Program
About your Strength Training Program
All EDGE memberships give you full access to our 3-day-a-week strength training program. This program is structured in 6 to 8-week cycles, synced with South Gloucestershire school terms, and includes strategic deload periods between each cycle to optimize your progress. Each session is designed to be an hour or less.
To ensure well-rounded development, every term features a different training focus that rotates throughout the year. All sessions are full-body workouts, guaranteeing balanced training regardless of how many sessions you complete each week.
Training During Holidays
While in-person coached sessions run during term-time only, we’ve got you covered for those “between-term” periods. You’ll receive a variety of independent workouts, including both gym and home options, which you can follow on your own or with other EDGE community members.
During the longer summer break, everyone gets access to our flexible independent training program. It’s always packed with diverse options, so you’ll easily find something that suits your needs, no matter what equipment you have available.
As an added bonus, we often offer additional in-person sessions during holidays. These are typically different from our usual style and can be booked separately to complement your membership.
Accessing your program
Access your program through our app, you will need to download this if you haven’t already.
When in the app you can see the program by selecting the ‘dumbell’ icon at the bottom of the screen. Select ‘Strength Training’, and the appropriate date. The program is available with each weeks session 1 on a Monday, Session 2 on Wednesday and Session 3 on Fridays – but you can do them whatever days you like (Ideally you will have rest days between training days but we understand that’s not always possible).
There is also a ‘Guide to using Evini’ folder in the content hub (within the app) for more detailed information.
Understanding your program
A typical session will include the following elements:
Mobility and balance
Mobility work is probably the most overlooked and underrated part of a strength training program but even just a couple of minutes can do so much to keep us pain free and reduce the chance of injury. So our sessions always start this way.
We often also include specific balance work and pelvic health exercises here too.
Dynamic warm up
We increase the heart rate whilst preparing our minds and bodies for the session ahead. There is often a technical link to what’s coming up in the session ahead so it can be good to have a look and put intent in how you move.
Use the program warm up as a guide, if you are tight somewhere feel free to add something in or adapt for how you feel on the day.
We almost always have a jumping element at the end of this section. Jumping and landing has been proven to be the gold standard in looking after our bones and protecting us from osteoporosis.
Strength (Compound Lifts)
These are the big multi joint exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bench press and pull ups that give you the most bang for your buck.
The program states the working sets to be completed, you will sometimes need to add warm up sets. These are not included in the program because they are very individual and what is needed will depend on many factors.
Over time you will get to know what feels good for you, it’s about creating enough stimulus to recruit maximum muscle fibres whilst not inducing excess fatigue that takes away from your lifts.
Generally speaking, low reps sets such as 3’s or 5’s will need more warm up than high reps sets of 8 to 12 reps because the weights you are moving will be heavier and you need to bridge that gap to prepare your body.
As an example, if you are going to do 3 sets of 5 squats at 60kg your warm up could be 5x40kg, 3x50kg, 1x55kg with 2 mins rest between each before doing your 3 working sets at 60kg.
Accessories
This section is where we balance the compound lifts to make the program well rounded.
We use the accessories to support the other days in the program, consolidate work we have been doing the previous term, develop areas/movements the coaches have identified need a bit more attention, to prepare you for what is coming next term or to work on specific things that don’t fit elsewhere.
Stretch and reflect
A really good time to think about what went well in the session, update/make notes in your training log, ask questions and set intentions for the next session.
Following your program
Ideally the program should be followed in the order it is presented.
Where exercises are labelled with letters they are to be completed in alphabetical order (you should complete all the A exercises before moving onto the B’s etc). If there are also numbers after the letter it indicates that the exercises are grouped together as a combined set. For example; do A1 then A2 before going back to A1 and repeat as many times as stated before moving onto B1, B2 Etc.
Reps (repetitions)
This is the number of times you should perform each exercise. They are often given as a range (e.g. 8 to 12 reps).
If reps are a range is set, work to the level of intensity set (see below) and over the term try to build through the rep range then add load.
For example, if the program states a rep range of 8 to 12 reps RPE 8 and you get 10 quality reps with 2 left in the tank then stick with that weight each week until you can hit 12 reps. Once you have built up to 12 reps across all sets then the next week you might try increasing the weight and dropping the reps down to 8 and build again.
Sets
This is how many times you perform the collection of reps. For example 3 sets of 8 reps means you do 8 reps then rest and repeat 3 times (that’s right, 24 in total). Sets are sometimes given as a range for you to self-manage depending on your current fitness level and time availability. Sets are often at the lower end of the range for the first week when working with a higher load and then build through the term.
Tempo
This dictates the pace of the movement and is given as a 4 digit number.
- The first number is how many seconds the eccentric part of the movement should take (this is when the muscle lengthens, for example when lowering for a squat).
- The second number is the length of the hold (if any), after the eccentric movement
- The third number is the how long the concentric part should take (this is when the muscle shortens, like standing up from a squat)
- The fourth number is the pause after the concentric movement
For examples, a 3010 squat would be lower for 3 seconds, no hold at the bottom, rise in 1 second, no hold at the top (An X denotes move as quickly as possible under control).
Note, this isn’t always the order you perform the exercise. A 3010 deadlift would be lift in 1, no hold at the top, lower in 3 seconds, and no pause at the bottom
Intensity (load)
If you know your 1 Rep Maximum (1RM) for particular lifts you can enter them into Evini and your program will calculate the weight you should lift.
However, as with anything, take this with a pinch of salt and work with where you are on the day. If you have had a week of high stress at work or less sleep than usual you may need to adapt, if you are feeling really good and moving well then use that and push the weights.
If you don’t know or have a reliable 1RM, that is absolutely fine. We will work to a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) or Reps in reserve (RIR).
See guides below;
Rate of perceived exertion (RPE) is a scale to assess how hard you feel you’re working during an exercise.
Scale: Typically, RPE runs from 1 (no exertion) to 10 (maximum effort). The higher the number, the closer you are to reaching your max effort.
Reps in Reserve (RIR) measures how many more repetitions you could perform before reaching technical failure (when your form breaks down).
For example, if you perform 10 reps but feel you could do 2 more with good form, you’re at 2 RIR.
Connecting RPE and RIR
RPE and RIR are linked. Generally, a lower RIR corresponds with a higher RPE:
RPE 10 = 0 RIR (Max effort, no extra reps possible)
RPE 9 = 1 RIR (1 more rep possible)
RPE 8 = 2 RIR (2 more reps possible)
RPE 7 = 3 RIR (3 more reps possible)
By tuning into RPE and RIR, you can better manage intensity and recovery, leading to more consistent progress.
Research suggests that we generally underestimate RIR by at least 1 rep—meaning we potentially miss the opportunity for added progress. So it’s a good idea to check in with your perception of RIR every now and then to make sure you truly know what each section feels like.
Rest
Your program will guide you with rest periods but take as long as you need. Science has shown us for building strength the amount of rest you take isn’t as important as it was once thought but if you are lifting heavy make sure you get enough.
As a general rule the less reps and the heavier the weight the more rest we need to take between sets.
Here is a rough guide:
- For sets of 1-5 reps, rest 2-5 minutes
- For sets of 6-12 reps, rest 2 minutes
- For sets of 12+ reps, rest 1 minute
Tracking your progress
Tracking and monitoring your lifts is key to make sure you are making progress
Within the app
Use the program in the app to note not only the numbers but also how they feel and any technical advice a coach has given you or set up details so you can refer back to it next time.
Track your progress from the program by selecting ‘view whiteboard’ then follow the link to enter your scores.
You can also view/add/edit your entries (once saved) via the Training History option in the ‘More’ section of the app.
Video your lifts
We would strongly advise filming your lifts as well, progress can come in many forms and it can be very useful to look back at movement quality.
Deload program
A deload is a scheduled reduction in training, typically lasting a week to reduce stress on your body and central nervous system (CNS). It’s not a week off, you generally still train, but with a deliberate reduction in intensity and/or volume.
Deloading is essential to support Longevity in your training and lower the risk of injury. It helps increase muscle growth by promoting recovery.
There are many ways to take a deload, there will be a program in your training calendar and there are several example sessions within the member hub for you to explore. Alternatively this is also a great time to explore new things, do more cardiovascular training or its completely ok to simply take a week off if you want to.
Glossary of terms
Some terms and acronyms you might see used in your program:
- s: second
- M minute
- ES Each Side
- SA Single Arm
- SL Single Leg
- DB Dumbbell
- BB Barbell
- RPE Rate of Perceived Effort (1-10, 1 being easy 10 being failure)
- EMOM 9′ Every Minute on the Minute for 9 minutes
- E3MOM 9′ Every 3 minutes on the minute for 9 minutes
- AMQRAP As Many Quality Reps as Possible