TRAINING PHILOSOPHY

COMPTRAIN GYM TRAINING

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STRENGTH CYCLES | DETAILS

What lifting cycles are incorporated? [1 of 2]

Progressive Overload of 5-3-2-1 | The program provides a clear and structured progression over the course of the month.
Starting with sets of five repetitions (5), then three repetitions (3), followed by two repetitions (2), and finally one repetition
(1), allows for a gradual increase in intensity while managing fatigue.

Tempo | A structured training approach that focuses on breaking down each phase of a lift into distinct components—
eccentric, isometric, and concentric—to optimize strength and power development. By emphasizing specific adaptations in
each phase through targeted exercises and varying tempos, triphasic training aims to enhance overall lifting performance
and athletic abilities. This method promotes comprehensive muscular adaptation, improves neuromuscular coordination,
and helps athletes overcome plateaus by addressing weaknesses and maximizing force production throughout the entire
lift.

Heavy Singles | Heavy singles allow lifters to work with near-maximal loads, which stimulates the recruitment of high-
threshold motor units and encourages adaptation in the muscles, leading to improvements in maximal strength. Heavy
singles require maximal neural drive and coordination, leading to improvements in neuromuscular efficiency. This results in
better synchronization of muscle contractions, increased rate of force development, and enhanced motor unit recruitment,
all of which contribute to greater strength gains

COMPTRAIN GYM
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STRENGTH CYCLES | FAQ

What lifting cycles are incorporated? [2 of 2]

Heavy 20’s | The prolonged effort required to complete a set of 20 reps induces significant metabolic stress on the muscles,
leading to adaptations such as increased muscle glycogen storage, improved lactate tolerance, and enhanced mitochondrial
density. These adaptations contribute to better energy production and utilization during high-intensity efforts. Completing
a set of 20 reps with a challenging weight requires mental fortitude and determination. Pushing through fatigue and
discomfort builds mental toughness and resilience, which can transfer to improved performance in both training and
competition settings.

Max Repetition Method | This cycle is very similar to the Wendler 5-3-1 protocol. Each week, lifters perform sets as many
repetitions as possible at 80-85-90% for each of the main lifts, gradually increasing the intensity as the cycle progresses.
The intensity is calculated based on a percentage of the lifter's one-rep max (1RM).

Heavy 10’s | Training with heavier weights and higher rep ranges like 10-rep sets can stimulate muscle growth
(hypertrophy). The increased time under tension and metabolic stress from lifting heavier loads for multiple repetitions can
lead to muscle fiber recruitment and growth, contributing to greater overall muscle size and strength, challenging the
neuromuscular system and stimulates adaptations in muscle fibers, motor units, and coordination, leading to improvements
in overall strength.

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STRENGTH CYCLES | DETAILS

Why Do We Focus On the “Slow Lifts”?

The slow lifts are the powerlifting movements and their direct counterparts.
1. Presses | Bench Press and Shoulder Press
2. Deadlift | Traditional Deadlift and Sumo Deadlift
3. Squat | Front Squat and Back Squat

“Typically the world's best athletes are minimalists when it comes to their training. They work hard and fast with few
exercises. They master the fundamentals and work with them for years.
This is the secret no one wants to hear.”
-Greg Glassman, Founder of CrossFit

These movements not only have the greatest carryover to overall strength, builds more muscle, makes people
harder to kill, more useful in general, and enhances lifespan and health span. And specific to these lifts, they have
also been scientifically proven to significantly enhance bone mineral density.

Unlike traditional recommendations of running or jumping for bone health, these movements create a mechanical
tension on the bones through the muscles, ligaments, and tendons pulling, fostering greater adaptations and
resilience in bone strength.

This is especially crucial as fractures, particularly hip fractures after the age of 65, carry an increased 1-year m
mortality risk of 30%. No other movements or exercises produce the same level of mechanical tension as the
powerlifts and their counterparts.

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STRENGTH CYCLES | DETAILS

Why do we rotate lifts every month?

SAID Principle | The SAID principle underscores the importance of regular practice to enhance proficiency in specific
movement patterns. Just as practicing the butterfly stroke improves swimming, consistent practice of primary movement
patterns is essential for skill development and performance enhancement.

Law of Accommodation | The human body is adept at adapting to repetitive stressors over time. However, prolonged
exposure to the same stimulus leads to diminishing returns as the body reaches a point of accommodation. To counteract
this phenomenon, we rotate lifts regularly to prevent stagnation and ensure continual progress. As the saying goes, "trees
don't grow to the sky"—we must challenge ourselves with varied stimuli to avoid plateauing.

Overload Principle | Progression is key to achieving strength gains. By progressively increasing the load placed on our
bodies, we continually challenge our muscles and stimulate growth. Throughout each cycle, we systematically add weight
to each lift, adhering to the overload principle to drive continuous improvement.

Variety and Progression | By changing rep schemes, incrementally increasing loads week by week, and rotating movements
monthly—such as transitioning from Bench to Press, Deadlift to Sumo Deadlift, and Front to Back squat—we expose our
bodies to slightly different yet similar training stresses. This variation ensures that we continually challenge our muscles and
stimulate adaptation, leading to consistent strength gains throughout the year.

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STRENGTH CYCLE | Heavy 20s

Week 1 | 20 Rep Primer | Strict Press, Deadlift, Back Squat
Week 2 | 20 Rep Test | Strict Press, Deadlift, Back Squat
Week 3 | 20 Rep Primer | Bench Press, Sumo Deadlift, Front Squat
Week 4 | 20 Rep Test | Bench Press, Sumo Deadlift, Front Squat

*In the “primer” weeks, athletes will explore their thresholds for the 20 rep loading. Athlete’s will use the data gathered from the week 1
primer in order to perform an actual 20 rep max test during the second week.

The Heavy 20s & Workouts in the Same Class

“There is plenty of time within an hour session to warm up, practice a basic movement or skill or pursue a
new personal record (PR) or max lift, discuss and critique the athletes’ efforts, and then pound out a tight
little couplet or triplet utilizing these skills or just play.”

CrossFit Level 1 Training Guide

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