A push-dominant session to bulldoze through pressing strength while stoking a slow winter burn with upper body conditioning. Sets the foundation for powerful, blizzard-breaking muscle.
Warm-Up
6 min steady bike Then, 2 rounds for quality:
- 12 band pull-aparts
- 10 scapular push-ups
- 10 arm circles per direction
Strength or Skill
Barbell Bench Press
- 4x7 @ RPE 7 Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- 3x10 @ moderate weight Triceps Rope Pushdown (band if home gym)
- 3x12-15 reps
Metcon
12 min AMRAP:
- 8 Push-ups (scale: knees or elevated)
- 10 Dumbbell Floor Press (light-moderate, ~30-40% bodyweight)
- 14 Calorie row or 200m run/fast walk
Scaling: Lower DB weight, reduce reps, perform incline or knee push-ups. Harder: Add push-up deficit (parallettes), heavier DBs.
Cool-Down
- Doorway chest stretch, 60 sec/side
- Overhead tricep stretch, 45 sec/side
- Child’s pose, 90 sec
Core / Optional Finisher
2 rounds for quality:
- 15 V-ups or bent-knee crunches
- 30 sec hollow hold
Coaching Notes
Focus on consistent bar path, pausing 1 sec at the bottom of your bench press. Shoulder press is strict—avoid using legs. Keep Metcon reps smooth.
Week-over-Week Progression
- Week 1: 4x7 bench @ RPE 7, 12 min AMRAP
- Week 2: 5x6 bench @ RPE 7.5, increase DB/row effort in AMRAP
- Week 3: 4x7 bench @ RPE 8, aim for 15% more rounds
- Week 4: 3x8 bench @ RPE 6 (deload), 10 min AMRAP