Junkie Journal

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JUNKIE JOURNAL April 20 ✔️ Programming This Week We’re in our final week with the same 8–5–3 rep scheme, three times through, and the same foundational lifts. But once again, there’s a key change: Rest periods now drop to 2:00 between sets. Two weeks ago you had 3:00. Last week was 2:30. Now we’re at 2:00. The goal isn’t to chase heavier weight. The goal is to own the same weights with less recovery. This is where training becomes intentional. You should walk up to the bar already knowing your numbers, your jumps, and your plan. Less rest means less time to think — and more reliance on good habits and preparation. This is how we build efficiency under load. 🧠 What’s Happening Behind the Scenes Over the past few weeks, you’ve been training your nervous system. Strength gains during a cycle like this come from: • Improved motor unit recruitment — your body is activating more muscle fibers at once • Faster signal transmission — your brain is communicating with your muscles more efficiently • Better intermuscular coordination — muscles are working together more effectively • Reduced energy waste — cleaner movement patterns mean less fatigue per rep Now, by reducing rest, we challenge your body to repeat that force production under fatigue. That’s how strength turns into usable strength. ️ 🏋️ Weekly Lift Focus We’re repeating the same lifts to reinforce skill and progress: Monday — Deadlift Tuesday — Bench Press Wednesday — Back Squat Friday — Power Clean Repetition is not random. It’s how strength sticks. 🔥 Conditioning This Week After strength, conditioning pieces will range from 12–28 minutes, giving us a mix of shorter efforts and longer grinders. You’ll see movements like: • Box step-ups & box jumps • Pull-ups • Sit-ups • Wall walks • Lunges • Devil’s press • GHD • Kettlebell swings Cardio options rotate through: • Row • Run • Ski • Bike The goal here is simple — support the strength work while building capacity. 🎯 Weekly Focus With shorter rest times, success this week comes down to intentionality. Know your weights. Plan your jumps. Stay disciplined with your movement. 📚 EDUCATION — Tracking Your Progress One of the simplest ways to improve your training is to track it. Logging your lifts allows you to see patterns like: • What weights you used last time • When you last hit a PR • Where your progress is trending Without tracking, every workout becomes guesswork. Wodify makes this easy. If you’re unsure what weight to use for a lift, check your last entry and build from there. What gets tracked gets improved. 💪

JUNKIE JOURNAL April 13 ✔️ Programming This Week If you look at the board this week, something might look familiar. We’re repeating the exact same lifts and rep scheme from last week: 8–5–3. But there’s one key change. Rest periods drop from 3:00 to 2:30 between sets. The goal this week is not necessarily to lift heavier than last week. The goal is to move the same working weights with less recovery time. This builds efficiency under load. As your nervous system adapts to the new weights you’ve been using, your body becomes better at producing force with less recovery needed between efforts. Over time this improves both strength and work capacity. Think of it as teaching your body to handle your new strength level more comfortably. Here’s how the week lines up: Monday — Deadlift Tuesday — Bench Press Wednesday — Back Squat Thursday — Long Grinder Conditioning Friday — Power Cleans After the strength work, our conditioning pieces will range from 10–18 minutes, with Thursday stretching to around 25 minutes for a longer aerobic effort. You’ll see a mix of movements that support the strength work while keeping things varied and fun: • Light barbell power cleans and lunges • Farmer carries • Kettlebell swings • Burpees • Chest-to-bar pull-ups • Push-ups • Box jumps • Rope climbs Cardio options will rotate through ski, run, row, and jump rope to keep the engine working in different ways. Remember — if you train 3–4 days per week, take a quick look at the week and decide which lifts matter most to you. Prioritize those days so you can keep building progress where it matters most. Consistent effort, small improvements, and repeating the basics is what drives long-term strength. 💪 🏆 StormKing PR Roll Call Last week we saw several new personal records! When members consistently show up, track their lifts, and add small improvements over time, the results show up on testing weeks. 👏 Here are the PRs we saw in Wodify: Deadlift Omar Seera Debbie Givens Gabriel Flores Hannah Shamp Katelyn Sheldon Bench Press John Hagan Dawn Mason Debbie Givens Shirley Gagnon Leslie Arango Michele Winsor Savannah Brazelton Back Squat Bonnie Laubach Megan Miller Alexandria Showers Hannah Shamp Power Clean Joe Descala Kristina Cain Marie Harper Huge congratulations to everyone who hit a PR. These moments are the result of weeks of consistent training, good technique, and steady progression. If you hit a PR and didn’t log it in Wodify, make sure to update your score so we can celebrate it! 💪 🔥 EDUCATION -- Strength Is a Skill Strength isn’t simply about muscle size. A large portion of strength improvement actually comes from your nervous system learning how to use the muscle you already have. When you repeatedly practice lifts like squats, presses, and deadlifts, your brain and nervous system become more efficient at sending signals to the muscles involved. This process is known as neuromuscular adaptation. Early strength gains — especially in the first several weeks of training — are often driven more by nervous system improvements than by muscle growth. A few key things start to happen: Better motor unit recruitment Muscles are made up of thousands of motor units (a nerve and the muscle fibers it controls). Strength training teaches the body to recruit more of these motor units at the same time, producing greater force. Improved coordination The body gets better at coordinating multiple muscles working together, allowing movements to become smoother and more efficient. Better movement efficiency As technique improves through repetition, the body wastes less energy and can handle heavier loads more safely. This is why at StormKing you’ll see the same foundational lifts repeated over time: Squats. Presses. Deadlifts. Cleans. Strength isn’t built through random workouts. It’s built by practicing the basics, improving technique, and gradually increasing load over time.

Junkie Journal April 6 🏆 StormKing PR Roll Call We wrapped up this current strength cycle last week with 1-rep max tests, and a lot of new PRs showed up! Here’s who we caught in Wodify: Deadlift Scott Hunter Debbie Givens Tasha Fitzgerald Front Rack Lunge Dawn Mason Debbie Givens Bench Press Trevor Dropp Dawn Mason Lauren Stallings Savannah Brazelton Michele Winsor Tasha Fitzgerald Back Squat Abbi Fountain Joe Descala Jon Promer Haley Jahn Kristina Cain Megan Miller Hannah Shamp Strength cycles work when you show up and track your lifts. Please score your weightlifting! 🏋️ Programming This Week After testing new 1-rep maxes last week, we now move into the next phase of training using our 8–5–3 wave format. The goal of this phase is simple: use those new strength numbers. Because you now have a fresh idea of what your max strength looks like, you should begin to notice something over the next couple of weeks: Weights that used to feel heavy start moving more confidently for the same familiar rep ranges. Establish Your NEW Working Weight This week is about establishing your new working weight. Choose a load that is challenging but repeatable, because you’ll be working with similar weights over the next two weeks. The focus right now isn’t max effort. It’s about: • Quality movement • Consistency • Building confidence under the bar Strength Lifts This Week Our primary lifts include: * Deadlift * Bench Press * Back Squat * Power Clean Each day begins with strength work using the 8–5–3 waves, moving through: 8 reps → moderate load 5 reps → heavier load 3 reps → your heaviest work of the day Focus Points As you work through the waves, focus on: • Controlled, quality reps • Hitting your rest intervals • Moving the bar with confidence Over the next two weeks you should start to feel stronger with these rep schemes, because the weights are now based on the progress you built during the last cycle. Conditioning Work After the lifting portion, we’ll finish classes with short to mid range conditioning pieces that support the strength work. You’ll see movements like: • Box Jumps • Sit-Ups • Burpees • Push-Ups • Dumbbell Deadlifts • Lunges • Dumbbell Snatches Thursday Workout Thursday will feature a longer conditioning effort, combining cardio with farmer carries to challenge grip strength, core stability, and overall endurance. Track Your Progress As always, track your lifts in Wodify and look for small improvements where you can. Those small increases week after week are exactly how long-term strength is built 📚 Education — Why Familiar Rep Schemes Get Stronger Over Time You may notice something interesting over the next couple of weeks. The rep scheme hasn’t changed. We’re still using 8–5–3 waves. But the weights should be getting heavier. That’s not random. It’s how strength actually develops. Last week we tested new 1-rep maxes, which gave you a clearer picture of your current strength. Now we use those numbers to guide the next phase of training. When you repeat familiar rep ranges like 8s, 5s, and 3s, a few important things happen: Your nervous system becomes more efficient. Your brain learns how to recruit muscle fibers more effectively for that movement. Your technique improves. Repeating the same lifts and rep schemes allows your body to move more confidently and efficiently. Your strength capacity increases. The weight you can handle for those reps slowly climbs. So even though the rep scheme stays the same, the bar weight increases over time. That’s one of the biggest differences between structured training and random workouts. Random workouts feel different every day. Structured training repeats key movements so your body can actually adapt and improve. At StormKing, you’ll see the same lifts and rep schemes come back again and again for a reason. Because strength isn’t built in a single workout. It’s built through repetition, progression, and consistency over time. 💪 What We’re Training For At StormKing, we’re not just training for the next workout. We’re training for the long game. Strength that helps you: • Keep hitting PRs years from now • Stay strong enough to try new challenges and new sports • Show up ready for whatever workout is on the board • Train for the life you want outside the gym Fitness trends come and go. But strength, consistency, and longevity never go out of style. Keep showing up. Keep building. That’s the StormKing way. 👏

🏋️ Programming This Week This week we wrap up our strength cycle by testing new 1-rep maxes on three of the major lifts. Monday — Deadlift Wednesday — Bench Press Friday — Back Squat If you’ve been consistent through the cycle, this is your chance to see the progress you’ve built over the past several weeks. Remember, a max doesn’t always mean chasing a huge number — sometimes the win is better technique, more confidence, or matching a previous best under control. After the strength work, our metcons will be fun and spicy, packed with movements like: • Burpees • Wall Balls • Ring Dips • Toes-to-Bar • Pull-Ups • Box Jumps You’ll also see some lighter barbell cycling for reps, including movements like: • Back Squats • Lunges • Dumbbell Bench • Push Press Cardio options will rotate through running, rowing, skiing, and biking to keep the conditioning varied. Track your numbers this week in Wodify — it’s always fun to look back later and see how far you’ve come. 💪 ⚡ Pulse — Tuesday Cardio Class Looking to improve your cardio without lifting? Pulse is our Tuesday 5 PM cardio-only class designed to build cardiorespiratory endurance through interval training. Expect rotating stations using equipment like the rower, bike, ski erg, running, and bodyweight movements. The workout alternates between periods of effort and recovery, helping you push your conditioning while keeping the session manageable and fun. No barbells. No heavy lifting. Just focused conditioning. It’s a great option if you want to improve endurance, burn calories, and get a solid sweat in under an hour. Join us Tuesdays at 5 PM for Pulse. 💥 🎉 Birthdays & Anniversaries We love celebrating the people who make this community what it is. If you see these members in the gym this month, be sure to give them a quick StormKing shout-out. 🎂 April Birthdays • Coach Cyn – April 1 • Michael McGuire – April 4 • Jim Haguewood – April 20 • Marie Harper – April 26 🏋️ Gym Anniversaries • Mike Soiseth – 12 Years • Casi Fors – 12 Years • Brian Haggerty – 2 Years Consistency like this is what makes StormKing special. Thanks for being part of the community and showing up week after week. 💪 EDUCATION 🌟Progressive Overload Progressive overload is one of the most important principles in strength training. It simply means gradually increasing the demands placed on your muscles over time so the body is forced to adapt. Your body is very good at becoming efficient. If you keep lifting the exact same weight for the exact same reps every week, eventually your body has no reason to get stronger. Progressive overload gives it that reason. It can happen in several ways: • Adding weight to the bar • Completing more reps with the same weight • Improving range of motion or control • Reducing rest time between sets • Performing the same lift with better technique None of these changes need to be dramatic. In fact, most strength gains happen through very small improvements repeated consistently over time. An extra 5 pounds on a lift. One more rep than last week. Better control in the bottom of a squat. These small increases might not feel impressive in the moment, but they compound over months and years. When you look at the strongest members in the gym, most didn’t make huge jumps in weight. They simply followed the same process: Lift. Record it. Come back and do a little more next time. That’s progressive overload — and it’s how strength is built for the long term. dhis default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Junkie Journal Mar 23 🏋️ Programming This Week We’ve got 2 weeks left in this current strength cycle heading into our final strength push — before we test new 1-rep maxes. Next week = 1 rep max test week!! 👏 Who’s ready to PR?! 🙋‍♀️ The work you put in now sets the stage for new PRs. Log your lifts in Wodify so you can see your progress heading into next week. This week’s primary lifts: • Push Press • Front Squat • Deadlift • Front Rack Lunges • Hang Clean Each day starts with focused strength work. Stay controlled, stay intentional, and build off last week’s numbers. This is where consistency starts to pay off. After strength, we’ll finish with short 10-15 minute conditioning pieces using: • Light barbell cycling • Dumbbell presses • DB step-ups • Box jumps • Toes-to-bar • Wall balls • Pull-ups Cardio options will rotate between: • Bike • Row • Run • Ski These finishers are designed to support your strength — not take away from it. As always, you don’t need to max out every day. Train with intention. Choose your days wisely. REMINDER: Next week = 1 rep max test week!! 👏 Who’s ready to PR?! 🙋‍♀️ The work you put in now sets the stage for new PRs. Log your lifts in Wodify so you can see your progress heading into next week. 🤯 Education Effort vs. Intensity Not every workout needs to crush you to work. One of the biggest mistakes people make is treating every session like it should be an all-out test. But training that way usually leads to burnout, not better results. Effort and intensity are not the same thing. Effort is showing up with focus, purpose, and intention. Intensity is pushing close to your max. Both matter, but they should not happen at full blast every day. Some days are for pushing hard. Some days are for steady work. Some days are for recovery and movement. That balance is what keeps you progressing. The goal is not to feel wrecked after every workout. The goal is to get stronger, fitter, and more capable over time. Sustainable training always beats burnout. e body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Junkie Journal Mar 16 🏋️ Programming This Week This week at StormKing we’re again leaning into five days of focused strength training. Our primary lifts this week include: • Shoulder Press • Deadlift • Bench Press • Sumo Deadlift High Pull • Back Squat Each day begins with intentional strength work, giving you the chance to focus on technique, controlled loading, and steady progress. The goal isn’t to rush through the lifts — it’s to move well, build strength, and add weight when it makes sense. After strength, we finish with shorter conditioning pieces that support the lifting. You’ll see movements like: • Toes-to-Bar • Pull-Ups • Push-Ups • Man Makers • Farmer Carries • Wall Balls • Box Jumps Cardio options will rotate between running, rowing, and ski erg efforts to keep things varied while building capacity. Remember, more strength days doesn’t mean you need to hit every lift at full intensity. If you train 3–4 days per week, take a quick look at the week and decide which lifts matter most to you right now. Track your lifts in Wodify, add a little weight when you can, and focus on quality movement. Small increases add up — and over time, that’s how real strength is built. 💪 Strength vs Conditioning Why Both Show Up in Our Training Strength and conditioning are often lumped together, but they serve very different roles in training. Understanding the difference helps you train with more intention. Strength Training Builds Capacity Strength training increases the maximum force your muscles and nervous system can produce. Over time, lifting heavier loads improves: • Muscle fiber recruitment • Bone density • Joint stability • Nervous system efficiency This is why we repeat foundational lifts like: • Squats • Deadlifts • Overhead Press • Cleans Strength training primarily develops the neuromuscular system — teaching your brain and muscles to work together to produce force. Think of strength as raising your ceiling. The stronger you are, the more physical capacity you have available. Conditioning Improves Work Capacity Conditioning training improves how efficiently your body can sustain effort over time. This type of training challenges your cardiovascular and metabolic systems, improving: • Heart and lung efficiency • Oxygen delivery to muscles • Energy production • Recovery between efforts Examples include: • Rowing • Running • Burpees • Jump Rope • Longer mixed-modal workouts Conditioning improves how well your body uses different energy systems to keep moving. Think of conditioning as how long you can operate within your capacity. Why Both Matter Strength and conditioning support each other. If you only condition without building strength, your capacity stays limited. If you only lift heavy without conditioning, you may struggle to sustain effort. Strength builds the engine. Conditioning teaches you how to use it. At StormKing, our programming intentionally includes both. You’ll see dedicated strength work to build capacity, followed by conditioning pieces that help you apply it. The goal isn’t exhaustion. The goal is building a stronger, more capable body that can work hard and recover well — for years.

Junkie Journal Mar 9 🏋️ Programming This Week Why Five Days of Strength Works This week we have five days of strength programmed !! Congrats to all the PR’s last week! We see you getting stronger! 👏 5 days of structured strength training doesn’t mean everyone should try to hit every lift at full intensity. What it does mean is that members have options. More strength days give you the flexibility to choose the lifts that fit your goals and how your body is feeling that week. If you’re a 3-day-per-week member, take a quick look at the week ahead. Ask yourself: Which lifts matter most to me right now? What movements do I want to improve? Choose your days intentionally instead of leaving it to chance. If you’re training five days a week , the same idea applies. Not every day needs to be your heaviest effort. Some days can be about moving well, refining technique, and getting quality work in without pushing the load. That’s how sustainable training works. Listen to your body. Plan your week. Talk to your coach. Train with intention. Over time, that approach builds stronger athletes — and healthier ones. Primary lifts this week : Clean Bench Press Front Squat Power Snatch Sumo Deadlift Each day finishes with a 10–15 minute conditioning piece designed to support the strength work. This week you’ll see these movements: Toes-to-bar Burpees Pull-ups Wall balls Farmer carries Rope climbs Light–moderate barbell or dumbbell reps Cardio elements include: Ski erg & Run sprints A reminder as we move through this training block: Strength doesn’t come from random workouts. It comes from repeating lifts, tracking your numbers, and adding a little weight when you can. Small increases add up over time. 🚶‍♀️‍➡️🚶 Community and New Faces One of the best things about StormKing is the environment we’ve built together over 15 years. It’s not just a room full of workouts. It’s people encouraging each other through hard things. Lately we’ve had a lot of new faces coming through the doors — people trying classes and seeing what StormKing is all about. If you’ve ever been the new person in a gym, you know it can feel a little intimidating walking into something unfamiliar. That’s where this community really shines. You’ll see it in small moments: Someone helping load plates. A quick “good job” after a tough set. Members cheering during the last round of a workout. Those little moments matter more than people realize. If you’ve been here awhile, keep being the example. Introduce yourself. Help someone find equipment. Encourage the person next to you. And if you’re new — welcome. We’re glad you’re here . 🧠 Education Why We Repeat the Same Lifts Sometimes people ask why we keep coming back to the same lifts. Squats. Presses. Deadlifts. Wouldn’t it be more interesting to do something different every week? Maybe...but it wouldn’t make you stronger. Strength comes from practice and repetition. Each time you repeat a lift you refine technique. You build confidence under the bar. The goal is progress. And progress happens when we return to the basics again and again.

Junkie Journal: Mar 2 🏋️ Programming This Week We’ve got 5 days of structured strength this week! Lifts include: Deadlifts Front Rack Lunges Bench Press Push Press Back Squat Each day will finish with a 10–15 minute finisher using movements like: Light barbell reps Wall balls Running Pull-ups Push-ups Wall walks Biking A reminder as we head into this week: This is how strength is built — progressive overload. Keep good records of your lifts. Write them down. Track them in Wodify. Make a note in your phone if you need to. Next time these lifts come around, the goal is simple: Add a little weight. That’s how we gain strength. Not randomly. Intentionally . 🤝 Community We’ve had a lot of new faces around the gym lately — people trying classes and seeing what StormKing is all about. It’s not always easy walking into something new. If you see someone new: Introduce yourself Help them find equipment Encourage them after the workout Community doesn’t happen by accident. We build it. 📲 New Members If you’re new here, make sure to request to join our private Facebook group: StormKing Junkies That’s where we post announcements, updates, events, and most of the community chatter. It’s the best way to stay in the loop. 🏃‍♀️ Lets Run! Saturday Track Workout Saturday, March 7 — 10:00am Coach Paisley is leading another track workout. 📍 Meet at the Port Angeles High School Track. 🧠 Education Stepping Back Into Our Own Story Most of us have an area of life where we know we could be doing better. For many of us, it’s our health. The strength that faded. The energy that used to feel easier. The weight that never quite came off. It’s not that we didn’t care. Life happened. We stepped up when we had to. That’s responsibility — not failure. But sometimes the season changes… and we keep living like it hasn’t. We tell ourselves we’re too busy. We assume it’s too late. Here’s the truth : Where we stand physically today is the result of small decisions repeated over time. And that works both ways. We don’t need a dramatic reset. We need structure. Consistency. Basics. A plan we can actually sustain. Real strength is built in steady seasons — by showing up again and again. If we’ve drifted, we’re not behind. We’re at a turning point. And turning points don’t require motivation. They require a decision. Maybe this spring, we spring forward in our own story — and begin building again. It’s never too late, start now.