FAQs

Warms-ups

    Each warm-up is training session dependent. You will not warm-up the same way if your training session is a 5,000m Row or Run vs. a 5-20 min training session for as much work as possible involving a variety of movements vs. if your training session is a A1/A2/B1/B2/C1/C2 vs. if your training session is Clean and Jerk 1 rep maximum. The warm-up can vary depending on many factors. We will give example warm-ups for each of the above examples, these are merely guidelines, as each individual will have different needs during their warm-up.

    5,000m Row or 5,000m Run - if you are running for your training, you must run in the warm-up, if you are rowing for training, you must row in the warm-up. A 10 min row or run @ 50 % effort with some short (30 sec) pacing effort would be appropriate a few times during this 10 minutes. Following this, practice of breathing through the belly, stretching of needed areas, foam rolling of needed areas, doing the major bodyweight movements - lunge, squat, sit-up, chin-up, push-up - and some 60-180 sec moderate efforts of row or run would be fine as a warm-up. Ensure your breathing is ready for the demand you intend to place on the system by completing a thorough warm-up. If you need more time to feel comfortable to complete your training, take it.

    5-20 min training session with variety of movement - again, 10 minutes @ 50% effort of run/row/bike/skip would be beneficial if breathing will be high during the training. Stretch and foam roll the necessary areas. Perform the movements that you have to complete during the training session in the warm-up. Try a few reps of each movement in correct sequence of the training session to prep your brain and body for what is to come. Ensure your breathing is ready for the demand you intend to place on the system by completing a thorough warm-up. If you need more time to feel comfortable to complete your training, take it.

    A1/A2/B1/B2/C1/C2 - Begin with the movements related to the training session, then add more load to the first 2 movements, rotate though a few reps, add a little more load until you get close to your starting weight for set # 1. Prior to the first working set of the session (the first one you are counting) ensure you perform any necessary stretching, foam rolling, or dynamic ROM exercises.

    Clean and Jerk for maximum load - this example will suffice for any low repetition weightlifting training session (i.e. bench press, weight chin-ups, back squat, front squat, deadlift, olympic lifting). The key is to ready the Central Nervous System (CNS). This is what is being trained. As per your feeling on that day, stretching, foam rolling, and any supplementary movements (skill transfer exercises, posterior chain, anterior chain, rotator cuff, dynamic ROM, etc.) for the training session should be completed in the warm-up. The focus early in the session should be on potentiating (realizing potential) the body for the remainder of the training session by performing any movements in a powerful, but controlled, manner. Speed and technique are necessary components of these sessions and therefore should be touched on in the warm-up.

     

How to read the workout

    What does A1, A2, B1, B2, mean?  How do I follow the sets?  What does the rest portion mean?
     
    We will use a typical multi-facet resistance training workout that would be prescribed on this Blog:
     
    A1. High Bar Back Squat @ 30X0, 4-6 reps x 5 sets, rest 120 sec
    A2. Chest to Bar Chin-ups, AMRAP x 5 sets, rest 120 sec
    B1. KBS – 2 pd, 21 reps x 4 sets, rest 30 sec
    B2. Ring Dips, 21 reps x 4 sets, rest 30 sec
     
    In this workout you move through exercise A1 at the rx’d tempo, for the rx’d reps, you then rest for the rx’d amount of time (exactly) after the set is completed. Following the rest you do exercise A2 at the rx’d tempo, for the rx’d reps, you then rest for the rx’d amount of time after the set is completed. You then proceed back to A1. This alternation continues until the rx’d number of sets are completed for each exercise. For the above, this would mean 5 sets through A1/A2, with 120 seconds rest between each set.
    Once you have completed the A1/A2 series, you move to B1. You start B1, 120 seconds after your last set of A2. This style of workout can go into C1/C2, D1/D2, or A1/A2/A3/A4/A5/A6. Nothing changes, you simply following the rx’d order of exercises, the rx’d tempo, the rx’d reps, the rx’d sets.
     

Tempo

    It signifies a certain tempo. There are many examples like this – 21X0/1010/5010/etc. You simply have to take the exercise and correlate the timing (i.e. the numbers – 30X0) to it.
     
    For example, if a bench press or back squat is rx’d at 30X0, it means that from the top of the movement, you should take 3 seconds (1 one thousand, 2 one thousand, etc.) to reach the end point of the exercise (bar to chest in the bench press or full depth for the squat). So, the first number signifies the lowering portion of ANY exercise.
     
    The second number signifies if there is any PAUSE in the bottom position. Because this example says 0, it means that it is simply 3 seconds down, 0 pause, and then back up. If the tempo was 31X0, then you would have to pause for 1 second at the bottom of the movement. If it was 32X0, then you would have to pause for 2 seconds, and so on.
     
    The third number signifies the time in which to raise the load. When it says “X” as the third number, it means to accelerate the load as fast as possible – regardless of how fast the weight is actually moving; intention to accelerate is most important. If the number is 2020, as sometimes rx’d for GHD sit-ups or back extensions, then you have to take 2 seconds to lower fully, 0 pause in the full stretch position, then take 2 seconds to come back to the top (you are capable of going faster, but that is not what is being asked, so follow the numbers), with 0 sec rest before going into the next rep.
    There is also a case when you could be asked to do a 3010 tempo - on the bench press for example (because it is simple). When it says 3010, the third number is critical, because it means that for whatever the rep range is, you MUST take the rx’d time to raise the load, which would be 1 second in this example. This type of tempo does not allow for maximal efforts within sets, as you HAVE TO MAINTAIN a certain cadence for the reps.
     
    The last number, as you may have guessed, signifies any pause at the top of the movement. If it says 30X1 for a weighted chin-up (or pull-up, same thing), then you have to hold your chin over the bar for one second before lowering for 3 seconds to full arm extension.
     
    Also, you have to LEARN to read the number, then apply it to the given exercise. Chin-ups, for example, are a special case - there are other examples as well (i.e. deadlift). Chin-ups begin with the raising portion first, not like a back squat or bench press. So, if the tempo is 30X0, the first thing you look for is NOT the 3 second prescription, but the X, meaning that you begin with the third number for this exercise, not the first one.


Repetitions

- What weight do I start at for each exercise of the workout?

    A1. High Bar Back Squat @ 30X0, 4-6 reps x 5 sets, rest 120 sec
    A2. Chest to Bar Chin-ups, AMRAP x 5 sets, rest 120 sec
    B1. KBS – 2 pd, 21 reps x 4 sets, rest 30 sec
    B2. Ring Dips, 21 reps x 4 sets, rest 30 sec
     
    Well, for this example, there is only one exercise you need to choose a weight for – the back squat. So, we will use the example of someone who can back squat 300 lbs for 1 rep (1RM). The loading percentages will depend on many things for a given exercise – training age, training status, gender, muscle group, exercise, etc. For our purposes, this person would warm-up to a weight they either knew would be challenging for 6 reps, or a weight they thought would be challenging for 6 reps (depending on their experience). This persons’ numbers for 5 sets should look something like this – 230(6), 240(6), 245(6), 250 (5), 250 (4). For this workout, the goal is to train the squat at a given tempo, not to go for PB’s.

    *Notice that once the top of the rep range was achieved, the load MUST INCREASE. When the top of the rep range is not achieved, then the load MUST STAY THE SAME for the next set. When the bottom of the rep range is not achieved, the load MUST STAY THE SAME for the next set (unless you are in warm-up, and you know you cannot do this weight for the rx’d reps once you have tried it for one or two reps). You MUST understand these principles, as progression is dependent upon this for this style of workout.

Repetitions – How should I progress if the workout calls for...?
    Depends on the workout, for example:
     
    Push Jerk, 5-5-5-5-5
     
    In these workouts, you warm-up to challenging load for 5 reps of the given exercise. If you know your 1RM (repetition maximum) or 5RM for the Push Jerk, it will be easier. The reps could be any number with this style of workout, the rules will still apply. For this workout, you could have a loading sequence that looks like this for the Push Jerk workout – 145/150/155/160(4)/160. Each set has to be hard, with the next set being harder than the previous.
     
    If the workout is:
    Deadlift, 5-4-3-2-1
     
    In this workout each set is VERY hard. You may even fail on a certain set, this is not a warm-up to try a 1 RM. A PB may occur with this, but each of the sets 5/4/3/2/1 should be maximal efforts for those sets. If your best Deadlift is 400lbs, then your sets may look like 340(5)/350(4)/360(3)/375(2)/390(1).
     
    If the workout is:
    Press, 1 RM
    You are being asked to find a 1RM, your best possible lift. Then you do not do gruelling sets leading up to this as you would with the previous workouts. If your PB is 160 for the Press, then your set scheme would look something like this, following a good warm-up – 95(5), 115(3), 135(1), 145(1), 155(1), 160(1), 162.5 (1), 165(f), 165(f). The goal is to get up to a heavy weight quickly, with the fewer sets the better, as for most people, this will allow lots of nervous system function for the important sets.
     

Sets – the ins & outs

    Maintaining the correct rx’d tempo, and following the rules with the reps (see above), is imperative to getting the appropriate response from the workout. Progression from set to set, usually determined by load, is priority. However, when there is numerous sets prescribed within a workout for a given exercise, if you are using the correct methodology, then those muscle groups will be screaming for vengeance by the last set. And, depending on how you have been eating, sleep, relaxing, training, etc., can affect your performance on the latter sets. If you are to perform a Push Jerk WOD like the one above:
    Push Jerk, 5-5-5-5-5
    If your best 5 RM is 160 for the Push Jerk, then the optimal loading would be 145/150/155/160(4)/160. If the follow happens to your loading, 145/150(failed at 3)/150(failed at 2)/XXXXX. Then shut’er down there. You are not being productive. This is the point of Critical Drop-off.
    If you are to perform the Press within an A1/A2/B1/B2 style workout, for 5 sets of 4-6 reps each set, and your best 6 RM Press is 130, then the following loading should occur – 120/125/127.5/130/132.5(4). If the following happens – 120/125(5)/125(3)/125(2)/XXXX. Then you are done after set 4, shut’er down. You DO NOT DO SET number 5. Arguably, you should stop after set 3.


What is Z1?

    Recommended %'s and zones as per prescription Target Zone     

Suggested Intensity
    Z1     65-74%
    Z2     75-84%
    Z3     85-90%
    Z4     91-96%
    Z5     97-100%

Running & Rowing percentages

    If you do no know what it means to run or row at 80%, or 85%, for a certain distance then continue reading. If it says to run or row 400m, @ 90 % x 4, rest 2 min between, this means the times should be consistent. Not continuously slower and slower. You are being asked to show accuracy in your intensity of running or rowing effort. This will be much easier on a rower, as it gives second by second feedback. But, you should be able to know when you are running at a 1:15 400m pace, or running at a 1:20 400m pace - not kidding!
    So, with that said, here are some "suggestions". If you are rx'd to run 400m @ 90%, and you know your best 400m run is 70 sec, then you should be aiming for 77-80 seconds. 80% would be approximately 90-95 sec. 70% would be approximately 100-105 sec. This would also fit for the same distance in rowing. These are very general suggestions, these % percentages will change based on your running skill and work capacity.

    You are not taking a known time - your best 400m - and using math to get the answer. You are looking for a percentage of a known performance (intensity), a certain % of effort, not a certain % of time.

(FAQ's courtesy of OPT)