Over the last couple of days many of you have had a taste of the new training cycle and the different levels of programming. Classes have been packed and full of energy, which is awesome. I want to emphasize again that the focus of this cycle is TECHNICAL MASTERY of basic bodyweight exercises. When you perform controlled push-ups or hanging leg raises through the full range of motion, your muscles tend to burn out more quickly than when you shorten the ROM or kip the movement as often happens in training. With that in mind, be prepared to cut the sets down to fewer than 5 reps at a time so that you can make sure you’re doing the strictest, most productive, most beautiful reps possible. This sort of approach will lead to the most progress over the course of the gymnastic cycle.

One last note on the Olympic Lifting clinic. It is unfortunate that we had to cancel. Several people approached us and said they intended to sign up. A decorated Olympic weightlifter like Edward is in high demand and like all of us has to plan his calendar. These types of events are not only about honing your skills but about building a better community. If you’re interested in something, grab a friend to sign up with. Make a commitment and get signed up.

We are hosting the StrongFirst Tactical Strength Challenge on Saturday, October 4th. It is perfectly nestled inside this bodyweight and strength maintenance cycle. The TSC consists of:

3 attempts at a 1 rep max deadlift
1 attempt at pullups for max reps
5:00 minute kettlebell snatch test

There are six classes of competition:

Men’s Open Division/Men’s Masters Division
A max deadlift, bodyweight pullups, and snatches with a 24kg kettlebell.

Men’s Elite Division
A max deadlift, pullups with 10kg of added weight (22 lbs), and snatches with a 32kg kettlebell.

Men’s Novice Division
A max deadlift, bodyweight pullups, and snatches with a 20kg kettlebell.

Women’s Open Division
A max deadlift, bodyweight pullups, and snatches with a 16kg kettlebell.

Women’s Elite Division
A max deadlift, pullups with 5kg of added weight (11 lbs), and snatches with a 20kg kettlebell.

Women’s Novice Division
A max deadlift, flexed arm hang, and snatches with a 12kg kettlebell.

Sign up at strongfirst.com. Put some of this fitness to the test.

Warmup
Jump Rope 3 Minutes

Skill
Break reps into manageable sets. Micro-sets of 2-3 reps with perfect technique are better than sets of 10 where the last several reps are forced and sloppy. The emphasis is on QUALITY, not speed.

Levels 3/4
50 Kipping Pull-ups (C2B Level 4)
100 Push-ups
120 sec L-Sit
25/leg Pistols to a box

Level 2
30 Strict NO kip Pull-ups (band assist if necessary)
30 Hanging Scap Retractions
30 Push-ups
60 sec L-Sit
30/leg Step-ups

Levels 0/1
30 Ring Rows
30 Hanging Scap Retractions
30 Box Push-ups
180 sec Plank
30/leg Step-ups

Conditioning
18 Minute limit
Levels 3/4
5 Rounds AFAP
30 Double Unders
10/arm Clean + Push Press (24/16)

Level 1/2
4 Rounds AFAP
150 Single Unders (100 Level 1)
10/arm Cln+ PP

Level 0
4 Rounds not for time
100 Single Unders
5/arm Cln + PP