Warm Up
About 5 minutes. Do each once:
1) Banded Ankle Rocks — 10 each side. Easy effort.
How: Loop a band around your ankle, anchored low in front. Keep your foot flat and push your knee forward over your toes.
2) Lying Hamstring Kicks — 10 each leg. Easy effort.
How: Lie on your back, band or towel around one foot, keep the leg straight, pull it toward you, hold 1 second.
3) Cat-Cow — 10 slow reps. Easy effort.
How: On hands and knees, round your back up, then let it sag.
4) Band Pull-Aparts — 15 reps. Easy effort.
How: Arms straight in front, pull the band apart until it touches your chest.
5) Two light sets of today's first lift — about half your working weight for 6 reps, then about three-quarters for 4 reps. Easy effort.
How: Move smooth. These are warm-ups, not work sets.
1) Banded Ankle Rocks — 10 each side. Easy effort.
How: Loop a band around your ankle, anchored low in front. Keep your foot flat and push your knee forward over your toes.
2) Lying Hamstring Kicks — 10 each leg. Easy effort.
How: Lie on your back, band or towel around one foot, keep the leg straight, pull it toward you, hold 1 second.
3) Cat-Cow — 10 slow reps. Easy effort.
How: On hands and knees, round your back up, then let it sag.
4) Band Pull-Aparts — 15 reps. Easy effort.
How: Arms straight in front, pull the band apart until it touches your chest.
5) Two light sets of today's first lift — about half your working weight for 6 reps, then about three-quarters for 4 reps. Easy effort.
How: Move smooth. These are warm-ups, not work sets.
Conditioning
1) Easy bike — 8 to 12 minutes. Easy effort.
How: No sprints. Skip it if the main lifts felt heavy.
How: No sprints. Skip it if the main lifts felt heavy.
Strength
1) Pause Back Squat — 3 sets of 5 reps. Hard effort. Rest about 2 to 3 minutes.
How: Same as the back squat, but hold the bottom for 2 seconds before standing.
Form cue: Stay tight at the bottom; don't relax.
2) Single-leg Romanian Deadlift — 3 sets of 8 reps each leg. Hard effort. Rest about 1.5 minutes.
How: Stand on one leg, dumbbell in the opposite hand. Tip forward with a flat back as the free leg goes straight back. Stand up.
Form cue: Hips stay square.
How: Same as the back squat, but hold the bottom for 2 seconds before standing.
Form cue: Stay tight at the bottom; don't relax.
2) Single-leg Romanian Deadlift — 3 sets of 8 reps each leg. Hard effort. Rest about 1.5 minutes.
How: Stand on one leg, dumbbell in the opposite hand. Tip forward with a flat back as the free leg goes straight back. Stand up.
Form cue: Hips stay square.
Skill
Today's focus: brace hard before every rep and keep your weight over the middle of your foot. Main lift: Pause Back Squat.
Metcon
Finisher — about 5 minutes. Do A then B back-to-back, rest 1 minute, repeat (2 rounds).
A) Seated Calf Raise — 12 to 15 reps. Nearly to failure.
How: Sit with the pad on your knees. Raise your heels as high as you can, pause, then lower until you feel a stretch.
B) Hanging Knee Raise — 8 to 10 reps. Hard effort.
How: Hang from a bar, raise your knees to hip height, lower slowly.
A) Seated Calf Raise — 12 to 15 reps. Nearly to failure.
How: Sit with the pad on your knees. Raise your heels as high as you can, pause, then lower until you feel a stretch.
B) Hanging Knee Raise — 8 to 10 reps. Hard effort.
How: Hang from a bar, raise your knees to hip height, lower slowly.
Cool Down
1) Kneeling Hip-Flexor Stretch — 30 seconds each side. Easy effort.
How: Kneel on one knee, push your hips forward gently.
2) Doorway Chest Stretch — 30 seconds. Easy effort.
How: Forearms on the door frame, lean through.
How: Kneel on one knee, push your hips forward gently.
2) Doorway Chest Stretch — 30 seconds. Easy effort.
How: Forearms on the door frame, lean through.
Notes
Today: Legs (squat focus). About 40 minutes.
Build week 1 of 3. New variation, same strength goal. Own the reps and write the weight down.
Effort guide: 'Hard effort' means stop the set when you could do about 2 more good reps. 'Easy effort' means stop with 4 or more left.
Build week 1 of 3. New variation, same strength goal. Own the reps and write the weight down.
Effort guide: 'Hard effort' means stop the set when you could do about 2 more good reps. 'Easy effort' means stop with 4 or more left.