🏋️‍♂️ Workouts 🏋️‍♀️

- Overview: This is the first week of our 8-week Power strength cycle. This cycle improves absolute strength & explosive power through contrast training, in which a heavy lift is paired with an explosive movement.

Weeks 1-3: Bench/Squats/Deadlifts that increase in load & decrease in reps

Week 4: Back-off with alternate lifts

Weeks 5-7: Push Press/Squats/Power Cleans that increase in load & decrease in reps

Week 8: Explosive power tests

- Today, we're contrasting heavy bench press with light medball chest passes to stimulate power development. BE EXPLOSIVE in your medball throws. Moving with as much speed as you can is what stimulates the body to become more explosive.

- You can choose to build in weight (between the recommended percentages) over your working sets, or stay at the same weight across. You should be able to move smoothly through all reps with minimal pausing or grinding through the last few reps.

- The barbell must reach full lockout at the top and touch the chest at the bottom of your reps. Ensure you make it to full lockout on your final rep before re-racking.

- If you don't have a spotter, do not use collars on the bar for safety in case you miss a rep and need to dump the bar.

- Fitness Attributes Improved: Absolute Strength & Explosive Power

- Aim to have 5 points of contact at all times when benching: feet flat on the ground, hips/glutes on the bench, shoulders in contact with the bench, head firm and stable against the bench, and a full grip on the barbell.

- Grip width should be near shoulder width, varying 1 inch in or out as desired.

- Better training and strength adaptations will come from controlled reps.

BENCH PRESS

- Sub Dumbbells

- Floor Press

- Weighted Deficit Push-Ups

- Strict Press

MEDBALL CHEST PASS

- Standing, Kneeling, or Lying

- Plyo Push-ups

- Dumbbell Bench Press (Very Light)

5 Inchworm to Push-up

10 Push-ups

10 Empty Barbell Bench Press

5 Plyo Push-ups

8 Bench Press at Light Weight

5 Bench Press at Moderate Weight

Build to Starting Weight

REPEAT FROM 4/14/2025

- Overview: Today's workout is meant to challenge the muscular system. Your limiting factor will likely be muscular fatigue rather than cardiovascular fatigue.

- Choose variations for all movements that you can complete within 2 sets for the majority of the workout. As the workout progresses and your muscles fatigue, you may need to break movements into 3-4 sets. Rounds should take 2 minutes or less to complete.

- Push-ups: Keep a streamlined position, keeping your hips from sagging or piking. Bring your chest to the ground, and reach full extension of the elbows at the top.

- Kettlebell Swings: This is intended to be a heavy kettlebell swing. Start with the kettlebell between your legs. Using your hips as the power source, swing the kettlebell overhead until it is directly over your ears, shoulders, hips, and ankles. Your arms should be straight and extended at the top of your rep.

- Intended Intensity: RPE 5-6

- Target Loading: Moderate

- Fitness Attribute Improved: Muscular Endurance

- Target Score: 7-10 Rounds

- There are a lot of ways to approach this workout. We would love to see athletes challenge their muscular system by completing sets to fatigue and then taking the needed rest. Work until you think the next rep will slow down, and then take a break. Repeat this approach until your reps for that movement are done. ***This approach will give you the best muscle development and growth adaptations.***

- If you want to maximize your time, working in small controlled sets on the strict pull-ups and push-ups is the best approach so you can complete the kettlebell swings unbroken.

STRICT PULL-UPS

- Reduce Reps

- Banded Strict Pull-Ups

- Kipping Pull-ups

- Jumping Pull-ups with Controlled Descent

- Ring Rows

- Alternating Dumbbell Plank Rows (Renegade Row)

PUSH-UPS

- Reduce Reps

- Box Push-Ups (Hands Elevated)

- 20 Plank Shoulder Taps

- Dumbbell Bench Press

- Dumbbell Floor Press

KETTLEBELL SWINGS

- Reduce Loading/Reps

- Single Dumbbell Hang Power Snatches, @dumbbell(35/25)

- Barbell Hang Power Snatches, @weight(65/45)

- Russian Kettlebell Swings

2-3 Rounds:

2 Strict Pull-ups

3 Push-ups

4 Kettlebell Swings