Upper Push–Pull + Couplet
Upper-body push and pull strength first, then a steady couplet to accumulate work without taxing the legs. Slotted midweek to build pressing and pulling capacity while Monday’s lower-body work recovers.
- min
- 55
- blocks
- 5
Strength sets should feel heavy but crisp, with 1–2 reps in reserve and 2–3 minute rests. The couplet is medium gear: breathe steady, break sets just before failure, keep even splits, and finish with shoulders and lats pumped rather than gassed.
warmup
8 min steady
| Movement | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Row (Erg) | 400 m | 600 m | 800 m |
| Thoracic Rotation | 8 reps | 10 reps | 12 reps |
| Dead Bug | 30 s | 40 s | 50 s |
| Push-Up | 6 reps | 8 reps | 10 reps |
Row easy at 3–4/10 to open the rib cage; move the T‑spine and breathe into the back. On the floor, lock in the brace on dead bug and find a shoulder‑friendly push‑up angle.
strength
5 sets, 2 min rest
| Movement | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench Press | 5 reps @ Technique priority. RPE 6-7/10. | 5 reps @ ~75-80% 1RM. | 5 reps @ ~80-85% 1RM. |
Build with small jumps to a repeatable load and keep the bar path consistent; feet set, scapulas down and back, soft touch on lower chest. Stop 1–2 short of a grind, rest 2–3 minutes, and make every rep look the same.
strength
4 sets, 75 s rest
| Movement | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lat Pulldown | 10 reps @ Controlled, RPE 7/10. | 10 reps @ Challenging, last 2 reps tough (RPE 8/10). | 10 reps @ Heavy but clean, full ROM (RPE 8-9/10). |
Chest up with ribs stacked and think elbows to ribs while keeping the neck long; reach fully at the top without losing shoulder position. Use a smooth 1–2 second lower, no swinging, same RPE as the press with 90–120 seconds between efforts.
conditioning
5 rounds for time (cap 16 min)
| Movement | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Push-Up | 10 reps | 15 reps | 20 reps |
| Inverted Row | 8 reps | 12 reps | 15 reps |
Choose an angle and standard that keep 1–2 reps in reserve on early rounds. Breathe through the nose when possible, take 2–3‑breath micro‑breaks, and avoid the first redline so you can close without failing reps.
cooldown
6 min steady
| Movement | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Walk | 3 min | 4 min | 5 min |
| Foam Roll | 60 s | 90 s | 2 min |
| Thoracic Rotation | 8 reps | 10 reps | 12 reps |
Walk easy to bring the heart rate down, then spend time on pecs, lats, and T‑spine with slow exhales. Rotate gently and leave the shoulders feeling centered, not yanked open.
2026-09-09