GROUP WARMUP
2 sets -
5 overhead plate stretch
5 external oblique opener variation: leg raise
5 plate squats @3 second tempo
10 PVC pass throughs
+ trainer led barbell warmup
BARBELL WORK
Every 2 minutes for 10 minutes
1 clean liftoff + 1 power clean + 1 front squat
60-65%
ADVANCED TRAINING TECHNIQUES
Perform *Myotatic reps with control; take as-needed rest between each set (between 60-90 seconds)
Circuit 1:
3 sets -
6 Myotatic Bench Press
6 Myotatic Strict Pull-up
Circuit 2:
3 sets -
6 Myotatic Sandbag squat
8 Each Leg Dumbbell Overhead split squat (modify: Dumbbell front rack)
*Myotatic reflex (aka stretch reflex) is a muscle contraction in response to stretching within the muscle. It is a monosynaptic reflex that provides automatic regulation of skeletal muscle length. When a muscle lengthens, the muscle spindle is stretched and its nerve activity increases. This type of movement strengthens your neuromuscular communication, making your muscles faster and more efficient at sending and receiving messages. It also recruits more fast-twitch muscle fibers than most traditional protocols.
MOBILITY
1:00 box stretch
1:00 frog stretch
Mindset Monday
Believe you can and you're halfway there.
- Theodore Roosevelt
The Importance of Movement Variability
In our continued effort to educate you on our training principles and phases, let’s talk about why we often rotate different exercises instead of sticking with the same ones.
First, many athletes start at our gym with past injuries, less than optimal positions, or sub-par joint structures. Since we do not have control over this, we want to make sure to write training phases that are likely to avoid overuse issues and keep you from feeling beat up. Changing up exercises on a regular basis makes it so we aren’t overtaxing your joints. Take the back squat. Everyone wants to get stronger here, but if we asked you to back squat three or four-plus times a week, we would risk hurting your knees and back. Instead, we vary the squatting movement with exercises like KB front rack squats, sandbag squats, hex bar deadlifts, split squats, etc. The movement is there, yet you aren’t overloaded and you still make progress.
Movement variability allows you to train different muscles. Using the example above, the back squat trains different muscles than the KB front squat, so using both will allow you to be a more complete athlete. Additionally, if you get really good at just one thing, it can lead to weaknesses/breakdown in others. So, we changed it up!
Lastly, incorporating different movements is fun! It would be boring to do the same thing over and over. Imagine what your workout routine would look like if you programmed for yourself. It would likely be loaded with things you like to do or are good at and lacking in the things you need (and you may not even know you need them). You’d have to pull from a limited repertoire of exercises. You’d probably have some big holes in your fitness.
Bottom line: we are all training for health and wellness. We want to be stronger and more fit than our peers. We want physical activity outside our gym to be easy. We want to build muscle and be lean. But, we aren’t professional athletes, so we don’t need to train in the same movements over and over to become a specialist.
We want you healthy forever! And our training phases reflect that.
