February 6, 2021 – Invictus Athlete Program

Primary Training Session
Mobility & Activation
Banded Perfect Stretch x 45-60 seconds per side

and then …

Accumulate 60 seconds completing thoracic twists

followed by …

Plank with Forward Reach x 10 reps per side
Plank with Lateral Reach x 10 reps per side

Warm-Up Flow
For 15 minutes at 70-75% effort of:
15 Calorie Row
12 Russian Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
9 Goblet Squats
30 second Back-to-Wall Handstand Hold

A.
Twelve sets of:
1 Banded Conventional Deadlift @ 45% Bar Weight of current 1-RM Deadlift + 30-35% Band tension when measured at lockout
Rest 30-40 seconds

Hold for 2 seconds at the top with glutes contracted as much as possible.

*If you do not have access to bands perform deficit deadlifts from a 4″ platform.

B.
Three sets of:
Narrow-Stance Heels-Elevated Squats x 8-10 reps @ 4011
(feet hip width apart and toes forward; elevate heels 1-2 inches; use a barbell or hold dumbbells at sides and touch head of dumbbell to the ground outside the foot)
Rest 30-45 seconds
Alternating Front-Racked Kettlebell Lunges x 16-20 reps @ 2011
Rest 30-45 seconds
Banded Face Pulls x 10 reps @ 2111
Rest 30-45 seconds

C.
“Open Workout 16.4”
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 13 minutes of:
55 Deadlifts (225/155 lbs)
55 Wall Ball Shots (20 lbs to 10’/14 lbs to 9′)
55 Calorie Row
55 Handstand Push-Ups

*If you are not interested in competing in the Open or other online qualifiers, we would advise substituting the 55 kipping handstand push-ups for 30 strict handstand push-ups – the pounding on your cervical spine isn’t worth the risk unless you’re preparing for the movement to be tested in competition.

Athlete Notes:
“Open workout 16.4 has the ability to expose many weaknesses and strengths. This is going to primarily test: mental fortitude and strength endurance of your posterior chain in the deadlifts and shoulders/triceps in the handstand push-ups.

This workout also has movements that will require you to hold yourself to a high standard when just training and no judge. It is easy to short your deadlifts or the lockout on your handstand push ups, but make sure you do this workout with honest reps just as you would in Open so you have a clear understanding of where you are right now. We stress this point because during this Open workout the handstand push-ups were set to the standard of the arm measurement, if you remember, and that makes everything more challenging.

Now as you perform this workout you need to decide which station will be yours to shine in. All athletes are going to need to approach the four movements slightly different based on their personal strength and weaknesses. If you know you are good at deadlifts, then go for it on deadlifts. If you know that handstand push-ups are going to be an issue for you then decide whether you need to get there fast to have time to rest between short sets or if you need to get there calmly to feel more fresh for bigger sets. The only universal truth is that athletes will need to push the pace as close to their redline as possible without exceeding it.

If you are not doing then Open, please consider performing this with 30 strict handstand push ups as kipping can put unnecessary stress on your neck. If you are not able to perform handstand push-ups, opt for performing hand-release push-ups.

D.
Two sets of:
Hollow Body Bounce x 60/80/100 reps
Straight Body Ceiling-reaching Crunches x 10/20/30 reps
Tuck Rock to Tuck Sit x 10/20/30 reps
Hollow Body Side-to-side Rocks x 10/20/30 reps
Hand Plank Arch/Hollow x 10/20/30 reps
Limbo Twist x 10/20/30 reps
Rest as needed

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.

Strongman Option

Rear Delt Warm Up
Two sets of:
Incline T Raises x 10 reps @ 2121
(face down, raising straight arms at 90 degrees)
Incline Y Raises x 10 reps @ 2121
(face down, raising straight arms at 45 degrees)
Incline I Raises x 10 reps
(face down, raising straight arms in front)
Biceps Opening Curls x 5/5/5 reps
Rest as needed

A.
Every minute, on the minute, for 6 minutes:
5 Overhead Sandbag Tosses (75/50 lbs)
5 Max Effort Broad Jumps

Broad Jumps: Jump as far as you can and on each jump try to beat the distance from the previous one

B.
Two set of:
Deadlift x Max Reps @ 21X1
(open your hand every time you set the weight down to reset for the next lift; choose a weight that will allow you to get approximately 15 reps)
immediately followed by. . .
Sled Drag x Max Distance
(choose a heavy load, but one that will allow you to get approximately 100-feet)
Rest 5 minutes

Running Endurance Option
For distance:
40 Minutes of Running @ 80-85% of your 5k pace

Focus on running mechanics with the goal of being as relaxed and efficient as possible. You should not feel like you’re struggling at any point to maintain pace, but rather should focus on sustaining your pace as effortlessly as possible.

Rowing Endurance Option
Three sets for times of:
Row 2000 Meters @ 5k PR pace
Row 1000 Meters @ 60-65% of 5k PR pace