LIFT WITH SOHEE

MONTHLY GROUP
TRAINING PROGRAM
Hi everyone,

Welcome to the April 2019 Lift with Sohee! Last month, we hammered
assistance lifts for the big 3, which hopefully gave your body a bit of a break
and allowed you to really hone in on your technique and address any weak
links. This month, we are bringing the squat, bench, and deadlift back into
rotation. We're sticking to the low-medium reps for those to build strength, and
then we'll move onto accessory movements in the medium-high rep ranges for
the remainder of each training session.

I'm very curious to see how the assistance lifts have transferred over!

I've also tossed in the tabletop chin-up, which is an advanced chin-up variation
that involves flexing at the lumbar spine with the knees bent (and thus your
thighs are creating a tabletop). This is a very difficult variation (I can only do 1
rep like this!), so it's more than fine if you cannot perform them just yet. You
can alternatively regress to the eccentric-only tabletop chin-up if need be.

Additionally, the cobra pulldown is another single-arm vertical pulling exercise

that gives you an amazing stretch in the lats at the top of each rep. Please use a
cable column if you have one, but otherwise, you can make it work with a long
resistance band.

Day 4 is optional as always. You may do it if you have the extra time and want
to work up an extra sweat. Alternatively, you may replace it with some other
activity - hiking, or maybe a spin class or a yoga class. If you want to omit it
entirely as well, that's more than fine. Days 1, 2, and 3 are far more important,
and I'd much rather you prioritize those sessions.

Please note that I have filmed more in-depth tutorials for the main lifts separate
from the walkthrough videos. If this is your first time joining us, I encourage
you to spend the time to watch all of the below to ensure you're performing
these exercises correctly:

Squat Tutorial
Deadlift Tutorial
Bench Press Tutorial
Hip Thrust Tutorial

Use the hashtag #liftwithsohee so we can find you on Instagram if you'd like to
post some video clips of your lifts and be sure to join our Facebook group if
you haven't already done so!

Train hard and be safe in the gym!

Coach Sohee
WALKTHROUGH VIDEOS

Walkthrough Demo – Day 1

Walkthrough Demo – Day 2
Walkthrough Demo – Day 3
Walkthrough Demo – Day 4

I understand that we all have different schedules and we obviously won’t all be
able to adhere to the specific days and workouts below. The schedule is simply
a sample weekly schedule. Note that you are to take a full day of rest once per
week – Sunday tends to be the best day for this for most people.

If you miss a session for any reason, simply shift everything a day forward and
carry on. There’s no reason to overthink it.

The password for each individual exercise demo is: shelifts

Day 1: Training
Day 2: OFF
Day 3: Training
Day 4: OFF
Day 5: Training
Day 6: Training (Optional)
Day 7: OFF
 MOBILITY WORK

It would benefit you greatly to foam roll for about 5-10 minutes at the start of
your training session. We all have knots in our bodies everywhere, whether we
realize it or not – especially if our jobs are sedentary. However, I understand
that many of us are craaazy busy and oftentimes simply need to get in and get
out of the gym. If that’s the case, leave the foam rolling for your off days and
perform the dynamic warm-up below.

Mobility work is probably one of the most overlooked and underrated

components of any training program. A proper dynamic warm-up will help
decrease your risk of injury and takes very little time. I recommend that you
spend 5-10 minutes before every training session performing the below:

4-way rotation x10ea

Quadruped hip extension x5ea
Scapular push-up x10
Single-leg deadlift to reverse lunge with a twist x5ea
Yoga plex x5ea

I understand that it can be tempting to skip the warm-up entirely and dive
headfirst into your training. And to be honest, if you did skip it, you’d probably
be okay 99/100 times. But on that one occasion you get seriously injured
because you didn’t warm up properly, you’ll realize what I meant. Why have an
okay workout when you can make it great?
 TRAINING

Warm up sets

For the big compound movements, never go straight into your working set. I
recommend 2-4 warm up sets with progressively heavier weight and lower reps.
For example, if I were to have a working set of full squats at 100lbs, I would
warm up like so:

6 x 45lbs
4 x 65lbs
3 x 85lbs

And then do my first working set. Pay close attention to how you feel and
adjust weight/reps accordingly.

After that, especially for accessory/isolation work, you can head straight toward
the working sets.

Remember: the sets and reps I have prescribed for you refer to working sets
only. If you have 3x5 full squats, for example, then the five sets you perform to
warm up do not count toward the working sets.

Load and Effort

You want to be lifting as heavy as you can in the rep range prescribed. This is
going to be different for everyone as strength is relative, so I can’t recommend
specific weights for you. Over time, you should get really good at gauging when
“heavy” is heavy enough for you.

I know it’s tempting, but please do not go to failure unless otherwise noted. By
failure, I mean you’re struggling with that last rep and your form is clearly
falling apart.

Instead, I want you to stop each set 1-2 reps shy of failure. You should feel that
you maybe could have gotten one more quality rep out before calling it good.

If you’re trying out an exercise for the first time, err on the side of too light as
opposed to too heavy. Use the first week to feel out the exercises and become
familiar with them.
Exercise Selection

I have left the exercises intentionally flexible so as to account for individual

preferences, differences in body anatomy, and equipment availability. For
example, if I give you a choice between front or back squats, you are free to
utilize whichever is more comfortable for you – just be sure to stick with that
same variation for the whole month.

And if I prescribe military presses but don’t specify barbell or dumbbell, either
is fine.

Training Log

I strongly recommend that you track every workout session. Be sure to record
the weight and reps performed for every working set, as well as any additional
comments you want to make a note of (e.g. “Go up 5lbs next week”). This will
be a game-changer with your training, as it’ll give an extra level of focus and
attention with each workout. You can either track your sessions in your own
notebook or pick up a SoheeFit training journal.

Progressions

The goal is to make progress from one week to the next by: performing a given
exercise with more weight, performing more reps (within the prescribed rep
range) with the same weight, or perhaps even improving form. This is why
keeping a training log is so important.

Extras

I don’t want to kill you with volume, so the workouts below should take
anywhere between 40-60 minutes each. If you feel like this is not enough
volume for you, you have the option of 10-15 minutes of playtime. You can take
advantage of this time to work on movements you enjoy or want to get better
at, or you can target specific body parts. Here are some examples:

If you want to get better at pullups/chin-ups, perform multiple sets of jump

negatives – as many as you can in 10 minutes.
For biceps, you can do a drop set of bicep curls.
For abs, you can perform a mix of RKC planks, side bends, and reverse
crunches.
The possibilities are endless here. The point is, have fun with it.

Rest Periods

In general, the lower the prescribed reps for a given exercise, the heavier weight
that should be used, and the more rest required. Rest periods are not as
important as we once thought, but it’s good to have rough guidelines. Unless
otherwise noted, adhere to the following rest recommendations:

For sets of 1-5 reps, rest 3-5 minutes.

For sets of 5-12 reps, rest 2 minutes.
For sets of 12+ reps, rest 1 minute.
 Training Day 1: Lower Body

EXERCISE SETS x REPS REST

Deadlift (sumo, conventional

A. 1x5, 1x3, 1x1 3min
or trap bar)
B. Constant-tension glute bridge 3x20 2min

C. Alt. deficit DB reverse lunge 3x10ea 2min

D1. B-stance cable or DB Romanian deadlift 2x10ea 30s

Constant-tension heels-elevated goblet
D2. 2x15 2min
squat
Seated hip abduction dropset or seated 2x10+10+10 or
E. 2min
band hip abduction (3 ways) 2x20+20+20
 Training Day 2: Upper Body

EXERCISE SETS x REPS REST

A. Bench press 1x8, 1x5, 1x3 3min

B. Cobra pulldown 3x10ea 90s

C1. Standing 1-arm landmine shoulder press 3x8ea 30s

C2. Standing 1-arm cable or band row 3x12ea 2min

Push-up + eccentric push-up (5-second 2xAMRAP +
D1. 30s
lowering phase)* AMRAP
D2. Inverted row 2xAMRAP 1min

E. Overhead Pallof press iso hold 2x30s 1min

*If you cannot yet perform 3 strict push-ups from the floor, do eccentric reps
only.
 Training Day 3: Full Body

EXERCISE SETS x REPS REST

A. Back or front squat 1x8, 1x5, 1x3 3min

Tabletop chin-up or eccentric tabletop
B. 3xAMRAP or 3x3 3min
chin-up
C1. Romanian deadlift 3x8 30s

C2. DB push press 3x15 2min

Knee-banded DB frog pump or glute
D1. 2x50 30s
bridge
D2. 45-degree cable or band row 2x15 2min

E. Waiter carry 2x50 steps ea 1min

 Training Day 4: Full Body (Optional)

EXERCISE SETS x REPS REST

A. Assisted pistol squat 2x8ea 2min

B1. Single-leg BW hip thrust 3x10-20ea 0s

B2. B-stance BW hip thrust 3x10-20ea 0s

B3. Quadruped leg swing 3x10-20ea 2min

C1. YTWL 2x8+8+8+8 30s

C2. Cable or band upright row 2x15 2min

D1. Rope or band hammer curl 2x15 30s

BW tricep extension or torso-elevated
D2. 2xAMRAP 1min
BW tricep extension
 EXERCISE CUES

Day 1: Lower Body

A. Deadlift (sumo, conventional, or trap bar)

 To prevent your shins from getting scraped and bloodied from the
barbell, wear long pants or knee-high socks.
 If you find that grip is an issue, you can try using a mixed grip (one hand
overhand, one hand underhand) and/or utilize gym chalk.
 If you’re having trouble generating tension in your lats, think of
squeezing pencils in between your armpits.
 Many beginner trainees make the mistake of trying to get their chest up
by cranking their necks all the way back, but they end up still staying
rounded over. Keep the chest up by thinking of showing the logo on
your shirt to a person standing in front of you.
 If you can’t deadlift with 135lbs yet (that would be a 45lb plate on either
side of the barbell), then use bumper plates – that way your range of
motion remains the same. If you don’t have access to bumper plates, you
may find that setting your barbell down on risers a few inches high will
help.
 The method that I have described here is a bottom-up setup, whereby
you get down first before getting into position. You can alternatively
perform this top-down by bracing and generating tension in the lats
while standing, and then keeping the back flat while you reach down and
grab the barbell.
 Don’t let the hips shoot up as you start pulling the bar off the ground.
B. Constant-tension glute bridge
 Similar to a standard barbell glute bridge but you are not pausing in
between reps.
 At the top, thighs should be perpendicular to the shins.
 The plates do not touch down on the ground, because these are fast
reps.
C. Alt. deficit DB reverse lunge
 There is no specific height requirement for the platform - anywhere
from 2”-6” is fine.
 It does not matter what side you start on.
 Make sure your full heel is on the platform.
  You can either tap the ground with the back knee or come close to the
ground.
 If you’d like to hit more quads, take a shorter stride back and keep the
torso more upright.
 If you’d like to hit more glutes, take a longer stride back and lean
forward a bit more.
D1. B-stance cable Romanian deadlift
 Toe is in line with the heel of the working leg.
 Keep a soft bend in the knees and do not round your back. Keep your
chest up.
or DB Romanian deadlift
 Imagine someone is standing behind you with a rope around your hips
and pulling back. This will help keep your back arched and your hips
moving back and prevent your knees from shooting forward.
 Maintain vertical shins (knees don’t move forward) and a neutral spine as
you descend and keep the head and neck in neutral.
 Most people will be fine reversing the motion just below the knees, but
those with incredible hamstring flexibility may need to get even greater
range of motion to feel their hamstrings.
 Keep the DB’s close to your body at all times. Don’t let them drift away
from you. They should skim your shins and your thighs.
D2. Heels-elevated constant-tension goblet squat
 This movement will target a lot of quads.
 You can use a yoga wedge or 5 or 10lb plates to elevate your heels.
 You do not rest the muscles or lock out at the top.
E. Seated hip abduction dropset
 This exercise may also be done leaning forward in the seated position.
Perform the variation that works your glutes the best. If you feel your
glutes activating roughly equally in both positions, then incorporate both
positions into your workout.
or seated band hip abduction 3-ways
 Wrap a mini-band around the knees.
 Do reps leaning back, upright, and then leaning forward.
 Feet will come out to their edges.
Day 2: Upper Body

A. Bench press
 Don’t let your elbows flare out as you press the barbell up. It should stay
at an approximately 45-degree angle to the body. Think of making an
arrow with the arms and the body, not a T.
 Don’t let the barbell drift away from you as you press the barbell up.
This makes for an inefficient bar path and will make the movement
more difficult.
 The butt should not lift off the bench at any point during the movement.
 Think of pulling your chest up to the bar rather than simply bringing the
barbell down towards you. This will help create tension throughout the
upper body.
 In order to lift more weight, create in arch in the back, bring the feet in
close to the body, and turn the heels out. This will help create better leg
drive and also decrease the range of motion that the bar has to travel.
B. Cobra pulldown
 Perform with a cable machine and an incline bench. You can also use a
long resistance band if you do not have a cable machine.
 You can use a relatively light load.
 Make sure you get a nice stretch in your lats and pull your elbow in.
C1. Standing 1-arm landmine shoulder press
 If you do not have access to a landmine apparatus, you can wrap a towel
around a barbell and wedge into a corner.
C2. Standing 1-arm cable or band row
 Assume a wide, athletic stance to establish a good base of support.
 Keep the body movement to a minimum. The body should stay
relatively still throughout the movement with just the working arm in
motion.
 Don’t let the torso twist as you perform your repetitions.
D1. Push-up + eccentric push-up (5-second lowering phase)
 At no point during the movement should the hips sag. Keep the glutes
squeezed and posteriorly tilt the pelvis.
 Most people want to have the elbows pointing straight out to the sides
with the body in a “T” shape. Think of making an arrow instead.
 Maintain good neutral spinal posture. Don’t flex the upper back or
anteriorly tilt the pelvis.
 Don’t reach with the head during the movement.
D2. Inverted row
 The more vertical your torso is to the ground, the easier the movement
will be. Don’t let the hips drop during the movement or as you perform
more repetitions.
E. Overhead Pallof press iso hold
 Use a band in a tall-kneeling position. The band should be at the same
level as your head.
 Grab band with both hands and face away from it.
 You should be in posterior pelvic tilt and brace your core.
 Pull the band forward and hold for roughly 30 seconds.

Day 3: Full Body

A. Back squat
 If you have longer femurs relative to your total height or stronger hips
relative to your quadriceps, you’ll likely have more forward lean than the
average lifter. Still, you should strive maintain a relatively consistent
torso angle through the duration of the movement.
 Most women prefer high bar squats. However, if they take the time to
learn low bar squats, many learn to like this variation and can typically
lift approximately 10 percent more weight. If you’re prone to
experiencing wrist pain with low bar squats due to wrist hyperextension,
you may find wrist wraps to be helpful.
 You may find that wearing squat shoes or sliding plates under your heels
to be helpful in achieving proper depth and maintaining quality form.
or front squat
 Rather than sitting back, you want to sit straight down and try to keep
the torso as vertical as possible.
 A common mistake lifters make is to let their elbows drop on the
descent of the lift, which causes them to fall forward. Make an effort to
shove the elbows up.
 You can use a clean grip, in which you’re holding onto the barbell with
the ends of your index and middle fingers, or a cross grip, in which you
cross your arms in front of you. Many of you will find the latter variation
more comfortable.
 You may find that wearing squat shoes or sliding plates under your heels
to be helpful in achieving proper depth and maintaining quality form.
B. Tabletop chin-up or eccentric tabletop chin-up
 This is a more difficult version of the traditional chin-up.
 Your knees are up high and you are in posterior pelvic tilt.
 If you cannot complete any full reps, do eccentric-only reps.
C1. Romanian deadlift
 Imagine someone is standing behind you with a rope around your hips
and pulling back. This will help keep your back arched (instead of
rounded) and your hips moving back.
 Maintain vertical shins (knees don’t move forward) and a neutral spine as
you descend, and keep the head and neck in neutral.
 Most people will be fine reversing the motion just below the knees, but
those with incredible hamstring flexibility may need to get even greater
range of motion to feel their hamstrings.
 Keep the barbell close to your body at all times. Don’t let it drift away
from you. It should skim your shins and your thighs.
 You may find that grip becomes a limiting factor as you go heavier on
this exercise. If that’s the case, placing chalk on your hands and/or using
a mixed grip can help tremendously.
 This exercise starts in standing whereas the conventional deadlift or stiff-
legged deadlift you start bent over.
C2. DB push press
 At the top of the movement, stand tall and push the head through.
 Be careful not to let the hips shoot back too much. The knees should
travel forward.
D1. Knee-banded DB frog pump
 These repetitions do not need to be slow and controlled – you’re going
for the pump here. However, you may want to pause at the top of each
rep and give the glutes an extra squeeze.
or knee-banded DB glute bridge
 Maintain outward tension on the mini-band the entire time.
 Make sure to activate your core to keep your ribs down and not arch
your back.
D2. 45-degree cable or band row
 Starting position is at a 45-degree angle, similar to the bottom of a
Romanian deadlift.
 Simultaneously pull in with the arms until upright.
 Make sure you get a good lat stretch.
E. Waiter carry
 Press a DB straight overhead.
 Keep elbow close to you.
 Lock shoulder into place and walk.

Day 4: Full Body (optional)

A. Assisted pistol squat

 Brace onto a sturdy implement or use a training partner.
 Get on one foot, come down and get full range of motion and then
come back up.
 You can also use DB’s as a counterbalance if you’d like.
B1. Single-leg BW hip thrust
 The major cues for the single-leg hip thrust are the same as those of the
bilateral hip thrust: keep the chin tucked, ribs down, and eyes forward,
achieve full hip extension, and squeeze the glutes at lockout.
 Work your weaker leg first, and then match the number of repetitions
with the stronger leg.
 Keep your hips level the entire time.
B2. B-stance BW hip thrust
 With B-stance, you're mostly working the side that has the foot flat and
the other foot is there just for stability.
B3. Quadruped leg swing
 Get into quadruped position on a bench and swing the leg back and up
behind you in a quick motion.
 Get a good glute squeeze at the top of the motion and do not arch your
back.
C1. YTWL
 While keeping your shoulder blades down and back, raise both arms
overhead into 4 directions.
 "Y" is at a 45-degree angle with the thumbs up. Raise the arms up and
then lower back down in a controlled manner. Repeat all the "Y"
repetitions before moving onto the next direction.
 "T" is at a 90-degree angle with the palms down.
 "W" is at a 90-degree angle with the elbows also bent at 90-degrees and
the palms down.
  "L" is with the shoulders and elbows bent at 90-degrees and then the
hands rotate up toward the ceiling and back down.
C2. Cable or band upright row
 Always keep the elbows higher than the hands.
 Don’t jerk or swing the body when performing this movement. The
torso should stay relatively still and only the arms should be moving.
 Err on the side of using lighter weight instead to prevent shoulder injury.
D1. Rope or band hammer curl
 Palms will face in towards each other.
 Curl up and get a nice contraction.
 Lower under control.
 Use a band if you do not have a rope attachment.
D2. BW tricep extension
 You will be in the same position as in a low plank and then extend your
elbows up and down.
 You are pressing yourself up with your triceps.
or torso-elevated BW tricep extension
 If the standard BW tricep extension is too difficult and you can’t get
more than 2-3 reps, elevated the torso to make it easier.
 You can use a bench for this. The higher the degree of elevation, the less
of your relative bodyweight you are pushing.
 Training Notes

 The training program is to be executed in ABC order. So for example, if

you have an exercise A, you are to complete all sets and reps of that
movement before moving onto B. If you have something like B1 B2,
that is called a superset. In this case, you do one set of B1 for the
prescribed number of reps, rest, and then do B2. Rest, then go back to
B1, etc. To learn more about supersets, read here.
 If pullups/chin-ups are assigned and you are unable to complete the
prescribed reps with at least bodyweight, then use a resistance band. If
you do not have access to bands but you have an assisted pullup
machine, use that.
 A rest period of “---” means that you are to rest for as long as you need.
 If you are given a choice between two exercises, the preference is for the
first one unless you have equipment restrictions.
 Here are some abbreviations and acronyms you should be familiar with:
o Alt.: alternating
o BB: barbell
o BW: bodyweight
o DB: dumbbell
o DL: deadlift
o KB: kettlebell
o OH: overhead
o SB: stability ball
o SL: single leg
o UH: underhand
o WG: wide grip
 And other training terminology:
o AMRAP: As Many Reps As Possible
o MOTM: Minute On The Minute - Every minute, you are to
complete the prescribed number of reps before resting for the
remainder of the minute. Continue in this manner until you have
performed all sets.
o RPT: Rest Pause Training - Perform as many sets as it takes to hit
the prescribed total number of reps. Use a resistance band or
weight that would normally allow you to get 10 solid reps. For
each set, you will rock out as many reps as you can and stop just
1-2 reps shy of failure. Then take a 10-15 second break before
going again. Repeat in this manner until you hit the target number.
 CONDITIONING

Brisk walking

I would like you to get in some kind of activity on your days off from training
just to ensure you’re getting in some movement. You are to go for a brisk walk
for 30-40 minutes. Stationary biking or another gentle cardio modality is also
fine. It shouldn’t be anything intense; the point is that you’re just getting in
some movement. The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) should only be a 6 on a
scale of 1 to 10.

With that said, yoga is an excellent off-day exercise and I strongly encourage it
if that’s something you enjoy.