Here’s what’s going on this week at the gym!
Week of September 18th – 24th, 2022
BIRTHDAYS
No Birthdays until October!
Announcements
Please remember to reserve your class time. If you need help, please watch this video for a quick tutorial.
Next month we won’t be having a “Gains & Games” night, but we will be having a fun Halloween event! Stay tuned for more details!
Coach Jess is starting up an 8 week Snatch course. If you would like more info, email us by clicking here and I’ll get that info sent right over to you.
As we are shifting our focus from RXing the workout to RXing the stimulus, now is a great time to sit down with a coach and get a personalized prescription to attack your goals. This includes a free body scan and a look at what your intensities/zones should look like throughout the week. Did you know that performing your workouts at the same intensity every day might be stalling your progress? Click the button below to schedule your inbody scan and let one of our coaches give you a specific approach to your workouts.
InBody Scans
All Vernal Fitness members are eligible for a complimentary InBody scan each month. Aside from tracking our performance in Wodify, body composition scans are the best way to track progress and measure results.
PROGRAMMING OVERVIEW
September 19 – 24
It’s the final week of our Clean Complex – 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Power Clean.
Aim to move as heavy of a load as possible without losing technique or footwork.
We’ll also be building off last week’s Back Squat, and Snatch Pull weights, as well as diving into some Split Jerks. Like we did at the start of the “Clean Complex,” start light-moderate on these and make sure you can keep perfect footwork and technique.
“Interval 7” will be a spin-off of “Jackie,” which will cut the work in half and add some weight to the thrusters, with a 1-1 work to rest ratio. Hold a high pace and aim to finish the thrusters and pull-ups in 2 sets or less.
Expect some heavier than usual barbells this week with “Deep Burn” and “Pinkman.”
Monday
Moderate sustained intensity works well here for is key (60-70% of max heart rate). A fantastic place to build aerobic capacity!
These workouts may seem easy and repeatable, but can get pretty sweaty once your Zone 2 capacity improves with training!
Training in Zone 2 can help us better metabolize fat as a fuel and delay the use of carbs as fuel!
Tuesday
Medium duration, moderate to high intensity efforts can make the body more efficient at using the energy it has available and increase our high end aerobic endurance and Max VO2.
Training in zone 4/5 can make the body more efficient at buffering lactate and using carbohydrates.
Efforts like this can help you become better at going faster, longer!
Wednesday
We’re asking you to work hard (more than 85% of max HR) for 3 minutes and then recover well in the one minute rest.
Training and recovering from these more intense efforts can help us to prepare for, and recover from, short, intense efforts in sport and in life!
Thursday
Training in moderately high intensities for sustained periods of time like today can help to make us better by using the fuel we have available to us as our bodies ride the line between fat and carbohydrate utilization.
Intensity here should sit around 70-80% for the full duration of the WOD!
Training in zone 3/4 can make the body more efficient at buffering lactate and using carbohydrates for fuel
Friday
Improving MaxVO2 (our ability to use Oxygen to create energy) is known to reduce our risk of all cause mortality.
An increased Max VO2 can have similar positive health effects as quitting smoking!
Saturday
Game plan how you will divide up reps and stick to the plan for as long as possible.
Choose T2B and Box Jump options that challenge each athlete.
Push each other to move quickly on the bike, dividing up this work as needed to maintain a high consistent pace/wattage.
Full workout descriptions and notes are available to all members of Vernal Fitness & Nutrition. For more info, email us here.
ROUTINES
Creating a weekly ritual is one of the best ways to make healthy choices consistently especially when it comes to movement.
Scheduling weekly self care (like a massage or mobility/yoga) is a great way to ensure that we take the steps to care for our bodies outside the gym.
Schedule the things that are important to you to make sure you do them!
BOX BREATHING
The next time you find yourself stressed or out of breath try the following:
- Inhale slowly through your nose for four seconds concentrating on the air filling your lungs and pulling your diaphragm down.
- Hold your breath for four seconds. You’re not creating back pressure, but trying to find the balance between not inhaling or exhaling.
- Slowly exhale for four seconds through your nose
- Pause for four seconds before beginning the next inhalation.
- Repeat this cycle as many times as needed to regain control of your breathing and lower heart rate.
Once you’ve practiced this a few times you can start to use this technique on a workout where we need to recover as much as possible in a short period of time.
The concept of “Box Breathing” isn’t fancy, but it works to bring our bodies back under some control of the parasympathetic nervous system (rest, relax, recover).
The parasympathetic system does all the things we need it to, it helps to lower respiratory rate and increase respiratory volume, it lowers heart rate and it allows us to take control of our mental stressors which helps improve our ability to focus.
Practice Box Breathing on your own before using it in a workout setting.
RECOVERY
We don’t get stronger by running, rowing and lifting weights. We get stronger by allowing our bodies to respond to stress and recover from it.
Keeping moving at low intensities through walking, swimming, easy cycling and yoga can help aid the recovery process by: reducing lactic acid buildup in muscles. eliminating toxins. keeping muscles flexible. reducing soreness. increasing blood flow. helping you maintain your exercise routine.
AT HOME WORKOUT
Warm-up
AMRAP X 6
10 MB Ground to Overhead
10 PVC Pass Throughs
20 Lateral Hops over PVC Pipe
Weightlifting
Every :90 x 8
6 Alt. Hang DB Snatch + 12 Plank Shoulder Taps
Metcon
“Remote Optimus Prime”
For Time:
3 SETS
21 Goblet Squats (Light)
15 Up-Downs Over the DB
12 Alt. DB Snatch
-Rest 1 min b/w sets-
13 MIN CAP
Cool Down
1:00 Downdog Hold
1:30 Hands on Wall Prison Stretch