*ANNOUNCEMENT**
You might notice that we changed the name of the Invictus Athlete Program to Invictus Athlete+ on our SugarWOD platform to better align our branding and who the program is geared toward. Nothing else will change about the programming itself. You will continue to enjoy your five regular training days, active recovery day, plus additional optional sessions each week. We highly recommend you move your subscription over to the SugarWOD app to enjoy additional benefits!
Switch Your Subscription to SugarWOD for Additional Benefits!
Why make the switch? There are so many reasons! All of the athletes who use this platform to access their programming absolutely LOVE it. Here’s why…
Cheaper Price!
Switching to the SugarWOD platform will reduce your monthly price from $79.99 to $59.99 as well as getting access to additional programs (more about that below)! Need we say more?
Larger Community + More Options
This is something we hope you will find super beneficial…In addition to the Athlete+ program, you will also have access to the Invictus Masters Program! We are doing this to give you the flexibility to switch up your training program as needed depending on your unique needs, and as you get closer to that magic number that designates you as an “age group” athlete. In doing this, you will also have the opportunity to interact with a larger group of athletes from around the world, expanding your support network! Yes, you get two programs for the price of one on SugarWOD!
If you join on SugarWOD then please email info@invictusathlete.com to cancel your website subscription so you don’t have multiple active subscriptions!
NEW CYCLE DESCRIPTION
The name of this cycle is very appropriate for the focus. Our first off-season cycle of the year is all about getting stronger, improving aerobic capacity, and building some foundational gymnastic abilities. The cycle begins on August 7th and will take you through October 1, 2023 (8 weeks).
CJ wrote an article years ago called “Strength is the Price of Admission” and in today’s CrossFit culture that couldn’t be more true. It seems like every day we’re seeing athletes destroy old benchmark workouts from 5-10 years ago using heavier loading. Basically what it comes down to is that you can be as fit as you want but at some point you will not physically be able to move a load and when that day comes, you fitness will only get you so far. What’s the best time to work on building that raw strength? Now. The first segment of any good off-season program should be centered around building strength and getting better at gymnastics movements. We have all year to work on the engine, and later cycles to work on the more “CrossFit” style training. Now is the time to get as strong as possible so that those medium weights become light and the heavy weights become medium.
Our focus this first phase is going to be on building that foundational strength. You’ll notice that a big bulk of your sessions will be spent both there and on accessory work; with a lesser emphasis placed on conditioning. That said, we do recognize that not everyone is going to compete at the CrossFit Games next year and for many of you local throw downs and that off-season competitions like WZA are going to be the tip of your pyramid for this season. So, with that in mind, we’ll still be getting bits of “CrossFit” style stimulus to keep you ready when qualifiers roll around.
To get the absolute most out of this cycle we recommend adding on the additional sessions bundle, especially if you’re someone who has the time to train twice a day. But, if that’s not you, you’re still going to get everything you need to build strength, improve your gymnastics, and create an aerobic base that will carry you through the rest of the season. The powerlifting fundamentals, raw strength, accessories, gymnastics breakdowns, and low impact metcons that you’re going to get in this cycle are going to be your best friends so get ready to make some serious progress.
A general outline for the primary session this cycle is as follows:
Monday – Max Effort Lower Body Day (emphasis on squatting) + Pulling Complimentary Lifts (power cleans and sumo’s) + 1-2 Accessories + Sprint Stimulus Metcon
Tuesday – 1-2 Gymnastics Skills and Volume Pieces + 30-40 Minute EMOM
Wednesday – Power Snatches + Max Effort Upper Body Day (emphasis on horizontal pressing) + 1-2 Accessories + Interval Based Metcon
Thursday – Swimming + Zone 2 Work
Friday – Dynamic Effort Lower Body Day (emphasis on squatting) + Speed Pulling Complimentary Lifts + 1-2 Accessories + Short Intervals
Saturday – Dynamic Effort Upper Body Day (emphasis on horizontal and overhead pressing) + 1-2 Accessories + Long Aerobic Metcon
All primary sessions can be completed in 75-120 minutes depending on the day. If you’re someone that struggles staying on a timeline and cannot complete all the work in this time, or are someone that trains on a shorter clock, we’ll be happy to help you determine what to prioritize with your time.
A general outline for the additional sessions this cycle is as follows (Invictus Athlete+ or Invictus Masters+):
Monday – Rowing and Concept 2 Bike Intervals + Strongman + Sleds
Tuesday – Mixed Modal Conditioning + Rope Pulls + Zone 2
Wednesday – Echo/Assault Bike Intervals + Ski Intervals + Strongman/Grip
Friday – Concept 2 Bike and Rowing Intervals + Gymnastics Skills
Saturday – Mixed Modal Intervals + Running + Grip
Primary Training Session
Get Moving || Warm-Up
Three sets of:
50 Foot Monster Walk Forward
50 Foot Monster Walk Backward
25 Banded Good Mornings
15 Wide Foot Goblet Squats (light)
Followed by…
Three sets of:
5 Box Jump All the Way Overs (no higher than 20″)
Rest 60 seconds between sets
A.
Front Squat
Set 1 – 3 reps @ 70%
Set 2 – 2 reps @ 80%
Set 3 – 1 rep @ 85%
Set 4 – 1 rep @ 90%
Set 5 – 1 rep @ 90+%
Set 6 – 1 rep @ 90+%
Rest 1-2 minutes between sets
**Special Note**
-If you’re feeling good, go for today’s 1 rep max on set 6.
B.
Every 90 seconds, for 12 minutes (8 sets):
Power Clean
Sets 1-4: 1.1 @ 70-80%
Sets 5-8: 1 @ 80+%
C.
Three-Four sets of:
10-12 Barbell Good Mornings
50 Foot HEAVY Walking Lunge
Rest 1-2 minutes between sets
D.
For time:
30/24 Calorie Echo Bike
50 Wall Balls (30/20lbs to 10/9′)
30/24 Calorie Echo Bike
E.
Accumulate 200 Banded Hamstring Curls in as few sets as possible.
Athlete Notes:
Today’s workout is full send. We want to see you hammer the bike, try for 1-2 sets on the wall balls, and then empty the tank on that second bike. The priority focus this cycle is strength first, engine and gymnastics skills tie for second. With Monday’s lifting being a little longer we’ll be focused on making Monday’s a full sprint style workout so prepare for workouts in the 4-8 minute range. That’s what we’ll be looking for here. Less than 90 seconds on both bike intervals, then 1-2 sets on the wall balls should have you finished in under 5-6 minutes.
Optional Additional Work Sessions
*Please choose to perform only those sessions that are most focused on your weaknesses, and only perform as much of the additional work as you can recover from successfully before your next training session.
Strength Accessory
Three sets of:
2-3 Minute Banded or Belt Squat March
30-40 Reverse Hypers @ 25-35% of 1RM Back Squat
Rest 30 seconds between movements
*If you do not have a reverse hyper, perform GHD back extensions instead.
Row
Warm up:
3 minute easy row
Followed by…
2 minutes at 70% effort
60 second easy row
2 minutes at 70% effort
60 second easy row
30 second SPRINT
Rest 2 minutes, then…
10 Minute Consistency Test
*Note the following:
-Total Calories Achieved
-Average Calories/Minute
-Average Strokes/Minute
BikeErg Conditioning
Warm up:
5 minute easy spin
Followed by…
2 minutes at 70% effort
60 second easy spin
2 minutes at 70% effort
60 second easy spin
30 second Sprint
Rest 3-4 minutes and then then…
Work:
20 minute Average Watt Test
*Note the following:
-Total Meters Achieved
-Average Watts
-Average Cadence
Strongman Session
Accumulate 400 Meters in a Sandbag Bearhug Carry (as heavy as you can with only 1 drop max)
Sled Session
Accumulate 1 Mile in a Sled Drag with 30-40% of Bodyweight