Our group classes started a new training cycle this past Monday. Here’s some information about what to expect over the next six weeks!

Metcons

Metcons will vary in length. We’ll see more short, intense workouts than usual, but there will still be some longer workouts, such as Monday 10/2’s run/row workout and Thursday 10/6’s AMRAP20.

When appropriate, suggested weights for the WOD will be listed as percentages of someone’s 1RM. Coaches will also have notes as to how the weighted movements should feel, so if the percentage is off for you, it’s ok to adjust it up or down to achieve the stimulus we’re looking for.

MGW Template

We’ll be following a loose MGW template for Monday through Thursday classes, especially in regards to metcons. An MGW template is a way of formatting workouts, where each day has a different combination of the three modalities:

M = Monostructural
G = Gymnastics
W = Weights

The cycle starts with a monostructural (“M”) day, then mono structural + gymnastics (“MG”), then mono structural + gymnastics + weights (“MGW”).

Then the next three days are G, GW, and GWM…then W, WM, and WMG.

It’s often easier to be creative within the bounds of some sort of structure, and this gives just enough to ensure our members will experience a variety of workout formats and movement combinations.

I will violate the template a bit (for example, we strict pressed for strength on Monday 10/2 even though it was an “M” day) - but it will be true more frequently than not.

Strength

Strength Focus

Our two main lifts you’ll see every week in a planned progression will be

• Deadlift

• Strict press

Expect to see more snatches than clean and jerks on Olympic lifting days, as we’ll be focusing on clean and jerks for Friday Night Lifts (which starts next week!). And we’ll still incorporate all the movement patterns (push, pull, squat, single leg, hinge, core) on a regular basis.

Strength Format

Unlike our last training cycle, our main lifts will NOT be on the same days each.

While that type of structure can be helpful, this cycle we want a more varied approach so members who come consistently will not miss any one thing if they happen to not be able to come on a specific day.

One benefit of having overhead squats every Monday in the last cycle is that people knew what to expect; and for the most part people who come on Mondays come every single week, and therefore got the benefit of the entire progression.

One downside is that people who can’t come on Mondays for whatever reason never got to overhead squat at all! (Sorry, 5AM crew.)

So there are positives and negatives to both formats - which is why sometimes we’ll do one and sometimes we’ll do the other.

Varying the days still rewards people who come frequently, and lessens the chance that someone will just entirely miss a major lift.

Strength Only Days

We’ll have a few more of them than usual this cycle! I know some people get weirded out on those days and sometimes opt not to come. But strength-only days provide a different stimulus that is a helpful counterpoint to our more conditioning-focused days. If you tend to avoid strength-only days, try coming to a few this cycle and giving yourself the benefit of that change in stimulus.

Gymnastics

When high skill gymnastics workouts appear in classes, there will often be no separate strength piece, as we’ll ensure classes have ample time to do quality skill work before the workout. Expect to see skill progressions and to spend time practicing in a low-fatigue setting.

Although structured skill practice will not leave you feeling tired in the same way as doing sets of weightlifting, it IS necessary for you to get better at difficult skills. And even if you don’t really care about being able to do more advanced skills, doing that sort of practice will help create new neural pathways in your brain that will also help you be better at the things you DO care about.

If you are brand new to the gym and have no idea what a certain movement is, or if see a workout and don’t want to come because you feel like you are really bad at it, those days are even MORE important for you to come to class! Coaches will always have a plan for the easiest option that will help start you down the path of learning.

Do you have…

Questions?
Comments?
Concerns?
Cries for help?

Send us an email or leave a comment here and we’ll get back to you!

We are not the type of gym who is secretive about our program design or our process for planning workouts. I’m nerdy enough that I love talking about program design; and our members will benefit most when they understand the “why” behind our workouts.

You don’t have to be interested in the “why” to get stronger and fitter at TPH, but if you are are interested, let me know and we can talk about it!