pull-ups and refining their butterfly technique.

‍

Prehab & Accessory Split

• Overhead & Squat Support: To support heavy overhead pressing and deep squatting, accessory work will feature dedicated rotator cuff and hip flexor prehab to stabilize the shoulders and protect the lower back. We'll also continue rolling out core work as finishers.
• Functional Days: Our Thursday and Saturday Functional Strength split continues, with upper-body specialty days remaining locked into Bench Press and horizontal pressing variations to ensure your horizontal power continues to climb alongside your strict press.
• Adding Mileage: We’re taking full advantage of the beautiful summertime weather. Expect to see running woven consistently into our conditioning pieces.

‍

What’s Next?

10 weeks of hard work will culminate with some new PRs! See you on the training floor.