Two ingredients for a successful program
A new year is upon us.. It is going to be a big year for us as a business, but hopefully even bigger for you personally.
This is the year you are going to get stronger than you thought you could ever get!
Now, with strength training, many roads lead to Rome. There are so many different variations in programming and exercises, there is certainly no one perfect way to do it. Lots of different methods and programs can all achieve results.
However, there are two variables that you simply MUST have for any program to be effective.
And they are *drum roll*.
Consistency and effort.
Without either, you are just burning a few calories here and there. If that's what you want to do, you're probably better off at a boujee gym (not naming any names) where you can sit in a wellness room twice as long as the time you've actually spent training.
At SOF, we do the work! And we do it consistently. That's always our goal. 2024 is no different.
(I've just pumped myself up so much as I'm writing this that I want to throw my laptop on the road and throw around some barbells)
With this said, we have just started our first 4 week strength block for the year. We will be building to a 12-week crescendo, followed by testing, to see where we are at or how far we've come.
A couple of things to consider:
Our A1 'main' exercise is dictated by tempo. 33X1 in week 1, then the pauses get smaller each week as the load or reps increase. For those unfamiliar with the benefits of tempo or what the numbers mean, see an old blog I wrote about it here.
On Monday/Wednesday/Friday we don't have the 'big 3' conventional barbell lifts just yet (back squat, bench press, deadlift), but we have zercher squat, dumbbell bench press and snatch grip deadlift. These are the same movement patterns, but variations that are 'load-limiting' in a way, as they often involve either more range of motion, or greater challenges on other things like trunk engagement, stability etc, or both. In simpler terms, they're still f***ing hard (particularly with tempo) without us having to have as huge a weight on the bar for these first few weeks. This will hopefully keep backs and joints a bit happier. Next block they will return.
Both A+B series are super-sets with pretty solid exercises, as we aren't super heavy just yet we can afford to super-set different muscle groups, but keep in mind this is quite difficult so do still ensure you are having rest between sets.
If it's your first week back, as a general rule, aim to keep 2-3 reps left in the tank for all. If it's not your first week back, then continue on as you were, soldier!
Happy Lifting!