Unit 1: Back Squat Focus

Once we have mastered the foundational air squat (and only then), the first pure strength variation we introduce is the “High Bar Back Squat”. The back squat, along with the bench press and barbell deadlift, is one of the 3 “Power Lifts” and is widely considered one of the best tools for developing full body strength, mobility, and stability.

You may see other programs and trainers utilize a “Low Bar” back squat. While this is also great tool for pure strength development, we feel the low bar variation is difficult to perform well by new athletes. It often turns into some sort of good morning/squat hybrid that goes against all of our movement tenets. Thus, we aim to first master the High Bar squat when training our high school athletes.

The loaded back squat is relatively simple in it’s execution, so long as you always keep all 4 points of squat performance in mind during every rep.

When squatting with a barbell, though, what we must pay attention to goes well beyond the squat movement pattern itself. How to set up for the lift properly, how to navigate the rack, how to prepare for and execute a failed lift, and so on. These elements may not seem hugely important, especially at the beginning when using little to no weight, but they will be SUPREMELY importnat down the road.

Today our focus is on learning the movement as a whole and practicing with VERY light weight. This is about accumulating experience with a new skill, not trying to move big weights! Watch the video closely, and pay attention to the details. The more we soak up now, the easier things will be in the long run.

After squatting, we will also quickly introduce a new loaded variation of the overhead press and hinge movement patterns. Be sure to watch the video and understand the basic points of performance before grabbing weights. Remember, we care about form more than weight!

That being said, please remember to RECORD the weights (DBs, Bands, etc) you use when prompted. This will allow your teacher to see what you’ve done, and also give you the opportunity to reference your work in future lessons!

Activity: 

Begin first by getting 1:00 of ANY light cardio in – jog/bike/row/jumping jacks/etc. Then, perform the following progression:

1 Min Alt. Spiderman & Reach

5 Air Squats

1 Min Pigeon Pose, each side (:30 each side)

5 Air Squats

1 Min Low Dragon, each side (:30 each side)

5 Air Squats 

3 Rounds of:

:30 Elbow Plank

:30 Slow Superman Repetitions

:30 Rest

Little core superset to fire up the midline. First we perform 30 seconds of an ACTIVE elbow plank. Assume proper position, keep the spine neutral, and squeeze the abs intentionally. After 30 seconds, move to your superman. 

3 x 8 reps each arm 

Now we are going to learn and practice a variation of the overhead press: the single arm strict press, performed in a half-kneeling position.

The key to this movement lies in proper positioning. Keep the core stacked, and weight pressed directly along the midline. No leaning back, or allowing the weight to come forward. Keep everything strict and slow.

Looking for just a LIGHTWEIGHT DB, moved with total control for about 8 reps per arm. RECORD the weight of the DB used (single DB wt) in each of your 3 Sets below. 

Next we evolve our hinge pattern through a weighted variation called an “RDL” or Romanian Deadlift, also known as a straight legged deadlift.

A weight will be held in both hands in front of the body. After assuming a soft knee stance, feet under the hips, we will hinge forward, keeping the arms long and loose. We continue only as far as we can keep a good neutral spine, without bending the knees further, then we return to stand tall.

The key to this movement lies in proper back/knee position. This must be a true HINGE. Don’t reach for the floor, just hinge at the hip.

Looking for just a LIGHT WEIGHT, moved with total control for 8 reps. RECORD the weight of the DB used in each of your 3 Sets below. We will reference back to these weights next week!

Next we evolve our hinge pattern through a weighted variation called an “RDL” or Romanian Deadlift, also known as a straight legged deadlift.

A weight will be held in both hands in front of the body. After assuming a soft knee stance, feet under the hips, we will hinge forward, keeping the arms long and loose. We continue only as far as we can keep a good neutral spine, without bending the knees further, then we return to stand tall.

The key to this movement lies in proper back/knee position. This must be a true HINGE. Don’t reach for the floor, just hinge at the hip.

Looking for just a LIGHT WEIGHT, moved with total control for 8 reps. RECORD the weight of the DB used in each of your 3 Sets below. We will reference back to these weights next week!

If time allows, get some proactive recovery done through a small cool-down session. Couple minutes of super easy cardio (bike/elliptical is great), then some static stretching or foam rolling. Trust us when we say taking 5 minutes to get this done will add up over time much to your benefit! 

Unit 2: Bench Press Focus 

Today we introduce our second “Power Lift”, the Bench Press!

While many think of the bench as a simple lift, and one only for beach body “bro” pumps, it is actually a great place for all to begin developing full body pressing strength, and does require some attention to detail in it’s execution.

As with our Back Squat, there is much more that goes into barbell pressing work than the foundational movement pattern. We must set ourselves and our equipment up in the rack properly and we must plan ahead with a partner for attentive spotting. 

We should always have an attentive spotter when benching!

After we work on our new bench press movement, we will transition into some more accessory strength work – a unilateral lower body movement (weighted lunges) and a unilateral upper body pull (the banded row). Remember, this is really about learning HOW to perform the exercises properly, not about swinging around big weights. Let’s really dial in our attention to detail.

As you perform each movement, don’t forget to RECORD the weights you use for future reference!

Begin first by getting 2:00 of ANY light cardio in – jog/bike/row/jumping jacks/etc. Then, perform 30 seconds each of the following progression:

Arm Circles Forward

Arm Circles Backward

Up & Back

Hugs

1 Up, 1 Down 

10 Single Effort Jumps

Rest and Reset Between Reps

Now we are going to revisit and refine our jumping mechanics utilizing something called a “snap down.” This will allow us to dial in our technique on both the take off and landing within each rep.

The focus, here, is on positioning within each rep, not just ripping off 10 quick jumps. Take your time between efforts and pay extreme attention to your technique on each. 

5 x 10 

Today we are taking the first step towards our first barbell horizontal pressing pattern, the “Bench Press”. This means we lie back on a flat bench, underneath a a racked barbell. We grasp the bar, pulling it out from the rack, and perform a pressing pattern very similar to our standard push up, just inverted and using an external load, rather than our bodyweight.

For today, we are NOT looking to load up weight. Instead, we want to get extremely comfortable with the position on the bench, how to get into and out of a “rack”, and get some lightweight volume practice done.

Let’s use an “empty bar” for all of our reps, today. That could mean a full men’s olympic barbell, a women’s bar, a training bar, or even a PVC. It does not matter!

Focus on moving slow and with perfect technique!

3 x 8 

Now we are going to learn and practice a variation of our lunge: the reverse lunge, with DBs held at your side in each hand.

The key to this movement lies in stability, and proper positioning. We want maintain a good neutral spine (not necessarily vertical, just neutral!) while ensuring proper knee/ankle alignment on every rep.

Looking for just LIGHTWEIGHT DBs, moved with total control for about 8 reps per leg. RECORD the weight of the DB (of 1 hand) used in each of your 3 Sets below. We will reference back to these weights next week!

Unit 3: Deadlift Focus 

Today we get involved with the conventional barbell deadlift!

For good reason, the Deadlift is beloved by coaches everywhere. It is an excellent way to develop pure, total body strength as well as reinforce good posture and proper mechanics that relate to many other movements. Unfortunately, though, it is also a movement where strength can trump form – it’s too easy to do it the wrong way. You can execute a heavy rep with egregiously poor technique and we see this far too often with high school students and athletes who want to move big weight. The result can range from inefficiency to a legitimate risk of injury.

While the deadlift appears to be a relatively simple lift, proper execution often proves far more difficult. As with our Back Squat and Bench Press, when it comes to barbell deadlifting, the focus goes far beyond the simple act of picking something off of the ground. Proper set up and positioning is HUGE, as it accountability to form over weight. Use this time spent with little to no weight to really cement your understanding of the ENTIRE movement. Work your form, and set yourself for success in the long run!

After we introduce our new deadlift movement, we will review the bodyweight “pull” – aka pull ups!

As always, the key here lies in proper SCALING. We want to find a way to execute our bodyweight pulls, no matter our ability or training experience. Make sure you tackle this challenge with the proper mindset. Remember, picking proper scaling options allows you to see real progress in a shorter amount of time. Don’t let ego get in the way, we all have to start somewhere, and we all want to improve!

Lastly, we will learn and lightly load a unilateral squat variation, the split squat. Be sure to record your weights as prompted!

Begin first by getting 1:00 of ANY light cardio in – jog/bike/row/jumping jacks/etc. Then, perform 10 yards each of the following progression:

Walking Lunge

Knee Hugs

RDLs

Side Lunges

Quad & Reach

High Knees

Butt Kicks 

3 x 20m Carry 

Today we are trying out something called a “loaded carry” – often considered one of the foundational human movement patterns, as a step up from walking or running.

This time we try something called a Farmer’s Carry. Simply put, we are aiming to walk with COMPLETE control (at a slow speed) while holding a weight in each hand, down at our sides.

The trick is in engaging the core and working hard to maintain a neutral spine despite the added load. Basically, can you make it look like your walking without any weights at all???

Record the weights you use in each set below!

5 x 5 Deadlift 

Today we are taking the first step towards our first barbell loaded hinge pattern, the “Deadlift”. This means we load a barbell on the floor (using bumper plates!) and then pick it up off of the ground, raising it to waist height.

For today, we are NOT looking to load up weight. Instead, we want to get extremely comfortable with the position on the bench, how to get into and out of a “rack”, and get some lightweight volume practice done.

Let’s use an “LIGHTLY LOADED bar” for all of our reps, today. No matter the bar you choose, a full men’s olympic barbell, a women’s bar, a training bar, etc, you should put ONLY the lightest possible rubber plates on each end. Ideally, we are talking about 1 rubber 10 on each side. This weight is ONLY there to effectively raise the bar from the floor, for proper set up and execution.

Whatever you do in fact use, today, add it all up and enter the total weight moved in each set below.

Focus on moving slow and with perfect technique!

3 x 6-8

Next we introduce (or revisit) the bodyweight pull – aka the pull up. Our goal, today, is to simple achieve 6ish EASY, FLAWLESS bodyweight pulls.

Remember, we can and SHOULD be scaling the movement to best fit our current ability on the bar. It does NOT matter how you scale the movement to do so. If you can perform full unassisted reps, great! If you want to scale using a band – great! If you want to use an assisted pull up machine, lat pulldown machine or any other approach, that works too!

However you do it, just get in some “easy” but totally perfect and well controlled reps!

Unit 4: Deadlift Focus

3 x 6-8

Next we introduce (or revisit) the bodyweight pull – aka the pull up. Our goal, today, is to simple achieve 6ish EASY, FLAWLESS bodyweight pulls.

Remember, we can and SHOULD be scaling the movement to best fit our current ability on the bar. It does NOT matter how you scale the movement to do so. If you can perform full unassisted reps, great! If you want to scale using a band – great! If you want to use an assisted pull up machine, lat pulldown machine or any other approach, that works too!

However you do it, just get in some “easy” but totally perfect and well controlled reps!

Unit 5: Total Work Out Routine

1. Provide music that is a fast beat to motivate the students and it is recommended that students can bring in their own music if it is clean and free of inappropriate content. How to use the above PRE instead of the usual duration at each station that you have done in the past (i.e., 20-30 seconds at each station) make the station longer for 30-40 seconds before rotating to the next station. 

2. The circuit training activity should last from 20-30 minutes that focuses on muscular strength.  

3. Create a weight training plan for circuit. 

4. There are many different ways to build muscle strength, but they all boil down to some very basic principles. These four principles are the foundation upon which to build an efficient and productive strength training routine. 

5. Strength Exercise Selection What exercises you choose to do are the starting point for creating an optimal workout. You have to make wise selections that make the most of each exercise. My advice is to choose strength exercises that are multi-joint exercises rather than single joint movements. For example, choose a squat over a leg extension and you get far more return on your exercise investment. 

Additionally, this sort of exercises selection is much more likely to simulate real life or real sports movements. In real life we use many muscles and joints in very rapid succession to move. Working out this way eliminates the need for isolated movements like bicep curls. Keep this in mind when you select your exercises during training.  

6. Keep the number of exercises manageable. Three to five high intensity exercises is about right. Don't think you can do 15 strength exercises in one session and still get a high intensity workout. With too many exercises, you tend to fatigue before you finish or lower your overall output and get a lesser quality workout. The optimal time for a full strength training workout at high intensity is about 30 minutes.  

7. Frequency of Strength Training Session The two factors the determine your strength gains are the intensity of the exercise performed and allowing an appropriate rest and recovery period after the workout. For this reason, most strength workouts are build around the concept of short, high intensity weight workouts followed by one to two days of rest to let the muscles rebuild and become stronger. Research shows that muscles continue to build fibers and become stronger for up to a week after a workout that is performed to muscle failure. This underscores the importance of alternating a high training intensity with adequate rest periods in order to build muscle.  

8. Number of Sets Performed There is a lot of discussion about how many sets of an exercise to do. The bottom line is if you can do one set to exhaustion, that is probably enough. The reason many people need to do multiple sets is that they didn't perform the first one at maximum intensity. There are other reasons to perform multiple sets and the biggest one is safety. Performing one set of maximum effort can increase your risk of injury f you haven't thoroughly warmed up or if you don't use perfect lifting technique. Sometimes it's smart to use a set to make sure you don't over-lift (lift more than you are capable of lifting in a safe manner). If you are experienced and skilled at weight lifting, go ahead and perform the first set at max effort and work to failure. Research backs up the idea that one set training produces the same strength gains as multiple sets and it does this in less time.  

9. Number of Repetitions Performed per Set There are a lot of different recommendations regarding how many reps to perform during weight training. How many you should do depend on your training goals and current level of fitness. Keep in mind that strength training promotes increases in both functional strength (how much you can lift) and muscle hypertrophy (how big your muscles grow). Higher repetition during weight lifting sessions stimulate the slow twitch muscle fibers and promote muscle endurance. Lower repetitions during weight training (at a higher intensity) activate the fast twitch muscle fibers and increase strength and muscle size. One simple way to get the best of both of these training methods is to vary your training repetitions. Because both are important for overall athletic conditioning, and many strength training experts will recommend varying the number of repetitions through a 8-10 week training cycle. Keep in mind that performing high intensity lifts is still necessary even if you are performing 50 repetitions. The weight must be heavy enough that you reach fatigue at the last repetition in order to promote functional muscle growth.