13 Week Strength Cycle

Nothing Fancy Fitness

Strength & Conditioning
Coach
Corey Russell

This program is a straightforward, no-frills approach to building strength over 13 weeks (one deload week). It includes four workouts per week, focusing on the fundamentals of squatting, pressing, and accessory work. Designed for efficiency, each session gets you in and out of the gym in an hour or less while delivering consistent progress.

Weekly Schedule:

2 Squat Days: Focus on building lower body strength with progressive overload. 2 Press Days: Develop upper body pushing strength through consistent progression. Short strength/power oriented conditioning efforts

Accessory/Conditioning Work:

Targeted exercises to support primary lifts, address imbalances, and improve overall conditioning. Linear progression ensures continuous improvement throughout the cycle.

Key Features:

Simple, effective programming. Balanced workload across major muscle groups. Prioritizes strength while maintaining a manageable time commitment.

Bottom Line:

This program is perfect for anyone looking to build strength efficiently without unnecessary complexity. Stick to the plan, trust the process, and see measurable gains in strength and conditioning over the 13 weeks.

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Simple but effective
Are you tired of programs filled with flashy, gimmicky exercises that look fun but don’t actually deliver results? This program keeps it simple with proven, effective movements that are easy to follow and don’t require years of practice to master—or any outlandish equipment.
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Efficient
You will be in and out of the gym in 1 hour or less. Life gets busy but your workouts don't need to be any less effective. Being a gym rat is cool, but life has a lot to offer so enjoy it!
Features
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Programming 4 days per week
4 days per week of intense (but time efficient) strength and conditioning training. You will need the rest days to perform active recovery/rest!
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Exercise Video Guidance
Instructional videos to guide your practice and make execution easy!
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Delivered through TrainHeroic
Sweating over a lifeless PDF sucks. Your coaches and team will push you harder, know you better, and keep you going longer, all through an app.
Equipment
Required
Barbell // Dumbbells // Kettlebells // Sled // Pull-up bar // Box // GHD Machine // Slam Balls // Bands // Bike // Rower // Sandbag
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Sample Week
Week 1 of 13-week program
Sunday
Week 1 Day 1

A

Back Squat

4 x 10

B

Power Clean

5 x 3

C1

GHD Hip Extension

3 x 12

C2

High Plank Drag

3 x 20

Monday
Week 1 Day 2

A

Bench Press

4 x 10

B1

Weighted Strict Pullup

4 x 8

B2

Dip

4 x 8

C

GHD Sit-Up

3 x 15

Tuesday
Week 1 Day 3
Wednesday
Week 1 Day 4

A

Back Squat

4 x 10

B

Romanian Deadlift

5 x 5

C

Prone Banded Hamstring Curl

1 x 75

D

Side Plank on Elbows

3 x 0:30

Thursday
Week 1 Day 5

A

Barbell Bench Press

4 x 10

Circuit

B

3 rounds for time: 300 m shuttle (100m lengths) 10 burpees as fast as possible rest 1 min between rounds

Coach
coach-avatar Corey Russell

With over 15 years of coaching experience, Corey brings a wealth of knowledge, from coaching special operations soldiers to collegiate athletes to moms and dads. Before his 7-year stint as a Special Forces Medic (Green Beret), Corey was a CrossFit coach for 8 years, where he enjoyed leading group classes, 1-on-1 training, and he may or may not have competed on a team at the Crossfit Games.

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No Fluff Just Gains

Uncomplicated training that works!

Get 13 Week Strength Cycle
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FAQs
Who is this for?
Anyone who wants to add serious strength without spending all day in the gym. Easy to follow programming that is effective and not confusing.
How long do the training sessions take?
One hour or less.
Have you done this program as the coach?
Yes! I added 50lbs to my back squat, 35lbs to my bench, and 30lbs to my deadlift. After years as a Crossfit athlete, this was a much needed boost for my overall strength.
13 Week Strength Cycle