Hello, all my strong friends!

I want to start by welcoming anyone new reading my program breakdown for the first time, and secondly thanking any regulars for reading again and having some (even if it's only a little) interest in my ideas and the training plan we have made for you.

Welcome to The Garage Chicago, where strength, community, and purpose collide. This isn’t just a gym; it’s a place where athletes at every level come to elevate their training, push their limits, and discover what they’re capable of. From expert-led group strength sessions to personalized coaching tailored to your goals, we’re redefining what it means to train hard and recover smart.

Whether you’re here to crush your next HYROX race, find balance with infrared yoga at The Apartment, or simply connect with a like-minded crew, The Garage Chicago has everything you need to achieve greatness. Join us, and let’s build something extraordinary together. #TeamGarage

Hello, all my strong friends!

NOVEMBER is here! We’re on to a new Heavy cycle. The marathoners have marathoned. The weather is changing & IT'S BULKING SEASON BABY. We’ve got a lot of new movements to work on, ANOTHER event coming up, and as usual a few things to discuss and refine. Plus, we finally dropped our Official Garage Gear here—check it out.

best strength program to build muscle, improve at HYROX and stay healthy long-term. best gym in chicago

FACE-OFF GAMES CHICAGO 2024

It’s me, one-half of the 2024 CHI-ATHALON GAMES Mixed Doubles Champions. (One-half is generous. Maybe one-third is more accurate. Coach Leanna would have won with your local UPS driver. She is a beast.)

We are crushing it!! The sun's out, buns and guns are out, garage door open season is in full effect with some absolutely immaculate vibes through the gym.

CHI-ATHALON GAMES was a blast! It was a pleasure watching our athletes cruise through the stations, cheer each other on, and represent our community in the best possible way with all the positivity and support anyone could ask for.

I’m proud that our reputation as a gym extends past traditional programming and coaching and that we have the BEST community in Chicago. We are welcoming to everyone and just have some fucking cool people around. Every drop-in or occasional TGC visitor I speak to never fails to point out how nice everyone at our gym is. So good shit. Keep it up.

Ok, in this email, I will go over our next 8 weeks of training. I’ll talk about our movements, training advice, and some of my gripes!! At this point, you should be entering your 8th and final week of our current training cycle and absolutely smashing some 3RM lifts. We’ve had 8 weeks of strength and power work: Heavy lifts and explosive movements. And now - more of the same. Yes, more of the same.

This time around we will be working to eventually test our 1RM’s. Primary lifts for this cycle will be very similar to the last. We’ve found a great system that works! You guys are getting stronger and we’re going to stick to it forever.

Forever-ever? - Forever-ever.

Well kinda, we can optimize our training by making small adjustments based on the previous program's performance. This thought process simplifies programming. Generally, allowing more simple, consistent, and effective work. I implement different strategies here and there to overcome limitations and/or orient our focus to align with events or current goals. Finding an entirely new way to do things every 8 weeks might make it more exciting but certainly will mean our training will suffer. So with some small adjustments and refinements, here’s what to expect for the next 8 weeks:

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR CHI-ATHALON GAMES

It's that time again — to employ a different training regimen, work on new training techniques, and continue to build toward becoming the swolest, strongest, and best community gym in Chicago.