7.8.13 SWOD + New SwoleFIT Strength Cycle Template

Attention everyone. I have an urgent, breaking news story. Starting this week will be a slightly modified SwoleFIT template so prepare yourself for MAX GAINZ. Emphasis will be placed on more consistent strength cycles for squat and bench press. Read about the dirty deets here.

WarmupUno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, cinco, seis

Strength

  • Back Squat: 8 sets of 3 @~80% 1RM
  • First week of 4-week squat strength cycle, use the same weight for all working sets.
  • Rest should be 60-90 seconds between sets. Choose a weight that you know you can hit (with a little pushing) for all sets.

Conditioning

  • 5 rounds: 10 hang power snatch* (95#), 20 sit-ups, 10 push press (95#), 20 reverse lunges (10 each leg- quick/explosive reps, alternate legs, use bodyweight)
  • *Sub hang power cleans for hang power snatches if you aren’t comfortable w/ form.
  • Prescribed rest (b/t rounds): 60-90 seconds

Motivation- Inspirational speech + yoked bros throwing up ridiculous weight = Motivation for today:

6.13.13 SWOD

Warmup

Dynamic

  • EMOM for 8 minutes (EMOM = Every Minute On the Minute)
    • 2 Jump Squats, 2 Explosive Deadlifts @ ~50%1RM
    • For jump squats, start from a full squat position and explode as high as possible on each jump. Pause after each rep for both exercises.

Volume (Rest periods should be 60-90 seconds b/t supersets)

Do you want to get big? Tryna get swole? Interested in becoming a beefcake? Look no further than this brand spankin’ new SHOULDALEGZTRAPZABZ workout to get the people goin’.

Motivation

  • Today’s motivation is actually some very practical, useful advice from Kelly Starett. Apply these movement principles to your deadlift to optimize performance/ most efficiently create torque with your body.

 

5.23.13 SWOD

Warmup

Dynamic

  • EMOM for 7 minutes (EMOM = Every Minute On the Minute)

Volume (Rest periods should be 60-90 seconds b/t supersets)

Same volume workout as last week, yo. Increase all weights 5-10 lbs. Maintain perfect form, feel that pump, get awesomed out. If you are feeling extra confident, practice your bodybuilding poses. These are great to whip out while in the classroom, at a meeting, or if you just need to brighten someone else’s day in general.

Motivation

  • This video is great– these bros are just trying to get their workout on in public, and for some reason, people are scared, grossed out, and generally have adverse reactions. What a society we live in, huh?

5.21.13 SWOD

Warmup

Dynamic

  • EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute) Flat Bench– 8 sets of 3 @ 50-60% 1RM
    • This weight should feel fairly light. Focus on slowly lowering the bar to your chest and subsequently exploding with full force/velocity on the way back up.
    • Bump the weight up 5 lbs from last week’s dynamic weight.

Volume (Rest periods should be 60-90 seconds b/t supersets)


Same workout as last week– bump all the weights up 5-10 lbs. Remember, for this hypertrophy workout, do not go to absolute failure, keep form perfect, stress the muscles, and feel that sick pump.

Motivation

  • If you, like me, are hitting up EDC in one of the coming weekends, here’s the essential swole bro packing list, related to us by the Bro shepherd, Dom Mazetti himself:

5.16.13 SWOD

Warmup

Dynamic

  • EMOM for 7 minutes (EMOM = Every Minute On the Minute)

Volume (Rest periods should be 60-90 seconds b/t supersets)

This week marks the start of a new series of movements for the shoulders/traps/legs/abs volume workout. Just like Tuesday’s workout, choose lighter weights for this week. Focus on stressing the muscle and maintaining perfect form! We’ll continue to work up in weight over the coming three weeks; no need to get ahead of yourself.

Motivation

  • SwoleFIT brother, Glenn from Kansas City sent me this link. It is perhaps one of the greatest, most underappreciated feats of strength of all time. 
  • Today we salute you, Mr. Steve Schmidt. Sure no one knows what in God’s good name this lift is, nor what purpose it serves. But you still nailed your attempt, just like you did the hordes of fangirls that I’m assuming started pursuing you after this accomplishment.

5.2.13 SWOD

Warmup

Dynamic

  • EMOM for 7 minutes (Every minute on the minute)- 3 power snatch @ 50-60% 1RM
    • Today is a good day to work on snatch technique if you are new to the movement. Stick to a very light weight (I’m talking just the bar), and take a video of yourself to verify form.
    • Keep in mind, snatch is an EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, extremely complex movement, probably the hardest weightlifting movement to master. Olympic weightlifters spend their entire lives trying to perfect this movement

Volume- (rest 60-90 seconds b/t sets)

Today’s workout is the same as last week’s, just lowered the reps. Increase weights by at least 5-10 lbs from last week. You should be getting stronger and bigger already if you’ve been keeping up with the workouts and eating well.

Here’s my 6 week progress pics (#DATINSTAGRAM). I’ve gone from 205 lbs to 197 lbs, but have maintained/added some muscle mass on my traps, chest, upper back, and arms. I’ll do a more comprehensive progress article in a few weeks.

 (Spring Break 2k13)

(6 weeks in)

It’s been pretty crazy so far to see the actual physical results I along with my friends have been getting from this program.

Motivation

  • CJ Fletcher’s nickname is the “strongest man you’ve never heard of.” He’s also batshit insane (in a good way), and this video should help you pull your head out of your ass and train like there’s no tomorrow:

As a corollary, I do believe there is such a thing as overtraining, which is why I’ve gone to such great lengths to devise this whole workout template. Regardless, this video still revs you up.

4.16.13 SWOD

Note: This is tomorrow’s workout– I’m going to start posting workouts a full day ahead so any #SwoleFIT brethren overseas can see them in time.

Warmup

Dynamic

  • Flat Bench– 8 sets of 3 @ 50-60% 1RM
    • This weight should be extremely easy. Focus on slowly lowering the bar to your chest and subsequently exploding with full force/velocity on the way back up.
    • Rest 45 seconds between sets

Volume

Rest between supersets should be 60-90 seconds, no more. This is optimal for max hypertrophy. Also, choose weights that are moderately difficult, but do NOT go to absolute failure. Focus on getting quality reps here and stimulating that muscle growth.

I’ve changed up the SwoleFIT template slightly to incorporate two days of volume work to complement the two days of conditioning work. These kinds of workouts will make your body blossom into the beautiful muscle garden it was meant to be.

Motivation

  • It’d be a travesty if I didn’t share every single one of Dom Mazetti aka BroScienceLife’s videos with you guys. They are consistently hilarious and usually pretty true– this one is no exception. Basically, if you do any of the things in this video, you need to reevaluate your life.