(Specialty warm-up: 10 empty bar hang power clean, 3L, 3R kettlebell clean) Power clean/ Kettlebell high pull + Goblet catch/ Medicine ball clean: 10 x 5 @ (up to) 70% of heaviest ground-to-shoulder 2RM Rest as needed between sets. Today focuses on position, execution, fluidity; Pace and weight are to follow, not lead. Take time, make positional adjustments as needed, and adjust weight accordingly. When scheme is listed as “10 x 5″, it always refers to “Sets” x “Reps”.

There is no end to the journey of optimally timing our power lifts; Start taller/ slower/ lower, wait longer, pull earlier, drop faster... There is an "efficiency bleed" somewhere- find it, and strive to fix it.

Today, use any variation listed above to complete each set. How the weight moves, is far more important than what it IS. There is value in strategic implement variety in a higher-volume day such as this; Let's use no more than, and no less than, two. Please and thank you.

Goal is widely-transferable, powerful ground-to-shoulder mechanics; Implement should be interchangeable. Heaviest sets should be performed early and with heaviest tool.

Incorporate- don't ignore- the variation you're weakest in.. (Ignoring real trouble seldom makes it go away... ).

Then, as quickly as possible: 25 Inchworm 250 Jumprope 25 calories Airdyne/ equivalent 250 Jumprope 25 calories Airdyne/ equivalent No rest, no wandering, no visible change in effort, no arms-only on the bikes. Breathe, focus, hustle; Short-duration conditioning must be vicious to be valuable.

And then, 1 Tabata interval (:20 sec. work/ :10 sec. rest x 8) of:

Push-up

Count and attempt to match reps throughout; Though output may change, effort should remain at 100% in each and every round.

If mechanics or range of motion fail, scale accordingly to ensure both progress and safety; Leave the ego out of the equation- excellent, scaled push-ups are far better than crappy, broken “unscaled” ones. (Unscaled is in quotes, because partial-range, wiggly push-ups are still scaled- just, lazily and unspecifically.)

And finally, “Time under tension”: 2 x 5L, 5R Mace "Short shovel" @ heavy enough to be useful (the standards and expectations are clarifying and sharpening in these... please address them!) 25 Tipped-forward hammer/ mace squat (mechanics govern weight- keep it light) 5 x 10 low, hard hollow rock (maximum :20 sec. between) 2 minute hollow hold, same position (4 x :30 sec. if needed) Squat: This odd, extremely simple-but-difficult squat variation is geared for positional reinforcement, isometric strength/ tension improvement, and unappealing self-awareness. Do not concede poor posture simply because the mace asks you to; Push your chest at the mace, and then the mace away from your chest- In that order. No hipster posture. If done correctly, this will be light, extremely challenging, and helpful; Put in what you expect to get out. Hold: Work to “True” failure (loss of physical positioning) not “Relative” failure (loss of mental endurance). If position breaks, reset quickly and continue.