Understanding Our Programming: How Iron and Mettle Helps You Build Strength Year-Round

At Iron and Mettle, our programming is carefully designed to help you build strength, muscle, and bone density while keeping your training varied, effective, and engaging. We follow a yearly linear periodization model which ensures that your workouts are structured in a way that promotes continuous progress while minimizing the risk of burnout, plateaus and injuries. Our approach focuses on quarterly macrocycles broken down into smaller 4-8 week strength cycles, each designed with specific goals in mind.

Let’s dive deeper into how our programming works, what you can expect throughout the year, and why this approach sets us apart!

The Big Picture: Yearly Periodization

Periodization is a strategy used in exercise science and training to divide the year into distinct phases, each focusing on different aspects of fitness. At Iron and Mettle, we’ve built our programming around four quarterly macrocycles that align with the principles of linear periodization. Each quarter targets a specific training goal, gradually progressing you toward peak strength and performance by year’s end.

Our Yearly Macrocycle Breakdown:

  • Q1: Endurance/Density (Highest Volume, Lowest Intensity)
    The first quarter sets the foundation for the year. Workouts focus on building endurance and work capacity through higher-rep sets and lighter weights, and more conditioning. This phase is designed to prepare your body for the heavier loads and more intense workouts to come!

  • Q2: Hypertrophy (Medium Volume, Medium Intensity)
    As we move into Q2, the emphasis shifts to muscle growth. You’ll notice an increase in weight and a decrease in reps compared to Q1. This phase is where we focus on building muscle size and strength, which will serve as the base for the power and max strength phases later in the year.

  • Q3: Power (Lower Volume, Higher Intensity)
    During the third quarter, the goal is to develop explosive power. Workouts feature lower rep ranges and heavier weights, often incorporating dynamic movements like jumping to train your ability to generate force quickly. This phase bridges the gap between hypertrophy and maximum strength.

  • Q4: Max Strength/Peaking (Max Intensity)
    The final quarter of the year is all about testing your limits. With the foundation laid in the previous phases, you’ll work with maximal weights and lower reps to hit new personal bests. This phase often coincides with our bench press competition as well as end-of-year challenges for our members!! We love it, members love it, and it’s the best time!

Strength Cycles: The Building Blocks of Progress

Within each macrocycle, we complete on average three strength cycles, typically lasting 4-8 weeks. Each cycle has its own specific focus and progression, ensuring that your training remains purposeful and aligned with the broader goals of the macrocycle. In 2024 alone, we completed 9 distinct strength cycles!

Why Shorter Strength Cycles Work:

  • Focused Goals: Breaking the year into smaller cycles allows us to target specific skills or lifts, such as getting your first pull-up, improving your squat or building glute strength!

  • Manageable Progression: Shorter cycles make it easier to see and track your progress.

  • Adaptability: This structure allows us to adjust programming to meet the needs of our members or introduce themed cycles, like our popular “Gluteus Maxout” cycle.

What to Expect During Each Quarter

Q1: Endurance and Density

At the start of the year, we focus on building a strong foundation. Expect workouts with higher rep ranges (12-20 reps) and lighter weights. Circuit-style training and supersets are common, as they help build stamina and prepare your body for more intense phases later on. These workouts are perfect for those looking to improve overall fitness, work capacity, and cardiovascular health.

Example of a Q1 Workout on a Deadlift Focused day:

  • Part A: Ab Circuit

    20s hollow body hold

    20s mountain climbers - controlled

    20s forearm side plank R

    20s forearm side plank L

    20s rest

  • Part B: Conditioning

    EMOM x 12 minutes (3 sets)

    Minute 1: 15 kettlebell Swings

    Minute 2: 16 - 20 alternating goblet lunges with kettlebell

    Minute 3: 30 second high plank hold

    Minute 4: 30 seconds airbike sprint

  • Part C: Strength

    3 x 5+ reps barbell conventional deadlift

    Build as you go, to around 75-80% or RPE 7; final set is an AMRAP

  • Part D: Couplet Accessory Block

    3 sets

    8/side bulgarian split squats

    8/side heel elevated unweighted glute bridge

Q2: Hypertrophy

This phase is all about building muscle. Workouts include moderate weights and rep ranges (6-12 reps) with a focus on controlled, time-under-tension movements. You’ll notice an increase in accessory work to target specific muscle groups and improve your lifts.

Example of a Q2 Workout on a Bench Focused day:

  • Part A: Strength Block

    4 x 8 Reps barbell bench press, lowering on a 2-second count per rep; starting at a moderate weight and building as able

  • Part B: Accessory Block

    5 Sets:

    6/side 3-point kb/db row (2-second pause at the top of every rep)

    6/side 1/2 kneeling landmine press

    6/side landmine oblique side bends

  • Part C: Conditioning Block

    12 Min AMRAP

    3 DB Push Press Right

    3 DB Push Press Left

    3 Ring Rows

    3 Calorie Row or Bike

    6 DB Push Press Right

    6 DB Push Press Left

    6 Ring Rows

    3 Calorie Row or Bike

    9 DB Push Press Right

    9 DB Push Press Left

    9 Ring Rows

    Keep adding 3 per movement per round AMRAP is complete

Q3: Power

In Q3, we shift the focus to power and explosiveness. Training includes heavier weights (3-6 reps) and dynamic movements like box jumps and kettlebell swings. This is the time to work on speed, technique, and force production.

Example of a Q3 Workout on a Squat Focused day:

  • Part A: Power Block

  • 30 seconds on / 30 seconds off x 3 sets:
    1) Box Jumps
    2) Burpees
    3) Hollow body hold

  • Part B: Strength Block

    4 x 3 reps back squat
    1 x 3+ (AMRAP using same weight as top 3)

  • Part C: Accessory Block

    3 sets:
    12/side reverse lunges
    12/side suitcase KB deadlift
    12 bear pose shoulder taps

  • Part D: Conditioning

    10 - 1 Reps
    Air Squats
    Sit Ups

Q4: Max Strength and Peaking

The final phase is where all the hard work comes together. You’ll test your limits with lower rep ranges (1-3 reps) and near-maximal weights. This phase often includes 1RM test days to celebrate your progress!

Example of a Q4 1RM Test Workout:

  • Spend 20 minutes building to a 1 Rep max deadlift

  • Spend 20 minutes building to a 1 rep max bench press

The Benefits of Our Programming

Our structured programming isn’t just about getting stronger - it’s about keeping you safe and helping you make consistent, lifelong progress. Here’s what you gain by following our yearly periodization model:

  • Balanced Progress: Each phase builds on the last, ensuring well-rounded development without overtraining.

  • Variety: By focusing on different goals throughout the year, we keep your workouts fresh and engaging.

  • Injury Prevention: Gradual progression and thoughtful programming reduce the risk of injury.

  • Community: With themed cycles and shared goals, you’re always training alongside others with the same focus, fostering a supportive and motivating environment.

Why Tracking and Progression Matter

Tracking your workouts is a key part of our programming at Iron and Mettle. We log your lifts for you, so you can see how much you’ve improved over time. It’s also essential for progressive overload - the principle of gradually increasing the weight or difficulty of your exercises to continue building strength.

Our coaches handle the tracking for you, so you can focus on the work. Whether it’s recording your PRs (personal records) or adjusting your weights based on performance, we ensure every session is purposeful and has knowledge and thought behind it! If you’re ever curious why a certain movement is in a workout - we encourage you to ask! We’re always happy to nerd out about training methods.

Join Us for a Year of Strength

At Iron and Mettle, we’re passionate about helping you build strength - not just in the gym, but in every aspect of your life. Our yearly programming ensures that every workout has a purpose, and our supportive community makes it easy to stay consistent and motivated.

Ready to take the first step? Join us for a strength cycle and experience the difference that structured, thoughtful programming can make. Together, we’ll build habits, set goals, and make 2025 our strongest year yet!

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