Enduring will take us to the New Year. Can you maintain the course?
Enduring is our next program that will finish out 2025. It is aptly named because yes…it is 18 weeks long. However, it is broken into multiple phases that culminates into two final weeks of brutal conditioning to bring in the New Year.
Can you maintain the course that long?
From one of my favorite poems:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
-Rudyard Kipling
-From his Poem, “If”
That final stanza sums up the theme of this training. Are you going to finish 2025 with excuses or with results?
Big Picture
Note: On every 4th week this phase we do a “bro-split” deload. This is an effort to keep everybody moving well throughout these next 18 weeks and still get a novel training stimulus for each 3 week total-body training block. I have used this in the past (concept borrowed from Coach Christian Thibaudeau), and yes there is a bit of acclimating when you return to the total body training week, but it gives your joints and mind a break.
These deload weeks are set up like a traditional bodybuilding split…even machines can be fair game for some movements. If you’re someone who trains at home I provide other options that are mainly band focused.
The main idea is you’ll go for the pump, slow down your rep speed, and give yourself some much needed rest. When you return to the main blocks you’ll feel refreshed and ready to keep going- 18 Weeks is a long time…doing the same thing is not only mentally draining but also sub-optimal. This is why we also change up or assistance movements during the training blocks.
Phase 1- Weeks 1 Sample
Day 1- Total Body Strength/Power
We start the week off with a total body session that combines an upper body and lower body compound lift with a unilateral or antagonist movement. This will keep you lifting with speed/power while also priming you to maintain quality movement.
Day 2
Will focus on recovery with 30-45 Minutes of Zone 2 work.
Day 3
We will focus on total body complexes and/or loaded aerobic capacity for timed ladder sets. Think high end aerobic work combined with load. I provided 5 options to pick from each week. Here is one we programmed well over a year ago and got great feedback on it:
Week 1: 2 sets of 8 Minutes, 5 Minutes active recovery between sets
Here is another:
Week 1: 2 sets of 8 Minutes, 5 Minutes active recovery between sets
A1) Step ups (For each leg)- 3 Reps (each leg), 5 Reps, 7 Reps
A2) Push Up 1, 2, 3
A3) Kettlebell Swing- 1, 2, 3
A4) Inverted Row or Pull Up- 1, 2, 3
You’ll keep your heart rate around 150 bpm with the intent to keep moving throughout the entire 8 minute set. As an example for the first round you would do 3 powerful step ups, 1 push up, 1 KB Swing, 1 Pull up. Then next round- 5 step ups, 2 push ups, 2 swings, 2 pull ups and so on.
In week 1 you will 2 sets of 8 minutes, with 5 minutes of active recovery between rounds. You’ll then finish the session with 20 minutes of Zone 2 work.
Day 4: Off or Recovery Work
Day 5: Total Body Unilateral Focus
Higher reps while focusing on single limb movements.
Day 6: Long Aerobic
Rower, incline walk on treadmill, ski erg, biking, swimming, rucking, hiking, weight vest walks, sled pushing/pulling, carries- just keep moving and don't get too heavy if you decide to work in loaded implements.
Week 1: 45-60 Minutes, Heart Rate 115-150 bpm
Week 5: Body Building Deload week.
As stated earlier, change it up this week and go for the pump.
Closing
This was just the first 5 Weeks of Phase 1. Phase 1 in it’s entirety is 8 weeks, following by Phase II (10 weeks). Next article will be a big picture breakdown of Phase II, and how it brings you to 2026. That is how far we plan. Why aren’t you doing the same with your training?
