First Contact 0.03 Capacity
Introduction to Capacity, Upper Body Focused
So far we’ve been targeting the strength endurance channel, otherwise known as hypertrophy or bodybuilding. Although you may not be familiar with capacity, you know this channel as the sensation when you are hunched over and gasping for air from a hard run or sprint. It’s a good time to intertwine this energy system with the bodybuilding work as increasing your ability to tolerate oxygen will improve strength gains and general well-being. At our Space, our format during our strength endurance phase has been 3 days of bodybuilding sessions with an offset day of capacity in between. This helps prevent overloading a certain signal, alleviates training pallet fatigue, and give an opportunity to improve/maintain another energy system.
Dynamic Warmup
Alternating 10 meters
Zombie Walk, with very light DBs
3 rounds through
When preparing for a capacity session, dynamic warmups are a good way to prime the body to move at a faster pace, especially if any unconventional type movements are involved. For this warm-up you will do 10 meters of a movement then move into the next movement for 10 meters and then the next and repeat twice more for a total of 3 rounds. The inchworms should include a push-up, and the bear crawls should be down with a lot of focus on keeping the hips low.
Mobility
3x5 Shoulder CARs
3x5 Elbow Cars
For today’s session, there’s nothing too special to do with these CARs. As usual, ensure you’re giving attention to each rep this isn’t just a wave your hands-in-the-air-like-you-don’t-care movement, it takes presence of mind to do these properly. But again for today, this is to feel out how you feel from the limited equipment upper body day, which had quite a bit of shoulder volume. Elbow CARs are added for movements that are to come next.
Work
5 Rounds
*Add 2 reps to each movement. Calories on your machine of choice and carry meters remain the same.
This kind of piece is what we typically refer to as a “grinder” session, it fits the format of “accumulation” because the work required becomes greater. You have a melting pot of different signals, there’s some breathing, some strength endurance, and some grip work. All blended together to make a capacity piece. This is 5 rounds not necessarily for time but don’t lollygag. Each round will start with 10 calories and end with 20 meters carrying your implement used for the DB work. Sandwiched between the machine and carrying is a 3 part DB complex. It’ll be 7 DB bent over rows right into 7 DB hang cleans right into 7 DB presses overhead. Every following round you’ll add 2 reps to each DB movement while keeping the calories and carry distance the same. This looks like, Round 1, 7 rows, 7 cleans, 7 presses, then Round 2, 9 of each, Round 3, 11 of each, Round 4, 13 of each, and then finally for the 5th Round, 15 of each. For a session like this, pick DB weights that you feel confident to do 45 reps unbroken. You’ll be plenty PreFatigued, emphasis on fatigued. By the time you get to the 5th round, it’ll be near impossible to do all 45 reps unbroken so choose your weight wisely. An appropriate weight might be around 9kg. Before starting the 5 rounds, take a few warmup sets with DBs to see what weight might feel right.
Finishers typically don’t have much of a place in capacity sessions. There’s plenty of work in the Work portion that there should be no desire to anything else.
