Summer Strength Focus

Luke Espe • June 3, 2022
A man is lifting a barbell over his head in a gym.

Summer Strength Focus

We're going to keep the momentum going and run through another eight-week strength cycle.  This time we'll change things up and shift focus from horizontal to vertical push/pulling and then from squatting to hinging.  We're also going to add an additional longer style WOD each week to make sure conditioning and skills continue to improve with strength.  As always, each week will still include a wide variety of complimentary exercises, metcons, and intensity levels to produce a well-rounded fitness program for 12 Labours members.

Summer Cycle 1 Strength Focuses (June-July 2022):

Vertical push/pull (strict press + strict pullup)

4 weeks of high-rep paused strict press and tempo strict pullup + 4 weeks of heavy/weighted strict press/pullup progressions.  Each session will focus on technique and full range of motion.  Pushing and pulling will be done in supersets.

Hinging (Deadlift)

4 weeks of high-rep paused romanian deadlift + 4 weeks of heavy deadlift progression.  Each session will focus on technique and full range of motion.

What are the main goals of this cycle?

  • Swole is the goal, size is the prize!

  • Increase endurance and move well.

Here’s what a typical week will look like through July:

Day 1 – Strength 1 + WOD

Day 2 – Strength 2 + WOD

Day 3 – Long CF intervals

Day 4 – Long CF and/or flow option

Day 5 – Lift or Skill + Classic CF WOD

Day 6 – Partner WOD

Day 7 – Rest


MORE RECENT POSTS

September 18, 2025
With every event we get stronger — physically and mentally. Our experiences and lessons learned shape all facets of our team, training, and coaching. This weekend’s regional event did not disappoint. As a coach, I learned how to be a better advocate for our athletes. As a team, we learned that big meets (500 lifters!) bring a whole new level of energy and challenges we hadn’t quite experienced before. The team also showed up on the platform and put PRs and strong totals on the board. Mallory faced a potentially derailing miss on her bench, but she fought back and nailed her third (a fourth attempt), finally hitting the long-chased platform PR — 67.5kg, a 5kg PR! Squat: 105kg / 232lb Bench: 67.5kg / 149lb Deadlift: 125kg / 276lb Total: 297.5kg Alanna started her day with a PR squat opener and never looked back, capping it off with a monstrous 140kg deadlift — a 7.5kg PR! Squat: 110kg / 243lb Bench: 70kg / 154lb Deadlift: 140kg / 309lb Total: 320kg — Qualifying her for 2026 Nationals and taking 1st in her division. Lulu had a fantastic day on her comeback, building back to pre-op numbers and pulling an impressive 370kg total. Squat: 132.5kg / 292lb Bench: 67.5kg / 149lb Deadlift: 170kg / 375lb Total: 370kg — Qualifying her for 2026 Nationals and earning 1st in her division. Way to go team! Now it’s time for some well-earned rest before Women of Power in November and everything 2026 has in store for us.
By Chelsea Espe September 10, 2025
Congrats to Rishey Macker for receiving August Athlete of the Month! Rishey started at 12 Labours in 2023 after turning 40 and deciding to live a healthier life. Close friends inspired Rishey to try something new. Even after being extremely sore and wanting to quit he stuck with it and began to see results and improve as the months passed. Rishey attends the 6:30pm class and enjoys burpees and shuttle runs. He recently was able to complete a workout with 2 miles of running and his main goal is to be healthy and pain free. In his free time he is a Chief Electrical Engineer, enjoys hiking, sports and spending time with his family and friends "Give it a shot and stick with it, it doesn't matter what your fitness level is. I always thought you already had to be in great shape to even start CrossFit, but that is not the case." Congrats Rishey!
By Chelsea Espe September 5, 2025
Join us for a special seminar with Tierra Duncan — CF-L3, long-time 12 Labours CrossFit coach, and upcoming author of The Birth Control Illusion: Reclaiming Hormones, Health, and Your Cycle (early 2026). In this 60-minute talk, Tierra will break down how hormones, training stress, and fueling directly impact women’s performance and recovery. You’ll learn: Why your menstrual cycle is a vital performance signal How stress and recovery shape strength and longevity The fueling strategies and key nutrients every female athlete needs What to know about birth control and its impact on training This seminar will help you connect the dots between your hormones and your training so you can make informed choices that support both performance and long-term health. Info: Date: October 25, 2025 Location: 12 Labours CrossFit Columbia Time: 10:30-11:30 Price: $25 / members $35 / non-members To sign up email chelsea@the12labours.com
More Posts

you can ACHIEVE your goals with us

CrossFit is meant for all levels of fitness, and our universally scalable model is built for you.