Weekly overview 24.08-30.08
We have a great week ahead! We're continuing to build our Front Squat and Push Press this week, with athletes working up to a strong 6-rep set. As a reminder, we started this cycle the week of August 3rd by establishing our 8-rep baseline. We'll continue building these lifts throughout the 8-week cycle before retesting.
Monday kicks off the week with the 6-rep front squat followed by a challenge-style workout with 400m runs and Clean & Jerks. Athletes need to be strategic here because the Clean & Jerks must stay unbroken or receive a 200m penalty run. Choosing the right weight and knowing when to push will be a big part of the game.
Tuesday brings a Mayhem Benchmark: “Bar to Bar.” This five-round workout of Toes-to-Bar and Burpee-to-Bar looks simple on paper, but the volume adds up quickly. Post-workout, athletes will get another opportunity to build toward the August Monthly Challenge with three sets of Max Bench Press at their monthly challenge weight. The August Monthly Challenge retest is coming up next week on August 31st.
Wednesday brings a gymnastics strength/skill session, followed by a workout that combines dumbbell lunges and strict handstand push-ups. Smart scaling and controlled sets will be key.
Thursday is the big “Pain Cave” workout of the week with air bike, box jump-overs, and back squats. This one is all legs, and pacing will make or break it. Make sure athletes use the prep time to get comfortable with the bike-to-box transition and build to a back squat weight they can move consistently under fatigue.
Friday starts with the 6-rep push press and then athletes attack a row, double-under, Push Press triplet. The row acts as a reset station, so athletes should use it to control their breathing before moving on. Smooth transitions and unbroken reps will go a long way here.
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Today's front squats continue building toward our 8-rep retest coming during the week of 9/7. The sets of 6 today should be doable from the start and build in small jumps each set ending at RPE 7. The workout then shifts into a fast, challenging biathlon where athletes need to manage the run just enough to preserve smooth, connected clean and jerks. Today, the barbell can only rest briefly overhead or in the front rack… anything else is not unbroken (cannot rest at hip or on ground). The goal is max 1 break in the set of 15 and the set of 12; the 9 should be unbroken. The best scores won't come from the fastest runners, it comes from athletes who avoid penalty runs by keeping the barbell moving.
Strength
EVERY 2:00 (4 SETS) 6 Front Squats *Start Moderate and Build to Moderate Heavy (RPE 7) (Score is the Heaviest Weight)
Workout
FOR TIME
400m Run - 15 Clean and Jerks (135/95)*
400m Run - 12 Clean and Jerks (135/95)
400m Run - 9 Clean and Jerks (135/95)
*Unbroken Clean and Jerks, 200m Penalty Run each break (Score is Time) KG Conv: 60/42.5
Target Times
Most - 10:00-13:00 ( 16:00 TC)
Top- 08:30-10:00
Strategy
Pacing - Average around 2:00-2:30 per 400m run (consider a 2:30 run cap per 400 or lower distance). Push enough to stay competitive while arriving at the bar ready to move immediately.
Efficiency - Plan for one controlled break during the set of 15 if needed, zero to one break on the 12, and finish the set of 9 unbroken. Rest only in the front rack or briefly overhead.
Red Flags - Choosing a weight that cannot support 10-15 unbroken reps while fresh (it should be LIGHT-MOD when fresh), sprinting the opening run, or accumulating unnecessary penalty runs.
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Today's Mayhem benchmark is all about consistency…Bar to Bar is a STEADY workout. Athletes should settle into a sustainable pace from the opening round with the goal of completing each round in 3:00 or less while avoiding long breaks on either movement. Success today comes from smooth movement, grip management, and understanding your pacing strategy. After the workout, athletes will complete three quality bench press sets using their August Monthly Challenge weight. The goal is to accumulate additional volume and confidence before next week's retest…not to reach failure on every set.
Strength
3 SETS (Post-Workout) Max Bench Press Monthly Challenge Weight* -Rest 1:00 b/t Sets- (Score is Total Reps)
Loading Guidelines (Specific for Bench Press)... Freedom - 155/95 Independence - 135/85 Liberty - 115/75
Workout
BAR TO BAR
5 ROUNDS FOR TIME
20 Toes to Bar
20 Burpees to Bar
Target is 6" Above Standing Reach (Scored by Time)
All movements can be scaled to suit each athlete
Target Times
Most - 13:00-15:00 ( 16:00 TC)
Top- 08:30-11:30
Strategy
Pacing - Aim for rounds under 3:00 by keeping both movements steady and repeatable from start to finish. Hard capping the rounds is probably a good idea.
Efficiency - Choose toes to bar sets you know you can repeat. One to two planned breaks is ideal, with three being the maximum for most athletes. Burpees should remain smooth and continuous at roughly 1:30 or less each round.
Red Flags - Taking the toes to bar to failure in Set 1, standing around looking up at the bar, or allowing transitioning between movements too slowly.
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Today's workout is a GRIND that pairs a loaded single dumbbell walking lunge with descending sets of strict handstand push-ups, twice through with one 3:00 break in the middle. Ninety strict handstand push-ups is what FREEDOM has written on the page, and very few athletes in the room should attempt that number. Athletes should pick a rep scheme they can finish in three sets or less while they are fresh, because the score is the slowest set and the second set has to look like the first.
Skill
EVERY 1:00 (8:00) MIN 1 - 3 Reps of 1 Kick Up + 1 HSPU Negatives (:02-:03)
MIN 2 - 10 Alternating V-Ups or 10 Tuck-Ups
Option to use 1-2 AbMats or Perform 3 Reps of Box Pike Negatives
Workout
2 SETS
50ft Single DB Walking Lunge (70/50) - 21 Strict Handstand Push Ups
50ft Single DB Walking Lunge (70/50) - 15 Strict Handstand Push Ups
50ft Single DB Walking Lunge (70/50) - 9 Strict Handstand Push Ups
50ft Single DB Walking Lunge (70/50)
Rest 3:00 b/t Sets- (Scored by Slowest Set) KG Conv: 32.5/22.5
All movements and weights can be scaled to suit each athlete
Target Times
Most - 05:00-06:30 per set ( 8:00 TC per set // 19:00 overall cap )
Top- 06:00 - 7:30
Strategy
Pacing - Lunge steady and unbroken, about :30 per 50ft trip, which puts roughly 2:00-2:30 of each set on the floor. The first trip to the wall should be no more than half of what you can press fresh, and hold those set sizes as the reps come down.
Efficiency - Set the dumbbell down where you kick up so there is no walking between movements. Get into your hold in one motion. Know your break up before you start, and switch shoulders at 25ft to keep the pressing shoulder fresh.
Red Flags - Athletes who are breaking midline in the lunges or very unstable in their steps. Slow them down and consider lowering their load. If we are seeing crashing down on the HSPU and slow or failed reps leading to long rests, consider lowering their reps or even giving them a "max reps in 4 sets" goal, so they get some reps in but do not take too long or fail too many.
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Today is an all-leg PAIN CAVE built around five hard, repeatable intervals. The air bike and box jump overs should create significant leg fatigue before athletes reach a heavy set of five back squats from the rack. Each set should finish in 2:00 or less, leaving approximately 2:00 of recovery before the next effort. We want to try and keep today’s workout as close to a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio as possible, which makes it great for athletes to partner up.
Strength
NO STRENGTH TODAY
Workout
EVERY 4:00 (5 SETS)
15/12 Calorie Air Bike - 10 Box Jump Overs (24/20) - 5 Back Squats
(225/155) (Scored by Slowest Set) *Bar comes from the rack KG Conv: 102.5/70
All movements can be scaled to suit each athlete
Target Times
Most - 2:15 - 2:25 slowest set ( 2:30 TC)
Top- 01:45 - 2:00
Strategy
Pacing - Target 2:00 or less on every set. The first interval should establish a hard but repeatable pace, with the bike under :55, box jump overs around :30, and back squats under :25.
Efficiency - Set the bike, box, and rack close enough to reduce wasted movement while maintaining safe lanes. Face the correct direction when stepping off the box so the path to the rack is direct and clear.
Red Flags - Rushing the squats and getting buried. Fix this as soon as it happens by either pulling the athletes back on pacing the bike/jump overs or reducing weight. Suggest
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Today's Mayhem benchmark is all about consistency…Bar to Bar is a STEADY workout. Athletes should settle into a sustainable pace from the opening round with the goal of completing each round in 3:00 or less while avoiding long breaks on either movement. Success today comes from smooth movement, grip management, and understanding your pacing strategy. After the workout, athletes will complete three quality bench press sets using their August Monthly Challenge weight. The goal is to accumulate additional volume and confidence before next week's retest…not to reach failure on every set.
Strength/Skill
EVERY 2:00 (4 SETS)
6 Push Press
Start Moderate and Build to Moderate Heavy (RPE 7) (Score is the Heaviest Weight)
Workout
10 ROUNDS FOR TIME
200/175m Row - 48 Double Unders - 8 Push Press (115/75)
(Scored by Time) KG Conv: 52.5/35
All movements can be scaled to suit each athlete
Target Times
Most - 22:00 - 25:00 ( 25:00 TC)
Top- 18:00 - 21:00
Strategy
Pacing - Use rounds 1-2 to establish sustainable movement times. Rounds 3-9 should remain within approximately :10-:15 of one another; then athletes can increase rowing output and transition speed during round 10.
Efficiency - Keep rower straps loose, place the rope down cleanly, and move directly to the bar. The goal is a sub-1:00 row, unbroken double unders, and eight smooth push presses with a breath at the top.
Red Flags - Repeated double under misses, broken push press sets, or round times slowing by more than :20 before round 7. Athletes consistently exceeding 2:30 per round should adjust volume or loading.
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TBC
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TBC