Concentrate hard on your quality of movement. Always strive to move well and with virtuosity.

Remember: "practice makes perfect, and perfect practice makes permanent".

As always please listen to your body. If it ain't on, it ain't on!! rest and mobilise!

Not long till All-Stars !!!!

Monday 21st July

  A): Strict Pull Ups, 20 Reps for Strength & quality (7 Min Time Cap). (Note: Work on your quality of movement, brace your midline, engage your lats and think "elbows down" when initiating the move. You don't need to worry about stringing large numbers together if it's not there. Try four 2 at a time if possible. If strict is already "easy" lets go for chest to bar! If thats "easy" lets do weighted then! Challenge the model, but don't get ahead of yourself. You should be at 7-10 consecutive reps before you add of of the progressions.)   B): Back Squat, 3 x 5, (Same Load Across All Three Sets, 80%, Tempo of: 21X0)  (Warm Up accordingly! Cool Down too with some drop sets. This is compulsory!!)  (Note: With any set of challenging Back Squats you are recruiting major amounts of your CNS, (Central Nervous System). Because of this resist the urge to always be maxing out. Sometimes accumulating volume is all the body needs. Today is that day. Warm yourself up with as many sets as you need, it is cold after all, decide on your load and stick with it for the three sets. We're also working tempo too, take 2 full seconds to descend to below parallel. Pause for 1 full second at the bottom, then drive up hard & fast! Don't spend any time at the top and start your way back down again. Second note: When in the pause at the bottom, DO NOT BOTTOM OUT! You MUST hold tension and then work to drive up as hard & fast as you can whilst still keeping your weight through your heels & holding a proud chest).    

Tuesday 29th July 

  A): Split Jerk, 5 x 1, building.   (Note: Make use of the Jerk Blocks here. Spend 5-10 minutes practicing footwork and speed under the bar before adding any weight to the barbell. The Jerk Blocks are a great tool to help you get under some decent weight without the worry of what is actually overhead. If you can't quite lock something put it'll simply drop the foot or so back onto the blocks. Saves cleaning it back up again! Really try to get your dip-drive under control, and aggressive. Only a shallow dip is required, knees out! of course, get that bar jumping off your chest and in that instant drive yourself down to a fully locked out position. This is the time to iron out the "press-out" that often occurs when we second guess ourselves in this move. Don't be afraid of the bar, start moderately and try to build up. See how it feels and we will build upon this in the future. ). Second note: Logistically the blocks have been placed in the best position for the gym at the moment so please don't move the base blocks around. On a technical note if you are a left foot jerker (thats if your left foot goes back behind you) then please face the gym side when on the bar. If you are a right foot jerker then please face the 'Oasis' when on the bar. The Blocks have been positioned to allow plenty of room for the feet to move but if you face these ways then you will have even more room to play with.     B): BB Bent Over Row, 5 x 10, Building. Note: Important movement! We want you to be a well rounded athlete, so get on this! Tight & straight back throughout. Retract those shoulder blades (keep the traps at bay, don't scrunch & hunch your shoulders!). Bar MUST make contact with the body every reps.    

Wednesday 30th July

  A): 4 x 500m Rows, (Rest 1:1) ( Warm Up accordingly with a gentle 1000m! Cool Down too after. This is compulsory!!)  (Note: Learn the art of pacing. Don't blow it all on the first row. We want you to keep consistent times, and keep them as fast as you can manage within your pacing!! For every 2 seconds you are over it is 10 calories on the rower at end. That means if you fall 4 second behind it is 20 calories, and so on. Do the penalty all together after the four rows.).     B): Midline Superset! i - GHD Sit up,  3 x 10-15 reps ii - GHD Hip Extension, 3 x 15 - 20 reps   (Note: There are more reps on the Hip Ext than the Sit Up as we want to help you build a strong set of Hammies & low back. GHD Sit Ups are fantastic but lets not forget what the GHD was actually designed for, we'll give you a clue, it ain't for the six pack!! Be sure to treat the machine, & your body, with the respect it deserves. If the rep scheme is too much then simply swallow your pride and lower them! ). Second note: If you are inexperienced on the GHD then you need a coaches approval & guidance first. Your scale for this would be to do the same rep scheme but do overhead sit ups & barbell good mornings instead).     C):  30 Minutes of good quality MOBILITY ! Pick the two most troublesome areas to you and get after them! Spend at least 10 mins on each.  

Please respect all movements and do them to the best of your ability. Swallow your pride, if you cannot do a move because its too heavy then lighten the load! If you cannot get the technique right then either grab a coach or call it a day there.

Enjoy!