Workout of the Week #22

Welcome to workout of the week number 22.

This time we have a 2-day full body contrast loading workout aimed at maximizing power.

So what’s the training goal?

We want to maximize strength and become more explosive.

So what is contrast loading?

I’ve outlined that in a previous video, I think it was number 14, anyway the definition of contrast loading is combining heavy loads and light loads.

So how could that look?

A very simple example could be contrast number one contrast number two contrast number three equates to one set, so you do a set of back squats with a heavy load followed by a light load being the box jump with your body weight and then you move from exercise one to exercise two and to number three to number four to number five to number six. You do a back squat with a heavy load followed by a box jump which is light load, in case you’re not too heavy from your body weight. Then you do the back squat again then the box jump the back squat and the box jump, and so on.

So again the training goal is to maximize strength and become more explosive through contrast training.

We talked about the heavy and the light load, so the training variables, this is why I just reiterated the heavy and the light, so we have a training intensity range for the heavy loading days or for the heavy loading exercise and then for the light loading so the heavy loading is 85 to 100% of the 1M and the light load is 0 to 5% of the 1 RM. The repetitions for the heavy loading is 1 to 3 and for the light loading 3 to 6.

The exertion we have a hard to near maximum exertion for the heavy load and a light exertion for the light load.

The training effort we have a maximum effort for the heavy loading and a dynamic effort a plyometric effort for the light loading.

If we look at exercises we use Olympic lifts and variations of the Olympic lifts, squat, deadlifts, pushing and pulling for the heavy loading, and for the light loading we use jumps and throws.

The exercise order goes from most complex to least complex and if we look at a few more training variables, we train two days a week, it is a station training, and it’s a full body split.

Let’s have a look how it looks by jumping into the workout.

So here we are inside of our workout the two day full body strength and power contrast loading workout. There’s an overview of the workout, there’s a table of content, and you see the structure so we do workout number one and then we do two days of rest and then we do workout number two.

Why is there so much rest?

As you know most of my programs are targeted and aimed at athletes, so that means they have other training responsibilities on the other days, it’s not that you only train for two days a week.

So workout number one let’s have a look.

On the left side you see the complexes 1A and 1B is one complex or contrast sorry for the using it synonymously. So 1A & 1B is one contrast, 2A & 2B is another contrast, 3A & 3B is a contrast, and 4A & 4B is a contrast.

And then we combine biomechanically similar movement patterns so the power clean is complex with medicine ball scoop, the back squat is complexed with a jump, a counter movement box jump, the single-legged squatting is complexed with a single-legged counter movement jump, and the pullup is complexed with a medicine ball slam.

And if we look at our set and rep scheme we do three sets of three reps at 87.5% of the 1 RM, which equates to an RPE of 8 for the heavy loading, and we do three sets of 4 repetitions at 2% for the light loading. So again 87.5% from the 1 RM power clean, and 2% is of what?

I’ve explained it in previous videos, so if you are a loyal viewer, please don’t feel bored, it’s for those who have not seen that, so 2% is based on the parent exercise, so for the medicine ball scoop the parent exercise would be the power clean. So if you can power clean 100 kilos you would use a 2 kilo medicine ball, if you can power clean 150 kilos you would use then a 3 kilo medicine ball, so that’s how the contrasts are structured. The first exercise is the parent exercise, the second exercise is then the light load, which is biomechanically similar to the parent exercise.

If we move to workout number two, we see we start with a push press same here and push press same here in terms of parent exercise and biomechanically similar exercise so push press followed by a medicine ball push press, then we do a box squat followed by a non-countermovement box jump, so you can see here the idea, a box squat is depending how you execute it but it can take out the stretch shortening cycle, so it becomes mainly a concentric-only exercise and that is then also applied in the second exercise a non-countermovement box jump.

Non- counter movement box jump, can also be called a squat jump. We have a countermovement jump, and you have a squat jump, so basically you go down into the start position hold the start position and without any kind of movement you jump up.

So step ups with the single-legged non-countermovement box jump, and the bench press with the medicine ball power drop.

And once you download the workout, you get a glossary, which explains the terms that I used in the workout, you can read a bit about myself, you can see what other people have to say about me, and then last and certainly not least, there is a chance to subscribe to the membership.

Inside the membership, you get the four- week customizable program. So this is the first week of this 4-week program, and the 4-week program is progressive in nature.

So let’s move back.

What are the next steps?

Number one, you download this program, number two you join the membership, and inside the membership you get the 4-week customizable program and also considering we are at workout of the week number 22, so you get 21 other strength training programs.

Strength training programs focussing to improve strength, focussing to become more explosive, focussing to last longer, meaning strength endurance, power endurance, we also have hypertrophy programs, I guess there’s by now anything you can think of.

And training programs ranging from two days a week to 6 days a week.

So enough selling here, let’s finish that off, like the video, if you liked it, subscribe so you don’t miss any of the videos, and you can watch the previous workout here.

And if you haven’t subscribed already you can subscribe here I see you in the next week.