Building the Program: Training Structure
With the Full Body Split in place it’s time to create the structure for how we are going to distribute the volume of work for each physical quality across the week and training day.
Step 1: Determine what qualities we are training each day.
We’ll structure this first across the week, then through the training day.
Monday: Full Body Resistance Training (Strength, Power, Mass)
Tuesday: Aerobic Conditioning
Wednesday: Movement Quality - Loaded Rotation, Coordination, and Stability Focus
Thursday: Full Body Resistance Training (Strength, Power, Mass)
Friday: Anerobic Conditioning
Saturday: Go put your capacity to use and/or Edgework Day
Sunday: Movement Quality - Soft Tissue Work and Mobility Focus
This would be an ideal training week and it leaves plenty of flexibility to adjust based on an ever changing schedule. Need to miss one resistance training day? Drop the Movement Quality day if your more focused on power, strength, and muscle building. Or drop one of those days to keep the Movement Quality Day if your body needs more of the coordination, stability, and range of motion. Can’t hit your anaerobic conditioning day as planned? No problem, tack it on to the end of a resistance training day.
Step 2: Determine how training qualities are distributed across the training day. Here is a sample training week of how we may distribute this:
Day 1: Full Body-Power, Strength, Mass
Block 1 - Warm Up
Block 2 - Strength & Power
Block 3 - Strength & Hypertrophy
Block 4 - Hypertrophy
Block 5 - Edge Work (optional)
Day 2: Movement Quality
Block 1 - Warm Up
Block 2 - Contralateral Stability
Block 3 - Rotational Power
Block 4 - Contralateral Strength
Block 5 - Edge Work (optional)
Day 3: Full Body - Strength, Power, Mass
Block 1 - Warm Up
Block 2 - Strength & Power
Block 3 - Strength & Hypertrophy
Block 4 - Hypertrophy
Block 5 - Edge Work (optional)
You’ll notice that even on days where Power isn’t a main emphasis (Days 1 & 3) the 2nd training block is a contrast set. A main strength movement is paired with an unload jump or plyometric movement. Adaptations to power are quick to leave if we don’t touch on them often. So we are going to get some form of explosive work on our resistance training days both at the end of the warm up and in the first workout block.
The main benefit of a training structure similar to this is #1 it gets results. Not just with my athletes and clients, but for coaches and people all over the world. #2 it supports our 1st Principles: Consistency, Variety, Progression, Adaptability and ensures you can build and maintain your athletic capacity for life, even when you miss a work out here and there.