haf vol 15
What’s up Garage athletes!
Another Chicago winter in the books.
We watched the Winter Olympics (did anyone else’s knees snap-crackle-pop watching the moguls?), kicked off Garage Run Club season, announced our partnership with Wicker Park Spine & Stability, and celebrated another legendary St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago.
Now the weather’s doing its Chicago thing, 70 degrees one day, below freezing the next. A couple of outdoor runs have already snuck in, the garage doors are starting to open again, and the city’s waking the f*ck back up.
Which can only mean one thing at the Garage. New HAF Vol 15 loading.
HAF Vol 15 kicks off Monday, March 16, and runs through Saturday, May 9.
This cycle is a special one for us.
What started in a backyard garage has grown into what many now know as Chicago’s Home for Stronger Athletes. Built through consistency, hard work, and a community that keeps showing up to get better.
When we finish this block, we’ll be preparing to open our second location in Lincoln Park! So in many ways, this cycle marks the final HAF block before our next chapter begins.
Vol 15 was programmed by Coach Ria with collaboration from Coach Leanna, Coach Eric, and Coach Gina. As a team, we looked back at earlier HAF cycles and mapped out how this year of strength development should progress.
Each block builds on the last. The goal is simple: help athletes get stronger, more durable, and more confident under the bar without burning out.
For our athletes preparing for hybrid races, this strength work becomes the foundation that supports your running, sled work, and overall durability. And for those who live for SX or HYBRID classes, remember that strength training raises the ceiling for everything else you do. Stronger legs drive faster runs, stronger hips power sleds, and stronger athletes move more efficiently and recover better between efforts. Strength and endurance aren’t competing qualities here: they work together to build more capable, resilient athletes.
THE GARAGE TRAINING SYSTEM
If you’re new to The Garage, welcome. Our training is built around a simple system.
At The Garage, we train performance:
HAF → builds maximal strength
Z2 → builds aerobic capacity
HYBRID → builds work capacity
SX → develops power
At The Apartment, we train longevity:
hot → improves mobility
deepen → builds control
flow → develops durability
form → builds core stability
vibes → supports recovery
Together, our training helps athletes become strong, durable, and well-rounded. Because the goal here isn’t just to be strong for a season. It’s to stay athletic for life.
THE GOAL OF THIS CYCLE
Strength at The Garage is built through progressive overload, strong positions, and consistent exposure to the barbell. The primary goal of HAF is maximal strength development.
Each training day centers around one main lift: Squat, Press, Hinge, and Olympic lifting. Early in the cycle, you’ll see an emphasis on positional strength and technical control. Developing strength in challenging positions allows athletes to handle heavier loads later in the block without losing mechanics.
Across the eight weeks, you’ll see a clear progression in the training:
intensity gradually increases
rep ranges decrease
loads get heavier
The goal isn’t just heavier weight: it’s stronger positions under heavier weight.
The block ultimately leads into Peak Week, where athletes can choose to work toward either a heavy triple (3RM) or a heavy single (1RM), depending on experience level and goals.
Unsure which direction is right for you? Chat up your Garage coach in class. Our coaches are strength nerds and love helping athletes figure out the smartest way to increase their strength while keeping mechanics solid.
HOW TO APPROACH THIS CYCLE
Strength is built through consistency and quality reps. The goal isn’t to rush to the heaviest weight possible: it’s to own every position along the way. Focus on controlled eccentrics, strong bracing, and clean bar paths. When the technique stays sharp, the strength follows.
Now let's get into the nitty-gritty.
THE PLAN
MONDAY
A] FRONT / BACK PIN SQUAT
B] CHEST SUPPORTED INCLINE ROW
Our main lift on Mondays will be the athlete's choice of Front or Back Squats, progressing through three phases over the eight weeks:
WEEKS 1 – 4: PIN SQUATS
We’ll start with pin squats, performing each rep from a dead stop. This helps develop control and confidence in the bottom position, which is often the hardest part of the squat. The goal here is simple: own your depth and build strength coming out of the hole. Think chest tall, knees forward, and drive through the whole foot as you stand. Brace your core like you’re about to take a punch and keep that pressure through the entire rep.
Reps will gradually decrease each week while intensity slowly increases, with week four introducing your first RPE 8 effort: challenging but still controlled. If you’re new to RPE, think of it as finishing the set with about two good reps still left in the tank.
WEEKS 5 – 6: PAUSED SQUATS
Next, we remove the pins and increase time under tension with paused squats. Holding the bottom position reinforces strength and stability exactly where most lifters tend to struggle. At this point, the program begins shifting from higher volume to heavier strength work.
WEEKS 7 – 8: REGULAR SQUATS
Finally, we transition back to full squats, applying the positional control and strength built earlier in the cycle. Reps drop, intensity rises, and the focus becomes bar speed, efficiency, and strong technical execution.
Accessory work includes juicy upper back strength, sagittal core, and reinforcing squat mechanics through coach-designated cossacks or pistols. Cossacks and pistol squats require accessing positions of deep hip and knee flexion. Building strength in these positions will help improve mobility, address unilateral strength differences, and ultimately support better depth and control in your squat pattern.
We want to see you droppin’ it low-low and moving that barbell with confidence.
WEDNESDAY
A] LARSEN PRESS
B] FRONT FOOT ELEVATED SPLIT SQUATS
Get ready to cut the sleeves off your summer tees, because on Wednesdays, we’re back to the bench. We’ll start with a Barbell Larsen Press, then progress into paused and regular bench press.
WEEKS 1 – 4: LARSEN PRESS
The Larsen press removes leg drive, forcing the upper body to do all the work. This builds true pressing strength while reinforcing strong lat engagement and shoulder stability. Focus on pulling the bar out of the rack with control, keeping your lats tight, and pressing the bar in a strong vertical path. Control the descent and press with intent: speed on the way up is a great sign you’re building real strength. Reps decrease weekly while intensity gradually increases.
WEEKS 5 – 6: PAUSED BENCH PRESS
Similar to Monday, we’re adding in pauses at week five. Legs are back into play, with a full pause on the chest to reinforce control, tension, and stability at the most demanding point of the press.
WEEKS 7 – 8: REGULAR BENCH PRESS
In the final phase, we remove the pause and transfer everything you’ve built into a stronger full-range bench press. The goal isn’t sloppy max attempts, it’s strong, technical lifts under heavier load.
Your secondary work will include loading up your single leg strength with suitcase front foot elevated split squats (hey, it's not more sleds...) along with shoulder and scapular stability work, and frontal core training to round out your midweek lifts.
FRIDAY
A] PAUSED DEADLIFTS
B] 2 KB Z PRESS
Is it even Friday if you're not hinging? Friday’s focus on building a stronger, more controlled deadlift. Athletes can choose either sumo or a conventional stance. We recommend sticking with that variation for the full training cycle.
WEEKS 1 – 5: PAUSED DEADLIFTS
Work up sets will use paused deadlifts. The deadlift starts from the floor, then the pause will occur at the shins, several inches from the floor and below the knees (2 second hold), demanding control just off the floor and reinforcing proper positioning. Think about pushing the floor away and keeping the bar close to your legs as it passes the knees. For our hybrid athletes, this hinge strength is exactly what drives powerful sled pushes and pulls.
Drop sets will then return to some high volume regular deadlifts, allowing athletes to integrate that improved positioning into the full movement.
WEEKS 6 – 8: REGULAR DEADLIFTS
In the final weeks, we remove the pauses and transition fully into heavier pulling. Rep ranges drop as intensity increases, preparing the nervous system for Test Out Week.
Fridays will be polished off with KB Z presses, vertical pulls, and some transverse core- work to build shoulder strength and upper-back stability to support heavier pulls.
SATURDAY
A] BB HANG CLEAN TO CLEAN & JERK
B] SNATCH GRIP BEHIND THE HEAD PUSH PRESS
OLY DAAAAY!!
Saturday will continue developing Olympic lifting mechanics, progressing through the Hang Clean into the Clean & Jerk. This work builds explosive power, coordination, and full-body strength, while also improving barbell timing and movement efficiency. Think fast hips, tall extension, and aggressive turnover under the bar.
Olympic lifts are less about grinding strength and more about speed, timing, and technical precision, making them a perfect complement to the heavier barbell work during the week.
We introduced overhead squat progressions last cycle. This cycle we are building off that and adding something new and spicy to the overhead work: the Snatch Grip BTN Push Press.
The first four weeks will use a Snatch Grip Behind The Neck (BTN) Push Press, followed by four weeks of a Snatch Grip BTN Strict Press. These variations build overhead strength, shoulder stability, and confidence in strong overhead positions, skills that carry directly into Olympic lifting.
Strength doesn’t happen overnight.
The athletes who make the biggest progress this cycle will be the ones who show up consistently, respect the progression, and treat every rep like practice for the next PR.
We’re so proud to coach you.
We’re so excited to see what you accomplish over the next eight weeks.
Now let’s get to work, team!
Much love,
Team Garage