Heavy(ish) weights are back!

Please Note: Your programming may not resemble this post if you have recently joined, are starting back after a break, are doing bodyweight/DB programming for the week, or need an individual adjustment for another reason. You will be moved into “regular” class programming when deemed appropriate by your coach!

Sets of 10 are being sunset & this week starts our new block with sets of 15.

Just kidding! Glad that’s over, eh? :) This month’s training brings the main lifts back in larger force, but introduces some variants for a bit of variety & load management. Pauses, different grips on bench, pins, differing ranges of motion - some of these variants will be new to you & others will be returning players. Either way it’s fun to mix it up sometimes! We are going to be using percentages for the first couple of weeks & using self-reported RPE. If RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) is new to you, this is the perfect way to learn how to use it! For percentage-based loads, you’ll use your most recent 1 rep max (aka: heaviest you’ve lifted on any given lift, usually for a single) & then rate the difficulty of your set on a scale of 1 to 10. You’ll go over this in more detail with your coach, but here’s a helpful introductory article on RPE if it’s new for you. If RPE isn’t new for you, this is a good way to sharpen the skill of using it.

We’ll also be introducing some more core work, progressing Copenhagen planks, and adding a little optional conditioning. This month is a good time for doing some extra stuff like conditioning as it won’t be particularly intense or high volume - phases like these are really good for working on tertiary goals!

Some of the new things this block:

Close Grip Bench Press - extra work for the triceps!
Block Pulls. These reduce the range of motion of the deadlift slightly, allowing you to use heavier loads that don’t produce as much stress as they would from the floor.
Paused Squat/Bench work. These will increase time under tension & give a good opportunity to work on engagement at the bottom of the squat or bench press. We’ll also do some Pin Squats.
Press & barbell rows are back!
Front foot elevated split squats. These will work in some extra volume on the legs with less overall stress than heavy barbell squats. Elevating the front foot will bias your weight back a bit, meaning you’ll work more quads here which can become a bit neglected with low bar work.
Spine segmentation work & Copenhagen progressions are coming! If you haven’t done segmentation work before, you’ll learn how. If you have, you’ll progress it to loaded positions & perform burnout sets. Copenhagen planks will either get dynamic with raises or progress you into the next most difficult position. Either way we’ll keep some abductor work in there which is really important for squats & keeping your hip joints happy.

April 2025 Programming