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This is Week 1, the introduction week of the 7-week Strength cycle. This will be followed by a 6-week metabolic-focused Hypertrophy cycle.
Please make sure you read The Strength Cycle Blog to learn all the details of the cycle and optimize your success with the program!
As per standard protocol for these introduction weeks, we have efforts tempered across the board.
The higher fatigue demanding compound movements will be 4-5 reps from failure, while the less demanding short overload / isolation movements will operate more in the ~2 reps from failure range.
All effort will be progressed week to week going forward!
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Monday – Lower Body
Parts A and B repeat week to week
A. Back Squat (Low Bar or High Bar)
2-3 second descent, brief pause bottom, explode up
No more than 1 breath at top
2-4 warm-up sets building in weight to the top single rep:
1 set x 1 rep (~5 reps from failure; a weight you *could* do 6 reps)
Rest 2-3 min
1 set x 6 Reps (~4 reps from failure; a weight you *could* do 10 reps)
Points of Performance for LOW BAR:
-Bar resting across the rear delts / shoulder blades
-Feet just outside of shoulder width, toes pointed ~10 degrees out
-Initiate movement by sending the hips back, which will bring the torso forward a bit.
-Controlled descent; while maintaining the torso position established at beginning of rep (remainder of descent made up by bending at the knees).
-Pause bottom where hip crease ends below knees
-Explode up driving hard through the ground (with focus on glutes initiating the momentum up).
-Maintain torso position established on descent (avoid letting hips shoot up, which would force the torso to cave over more).
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2-3 second descent, brief pause bottom, explode up
1 sec pause at top contraction
5 sets x 5 Reps
First 3 sets increase in weight/effort (progressive warm-up sets)
Final 2 work sets (target ~3 reps from failure each)
Rest 2-3 min between work sets
Points of Performance:
-Setup such that torso is flat (hips same height as shoulders) at the top of the rep
-Shins vertical at top of rep
– Remember this is a HINGE of the torso and hips moving together, not a “scooping” with the hips.
-Think about thrusting towards your feet as you ascend
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C. Banded Sissy / Leg Extension
1-2 warm-up sets, then:
2 work sets x 8-12 Reps (~2-3 reps from failure)
Rest 1-2 min between sets
Alternative movements you can swap:
–Heels Elevated Goblet Squat
–Spanish Squat
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D. DB RDL w/o full extension
1 warm-up set, then:
2 work sets x 10-15 Reps (~4 then 3 reps from failure)
Rest 1-2 min between sets
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E. Garhammer Crunches
4 sets x 8-15 Reps
Rest ~1 min between sets
Alternate movements you can swap for Garhammer Crunches:
– Reverse Crunches
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Tuesday – Upper Body
Parts A and B repeat week to week
A. Flat Barbell Bench Press
2-3 second descent, brief pause on chest, explode up
No more than one breath at lockout
2-4 warm-up sets building in weight to the top single rep:
1 set x 1 rep (~5 reps from failure; a weight you *could* do 6 reps)
Rest 2-3 min
1 set x 6 Reps (~4 reps from failure; a weight you *could* do 10 reps)
Points of performance:
-Begin from lockout, where arms are vertical from the shoulder joint (support position).
-Hands just outside shoulder width
-As the bar begins to descend, the elbows should travel at approx 45-degree angle to the body (versus being flared out like a “T” shape)
-Bar descends to the LOWER chest (below the nipple line)
-Pause briefly, then explode up, pressing back towards the head, to reach the “support position” at the top.
-Make sure to avoid twisting or contorting the body to achieve additional tough reps.
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2-3 second descent, brief pause with bar on ground, explode up to touch midline
No pause with bar touching midline
5 sets x 5 Reps
First 3 sets increase in weight/effort (progressive warm-up sets)
Final 2 work sets (target ~3 reps from failure each)
Rest 2-3 min between work sets
Points of performance:
-Find the bottom of your stiff-legged deadlift as “stance” (knees back, hamstrings and glutes both active)
-Arms hanging vertical from shoulder joint at the bottom (bar in pretty close to the shins)
-Initiate ascent by sweeping the elbows slightly back towards midline (the bar should touch the mid abdomen area at the top of the rep).
-Maintain torso parallel to the ground entire rep (avoid letting the torso elevate to make the last few inches of the rep)
-Lower under control back to a “STOP” on the ground. Do not lose tension in body as bar sits on ground
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C. Steep Incline Anterior Delt Press
4 sets x 8-12 Reps
Increase weight first 2 sets as warm-up, then:
Final 2 sets ~3-4 reps from failure
Rest ~2 min between tougher work sets
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D. (weighted) Pull-ups
1-2 warm-up sets as needed, then:
4 sets of 6 Reps
*Select a difficulty level where you *could* complete ~10-12 Reps on the FIRST set, expecting ~4 reps from failure as an average across all sets
Rest ~1-2 min between sets
Alternative Movements you can swap for Weighted Pull-ups:
Weighted Rack Pull-ups
Unweighted Rack Pull-ups
Leg in front Rack Pull-ups (no elevation)
Foot-Assisted Pull-ups
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E. EMOM x 9 Minutes:
Alternate movements at top of each minute
Each for 8-12 Reps (select ~15 rep max difficulty for each)
Min 1: DB Lateral Raise
Min 2: Open Palm DB Curls
Min 3: Banded Pushdowns
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Thursday – Lower Body
Parts A and B repeat week to week
A. Back Squat (Low Bar or High Bar)
2-3 second descent, brief pause bottom, explode up
No pause at top (hit lockout and descend again)
2-4 warm-up sets, then:
4 sets x 3 reps
Use same weight as 6-rep set from Monday (a weight you *could* do 10 reps)
Rest ~90 seconds between sets
Accelerate each rep as fast as possible on the “UP” portion (even though the weight is light)
***See blog for additional info about this second STRENGTH FOCUS back squat day
Points of Performance for LOW BAR squats:
-Bar resting across the rear delts / shoulder blades
-Feet just outside of shoulder width, toes pointed ~10 degrees out
-Initiate movement by sending the hips back, which will bring the torso forward a bit.
-Controlled descent; while maintaining the torso position established at beginning of rep (remainder of descent made up by bending at the knees).
-Pause bottom where hip crease ends below knees
-Explode up driving hard through the ground (with focus on glutes initiating the momentum up).
-Maintain torso position established on descent (avoid letting hips shoot up, which would force the torso to cave over more).
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B. Select Deadlift Variation (options below)
2-3 second descent, brief pause with bar on ground, explode up
2-4 warm-up sets building in weight to the top single rep:
1 set x 1 rep (~6 reps from failure; a weight you *could* do 6 reps)
Rest 2-3 min
1 set x 6 Reps (~5 reps from failure; a weight you *could* do 10 reps)
Points of performance for CONVENTIONAL DL:
-Setup with hands outside legs, and arms hanging vertical from the shoulder joint.
-Amount of knee bend will be dependent on individual anatomy. If knees are more bent, hips will be lower, and if hips are higher, knees will be less bent.
-A good “self test” of your setup, is to assess whether the body will “readjust” when you begin to pull. If the hips change position as you pull, it’s likely that you need to start with the hips HIGHER than you think.
-Initiate movement by pushing the floor away (instead of lifting the bar up)
-Make sure everything rises together (chest and hips simultaneously).
-Make sure the midline remains rigid (avoid letting the back turn into a question mark)
Deadlift Options:
–Conventional Deadlift
–Sumo Deadlifts
–Trap Bar Deadlifts
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C. Box/Bench Step-Ups – Same Leg
Alternate Legs each minute x 8 Minutes (4 Rounds)
Select a weight where you *could* do 12-15 reps on each leg
Min 1: Left Leg x 8 Reps
Min 2: Right Leg x 8 Reps
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D. Reverse Hyperextension (on GHD)
3 sets:
Start with 12-20 Reps (~3-4 reps from failure)
Rest 30 seconds between sets
Expect reps to drop set to set, maintaining 3-4 reps from failure each
Alternative Movement you can swap
–Reverse Hyperextension Machine
–Reverse Hyperextension (Incline bench)
–Reverse Hyperextension (on bench)
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E. 8 Rounds:
15 seconds of Sit-ups
Rest 15 seconds
15 seconds of Lying Leg Raise (with Hip Thrust at top)
Rest 15 seconds
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Friday – Upper Body
Parts A and B repeat week to week
A. (weighted) Pull-ups
Rep scheme below applies to Strict Pull-ups, Weighted Pull-ups and Negatives. If you cannot perform those movements for the STRENGTH rep schemes, then you should select one of the “hypertrophy” options and follow the hypertrophy rep scheme.
2-3 second descent, brief pause bottom stretch, explode up
No pause at the top
Strength Focus:
2-4 warm-up sets building in weight to the top single rep:
1 set x 1 rep (~5 reps from failure; a weight you *could* do 6 reps)
Rest 2-3 min
1 set x 6 Reps (~4 reps from failure; a weight you *could* do 10 reps)
Hypertrophy Focus:
2-3 warm-up sets, then:
2 work sets x 5-8 Reps (~4 then 3 reps from failure)
Rest 2-3 min between work sets
Points of performance:
-Loop dip belt through the weight and the other carabiner to secure around waist
-Begin in a dead-hang; arms straight, lats stretched, scapula depressed.
-Initiate ascent by activating the scapula from it’s depressed position (essentially pulling down and back with the back musculature before bending the arms)
-Keep a SLIGHT lean-back of the torso (approx 5-10 degrees) throughout the rep
-Make sure to avoid compromising positioning as you fatigue
-Lower under control back to the deep stretch position at the bottom.
Alternate movements you can swap FOR STRENGTH FOCUS:
–Strict Pull-ups
–Pull-up Negatives (lowers)
Alternative Movements you can swap FOR HYPERTROPHY FOCUS:
Weighted Rack Pull-ups
Unweighted Rack Pull-ups
Leg in front Rack Pull-ups (no elevation)
Foot-Assisted Pull-ups
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B. Strict Barbell Overhead Press
2-3 second descent, brief pause with bar under chin, explode up
No more than 1 breath at top
2-4 warm-up sets building in weight to the top single rep:
1 set x 1 rep (~5 reps from failure; a weight you *could* do 6 reps)
Rest 2-3 min
1 set x 6 Reps (~4 reps from failure; a weight you *could* do 10 reps)
Points of performance:
-Begin rep with hands just outside shoulder width
-Bar resting comfortably on the front delts (just above the clavicle) with the elbows mostly UNDER the bar (but err on the side of elbows being SLIGHTLY in front of the bar, as opposed to slightly behind the bar).
-As you begin to press, move the head slightly back and out of the way so that the bar can travel in a straight vertical line up (and avoid having to go AROUND the face).
-Lower under control back to a “stretch” position for the delts at the bottom.
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C. Banded Crossovers
3 sets x 8-15 Reps (increasing effort each set)
Target ~6-4-2 reps from failure across the 3 sets
Rest 1-2 min between sets
Alternate movements you can swap for Crossovers
-DB Fly/Press
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D. Bentover DB Row
4 sets x 8-12 Reps
Increase weight first 2 sets as warm-up, then:
Final 2 sets ~2-3 reps from failure
Rest ~2 min between tougher work sets
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E. Alternate x 3 sets each:
First set warm-up, then:
2 work sets (~2-3 reps from failure each)
DB Spider Curl x 10-15 Reps
Rest 1 min
One Arm Overhead DB Tricep Extension – Standing x 10-15 Reps/arm
Rest 1 min after both arms
Alternative Movement you can swap for DB Spider Curl:
Alternative Movement you can swap for DB Tricep Extension:
–One Arm Overhead BANDED Tricep Extension
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Saturday – OPTIONAL Conditioning
Mostly an additional REST DAY to finish off INTRO WEEK
Feel free to do some light movement + Mobility circuit
Also cool to do a long walk or slow bike ride
Keep intensity down, eat to recover, sleep well, and get ready for the new cycle!
The programming will offer “Zone 2” cardio on Saturdays going forward
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Sunday – REST DAY
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