Week 5 - Dark Wolf Foundation Protocol Phase 0

DAY 29 Monday

Upper Body Strength

Warm-up

Assault Bike 30 seconds (increase pace each set)
6 Single Arm Landmine Press (each arm, light to moderate)
8 Banded Face Pulls
Rest walk 60 seconds

Main Work

A1) Bench Press (alternating arms)

30X0 TEMPO

6-8 reps × 1 set, 4-6 reps × 2 sets
RPE 7-8 (one arm presses while other holds lockout - very challenging)
Rest 45 seconds, then immediately to A2

A2) Supinated Bent Over Row

21X1 TEMPO

6-8 reps × 1 set, 4-6 reps × 2 sets
RPE 7-8 (underhand grip increases bicep engagement)
Rest 90 seconds, return to A1

B1) Dumbbell Suitcase Lateral Box Step Overs

2010 TEMPO

10-12 reps × 3 sets (step over box laterally)
RPE 7 (suitcase hold challenges anti-lateral flexion)
Rest 30 seconds, then to B2

B2) Supinated Ring Rows

21X1 TEMPO

8-10 reps × 3 sets
RPE 7 (underhand grip, controlled tempo)
Rest 30 seconds, return to B1

B3) Weighted Plank (feet elevated on box)

45-60 seconds unbroken × 3 sets
RPE 7-8 (plate on back, feet elevated increases difficulty)
Rest 60 seconds

Conditioning

C) 3 rounds NOT for time:

30 seconds One-Leg Wall Sit (each leg)
AMRAP Russian Twists in 30 seconds (20/14 lb medicine ball)
10 Dumbbell Power Cleans (moderate weight)
Rest as needed between rounds

Target RPE 7

Cool-down

3 minutes easy bike
Doorway pec stretch - 90 seconds each side
Lat stretch on rig - 90 seconds each side

DAY 30 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 31 Wednesday

Squat Strength + Midline

Warm-up

10 Quadruped Thoracic Rotation (each side)
1 Wall Walk + 10 second Handstand Hold + 10 Shoulder Taps
10 Quadruped Hip Extensions (each leg)
Rest 60 seconds

Main Work

A) Back Squat

31X1 TEMPO

2.2 rest 15s between doubles/rest 2-3 min between sets × 4 sets
RPE 8 (cluster format, build weight each set)
Rest 2-3 minutes between sets

B1) Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat (Dumbbells at sides)

30X1 TEMPO

6-8 reps each leg × 3 sets
RPE 7-8 (slow eccentric builds control)
Rest 60 seconds, then to B2

B2) Strict Pull-ups

30 seconds AMRAP × 3 sets (accumulate reps, no kipping)
RPE 8 (aim for quality reps throughout time)
Rest 90 seconds, return to B1

C1) Single Arm Cross Body Romanian Deadlift

3111 TEMPO

4-5 reps each arm × 3 sets
RPE 7 (dumbbell crosses body, challenges balance)
Rest 60 seconds, then to C2

C2) Seated Arnold Press

2112 TEMPO

6-8 reps × 1 set, 4-6 reps × 2 sets
RPE 7-8 (rotation adds complexity)
Rest 60 seconds, return to C1

Conditioning

D) 10-minute continuous grind:

10 meter Seated Heavy Farmers Carry (sit on floor, carry weight forward)
10 meter Dumbbell Bear Crawl (20/15 lb dumbbells in hands)
10 Ring Rows (hold 1 second at top of each rep)
10 Strict Toes-to-Bar
20 meter Dual Kettlebell Overhead Carry (moderate weight)

Target RPE 7 - complete as many rounds as possible

Cool-down

3 minutes easy bike
Hip flexor stretch - 2 minutes each leg
Seated twist - 90 seconds each side

DAY 32 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 33 Friday

Olympic Lifting + CrossFit WOD

Warm-up

5 Single Arm Kettlebell Z Press (each arm)
15 seconds Star Plank (each side)
20 seconds Psoas March (alternating knees)

Main Work

A) Complex: 2 Hang Muscle Snatch Above Knee + 2 Below Knee

4 sets
RPE 7 (technical work, focus on positions)
Rest as needed between sets

B) Seated Behind Neck Press

31X1 TEMPO

4-6 reps × 3 sets
RPE 7-8 (slow eccentric, ensure shoulder mobility)
Rest 2 minutes between sets

Conditioning

C) AMRAP 15 minutes:

10 Thrusters (95/65 lbs)
15 Kettlebell Swings (70/53 lbs)
20 Double-unders

Target RPE 8 - sustainable pace, aim for 8+ rounds

Cool-down

3 minutes easy walk
Shoulder circles - 60 seconds forward, 60 seconds backward
Child's pose - 2 minutes

DAY 34 Saturday

Long Run

DURATION 80-100 minutes

ZONE TARGET Zone 2 with Zone 3 finish

Run first 65-85 minutes at Zone 2 (at or below MAF HR). Final 15 minutes, build pace into Zone 3 (comfortably hard, sustainable). Focus on smooth transition from Z2 to Z3.

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 35 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 5 Complete

Week 5 complete. Halfway through Development Phase. One more week at this volume before Intensification begins.