Friday

Work Capacity
As fast as possible complete:
60x Thrusters loaded w/50 percent of your bodyweight
Rest 5 minutes

Then
6 Sets:
30 sec row for max distance
1 min rest

Note: Complete the thrusters as fast as you can without sacrificing form. This is a lesson in fortitude. You will want to put the bar down. You will drop the bar and hesitate to pick it back up; waiting a second longer for the anticipation of the terribleness to cease... But it doesn't and it won't, so be stronger than the need for comfort and push through it. Knock out those few extra reps, pick the bar back up after a couple breaths and crush this!

Thursday

Posterior Chain Development + Rotational Strength
3 Rounds NOT for time:
10x Hanging floor wipers
1 min weighted side plank left side 35/15lbs
10x Band resisted rotational chops left side
1 min weighted side plank right side 35/15lbs
10x Band resisted rotational chops right side

Then
30 min sled drag 90/45lbs

Note: To complete the floor wiper grab onto a pull-up bar and raise your legs straight up until toes are level with bar. From this position rotate legs down and to the left twisting your torso until legs are parallel to the ground. Return to starting position and repeat in opposite direction to complete 2x reps. 

For the weighted side plank hold a dumbbell on your hip while keeping your midline straight and rigid. You will do a side plank on the left side, 10x rotational chops on the left side, and then switch sides doing the same sequence for the right. 

The sled drag is a power walk. Drive through the heels every step. Walking with the sled as opposed to running ensures no momentum, allowing each step to build starting strength. Use a waist harness or attach the sled straps to your lifting belt. Goal is to cover 1.5 miles in the allotted time, adjust the load appropriately to meet this objective.

Warm-up

Neglected. Taken for granted. Or conducted sub-optimally, without purpose. Do you know how to prime your body for movement and prepare it for intense activity? I don't want to waste time talking about what most people do; I want to ensure that you are doing what you need to do to train safe and stay injury-free.

The goal of a warm-up is multi-tiered and involves:

1. Raising muscle temperature
2. Increased blood flow to the muscles
3. Lubricating the joints
4. Preparing the connective tissue
5. Neural activation

Skipping the warm-up and jumping right into exercise is careless and an open invitation to strained muscles and tendons, and sprained ligaments. At the least, you will suffer shortened range of motion, subpar performance, and also decrease the effectiveness of your training over time. Conversely, an appropriate warm-up will prepare the body to perform at its best and sustain muscle and connective tissue longevity (Hertling and Kessler 1996).

Below outlines a purposeful warm-up:

1. Limber Up
Use joint rotations, starting with either the fingers or toes. Make slow circular movements until the joint moves smoothly, as you progress up the line to the next joint working distal to proximal (fingers, wrist, elbow, shoulder, neck, twisting bending torso, hips, knees, ankles, toes). If you start from the toes reverse the order; the goal being to end on the portion of the body that will be stressed most during the training.

2. Light Activity
Engage in five minutes of aerobic activity to get the blood flowing and warm the muscle-belly. This can be performed on a machine like a rower, air dyne, or versa-climber. Other methods involve swinging a light kettle bell, shadow boxing, or jumping rope.

3. Dynamic Stretching
The goal here is to increase range of motion through active elongation. Dynamic stretches can be as simple as arm swings (5-8 reps) and leg swings (10-12 reps) for as many sets as needed to reach maximum range of motion in any given direction. More advanced routines and specific dynamic stretches can be learned by researching "Movement Prep."

4. Specific Activity
Finish priming the body by conducting movements similar to the training that will be performed. This involves light pulls, squats, presses, etc that mimic the movement patterns you will use during your training.

The entire warm-up can be as long as 30 minutes or as short as five-ten minutes depending on your level of ability and body awareness. The former generally reserved for individuals new to training, or athletes preparing for intense activity or heavy resistance training.

Be smart, invest your time in taking care of yourself. You will reap the benefit of staying in the game longer and avoid the frustration of potential injury.

Tuesday

Work Capacity
5 Rounds for time:
10x Hang power cleans 155/115 lbs
20x Ring push-ups

Note: What does for time mean? I want you to move through each exercise as fast as humanly possible, WITHOUT sacrificing priority numero uno of maintaining movement integrity. Fast times with garbage reps only serve to feed ego and incur injuries. However, intensity is paramount to performance; therefore, go hard! But hold yourself accountable.

Monday

Strength Endurance
Climb ladder 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10...
Strict pull-up
Ring dip x2
Overhead squat 75lbs x2

Note: When you can no longer complete an unbroken set of strict pull-ups, rest one minute and then descend the ladder from how ever high you climbed it.

Balance

There is so much information currently available for each of us to take advantage. Unfortunately, there is also a significant amount of disinformation that can be misleading, time-wasting, and inappropriate.

I started this project in 2008, with the objective of uncovering the truth behind the question "What is fitness?" Eight years later, after countless hours spent testing theories, traveling down roads that led to both success and injury, and experimenting with a gamut of methodologies - I have an answer to that question. Balance.

What I have discovered is that no matter what you are pursuing be it competitive sports, records, strength gains, faster times, greater health, endurance, flexibility, power, skills, or aesthetics, without balance you are not truly fit.

Perhaps, in the context of your endeavor, defined by the parameters of that activity you are the fastest, strongest, most powerful, leanest, longest lasting, or healthiest individual. But the pursuit of greatness in a singular arena requires that other facets be put to the side.

In this world, each of us were created with purpose. Yes, you! You have a purpose. With purpose comes responsibility. I'd be hard pressed to discern what everyone's natural gifting or unique calling was; however, I recognize that physical fitness is an aspect of your life that when applied in balance can greatly enhance your ability to affect your circumstances.

No matter your individual purpose, we all have an inherent right and responsibility to protect and provide for ourselves and our families. We have a duty to stand up for, protect, lend a hand, and assist our fellow man in whatever capacity we are able. Our physical preparedness, mental faculty, faith, courage, character, grit, moral code, and situational awareness all serve to aid in this ability.

My goal is to help you in bringing balance to the physical preparedness aspect. In doing so, I will provide weekly training sessions with the specific objective of building a well-rounded base of fitness. The intention is not to be a coverall, nor will this program give you the specifics to chase down anyone set attribute.

I want each one of you to establish a healthy level of endurance and work capacity, because life is demanding of our energy. I will promote the development of strength and power, but not to the degree that conditioning or variety will diminish. I am a firm believer in the continuous pursuit of learning, and therefore will incorporate skills that may take years to practice (this is ok, and should be approached with patience).

Sowing and reaping. That is what will happen. I want to sow into you principles, knowledge, practices, wisdom, and resolve. So that you can reap the ability, confidence, character, and strength to do the things you were meant to do, and be the person you were meant to be.