Isn’t it fantastic being in the Training Tribe? Yes! Absolutely. We’re continuing in this first of three months in the Strength and Hypertrophy Block. I’ve mentioned in some of our content how we’re working on being highly competent with the compound movements in this training split as well as making sure we are recovering adequately.
Sleep and nutrition are the main components to emphasize for recovery. We also want to watch out for sore joints, especially in the shoulders, elbows, lower back, and knees. Good technique and gradual load progression are the keys, but always err on the side of conservative judgment. In other words, adjust your form as needed to always avoid joint pain (do NOT try to work through this) and select just a little less weight (at least for now) than you think you can handle. It will be time to hammer soon enough.
Week of 2024-02-12 (week 2 of month 1: Strength and Hypertrophy Block)
| WOW | PREPARATORY | PRIMARY | ACCESSORY | TIPS |
| A 2X | PUSHUP 3 X 10 1:00 rests | BENCH PRESS Straight Sets 8 total sets 10 reps each Set 1-2 light warmup Working sets 3-8 RPE 6-6-7-7- Rest as needed | EMOM 10 reps per ex. Alternate ex. 4-8 rounds SB Push Press MB Slam DB Skull Crusher | Try to squeeze the bar or bells together as you bench press. |
| B 2X | BIKE OR WALK Zone 1-2 10:00 | SQUAT 8 total sets 8 reps each Set 1-2 light warmup Working sets 3-8 RPE 6-6-7-7- Rest as needed | Box Jumps 10 x 1 Depth Drops 10 x 1 Depth Jumps 10 x 1 Stretch As preferred | Shoot for ¾ depth in your squat for now. |
| C 2X | PULLUP (with assist) 3 x 10 1:00 rests | DEADLIFT 8 total sets 6 reps each Set 1-2 light warmup Working sets 3-8 RPE 6-6-7-7- Rest as needed | DB Curls (any style) 3 x 15 Cardio Any mode Z1-2 20-30:00 | Try to pull the bar apart as you do pullup and deadlift. |
General Workout Considerations: Our goal this week is to increase workload volume in a sneaky way. Don’t change the weights or reps. Instead, use the suggestions listed below to increase Time Under Tension (TUT), which is a proven muscle-building technique. Each exercise will have a unique strategy (I’m not crazy about the term “hack” as you know) that you can apply.
Workout A Breakdown: Push Day. On the bench press, use a 3-inch Bonus Reversal at the bottom. As you begin your press up from the bottom, go up for the 1st 3 inches, then lower back down and start over, going all the way up. Don’t bounce. Do this on every rep in the
Workout B Breakdown: Leg Day. On the squats, hold the bottom position (wherever that is for you right now) for one full second (or a quick 3-count saying 1-2-3). Do this on each rep in the
Workout C Breakdown: Pull Day. For the deadlift, we are using that “tap and go” technique and keeping the weight relatively light. That stated, hold the top (standing upright) position of the deadlift for 1 full second on every rep in the
Those changes will seem subtle but they will have a profound effect on our muscular workload. The is included in that section but I’ll also mention it here. In the Accessory section of Workout A we are going to take a light weight in the back squat at 25% bodyweight (BW) and see how many reps (WITH NO PAUSES IN THIS CASE) you can bang out in 1 minute, using solid form. It’s a gasser. You can use a slightly quicker tempo, but don’t chop your range of motion. 30 reps is your goal.
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