Pounding the lower back

If you deadlifted yesterday and also did the farmers walk then todays training session was not a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination! Yes the athletes lower backs took a beating but so did their abs and shoulders and lungs. But don't be worried we have 3 days of deload for the rest of the week to look forward to!!

Training:
Run 400 meters
21 swings
12 thrusters
3 rounds for time

Training:
Partner training
Run athlete rows while the other athlete runs 400 meters then they switch

4 rounds for time and distance

Strong

All my athletes are getting strong! And I mean heavy weights strong!

Training:
Warm up 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Swings
Situps

Deadlifts 8x3
Push-ups 4 x quality set

Finisher
Farmer walks
6 trips

Going to the hang

Hitting the Horsetooth Hang today in Fort Collins. Should be an interesting day of climbing! We should be pretty smoked after this and Sundays are great recovery day in the fall filled with football. Hope everybody has a good weekend and get ready for another productive week of training.

Training:
Burpees 30 secs
Mountain climbers 30 secs
Jumping jacks 30 secs
Burpees 30 secs
Mountain climbers 30 secs
Jumping jacks 30 secs
Rest 60 seconds
6 rounds

Frustration

Yes everyone gets frustrated when they are jumping rope and hit their feet or trip up a little bit. This is OK!! We are building a new skill and there is always a curve that needs to be navigated before mastering the skill. So just relax and focus and before we know it we will be jumping like champs. One of the common problems and why the rope gets caught at the feet is a slow rope turn. Even when fatigued, focus on a fast rope and the rest will take care of its self.

Training:
150 rope turns
Max pulls

Max rounds in 20 minutes

The power of 3

3's are a great rep scheme when power is being trained. This is because it is easier to keep a high power output going while keeping the reps low. Weighted power training does not lend it's self well to higher reps as staying fast and powerful will quickly end and the point of the training session will be diminished. Now we do train power endurance but that leans further towards the conditioning side of the spectrum but is no less important in all around development.

Training:
Dumbbell push press 8x3
1 arm over head squats 3x8
Farmer walks 6 100 meter trips

Team conditioning

Starting together and ending together and picking one to set the pace for the workout. When the athletes know other athletes are relying on them to get through the training session in an efficient manner the pace is quikened. Also I tried a workout from Mark Twight called the "vomit comet". It is no joke, I did not vomit but I sure was pushed very close to it.

Training:
Pushups 1-10
Situps 1-10
Burpees 1-10
Swings 1-10
Pushups 1-10
Jumping lunges 1-10
For time

Training:
20 sandbag thrusters 70 lb bag
15 kettlebell swings 55 lb
12 pullups
8 burpees
3 rounds for time

Re-distribution of body weight

Great strength can be built with our own bodyweight but a common aruement is that it is difficult to progress in a manner to overload our system to spur strength gains. I disagree with this as many people can take themselves through progressively difficult varitions to consistantly build strength. As an example today instead of standard push-ups or even push-ups with weight on the back, all I need an athlete to do is to elevate their feet. More resistance and no additional weight added. Training: Squat 5x5 Push-ups 4 x quality set Training: Deadlift 5x5 Weighted push-ups 4 x quality set Training: Squats 5x5 Power overs 3x12

Power endurance

Building lasting power and team work during todays power endurance training session. There is too much mis-information out there today on what true functional training is. Functional training invovles big lifts and the whole body combined in a strength, power and conditioning session and training this way is far more productive and fun than what the muscle mags attempt to tell people.

Training:
5 Tire flips
15 burpees
5 rounds for time

Slight deload

Or just a simple manipulation of training intensity to keep everyone feeling fresh and still improving. Plus it's always fun and rewarding to see an athlete gain a new skill.

Training:
150 rope turns
Run 400 meters
75 rope turns
Run 400 meters
50 Jumps
Run 400 meters

Finishers and weighted walks

Finishers and weighted walks are easy to coach and easy to implement and very fun to tack on the end of a training session if time allows. All an athlete has to do is pick up something fairly heavy and walk for a period of time or distance.

Training:
Dumbbell push press 5x5
Goblet squats 4x10

Training:
Bench press 5x5
Goblet squats 4x10
One arm farmers walk 150 meters

Training:
Weighted ring dips 5x5
Over head squats 3x10

Anyone

Everyone is now allowed to leave comments! I changed the settings so if you have questions or something to say please leave it in the comments section. I will do my best to answer questions within 24 hours.

Training:
Squats 5x5
push-ups 4 x quality set

Training:
Deadlift 5x5
Weighted push-ups 4 x quality set

Training:
Squats 5x5
Power overs 3x12

Tabata intervals

Originally discovered by Dr. Tabata these interval sessions have been found to burn as much fat as 30 minutes of traditional cardio. These are done with 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 total rounds or 4 minutes. Athletes usually agree it's the longest 20 seconds ever and the shortest 10 seconds.

Training:
Tabata pulls
Tabata push-ups
Tabata sit-ups
Tabata Squats

Training:
5 push-ups
10 burpees
15 squats
10 rounds for time

Fight on Friday

There is nothing like taking a former high level gymnast, a roping cowgirl, and a Air Force NCO and training them in such a way that an observer would swear there were 3 fighters training! There is nothing wrong with taking a page out of a boxers training book and applying that to a range of athletes at different fitness levels. Work capacity and conditioning is built and everyone is having a great time!

Training:
Jump rope 3 minutes
rest 1 minute
5 rounds

Training:
Burpees 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Situps 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Alternate burpees and situps
For time

Grip

The theory I have on effective grip training is this, it is better and more effective to train grip strength in the main context of the training session than isolating it at the end of the session. My reasoning is when my grip is really needed in day to day life I am already using my entire body, so why not tie it all in together? I am not saying that extra grip should not be done but I believe the bulk should be worked during the main session utilizing deadlifts, pull-ups, kettlebells and all the other fun movements we do.

Training:
Lots of bouldering

Training:
Bench press 5x5
Goblet squats 4x8

Pushing it

Today's training session was just as much a mental workout as physical. This training session is in the more of the realm of a challenge as it takes longer and has a much more brutal level of movements. These challenge workouts don't come up too often because of how exhausting they are and should only be taken on a couple times a month to stave of burnout and avoid injury. But when you are finished you get a tremendous sense of accomplishment!

Training:
Run 400 meters
25 burpees
18 pulls
4 rounds for time

Training:
Burpees 30 seconds
mountain climbers 30 seconds
jumping jacks 30 seconds
Burpees 30 seconds
Mountain climbers 30 seconds
Jumping jacks 30 seconds
Rest 1 minute
6 rounds

Competition

Competition is a very motivating dynamic to instill in a training session. It will drive athletes harder and further for those couple of extra seconds or to finish those last rounds. This is why I post all the completion times and results of all the training sessions for the athletes to see. It gives everyone a bench mark for the day to try and achieve or exceed. The flip side to this is that in reality you should only be in competition with yourself. You should strive to beat your previous times and strength numbers. If you focus on this aspect and continually best yourself then your body composition and performance goals will soon be a reality. Now look at that board and kick some ass!

Training:
Squat 5x5
Push-ups 4x quality set

Training:
Goblet squats 4x8
push-ups 4x quality set

Training:
Squat work up to a heavy set of 5
Plyo-pushups 4x10

Training:
200 squats for time
100 situps for time

Saturday morning

Nothing will wake you up like high intensity conditioning will! The 1 arm thruster brings alot of core stability and over all body conditioning to the table and the pull-ups are just plain fun. Couple it with the most primitive form of exercise and survival the run and we are ready to earn our calories for the weekend.

Training:
Run 400 meters
5 thrusters left arm
5 thrusters right arm
30 pulls
Run 800 meters
30 pulls
5 thrusters left arm
5 thrusters right arm
Run 400 meters
For time

Training:
Burpee ladder-start a clock, on the first minute do a burpee, rest until minute number 2 and do 2 burpees, rest until minute 3 and do 3 burpees, continue as long as possible, as soon as you cannot finish the number of burpees during the given minute the workout is done.

As the weather gets cooler

The weather is definitaly on the down slope as we get later in the year but luckily this will not slow down our conditioning! The more we use the jump rope the more I see it as one of the top tools for building conditioning. More demanding and skill intensive than running and utilizing a small amount of space, we will be jumping our way to higher levels of fitness as the weather outside is frightful.

Training:
100 rope turns
10 burpees
10 push-ups
10 squats
8 rounds for time

Training:
Bench press work up to a heavy single
Broad jumps 3x10

Goblet squats

These are fanatstic at teaching the correct body position throughout the entire range of motion for a properly performed squat. This squat drill teaches a fairly up right torso, sitting back and down while staying on the heels, and the elbows help to remind the athlete to keep the knees pushed out. After a couple reps and some instruction the athlete gets a feel for the squat and requires little coaching in the future.

Training:
Bench press 5x5
Goblet squats 3x12

Training:
Press 5x6
Goblet squats 3x12

Tired?

The fatigue set in really fast today and this is a direct result of the nature of the movements. The dumbbell snatch is a explosive movement which means it utilizes the fast twich muscles in our bodies. The fast twich type IIb are responsible for explosive movements are among the strongest and have the most potential for growth. The downside is these muscle fibers get tired really fast. So when the dumbbell snatch is programmed into a high intensity interval training session the result is a brutal conditioning session with outstanding results. Power and muscle are built and the more muscle that our bodies build the more fat we burn throughout the day.

Training:
5 dumbbell snatches right arm
5 dumbbell snatches left arm
10 squats
max rounds in 15 minutes

My fun as a coach

Teaching the basic barbell squat is probably my favorite lift to teach as a trainer. Theres just something about taking someone who has never correctly done the exercise right, and watching them develop the correct technique in a short amount of time. The strength days have also evolved, After a lower body strength day such as today I have paired a upper body strength movement. This will usually be something unconventional such as weighted push-ups or on an upper body strength day a sandbag lift. Of course these are only a few of the options to chose and I have an arsenal of many, many movements to pull from. So far so good, I hope to see continued gains.

Training:
Squat 5x5
Push-ups 4x quality set

Training:
Pistols 5x5
swings 4x20
plyo-pushups 4x10

Training:
Deadlift x a max single
Plyo-pushups 4x10