March, 2023 StrengthAxis Program Design will be available Tuesday, February 28.
Our focus will optimize tactical readiness: kettlebell strength and conditioning, a specialized Get Up and SLDL protocol, and Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training for strength and hypertrophy.
What is tactical readiness? It is having the physical wherewithal to meet work and life demands head on. Our training goal is to optimize power, strength, conditioning, and holistic health.
With the longterm in mind, tactical training exists in step-loading and random volume waves: never enough volume to exhaust, but always enough to stimulate a positive response.
John Parker
Why Bodyweightᐩ?
The use of a plate carrier for loaded calisthenics is a longstanding tradition in tactical training applications. My journey of Bodyweightᐩ grew out of a desire to improve my strength & conditioning skills without excessive fatigue or dedicated training time.
Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training is the perfect MED solution: 2-3 step-loaded calisthenics movements are performed and rotated over the course of a week. This allows the athlete to always train in a fresh state while still harnessing progressive overload.
Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training Movements
Bodyweightᐩ Enhanced Calisthenics described baseline movements for MEDMA-style strength & conditioning. Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training programs tactical options for complete utilitarian preparedness. The load is constant, the volume is waving.
Warm Up: Walking/Rucking.
Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training: Movements trained in a circuit fashion ie; A1.→A2.→A3. x 3. Training time is between 10-20 minutes.
Cool Down: BOMBPROOF.
Bodyweightᐩ Handstand Push Up: 5.11 Plate Carrier: 20lbs + 170lbs BW = 190lbs 3 x 3,4. The difficulty of the HSPU requires a ladder rep range compared to the other “Magic Seven” Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training movements.
Bodyweightᐩ - Upper Body
Neuro Grip Push Up
The Neuro Grip Push Up is a high-utility pushing movement that challenges total-body irradiation. The athlete should be proficient in performing Neuro Grip Push Ups with bodyweight alone before attempting them with Bodyweightᐩ loads.
Inverted Row
The Inverted Row is an underutilized movement that builds advanced horizontal pulling strength. The Inverted Row benefits the back, arm, and gripping musculature. Bodyweightᐩ loading potentiates strength and strength endurance in its application.
Handstand Push Up
Perhaps the most challenging Bodyweightᐩ movement, the Handstand Push Up develops powerful shoulders, triceps, and both the upper chest and back. It is performed with ladder volume to accommodate its difficulty: Rep Range = 3-5 x 3, 4.
Dip
Dips are one of the most complete upper pushing body exercises. Targeting the pecs, triceps, and anterior deltoids, Dips offer robust strength and hypertrophy benefits. They support upper body mobility by loading the athlete into full arm extension.
Pull Up
Pull Ups are unparalleled for pulling strength. Targeting the lats, trapezius, and arm musculature, Pull Ups offer robust strength and hypertrophy benefits. They support tactical athletes in their ability to climb obstacles and also during selection testing.
Bodyweightᐩ - Lower Body
High Step Up
The High Step Up is as functional as it gets for hiking/climbing general and specific strength. The High Step Up develops mobility, flexibility, and single leg pushing strength. The athlete selects their step height based on 1/3 of their femur length.
Step Height = 1/3 Femur Length
Poliquin Step Down
I love Step Down variations because they build the eccentric strength needed for hiking/climbing and overall health. The Poliquin Step Up/Down builds the VMO for knee health while ensuring that the athlete strengthens their ankle dorsiflexion.
Lateral Lunge
Because modern strength & conditioning is dominated by sagittal plane movements, I always add lateral and transverse lunging to client programming to benefit power, balance, stability, and to strengthen the lateral components of the knees.
ATG Split Squat
During the ATG SS, the athlete moves forward while squatting. This brings the working-knee over the toes and the non-working hip flexor into full extension. The athlete builds robust VMO strength while stretching the non-working psoas.
Single Leg Good Morning
The SL GM lengthens the posterior leg musculature form the heel cord to the top hamstring tendon. SL GMs systematically build tissue resilience in the often over-tight calves and hamstrings. This is a functional Bodyweightᐩ hip hinging movement.
Bodyweightᐩ Volume Considerations
Magic Sevens
Through experience, I have settled on “magic sevens” as the ideal rep range for strength and hypertrophy. Each Bodyweightᐩ movement will be performed in sevens with the exception of the Handstand Push UP which uses laddering threes and fours.
Waving Volume
Reps are programmed at seven while the total number of sets will be programmed randomly to comply with tactical readiness. This “waving” volume requires practice and patience. The athlete must find discipline to follow the program as it’s written.
Rep Range
Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training nestles between 21 and 35 total reps. These total reps represent an ideal amount of training that push strength and hypertrophy without excessive fatigue. Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training is programmed in sets of 3-5 total.
Example Four Week Training for Upper and Lower Body Movements: Load remains constant, reps remain at 7 for upper body and 7+7 (7 on each side) for lower body movements. The total number of sets waves throughout the week to accommodate freshness. Lower body movements taper toward the weekend for adventure goals.
Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training Schedule
Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training focuses on tapering of lower body training intensity to accommodate leg freshness. However, the ATG Split Squat (ATG SS) is used as a post-hiking/climbing strength/stretch on adventure days. The weekends feature 3 exercises.
Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training Four Week Volume
Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training features four weeks of programming. This program design should be performed with other double kettlebell training. Because of its MED standards, the athlete can train in minimal time and accommodate full recovery.
Mindset: Daily Training
The tactical athlete is a hard-charging, Type A personality. Effectively coaching these professionals requires thoughtful consideration into volume, load, and intensity. Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training’s goal is to navigate excitability with sustainability.
Step-loading and volume waving allow the tactical athlete to continually flirt with their high-intensity ambitions without excessive fatigue. Our goal is to perform the minimal amount of work to reap the maximal amount of gains for job performance.
The tactical athlete’s mindset must consider longterm adaptation and longevity. Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training aims to appease this desire through high-workload exercises that promise continual gains in power, strength, and conditioning.
Author’s Note: I have found Bodyweightᐩ Daily Training quite enjoyable as an afternoon pick me up. As written, I practice this programming post 3mi dog walk/ruck. As soon as Darby and I get home, I perform the training and am always done within 20 minutes. John Parker
February 26, 2023
Nice program! Love the simplicity and time efficiency!
What kind of Kettlebell MED, if any, do you recommend parallel to this 4week plan?