May programming is here! We are sticking with our 10-Day Cycle Monday through Saturday and keeping our cardio Sundays. At the end of the month, we have our annual Memorial Day Murph WOD – so watch for the ‘Murph Prep Days’ in the beginning of the month. If you’re planning to wear a weight vest for Murph or you just want to break in a new weight vest, those are the days to bring yours with for your workout!
For the lower body lifts, our focus is on building strength. Back squats are one of the best (if not the best!) way to build lower body strength. We will be sure to include accessory work to support hip and pelvic stabilty in our warmups which will allow you to get some serious GAINS in you lifts. The velocity deadlifts are opposite to the deadlift sequence we just finished and we’re looking for speed without losing control.
The upper body strenght work is focused on building raw strength to help with dynmaic movements. Nothing fancy, just hard work and lots of isolating upper body muscles.
Olympic lifting days put it all together. These days are more abour form than anything else. It’s not about lifting heavy – UNLESS you have your form down. Your body will get SO MUCH STRONGER by just mastering the movement patterns associated with the olympic lifts. If you’re shakey in your Oly lifting, these are the days NOT to miss – and talk with the Coach to get some pointers to help you with your progress.
Olympic Lifting Day #1
Clean and jerk EMOM12. Add weight every set. No misses!
Simple progression. Recommended to record the steps you take in your weight increase and add 5# at the start every next time.
Lower Body Strength Day #1
Paused back squats. 3 seconds pause at bottom. Stay under tension. Do not bottom out. Work on maintaining midline bracing and glute engagement at the bottom. Try to come up as fast you can.
Upper Body Strength Day #1
A1: Strict press. Nothing fancy. Keep elbows in and try to press through the feet down with locked out knees as you press the barbell. Do not touch and go. Control the descent.
A2: Diamond plyo push-up. Hands touching index fingers and thumbs at the center of the chest. Keep your elbows hugging the ribcage. Lower down slow, then explode up as fast as you can without changing in midline position.
A3: Straight arm ring support holds 15-30 seconds. Keep head up, shoulders protracted and elbows locked out. Keep feet on the ground to provide assistance for scaling. Ideally you’ll maintain a hollow body position. That would require you to have a high set of rings.
Olympic Lifting Day #2
Snatch grip deadlift + hang shrug hold+ hang squat shatch. The goal is to move very slowly and deliberate through the deadlift. Practice each position and at the top fully lock out the legs and hips. Setting to the hang above the knees, start moving in slow motion. Reach full triple extension and hold a shrug onto your toes for ~2 sec. Reset to the hang and explode into a squat snatch. The goal is to work on timing, reaching triple extension before pulling with the arms.
Lower Body Strength Day #2
Velocity deadlift. The complete opposite of the previous deadlift variation from March and April. The goal is to lift as fast as possible up, hold tension with legs and hips locked out for one second and control the descent for ~2 seconds. No rest at the bottom, explode right back up. Do not drop at the last rep.
Upper Body Strength Day #2
A1: Bent over row. Halfway in the deadlift position with the barbell in front of the knee. Try to pull with elbows leading the way without bending the wrists. Do not pump the hips. Stop at the top for ~1 second.
A2: DB bicep curls. Emphasise the slow and controlled descent. Make it harder by adding tension instead of weight. Do not pump the hips.
A3: Banded straight arm lat pull down 2 seconds pause hands by hips. Attach a band at face height or a higher(pull-up bar). Stay in a hinged over position, maintaining active hamstrings. When you pull your hands by the hips pinch shoulder blades for ~2 seconds.
