Metabolic Conditioning

Tuesday's Training Session:

10x 100 yd Wind sprint in the sand
30 secs. rest

or

4x 400m Run
2 mins. rest

Sometimes I visit one of the local gym facilities to change up the surroundings, and never fail I am astounded at the ignorance and lack of awareness when it comes to training. It is not uncommon for every bench press to be occupied by a patron - sitting there resting between sets, while the squat racks are left collecting dust. What are people seeking when day in and day out they climb on the "Cardio Machines" or rep out bicep curls and shoulder flies and never seem to change? Why would someone repeatedly waste hour upon hour of unfruitful labor? Why are people completely willing to throw money away reading about trendy fad diets and magical supplements and wonder exercises that continuously dead end.

WAKE UP FRIENDS!!! There is no supplement or substitute for HARD WORK! Period. If you start training functional movement - that is movements your body is designed for to accomplish the act of living and survival like running, jumping, climbing, pulling, pushing, carrying, throwing, squatting, and lifting - it doesn't matter if you train for 4 minutes or two hours, if you put everything you got into these movements you will get remarkable results.

Training in the gym is supposed to facilitate the conditioning and strengthening of our ability and preparedness in these movements. There is no other reason to train!

Strength Endurance

Monday's Training Session:

Max rounds in 20 mins
5x HSPU's
10x Pistols
15x Pull-ups

Notes: Handstand push-ups can be substituted with a half-body weight push-press or dive bomber push-ups. Substitute pistols
with jump squats if necessary. At the end of the session practice either the pistol or handstand push-up technique. Happy Memorial Day!

Rest Day!

Weekend rest is upon us! Take advantage of it, enjoy the nice weather, stretch, stay hydrated, move around.

Core Strength

Friday's Training Session:

Overhead Squat
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Notes: Start at ten rep max and increase load each set until 1RM. Rest as required in between sets.

Active Recovery

Thursday's Training Session:

Do what you love, go bike, run, swim, hike, grapple whatever! Get your heart rate up, flush out the lactic acids, and have fun.

Core Strength

Wednesday's Training Session:

Deadlift
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Notes: Start at ten rep max and increase load each set until 1RM. Rest as required in between sets.

Metabolic Conditioning

Tuesday's Training Session:

For time complete:
Run 400m
50x Double-unders
Run 400m
50 yd. Farmer carry 150/75 lbs.
Run 400m
50x Kettlebell snatches 70/35 lbs.
Run 400m
50 yd. Farmer carry 150/75 lbs.
Run 400m

Notes: This is where we breathe hard and build up our work capacity. If you have not mastered double-unders substitute with a tuck jump (Take time after the session to practice double-unders). For the farmer carry you can use a weighted bar, kettlebells, dumbbells, keg, tire just as long as it is 150 lbs or more. To increase functionality use unequal amounts of weight on each side, just remember to switch grips on the second carry.

Strength

Monday's Training Session:

5 Rounds:
5x Muscle-ups
7x Bear complex 105-145/65 lbs.

Notes: The substitute for a muscle-up is 3x pull-ups then 3x dips, that means you will do 3x pull-ups and 3x dips for the first muscle-up, then 3x pull-ups and 3x dips for the next muscle-up. Do not do all the pull-ups first then all the dips after. The bear complex is a deadlift, a hang clean, a front squat, a push press, a back squat and one more push press for one rep. Repeat this for seven reps. This session is not for time. Each round should be completed as fast as possible with rest in between. Increase weight each round starting at 105 lbs. then 115, 125, 135, and end with 145lbs.

Rest Day!

Weekend time off. Enjoy it, stay away from the gym and over training. Stretch as always and stay hydrated.

With our new training program starting Monday, I have chosen a select amount of fully functional movements that we will be concentrating on to improve our strength and conditioning. The movements I selected are not so much complex, but yet allude us sometimes as we try to master them - basically I chose a handful of movements that defeat the average man or woman. But with appropriate programming, technical practice, a foundation of strength and some more practice we will master these movements. Look forward to conquering and becoming functional in these: muscle-ups, double-unders, ring dips, handstand push-ups, pistols, rope climbs, and L-sits to mention a few.

As the sessions are posted do not become mentally defeated by what seems insurmountable, but rather look forward with excitement to what you are setting out to achieve. Remember we're are not working out, we are training, and in training we make the mistakes, we put in the time, we suck it up, so that when we need to call on it - we can perform confidently. So when you come across a movement you are unable to currently execute follow the substitutions, these are designed to build up the strength to complete the movement. Then after the day's training is complete take a little extra time for yourself and practice the technical aspect of the movement. I personally can attest that I could not do a single double-under, a single muscle-up, or pistol without practice. If you put in the time, you will reap the benefits!

Active Recovery

Friday's Training Session:

Run 5k

Things are quickly becoming more hectic and busier each day we near the summer months. With the weather becoming incredible outside, no one wants to be stuck in a gym sweating to death while killing themselves, when they could be out with friends enjoying life. So in order to efficiently balance our time I am eliminating a lot of exercises and programming from our training - more or less, cutting away the fat.

The whole objective of our training is to build a foundation of reliable general physical preparedness. What does this entail? For us it simply means that we are trying to strengthen and condition our physical capabilities to allow us to overcome and adapt to whatever situation, challenge or obstacle that is placed in our path.

I cannot stress enough how important strength is for us. Time and time again it is proven in real life situations - in rescues, in the heat of battle, and even in daily tasks. Strength is the foundation and cornerstone of all other fitness. Because of its great importance to us, our focus for the summer will be the development of our functional strength! The training sessions will be designed to develop our maximal potential getting us in and out quickly so as to not inhibit our time enjoying summer life.

So rest up today and this weekend, and our new programming will start Monday!

Active Recovery

Thursday's Training Session:

For those of you who are hard chargers get some light physical activity in - go for a run, swim for awhile, get some fresh air on a hike, or do some light circuits of body weight calisthenics. Or feel free to take the day off and just stretch out. My plan is:

10x 60m Wind sprints

Work Capacity

Wednesday's Training Session:

5 Rounds
20x Wallballs
20x Box jumps 36" box
20x Overhead lunges 45/25 lbs. plate

Notes: Standard substitute for wallballs is a thruster using a 45 lbs. olympic bar. Lunges are walking lunges. Session is for time, so get some!

Work Capacity

Tuesday's Training Session:

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
5x BW rows on rings
10x Ball slams
15x Burpees
20x Jumping jacks

Notes: Use the heaviest med ball weight you have available for the ball slams. Sub bent over rows with 50-75% body weight for body weight rows if no rings or bar access. Have fun!

Strength Endurance

Monday's Training Session:

50 Rounds for time:
2x HSPU's
10x Double-unders

Immediately followed by

50 Rounds for time:
1x HSPU
3x Pull-ups

Notes: Handstand push-ups can be substituted with a push-press at 50-75% of your body weight. The substitution for double-unders is tuck jumps (Jump as high as you can and bring your knees up to your chest).

Rest Day!

Weekend off time is here again. Take advantage and rest up, stretch out, hydrate, and get your mind right.

Work Capacity

Friday's Training Session:

5 Rounds for time:
400m Run
15x OHS 95/65 lbs.

Active Recovery

If you have missed any of the sessions from this week, make it up today. Otherwise, get outside, play, enjoy some carefree physical activity. Run, swim, bike, play a sport - just use your fitness!

Work Capacity

Wednesday's Training Session:

For time complete
Row 1000m
25x Burpees
Row 750m
50x Burpees
Row 500m
75x Burpees

Notes: If you do not have access to a rowing machine, substitute sprints in these distances 800m/600m/400m.

Stamina

Tuesday's Training Session:

With a 35 lbs. pack perform 500x step-ups for time, every odd minute on the minute stop and do 10x push-ups and 10x ankles to bar.

Notes: Step-ups can be done on a 24 inch box, a flat bench, a park bench, or a tire. Step-ups are on the 4-count.

Strength

Monday's Training Session:

Deadlift
3-3-3-3-3

Then for time complete:
100x Pull-ups
100x Push-ups
100x Sit-ups
100x Squats

Rest Day!

The weekend has snow in store for us up here in Michigan - typical Traverse City May. Stay warm, stretch out, hydrate, relax. Visit a hot tub or hit up the sauna, make the most of the cold before the Summer moves in!

Strength

Friday's Training Session:

Max reps in 5 minutes of
Front squat 155/95 lbs.

Rest 5 minutes

Max reps in 5 minutes of
HSPU's

Stamina

Thursday's Training Session:

Fin swim 1 mile
or
Run 10k
or
Row 5k

Notes: Perform one of these events at your threshold pace (Maximum sustainable output). Friday will be a quick, but taxing strength session.

Work Capacity

Wednesday's Training Session:

Max rounds in 20 minutes:
3x Snatch left hand 85/35 lbs. barbell
3x Snatch right hand 85/35 lbs. barbell
9x Clapping push-up
12x Lateral box jump

Notes: If you cannot snatch the barbell because of balance use a dumbbell. The lateral box jumps are performed by jumping side wards over a 24 inch box back and forth. A jump in either direction constitutes one repetition.

Work Capacity

Tuesday's Training Session:

"Tabata Suicide"

Perform alternating tabata jingle jangles and burpees. Start the clock and perform as many reps as possible for 20 seconds of jingle jangles. Rest 10 seconds. Then perform as many burpees as possible in 20 seconds. Rest 10 seconds. Repeat this 14 more times for a total of 16 sets. Your score is counted by the total number of reps in 16 sets; 8 alternating sets of jingle jangles and burpees. The entire workout should take 8 minutes.

Notes: Jingle jangles are short intense sprints. Set up two cones or markers 5 yards apart and sprint back and forth between them for 1 rep.

Strength

Monday's Training Session:

50x Wall balls
10x Muscle-ups
40x Wall balls
8x Muscle-ups
30x Wall balls
6x Muscle-ups
20x Wall balls
4x Muscle-ups
10x Wall balls
2x Muscle-ups

Notes: Prescribed weight for medicine ball is 20 lbs for the wall balls - scale as necessary. Substitute a thruster with a 45 lbs. olympic bar if you lack the resources to complete the wall balls. Substition for the muscle-up is 3x pull-ups and 3x dips for every 1 rep.

Rest Day!

Here it is again the sweet sweet weekend. Rest up, I know I'm a little sore from the training sessions this week. A lot of pull-ups and more to come. I want to lay out a challenge to you all for the upcoming week - for the next week do "the best way" in everything you do! It is human nature to take the path of least resistance, we basically try and do what we want in everything we do. The challenge for this week is to look outside our own desires, feelings, perceptions, wants, and needs and do things in the best possible manner. This entails immediately taking care of things that are due, no procrastination or delaying unpleasant chores or tasks. Get them done. Write, call, email, or tell the people in your life that mean something to you that, hey guess what, just that - they mean something to you. Put away the unhealthy habits for one week, no alcohol, no cheat foods, no laziness, no petty arguments. Take things in stride, for this week roll with every punch. The reason we become emotionally upset or disgruntle with things is usually because they turn out different from our expectations or what we had emotionally planned on to happen. So when things don't end up going as planned, adapt, change the expectation and move forward. Say yes to friends and family and get together - be social. Don't spend money on stuff you don't actually need. And one last final thing fix something with your own to hands! At the end of the week we'll see how bad it really wasn't...