The signature design of BEFIT weekly programming can accommodate a wide variety of schedules and welcomes new individuals to our gym without compromising the ability to land on a perfectly balanced training program – all within the week, the month, and the year. And although each day of the week is unique in design, together they feed into a specific focus for the month and prop up our unique and inclusive training system with a multitude of modifications and levels to accommodate our broad demographic of members.

WEEKLY BREAKDOWN:

Monday – Lower body focus (Intensity)
Tuesday – Upper body focus (Tension)
Wednesday – Lower body focus (Functional)
Thursday – Upper body focus (Intensity)
Friday – Lower body focus (Tension)
Saturday – Upper body focus (Functional)

OVERVIEW:

• 2 workouts (STRENGTH and SWEAT) run simultaneously in every timeslot
• Each day of the week is unique and repeated on that day for the month with new workouts programmed monthly.
• Weekly programming is structured so that we are giving each muscle group enough rest.
• For example, if we train deadlifts and hamstrings on Monday, in the next lower body workout on Wednesday, we would be training the quads and hitting the squat pattern more. Then on Friday (because we’re prioritizing the hinge pattern that month), we’ll be hitting the hamstrings and glutes again (after 96 hours rest) with a bit more of a focus on slow controlled movement with tension and tempo.
• These exercises, muscle groups and movement patterns are then rotated monthly so we prioritize different muscles and movement patterns each month creating balance in the body.

WORKOUT BREAKDOWN:

You can think of our workouts as the following phrase: PROGRESSIVELY FIT

PROGRESSIVELY

• Lifting more weight for the same reps and/or lifting the same weight for more reps gradually over time.
• This can also mean lifting the same weight for the same reps with better technique and/or slower speed and greater control over time.
• Progressive overload is how you create results.
• This is why we repeat our workouts for the month! This way you can go into each workout with the mindset/goal of doing better than you did last week, gradually improving on the weight you lift and/or your technique and control throughout the month.
• This process is not linear. You can’t expect to be better/stronger after every week and you have to listen to your body and go easier some weeks if you are not feeling great/ have low energy/had lack of sleep/have increased stress in your life as this will affect your nervous system which affects your strength.
• We recommend keeping track of what you lift so you have a baseline and reference point as the reps and sets change monthly.
• Progression is not just limited to strength training, it includes improving your cardio and finishing conditioning exercises more efficiently, increasing work over time, and increasing power.

F – The F Stands for Functional Movement, Stamina and Recovery

• These workouts are designed to develop your pacing, endurance and stamina with higher reps and lighter weights. Think maintaining a constant pace with good breathing and technique. Expect an assortment of functional movement to help with blood flow, range of motion, and recovery.
• The intensity – 50-70% with little to no rest (depending on how you feel)
• The focus – some days will feel like a constant grind others will feel like positive movement recovering from previous workouts and setting yourself up for success in upcoming workouts
• The days – Wednesdays (lower body focus) and Saturdays (upper body focus)

I – The I stands for Intense All Out Effort

• These workouts are designed to build strength and power. Workouts where the idea is to use the heaviest weight you can use with perfect technique for the rep range and then resting a little longer so you can repeat this effort for the prescribed reps and sets in the workout that day. Expect an assortment of heavy lifts (relative to your ability) paired with cardiovascular sprints (on SWEAT) that will send your beats per minute into overdrive.
• Please note these workouts are modified with higher reps and relatively lighter weights for beginners and individuals newer to our setting as your body may not be ready to jump into heavy strength training.
• The intensity – 80-100% – this means going your hardest when doing the exercise and taking a little more rest between exercises so you can maintain that high intensity throughout the workout
• The focus – building strength with heavier weights with perfect technique or going all out on a cardio exercise for a shorter timeframe.
• The days – Monday (lower body focus) and Thursday (upper body focus)

T – The T stands for Tension

• These workouts use time under tension to build the glycolytic pathway and the ability to buffer lactic acid and create muscular hypertrophy using medium intensity and weight.
• The intensity – 70-80%  working at a slower pace during each rep (unless you are doing a cardio exercise on SWEAT)
• The focus – mind-body connection, building lean muscle with slower paced movements and feeling that positive burn in the muscle
• The days – Tuesday (upper body focus) and Friday (lower body focus)

INTENSITY:

Here’s a way of looking at intensity as it applies to strength training.

1 rep max = 100% intensity
8 rep max = 80% intensity
10 rep max = 75% intensity
12 rep max = 70% intensity

• Intensity day (Mon/Thurs) – training at 80-100% intensity is training in the 1-8 rep range.
• Tension day (Tues/Fri) – training at 70-80% intensity is training 8-12 rep range
• Functional day (Wed/Sat) – training at 50-70% intensity is training 12+ rep range

The table below shows you how you would adjust weights for the different rep ranges and the correlating intensity.

PLANNING YOUR WEEK:

• The workouts are structured and designed for attendance up to 6 days/week.
• If you are training 5-6x/week, we recommend paying attention to the intensity % that day and taking it easier on Wednesdays and Saturdays to encourage blood flow and recovery so that you can take on your next workout (Monday or Thursday) with higher intensity and heavier weights. Going as hard as you can everyday you are training is a recipe for burnout if you are not paying attention to your recovery.
• If you are training 3x/week or less, the intensity focus is not as relevant as you will be getting enough rest between your sessions for each muscle group. Train as hard as you can depending on how you feel!
• If you feel like you are too sore from a workout to recover for the next lower or upper body session then listen to your body and take it easier that day!
• We do our best to space out the muscles and movements while keeping things fun and fresh but everyone will recover from different movements and rep ranges differently depending on your genetics, nutrition, mobility, and training experience. A general rule of thumb is if a muscle is sore, it has not yet recovered from the previous workout and you would best serve yourself by focusing on better nutrition according to your goal that day. If you still want to get in the gym though, just take it a little easier or let us know that you are too sore and we’ll modify the workout for you accordingly.
• For many individuals, 4 workouts per week will deliver great results. We suggest committing to a consistent 4 day/week schedule and prioritize it. It doesn’t matter how good a training plan is if you are not consistent!
• A good training split is Monday-Tuesday-Thursday-Friday, but the way the week is structured, you could do any combination of 4 days and it will work well. If you want to prioritize your upper body, you would make sure you attend on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. If you wanted to prioritize your lower body, you would attend Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
• If you are newer to fitness and this style of training focus on the movements and technique, build consistency in your routine and the habit of getting into the gym regularly while listening to your body, and let us know if you need any movements adjusted due to soreness.
• If you cannot attend 4-6x/week. You can complement the BEFIT workouts with 2x passion driven workouts or active rest days per week. (We do recommend 1x day off per week). Passion driven workouts could be things such as yoga, cycling, running, tennis, sport, etc, while active rest days are easy movements with no agenda such as hiking, golfing, etc

SWEAT AND STRENGTH AND HOW TO START:

• With our 2 unique workouts – SWEAT and STRENGTH – you get 2 ends of the spectrum while preserving the intended stimulus of the day. We’ve designed our sessions for these 2 workouts to run simultaneously so that our members get the style of training they enjoy the most while maximizing the training effect.
• With SWEAT you get a fast paced blend of strength and conditioning – it’s the type of workout you think of when you think of a functional training gym like ours enhanced with your own training space, cardio, and strength equipment.
• We’ve programmed the SWEAT workout to accommodate the wide array of individuals in our facility. As such these workouts are designed to intake new members into our gym as well as challenge experienced members who have been with us for years and continuing to move the needle on their health and fitness.
• With STRENGTH, you get a slower paced workout training at your pace and resting as needed. We’ve designed it this way so you can chase strength gains and really focus on your mind body connection without worrying about the clock. These workouts are great for functional range of motion, strength and lean muscle development and are a bit more advanced in terms of movement technique and exercise selection so we don’t suggest this workout if you are newer to our setting.
• With fitness and results, most important is doing something that you will be the most consistent with over time. It doesn’t matter how good any program is if you are not consistent and working on progressive overload (while keeping your joints feeling good).
• Both workout tracks will help you if your goal is weight loss.
• If you have any injury concerns, STRENGTH is slightly better due to the functional range of motion movements that are included.
• If you want to build your conditioning and endurance, SWEAT is the better option.
• If you are super stressed out that day, do SWEAT and take it easy on the cardio.
• If you want to build muscle do STRENGTH and eat for building muscle.
• If you have a goal that I did not include above or have any questions please let us know!

We’ll see you in the gym!

Committed to your success,
Josh Saunders, BS, CSCS
BEFIT