Here's a breakdown of what you can expect and the specific goals behind each training element.
Strength Progressions
Box Squats & Bulgarian Split Squats: Alternating weekly - odd weeks: High volume Box Squats, even weeks: Bulgarian Split Squats. Develops quads and strengthens knees for better running efficiency and injury prevention.
Close-Grip Bench Press: Horizontal pressing day targets triceps for stronger lockout in all pressing movements.
Weightlifting Progressions
Split Jerk & Split Jerk Press (from the front rack): Vertical pressing focuses on improving shoulder-to-overhead bar path using push press and split jerk drills for overhead confidence and stability.
Strength Accessory Focus
Posterior Chain: Accessory work targets hamstrings, lats, and triceps for stronger, more powerful weightlifting pulls.
Rotational Core & Trunk Stability: Increased volume with challenging rotational exercises to strengthen spine, improve stability, and reduce injury risk.
Conditioning / Technical Focus
Rowing: We'll be doing a deep-dive technique review of "The Perfect Stroke." Expect to spend time refining your form to improve efficiency and power on the erg.
We will also review what the drag factor is, how it relates to your rowing efficiency, and how you can use your personal drag factor to determine the appropriate damper settings for various distances and efforts.
Why We're Doing This: The Outcome
This cycle is designed with intentional progression and purpose.
The two days of focused pressing (one vertical, one horizontal) will build balanced pressing strength.
Our squat progression is aimed at strengthening the knee joint for better running and injury resilience. By focusing on the posterior chain and rotational core, we're building a more stable and powerful foundation from the ground up, which will carry over into all aspects of your fitness.
Retests & Benchmarks
To measure our progress, we'll be repeating the same benchmark workout each week. This workout will combine either running or rowing with an AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) of pushups, using our standard rack pushup protocol. The goal is simple: increase your total work capacity on your pushups over the four-week period.
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