Through Stress Adaptation

Mobility:
Run 400m
DROM
Shoulder Mobility

Gymnastics/Body control, for quality, 15 minutes continuously:
5 Presses to Headstand, split or tuck
5 Strict or L-Pull ups
10 PVC OH Squats, 10 seconds descent, explode up

Notes:  If the Press to Headstand is easy for you, try one of our Press to HANDstand progressions HERE and HERE.

 Before the Workout:  Perform 1 or 2 build up sprints to street and back

 Conditioning:

Team Relay!
4 x 400 meter runs

 Notes: Each athlete runs 4 times. Do not go into this ‘cold.’ Do some build up sprints and running drills to get your heart rate up and running muscles primed.

Cool down:
Calf Stretch, 1 min per, then
3 rounds not for time
15 GHD Sit ups
15 GHD Hip extensions

Rambo.

A strength and conditioning program as in depth and varied as the one implemented here at Paradiso will yield both incredible results and constant frustrations, both in equal measure. I had a number of conversations recently with members stating that weight feels heavy that felt light last week or they are struggling to get through a workout that should be manageable. My response is that these feelings are completely normal and in fact expected. This program runs in cycles and uses periodization to illicit a stress response over a broad time domain, a full year really. There will be times when the program is almost too much and is causing such stress that performance slightly decreases.

But, through stress there is adaptation. The long term adaptation and increased work capacity on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis will inevitably increase such that even if you feel run down for a week, there is a week just around the corner where you are hormonally firing on all cylinders and you will crush PRs, slam bars, and laugh at weights and rep counts that once daunted.

I am writing this because I too have days, more often then not, that I feel slow or the weight is crushingly heavy.

Over time I have learned to “take the good days with the bad”, as Diso says, and remember that this is a process and a long one at that. When I remember this I realize that if I look at the percentages I am now using on daily basis in the Olympic Lifts or the difficulty of WODS that I have the capacity for, the increase has been unbelievable. For example, today I missed a heavy snatch attempt at least 8-10 times. Afterward, I had thoughts that I am somehow not progressing. I then thought that this weight would have been unthinkable for me to try even once a few months ago and I just made 10 attempts that all ended up somewhere over my head, just not locked out enough to stand up. That is the process that we are all in as we come to class or open gym day in and day out and follow the crazy stuff written on the board.

You ARE getting better. It is a matter doing the movements and workouts to the best of your ability each day, sleeping and eating to maintain training, and trusting that you are adapting to become a better athlete and a more bad ass human being capable of things that you once thought impossible.

Happy Thanksgiving!