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 — 10 minutes, with 4 pickups of 15 seconds a bit faster. Easy effort.
How: Spin easy between the pickups. Skip this if Monday is still in your legs.
How: Spin easy between the pickups. Skip this if Monday is still in your legs.
Strength
1) Decline Dumbbell Bench Press — 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps. Hard effort. Rest about 2 minutes.
How: Lie on a decline bench. Palms face each other. Lower the dumbbells until you feel a stretch, then press up.
Form cue: Keep your shoulders on the bench.
2) Neutral-grip Pull-Up — 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps. Hard effort. Rest about 2 minutes.
How: Palms facing each other on parallel handles. Hang, pull until your chin passes the bar, lower all the way down.
How: Lie on a decline bench. Palms face each other. Lower the dumbbells until you feel a stretch, then press up.
Form cue: Keep your shoulders on the bench.
2) Neutral-grip Pull-Up — 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps. Hard effort. Rest about 2 minutes.
How: Palms facing each other on parallel handles. Hang, pull until your chin passes the bar, lower all the way down.
Skill
Today's focus: pinch your shoulder blades back and down before every press. Main lift: Decline Dumbbell Bench Press.
Metcon
Finisher — about 8 minutes. Do A then B back-to-back, rest 1 minute, repeat (2 to 3 rounds).
A) Dumbbell Lateral Raise — 12 to 15 reps. Nearly to failure.
How: Dumbbells at your sides, raise them out to shoulder height with slightly bent elbows, lower slowly.
B) Rope Pushdown — 12 reps. Nearly to failure.
How: Elbows pinned at your sides, push the rope down until your arms are straight.
A) Dumbbell Lateral Raise — 12 to 15 reps. Nearly to failure.
How: Dumbbells at your sides, raise them out to shoulder height with slightly bent elbows, lower slowly.
B) Rope Pushdown — 12 reps. Nearly to failure.
How: Elbows pinned at your sides, push the rope down until your arms are straight.
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: Upper (bench + pull-up). About 42 minutes.
Build week 2 of 3. Same goal as last week, a harder variation. Add a little weight only if last week was clean.
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 2 of 3. Same goal as last week, a harder variation. Add a little weight only if last week was clean.
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.