Milo and the Bull Staff Portal
Module 4: Strength
“On Tuesday's and Thursday's! Programmed in 12 blocks we systematically increase your weights and lower your reps to enable you to see progress in your strength through each cycle. Expect 45 minutes of training featuring compound lifts and unilateral exercises. This class will leave you feeling stronger physically and mentally!”
Getting strong (really strong!) lies at the heart of our programming. In fact, Milo of Croton wanted to get so WHAM he carried a calf up and down a hill for years until the calf became a Bull; hence our namesake. Real strength takes time to build and hone; it takes technical understanding, patience and dedication. Our 12 week cycle is designed to build you, not break you whilst giving you to tools to get the absolute most out of your body and what it can do.
These classes really sit at the centre of everything we do, and allows you not only to demonstrate your fantastic coaching skills but also to connect with the Milo members as they navigate their own training journey. Strength classes run at a much slower pace compared to our rowing and circuit sessions, but the format will change every 4 weeks in line with the current phase of the 12 week cycle. Therefore, the layout and focus of Strength can change a great deal, so coaches should be proactive in studying the programme document and reading any communications from Head Trainers about upcoming changes. An example of of a Strength class during the Volume phase is attached below (1-4):
Strength classes have the same capacity across all of our studios, and are capped at 18 people - this way we can ensure everyone has an adequate amount of focussed coaching in each session. The warm-up section is 3 minutes long and should include specific drills that compliment the main lifts in the session. As this example is during the Volume phase you can see that there isn’t much/if any rest and there is a high rep target of 12. We are trying to build work capacity in these first 4 weeks, as well as developing bodily awareness with varied movement patterns and lots of practice - hence the high reps and longer duration of the accessory and hold exercises (upwards of 30-40s).
In this class members will be working in teams of 3; one as ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’. Teammate ‘A’ essentially dictates the pace of the session as the other two cannot move until ‘A’ has completed the timer exercise. The accessory and hold stations are continuous, meaning neither ‘B’ or ‘C’ can rest until ‘A’ is finished. The team of 3 will work continuously until the 9 minutes is up, and then move onto the next block of work.
Each block has a specifically chosen compound exercise (timer) and then two accessory movements. The class must be completed in this order. With 3 blocks of work, and 3 exercises in each block, the members should be divided into 6 groups of 3 (if the class is at capacity) and the room should be set up for two groups in each block. If there aren’t enough people in the class for 6 groups of 3 people, simply turn them into teams of 4 or 5 where the extra members complete the exercises synchronised with the person next to them. This is easier to understand when taking part in our classes (which we greatly encourage), but in practice it is very simple to manage.
Below is another example of a Strength class from the Build phase (weeks 5-8):
In this example members will work for 5 minutes on each exercise before moving. As it is an EMOM format all participants are guaranteed x5 working sets. The rest periods will be completely dependant on how quickly/slowly the exercises are completed. The rest periods will also give enough time for members to move stations every 5 minutes, so a 30 minute rolling timer would be appropriate. There will need to be a short rest before the 2 minutes of additional core work at the end. As nothing specific is written, this indicates that it is up to the trainer who is coaching to design the core segment.
As this example is taken from the Build phase, you will notice the rep range is now lower (8-10 reps) meaning members should be lifting heavier when compared the the weights lifted in Volume.
On the programme document, you will be able to access the exercise library that has links to demonstrations. There are many great and effective variations of exercises in the world, but we often use the most familiar. If you do see something programmed that you haven’t seen before, the Head Trainers will offer guidance on why it’s there and how to do it. New ideas are often tested out at Workout Wednesday, so for that reason it is really helpful to come along whenever possible.
Our Strength classes attract a wide range of people of mixed backgrounds, ages and abilities and they all want to leave feeling stronger, healthier, more knowledgable and happier. We encourage everyone to invest in their physical health and want to help them on that journey, and we pride ourselves on having coaches on the team that are active learners and adaptable. When looking at the programme for the day, think about the movement patterns included and how someone can best access them if they are unable to perform any of the key movements. If someone is unable to squat with a barbell on their back, how can you ensure they still squat somehow in the session and that it is suitably challenging? If someone is pregnant and shouldn’t lie down flat on their back, what adjustments need to be made? The positive interactions you have with the people who pass through our gyms could be just the breakthrough moment they needed to feel more confident in themselves and shift their perspective on what they’re capable of.