Name: Playbook - Aaron Lesue - Block 1 Benchmarks | Strength
Uploaded: 2022-03-23T00:30:21.990Z
Description: Block 1 Benchmarks | Strength

Block 1 Benchmarks | Strength

As blocks 1-3 progress benchmarks progress, blocks 4-6 will have strength and flexibility standards to aim for

STRENGTH:
- Tibialis Raise x 20 reps
- FHL Calf Raise x 20 reps
- Heel Elevated Squat x 20 perfect form
- DB RDL x 20 reps @ 50% Bodyweight 
- DB Lat Pullover x 10 @ 20% Bodyweight 
- Jefferson Curl x 10 perfect form reps
- Y-Raise x 10 @ 5% Bodyweight 
- DB Shoulder Press x 10 @ 30% 
- External Rotation x 10 @ 5% per side
- Dead Hang 30-45 seconds
- KOT Calf Raise x 20 reps
- KOT Split Squat x 10 perfect form reps per side
- 45 Hip Extension x 10 @ 25% 
- Split Lunge ISO x 45 seconds per side
- L-Sit x 20 reps
- Full Range DB Bench x 10 @ 50-75% 
- Single Arm DB Row x 10 @ 25% per side 
- Bicep Curl x 10 @ 25%
- Tricep French Press x 10 @ 25%
- Copenhagen (Level 1) x :20 seconds per side
- QL x 10 perfect form reps per side 
- Patrick Step Up x 20 @ 25% Bodyweight and 2-4” elevation
- RFESS (Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat) x 6 per side @ 50%
- Reverse Crunch x 20 total reps
- Hamstring Curl x 20 reps
- Plank x 1 minute

- Use your Tibialis (shin muscles) to pull your toes up as far as you can 
- Slowly lower back down then repeat

Tibialis Raise (wall)

- Begin with full ankle bend
- Using your calf muscle(s) push yourself up as far as you can without bending your knees
- Slowly lower to full ankle stretch at the bottom
- Once you can complete all reps with both legs progress to level 2 (single leg)

FHL Calf Raise

As always begin at your pain free level with little-to-no weight if needed and work your way up.

- allow knees to track over the toes as you drop hips straight down without pushing them back 
- cover calf with the hamstring in bottom position
- thighs parallel to the ground 
- maintain upright torso throughout, ribs and pelvis “stacked”
- use quads to return to starting position without pushing your knees outward or allowing torso to drop forward and hips to shoot back - maintaining internal hip rotation instead of external rotation (pushing knees out causes this, so knees knees tracked directly over toes)
- this strict form allows you to put more force into the ground instead of torque on the knee and load on the low back. This improves quad strength and is money in the bank setting us up for better quality squat form long term!

Heel Elevated Squat

- Begin with dumbbells in each hand and feet hip width
- Press hips back and lower dumbbells down until you feel stretch in hamstring, without arching your back
- Lift back up to standing and press hips forward

Hamstring vs Glute Bias RDL:

*We usually begin with glute bias RDL.

Hamstring Bias RDL - (Minimal knee bend) is great for hamstring strength and length but can be difficult for those with pain or irritation in upper hamstring, usually due to too much stretching in the absence of strength. If pain or irritation is present, you will use a glute bias RDL with more knee bend.

Glute bias RDL - (some knee bend) is great to better manage the load around the hamstring and build stronger surrounding structure. Usually used to focus more on glutes or when the hamstrings lack ability to tolerate load and stress.

As pain and irritation symptoms diminish we can return to more hamstring lengthening strategies and hamstring bias RDLs and Jefferson Curls.

Notes:
- Use dumbbells or barbell
- push hips back and lower the weight, keeping weight close to the body 
- lower til you feel the stretch in the hamstring
- focus more on hips moving back and forward and less about moving the weight down and up - the weight will move as you push your hips back, hinging at the hips, and work to feel the hamstrings stretch at the bottom.

Goal: 15 reps @50% body weight (25% per hand)

Dumbbell RDL @50% Bodyweight

- Place your upper back on the bench 
- Keep a slight bend at the elbow as you lower dumbbell
- Work to get elbows and hips slightly lower than shoulders at bottom position
- Full stretch in lats at full range
- Engage lats as your pull dumbbell forward

Dumbbell Pullover @20% Bodyweight

- Always begin with little or no weight
- Slow and controlled throughout - not explosive or rushed
- Tuck your chin towards your chest 
- Curl and flex spine as you lower 
- Actively push weights away from you to ensure shoulder protraction and you don’t use your lats to pull weight toward you (which will extend the spine)
- Actively contract your abs to flex your spine and pull down
- Reach toward your toes without bending your knees (a soft bend for some people initially may be necessary)
- Maintain tucked chin and flexed spine throughout
- Flex quads, abs, and hips at bottom to achieve your end range
- On the concentric, contract glutes and extend the hips (the spine will follow the hips, so just focus on hip extension as you reverse the motion “unraveling” your back one vertebrae at a time)
- Inhaling from the top down and exhaling from the bottom up while maintaining ab tension

There SHOULD be a continuous kyphosis curve from your skull to your tailbone.

There should be NO flat spots in the spine during the movement.

Working for range not maximum weight.

A natural human movement. The stronger you can flex your spine throughout a greater range of motion the more protected your back will be and the less risk of injury with athletic movements.

The weaker you are through a lesser range the more vulnerable your back will be.

If you cannot achieve a uniform curve, lower weight or use a Med Ball.

Master this movement!

Goal: Wrists below toes with 25% Bodyweight

Jefferson curl

- Lie face down flat on the ground
- Use Little or no weight
- With weight in each hand raise the dumbbells up in a Y motion, squeezing your shoulder blades together 
- Lower the dumbbells and return to starting position

Prone Y-Raise @5% Bodyweight

- Grip the dumbbells and squeeze shoulder blades together with the goal of having one head of the dumbbell in either side of the shoulder
- Press straight up and come straight back down without bringing the dumbbell forward (maintaining a straight path, up and down)
- If you are unable to maintain a straight line lower the weight and work on maintaining that range before increasing weight

Neutral Grip Dumbbell Shoulder Press @30%

- Rest elbow on inner quad, inside of knee
- Keep chest up
- Lower the DB slowly & under control 
- Full stretch at bottom maintaining upright chest
- Control concentric without momentum & with minimal knee movement 
- Always start with little or no weight and work your way up

Seated Dumbbell External Rotation @5%

Just Hang… that’s it! 

Aim to reach prescribed time. We are building requisite strength before Chin Hangs in Block 2 and Chin Ups in Block 3.

Dead Hang

- As always, work at your pain free level  (you control amount of knee bend so you can gain strength without ever working through pain)
- the goal is to find your max knee bend without pain, as you gain strength there you’ll be capable of going farther over time
- less knee bend the easier it will be 
- more knee bend the more difficult it will be and the more ankle mobility and tendon strength will improve over time (improving knee ability and strength - ultimately allowing you to go farther as you get stronger)

KOT Calf Raise

- Cover calf with hamstring
- Torso upright, ribs and pelvis "stacked"
- Front heel slightly raised if needed (heel to flat ground is long term ankle mobility goal)
- Back knee, not touching the ground

Always begin with the weak leg and match (elevation, sets, and reps) with the strong leg. This allows us to create balance from one side to the other.

Over time, with reps and load, ankle mobility will improve and heel will get closer to flat ground. 

Goal: 10 Flat ground reps each side
Back knee NOT touching, ribs and pelvis stacked. Working at your pain free, perfect form level.

Long Term Goal:
Perform Split Squat until you achieve 5 full range reps @ 50% bodyweight. Then general progression would be to VMO Squat, then to Front Squat, then to Barbell back Squat.

KOT Split Squat

- Pad slightly lower than hips
- Fold, hinge at hips
- Maintain spinal flexion (back rounded) throughout - keeping the intention on the hips
- Lift your torso by squeezing glutes & extend hips (push hips into pads) without extending the back (arching of low back)
- Return to the starting position

45 Degree Hip Extension @25%

- Begin with a split lunge stance that is challenging for you to hold for prescribed time while balancing weight between front and rear leg
- Over time, as you get stronger with greater range, begin increasing lunge distance and adding load

Split Lunge ISO

- flex your quad and hip flexor to lift your legs one at a time, without bending your knee
- leaning back is easier
- leaning forward increases difficulty

L-Sit

- Gripping the DB’s straight above chest
- Lower weight straight down to maximum range with one head of the DB on either side of the pectoral muscle. 
- squeeze shoulder blades together and achieve maximum chest/shoulder stretch at bottom position (think about getting your elbows to the floor)
- Push the bar straight up engaging your chest and return to starting position

Full Range Dumbbell Bench Press @50-75%

There  are many variations of this movement. Here we are working on the “Lawn Mower” pull variation.

- Support yourself using your opposite arm and knee
- Keeping your core tight throughout
- Row dumbbell by retracting your shoulder back and elbow as high as you can while trying to minimize bicep “curling” 
- Torso may slightly rotate at top range 
- Don’t get lazy with your core, it’s the foundation for this movement

Single Arm Dumbbell Row @25%

- Begin with a dumbbell in both hands
- Curl dumbbells up towards your shoulders while externally rotating your wrists 
- Slowly lower, extending arms and returning to starting position

Dumbbell Bicep Curl @25%

- Starting with the weight over head, bend at the elbows to lower dumbbell down behind your head, keeping elbows squeezed instead of flared out
- Achieve maximum triceps stretch at bottom
- Extend your arms engaging your triceps to bring the dumbbell back to starting position

Dumbbell overhead tricep extension @25%

- Side plank with your legs at 90 degree bend and upper leg positioned on a bench, lower leg off (hanging but using your adductor to squeeze it tightly to the opposite leg)
- hold for prescribed time

Copenhagen Plank ISO (level 1)

- Outside leg forward
- Full stretch at the bottom (think about trying to reach your elbow through the opposite wall)
- Return to starting position using side bend only, without twisting and biasing your abs (abdominal bias, “cheating the rep”)

Begin at your pain free level

- Working leg heel will stay on the platform without coming up
- Keeping your hips forward throughout the entire movement (no hip flexion - this keeps the tension on the quad muscle instead of using your glutes to compensate - we want to use our quads!)
- Lower your off leg to the floor touching the heel only
- With control and without bouncing, explode back up to starting position without letting your hips shoot back (flexion)
- As you improve foot strength, ankle mobility and balance, you will increase height and weight (generally maxing out height around 6 inches)
- You will then progress to Poliquin Step ups in Block 2, then Petersen Step ups (the “true”Reverse Step Up) in Block 3

Patrick Step Up @25% Bodyweight and 2-4” elevation

- Start with your back foot on a bench
- Begin in bottom position (this will help you avoid adjusting mid-set)
- Your rear elevated-foot side is the support leg, find your working leg position based on comfort or bias/preference 
- The closer your working leg is to the bench the more your knee will travel out over your toe engaging more Quad, and the farther your foot is away from the bench the less your knee will travel over your toe, engaging more Glute and Hamstring.
- Neither variation is wrong - you may bias your Quad, Glutes and Hams, or you may try and find a middle “sweet spot”.
- Push through your front leg engaging your quads and/or glutes to standing position, and repeat

Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat @50%

- Place your arms extended by your sides 
- Raise your legs beyond 90 degrees 
- Return to starting position, repeat
- Once you can complete all reps at level 1 progress to level 2

Reverse Crunch

- Challenge you hamstring strength!
- If using hamstring curl machine use a challenging weight for the prescribed reps
- If performing GHD Folds challenge yourself by how far your hips are forward
- Here we are building requisite hamstring strength before beginning eccentric Nordic curls in Block 2!

Block 1 Hamstring Curl or GHD Fold Option

- Elbows under shoulders and hands out front
- Keep entire body tight as you hold position for time

Block 1 Benchmarks | Strength

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