In “How to Develop Workouts and Progressions,” we wanted to share how we have developed Innovative Results workouts and progressions over the last couple years.
Hopefully this will help you understand what we do, why we do it, and give you some guidelines, so you can enjoy our workouts, training sessions, programs, and progressions.
What are the basic movement patterns that we need to include in our workouts and progressions?
- Squat
- Hinge
- Push
- Pull
- Carry
- Locomotion (Moving from point A to point B, usually in a contralateral pattern)
We typically have upper body days, lower body days and metabolic days.
Sometimes we have split the days by the energy system (i.e. Aerobic/Endurance, Lactic/Strength, Alactic/Power) or movement patterns (i.e. Pull and Hinge, Push and Squat, Carry and Locomotion)
Each week there will be two of each. (i.e. Upper-Lower-Metabolic-Upper-Lower-Metabolic)
We have been breaking up the upper body days into vertical and horizontal push pull, so one day focuses on overhead stuff and vertical pulling, while the other is more horizontal pushing and pulling, like push ups and rows.
Lower body days include a knee dominant day (squats, lunges, etc) and a hip dominant day (hinge, deadlifts, hips ext, kb swings, etc)
Metabolic days should stimulate one energy system primarily, while the second works the oposite end of the spectrum. (more on that later)
After lots of trial and error over the years, we believe this split works the best for our clients and our class structure. People get a variety of strength work, with a little dose of conditioning as well.
Other exercise variables that we can use to vary the exercises include:
- Equipment used – barbell, KettleBell, sandbags, battle ropes, steel maces, steel clubs, suspension systems, etc (A Front squat with a barbell is different than a kettlebell…same with a sandbag or battle rope. They are not the same.
- Position of the implement – where we hold the load changes the demands on the body
- Body position – seated, kneeling, half kneeling, staggered, split stance, square.
- Plane of motion – sagital (up,down, forward, backward), frontal (lateral, side to side) and transverse (rotationally). Think moving forward and backward, up and down, side to side, or in rotation.
- Load – How heavy is the load, or how fast do you move through the range of motion with quality form and movement?
- Beginners – LIGHT LOADS 2-3 sets of 15-30 reps to learn technique and develop strength endurance. Think less time under less tension.
- Intermediate – MODERATE LOADS 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps to build muscle and develop strength. Think more time under more tension.
- Advanced – HEAVY 3-5 sets of 1-5 reps to build max strength and power. Think maximum time under maximal tension.
- Speed – what speed are we moving the load?
- Beginners – slow, controlled, and focused
- Intermediate – They can vary speed, going slower or faster within larger ranges of motion under control.
- Advanced – They can vary speed, going even slower or even faster throughout a larger range of motion while still staying under control.
- Tempo –
- Intensity – How much are they engaging in the movements or exercises. This can increase with load, speed, tempo, and equipment variances.
- Work to rest ratio – the more complex, technical, intense, powerful, and work the movement or exercise is, the longer rest required to perform it again at excellent quality.
Order of Exercises
After each IR family member/client/customer checks in and goes over their nutrition journal or myfitnesspal they will begin moving.
Warm Ups
Warm ups need to be intentional and help prepare the body and mind for the work that the clients are about to do.
Start with mobility (big toe, ankle, hips, shoulders), activate common weak links (feet, hips, core, upper back) and then raise the core temperature, heart rate, and breath rate (crawling, locomotion, etc)
SAQ
This section is optional, depending on what the rest of the workout and other workouts look like that week. Its purpose is to light up the nervous system, wake people up and have some fun.
Common drills include agility, jumping, sprinting and throwing med balls.
Testing
This is a crucial part of Innovative Results, as this is the way our clients and customers to know they are getting stronger, more powerful, more aerobic, more coordinated, more balanced, etc.
Strength
This is where people can get strong and build muscle. People sense progress with new strength numbers and their fat-burning metabolism will ramp up with the increased muscle.
This is where we overload the system to force strength adaptation and improve lean body mass gains for metabolic increases.
Exercises can be chosen from the movement categories above.
We like to use series of exercises with planned rest or active recovery to keep people engaged throughout the hour training session.
Writing this into a workout will look something like this:
1a. Rotational SB Lunge
1b. KB Front Squat
1c. Hip Flexor Stetch
or simply
1a. Hex Bar Deadlift (5 rep max)
2b. Cross-touches or Cross-patterning (2 min)
The first one means that the exercises should be performed back to back with no rest and we are using the stretch as an active rest period.
The second one is a way to force rest periods while getting Innovative Results members to do mobility work that doesn’t typically get done, even when it is prescribed.
Conditioning or Metabolic or High Intensity Interval Training
We can do a variety of intervals ranging from 10sec – 60 seconds.
The movement and exercise we choose depends on the intensity we want people working, and how much work they put in up to that point in the training session.
Versaclimber sprints for 1 minute will be extremely fatiguing, and should not go with an equally intense training session.
Battle Rope Lateral Waves or sidewinders are great for short bursts.
We make sure to use an appropriate work to rest ratio, so people are stimulated, not annihilated.
What are the three main energy systems that we use during movement and exercise?
- Aerobic (2 minutes or more) – less intensity, longer duration. Should be an active to rest ratio of approximately 1:1/4 or even no rest.
- Lactic (15 to 120 seconds) – These Strength Movements are typically difficult, making people sick, if the rest is not designed well or implemented. Should be an active to rest ratio of approximately 1:1 to 1:4.
- Alactic (0 to 15 seconds) – These Alactic or Power Movments need to be drills that allow for the highest level of energy/intensity output. Should be an active to rest ratio of approximately 1:5 to 1:10.
These are not independent systems, but 3 different energy pathways that work together to keep us moving and performing the task at hand.
We typically use these to develop metabolic days.
One day might be a variety of short bursts, while the next might include longer owrk periods with less intensity.
Sample metabolic days:
Intervals – Set up a variety of drills and determine work:rest times. Could be 10ON/20OFF, 30/30, etc.
Series – Perform a series of movement back to back with no rest. Sandbag rotational lunges, SandBag cross body pulls, SandBag Bear Squats, SandBag Arch press.
**Use 3-5 movements max, movements should go from complex to simple and tax a variety of movement patterns.
Hurricane – A great template from Martin Rooney, founder of Training For Warriors, where we combine resisted sprints with resistance work.
Level 1 – Resisted sprint combined with core work
Level 2 – Resisted sprints with bodyweight
Level 3 – Resisted sprints with traditional resistance exercises (kb, sb, suspension, etc)
Level 4 – Sprints plus strongman drills.
For general populations (our members) we think using a variety of these systems is another way to mix things up and help people move.
Zuu Style
Combining all of the body weight stuff we learned from Nathan, Dirk, Ben and the ZUU and Ankorr crew.
Bears, rock press, xplodes, kick sits, gorillas, etc. Use a combination of easy and hard drills to develop a good series.
*The energy is high with these workouts, but it is incredibly taxing and difficult to monitor form and technique. Please do not sacrifice intensity for good technique.
Other things to consider:
Keeping clients entertained and challenged.
Whether we like it or not, we need to continually evolve, improve and change our training sessions, or clients will get bored and leave. The challenge is to combine what they need to do with a little of what they want to do, so everybody is happy.
Sometimes this can be as simple as squatting with a barbell one week and switching it to a sandbag the following progression. By manipulating the exercise variables stated above, we can usually make small tweaks and changes to keep people entertained with new work, while still improving their squat strength and ability.
With all of Onnit Academy’s Certifications and the continuing education certifications and experts we bring in to Innovative Results, it is easy for us to break down many different tools into technical progressions that keep clients engaged for long periods of time, while helping them lose weight, build muscle, feel better, build endurance, and improve coordination.
What are the progressions and regressions for each exercise?
Its important to study the workouts and discuss what we are going to do as a team during the workouts. Using progressions nd regressions for each movement is essential if we want our clients to be safe and perform the movements correctly.
For example, a simple drill like crawling can be broken down in a variety of ways.
We can start with rocking on all fours, progress to baby crawls, leopard crawls, spider crawls, alligator crawls, etc.
All of the education from Original Strength will be very helpful for our locomotion and crawling.
Knowing this type of stuff during a fitness training session will help people make progress, without being alienated or hurting themselves.
How will the workouts and progressions flow?
Where will we do each drill?
Where does the equipment go?
How will it work with a large group (20+ people)? A small group (3 people)
Will there be other groups in the gym?
These are all things to consider when writing a fitness training progression.
Does the IR Team have a clear understanding of the movements and goals for the workouts and progressions?
Ideally, we set aside time to study and discuss all of these items before teaching a new progression.
We should all be clear, have practiced the movements, and understand what variables are at play before running anyone through a workout or training progression.
Once the workouts are written, we lay out the 3 week progression schedule and input it into ZenPlanner so our clients and our coaches have access to it.
Organizing the workouts and progressions.
You should have 6 workouts written for each progression.
2 upper body days (or vary it by energy system or movement pattern)
2 lower body days (or vary it by energy system or movement pattern)
2 metabolic days (or vary it by energy system or movement pattern)
We typically organize them like this:
Week 1
Upper 1, Lower 1, Metabolic 1, Upper 2, Lower 2, Metabolic 2
Week 2
Lower 1, Meta 1, Upper 2, Lower 2, Meta 2, Upper 1
Week 3
Meta 1, Upper 2, Lower 2, Meta 2, Upper 1, Lower 1
After organizing the schedule, I typically go back and review how the workouts flow together.
Are we stressing one movement pattern, system or muscle group too much?
If metabolic comes after a tough leg day, make sure the movements dont wreck legs again. Although most of our clients dont come daily, some do and we need to do our best to account for al variables.
Is there a better way to organize the workouts to avoid over working?
Maybe swapping the upper days or metabolic days avoid stressing one group back to back.
This schedule has a few benefits:
- If someone comes mon, wed, fri or tues, thurs, sat, they will get an upper a lower and a meta workout each week.
- By shifting the workouts each week, it keeps people engaged.
- Three weeks is enough time to make progress, but not too long, where people get bored.
We hope this helps you understand some of the basics of program design.
Feel free to ask questions.
This might be a little overwhelming at first, but you’ll improve with practice.
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