Newsletter #21
Member newsletter · Edition 21
Partner Up,
Push Through.
Week of 28 September – 4 October. A retest, a pain cave, a rope climb build-up and the heaviest squats we've loaded in weeks — plus a partner grind to close it out.
01 · Programming
Heavy Legs,
Team Effort
This week leans on your training partner more than most. Tuesday's the September Monthly Challenge retest — same partner, same row split, chasing the time you set on 9/9. Wednesday's a pain cave built on thrusters and kettlebell swings. Thursday we drill the rope climb ahead of Saturday, when it shows up for real in a six-round partner grind. Friday's the leg day to circle: build to your heaviest set of five back squats, then ten unbroken reps into a max-calorie bike effort, five times through.
Coach's note
Friday is about pacing the bike, not the squats. Get set at the rack before every 2:00 interval, move the ten squats in one clean set, and leave the bike with at least 1:15 on the clock. The athletes who blow up round one always fade by round four.
This week
Heavy Squats, Max Bike
5 Sets · Build to Heavy, then 2:00 AMRAP each
STRATEGY · The strength climbs across five sets to a heavy — not a true 1RM — set of five. Use that number to pick a workout load you can hit for ten unbroken reps every round. Be set at the rack before the clock starts, get through the squats in :30–:45, and settle onto the bike for a repeatable effort, not a sprint.
| RX+ | Intermediate | Beginner |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Back Squats (185/125) + Max Cal Bike | 10 Back Squats (155/105) + Max Cal Bike | 8 Back Squats (light) + Max Cal Bike |
Programming: Mayhem Gym Programming & Coaching Development
02 · Recovery
Legs, Grip
& Lungs
Three systems are taking the hit this week: legs from Friday's heavy squats, grip from Thursday's rope climb and Saturday's partner rig work, and your engine from the retest and the pain cave. Give all three a little attention and you'll walk into Sunday's row-and-carry piece fresh instead of fried.
Post-Squat Legs
10 minutes of quad and hip flexor work after Friday's session — banded distraction stretch, couch stretch, foam roll. Heavy squats plus a bike finisher will leave your hips tight by Saturday morning if you skip this.
Grip & Forearm Reset
Rope climbs and rowing both hammer your forearms. Two minutes of dead hangs and forearm stretches after Thursday and Saturday's sessions goes a long way before Sunday's DB carries ask for grip again.
Aerobic Reset
Tuesday's retest and Wednesday's pain cave both push your engine hard. A short walk or easy spin the evening after either session helps clear the legs without adding more load.
Protein & Sleep
A week this loaded on legs and grip needs the basics locked in — protein at every meal and 7+ hours of sleep, especially the night before Friday's squats and Saturday's grind.
This week's protocol
After Thursday's rope climbs and Saturday's session, spend two minutes on a dead hang from the bar or rig, then stretch each forearm for 30 seconds. It's the cheapest grip insurance you've got before Sunday's carries.
03 · Nutrition · Week 5 of 6
Know Your
Numbers
Week five of the framework is quantification — actually tracking what you eat and how you train, instead of guessing. This is a fitting week for it: Tuesday's a retest against a hard number from 9/9, and Friday's squat day is built entirely around finding and using a number. Nutrition works the same way. You can't fix what you don't measure.
Track Training
Write down your lifts, your times, your scores. Friday's squat day only works if you know your numbers from last time.
Track Intake
Even a few days of logging meals in an app shows you where protein, carbs and fat actually land versus where you think they land.
Track Recovery
Sleep hours, soreness, energy levels. Simple notes on your phone are enough to start spotting patterns.
Try this week
Before Friday's squat session, log your meals for that one day only. Compare your protein total to your bodyweight in pounds — most people are surprised by the gap.
Chicken, Sweet Potato & Broccoli Tray Bake
Ingredients
- 200g chicken thigh, diced
- 1 medium sweet potato, cubed
- 1.5 cups broccoli florets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika, garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Toss sweet potato in half the oil and spices, roast 15 minutes.
- Add chicken and remaining oil and spices, roast a further 15 minutes.
- Add broccoli, roast a final 8–10 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
One tray, one clean set of macros — log it before you eat it and you've already started this week's habit.
04 · What's on
On The
Calendar
Coming up
Bring a Friend
Committed Club WOD
Friday Night Lift Off
05 · Home WOD
Sunday's Intervals,
At Home
Run & Carry Intervals
4 Rounds · 3:00 On / 1:30 Off
SCALE IT · No safe place to run? Sub 30 seconds of fast feet or high knees on the spot. Load a backpack with books or cans for the carry — heavy enough that 25ft feels like real work by round three.
Post your rounds in the members group. See you Saturday.
