Heavy lifting and power-driven training are two complementary movement modalities that elicit feelings of being “strong” and “capable,” two sentiments that directly translate to improved athletic performance, confidence, and mental grit. Throw in some total body conditioning that combines elements of both strength and explosiveness, and you’re looking at feeling unstoppable!
Who is this challenge for and what to expect?
This challenge is a great option for the intermediate-to-advanced athlete/exerciser looking for improvements in performance across multiple training focuses. In particular, this challenge includes workout formatting, exercise sequencing, and progressions in intensity designed to improve the following:
- Strength: 6 of the 10 workouts (3 workouts per week!) are purposely structured to encourage heavy/heavier lifting to improve strength and build muscle.
- Power: 2 workouts each week include elements of explosiveness to improve the quickness with which we apply muscle forces.
- Conditioning: 1 workout each week focuses on improving the body’s ability to sustain increasingly higher levels of systemic fatigue to promote better movement efficiency (with heavier weights over time!).
The weekly yoga-inspired active recovery routine also includes skills-focused weighted core practice (Turkish Get-Ups) to improve proprioception. This improved awareness of your movement quality, stability, and posture improves your lifting capabilities and overall training capacity.
Challenge Roadmap:
WEEKS #1 & 2
-Days 1 & 6: Lower Body Strength + Core Finisher [Level 4]
-Days 2 & 7: Upper Body Strength + Core Finisher [Level 4]
-Days 3 & 8: Total Body Conditioning + Bodyweight HIIT Finisher [Level 5]
-Days 4 & 9: Dynamic Stretching & Weighted Core [Level 4]
-Days 5 & 10: Total Body Strength & Power [Level 4/5]*
*Workouts on these days are listed as the lower difficulty level but could feel like the higher rating due to heavier weight choices, higher levels of fatigue, and/or unfamiliarity with the exercises/workout structure.
Equipment:
A “medium” to “heavy” range of weights relative to what you typically use for standard lower and upper body exercises is extremely helpful to having a positive, effective exercise experience. Remember that your range of weights is relative to your own fitness level and training goals. Your “medium” weights should allow you to fill longer duration intervals (think 60 seconds) with quality movement whereas your “heavy” weights should noticeably challenge you during the last 2 to 3 reps of a set.
A mat will also be helpful for any floor exercises (core work, upper body exercises such as the chest press, etc.).
Closing notes:
This is a tough, physically demanding challenge and you’ll get from it what you put in! Don’t be afraid to try your heavier weights (safely and within reason!) but also know that progress occurs in the recovery. Push hard when a high effort matches the workout objective and pull back when it doesn’t. Use your two days without scheduled movement between each week of the challenge to get in some rest or restorative, lower intensity movement. And most importantly, enjoy the process!
What’s next?
If you enjoyed the focus, programming, and training styles within this 10-day challenge, you might also enjoy a few of my other trainer series:
-Faster with Tasha (5-day challenge)
[primary focus: strength/power; secondary focus: HIIT/cardio]
-Build with Tasha (10-day challenge)
[primary focus: strength; secondary focus: balance/core work]
-Powerful with Tasha (10-day challenge)
[primary focus: strength/power; secondary focus: HIIT/cardio]
-Expand with Tasha (10-day challenge)
[primary focus: strength; secondary focus: HIIT/cardio]