Summer Cycle 2 Preview

Slater Coe • August 13, 2026

Our next cycle kicks off this Monday, August 10th, and we're going to keep building raw strength, aerobic engine, and mental toughness.

 

Our workouts will ask a lot from you... heavy volume, strict pacing, and the mental grit to push past your comfort zone when the fatigue sets in. But that’s exactly why you walk through our doors every day, right? Whether you’re gearing up for a future competition / race or locking in your percentages on the Back Squat, remember why we show up, hold each other accountable, and put in the work.

 

Cycle Breakdown

Here’s what’s coming to class and what we’re testing at the end of this cycle:

1. Strength Focus: Back Squat

• The Goal: Raw strength, volume endurance, and recoverability.

• The Strategy: This cycle features a modified, condensed version of the legendary Smolov Jr. squat program... famous for its demanding volume and aggressive percentages. We’ve stretched the traditional four-day-a-week protocol across two weeks to keep it sustainable while still delivering big gains.

 

The Back Squat test we have planned for the cycle will challenge your overall strength as well as your ability to recover between sets. There's also a strategic element that rewards those who know themselves well and can pace appropriately.

 

2. Monostructural Engine: Run / Row Test
• The Goal: Aerobic capacity, pacing, and strategic output.

• The Strategy: Every Tuesday will be a dedicated aerobic capacity day to build your engine and balance out the high squat volume.

 

Using Tuesdays as a dedicated engine/aerobic day also helps offset some of the squat volume elsewhere in the cycle. Each Tuesday will alternate between a straight Run/Row day and multi-modality engine sessions featuring the Echo Bike, sandbags, and box jumps.

 

3. Olympic Lifting: Snatch Battery & Explosiveness
• The Goal: Technique, speed, and barbell cycling capacity.

• The Strategy: We are focusing exclusively on the Snatch this cycle. Progressions will alternate every week between precision EMOM work and high-intensity partner snatch battery/cycling sets.

 

• The Test: 3-Position Power Snatch and 3-Position Full Snatch.

4. Hero / Benchmark Test: "Kalsu"

• The Goal: Unmatched mental fortitude and pacing under heavy fatigue.

• The Test: We’re capping off test week with one of the most physically demanding Hero WODs in the CrossFit archives: Kalsu (Thrusters + Burpees).

 

The goal here is to test your pacing and your mental toughness when the legs get heavy.

 

Show up, stick to the percentages, and let's get to work.

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By Slater Coe August 13, 2026
There are very few exercises that challenge your body the way simply carrying something heavy does. You've seen more Farmers Carries and Sandbag Carries in our programming as of late, and we like them because they require your entire body to work together. Your grip has to hold on. Your core has to resist twisting. Your hips and legs have to stabilize every step. Even your posture improves as you fight to stay tall under load. Unlike sitting on a machine, carrying weight asks your body to solve a real-world problem... 'cuz And guess what? Groceries aren't perfectly balanced. Neither are suitcases, mulch bags, coolers, or helping your kid who's fallen asleep on the couch. As we age, maintaining the ability to carry heavy things is one of the simplest ways to preserve independence. You're training balance, coordination, grip strength, posture, and work capacity... all while walking.
By Slater Coe July 23, 2026
The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.
By Slater Coe July 23, 2026
The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.
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