Tuesday August 25th

General Warm-Up
2:00 Bike (or alt machine)
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2 Sets:
8 Up Dog + Down Dog
10 Alternating Scorpions
:20 Down Dog Toe Touches
8 Inchworm Push-Ups
10 Banded Pull-Aparts
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2 Sets (Priming the Hinge and Horizontal Press):
8 Romanian Deadlifts @ Empty Barbell
8 Bench Press @ Empty Barbell
8 Bootstrap Squats
5 Up Downs

Specific Barbell Prep
5 Deadlifts @ light loads (Focusing on Tension from the Floor, Lat Engagement)
5 Bench Press @ light loads (Focusing on Shoulder Blade Pinch, Foot Drive)
3 Deadlift @ 40-50%
3 Bench Press @ 40-50%
2 Deadlift @ 55-60%
2 Bench Press @ 55-60%

Strength: Deadlift + Bench Press
Every 1:30 x 10 Sets, Alternating Stations
Station 1: Bench Press
Station 2: Deadlift

Set 1: 8 Reps @ 60%
Set 2: 7 Reps @ 65%
Set 3: 6 Reps @ 65%+
Set 4: 5 Reps @ 70%
Set 5: 5 Reps @ 70%+

Percentages are based on 1RM Deadlift and 1RM Bench Press. For the Deadlift, use the 1RM from last week or your most recent 3 or 5 rep heavy as a reference point. For the Bench Press, use last week's 3RM to estimate your 1RM with the 1RM Calculator.

This block is about building the base through quality repetitions, movement efficiency, and intentional speed through the concentric phase of each lift, paired with real control and tempo on the way down. This is not a max effort session; it is a mechanics and motor pattern investment. Athletes should select loads that allow them to execute every rep with confidence and carry that same standard from Set 1 to Set 5 on both lifts. The 1:30 window is short, so loads should be loaded and ready before the clock starts, and athletes should know their numbers walking into the block.

Loading Notes:
- Use 1RM Deadlift and estimated 1RM Bench Press as anchors; athletes who do not have a recent number should use the first set as a working baseline and build modestly.
- Percentages build from 60% to 70%+ across five sets per lift; the "+" sets signal a small, optional bump of 5lb (2.5kg) if mechanics remain clean and the ramp feels manageable.
- Rest is dictated by the alternating structure: 1:30 between each station means athletes have roughly 3:00 between repeated visits to the same lift, which should be sufficient for full recovery at these percentages.

Points of Performance:
- Bench Press: Feet driving hard into the floor, shoulder blades retracted and depressed throughout, and the bar path moving in a slight diagonal from chest to lockout, not straight up.
- Deadlift: Tension built before the bar breaks the floor, hips and shoulders rising at the same rate off the ground, and a complete lockout with hips driven through at the top of every rep.
- Both lifts: Real concentric intent, moving the bar with purpose on the way up and owning the eccentric on the way down; quality speed is the adaptation we are building here.

Modifications:
- Sub Deadlift for Sumo / Hex Bar Deadlifts / or Deadlifts off risers or blocks.
- Hotel Gym / Travel: Every 1:30 x 10 Sets alternating, Station 1: Dumbbell Floor Press or Dumbbell Bench Press, Station 2: Dual Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift or Single Leg Romanian Deadlift; build across five sets on each and log the load

Primer

-Get Working Kettlebells Out and Ready
-Practice Burpee to High Target, working on spacing and notes about starting athletes on different stations to manage space on the wall.

1 Set:
50m Farmers Carry at working load (Focusing on Posture and Grip Set-Up)
8 Burpee to High Target (Practicing hand switch at rep 6, finding wall target height)
10/7 Calorie Bike at building effort

Use this to confirm kettlebell load, burpee target height, and bike output before "Think About It" begins.

Conditioning
"Think About It"
For Time
Every 4:00 x 3 Sets
100m Farmers Carry
12 Burpee to High Target (6 in above reach, switch hands and direction at rep 6)
20/14 Calorie bike

Kettlebells: 70/53lb (32/24kg)
Bike: Echo Bike 20/14 Cal, Bike Erg 22/17 Cal, Assault Bike 21/16 Cal

Farmers Carry: Ideally 50m out and back outdoors; if indoors, accumulate 100m in 30ft (9m) sections

Level 2:
Every 4:00 x 3 Sets
100m Farmers Carry
10 Burpee to High Target (6-in out of reach)
18/13 Calorie Bike
Kettlebells: 53/35lb (24/16kg)

Level 1:
Every 4:00 x 3 Sets
100m Farmers Carry
8 Burpees
15/11 Calorie Bike
Kettlebells: 35/26lb (16/12kg)

Masters 55+:
Every 4:00 x 3 Sets
100m Farmers Carry
10 Burpee to High Target (4-in out of reach)
16/12 Calorie Bike
Kettlebells: 53/35lb (24/16kg)

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Objectives, Stimulus, Workout Strategy and Movement Modifications:

Goals: 3:00-3:30 per set
Stimulus: Grip / Mixed Endurance
RPE: 7/10

Primary Objective: Complete each set in 3:00, give or take 10-15 seconds, across all three rounds.
Secondary Objective: Unbroken farmers carry every set, no matter what.

Workout Strategy

"Think About It" is a grip-taxed interval piece that starts with a challenging, but quick farmers carry. The burpees are a challenging piece here and athletes need to stay relaxed, find a steady tempo, switch hands and direction cleanly at rep six, and still push a fast pace to maintain the time domain. The bike is where athletes earn the interval, and with 30-90 seconds remaining after the burpees, there is enough time to push hard if the carry and burpees were handled well. Compose yourself in the carry, stay steady on the burpees, and push on the bike to finish under that 3:30 mark for each interval.

Points of Performance
- Farmers Carry: Shoulders packed and down, chest tall, core braced throughout the full 100m with no forward lean or dumping of the torso as grip accumulates.
- Burpee to High Target: Hips fully extended at the top of the jump, one hand touching the target 6 inches above reach, clean hand and direction switch at rep six.
- Calorie Bike: Smooth, powerful push-pull mechanic from the start, driving through both the arms and legs rather than relying on one system when fatigue sets in.

Modifications / Adjustments
- Farmers Carry: Reduce load before reducing distance / Single Arm Suitcase Carry alternating / Dumbbell Farmers Carry at equivalent load
- Burpee to High Target: Reduce reps / Remove the jump, step up to touch / Standard Burpee with no target / Box Step-Ups as a low-impact substitute
- Calorie Bike: Calorie Row / Calorie Ski Erg / 400m Run / 300m Run for lower-impact athletes

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