414582759-Charlie-Mike PDF

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Charlie Mike

Ashley Horner

TESTING YOUR 1RM Using your one-rep max (1RM) is a tried-and-true way of tracking your progress and getting the most out of your training time. If you're familiar with 1RM testing and have a warm-up and protocol you prefer to use, go ahead and use it. On the other hand, if you don't have much experience testing your max, try out this protocol before each of your upcoming 1RM testing days. Before you even pick up a weight, start with a light warm-up of a few minutes on the bike or treadmill, followed by some dynamic stretches. You obviously don't want to exert yourself too much during the warmup, but going into 1RM testing with cold, stiff muscles is asking for an injury. Once you've completed the warm up, do 3-4 warm-up sets of whatever lift you're going to be testing. Start light for your first warm-up set, picking a weight that you can easily complete for 10 repetitions without much of a struggle. For each of the following warm-up sets, increase the weight by 10-20 percent and reduce the number of repetitions. The weight should get progressively harder, but not so hard that it's a struggle to finish your warm-up sets. Save your energy for the max attempts! Once you've completed your last warm-up set, you're ready to begin your attempts. Use your last warm-up set as a guide to determine how much weight to put on the bar for your first attempt. If you had 5 or more reps left in the tank after your last warm-up set, add about 20 percent more weight to the bar. If you felt you could perform 1-5 more reps, add about 10 percent more weight. Use these same guidelines as you move through your max attempts. Ideally, you'll find your 1RM within 3-5 attempts. Anything more than 5 sets, and you're going get really fatigued, which can compromise your strength. If your first attempt felt super easy, be more aggressive with the weight for your second attempt. On the other hand, if your first attempt was a real grinder, don't add more than 5-10 percent. Example warm-up for an estimated 135-pound 1RM:

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Set 1: 8-10 reps using just the bar Set 2: 6-8 reps with 75 lbs. Set 3: 4-6 reps with 90 lbs. Set 4: 3-4 reps with 105 lbs. Attempt 1: 120 lbs. Attempt 2: 130 lbs. Attempt 3: 135 lbs. Once you determine your 1RM, write that number down! Not only will you retest at the end of the six-week program, but you'll also use your 1RM to help program out your workouts in the following weeks.

CONDITIONING CIRCUITS After you finish testing your 1RM, you'll move right into your circuits. Most days will prescribe two. Go quickly through each movement, but not so quickly that you sacrifice form. Try not to rest between exercises or rounds. If you do need to take a quick breather, keep it to 30-60 seconds. As you move through the program, your goal should be to minimize rest. When you complete the first circuit, take 5-10 minutes of rest before beginning the second. Every day, write down the time it took you to complete each circuit, the weight you used, and how you felt after completing the workout.

Charlie Mike: Day 1 - Max Bench Press, Metabolic Conditioning •

Strength – Bench Press – find your max bench press

• Conditioning – Circuit 3 Rounds 1. 2. 3. 4.

Renegade Row – 6 Reps per arm Dumbbell Pull Over – 12 Reps Run – 200 Meters Burpee – 10 Reps

*Rest 5-10 minutes 5. Barbell Thruster – 7 Reps (alternative dumbbell or kettlebell thruster) 6. Kettlebell Swing – 14 Reps 7. Pull Ups – Max Reps

Charlie Mike: Day 2 - Max Back Squat, Metabolic Conditioning Wake up a little sore today? That should be expected. I'm asking a lot out of you this week, but you won't see change unless you challenge yourself. This week won't be easy—hell, the next six weeks won't be easy—but try to bring the same intensity to each and every workout. No excuses. You'll start off today's workout by finding your 1RM for the back squat. You can use the same warm-up plan from Day 1 to get ready for your max attempts. Next, you'll move on to two more conditioning circuits. The circuits today focus primarily on the lower body. These circuits should be completed as quickly as possible, but without compromising form. Your goal is quality over quantity. If you feel your form slipping as you move through the workout, rest for 30-60 seconds between exercises. As you become stronger, you'll be able to get through each circuit without resting. If any of these exercises look foreign to you, make sure to watch the videos in the exercise table below. For example, the glute-ham exercise is a great movement for the posterior chain, but it often gets confused with a lower-back extension—also a great movement, but a different one. To execute the glute-ham raise correctly, think about keeping your lower back neutral, so the movement happens primarily at the knee. If done correctly, your hamstrings will be screaming at you by the end of the circuit! If your gym doesn't have a glute-ham raise, do a different hamstring-focused movement. A great one that is guaranteed to get the same burn is the stability-ball hamstring curl. Just remember to keep your hips high during the entire movement! Day 2: Max back squat, metabolic conditioning

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Strength – Back Squat – Find your max back squat

• Conditioning – Circuit 3 Rounds 1. Reverse Lunge – 8 Reps Per Side 2. Glute-Ham Raise – 15 Reps (alternative: stability – ball hamstring curl) 3. Kettlebell Swing – 20 Reps 4. Wall Ball – 15 Reps 5. Barbell Walking Lunge – 30 Strides 6. Run – 200 Meters

Charlie Mike: Day 3 - Rest

Charlie Mike: Day 4 - Max Push Press, Metabolic Conditioning Today, you'll test your 1RM for the push press in addition to completing two upper-body-focused circuits. Before you set out to test your 1RM, however, follow the warm-up progression outlined in Day 1. Like you did on Days 1 and 2, complete the circuits as fast as possible, but not at the expense of good form. Take breaks when necessary, but keep them to 30-60 seconds. Because some of the exercises require specific equipment, I've given you alternative exercises that'll target the same muscle groups, but can be done in almost any gym. You don't have to be perfect the first time you do these exercises, but you won't get better if you don't try! Day 4: Max push press, metabolic conditioning

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Strength – Push Press – Find your max

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Conditioning – Circuit – 3 Rounds 1. Ring Row – 10-12 Reps (alternative: inverted row) 2. Kettlebell or Dumbbell Windmill – 8 Reps Note: Take your time going through the windmill. Perform slow, controlled reps so you don't end up with a weight on your face! Rest 5-10 minutes

3. Handstand Push Up – 7 Reps (Alternative: Push-Up or Decline Push Up’s) 4. Kettlebell Swing – 10 Reps 5. Barbell Snatch – 10 Reps (Alternative: Kettlebell or dumbbell Snatch, 5 reps per arm)

Charlie Mike: Day 5 - Max Deadlift, Metabolic Conditioning Your final strength test for the week is a 1RM deadlift. If you haven't yet memorized the warm-up for max testing, it can be found on Day 1. If you're not accustomed to testing your upper limits on big lifts, today's challenge might feel a little scary. But remember your commitment to this week's mission and try. Although you should complete all circuits quickly, you can really go all-out during the second circuit. Complete all four rounds in the shortest amount of time possible. That means no rest, no water breaks, and no stopping unless your shoe is honestly untied. Don't stop until all four rounds are done! Day 5: Max deadlift, metabolic conditioning

• Strength – Deadlift – Find your max deadlift • Conditioning – Circuit 3 Rounds 1. Glute-Ham Raise – 15 Reps (Alternative: Stability-ball hamstring curl) 2. Row – 400 Meters 3. Weighted Step-Up – 10 Reps

• Circuit – 4 Rounds 1. Toes –To-Bar – 8 Reps (Alternate :Hanging Leg Raise) 2. Run – 200 Meters

Charlie Mike: Day 6 - Rest After the last couple of workouts, you deserve a rest day. One more day of testing awaits you, so take it easy today and rest your legs! Because you don't have to be in the gym today, I want you to spend that extra time working on your nutrition. Although I don't want you obsessing over calories, I do want you to pay attention to the food you put into your body. So hit the grocery store and pick out whole, healthy food that makes you feel good. Trust me, fueling these workouts on chips and soda is not going to go well.

Charlie Mike: Day 7 - Mile Run Test, 1,000 Meter Row Test You've made it to the last day of Week 1. But before you give yourself a pat on the back, I've got two more challenges lined up for you: a one-mile run test and a 1,000-meter row test. Your goal should be to do both as quickly as possible. If your lungs are burning and your legs feel like they're about to fall off, you're doing the tests right. One final warning: if you're going to eat something less than an hour before this workout, keep it light. Otherwise, it might be making a second appearance after your 1,000-meter row! Don't forget to write down your times and make a note about how you feel after each test! Day 7: Mile run test, 1,000 meter row test

• Endurance – Mile Run Test – Run 1 mile as quickly as possible *Note: Rest 20-30 Min 1. Row – 1,000 meters as quickly as possible.

Charlie Mike: Day 8 - Bench Press, Metabolic Conditioning Your mission this week is to believe. Not only do I want you to believe in yourself, but I want you to believe in this program. You're going to find yourself doing things you've never done before, and it's not always going to be rainbows and butterflies, but I believe you can conquer each workout, master every exercise, and push yourself to find new limits. This week, you'll start each workout with a strength exercise. Today, you've got bench press on tap. Make sure you know your one-rep max (1RM) values from last week; you'll be using those numbers to calculate the weight you'll use for all strength exercises moving forward. Increasing your strength will require you to take each set to near failure. If you can easily get through all your reps without even breaking a sweat, you need to add more weight. Completing the last 1-2 reps of each set should be a struggle. If it's not, don't hesitate to add a little more weight to the bar. Remember that change only comes when you challenge yourself and believe you can do more. After your strength work, you'll move on to circuit training with a special emphasis on exercise technique. With these circuits, it's important to write down and keep track of not only the time it takes to complete each circuit, but the weight you use for each exercise. Pick an initial weight that allows you to complete the prescribed number of repetitions using good form. The next time you do that exercise, challenge yourself either by using a heavier weight or trying to complete the circuit in a shorter amount of time. Remember, even though your overall circuit time is important, it's not important enough to risk injuring yourself. If you perform each rep with care and keep your mind on the task at hand, you'll soon be blowing through these exercises like a pro! Believe it, and it shall be so. Day 8: Bench press, metabolic conditioning

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Strength – 1. Bench Press

– 3 Sets of 8 Reps at 80% (rest two Min)

• Conditioning – Technique Circuit – 3 Rounds 1. Ring Row – 12 Reps (Alternative: Inverted Row) 2. Kettlebell or Dumbbell Windmill – 5 Reps 3. Burpee Pull-Up – 10 Reps (Alternative: Burpees then 10 banded pull-ups) *Rest 5-10 Min

• Technique Circuit: 4 Rounds 1. 2. 3. 4.

Barbell Thruster – 10 Reps (Alternative: Kettlebell or dumbbell thruster) Dumbbell Pull-Over – 10 Reps Kettlebell Swing – 10 Reps Run – 400 Meters

Charlie Mike: Day 9 – Rest Read a book, catch up on some laundry, or try out a new recipe. You've earned this rest day! Your next training session is less than 24 hours away, so even if you like "active recovery," don't go too crazy hiking, swimming, or jogging today. A little activity is fine and fun, sure, but you don't want to compromise your ability to recover.

Charlie Mike: Day 10 - Back Squat, Metabolic Conditioning Today's workout starts off with back squats, arguably the best exercise to target all the major muscle groups in the lower body. I like them so much that I've even included them in your circuit workout! The key to an effective squat is to drop down low enough that your thighs are at parallel (if not lower) to the floor at the bottom of the movement. Think about pressing through your heels and squeezing your glutes as you return to the starting position. By the second set, your glutes should feel like they're on fire! Once you finish your squats, move right into your circuits. Try to complete your 200-meter rows and burpees as fast as possible. For the other exercises, try to move quickly through them, but don't go so fast that you compromise form. Go heavy with the weight, but not so heavy you can't complete the prescribed number of reps. You can rest 5-10 minutes between each circuit, but keep the rest periods between rounds as short as possible. Day 10: Back squat, metabolic conditioning

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Strength – 1. Back Squat – 3 Sets of 8 Reps at 80% (rest 2 Min)

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Conditioning – Circuit: 4 Rounds 1. Row – 200 Meters 2. Single Leg Deadlift – 10 Reps Per Side 3. Wide-Stance Goblet Squat – 10 Reps *Note – Rest 5-10 minutes

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Circuit: 3 Rounds 1. Reverse Lunge – 10 Reps 2. Hip Thrust – 15 Reps 3. Burpee Over Barbell – 10 Reps

Charlie Mike: Day 11 - Push Press, Metabolic Conditioning Today's workout is all about power. The push press is a great tool for increasing upper-body power and bench-press strength. While it may be an unfamiliar lift for you right now, use these tips to help improve your performance. Unrack the bar high and keep your elbows in front of the bar. To initiate the press, bend your knees about 12 inches, then really explode out of the bottom. Don't be afraid of some leg drive! Drive the bar up over your head and push your chest slightly forward. Once you finish up with the push press, complete each of the conditioning circuits as fast as you can. If you can't do unassisted pull-ups yet, grab a band or use the assisted pull-up machine and bust out as many reps as possible. As for the wall balls, you'll want to use a 10- to 12-pound ball and aim for a spot on the wall 9-10 feet off the floor. Make sure to come down into a full squat before driving through your heels and throwing the ball. Try not to rest until you've completed all the rounds in each circuit. Day 11: Push press, metabolic conditioning

• Strength 1. Push Press – 3 Sets of 8 Reps at 80% (rest 2 Min) •

Conditioning – Circuit 3 Rounds 1. 2. 3.

Row – 300 Meters GHD Sit – Up – 10 Reps (Alternative Sit-Ups) Pull Up – Max Effort (Alternative: Assisted Pull-up, lat pull down)

*Note – Rest 5-10 Min

• Circuit – 2 Rounds 1. Wall Ball – 15 Reps 2. Man Maker – 10 Reps (Alternative: 10 Push-ups and 10 Bodyweight squats) 3. Burpee – 50 Reps

Charlie Mike: Day 12 - Rest You've just finished two grueling days of training. Give your body the rest it deserves so you can recover and get stronger! Don't underestimate the importance of a good foam-rolling session! Take some time today to show your muscles a little love. Just a few minutes with the foam roller can help reduce muscle soreness and speed up recovery. Make sure to hit your upper and lower back, your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and of course, your IT bands.

Charlie Mike: Day 13 - Max Front Squat, Metabolic Conditioning Today's workout starts with a one-rep-max test for the front squat. If this is your first time performing a front squat, make sure to watch the instructional video on the exercise database before you get under the bar! You can use the same warm-up plan from Day 1 to get ready for your max attempts. After you finish your max testing, head right into your circuits. For the negative pull-ups, try to slow down the eccentric portion to 3-5 seconds. The longer it takes you to lower yourself, the better. Your last circuit is all about conditioning. As soon as you finish your 400-meter sprint, I want you to drop down and do 20 sit-ups. You'll be crawling out of the gym after you finish this workout, but the results will be well worth your effort.

• Strength 1. Find max front squat •

Conditioning- Circuit 3 Rounds

1. Single-Leg Dumbbell or Kettlebell Deadlift – 8 Reps per side 2. Negative Pull-Ups – 5 Reps (Alternative: Eccentric lat pull down, slow assisted pull-up) *Note – 5-10 Min •

Circuit 3 Rounds 1. Goblet Squats – 15 Reps 2. Kettlebell Swing – 15 Reps 3. Push-Up – 15 Reps *Rest 5-10 Min

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Circuit 5 Rounds 1. Run – 400 Meters 2. Sit-Up – 20 Reps

Charlie Mike: Day 14 - Deadlift, Metabolic Conditioning If your legs aren't tired enough from yesterday's workout, we're going to finish them off today! You've got a rest day tomorrow, so leave the excuses at the door and fire up the intensity for today's workout. Can't do an unassisted pull-up yet? No worries! Grab a band or partner, or even use the assisted pull-up machine. Try to see how many you can do on your own before enlisting some help. Wall runs are great for improving shoulder and core strength, but will require a little coordination to walk your feet up the wall. Back up to a wall in a crawl, and then walk your feet up the wall until you're in a handstand position. Keep your chest facing the wall, contract your abs and glutes, and tap your shoulders. Finish off today's workout with battle ropes and 400 meters runs. Try to complete this circuit as fast as you can, keeping any rest periods you take to only 30-60 seconds. Keep track of your time, and make sure to write down how you felt after finishing the workout. Day 14: Deadlift, metabolic conditioning

• Strength 1. Deadlift – 3 Sets of 8 Reps at 80% (Rest 2 min) •

Conditioning – 3 Rounds 1. Pull-Up – 8 Reps (Alternative: assisted pull-up, lat pull down) 2. Wall Run – 5 Reps 3. Renegade Row – 10-12 Reps per arm (Alternative: Dumbbell Row)

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Circuit – 4 Rounds 1. 2. 3. 4.

Single Arm Row – 10-12 Reps GHD Sit-Up – 10 Reps (Alternative: Sit-up) Battle Ropes – 20 Reps per side Run – 400 Meters

Charlie Mike: Day 15 – Rest Nothing important in life can be achieved without total commitment. This week, you'll continue going strong and commit to sticking it out for the long haul. By now, you know that Charlie Mike isn't your same old "workout." But you've stuck with it through two hard weeks! Now you owe it to yourself to keep pushing. Use this week to commit to eating well, crushing your workouts, and working on making yourself just a little better every day. Week 3, you may have heard, is when most people give up, give in, and fall off the wagon. You're not going to be one of those people. You're going to achieve what you set out to do. This week's workouts will be trying—just like last week's. You'll want to throw in the towel, but you won't. Once you get past Week 3, you've made the silent commitment to keep going. So let's get started.

Charlie Mike: Day 16 - Bench Press, Metabolic Conditioning You'll kick off today by spending some time under the bench. You're going for strength, so use the proper percentage. If you wuss out and "take it easy," you can kiss your results goodbye. Remember, though, it's essential that you perform each movement with proper form. Try not to let your elbows flare out at the bottom, and keep your entire body engaged. I like to maintain a slight arch in my lower back and press through the floor with my feet. Your upper back should be tense and your shoulder blades pulled in. Chin-ups are not the same as pull-ups. To perform them, use an underhand grip. If you can't do more th...