I hope you don’t mind hard work because this program has it in spades. In this middle portion of the 15 Week Lift Heavy Run Fast Program we will focus on building our base of strength even higher, while simultaneously increasing our running speed. I’ve changed the movements and rep schemes to make sure that you continue to progress in preparation for part three of the program, where you should be setting new personal records. Keep reading for all the details.
Congratulations on making it this far. Part one of the 15 Week Lift Heavy Run Fast Program was no joke! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I highly recommend that you check out part one, linked above, before starting on this portion of the program.
In part two I’ve made some changes to the movements and the running workouts. Generally speaking after 4-6 weeks of the same type of training your body will lose the ability to adapt, and you’ll reach a plateau. We are trying to side step that process, which means new exercises are needed, and more strength work!
Before we get into the details of this portion of the program, let’s review who this program might benefit.
Who Is This Program For?
- Tactical athletes who need muscle mass, strength, and running ability
- Functional Fitness Athletes who have a deficit in conditioning
- Athletes that need to drop some body fat without ruining their fitness
- Off season team sports athletes: Soccer, Football, Rugby, Hockey, Lacrosse, etc
Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list of who will find this program valuable. These are some athletes that I think could really benefit from it. Having tested this program personally, I can attest that there are a few things that you should keep in mind before trying it out yourself.
General Advice For Athletes
First, as a programmer, and coach, I don’t care how you execute this program as long as you use common sense and work hard. This program is written as 6 days of work with one full rest day a week. I have definitely added in an extra rest day here and there to allow better recovery, or to fit my schedule better. You should do the same.
Similarly, I don’t care if you want to do all the work in one session, or if you want to split the session up. I tend to like to do it in one session for the gym only days, and I split the sessions on a lift and run day. Again, do what works for you. Try to make sure you are getting at least 4-5 sessions in a week, and you’ll see progress.
Now that we have the preliminaries out of the way, let’s get into the details of the 15 Week Lift Heavy Run Fast Program for Functional Fitness (Part 2).
The 15 Week Lift Heavy Run Fast Program for Functional Fitness (Part 2)
This portion of the program starts off with week 6. You can see that you’ll be following a similar schedule but I have thrown in some optional work for those that want to do it. If you are interested in these extra’s they are probably best done as a second session for the day. Here is week 6.
The 15 Week Lift Heavy Run Fast Program for Functional Fitness Week 6
Astute observers will notice that the movement patterns for the lifts are the same but the exercises themselves are different. An example of this would be instead of back squatting on Monday, you are now front squatting. This kind of small change will keep you from stagnating as the program goes forward.
There are also three running sessions each week. I have not increased the number of running days as research has shown that you can achieve great running adaptations with three hard workouts a week. By keeping the total number of running days low, and the volume reasonable, you are also less likely to interfere with your strength gains.
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The 15 Week Lift Heavy Run Fast Program for Functional Fitness Week 7
This week is very challenging as I’ve increased the volume of the strength work by a set in most cases. For many athletes, it might make sense to split the workout up, and have a dedicated strength session, separate from the conditioning. It’s your choice, but realize that this is a fair amount of volume.
The 15 Week Lift Heavy Run Fast Program for Functional Fitness Week 8
Last week we added volume to our strength work, and this week we start to add weight. By now, most of the percentage work is starting to creep closer to 90%, and each set will feel closer to a true max effort. Make sure you are focusing on form, and not practicing bad reps.
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The running workouts are also increasing in length, and intensity. Those 100m EMOM runs are brutal. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to fully recover after the 50m sprints. The goal for these runs is to really hammer your anaerobic system, not sprint max effort. Stick to the guidelines I’ve included in each block.
The 15 Week Lift Heavy Run Fast Program for Functional Fitness Week 9
This is by far the hardest week of part two. The weights are just about max effort on almost all sets, and the running work is very challenging as well. If you’ve been doing the optional work, you might consider skipping it this week if you are feeling very challenged by the programming. It’s not wimping out, as you don’t get bonus points for burying yourself in a recover hole you aren’t likely to get out of.
If you want to focus on building muscle mass then this is the program for you!
The 15 Week Lift Heavy Run Fast Program for Functional Fitness Week 10
Just like part one, the fifth week of the cycle is our deload week. This is truly where you gains are made. You need to make an effort to rest and recover. These sessions are still challenging, but they are much less volume than you have been doing in past weeks. This reduction in volume allows your body to repair and grow tissues to meet the challenges you have been putting it through. Don’t try and make this week harder because you feel like you aren’t doing enough!
So far we’ve spent a lot of time talking about all the work you’ll be doing in the gym, and on the track. Let’s shift gears and talk about how to make sure you are getting everything you can out of this program.
Recovery
Most athletes make this way too complicated! Drink water, sleep 7-8 hours a night, and eat an adequate amount of food that supports your goals. Things like supplements, therapies, and things you need to spend a lot of money on have little to no value in my experience.
If you are getting the basics right, and want to look into a few other methods that are supported by science, you can check out this article on recovery. Remember, things that you do for yourself are almost always more beneficial than things done to you.
If you regularly do well on the basics of recovery then you might look into a few reasonable supplements like creatine, or ashwagandha. It goes without saying that you should talk to your medical doctor before taking any supplements.
Nutrition
The best program in the world won’t do you a whole lot of good if you eat like a raccoon (garbage out of a dumpster). You don’t need to be super obsessive about it either. I recommend that you check out this nutrition guide for functional fitness athletes. It covers the basics of nutrition that I find many athletes lack.
Next, I recommend checking out this nutrition calculator. It will give you calories burned in a workout, dietary recommendations, as well as a few other tools that I use with my athletes. Keep in mind that it is a starting point, not a customized diet for your individualized needs.
Diets don’t need to be super complicated. Just like anything fitness related. Commonsense and dedication will get you much further than unnecessary complication! Remember, if you want the best dietary advice you should consult a dietician, not an internet weirdo!
Final Thoughts
This is only the middle portion of this 15 week program. You need to make sure that you are doing the basics right and staying healthy for the long term. Part three will be harder yet, and that is where you really need to focus, because you should be setting PR’s in a few short weeks!
If you have any questions put them in the comments below and I will get you an answer. Now get out there and start training!
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