| Day | Session | Stimulus | Shoulder Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Sentinel | Strength — all 3 lifts | W. Pull-ups only (vertical pull) |
| Tuesday | Metcon A | Conditioning + shoulder preservation | Band prehab warm-up + Piece 2 push work |
| Wednesday | Sentinel | Strength — all 3 lifts | W. Pull-ups only (vertical pull) |
| Thursday | Metcon B | Conditioning + shoulder preservation | Band prehab warm-up + Piece 2 push work |
| Friday | Sentinel | Strength — all 3 lifts | W. Pull-ups only (vertical pull) |
| Saturday | Long Run | Aerobic base — Zone 2 | Off / optional band work at home |
| Sunday | Rest | Full recovery | Nothing |
| Week | Type | Rx | Back Squat | W. Pull-Up | Deadlift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Volume | 4×5 @ 75% | 190 lbs | +5 lbs | 255 lbs |
| 6 | Moderate | 4×5 @ 80% | 200 lbs | +15 lbs | 270 lbs |
| 7 | Intensity | 3×3 @ 85% | 215 lbs | +30 lbs | 290 lbs |
| 8 | Deload | 2×5 @ 60% | 150 lbs | BW only | 205 lbs |
Tempo: 20X1 on all lifts, all weeks. RPE caps: W5: 6, W6: 7, W7: 8, W8: 5.
No bench press in Sentinel. All pressing preserved via metcon Piece 2 shoulder work. Weighted pull-ups are the only upper body lift in the strength program.
- No barbell in metcons. The barbell lives on Mon/Wed/Fri. Metcons are DB, KB, bodyweight, bands, and cardio equipment only.
- Posterior chain protection. No heavy squats or deadlifts in metcons. Air squats, goblet squats (light), lunges, and step-ups are fine — sub-maximal and different loading pattern.
- Grip fatigue management. Deadlifts + weighted pull-ups 3x/week taxes grip hard. No high-volume hanging work in metcons. Light DB rows in small sets only.
- Pressing is metcon-only. With no bench in Sentinel, the metcon Piece 2 shoulder work is the entire pressing program. Do not skip it.
- No overhead loading. No thrusters, push press, push jerk, DB snatch, overhead squat, or American KB swings. Russian swings (chest height) only.
- No kipping. No kipping pull-ups, muscle-ups, or any ballistic shoulder movement. Band-assisted strict pull-ups in small sets if included.
- Intensity follows the wave. Metcon volume and intensity scale inversely with Sentinel intensity. Week 7 (85%) metcons are shorter. Week 8 (deload) replaces metcons with shoulder rehab.
Goal: Slow upper body atrophy through sub-maximal, high-rep blood flow work that maintains neuromuscular connections and promotes tendon health. This is not about building pressing strength — it’s about preserving what you have until September surgery.
Frequency: 4 dedicated shoulder sessions per week (Tue/Thu warm-up + Piece 2). Weighted pull-ups 3x/week provide scapular stability stimulus.
- 5 min bike or light treadmill jog
- Band pull-aparts — 2×15
- Band pass-throughs — 2×10
- Band external rotations — 2×10/arm
- Light DB scarecrows — 2×10
- 3–5 min movement-specific prep
- 5 min easy bike or walk
- 5 min shoulder stretching + light mobility
Bench causes issues even at light weight. Start at the top of this list and only progress down if the previous level is tolerated pain-free. If even option 1 causes pain, switch to isometric holds (press band to arm’s length, hold 10–20 sec) and slow eccentric incline push-ups.
4×5 @ 75% — Back Squat 190, W. Pull-Up +5, Deadlift 255. RPE cap 6, rest 3 min, tempo 20X1.
- 200m treadmill run
- 15 air squats
- 12 KB Russian swings (moderate weight, chest height)
- 12 sit-ups
- 8 band chest press (or light DB floor press if tolerated)
- 10 incline push-ups (hands on bench)
- 15 band face pulls
- 8 light DB hammer curls
4×5 @ 75% — Back Squat 190, W. Pull-Up +5, Deadlift 255. RPE cap 6, rest 3 min, tempo 20X1.
- 50 double unders
- 40 air squats
- 30 KB Russian swings
- 20 walking lunges (total)
- 1:00 plank hold
- 20 walking lunges (total)
- 30 KB Russian swings
- 40 air squats
- 50 double unders
- 8 light DB rows/arm (neutral grip)
- 10 band chest press (or light DB floor press)
- 15 band pull-aparts
- 10 light DB curls
4×5 @ 75% — Back Squat 190, W. Pull-Up +5, Deadlift 255. RPE cap 6, rest 3 min, tempo 20X1.
90 min Zone 2. Conversational pace. Treadmill or outside. Walk breaks are fine. Heart rate stays under 150 BPM. Volume week — full duration.
Full recovery. No structured training.
4×5 @ 80% — Back Squat 200, W. Pull-Up +15, Deadlift 270. RPE cap 7, rest 3–4 min, tempo 20X1.
- 400m treadmill run
- 12 DB goblet lunges (alternating, light)
- 15 V-ups
- Rest 1:00 between rounds
- Odd min: 8 incline push-ups + 10 band pull-aparts
- Even min: 8 band chest press + 10 band face pulls
4×5 @ 80% — Back Squat 200, W. Pull-Up +15, Deadlift 270. RPE cap 7, rest 3–4 min, tempo 20X1.
- 12 cal bike
- 10 DB goblet squats (light)
- 50 double unders
- 8 single-leg DB deadlifts (4/side, light)
- 8 light DB floor press (neutral grip, 3-sec lower)
- 8 light DB rows/arm
- 12 band external rotations/arm
- 10 light DB hammer curls
4×5 @ 80% — Back Squat 200, W. Pull-Up +15, Deadlift 270. RPE cap 7, rest 3–4 min, tempo 20X1.
90 min Zone 2. Moderate week — Sentinel is heavier. If legs feel beat up from Friday’s 80% session, keep the pace honest and take walk breaks. Don’t push past 90.
Full recovery. No structured training.
Intensity week. Sentinel hits 3×3 @ 85%. Your CNS takes the biggest hit of the cycle. Metcons back off — shorter Piece 1, more recovery between efforts. Piece 2 shoulder work stays the same. Monitor Neuro-RPE closely.
3×3 @ 85% — Back Squat 215, W. Pull-Up +30, Deadlift 290. RPE cap 8, rest 4–5 min, tempo 20X1.
- 200m treadmill run
- 10 step-ups (alternating)
- 10 sit-ups
- 0:30 plank hold
- 10 band chest press (slow and controlled)
- 12 incline push-ups
- 15 band pull-aparts
- 10 band external rotations/arm
- 10 band face pulls
- 10 light DB hammer curls
3×3 @ 85% — Back Squat 215, W. Pull-Up +30, Deadlift 290. RPE cap 8, rest 4–5 min, tempo 20X1.
- 15 cal bike
- 10 KB Russian swings (light)
- 10 V-ups
- Remaining time = rest (use it)
- 8 light DB rows/arm
- 8 light DB floor press (neutral grip, slow)
- 15 band pull-aparts
- 8 light DB curls
3×3 @ 85% — Back Squat 215, W. Pull-Up +30, Deadlift 290. RPE cap 8, rest 4–5 min, tempo 20X1.
75 min Zone 2. Backed off from full 90. Intensity week Sentinel + metcons + a long run is a lot. Protect your recovery. Walk breaks encouraged.
Full recovery. No structured training.
Deload week. No metcon structure. Sentinel is 2×5 @ 60% — active recovery weight. Tue/Thu become dedicated shoulder rehab + easy movement. This is the week your body absorbs the training. Don’t waste it.
2×5 @ 60% — Back Squat 150, W. Pull-Up BW only, Deadlift 205. RPE cap 5, rest any, tempo 20X1.
- Bike 15 min easy
- 15 band pull-aparts
- 15 band pass-throughs
- 10 band external rotations/arm
- 10 band face pulls
- 10 light DB scarecrows
- Light DB floor press — 3×10 (very light, focus on smooth ROM)
- Incline push-ups — 3×12 (slow tempo, 3 sec down)
- Light DB rows — 3×10/arm
- Light DB curls — 3×12
- Bike 10 min easy
- Full shoulder/hip stretching — 10 min
2×5 @ 60% — Back Squat 150, W. Pull-Up BW only, Deadlift 205. RPE cap 5, rest any, tempo 20X1.
- Treadmill walk 15 min (incline optional)
- 15 band pull-aparts
- 15 band pass-throughs
- 10 band external rotations/arm
- 10 band face pulls
- 10 light DB scarecrows
- Farmer carries — 4×40 steps (moderate DBs)
- Light DB hammer curls — 3×12
- Light DB lateral raises — 3×8 (only if tolerated — stop at any pain)
- Band press and hold — 3×20 sec (isometric)
- Easy bike 10 min
- Full body stretching — 15 min
2×5 @ 60% — Back Squat 150, W. Pull-Up BW only, Deadlift 205. RPE cap 5, rest any, tempo 20X1.
60 min easy Zone 2. Deload week. Keep it short and genuinely easy. This closes out the cycle.
Full recovery. Sentinel Cycle 1 complete.
Going from 3 structured days to 6 is a significant jump. If Neuro-RPE starts climbing or you hit a 48-Hour Rule trigger, cut in this order. Each cut is independent — only drop to the next level if symptoms persist.
- Drop Piece 1 intensity. Replace the metcon conditioning piece with Zone 2 bike or easy walk. Keep Piece 2 shoulder preservation work — that’s more important than the conditioning stimulus.
- Drop Thursday entirely. Tuesday stays (shoulder work). Thursday becomes a rest day. 5 training days.
- Shorten Saturday run. Drop from 90 to 45–60 min. Or replace with an easy walk.
- Nuclear option. Drop back to Sentinel 3x/week + Saturday walk only. Do shoulder band work at home on off days. Rebuild volume when symptoms stabilize.
| Avoid Completely | Modify / Use Caution | Cleared |
|---|---|---|
|
Overhead press (any load) Thrusters / push press / push jerk DB or barbell snatch Kipping pull-ups / muscle-ups Handstand push-ups Dips (loaded or bodyweight) Burpees (push-up component) American KB swings (overhead) |
Push-ups → incline push-ups Bench press → DB floor press (neutral grip, very light) Pull-ups → band-assisted strict only, small sets DB rows → light weight, neutral grip KB swings → Russian only (chest height) Lateral raises → very light, stop at pain Burpees → squat thrusts (no push-up) |
Band pull-aparts / face pulls Band external rotations Band pass-throughs Band chest press DB hammer curls DB curls Farmer carries All lower body movements All core work All cardio (run, bike, jump rope) |