Scott and Jade sat down for our latest vlog to talk through the last couple of months in the gym. We'd just wrapped a strength cycle, worked through a big block of skill work, and navigated the usual mix of life that our members bring through the door. Here's the rundown.
We just finished a strength cycle
The cycle centred on back squats and the clean and jerk, and how we program them says a lot about how we coach.
We don't run the same squat session every Monday. Everyone's body adapts differently, so we build in variety. Pause squats to fix positions and teach you to drive out of the bottom. High reps at low weight to prime the legs and work into depth. Low reps at heavy weight to build real strength. One session we did four sets of ten at 50% to fatigue the legs, then backed it up with heavy triples at 75%.
The clean and jerk cycle was deliberately different. Instead of adding weight every week, we stripped members right back and worked on positions. Drilling from the upper power position, complexes that flow through every position, tall cleans to teach you to get under the bar fast, and heavy front squats, because you can't catch a big clean if you can't front squat it. For the jerk, a leg-bounce drill that fixes lazy timing and teaches you to drop under the bar instead of pressing it out with your arms.
Positions first. The weight follows.
Why we program "odd" movements
Every so often something strange lands on the whiteboard. Recently it was 60-inch box get-overs.
We do this on purpose. A lot of our training exists to support your life outside the gym, not just to lift heavy things in here. And there's usually a hidden lesson. A 60-inch box get-over is essentially a bar muscle-up on a box: you jump, press down through your lats, catch on your stomach, and push up and over. Most members didn't realise they were drilling the exact mechanics of a movement they're chasing.
Seasons, not balance
If you've heard us talk, you'll know we go on about seasons. We don't believe in balance, not the neat version we're all sold. We believe life moves through seasons instead. Busy ones, quiet ones, seasons where you fly forward and seasons where you feel stuck.
Between us we run two businesses, homeschool, train, and get our daughter to her cheer training. If we waited for "balance" before looking after ourselves, we'd be waiting forever. Our members live this too, and it changes how we coach. We meet you in the season you're in rather than expecting the same person every day.
Pregnancy, postpartum and injury
Two of those seasons came up a lot this block.
Several of our women are training through pregnancy right now. You can keep working out while pregnant, as long as you feel okay and your doctor or midwife has given the all clear, and we adapt as you grow. On the other side, postpartum deserves the same care. Skipping, jumping and heavy lifting aren't always your friend early on, and pelvic floor control is a common thing to manage. If that's you, have a chat with your coach and we'll work around it.
Injuries work the same way. Scott's been managing a knee niggle from outside the gym, so for four weeks we've adapted his training: no impact, no squats, strict movements and position work instead. That's what we do for anyone carrying an injury. We strip it back and keep you moving, and all that position work in the middle gets you out the other side stronger. There could be 20 people in a class and we'll still change it just for you.
Always check with your doctor or midwife around pregnancy, and get significant injuries assessed by a health professional. We work alongside their advice, not instead of it.
Scaling, explained
We use the word scaling constantly. It means adjusting a movement so it still hits the point of the workout, at a level that's right for you today.
Jade models this with her bar muscle-ups, which she compares to a dodgy ex: they showed up, ghosted her, came back, ghosted again, and now they're rebuilding trust. So if a workout calls for six and she can string two comfortably, she does two, keeping the stimulus without failing rep after rep. You can scale the reps, the weight, or the position. It isn't giving up, it's training smart.
Coaches on the same page
Last one, and it's a point of pride. We run a coaches chat and development program so every coach gives the same cues. The members at 5am get the same coaching as the members at 6pm, with no mixed messages and no going in circles.
This quarter that meant a few changes you might have noticed. We've taken the bands off pull-ups for members who are strong enough to scale reps instead, and we'd rather you do full-range handstand push-ups with fewer reps than pile up mats for half reps. Little shared cues too, like keeping the bar close and "choke yourself" on a muscle clean, or jumping into gymnastics like an "angry cat."
Come and be part of it
That's the last couple of months in a nutshell. Smart programming, real skill work, and a team that adapts to whoever walks in, whatever season they're in.
If you want to see how it all comes together, come and train with us. We'll see you on the floor. 💙