We are moving on to 4-week training blocks. Each block is part of a longer 12-week cycle with progressions building through the full cycle. While each plan (SPP, strength, engine) have their own emphasis, they are also designed to work together, so you can transition from one to another after each block. 

This will give you even more freedom to structure your training to work on your limiters while being able to follow the key conditioning, skill and strength progressions. For best results, we recommend you stay with one plan for 8 to 12-weeks. 

This training block runs for 4-weeks There are four (4) regular training sessions each week and a 5th optional one as an opportunity to work on a specific focus area of your choice.

This training block builds from the previous one. We are starting to converge the strength, conditioning and skill progressions towards the upcoming season starting in October. 

Typical week schedule (might vary from week to week)

Monday - S1
​Tuesday - S2
​Wednesday - Active recovery OR Rest
​Thursday - S3 (or S4 if you want to do conditioning in S5)
​Friday - S4 (or S3 if you want to do conditioning in S5)
​Saturday - S5
​Sunday - Active recovery OR Rest 

These are part of two (2) of the sessions per week (with options in session #5)

VO2max intervals (SPP) - These are 4/3-minute (2-minute recovery) high intensity intervals to develop your aerobic capacity and power (your ability to sustain high work output for longer).  

Competition style - “Classic metcons”, these will give you a taste of competition workouts and help you integrate the work you’re doing in the other sessions.

Optional sessions - Rowing intervals (based on a 2km TT on 1st WK), running intervals (based on 3km TT from previous block), classic metcons, 10 to 14-minute “open style” AMRAP intervals.

SPP/Metcon sessions - Use these to challenge yourself. Look at the workout ahead of time and make a plan how you should best approach it. Warm up well and execute your plan to the best of your ability. Reflect back on the workout afterwards, identify what went well, what could have improved and how will you do it.

Interval sessions - These are tough controlled efforts. We want you to work at a hard pace that is repeatable for you. Crashing and burning in the intervals would be failing to follow the program properly). While these intervals continue to get shorter over the next 12-weeks, the focus remains on developing your capacity at threshold (for each duration).

These are part of two (2) of the sessions per week (with an option in session #5). 

Snatch - 3s and 2s w/ pauses, build towards singles on the 3rd week and mixed rep schemes on the final week of the block.

Clean and jerk - We’ll focus on power clean and jerk on the main sessions for this 4-week period.

Optional session (Snatch)

The focus will be on hang variations of snatch (from top down) in this block to develop your pull under the bar. We’ll continue to work on your snatch pull, together with heavy squats for strength work. 

Optional session (Clean and jerk):

This session gives us a chance to do the full clean and jerk, together with clean pulls and heavier back squats.

Always prioritise good form in these sessions. To lift heavy, you must have good mechanics. By all means, go as heavy as you can (within the ranges) as long as you're lifting well. Sloppy reps with poor form will have to be unlearned later at great cost.

Do a good technique warm up in each session to improve your technique and to prime you for success in the session (video links in blog posts).

These are part of three (3) of the sessions per week (with an option in session #5). 

Squats - Back squat << 6s and 5s on a % range based progression, Front squat << 3s and 4s with relatively short rest periods to build base work capacity in this pattern

Deadlift - 5s and 4s on a % range based progression

Push press - A skill focused volume progression with fixed % range

Horizontal pull - Single arm rotational DB rows in 8 - 12 rep range

“Accessory” Circuits - Movement variance in easy flowing 4 to 6-movement circuits

Optional sessions: Big back squat sets (10s/9s/8s/7s), Bench press and strict chin up supersets of 5s/4s/3s, accessory circuits to complement the weekly strength training.

Prioritise good movement always over the weight. Poor reps with heavy form don't mean much, increase injury risk and have to be unlearned later at high cost.

Always push for heavy weights with best form possible.

These are part of one or two (1 - 2) of the sessions per week (with an option in session #5)

Gymnastics - The focus will be on a 4-week muscle endurance and coordination progression. We are building the next layer to prepare for higher repetition/capacity work to prepare for the Open.

Skill - A mix of sport specific skill drills and EMOMs with focus on the quality of movement. 

Optional sessions: Additional gymnastics session to develop strong foundations on more technical movements

Remember that practise makes permanent, not perfect. The basic currency of your training is a repetition. Therefore the quality of your training is determined by the quality of your repetitions. Make every session a new opportunity to perfect your repetitions and you will be successful. 

For guidance, follow the principles for deliberate practice found in each skill session.

Hope you found this article helpful for your training!

Let us know if you have any questions about this training block and we'll update the article with additional information.