October is here and while there is plenty to look forward to, it’s important to take a look back at what got us here from September!
September marked the kick-off of our newest bi-monthly focus, “Gymnastics / Going Heavy”. Diving into the first part of that focus, the Gymnastics, the goal was to begin September focusing solely on Strict Strength Sessions 2x/ week and we met that goal!
The movements in these skill/strength sessions varied from Strict Pull-Ups to Strict HSPU and TTB, and beyond. By slowing things down with tempos in the beginning, we were able to fine tune the movement patterns, build strength, and lay a foundation for the weeks to come.
As the month progressed, the tempo disappeared, and the volume increased. By the end of the month, we have started to see the dynamic variations of each movement introduced in low volume kipping skill work.
While the bodyweight aspect of September is challenging in and of itself, we also wanted to keep the Heavy train rolling coming out of our last Wendler cycle by having Heavy workouts 1-2x a week. It was important to us to use that new barbell confidence and strength in our Metcons across all time domains and Workout types.
One example of this was a re-test of “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot”, a benchmark that leaves you asking, “WTF?!”. We also got to put the pedal to the metal with “Speed Demon” as our last September Re-test. As far as new Benchmark and named workouts go, we have added “Get a Grip” and “D.T. Deja Vu” to the list, expect to see these rearing their heads in the future!
Now that it’s October, the second month of our two-month focus can carry on with our gymnastics continuing to progress into deeper expressions of skill and technique building off of the Strength and mechanics of September!
October begins the first week with two mini tests, Max Toes to Bar and Max Strict Pull-Ups. We tested our Strict Pull-Ups as a one-off in the middle of August, and felt that this would be great point to first test, then re-test after all the hard work that’s been put in. Expect to see these tests at the end of October as well with a quick turnaround to monitor short range improvements.
In terms of tests and re-tests, week 1 will feature a retest of “Point Break”, week 2 we will see “Cali-Bear” for the third and final time, and week 3 will have “Ripcord” a classic NCFIT Benchmark! We originally planned for “2021” experience to resurface this month, but decided that an even spookier and scarier workout was in order for Halloween!
A new addition to the weekly offerings is a named workout! Keep an eye out for these, as they will either be a classic, or a new workout all together!
Looking deep into the next month, on Veteran’s Day (11/11), we will be programming the Hero Workout “Chad” which features 1,000 Box Step-Ups. This is a massive volume for our athletes to conquer, and we want to make sure that they are as prepared as possible for this feat.
Beginning on the week of 10/4, we will start a 6-week Extra Credit cycle to get our athletes accustomed to the type of volume they will see in Chad. Each day features both an RX+ and an RX rep count. The Extra Credit builds to a hefty 700 Step-Ups before a “de-load” week between “Chad” itself which culminates for this honorary workout on 11/11.
Weekly Oct. Commitments
- Heavy Bar 1-2x/Week
- Gymnastic/Skill Finisher 2x/Week
- “Chad” Extra Credit Weekly
- 1 Named Workout/Week
- 1 Partner Workout /Week (Saturdays)
OCTOBER BENCHMARKS
- Point Break
- Cali Bear
- Ripcord
- Max Strict Pull-Ups
- Max Toes to Bar
CHAD Extra Credit Plan
- Week 1 of 6 (10/4) – 125/75 & 250/150 Step-Ups
- Week 2 of 6 (10/11) – 400/200 Step-Ups
- Week 3 of 6 (10/18) – 550/300 Step-Ups
- Week 4 of 6 (10/25) – 700/400 Step-Ups
- Week 5 of 6 (11/1) – 400/200 Step-Ups
- Week 6 of 6 (11/8) – CHAD on 11/11
