The Focused Strength Training program uses dynamic exercises and integrated movement patterns to increase body strength, resilience, and athletic performance. We use various multi-directional movements to challenge coordination and stability, build strength, endurance, and explosive power. By combining concentric, eccentric and isometric movements, we created a diverse, innovative and dynamic program that will challenge the athlete in all of us. The entire program has been designed to complement your chosen SYSTM training plan or be applied as a strength-only cross-training plan.
The Focused strength modules focus on 5 different areas:
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Upper Body Focus is designed to target upper body strength and shoulder mobility which is often overlooked in endurance athletes. The combination of strength and yoga sessions will focus on the shoulders, chest, arms, upper back, and core muscles to help you become a well-rounded athlete.
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Lower Body Focus is designed to boost your lower body mobility, strength, and poser. These short sessions will target your calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quads to help you produce higher cadences at a given resistance, as well as improve range of motion in your ankles, hips and low back.
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The Dynamic Focus plan is specifically designed to charge up your neuromuscular system, and improve coordination, lateral stability, and explosiveness to help you become a more efficient and resilient athlete. The sessions each include integrated full-body movements that require timing, coordination, and strength as well as yoga sessions that will help you improve mobility and flexibility.
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The Core Focus training plan is specifically designed to improve your core strength and pelvic stability, which are often neglected in endurance athletes. Workouts will concentrate on the three-dimensional segment from shoulder to hip. These workouts will target core muscles but will also include considerable demand for the smaller muscles of the upper body.
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Posterior Chain Focus is specifically designed to improve shoulder, back, glute, and hamstring strength as well as posture and mobility. This is an ideal way to activate your posterior chain and improve your posture, an area typically overlooked by endurance athletes.
Training Plans
Our Special Focus strength plans enable you to customize your personal strength training needs while following a periodized progression. Each six-week special focus plan is designed to target a specific body area or movement focus. These plans include Upper Body, Core, Lower Body, and Dynamic and Posterior Chain. Each plan combines focused strength workouts and relevant yoga sessions to help you improve mobility, stability and balance at a pace that will give you an optimal return on your time.
Special Focus plans are leveled 1-5 and designed as stand-alone plans, independent of any other training plan. However, should you want to combine a special focus plan with another to match your specific needs, you certainly can. For instance, during your off-season, you want to beef up your upper body strength but you are kind of like a T-Rex because all you ever do are legs, you can load up upper body level 1 and combine that with lower body level 3 to account for your lower body dominance and still get the correct stimulus in each area.
You can also apply a special focus plan to an existing strength add-on. For example, you have applied the off-season all-purpose road plan with the strength add-on but need some extra core work, you can add Special Focus Core to the mix.
If you choose to apply concurrent plans we suggest that you do so during the off-season or at a time when your endurance training volume is low.
Special Focus stand-alone plans follow a 2:1 progression and have three sessions per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You can adjust your start day in order to stagger your sessions. Below is a general guide to the specific targets of each plan and at what level you might want to begin if you are new to SYSTM strength.
How To Choose A Level?
- Level 1 is the place to start if you are new to strength training (especially in a new body area) or if you are coming back after an extended lay-off of over six months.
- Level 2 is ideal if you have recently completed Level 1 or are returning from a three to six-month lay-off.
- Level 3 is for the athlete who recently completed Level 2 or coming back from a one to three-month lay-off. This is also the level for those transitioning from the gym to body weight workouts.
- Choose Level 4 if you have completed Level 3 or are returning from a lay-off up to a month.
- We recommend that you only select Level 5 if you have recently completed Special Focus Level 4. As with any of the SYSTM strength plans, take your time with each session and follow the proper progression to minimize risk and maximize gains.