Hi all,

Welcome to the second-to-last week of the “Foundation” cycle - where we are focusing on Stability, Range of Motion, and Bracing even more than usual!

Let’s get into it.

Day 1 

Week 5 of 6 of the “Foundation” strength cycle!

• 0-8 - Dynamic Mobility and Intros / QOTD

  • Scapular Push-ups

  • World’s Greatest Stretch

  • Thread the Needle

• 9-13 - Warm-up - complete 4 rounds of…

  • 3 Inchworms + Push-up

  • 6 V-ups (Tuck-ups are OK too)

  • 9 Unweighted Forward Lunges (9 per leg)

• 14-16 - Debrief / transition / explain workouts

• 17-32 - Strength:

  • In 15 minutes, complete 5 rounds of…

    • 16 Barbell Front Rack Walking Lunges (8 per leg)

    • Off-time - 5 Tempo Ring Rows (3-second descent)

  • Intended Stimulus - Challenge the weight on the barbell but still work to maintain great form, hitting full Range of Motion. Ascend in weight throughout. Success on the lunges looks like the front knee just slightly in front of the front toe (nearly vertical shin) at the bottom, back knee just slightly grazes the ground at the bottom, and feet stay about hip to shoulder width apart from one another (not walking a tightrope). On the Ring Rows - avoid bending at the hips by activating your glutes and quads.

  • Log the weight used for the heaviest set of 16 unbroken walking lunges.

• 33-35 - transition and set-up for MetCon

• 36-57 - MetCon

  • 3RFT (Three Rounds For Time)* - capped at 21 minutes:

    • 20 Pushups (from the knees / from the toes / hand release)

    • 30 Sit-ups

    • 40 Air Squats

  • *IMPORTANT: In-between each round, take a mandatory, self-timed 3 minute rest. Your score is the total time elapsed on the clock after all three rounds and the two rests in-between are over. E.g., Say you finish Round 1 at 4:00, add a three minute rest and then start Round 2, which finishes at 11:00, add a three minute rest and then start Round 3, which finishes at 18:00. Your score for the day is 18:00.

  • Intended Stimulus - Hurry up (with quality) and wait, repeat. Today is more of a sprint and recover day - so be mindful of your rep range of motion and full extension today! It’ll be easy to cut corners - but those shortcuts are roads to nowhere. You get stronger by doing the full work, all the way through the rep, every time. Push-ups: chest touches the ground at the bottom and elbows fully lock out at the top. Sit-ups: hands touch behind you and shoulders pass your hip crease at the front. Air Squats: full depth (femur breaks parallel) at the bottom and full extension of the knees AND HIPS at the top.

  • Log time it took to complete the three rounds.

• 58-60 - clean up

• EXTRA CREDIT: Recovery

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

  • Foam Roll Glutes - 2 min. per side

Day 2

• 0-10 - Dynamic Mobility and Intros / QOTD

  • Cossack Squats (assisted or unassisted)

  • Cat / Cow

  • Thread the Needle

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

  • 8 Single DB Goblet Squats

  • 8 Reverse Jackknives (8 per side)

  • 8 Single DB Push Press (8 per arm)

  • 16 Lateral Jumps Over a Target (Left + Right = 1)

• 17-19 - Debrief / transition / explain workout

• 20-45 - Capacity:

  • EMOM25 (Every Minute on the Minute for 25 Minutes)

    • Minute One: 4-6 Strict Toes-to-Bar Variation (Strict Hanging Knee Raises / Strict Knees to Elbows / Strict Toes-to-Bar)

    • Minute Two: 12 American Kettlebell Swings (<26 / 44 / 62+)

    • Minute Three: AMRAP Double Unders in :40 (do Single Unders if you don’t have DU yet)

    • Minute Four: 10 Barbell Power Cleans (<45 / 95 / 135+)

    • Minute Five: Rest

  • Intended Stimulus - Maximizing our Time Under Tension by holding bodyweight for a long period of time in the Strict Toes-to-Bar Variation. Success looks like control throughout the movement from beginning to end. On the Kettlebell Swings, keep the lats engaged and shoulders out of your ears at the top. On the Dubs, keep the shoulders relaxed and wrists active. On the Barbell Cleans, those are meant to be HEAVY. Do quick singles if you need.

  • Log heaviest weights used for the American Kettlebell Swings and Power Cleans, adding variation from the Strict Toes-to-Bar Variation in the notes.

• 46-47 - transition and set-up for Accessory

• 48-57 - Accessory

  • In 9 Minutes, complete 3 rounds of…

    • 12 Tempo Bent Over Reverse Flies (with light or fractional plates) (2 second ascent and 2-second descent)

    • 30 Plank Shoulder Taps (Left + Right = 2)

  • Intended Stimulus - Rear delt and core burn to end the day. The slower you go on the Bent Over Reverse Flies, the more you’ll get out of them.

  • Log a “checkmark” if you completed all 3 rounds.

• 58-60 - Recovery

  • Child’s Pose with Thread the Needle - 1.5 min. per side

  • EXTRA CREDIT: Trap 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

• 0-8 - Dynamic Mobility and Intros / QOTD

  • Boot Strappers

  • Adductor Rock Backs

  • Bird Dogs

• 9-15 - Warm-up - 6 minutes, continue to cycle through…

  • 10 Sit-ups

  • 10 Single Leg Glute Bridges (5 per leg)

  • 10 Reverse Jackknives (5 per side)

  • :30 Jump Rope

• 16-17- Debrief / transition / explain workout

• 18-39 - Strength:

  • In 21 Minutes, complete 5 rounds of

    • 6 Barbell 1 ¾ Deadlifts

  • Intended Stimulus - Use the first 6 minutes for a few warm-up sets. Use the remaining 15 minutes to complete 5 sets at the same working weight. Glute and hamstring firing! Any time we are picking weight off the ground, go in with the mentality that the LEGS are the workhorse, not the back. The 1 ¾ Deadlift starts on the ground, goes to full stand, hinges down three-quarters of the way so the weight hovers right above the ground, goes to full stand AGAIN, and then ends with a final hinge back to the ground. That is one rep. That whole time, the lats are engaged and the spine is neutral. There should be a generous bend in the knee at the bottom of the rep. Success feels like your glutes are screaming (from work, not pain) but your back feels perfectly fine. If you have trouble hitting this position, do this beside a full length mirror and make sure your spine does not curve. No Off-Time movement, just rest between sets.

  • Log the weights used for the heaviest set of 6 unbroken 1 ¾ Deadlifts.

• 40-41 - transition and set-up for MetCon

• 42-57 - MetCon:

  • AMRAP15 (As Many Rounds and Reps as Possible in 15 Minutes)

    • 20 Alternating Single DB Hang Snatches (10 per arm) (<20 / 35 / 50+)

    • 14 Jackknives (8 per leg) (8 Tuck-ups are OK too)

    • 8 Lateral Burpees over DB (Half Burpees / Full Burpees / Strict Burpees)

  • Intended Stimulus - Pace yourself early. This one is in the middle as far as time domains go, but all three movements are either moderate or high heart rate. Slow and steady to start it out, then accelerate as you approach the end of the workout. Stand all the way up with full hip and knee extension on both the burpees and the DB Snatches. Half reps don’t count! Shoot for 6+ rounds.

  • Log total rounds and reps completed, adding variations and weights used in the notes.

• 58-60 - Recovery

  • Child’s Pose with Thread the Needle - 3 min.

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

Day 5

• 0-8 - Dynamic Mobility and Intros / QOTD

  • Windmills

  • Side-to-Side Lunges

• 9-12 - Warm-up - complete 3 rounds …

  • 12 Single DB Push Press (6 per arm)

  • 12 Air Squats + 6 Jumping Squats

  • 12 Unweighted Forward Lunges (6 per leg) + 6 Jumping Lunges (3 per leg)

• 13-14- Debrief / transition / explain workout

• 15-35 - Strength:

  • In 20 minutes, build up into a heavy set of 3 Barbell Front Squats

  • Intended Stimulus - Slow, incremental jumps in weight. Recommended timing: Use the first 6 minutes to do a few sets of 6-8 reps at lighter weight - spending 2-3 seconds per rep holding the bottom of the squat. Use the next 6 minutes to do a few sets of 4-6 reps, jumping in weight each set. Use the last 8 minutes to do three sets at heavy weight. End with a solid effort at a very heavy - BUT SAFE - set of three.

  • Log weight used for the heaviest set of 3 Unbroken Squats.

• 36-39 - transition and set-up for MetCon

• 40-49 - MetCon:

  • For time - capped at 9 minutes.

    • 20 Double DB Renegade Rows (<20s / 35 / 50s+)

    • 40 Double DB Push Press (<20s / 35 / 50s+)

  • Intended Stimulus - SPRINT! If your nutrition, sleep, and stress have all been on point this week so far, shoot for 5 minutes or less.

• 50-51 - clean up

• 52-60 - Recovery

  • Chest Opener on Foam Roller - 5 min.

  • Leg up the Wall - 4 min.

Day 6

• 0-10 - Dynamic Mobility and Intros / QOTD

  • Samson Stretch

  • Wrist Circles

  • Up Dog / Down Dog

  • Runner’s Lunge (high variation)

  • World’s Greatest Stretch + Hamstring Stretch 

  • Deep Squat with Arm Rotation

• 11-17 - Warm-up - 6 minutes, continue to cycle through…

  • 3 Up Dog / Down Dog + Push-up

  • 6 Empty Barbell Thrusters

  • 9 Tuck-ups

  • :30 Lateral Jumps Over a Target 

• 18-19 - Debrief / transition / explain workout

• 20-50 - Long Workout Day!

  • For Time, capped at 30 Minutes

    • 100m Double DB Farmer’s Carry (<25s / 35s / 50s+)

    • 50 Barbell Thrusters (<35 / 65 / 95+)

    • 100m Double DB Farmer’s Carry (<25s / 35s / 50s+)

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

    • 100m Double DB Farmer’s Carry (<25s / 35s / 50s+)

    • 50 “Tough for You” Push-ups (from knees or from toes / Hand Release / Hand Stand Push-ups)

    • 100m Double DB Farmer’s Carry (<25s / 35s / 50s+)

    • 50 Barbell Back Rack Walking Lunges (Left + Right = 2) (<35 / 65 / 95+)

  • Intended Stimulus - Grind it out. The Double DB Farmer’s Carries are NOT meant to be unbroken. In total you will accumulate 400m carrying those weights - that’s one time around a track - so extend yourself some grace if you have to keep breaking and setting the DBs down mid-carry because your grip is lit up. That’s normal and expected. Arguably the hardest part of the workout comes early on with the Thrusters. These are meant to be challenging, a little weight will go a long way. If you do these in 3 sets or less, you went too light. Expectation is that you have to break these up into sets of 10 (or even less) reps per set. 7 sets of 7 might be a good rep scheme to get you right about at 50 reps. The Push-ups are again meant to challenge you, with you likely needing to do singles toward the end of your set of 50.

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

• 51-52 - clean up

• 53-60 - Recovery

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

  • Trap Smash with LAX ball - 2 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!