Earn The Right (ETR) You're not ready for CHT. Not yet. That's not a knock — it's just true, and pretending otherwise is how athletes get hurt and humbled.
ETR is the on-ramp. Four waves of structured strength and conditioning on an 8-day cycle, built to forge the engine, the positions, and the discipline the hard stuff demands.
Heading to CHT? This is your qualifier. Just want a leaner, stronger, more capable body inside a real architecture instead of random workouts? ETR does that too.
No guesswork. No filler. Every wave has a job — and so do you.
What's yours before you pay a cent: → Free guide — see exactly how the system works → Free onboarding + nutrition guides the moment you sign up → The official Struggle Standard Test rulebook & protocol included with purchase
Most programs sell you a month of motivation. ETR builds the athlete the next 12 months will demand.
Keep scrolling — the benefits, the Q&A, and the weekly breakdown are all below. Then see what you're training toward at thestrugglestandard.com.
Suffer Forward.
A
Warm Up Routine
1 x 15:00
B
Broad Jump
3 x 3
C
Front Squat
5 x 5
D
Bulgarian Split Squat
4 x 5
E1
Reverse Lunges
2 x 15
E2
Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
2 x 12
F
GHD Hip Extension
3 x 10
G
Lying Leg Curl
3 x 10
H1
Hanging Knee Raise
4 x 12
H2
Reverse Hyperextension
4 x 30
I1
Lying Leg Curl
1 x 100
I2
Leg Extension
1 x 100
I3
Farmers carry
1 x 250
Conditioning
J
Neck Protocol DAY 1
. Optional — 5 minutes or less. 0:00–2:00 Supine Chin Tuck Isometric Lie on back, knees bent. Gently pull chin straight back. Hold 10 seconds. 5 × 10-second holds, 5 seconds rest between. Effort: 60–70%. 2:00–3:30 Quadruped Neutral Cervical Hold Hands under shoulders, knees under hips, spine neutral. Chin tucked, eyes straight down. Hold head in perfect alignment. 3 × 20 seconds. 3:30–5:00 4-Way Manual Resistance Isometrics 10 seconds each: Front → Back → Right → Left. Use own hand as resistance at 60–70% effort.
A
Warm Up Routine
1 x 15:00
B
Clapping Push-Up
3 x 3
C
Bench Press
9 x 3
D
Kneeling Landmine Press
4 x 5
E1
Kroc Row
2 x 15
E2
Push Ups
2 x 15
F1
Lat Pulldown
3 x 8
F2
Bent Over Row
G1
DB Lateral Raise
3 x 10
G2
Hammer Curl
3 x 10
Circuit
H
Finisher Running Clock: (70:00-80:00) Use a light band for these movements, heavy on the pallof press Complete four rounds as a circuit, no rest between rounds. The finisher is the willingness to suffer tax, the part you came to avoid and stay for anyway. Pick an honest pace, do not blow up in the first round, and finish every rep prescribed. This is where the Standard is earned. Band Strict Press x 15 Wide Grip Band Pull Apart x 25 Band Pushdown x 25 Pallof Press (tall kneeling) x 12 ea side with 3s hold
I
Boxing
3 x 2:00
A
Warm Up Routine
B
High Pogo
3 x 3
C
Hang Power Snatch
5 x 3
Circuit
D
Running Clock: 35:00-55:00 THE ANVIL Row 25 Cal Dumbbell Bench Press 12 reps @ 35% 1RM (moderate) Echo Bike 12 cal (moderate) Pullup (Strict) 10 reps Time: ~14 min Round one is the dial-setter. Pace it as if you have to do it four more times — because you do. If round five is 30+ seconds slower than round one, the early rounds were spent wrong, not the late rounds too hard. Per-round consistency beats round-one speed
E
Close Grip Pull Up
3 x 10
F
Stationary Bike
1 x 25:00
Conditioning
G
Neck Protocol Day 2
Optional — 5 minutes or less. 0:00–2:00 Neck Flexion — Band or Plate Lie on bench, head off edge. Lower slowly back (2 sec), lift forward (2 sec). 2 × 15–20 reps. Chin slightly tucked throughout. 2:00–4:00 Neck Extension — Band or Plate Face down on bench, head off edge. Lower slowly (2 sec), lift to neutral only (2 sec). 2 × 15–20 reps. No hyperextension. 4:00–5:00 Band Pull-Apart — Posture Reset 25 controlled reps. Pause 1 second at contraction. Focus: mid-traps, not upper traps.
A
Warm Up Routine
1 x 15:00
B
Resisted Sprint
4 x 15
C
Sprint
3 x 20
D
Box Jump
3 x 3
E
Assault Bike
1 x 28:00
Circuit
F
Running Clock 65:00-80:00 LOADED CARRY TRI-SET 3 ROUNDS: CARRY → SLED → CORE 1. Front-Rack Carry: 2×40 ft, athlete-set heavy load, fast turnarounds. Elbows high, ribs down — don't lean back to hold the rack; brace and walk smooth, fast turnarounds. 2. Sled Walk: 3×60-yd pieces · 1:1 work:rest · ~50% BW Stand tall, brace, and move with control — posture is the lift. 3. Weighted Plank: 3×30–45s (↓ bodyweight / ↑ add load) Ribs down, glutes and quads locked into one rigid line — brace the plank the same way you braced the carry; add load only when the line holds. 3 rounds · carry heavy and smooth · sled at a sustainable effort · brace the core hard under accumulated fatigue.
Circuit
G
Running Clock: 80:00-90:00 Gymnastic tri-set — 3 rounds, move 1→2→3, rest as needed between stations. Quality-capped: stop each set 1–2 reps short and never for time; pick the scale that lets you hold clean form. TRACK 1 · VERTICAL PULL Climb to your level → L1 Ring Row / Banded Strict Pull-Up · L2 Strict Pull-Up · L3 Kipping Pull-Up / Chest-to-Bar · L4 C2B capacity / banded Bar-MU transition Vertical pull — Strict Pull-Up 3×5–6 (↓ band-assist / ↑ add light load) Dead hang to chin over the bar — lead with the chest, drive the elbows to the floor, no kip. TRACK 2 · INVERSION / VERTICAL PUSH Climb to your level → L1 Box Pike Push-Up / Wall Walk · L2 Wall Handstand Hold · L3 Box or Wall HSPU (abmat) · L4 kipping Wall HSPU capacity 2. Inversion — Wall Walk (chest-to-wall) 3×2–3 (↓ hands stop higher / ↑ walk closer to the wall) Walk the feet up and the hands in toward the wall to a near-vertical stack — slow, braced, ribs down. TRACK 3 · MIDLINE Climb to your level → L1 Hollow Hold / Active Hang · L2 Tuck L-Sit / Hanging Knee Raise · L3 Tuck Front Lever / Toes-to-Bar · L4 Advanced-Tuck → Straddle Front Lever / unbroken T2B. 3. Midline — Hollow Hold 3×20–30s (↓ raise the limbs / ↑ lower them toward the floor) Low back glued to the floor, ribs down, arms and legs locked into one rigid line. 3 rounds · 1–2 reps in reserve every station · skill quality over rep count. FINISHER WORKING GHD Sit-Up (full) 3 x 15 Control the lower half and don't fling — full ROM, brace against the load the whole way.
A
Warm Up Routine
1 x 15:00
Circuit
B
Running Clock: 15:00-20:00 Power Primer Light lower plyo - pogo 2x10 OR low-box jump 3x3 (athlete choice).
C
Speed Back Squat
9 x 3
D
Deadlift Speed Pull
8 x 1
E1
Front Squat
3 x 15
E2
Glute-Ham Raise
3 x 15
E3
Reverse Hyperextension
3 x 10
F1
Copenhagen Plank
4 x 5
F2
Calf Raise
4 x 12
Circuit
G
Running Clock 70:00-80:00 FINISHER Band GM 1×200, max band (light band where you can do all 200 reps straight through but the last 50 reps start to burn. Soft knees, hinge back against the band — feel the hamstrings; the band peaks at the top, snap the hips through. Immediately into Weighted Hollow Rocks 4×20, Plate at chest No swing — curl the pelvis up and control the lower half; if you're swinging, it's only hip flexors. Rest :45
H
Offset Carry
2 x 80
Conditioning
I
Neck Protocol Day 3
DAY 3: LATERAL + ROTATIONAL STRENGTH 0:00–2:00: Lateral Flexion (Right + Left) Setup: - Lie sideways on bench OR use band - Head off edge Execution: - Lower ear toward shoulder - Lift back to neutral Tempo: 2 sec down 2 sec up Prescription: 2 × 12–15 each side 2:00–4:00: Banded Cervical Rotation Setup: - Band anchored at eye level - Loop around back of head Execution: - Rotate head slowly against band - Return controlled Prescription: 15 reps per side Slow and smooth. 4:00–5:00: Chin Tuck Hold (Standing Against Wall) - Back, hips, and head against wall - Pull chin back - Hold 30–40 seconds
A
Warm Up Routine
1 x 15:00
B
Close Grip Bench Press
5 x 5
C
Push Press
4 x 5
D1
DB Z Press
3 x 8
D2
Chest-Supported DB Row
3 x 10
E1
Dips
4 x 8
E2
Seated Cable Row
4 x 10
E3
Cuban Press
4 x 12
Circuit
F
Running Clock: 75:00-90:00 FINISHER: 5 SETS — MINIMAL REST, BACK-TO-BACK. Seated OH Band Tricep Extension: 5×30, max band Seated kills the leg drive — ribs down, press straight up; if you arch back, lighten it. Lying Face-Up Banded Reverse Fly: 5×30, max band Drive the arms out and back in a wide arc and squeeze the rear delts — elbows soft, traps quiet, no jerking the band. Standing Heavy Band Crunch: 5×30, max band Anchor high, crunch ribs to hips against the band — control the return, never let the band yank you upright; hard contractions. 5×(30+30+30) Arm + shoulder band complex into a hard banded-core finish.
A
Warm Up Routine
B
Power Clean
5 x 3
Circuit
C
Running Clock: 30:00-100:00 70 minutes Zone 2 — aerobic base. RPE 3–4/10, ~60–70% max HR: conversational, nose-breathing the whole way. Goal: build the easy engine — keeping it genuinely easy is the discipline. Zone 2 is the easy aerobic gear — conversational the whole way, full sentences, never gasping (nose-breathing is a fair gauge). The work here is the discipline to keep it slow: this pace builds the engine — bigger stroke volume, denser mitochondria, more capillaries —adaptations that are slow to earn and the program won't let you skip. It's the aerobic base CHT later builds on; the easy miles now are what let the hard days land. Sub: Treadmill if you need a softer surface — keep it running. Bike / row / ski recovery now lives on D8. If you have to cut any zone 2 minutes today (this day runs long try to fit it all in) then bump up D8's Z2 minutes.
Circuit
D
Running Clock: 100:00-115:00 ANAEROBIC BLOCK Anaerobic power — RPE 9/10, ~90%+ max HR on the efforts; the named rest is part of the stimulus, not a break. Goal: short, maximal glycolytic + alactic power. 3 Rounds ~12 MIN Echo Bike :80 hard Burpee :80 steady Rest :60 Each round is short, fast, and earned — the rest is part of the stimulus, not a recovery break. This is where ETR primes the glycolytic + alactic systems that CHT later ramps. Stay disciplined on the rest clock; the named break is the doctrine, not a suggestion. Hit it like one. Today's mental-edge piece. The dose is what you give. The failure is not in stopping when you've spent it — it's in stopping when you had one more honest round in you. The early rounds are the bank account; the late rounds are the withdrawal. Find your line honestly. Next cycle, the line moves.
Circuit
E
Running Clock: 115:00-120:00 Zercher Carry (BB) 3 sets × 50 ft · heavy (athlete-determined, ≈75% BW) Heavy and short — brace like a max squat, walk tight and controlled, reset between trips. The load is the point; distance stays short. Heavy-short loaded carry — high axial load over a short distance builds the trunk and grip that hold posture under the bar. Short trips, full brace, honest rest. Rest :60 Immediately into
F
Plate Pinch Grip Hold
Alexander Burgoyne
“Coach with a B.S. in Kinesiology (Exercise Science) and 18 years of experience as an athlete. I’ve trained, competed, and learned through trial, error, and consistency. My coaching is built on discipline, intelligent programming, and preparing athletes for long-term progress—not shortcuts.”
This program isn’t about shortcuts or hype. It’s about doing the work that prepares you for more demanding training. Show up, execute with discipline, recover properly—and earn the right to move forward.
Get "Earn the Right" -Conjugate Hybrid Primer