PLATFORM READY

Goal: Hit a new 1RM in squat, bench, and deadlift

In 8 weeks, you will hit a new 1RM of our squat, bench, and deadlift. We do this by making sure we are peaked for performance and have achieved our goal of showing our maximum strength!

Peaking cycles are critical because we are preparing ourselves for maximal performance. You aren't prepared for your best lift when you go into the gym on a random Tuesday in the middle of a hypertrophy block and try to PR. In a peaking cycle, volume is carefully brought down, and intensity (weight) goes up to prepare your body to lift heavier weights than before.

We are going to be platform-ready! Even if you don’t compete, pushing yourself past what you think is possible is essential. This is how we grow stronger as individuals and as a team!

At the end of the 8 weeks, you can do a mock meet and hit your maxes in the same session OR spread them out in the week per usual.

Schedule:

📆Because this cycle is all about peak performance, it involves heavy lifting four times a week and one active recovery “Tune Up” day. Don't worry—a full Big Bad B00ty day will be back after this cycle! You have extra lower on your assistance day, but we aren’t doing as many exercises as usual, so you can recover before your squat day.

3-day split option: only complete squat, bench, and deadlift days. 

4- day split option:  add the "Assistance day"

Day 1: Squat

Day 2: Bench

Day 3: Deadlift

Day 4: Assistance day (bench/squat)

Day 5: Tune Up (recovery)

Please ensure 1-2 rest days  (not counting the “Tune Up” day) between your assistance day and your next primary squat day. 

Intensity: 

86-100+% with rep ranges between 1-3 reps

Now that we know your current 3RM from the strength cycle, the app will calculate a new accurate working max, which we will base our percentage on. If you did not do the strength cycle and don’t know your 1RM, please follow the RPE guidelines.

Because our intensity is high, most of your workout time will be spent on your main and secondary exercises, with the rest of the time between them.

Our volume has decreased since our strength cycle and as the block goes on it will decrease even more. This is so that we can taper and peak out max strength!

3 White Light Warm-Ups

Meet warm-up rooms can be crowded and chaotic. It can be overwhelming if you don’t have a plan going in. That is why I created the “3 White Lights” warm-ups for SBD! Even if you are training in a fully stocked gym, these are warm-ups I do for my workouts anyway! They get you primed and ready with mobility, core, and specific movement prep.  Even if you aren’t doing a meet

• 3 White Lights Squat Warm-Up

• 60s Hip Cars or 90/90 Drill

• 10 Hip bridge w/ hip circle w/ 10s hold at the top of each

• 20 Behind the neck band lat pulldown

• 10 McGill Sit-ups or 60s plank

• 3 White Lights BenchWarm-Up

• 60s Couch Stretch

• 10 reps Banded Cat-Cow

• 10 Band Around the Worlds

• 5  Bench band rows 

• 15-20 Tricep Pushdowns.

• 3 White Lights Deadlift Warm-Up

• 60s Pull-Over Deadbug

• 10 Banded Glute Bridges w/ 5-10s hold at top each rep

• 20 Band good mornings

• 5-10 as high as you can jumps (in the air or to a box if available)

Weak Link Fixers

You are only as strong as your weakest link. Let’s strengthen the chain.

A weak link is why you have a sticking point in a lift or where you usually fail an attempt. So, what is yours? 

Squat Weak Links:

• Tightness the hole

• You have a “goodmorning squat” (stronger back, weaker legs)

• You have weak back (stronger legs, weaker back)

Bench Weak Links:

• Lockout

• Off the chest

• The pause

Don’t get discouraged. No matter how strong you are, there is always room to improve! But don’t worry—we can fix your weakest link to make you stronger! We do this through secondary exercises to complement your main lift and attack your sticking point.

When designing a program for 1:1 clients,, I will specifically choose a secondary exercise that I know will complement their main lift and attack their “weak link.” based on what I have analyzed in their form and prior training.

On a one-off or team program, I often program the most common problem for powerlifters, but getting more specific will give you an edge. That's why on the Platform Ready program, I give you options and directions for squatting and benching to fix your particular “weak link” so you can decide which is best for you. 

For deadlifts, our weak link fixer is a block pull. You will adjust to a height that will help your particular problem and pulling position.

Squat Weak Link Fixers:

Squats demand both leg, core, and back strength! Find out what your weak link is and unlock new gains!

⛓️Weak Link: You have weak legs relative to your posterior strength

Do you every come up out of the hole and have to use your back strength to “good morning” the weight up? Then you may have a stronger back than you do legs!

Try one of these weak link fixers:

A. Anderson Squats (bottom-up) from parallel

B. Belt Squat or Leg Press/Hack Squat if available

C. Pause squats (pause in hole 3s) - only choose this if you are not doing pause squats on day 4

⛓️Weak Link: You have weak posterior chain relative to your legs

Do you ever bounce out of the hole and then just get stuck and fold over? You may have stronger legs than you do your back!

Try one of these weak link fixers:

D. Good Mornings or Anderson Good mornings (bottom-up)

E.  Anderson Squats (bottom-up) right above parallel

Bench Weak Link Fixers:

The exercise you should choose to strengthen your bench weak link all depends on what equipment you have. From there. you can set up the exercise to hammer your sticking point. If you don't know your sticking point, please default to a 2-board press (3in off chest)

⛓️Choices for bench weak link fixers

A. Board Press- You can use a board, bench blog, yoga block, chemistry book, ect. A good height to start with is a "2 board" (3in tall)

B. Pin Press—Set the height to the sticking point. If you miss off the chest, set it to right at your chest or higher to overload your lockout.

C. Slingshot bench- another great tool to overload your bench without taxing your shoulders

Deadlift Weak Link Fixers:

We are using the block pull this cycle to get more work in without building too much extra systemic fatigue and save your legs! We will first use the block pull to work on your sticking point and then use it to overload.

For the first 4 weeks of this program, please set your block height to about an inch below where your sticking point is. If you are unsure, then mid-shin or right below the knee is always a good height!

Whew! That’s a wrap! I cannot wait to see what you guys hit for your 1RM!!!!!!!!!!!! Please join US on Team Unchained starting 5/27/24. And soon Platform Ready will be available for all on a one-off program!