APT - Athletic Performance Training

What is APT? How is this class organized? What is the goal?

The goal of APT is to increase muscle, lose fat and move better. We use a HIIT methodology with functional movements and a wide variety of equipment.

Equipment/ Movements – Treadmills, rowing machines, assault bikes, battle ropes, wall balls, pull ups, toe to bar, box jumps, kettlebell swings, bench press, dumbbells and more.

The class is 45 minutes long. There are 4 different workouts, each 8-minutes long.

Each workout follows a high intensity interval training methodology. This allows you to trigger an “adaptative response” causing your body to increase muscle and use fat for fuel; quicker.

Why 8-minute modules? Eight minutes is the perfect amount of time. It promotes a wind sprint mindset. If it’s any longer, you would need to pace yourself. If it’s any shorter, you spend more time moving between exercises than working out…hence, 8 minutes is perfect.

Workout Formats: It is helpful for you to be familiar with the different workout formats you will see in APT. Be familiar with EMOM, Waterfall, AMRAP and AFAP, to name a few.

EMOM – Every Minute on the minute. Example: EMOM 8,  20 Kettlebell swings (every minute on the minute do 20 kettlebell swings for a total of 8 rounds or 8 one-minute rounds)

With an EMOM, you start an exercise with a set amount of reps (20 kettlebell swings) for each round.  You do the same amount of reps each round. You have one minute to get the work done. If it takes you :30 seconds, you get to rest :30 seconds. If it takes you :45 seconds, you only get to rest :15 seconds. Each new round starts at the top of each minute. In APT this might be 4 rounds, or it might be 8 rounds.

The beauty of an EMOM, it motivates you to work hard because the reward of rest is directly proportionate to your work effort. (Of course, you can scale the exercise by weight or range of motion)

Waterfall – Example 15, 12, 9, 6, 3 – Dumbbell Thruster and Pull Ups (do 15 dumbbell thrusters and 15 pullups then do 12 thrusters and 12 pullups then do 9 thrusters and 9 pull ups…until done)

Waterfall workouts exude the HIIT style of training. Waterfall workouts allow the athlete to continue working at high intensity despite getting more and more fatigued. As you progress to the next round, you get to do less work. The faster you get through the current round, the sooner you get to go to the next round with less reps. required.

These workouts are great because they provide a goal, structure, focus and a task that can be accomplished.

In APT we use Waterfalls to intermix different types of movements that range from body weight, dumbbells and cardio challenges. Things like push-ups, pull ups, wall balls, thrusters, calories on the assault bike, etc.

AMRAP  – As many rounds as possible.  Example: AMRAP –  Row 250 M, 15 air squats, 10 push ups

In APT we have 8 minutes per station. You might end up with a workout that is an AMRAP. For example, Row 300 meters then do 15 air squats then do 10 push-ups. You have 8 minutes to do as many rounds as possible. This style of workout allows each athlete to settle into a rhythm that is right for them. It is goal oriented, structured and motivating.

AFAP – As Fast as Possible. Example : AFAP Row 2000m or AFAP 5 Rds. Row 250, 15 air squats, 10 push-ups.

This is a traditional “task” based workout. You are not done until the task is finished. In APT a typical workout module is 8 minutes long. AN AFAP workout will be programmed with a task that can be done in the 8-minute time period with focus and hustle.