Blog Archive

Twas the month of Chestmas, and all through the lab

Not a creature was stirring, not even the one I found last year eating a bag of chips;

Cheers to the Shepherd, to the whiteboard with care,

In hopes that the Chestevez soon will be there;

Backsquat (1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 19th, 30th)

An explosive squat is a bigger squat. You will have 6 primary sessions to squat. Bar speed is essential to becoming an unstoppable beast (rate-of-force-development). Weighted power box jumps will precede each session. You’ll add a 5’erish week to week (again, if it slows down, don’t bother). There will be a workout retest on the 30th.

Shoulder Press/Power Jerk/Pull Ups (Days following squat/deadlift)

Iron shoulders brought the world to their knees. With 9 sessions dedicated to plowing or punching weight overhead, you will be the next supreme leader. Max effort pulling and dirty negatives we’ll all do, together. Healthy scapular patterns and accompanying mobility will keep you supple while the hot iron cools.

Deadlift/Pause Deadlift (Those other days)

Your position is, presumably, weak and slow. Take exactly X minutes to find a heavy double or single (get used to this, no lolly-gaggin’); we’ll follow with pauses just below the knee at submaximal weights based on your last lift. Strengthen your erector spinae, build lightning-twitch glutes and hams.

Enjoy the holiday season by building on the classics. That extra bloat from the dinner parties should prime you for strength training. Be greedy with all your treats, but not with your lifting; your task will be to move big weight, without slowing down.

Conditioning will have plenty of sprints and intervals; all workouts will have names. I’ll have plenty of indoor replacements for icy slush runs, no need to avoid coming in; we’ll build character through slave driven tasks. With all these grinding hustles, you’ll be converting all those indulgences into stacks of lean sexy muscle.

And yes, there will be the 12 Days of Christmas workout, 12 days before christmas, eve; a dirty russian kettlebell death-match; and one of my favourite booty blasters.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he logged off of the site—

“Happy Chestmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Coach Chesty

Monday Lesson Plan

Preparation: 10 minutes

Coaches Choice

Prepare for Strength Part A… 

Strength: 25 minutes

A) Weighted Power Box Jumps 5×2

B) Backsquat 5×2

*Box jumps are performed holding a pair of dumbbells. Drive explosively, landing well above parallel. Do not swing the dumbbells. Land silent, like ninja.
*Backsquat sets are performed all at the same weight. Start this week around 80% of you last known 1RM. Descend with control on the way down and explode on the way up. Do not allow the weight to slow throughout the sets. Again, don’t allow that weight to slow on the way up.

Conditioning: 15 minutes Run heats if necessary and show each other some love!

C) “Bodysquat Sprint”

30 Bodyweight Backsquats

1000m Row

D) Max Effort Pull Ups x1

*Strict if you’re cool. Kipping if you think you’re cool.

Check out this MadLab Final Video. Great job to all MadLabbers who participated!

PS Watch Dash in the background during Prince Hazard’s final slow-mo snatch of the video.

Saturday’s Workout:

Warm up: Coach’s Choice

Tech: Groove WOD Movements

Workout: Partner 2 min Defense

For time 20 rounds > Trading w/ Partner

1 Power Clean (135/95 lbs)
3 Hang Squat Clean
2 Jerks
100 Foot Sprint (8 burpees if its pouring rain)

And that’s it folks! House of Shepherd month is over. I hope you all had a bunch of fun getting more fit and you are walking that little bit taller.

One Love,

Shep

First of all, just a reminder – It’s the last Friday of the month, which means Monthly Match Friday!! As always, arrive at 6 pm and expect a fun partner metabolic conditioning workout. And bring some beer, cider, or since it’s winter, wine, to sip post-workout.

And now for something profound.

One of our students, Lisa Scigliano, opens up and shares her very personal story about how MadLab has helped her:

“I’ve struggled with weight my entire life, and on the road to morbid obesity I decided to make a change. I had lost a couple of hundred pounds on my own but felt kind of stuck, and although I was losing weight, I still had a long way to go and my goal had changed from wanting to be skinny to wanting to be fit and strong. I walked through the doors my first day completely terrified. I was terrified of my coach (Charlie), whom I had never met, I was terrified he was going to be mean, I was terrified I was going to embarrass myself and/ or pass out during the assessment, I was terrified the other people there were going to judge me and make fun of me, I was terrified I couldn’t keep up in classes. I was so terrified.

Today I have never been stronger, healthier, and more self-confident. Fitness makes me feel strong and powerful, two things I’ve not felt ever in my entire life. It gives me an outlet to de-stress after work, to focus my energy into something positive when I’m feeling down. At work, the heavy equipment I used to struggle to lift is now no trouble at all. At home I no longer struggle to lift the heavy laundry basket or groceries from the car. I feel more confident as I no longer have to worry about not fitting into clothes in the “regular” stores. The community has helped me stay with it, cheering me on and giving me confidence instead of judging me like I’ve experienced at traditional gyms in the past. I feel like I’m a part of something, not just at MadLab but even at events like the Regionals, volunteering and feeling like I’m a small part of it. I even feel like it’s easier to learn things, to read things and remember them. Fitness has changed every part of me, physically and mentally. Those of you who know me know that I’m usually the last one finishing up workouts and that I’ll never make it to the games. But that doesn’t matter, because I’ve gotten so much more out of it.”

Her coach, Chest, who took over from Charlie Palmer, added this:

“As a coach, I know she’s someone I can put my trust in because I know she’s going to show up. She listens to everything I say. I know I can make a difference in her life. She comes in with such determination, purely based on what she’s already earned. And now she’s focused on the next goal. She wants it so bad. There’s nothing that can stop her.”

Here’s Lisa as a child, and Lisa now:

Friday’s Workout:

Warm up: 3 rounds of:

5/5 Box step ups
10 TSpine bridge
10 Bulgarian split squat
10/10 Single leg glute bridge

Workout:

#1) 5 sets x 10 reps Front squat

#2) 12 min AMRAP:

20 D/U
20 KB Swings (black/red)
20 Walking Lunges

Saturday’s Workout:

Warm up: Coach’s Choice

Tech: Groove WOD Movements

Workout: Partner 2 min Defense

For time 20 rounds > Trading w/ Partner

1 Power Clean (135/95 lbs)
3 Hang Squat Clean
2 Jerks
100 Foot Sprint (8 burpees if its pouring rain)

And that’s it folks! House of Shepherd month is over. I hope you all had a bunch of fun getting more fit and you are walking that little bit taller.

One Love,

Shep

Thursday night 6 pm! Come out and watch, have a drink, and cheer for this fall’s two top teams as they go head-to-head and battle for the banner: Team Baby Nat versus Team Lumber!

Check out this video from last week’s semi-final action, brought to you by Dashie. Entertaining and humorous. Nice work, Dashie! Pay extra close attention to Meagan. I didn’t know that girl ever looked unimpressed…

Thursday’s Workout:

Warm up : Coach’s Choice

Strength: Shoulder to Overhead

For a challenging weight
3 Push press
3 Push Jerk

All 6 reps in succession

Workout: Burpee Box Jump Ladder

On a 24″/20″ in box

First minute 1 burpee box jumps
Second minute 2 burpee box jumps
Third minute…

Side jump to the box is fine.

Workout is done when you can’t complete the round inside the minute. Score is your round and how many reps you got. 10 rounds and 7 reps of the next round is 10.07.

Originally we had “Wabbits” programmed for today but alas changed it due to the rainfall warning.

Mucho Amore,

HOS

As some of you know, we reached out to the community earlier this month to help two people who are hugely important to our community: Caitlin and Robert. The community managed to raise a generous package from the community for them because their story, and who they are as people, resonated with you. Now, a week after Robert’s surgery, below is how it went down from their perspective:

Last week we were asked to come in to the gym. We knew it was something related to everything we have been going through but had no idea what. When the gift that the MadLab/CFV community had pulled together to help us out was revealed, we were in shock. We are still in shock. It is overwhelming and humbling to receive support like that. I am not sure how long it will take us to deal with the emotions but we still well up with tears when we think about it.

When we joined the gym, we joined to get into shape. We had no idea that we were joining a community and would be making amazing friendships. You are a truly amazing group of people. It is not just about becoming more fit. The members of the community constantly endeavour to be all around better people and are consistently displaying that.

The past 3 months have been some of the hardest in our lives and through it all we have had the support of our Madlab crew. Texts and emails and hugs… and now this. Thank you for your amazing support and encouragement and for being kick ass people. With all of the things we have had to deal with, people have told us that we have been unlucky. We were falling on all the wrong sides of the percentages. You have made us feel so lucky and blessed. Though situations were difficult, we have been so lucky to have the people in our lives that we do. You have made us feel fortunate through it all.

We are happy to report that Robert is recovering well from his surgery and I am gaining my strength back. We are looking forward to being able to workout side by side with you all soon.

We are truly blessed to be part of this community.

Much love and overwhelming gratitude,

Caitlin and Robert

Wednesday’s Workout:

Warm up : Coach’s Choice

Tech: Squat Clean

Try some clean pull to scarecrow and high hang cleans while warming up. Then…

Heavy 3 (1, 1, 1)

Workout: 4 Unbroken Rounds of:

20 Wall Ball (20/14 lbs)
10 Pull ups

Junior  

10 Wall ball (any weight)
5 pull ups

The whole round has to be unbroken. You must move expeditiously between the wallballs and pull ups. No lollygagging. You can rest between full rounds.

If you miss a wall ball… ie. you don’t get it above the white line or don’t hit the wall period or miss the depth on your squat or drop the ball then you must start again from 0. Same goes for the pull ups if you don’t get your chin over at the top or lock out at the bottom. Be sure you have those reps in you before you start the round. Missing a rep is very punitive.

This is a test of concentration, accuracy and resolve. Don’t be afraid to scale the weight or take more band for the pull ups.

We tested this a bunch. Cabana Boy did it in 6:40. Pretty good.

Warm Down: Shoulders Roll out