Training block overview - Competitor (Engine) - WK31-36/2025

The primary goal of this stream is to help you establish a solid foundation of conditioning. If conditioning is your biggest limiter in competitions, and you feel good about your strength numbers, then this plan is a good choice for you.

This 6-week cycle continues to focus on developing your running capacity. In the last block we tested your 5km and progressed to a 1600m time trial. In this one we’ll meet in the middle and work towards a 3km time trial in the final week to conclude our summer running focus.

We’ll run twice a week, have one additional interval session, two aerobic base sessions (one of which is optional), and a weekly competition workout.

We’ll reintroduce regular deadlifts back in the strength progressions, build towards heavy back squat, and do most of our support/accessory strength work in the 4-10 rep range. For weightlifting, we’ll explore a few snatch variations in the first weeks before building towards 1RM snatch and clean and jerk in the final week of the block.

- 5 + 1 (optional) training sessions (90 minutes to 2 hours each), an optional additional base training/Z2 OR active recovery day and a full rest day (on Sundays)

- Four (4) main conditioning sessions (2 running sessions, a sport-specific interval session, and a competition workout)

- If you want to really focus on your running, option to separate the running into its own session on Tuesday and Friday.

- Additional (optional) base-building conditioning sessions on Wednesdays and Saturdays

- Weightlifting and strength work spread across five (5) training sessions.

Each week is organised based on the movements, repetitions and intensity to allow for sufficient recovery for you to work hard in each session.

The primary focus for the next six weeks is to develop your running capacity. The running session volume and intensity are such that you should not feel trashed from these, but can build from week to week while doing the other training.

If possible, separating the lifting and running on Tuesdays and Fridays in this block would be ideal. You could run in the morning, then do the lifts later in the day. If your schedule doesn’t accommodate this, don’t worry, just do them in the same session.

- The running sessions build towards a 3km time trial in the final week. In one session, we’ll work on durability and fatigue tolerance with 5km pace intervals, and use strides to improve your mechanics/efficiency. In the other one, we’ll focus on faster paced repeats that progress directly towards the 3km time trial.

- The weekly sports-specific intervals vary between 6/7/8-minute mixed modal intervals, designed so that you should be able to maintain intensity throughout, and longer, broken up (e.g. 0:30/0:30 or 0:40/0:20) EMOM intervals with bigger chunks of movements where you’ll have to manage both the increasing heart rate and local muscle fatigue.

- The weekly competition workouts offer an opportunity to practice pushing yourself, develop your movement capacity under fatigue, and refine your pacing under intensity.

- Aerobic base session of longer duration, lower to moderate intensity that improve mitochondrial density and capillarization, which indirectly supports lactate clearance.

It’s important to note that each of these sessions should be done at prescribed intensities to stimulate the intended adaptations properly.

Learning and practising “Intensity control” (matching intensity/pace to session intent) is a key skill that will elevate the level of your training beyond merely “doing workouts.” It will allow you to make the most out of each session and ensure sufficient recovery from your training to continue to put in high-quality work.

The main focus here is to maintain your lifts while focusing on your engine. We’ll continue technical development of the snatch for the first three weeks before building towards a new 1RM in the final week. For clean and jerks, we’ll stay with the full lift as we progress towards the 1RM.

Here are the progressions (from Wk1-Wk6) for the lifts:

- Power snatch + deep power snatch + snatch complex for technical development for the first 3 weeks

- Full snatch waves on Wks 4 and 5.

- 1RM in the final week of the block

- Alternating weeks progression: Wks 1/3/5 (triples/doubles/singles) and Wks 2/4 (clean focus 3+1, 2+1, 1+1 / jerk focus 1+3, 1+2, 1+1).

- 1RM in the final week of the block

The progressions in this block are more varied than in the previous one. We still use the format of building to a heavy (but not maximal) set, followed by moderately hard, fairly low-volume (RPE 6-8) back-off sets for back squat and strict press but introduce more progression variations on the other lifts.

You should feel (somewhat) fresh each time you hit the big lifts. We are still not looking to grind through too close to failure on the main lifts but do introduce higher RPE/less RIR on some.

Here are the progressions (from Wk1-Wk6) for main lifts in different movement patterns:

- Back squat top sets of H3@RPE7/8, H2@RPE7/8, H1@RPE8/1RM, paired with back-off sets of 6s, 4s and 2s (double reps to top set)

- Front squat shifts to higher repetition sets to build upper back strength/stamina and grit. Three weeks of 8s, followed by waves of 7-5-3 for two weeks before the deload.

- Deadlifts build up in 3s, paired with deficit deadlifts for back-off sets in the first 3 weeks. We’ll build to a heavy double on the 5th week before deload on the final week.

- Seated strict press for “base”, progressing into heavier strict press with top set, followed by back-off sets in the 2nd half of the block.

- Seal rows for first 3 weeks, followed by Meadows row for the second half (to familiarise you with the movement)

- Weekly Accessory circuit to bulletproof joints and build support muscles

Reintroducing skill sessions with barbell and DB cycling, as well as foundational gymnastics strength work.

The quality of your training is the quality of your repetitions. Aim to make every training session the best it can be. Focus on what’s within your control:

- Giving your best effort (this is not merely pushing as hard as you can each time but reflecting on the intent of the training session, then applying yourself to it).

- Doing the work (and not skipping skill pieces or other parts of training)

- Holding yourself to movement standards (establishing solid foundations for all upcoming training)

- Warming up / cooling down

- Sleeping well

- Fuelling sufficiently

With running our main focus, make sure to be fresh, recovered and ready to go for these sessions.

For each conditioning interval, it’s important that you hit them with the intended intensity. If you push too hard during the first interval in a session, your intensity will drop significantly later in the session. If you go too easy, your output and heart rate won’t get high enough to stimulate the intended adaptations.

For strength and skill, we aim to consistently put in high-quality work from one session to the next. Aim to build on each week's progress, whether by increasing the reps or weights (depending on the progression). Focus on accumulating excellent repetitions to lay a solid foundation of strength and technical capacity.

As your goal is to build your engine, you need to be able to hit the sessions with appropriate intensity and recover from them. This means eating enough overall and getting sufficient carbohydrates to fuel your training. Having a carb drink at hand for training sessions and re-fuelling as soon as possible after might be a good idea.

A good sign that you could eat more to fuel your training is that you feel hungry. If you’re not sure, a few rough reference points for daily intake (if you’re into macros) could be:

Protein - 2.2g per kg (1 gram per lb) BW

Fat - 25-30% of daily calories or 1g per kg (1g per lb) BW

Carbs - Remaining calories or 4+g per kg (1.8+g per lb) BW

Calories - 22 x BW (body weight) in kg (or 10 x BW in lbs) x (1.5 to 1.8 as “activity multiplier”)

Remember that if you don’t eat enough, you won’t recover and get the results you want.

The most important thing for your recovery will be to get enough (7.5-9 hours) sleep regularly. Your training (and results) will be better if you get more sleep. Aim to be in bed by 11 pm at the latest, and sleep in a cool, dark, and quiet room. If you can, get out for a short (10-minute) walk soon after sunrise (before 10 am is fine) and again around sunset. This will help set your circadian rhythm, making it easier to go to bed early.

All other recovery modalities will take a backseat to this. Implementing a 10- to 30-minute daily mobility routine, split between morning, training, and evening, will also likely pay off, both in the short and long term.