The beginner meet is coming up this weekend, which means that this is the final week of our oly cycle! In case you didn’t LOVE maxing out your snatch and clean and jerk, there is an opportunity to max out your back squat coming this Friday, so get excited.
I am thrilled for what is coming up in the summer cycle, it’s going to be a blast! I am calling it “summer of core”. There is going to be a TON of additional core work coming at you. Over the last couple of months during the oly cycle I have really noticed a lot of weakness in the thoracic spine, belly muscles and glutes. In order to get better at the big lifts, we are going to add in more accessory work on the important parts of your trunk that support your spine and make you strong.
You can expect to see lots of glute activators included in the warm-ups, as well as “core cash-outs” almost every day of the week. I recommend doing those cash-out exercises at home, even if you can’t make it in. Every exercise will only take up a few minutes of your time, and it all adds up!
Over the next twelve weeks we are going to be working through back squat, bench and deadlift progressions, snatching from the floor in some new fun ways, and playing around with kettlebells. You can also expect to see more running and sprinting. It’s summer after all, and we only get to play outside for a few months out of the year. Plus, it’s time to get training for that upcoming 5K and 10K.
The Schedule
Mondays: Back Squat (endurance: tempo)
Tuesdays: Bench Press (endurance: speed)
Wednesdays: Snatching (endurance: long cardio)
Thursdays: Mystery Box (endurance: hybrid)
Fridays: Deadlift + Body Building
Saturdays: Mystery Box (endurance: run club)
I know you are as excited as I am to see Body Building Fridays back on the schedule. The Thursday and Saturday “mystery box” days are when you can expect to see a wide-variety of programming to tickle your fancy and get your skillz game up.
Recommendations for Athletes
Training for 5K or 10K: If you plan to train for the 5K or 10K this summer (or another long run), you should plan to include at least 3 days per week of running in your schedule. Mondays do CrossFit and Tue, Wed and Sat hit up endurance class. Make sure you do LOTS of mobility and keep your core strong by making sure to add in the core accessory work.
Strength Gains: If you want to make maximum gainz with a z, prioritize the CrossFit classes that have strength progressions on Mon, Tue, Wed and Fridays. Add in Saturdays for some more dynamic strength elements. Make sure you mobilize, and focus on mobility in the lower back and hips. Meet with Lucia about supporting the gainz train with clean fuel.
Fat Loss: If you are working on a fat-loss protocol for the summer, focus on doing CrossFit for 1-2 heavy days (Mon, Wed or Fri), and include 2-3 days of Endurance class (prioritize cardio, hybrid or tempo days), + 2 days of mobility or full rest. You MUST include more rest if you have a goal for fat loss, so prioritize those restful days, increase your sleep and recovery and make a plan with Lucia the guru. Also, I want to point out that you should not be in “perpetual fat loss”. If you are constantly thinking about dropping pounds and not about other ways to support your body, it’s time to meet with Lucia and get those priorities in check.
The Overall Solcana Experience: If you want to be a sampler and take advantage of everything we have to offer without totally overdoing it – I recommend coming to CrossFit Mon and Wed, Endurance Tue or Thu, rest or mobilize on Fridays and join the long runs on the weekend with Coach Adam. Sundays morning either rest or use open gym to work on the core cash-outs you missed from the week.
If you have an additional specific goal and need help picking the right classes for you, just let us know. This cycle starts next week already (I know, I said I wouldn’t start until June 5th, but do you even remember that?), and will run for 12 weeks deep into the summer months. Have a great time and get that core strong!