Newsletter #23
Member newsletter · Edition 23
Heavy Singles,
Big Saturday.
Week of 12 – 18 October. Heavy Grace singles Tuesday, a power snatch pain cave Thursday, and a loaded Committed Club Saturday — "Bitter Harley XDT."
01 · Programming
Build It,
Then Carry It.
Week two of the deadlift cycle opens Monday, then Tuesday is "Heavy Grace" — thirty heavy power clean and jerks that reward singles over speed. Wednesday's handstand walk work carries into a steady five rounder, Thursday's a short, nasty pain cave built around power snatches and burpee pull-ups, and Friday's front squats get backed up by box step-overs while the legs are already cooked. Then Saturday it's a Committed Club WOD — "Bitter Harley XDT" — a 1RM power clean followed by a loaded chipper of farmer's carries, deadlifts, hang power cleans and shoulder-to-overheads. Wear blue on Saturday. Sunday closes the week out with a long engine piece.
Coach's note
On Tuesday's Heavy Grace, don't chase a big opening set. Pick a load you can keep coming back to on a repeatable clock, move to singles early, and aim for every rep to look like the first. Standing over the bar for more than a few seconds means the load was too heavy — get it off the bar and keep moving.
This week
"Bitter Harley XDT"
1RM Power Clean · 12:00 Window → 3:00 Rest → 5 Rounds · 22:00 Cap
STRATEGY · Treat the 12:00 power clean window like a real build — take your time between attempts and bank your max early in case the window gets tight. Once you're into the 5 rounds, pick a carry weight and a barbell load you can keep moving through all five rounds without setting down more than once or twice a round. The 22:00 cap is generous if you keep the transitions tight.
| RX+ | Intermediate | Beginner |
|---|---|---|
| 200m Farmer's Carry (Heavy) + 12 Deadlifts (70/47.5kg) + 9 Hang Power Cleans (70/47.5kg) + 6 Shoulder-to-Overheads (70/47.5kg) | 200m Farmer's Carry (Moderate) + 12 Deadlifts (60/42.5kg) + 9 Hang Power Cleans (60/42.5kg) + 6 Shoulder-to-Overheads (60/42.5kg) | 200m Farmer's Carry (Light) + 12 Deadlifts (Light) + 9 Hang Power Cleans (Light) + 6 Push Press (Light) |
Programming: Mayhem Gym Programming & Coaching Development
02 · Recovery
Load Up,
Recover Smart
This is a grip-and-hinge heavy week — deadlifts Monday, heavy cleans Tuesday, more cleans and carries Saturday. Your forearms and low back are doing a lot of work, so give them real attention between sessions rather than waiting until something starts nagging.
Give Your Grip A Break
Between Tuesday's singles and Saturday's carries and cleans, your forearms are carrying the week. A few minutes of forearm and wrist mobility daily goes a long way.
Protect The Low Back
Deadlifts Monday into a loaded Saturday chipper means your posterior chain needs proper warm-ups all week, not just a quick stretch before class.
Hydrate For Saturday
The farmer's carries and heavy singles on Saturday hit differently when you're under-hydrated. Start topping up a day or two out, not the morning of.
Sleep Before The Grind
Heavy singles and max-effort lifts reward a well-rested nervous system. Prioritise sleep Monday and Friday night especially.
This week's protocol
Spend five minutes before Tuesday and Saturday on banded pull-aparts, dead hangs, and wrist circles to open up the grip and shoulders before the barbell work starts.
03 · Nutrition · Week 1 of 6
Train Through
The Shift
A big chunk of our membership is in their late 30s, 40s and 50s — which means perimenopause and menopause are part of a lot of your training journeys, whether anyone's said it out loud or not. The hormonal shift that comes with this stage makes it easier to lose muscle and harder to hold onto strength, so the two biggest levers you have are exactly what we do here every day: resistance training and enough protein. CrossFit.com's own coaching write-up on this put it well — women in this stage don't need kid gloves, they need a coach, consistent strength work, and real food.
Protein Is Non-Negotiable
Declining oestrogen makes muscle protein synthesis less efficient, so your body needs more protein, not less, to hold onto the muscle you're building in here.
Strength Training Protects You
Lifting heavy things — squats, deadlifts, presses, cleans — is one of the most effective tools for protecting bone density, muscle mass and metabolic health through this transition.
Real Food Still Wins
Unprocessed food, consistent meals and good sleep all compound with your training. None of this works in isolation.
Try this week
If you're navigating perimenopause or menopause, don't shy away from the heavy days on the board — Tuesday's Heavy Grace and Saturday's "Bitter Harley XDT" are exactly the kind of strength stimulus that helps. Aim for a solid serve of protein at every meal this week, not just after training.
Beef & Sweet Potato Skillet
Ingredients
- 200g lean beef mince
- 1 medium sweet potato, diced
- 1 cup spinach
- 1/2 red capsicum, sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Garlic, paprika, salt & pepper
Method
- Dice the sweet potato and pan-fry in olive oil until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Push to the side, add the mince and brown it off with garlic and paprika.
- Stir in the capsicum and spinach and cook until just wilted.
- Combine everything in the pan, season, and serve straight from the skillet.
One pan, real ingredients, and a solid protein hit — a good go-to if you're upping your protein through perimenopause.
Reference: CrossFit.com, "Coaching Through Menopause: How CrossFit and Eating Unprocessed Food Helped Women Improve Their Quality of Life"
04 · What's on
On The
Calendar
Coming up
Friday Night Lift Off
Longevity Class Launches
Movember
CHAD 1,000x
05 · Home WOD
Sunday's Engine,
At Home
1-Mile Threshold
For Time
SCALE IT · No kettlebell? Use a loaded backpack or a heavy household item for the swings. Got a bike or rower at home? Sub 100 calories for the burpees and keep the clock running.
Post your score in the members group. See you Saturday.
