Hi all,

Welcome to Week 2 of October, and Week 4 of the “Foundation” cycle.

Let’s get into it.

Day 1 

Week 4 of 6 of the “Foundation” strength cycle!

• 0-10 - Dynamic Mobility and Intros / QOTD

  • Adductor Rock Backs

  • World’s Greatest Stretch

• 11-15 - Warm-up - complete 3 rounds of…

  • 10 Scapular Pull-ups

  • 20 Unweighted Forward Lunges (10 per leg)

  • 10 Empty Barbell Push Press

• 16-18 - Debrief / transition / explain workouts

• 19-39 - Capacity:

  • In 20 minutes, complete 5 rounds of the following movements…

    • 10 Tempo Double DB Suitcase Split Squats (5 per side) (3-second descent and 3-second ascent)

      • Rear foot elevated (Bulgarian Split Squats) or both feet on the ground (regular split squats) are both OK.

    • 5 “Tough for You” Strict Pull-ups (banded / unweighted / weighted)

    • :30 Hold (Plank Hold / Pike Hold / On Wall with hand march)

  • Intended Stimulus - Slow it down on the tempo portions of the movements. The faster you go through the Split Squats and Pull-ups, the less you will get out of it. Everyday, but especially on Capacity days, we are investing for the long term. Taking your time on the movements will help build stability and muscle memory at the full range of motion - which carries over into other parts of movement in our lives. If you can’t physically move the weight while counting in your head “one-onethousand, two-onethousand, three-onethousand” then you went too heavy and you should back off on the weight. Play the long game!

  • Log a checkmark if you completed all five rounds of the capacity work, adding heaviest weights and variations used for all three movements in the notes. Don’t add the weights or variations in the notes if you did not honor the tempo when using those weights / doing those variations.

• 40-42 - transition and set-up for MetCon

• 43-53 - MetCon

  • For Time - capped at 10 minutes:

    • 90 Barbell Push Press (<45 / 85 / 115+)

    • IMPORTANT - at the top of each minute (starting at 0:00) - do Lateral Burpees over the Barbell (4 Half Burpees / 5 Full Burpees / 6 Strict Burpees)

  • Intended Stimulus - The Push Press should be beautiful and perfect, even on the last rep! This means proud torso, eyes up the whole time, slight dip at the knees, and FULL LOCKOUT OVERHEAD WITH A SPLIT SECOND PAUSE BEFORE RETURNING TO THE BOTTOM. This is hard to do when a workout is “for time” - but remember, quality over speed, always.

  • Log time it took to complete all 90 reps, adding weight and variations of burpees in the notes.

• 54-55 - clean up

• 56-60 - Recovery

  • T-spine Smash with Lax ball - 2 min. per side

Day 2

• 0-10 - Dynamic Mobility and Intros / QOTD

  • Cossack Squats (assisted or unassisted)

  • Boot Strappers

  • Scorpions

  • Deep Squat with Rotation

  • PVC Kang Squats

  • Wrist Circles

• 11-16 - Warm-up - 5 minutes, continue to cycle through…

  • 8 Single DB Windmills (4 per side) (ascend in weight throughout)

  • 10 Light Double DB Straight Leg Deadlifts 

  • 12 Unbroken Jumping Squats (Air Squats are OK too)

• 17-32 - Strength:

  • In 15 minutes, complete 5 rounds of Double DB Seated Strict Press, in the following rep scheme:

    • 8-7-6-5-4

  • Off-time - Inverted Plank Hold (<:20 / :30 / :40+)

  • Intended Stimulus - For the Seated Strict Press, see if you can ascend in weight on the DBs once or twice during this section as the reps get more approachable. Also on the Seated Strict Press, if your hips are really tight or you cannot hold both feet out and keep the torso upright, play around with these variations. On the Inverted Plank Hold, bridge the hips to make a straight line from knees to shoulders where the hips are at the same height. Play around with the angle of your hands (fingers pointing forward, to the side, and behind you) to find the most comfortable position for your wrists.

  • Log the weight used for the round of 4 Seated Strict Press, adding Inverted Plank Hold time in the notes.

• 33-34 - transition and set-up for MetCon

• 35-43 - MetCon

  • For time, capped at 8 minutes

    • Barbell Overhead Squats (40 reps at <35 / 50 reps at 75 / 60 reps at 95+)

  • Intended Stimulus - Sprint, but make it quality (see what I did there?). Overhead Squats (OHS) are definitely a mobility challenge, so take advantage of the extra mobility movements programmed above during the first ten minutes of the session today. Pick a weight on the OHS where you are confident you could do a set of 10 unbroken no problem. You don’t necessarily need to do that in this workout, but I do recommend slightly larger sets so you don’t have to snatch that bar up overhead from the ground too many times. If you do this workout in only 2 or 3 sets, you probably went too light. If you need to do singles or doubles any time during the workout, you went too heavy. Find that sweet spot and choose wisely BEFORE the clock starts. IMPORTANT: Folks who are not yet comfortable with OHS, opt for Front Squats instead and challenge that weight a little more.

• 44-56 - Accessory

  • In 12 Minutes, complete 3 rounds of…

    • 14 Offset Push-ups (7 per arm) (from knees or from toes are both OK)

    • 12 KB Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts (6 per leg)

  • Intended Stimulus - Challenge yourself with a tougher variation to start on the push-ups (for example, start on your toes before moving to on your knees). Also on the push-ups, try a tougher implement that you are placing your hand - requiring more stability (e.g., sub the DB for an Orb / softball / foam roller / slam ball / etc.). On the Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts (SLRDLs), check to make sure your back heel rises at the same rate that your shoulders descends forward, which will maintain a straight line from shoulder to heel.

  • Log a “checkmark” if you completed all 3 rounds, adding variations in the notes.

• 57-58 - clean up

• 59-60: Recovery

  • Hamstrings Roll Out on Foam Roller - 2 min.

  • EXTRA CREDIT: Lumbar spine smash with lax ball - 2 min. per side

Day 3

Rest Day

• Try and fit in two to three walks of 1.0-1.5 miles apiece.

• Another good option is a light jog / Stand-up paddle board / hike / slow bike / etc.

• Mobility and/or restorative yoga are other great options on rest days.

• Some is better than none.

• Getting outside in any capacity is encouraged!

Day 4

• 0-7 - Dynamic Mobility and Intros / QOTD

  • Good Mornings

  • World’s Greatest Stretch + Hamstring Stretch

  • Scapular Push-ups

  • Unweighted Side-to-Side Lunges 

• 8-13 - Warm-up - 5 minutes, continue to cycle through…

  • 6 Up Dog / Down Dog (3 Up and 3 Down)

  • 6 Half Burpees 

  • 12 Barbell Deadlifts (ascend in weight throughout)

• 14-17 - Additional Warm-up:

  • Take 3 more minutes to build into your first working weight of Barbell Deadlifts

• 18-30 - Strength:

  • In 12 Minutes, complete 4 rounds of Barbell Deadlifts in the following rep scheme:

    • 16-12-8-4

  • Off-time - 8 Single DB Pull Throughs (4 per side)

  • Intended Stimulus - Ascend in weight throughout on both movements. All rounds should be unbroken, so pick a doable weight for the first round, then start to challenge the weight even more after that for the Deadlifts. Always approach a deadlift with the mentality that your legs are doing the work, not your back. Engage your lats (packing shoulder blades in place) so your spine stays neutral and safe. Add a generous bend in the knees at the bottom of the rep. Every time you pick up or set down the weight from a standing position - lats are engaged and knees are bent at the bottom. If you can maintain these points of performance, go get that heavy set of four!

  • Log weight used for unbroken set of 4 Deadlifts.

• 31-33 - transition and set-up for MetCon

• 34-56 - MetCon:

  • 3 Sections of AMRAP6, 2:00 Rest in between (As Many Rounds and Reps as Possible in 6 Minutes)

    • AMRAP6 Number One:

      • 12 Single DB Strict Press (6 per arm) (<15 / 30 / 40+)

      • 12 Barbell Front Squats (<35 / 65 / 95+)

    • AMRAP6 Number Two:

      • 10 Double DB Strict Press (<15s / 30s / 40s+)

      • 10 Barbell Front Squats (<45 / 75 / 115+)

    • AMRAP6 Number Three:

      • 8 Double DB Push Press (<15s / 30s / 40s+)

      • 8 Barbell Squat Cleans (<45 / 75 / 115+)

  • Intended Stimulus - As the Shoulder-to-Overhead movement gets less intense, the Squat movement gets more intense. Come in with the mindset that you should be doing work for as much of the 6 minute round as you can, and to meet that goal you’ll need to pick a doable weight. If you’re on the fence about which weight to pick, choose the lighter of the two options you have in your mind! The strict press will wear you out fast - so when you hedge lighter you’ll thank yourself later. Success on the squats looks like CLEARLY breaking the plane of your knees with your hip crease in the bottom of the squat, elbows high, torso proud. If you are choosing the most difficult track and there is any question on whether you broke the plane, do not log your attempt as Rx. Shoot for 3+ rounds on the first AMRAP, 4+ rounds on the second AMRAP, and 5+ rounds on the third AMRAP.

  • Log rounds and reps completed in each of the three AMRAPs as three separate entries, adding variations and weights used in the notes.

• 57-58 - clean up

• 59-60 - Recovery

  • Child’s Pose with Thread the Needle - 2 min. - alternating throughout

  • EXTRA CREDIT: Pigeon Stretch (unassisted or assisted) - 3 min. per side

Day 5

• 0-12 - Dynamic Mobility and Intros / QOTD

  • Inchworm Press-ups

  • Up Dog / Down Dog

  • Reverse Jackknives

• 13-18 - Warm-up - 5 minutes, continue to cycle through…

  • 12 Light Single DB 90 + Press (6 per side)

  • 6 Scapular Push-ups

  • :30 Jump Rope

• 19-22 - Debrief / transition / explain workout

• 23-47 - Capacity:

  • In 24 minutes, as many quality rounds as possible (shoot for 6+), of…

    • 12 Double DB Curl + Press

    • 12 “Tough for You” Push-ups (knee push-ups / toe push-ups / hand release or deficit push-ups)

    • 8 Strict Toes-to-Bar Variation (Strict Hanging Knee Raises / Strict Knees to Elbows / Strict Toes-to-Bar)

  • Intended Stimulus - Show control at the top and bottom of every single rep of every movement. Adding that split second pause at the end of the range of motion helps hammer home the muscle memory of us using our full mobility to do work. Challenge the movements and scale back on the intensity / choose a less taxing variation only once you can no longer do the more challenging variation.

  • Log a “checkmark” if you completed 6 rounds, adding variations and weights used in notes.

• 48-49 - clean up

• 50-60 - Recovery

  • Chest Opener on Foam Roller - 5 min.

  • Leg up the Wall - 5 min.

  • EXTRA CREDIT: Banded Crossbody Stretch - 3 min. per side

Day 6

• 0-8 - Dynamic Mobility and Intros / QOTD

  • World’s Greatest Stretch

  • Runner’s Lunge (high variation)

  • Leg Swings

  • Samson Stretch

• 9-14 - Warm-up - 5 minutes, continue to cycle through…

  • 3 Up Dog / Down Dog + Push-up

  • 6 Light Single KB Russian Swings

  • 9 Single KB Deadlifts

  • 12 Mountain Climbers (Left + Right = 1)

• 15-17 - Debrief / transition / explain workout

• 18-22 - Additional warm-up for power cleans, a few short jogs, building to working weight on KB, etc.

• 23-54 - Long Workout Day!

  • For Time, capped at 31 Minutes

    • Run (800m / 1200m / 1600m)

    • Ten Rounds:

      • 6 Burpees (Half Burpees / Full Burpees / Strict Burpees)

      • 8 Barbell Power Cleans (<45 / 85 / 115+)

      • 10 Kettlebell Swings (Russian at <26 / American at 35 / American at 53+)

    • Run (800m / 1200m / 1600m)

  • Intended Stimulus - The workout starts AND ends with a run. Push the first run hard, but not to the brink. Leave some in the tank for later. In between the two runs there are ten rounds of a few movements. Pace the Ten Rounds in a smooth, steady fashion. The Burpee volume isn’t extreme today, so see how many rounds you can do in a more challenging version on the burpees before needing to modify them. The Power Cleans are meant to be on the lighter side for you and should be done unbroken throughout. The Kettlebell Swings should also be unbroken for as much of the workout as possible. A rate of one round every 90 seconds will likely get you in under the cap. More experienced athletes should choose the American Swings instead of the Russian Swings. The run should NOT take more than 8 minutes at a maximum. Scale down if you know that run distance programmed might take you more than 8 minutes per run.

  • Log the time it took to complete the workout, adding variations chosen and weights used in the notes.

• 55-56 - clean up

• 57-60 - Recovery

  • Pigeon Stretch (unassisted or assisted) - 2 min. per side

  • EXTRA CREDIT: Roll out bottom of the foot with lax ball - 3 min. per side.

Day 7

Rest Day

• Try and fit in two to three walks of 1.0-1.5 miles apiece.

• Another good option is a light jog / Stand-up paddle board / hike / slow bike / etc.

• Mobility and/or restorative yoga are other great options on rest days.

• Some is better than none.

• Getting outside in any capacity is encouraged!