Week 8

Written by Mark Messer

MONDAY, OCT 19 — SQUAT

CNS: HIGH · Strength: Priority · 60:00

Warm-up (8:00) — 3 rounds: 250m row / 10 air squat / 10 band pull-apart / :30/side couch stretch

Strength — Back Squat (30:00) Build to 85%, then 3 × 2 @ 85% e1RM. Rest 2:00

Effort standard: set 3 should feel noticeably harder than set 1 even though the weight didn't move. That delta is the density knob working that we are turning. Your rest has decreased and your e1rm has gone up. Red flag: bar speed down more than 10% on set 3 → take 3:00 before set 3 and log it. Don't drop the load.

Conditioning — 4 rounds, :45 rest between rounds (14:00) · ZONE 3

  • 200m row or ski

  • 10 toes-to-bar → knees-to-elbow → v-up

  • 10 barbell bent-over row (Use a weight that you have a RIR 3-4 on the first round)

  • 8 chin-over-bar pull-up → jumping pull-up → challenging ring row

Target 2:30 per round. Four matching rounds

Cooldown (5:00) — :60/side banded hamstring, :60 chest opener, :60 t-spine roll

TUESDAY, OCT 20 — BENCH PRESS

CNS: MODERATE · Strength: Priority · Conditioning: Support · 60:00

Warm-up (7:00) — 2 rounds: 10 scap push-up / 10 band pull-apart / 10 empty bar press / :30/side thread the needle

Strength — Bench Press (24:00) 3 × 2 @ 85% e1RM. Rest 2:00. Spotter every set.

Conditioning — ascending ladder, zone 3 (20:00 cap) Five rounds, no rest, reps climb every round. Use the run to keep your heart rate from hanging is zone 4 in the later rounds. Keep your run splits splits fixed. No reason to train ourselves to get slower =-) 

Round 1 — 5 WB and 3 Burpee
Round 2 — 10 WB and 6 Burpee
Round 3 — 15 WB and 9 Burpee
Round 4 — 20 WB and 12 Burpee
Round 5 — 25 WB and 15 Burpee

  • Wall ball (20/14 or 14/10)

  • Burpee over the erg

  • 200 M Run

Cooldown (5:00) — :60/side pigeon, :60/side lat

WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 — ZONE 2

CNS: LOW · Resilience: Maintain · 60:00

Warm-up (6:00) — :60/side banded hamstring / :60 lat stretch / :60 foam roll t-spine / :60/side hip flexor

Conditioning — 30:00 EMOM, 6 stations @ steady pace, zone 2 Five rounds through. One station per minute:

  1. 12/9 calorie row or ski

  2. 15 sit-up

  3. 10/8 calorie bike

  4. 15 hand-release push-up

  5. 200-ft farmers carry (2 @ 53/35 or 40/25 or 30/15)

  6. Rest

Carry block (14:00) — 3 rounds @ steady pace:

  • 2/side Turkish getup (53/35 or 40/25 or 30/15)

  • :60 Sorenson hold

  • 10/side lateral KB step-up (24/20 in or lower, make these slow and controlled)

Cooldown (5:00) — :60/side figure-4, 2:00 t-spine

THURSDAY, OCT 22 — DEADLIFT

CNS: HIGH · Strength: Priority · 60:00 · Hinge day

Warm-up (8:00) — 3 rounds: 250m row / 10 empty-bar good morning / 10 glute bridge / :30 hollow hold

Strength — Deadlift (28:00) 3 × 2 @ 85% e1RM. Reset between reps, no touch-and-go. Rest 2:15.

Effort standard: shortened rest shows up on the pull before it shows up anywhere else. Brace hard, pull, reset, breathe. Don't rush the setup to beat the clock. Red flag: any lumbar rounding = set over. Drop 10%, finish there.

Barbell — Hang complex (14:00) Every 2:00 × 6 rounds:

  • 2 hang power clean + 1 push jerk

  • 115/75 or 95/65

Climb in load each round. Above the knee. RPE should be around 8 on your last set.

CLOSE. FAST. LOW. TIMING. STABLE.

Cooldown (10:00) — :60/side banded hamstring, 2:00 front rack mobility, 2:00 couch stretch

FRIDAY, OCT 23 — OVERHEAD PRESS

CNS: MODERATE · Skill: Maintain · 60:00

Warm-up (7:00) — 2 rounds: 10 band pull-apart / 10 empty bar strict press / :30/side wall lat stretch / 5 wall walk-up

Strength — Strict Press (22:00) 3 × 2 @ 85% e1RM. Strict, no leg drive. Rest 2:00.

Red flag: rib flare or lumbar extension → drop 5% for remaining sets.

Skill — 12:00 EMOM

  1. :40 handstand work

  2. :40 pull-up progression

  3. :40 double under or singles

  4. Rest

Accessory Pump Sesh (14:00) — superset ×3, :90 rest:

  • 10-12 Chest Supported DB Row RIR 1

  • 12-15 Bent Over Rear Delt Fly

  • 15-20 Banded Straight Arm Pull Down (wrist neutral)

Cooldown (5:00) — 2:00 banded shoulder distraction, :60/side

SATURDAY, OCT 24 — LIFT & MOVE | Z4

CNS: MODERATE · All pillars: Maintain · 60:00

Warm-up (12:00) — 2 rounds: 200m run / 10 air squat / 10 push-up / 10 ring row / :30 hollow hold. Then 3 × :20 build on the bike — easy, moderate, near-target. Then :90 easy.

Skill — 6:00 open block Light. Do not spend here.

Conditioning — on the 4:00 × 5 rounds, for time (20:00)

Each round, as fast as you can:

  • 250m row or ski

  • 12 Dumbbell Thrusters (Use a weight you can own)

  • 15/12 calorie bike

Rest is whatever's left of the four minutes. Write down all five times.

Target 1:45-2:15 per round, which leaves roughly 1:1 work to rest. Zone 4, RPE 9.

Accessory (12:00) — 3×15-20 banded rear delt fly + 3×12 seated DB hammer curl

Mark Messer
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WEEK 7