FORGE| Week 4 Day 2| Chest, Back & Core

This is the final week of our endurance & hypertrophy block before we transition into Phase 2 of FORGE! This week, we’re cycling back to Week 1 structure with reduced volume, but here’s the exciting part: you’ll increase your load by 2-7% to showcase your strength gains from this block. This strategic partial deload will not only demonstrate how much stronger you’ve become, but also prime your body for the heavier lifting demands of FORGE’s upcoming strength phase. Get ready to see your progress in action! 💪 Last week you increased running to 2 min on, 1 min off. This week you will reduce your rest time to only 1 minute to really increase cardiac output. ……………………………………………………… Running is optional, you can swap it for any cardio you like (bike, rower, jumping jacks, jump rope, etc.). Or omit the cardio warmup all together. The key is to alternate between two intensities for 1 minute each, 5 times through. For the treadmill version, we’re using relatively close speeds, think a brisk walk and an easy jog (example: 4 mph and 6 mph). Keeping the speeds close means your “slower” minute still challenges you, giving you just enough recovery before picking the pace back up. This approach builds muscular endurance in your legs, boosts cardiovascular capacity, and helps your body adapt to sustaining effort without full rest. 👏🏼Adjust the speeds to match your fitness level the goal is a pace change you can maintain, not a sprint-to-walk gap. You’ll finish feeling worked, but not wrecked, and over time, your “easy” pace will start to feel faster. Todays workout: The beauty of this workout lies in its balanced approach and efficiency. By pairing pushing and pulling movements in supersets, it prevents muscle imbalances while keeping your heart rate elevated for cardiovascular benefits. The progression from bilateral to unilateral exercises builds functional strength and addresses common weaknesses, while the circuit format maximizes time efficiency. Every element serves a purpose - from the rotator cuff activation that protects your shoulders during heavy pressing, to the breathing cool-down that promotes nervous system recovery. This isn’t just a workout; it’s a complete training system that builds real-world strength, improves posture, and develops the kind of core stability that transfers to everything you do outside the gym.