Q2, P4 Overview
Q2 Themes: Fat Loss, Muscle Definition, Beach Season #1 and Summer Sports
P4 Theme: Strength (get stronger)
Total DB Load = 20-40%BW (strong days / white); 15-35%BW (fast days / gray)
P4: 4 Week phase, 1 week off
P5: 3 Week phase, 0 week off
P6: 3 Week phase, 0 week off
*bonus: Q3, P7: 3 week phase, 1 week off
**so after April's spring vacation we train 9 weeks straight right up to 4th of July.
Anyone who felt like they didn't get stronger in Q1, rest assured it's here now. Also, anyone who sometimes has trouble recovering from a workout or a series of great workouts, I'll be testing this phase strong and fast days. Strong days, we'll focus on our quarterly goals. Fast days, we'll energize you and help you to recover so we can pursue our quarterly goals better.
The ultimate goals for this idea is to help you not miss workouts, so you can more easily be consistent. Here's the beauty. It doesn't matter whether I'm teaching a strong day (white) or a fast day (gray), if you print out the workout card. Whatever day you're on you can do that. Let's say you missed A#1 and I'm teaching A#2. You just do A#1. Simple. I'll still coach the workout the same, you'll just use a different load recommendation.
If you've ever shown up even though you were tired, you may have heard me suggest going lighter or doing less sets/rounds/time/weight/level. This is that idea, built into the program. Again, it's a way to help you be more consistent, so you can more easily achieve your goals. It's also, I believe where the industry is heading. You see Tom Brady not throw during the week because his arm is tired. You see Gronk, not practice during the week because his body is beat up. They both however play on game day because they're recovered. You see Kemba Walker not play the 2nd night of back to back games. Same for Khawi Leonard. This preserves them to play for the long haul. Sprinters take days off if their bodies don't feel good. You see businesses give mental health days. It's the future. Grinding through will always have it's place, but this isn't it. You could work 12-15 hour days, but if your performance drops the last 4,6 or 8 hours, then maybe you're better off getting rest and coming back and doing 2 or 3 or more times the work in less hours.
In any event, I think about this stuff so you don't have too. Keep sharing your feedback when I solicit it and I'll keep thinking about it and problem solving.
Wall & Bench
You're going to need a wall for side planks this phase and a bench for rear foot elevated split squats. You don't need a wall, but it'll be more fun if you have a wall you can side plank against with your head to your heels touching (though you're heels won't actually be on the wall because you're butt will get in the way).
The bench can be a bench, a chair, an ottoman, sofa, coffee table. This is a perfect opportunity to really tailor your apparatus to your anatomy. The best surface is one that you can half kneel in front of and put your back foot on top of. So make the surface comfortable so it doesn't hurt your foot and make sure you have a comfortable surface to touch your knee to. Not too thick, but thick enough.
The side planks will really help to target your obliques which can help give you line delineation on your abdominal wall and help to reduce low back and knee discomfort.
The rear foot elevated split squats will stretch out your quads and hip flexors which will make your knees and back feel better, plus help you to be stronger with sprinting, cutting, stopping and jumping. And it'll help give you the tear drop muscles above your knees.
