Welcome to Workout of the Week, number 78. Today we have a four-day push-pull strength and power workout.
So what’s the training goal? As the title of the program suggests, maximizing strength and becoming more explosive.
Training variables: We use a heavy-light loading approach. So for the heavy loading, we use 85% to 100% of the one-rep max. For the light loading, 0 to 5% of the one-rep max. For the heavy loading, we use 1 to 3 repetitions. For the light loading, 3 to 6 repetitions. The exertion: heavy loading—hard to near maximum; light loading—light exertion. The effort: a maximum effort for the heavy loading and a dynamic effort—mainly the plyometric effort—for the light loading.
The exercises: For the heavy loading, we use Olympic lifts and variations of it, squat, deadlift, push, and pull. For the light loading: jumps and throws. Exercise order: most complex to least complex.
And more training variables: Frequency: four days a week. The organization is a station training but includes some complexes. The training split is a push-pull.
And how does it look? Here we are, and we’ll jump right into it.
Here we are inside our four-day push-pull strength and power workout. Yeah, you get the overview of the program, the workout, and then the weekly overview. We do two consecutive workouts on two consecutive days, one day of rest, and then another two consecutive days.
So Workout Number One: the upper body push. We do a push press complexed with a medicine ball push press. Yeah, so the push press is the heavy loading, the medicine ball push press is the light loading. And then we do the bench press and the medicine ball power drop. Yeah.
So how does it look here? We do four sets of one repetition at 92.5%. And then for the light loading, we do four sets of three repetitions at 2%. If you have seen previous workouts, then I explained already the concept of a parent exercise, which is probably more something for the practitioner than really scientific. Anyway, the parent exercise would be for this complex the push press. Yeah.
So let’s make it simple. Imagine the person can push press 100 kilos. They would do four sets of one repetition at 92.5 kilos. And for the medicine ball push press, they would do four sets of three repetitions with a 2-kilo medicine ball. Yeah, so it’s based on the parent exercise, in this case the push press. And the same is true for the bench press. Similar concept: bench press, yeah, four sets of one at 92.5%. And then for the medicine ball power drop, four sets of three at 2%. Inter-set rest within the complex: two minutes. After the complex: three minutes.
If we go to Workout Number Two: the lower body pull. So this time we use a trap bar deadlift complexed with a medicine ball scoop. Yeah, so biomechanically similar exercises. And then we do an RDL with kettlebell swings. Yeah. So also here, for our heavy loading: four sets of one at 92.5%. For our light loading: four sets of three at 2%. Yeah, it only changes a little bit for the kettlebell swings. There it’s four sets of four at 10%.
If we go to Workout Number Three: upper body push and pull. So now we’re combining the push and the pull. We have the bench press and the power drop, which is the upper body push complex. And then we have the pull-ups and medicine ball slam, which is the upper body pull. But it’s all in one. So you do bench press, followed by power drop, followed by pull-ups, followed by medicine ball slam. Yeah. And then you follow the similar structure: four sets of one at 92.5% for the heavy loading, and four sets of three repetitions at 2% for the light loading.
And then we go to Workout Number Four: the lower body push and pull. We do the back squat and the countermovement box jump. So here you can see where I got confused in Workout Number Three. Here we have Complex One followed by Complex Two. So Complex One is back squat and the countermovement box jump. And there we do same thing: four sets of one at 92.5%—heavy loading, back squat—and then three repetitions for the countermovement box jump.
Then we have a complex of the RDL and the medicine ball scoop. RDL also done at 92.5%, and the medicine ball scoop at three repetitions for four sets at 2%.
This concludes the workout. You can download that PDF, read the glossary explaining the terms, read a bit about myself if you want to know who’s talking to you. You can read what my athletes, former athletes, my former colleagues and mentees have to say about me. And last but certainly not least, you can sign up for the membership. Inside the membership, you get the full four-week periodized training program. This was just the first week. And considering we are at Workout of the Week number 78, you get 77 four-week periodized programs.
Anyway, let’s move back and finish this presentation. What are the next steps?
You download that PDF, and you join the membership. And if you haven’t already, like and subscribe. You can watch the previous workout here, and you can subscribe.
I’ll see you next week with the next Workout of the Week.
