"BLUE SINISTER"

Objective: Strength

Warm up: 20-15-10
Dead Lift
Push Press

Training:

(1) Work up to 1RM Dead Lift

(2) 5 Rounds
5x Dead Lift @ 75% 1RM
5x KTE

(2) 10x Thruster
1x Rope Climb
8x Thruster (add weight)
1x Rope Climb
5x Thruster (add weight)
1x Rope Climb
3x Thruster (Add weight)
1x Rope Climb
2x Thruster (Add weight)
1x Rope Climb
1x Thruster (1RM!)
1x Rope Climb

(3) 5 Rounds
20m Walking Lunge w/2x 20kg kettlebells
30m Sled Push

Comments:

The "Thruster" - a front squat to push press - done with light to moderate weight is a metabolic meat grinder. This exercise can be "crushing" and the weight resting on your chest combined with the burning quads and shoulder leads to muscular failure and cardio-respiratory distress.

Because of its metabolic impact, the thruster is used mostly in the hybrid fitness arena for metabolic conditioning. I never see other coaches or gyms doing heavy thrusters - but we go heavy.

I find the heavy thruster to be an incredible, confidence-building, full body strength exercise. For the third part of "Blue Sinister" above, go heavy on the thrusters. I started with 95# for the first 10 reps, and kept on increasing weight to finish at 160# - just over my bodyweight - and my "1 rep-max."

Finally, the lunge/sled push circuit at the bottom has been visited before - will killer effects. Weighted lunges always leave me gasping for air, and come back to haunt me the next day with sore ass cheeks. The sled - well there's no way to describe it - load it heavy, push like hell, and then try to breath and walk afterward.

Finally, I received the following short e-mail from Rob Hess - one of the owners of Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, AMGA 2007 "Guide of the Year" and third American to climb Everest without oxygen:

EMAIL: "Hey Rob, 1 month in Chamonix, 2 weeks in the desert and headed to AK until the 10th. Will be back and psyched to go, felt strong from the winter of training, take care!"

Rob sent a photo of some nasty-looking couloir in Chamonix - that was too small to post. He also holds the gym record as the athlete to throw up the most during the workouts.

- Rob Shaul

Kim drops below a heavy thruster....

...and fires through.

Marybeth - all business.

Hammering the sled.