Week 3 - Dark Wolf Foundation Protocol Phase 0

DAY 15 Monday

Upper Body Strength

Warm-up

6-8 Half Kneeling Kettlebell Press (each arm, pause 2s at top)
15 Lateral Band Walks (each side)
12 Side Plank Rotations (each side)
Rest 60 seconds

Main Work

A1) Bench Press (from floor)

30X0 TEMPO

6-8 reps × 3 sets
RPE 7 (building from Week 2, glutes on floor eliminates leg drive)
Rest 45 seconds, then to A2

A2) Dumbbell Prone Row

20X2 TEMPO

6-8 reps × 3 sets
RPE 7 (chest supported on bench, strict form)
Rest 90 seconds, return to A1

B1) Ring Face Pulls

21X0 TEMPO

6-10 reps × 3 sets
RPE 6-7 (shoulder health focus)
Rest 60 seconds, then to B2

B2) Plank (feet elevated on box)

30-45 seconds unbroken × 3 sets
RPE 7-8 (significantly harder than regular plank)
Rest 60 seconds, return to B1

Conditioning

C) 4 rounds NOT for time:

50 seconds Wall Sit
12 Ring Push-ups @ 20X1 tempo
6-8 Single Arm Dumbbell Muscle Snatch (each arm)
Rest as needed

Target RPE 7 - controlled, quality reps

Cool-down

2-3 minutes easy bike
Doorway pec stretch - 60 seconds each side
Thread the needle stretch - 60 seconds each side

DAY 16 Tuesday

MAF Run

DURATION 30-60 minutes

Choose duration based on your schedule and recovery status. 30 minutes minimum, 60 minutes maximum.

Protocol

Heart Rate: At or below (180 - your age)
Breathing: Nasal only - if you need to mouth breathe, slow down
Pace: Conversational - you should be able to hold full conversation
RPE: 3-4 out of 10 (easy to moderate)
Terrain: Flat to rolling preferred
Surface: Consistent (road, track, or smooth trail)

◆ Focus Points

This is RECOVERY running - not fitness testing
Track your pace at MAF HR - this will improve over weeks
If HR spikes above MAF, walk until it drops back down
Weather affects HR - adjust pace accordingly (heat raises HR)
This builds aerobic base without interfering with lifting recovery

Post-Run

5-10 minutes easy walking cooldown
Light stretching (calves, hip flexors, quads)
Hydrate and fuel appropriately
Log: Distance, time, average HR, average pace, how you felt

DAY 17 Wednesday

Squat Strength + Midline

Warm-up

10 Quadruped Thoracic Rotation (each side)
15 meter Quadruped Crawl (slow and deliberate)
10 Jefferson Curls (light)
Rest 60-90 seconds

Main Work

A) Back Squat

32X1 TEMPO

4 reps × 4 sets
RPE 7 (build from last week)
Rest 2-3 minutes

B1) Bulgarian Split Squat

30X1 TEMPO

5 reps each leg × 3 sets (slower eccentric than Week 2)
RPE 7
Rest 60 seconds, then to B2

B2) Lean Away Strict Pull-ups

21X2 TEMPO

3-4 reps × 3 sets (lean body away from bar at top)
RPE 8 (very challenging variation)
Rest 60 seconds, return to B1

C1) Single Leg Romanian Deadlift

3011 TEMPO

6-8 reps each leg × 3 sets
RPE 7 (heavier than previous weeks)
Rest 60 seconds, then to C2

C2) Seated Arnold Press

2112 TEMPO

6-8 reps × 3 sets
RPE 7
Rest 60 seconds, return to C1

Conditioning

D) 9-minute continuous grind:

30 meter Heavy Farmers Carry (tough weight)
15 seconds Ring Support Hold
6 Dumbbell Bent Over Rows (heavy)
10 Kipping Toes-to-Bar
20 seconds Wall Facing Handstand Hold

Target RPE 7 - steady grind

Cool-down

2 minutes easy bike
Quad stretch - 60 seconds each leg
Butterfly stretch - 90 seconds

DAY 18 Thursday

MAF Run

DURATION 30-60 minutes

Choose duration based on your schedule and recovery status. 30 minutes minimum, 60 minutes maximum.

Protocol

Heart Rate: At or below (180 - your age)
Breathing: Nasal only - if you need to mouth breathe, slow down
Pace: Conversational - you should be able to hold full conversation
RPE: 3-4 out of 10 (easy to moderate)
Terrain: Flat to rolling preferred
Surface: Consistent (road, track, or smooth trail)

◆ Focus Points

This is RECOVERY running - not fitness testing
Track your pace at MAF HR - this will improve over weeks
If HR spikes above MAF, walk until it drops back down
Weather affects HR - adjust pace accordingly (heat raises HR)
This builds aerobic base without interfering with lifting recovery

Post-Run

5-10 minutes easy walking cooldown
Light stretching (calves, hip flexors, quads)
Hydrate and fuel appropriately
Log: Distance, time, average HR, average pace, how you felt

DAY 19 Friday

Olympic Lifting + CrossFit WOD

Warm-up

6 Empty Bar Hang Squat Cleans
6 Empty Bar Push Press
30 Hollow Body Rocks

Main Work

A) Hang Squat Clean

Build to a tough set of 2 reps in 10 minutes
RPE 7-8 (squat version, focus on receiving position)
Technical proficiency paramount

B) Push Press

21X2 TEMPO

5 reps × 4 sets (added set from Week 2)
RPE 7
Rest 2 minutes

Conditioning

C) For Time:

5 Rounds:
12 Wall Balls (20/14 lbs to 10'/9')
6 Power Cleans (135/95 lbs)

Target RPE 8-9 - tough but sustainable
Time cap: 15 minutes

Cool-down

3 minutes easy walk
Overhead tricep stretch - 60 seconds each arm
Lat stretch on rig - 60 seconds each side
Child's pose - 2 minutes

DAY 20 Saturday

Long Run

DURATION 75-90 minutes

ZONE TARGET Zone 2 (pure LSD)

Protocol

Start easy - first 10-15 minutes should feel very comfortable
Settle into steady Zone 2 pace (at or below MAF HR)
Focus on consistent effort, not pace
Walk hills if needed to keep HR in zone
Fuel: Bring water/nutrition for runs over 75 minutes

Post-Run

10-15 minutes walking cooldown
Extended stretching routine (15-20 minutes)
Refuel within 30 minutes (carbs + protein)
Hydrate aggressively for next 2-3 hours
Log: Distance, time, average HR, nutrition used, how you felt

DAY 21 Sunday

Full Rest

Complete rest day. No training. No optional work.

Recovery Activities (Optional)

Light stretching or mobility (10-15 minutes max)
Easy walking (20-30 minutes, purely recreational)
Foam rolling or massage
Meal prep for the week ahead
Review training logs and plan next week

Focus Areas

Sleep: Prioritize 8-9 hours tonight
Nutrition: Focus on whole foods, adequate protein
Hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout day
Mental recovery: Spend time with family, hobbies, relaxation
Reflection: Assess the week - what went well, what needs adjustment

Week 3 Complete

Foundation Phase complete! 3 weeks down. Development Phase begins next week. Review your logs and prepare mentally.