Hey Brutes,

Read through this document if you are just beginning and we will explain how to best utilize our
programming!

Intro Video:
If you’re new to the group and unsure what to expect, please watch the intro video here:
https://youtu.be/RodoGhvmE60

Brute FAQ:

Q: Who do I contact with questions or issues?

A:
● For account questions please email accounts@brutestrengthtraining.com.
● For training questions email Adrian@brutestrengthtraining.com.
● For TeamBuildr issues you can submit a ticket request on your dashboard or email
james@teambuildr.com

Q: When will I see my new programming for the week?

A: The standard is: By midnight MST on Saturday is when you should have all workouts.

Q: I’m in the wrong gymnastics group...how can I get this fixed?

A: Email ​info@brutestrengthtraining.com​ with a request to be moved and to which level you need to
be moved to.

Q: What are the Webinars I’ve heard about?

A:​ ​We have held a few webinars in order to keep you informed about the programming cycles we are
in and how the things we program for are transferring to your overall fitness. You can find the
previous recordings below. When we host future webinars you will receive an email to the email
address you are registered with for your programming, as well as see announcements in the Facebook
group.
● December 2016 - ​https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2838613946608671491
● October 2016 - ​https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7987563126450246147
● August 2016 - ​https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3412655770942602500
● July 2016 - ​https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6059284711298859778
● May 2016 - ​https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/24896616608885249

Q: What is ROMWOD and why should I consider using it? Is there a Brute discount?
A: “ROMWOD stands for Range of Motion Workout of the Day. It is a website designed to increase
range of motion, optimize athletic performance, and promote recovery, healing, and longevity.”

Being a part of Brute, you will receive 2 weeks of ROMWOD for free, then to continue to use their
services you would sign up with their programming.
Q: What should I do for recovery workouts?
A: A recovery workout would be examples of the following: 5k row easy pace (anything
equivalent….20 min bike, swim, run, ski, even light sled drag.) These can last as long as an hour if
you want...but 20 minutes is a great minimum. Think 7/10 on difficulty scale or if you have a heart
rate monitor stay around 70% of your max heart rate. 50 Turkish get ups with lightweight and perfect
form, not for time, is another good one.

Q: Endurance Row - what is 3x(4x800m at 4k pace, then 800m at 12k pace) w/no rest between sets?
A: This is a typo. It should be 6400m total - essential 4 rounds of: 800m @4k pace 800m @12k pace

Q: ​w2d2 what percentage, weight or bar only should I use for the clean complex?
A: Keep it light. Think 55-60%. Move flawless

Q: If there is no weight listed such as for speed squats and snatch vertical jumps or any other
movement. Are we going with anything up to our 70%?
A: Keep the weights light enough to be high quality and fast!! Definitely staying below 70%......it’s ok
to get challenging but once you feel slower movement or sloppy form go back down. We don't have
specified weights because stronger athletes can't hit the same percentages for "speed" that a weaker
athlete can easily hit.

Q: Where will I be tracking my workouts?

A: Brute has recently switched its technical platform to TeamBuildr (​www.teambuildr.com​ and
mobile app). The live group will be using this to receive and track programming daily. Also included
is a leaderboard which allows you to track your progress with your peers. A good TeamBuildr usage
FAQ can be found here: ​https://support.teambuildr.com/home

Q: I live in a crappy temperature winter area and I don’t want to run outside for fear of losing a limb
to frostbite. What should I do?
A: Assault bike, Airdyne, or rowing are all suitable substitutes.

Q: I can’t enter a testing phase result because the workout disappeared

A: Email result to ​info@brutestrengthtraining.com

Q: How much rest between sets on the supersets?

A: 1:30 is about perfect. 1:00 is fine, if you have 2:00 that can be better. Keep that window.

Q: What should we sub handstand walks with if we can’t do them yet?

A: If you have a spotter use them to help you walk without falling. If not wall handstand holds
shifting the weight from side to side (like walking in place with the wall supporting you). I would sub
about 30 seconds of that for every 10-15 meters of walking. Or just handstand hold on the wall. Bear
crawl would be another possible option

Q: What is NME (Neuromuscular Efficiency)

Have you ever noticed someone who’s 5RM is so close to their 1RM, and the 1RM doesn’t look that
hard?
It’s not that they’re not trying hard. It’s that they cannot fully activate their “highest threshold motor
units.” In other words, they can’t activate all of their musculature and end up leaving some in the tank.
Neuromuscular efficiency is your brain’s ability to communicate with muscles to coordinate
contractions and patterning.
Some athletes are more efficient, and their brains are conservative in the amount of signaling it
provides. It’s almost like a governor on a car. These are the people that can hit 92.5% for a set of 5.
Others don’t have that same governor. These are your “fast-twitch” athletes that tend to be a little
more explosive and have higher 1RMs.
High NME = More reps closer to your 1RM
Low NME = Higher 1RM, but can’t do as many reps near their max
II. HOW DO I TEST MY NEUROMUSCULAR EFFICIENCY?
NME can be tested is a couple different ways. We will be using the Back Squat, Deadlift, Bench press
and Overhead Press as primary moments to test your NME.
We will be starting with the back squat and cycle thru different lifts and tests every 3 months.
This is the test that you will see…
A. High Bar Back Squat; build to a max
Rest 10min
B. High Bar Back Squat; 1 set of Max reps @85% of the max you just hit
*The tempo needs to be strict. 2sec lower and 1 sec pause at the top
The test is complete when you can no longer lift the weight or you break from tempo.
Your rep count is your NME score.
III. WHAT DOES MY NEUROMUSCULAR EFFICIENCY TEST SCORE MEAN?
First NME is neither good or bad, it just represents a portion of your neural anatomy. Training history,
genetics, gender are a few things that influence your NME.
The higher the score the more efficient you are, and the more reps you need to elicit the 85% dose
response from the training session (you need to do more reps to get the correct training effect). Keep
in mind this only applies to the slow strength moments. The clean, snatch, and jerk are much more
complex and have a lot more involved so the ability to isolate NME influence is very difficult.
Take two athletes both with a 300lb back squat:
Athlete A scores an NME of 12 reps. Athlete B scores an NME of 2 reps. There is a big difference in
the way an 85% load will affect these two athletes.
If we prescribe 5x5 at 85% to athlete A, he/she may be UNDERdosed meaning it may not be enough
reps to make that athlete stronger.
Conversely, if we prescribe the same to athlete B, he/she may be OVERdosed meaning that it may
create too much metabolic stress on that athlete which will also not elicit absolute strength adaptations
(i.e. won’t get the athlete stronger).
Grading Scale
Low efficiency= 1-3
Normal efficiency= 4-6
High efficiency = 7-10
Extreme efficiency= 11+
IV. HOW WILL YOU USE YOUR SCORE?
You will establish your NME score and adjust your strength work accordingly to ensure that you’re
getting the best dose response.
For those that have Low NME: Subtract 1 rep
For those that have Normal NME: No adjustment
For those that have High NME: Add 1 rep
For those that have Extreme NME: Add 2-3 reps
*When we prescribe double-digit reps schemes double your adjustment
Example 1: We prescribe 6x3 Deadlift @ 87.5%. Someone with a low NME is going to change that to
6x2 @ 87.5%.
Example 2: We prescribe 3x12 Strict Press @ 55%. Someone with a High NME is going to do 3x14
(Add 2 since it’s double digit reps).

Q: Which do I follow if there is a difference in programming between the written workout and the
video?

A: First, we apologize for this confusion, we are currently working on updating all of our videos for
movements to assure that they meet/cover all of our standards and give proper instruction.

WODs:​ In your programming we include an “intent” that will give a description of what we are
looking to achieve with this workout and its movements
Weight:​ We stick to normal crossfit ratio in loading for Men/Women. Use your best judgement, these
mistakes are very far and inbetween but they do happen.
Lifts: ​This will also be included with an intent, that we are trying to achieve with the movement.

Q: When will I find out my group?

A: ​ After on-ramp, we have equations and placings that directly put athletes in groups that provide the
programming needed to strengthen an individual's weaknesses. . There will be other with same or
similar weakness to you that will receive the same program. Once on ramp is over, you will also begin
the “Open Prep”.
Within your Dashboard of TeamBuildr (logged in from a desktop rather than phone app) you will also
see a document explaining which emphasis you are in, and information about how we determine
getting you to that emphasis.

Q: How long is on-ramp?

A: 5 weeks

Q: What is performance care and how should I use it?

A: Active Life provides two to three “Performance Care Segments (PCS)” each week. These
workouts are meant to be done for QUALITY and should be used as recovery work for the day when
they are programmed. These are great examples of recovery workouts.

Q: What is a performance care segment?

A: These medium length, low intensity, high quality workout segments are designed by Active Life
and are extremely important to your recovery and your joint health. You will see these written as 3-4
movements for 3-4 rounds or 15-20 minutes for quality work each week. These are very important,
make sure you attack them like any other part of your workout. Take your time with them, exercise
full range of motion,j and emphasize quality. If you have any questions about injury or discomfort
please use #Rx.

Q: What can I use to scale/sub…

Always check out the videos for the week to hear if we have scaling options in there as well! Here are
some common scaling options:

● Ring Muscle Ups​ - ​Spotted Muscle Up/ Kneeling Muscle Transition drill/ Jumping Muscle
Up/ Pull Up + Push Up combo/ Burpee C2B Pull Up
● Bar Muscle Ups​ - ​C2B Pull Up + Push Up Combo/ Pull Up+Push Up combo/ Burpee Pull
Up or Burpee C2B pull up combo/ Jumping or Spotted BMU
● Don’t have a rower​ - Run/Airdyne/Ski Erg/Jump Rope
● Don’t have an assault bike​ - Run/Row/Ski Erg/Jump Rope
● Can’t run outside​ - Row/Assault bike/Ski Erg/Jump Rope/Run by yards inside
● Don’t have a rope​ - towel pull-ups
● Rope Climb​ - Modify height of climb/ Sit to box, work grasping with feet and standing to
extension on rope for a few reps
● Don’t have a GHD​ - Sit-ups
● Handstand Walk​ - Handstand Hold off Box (kneeling or pike)/ Wall facing Handstand Hold/
Partner spotted Handstand Hold
● Handstand Push-ups​ - Handstand Push Up off box Kneeling or Pike/ Handstand Push Up to
abmat or partial range/ DB Strict Press
● Pistol​ - Single Leg Squat to box (varying height, make most difficult)/ Supported Pistol (heel
elevated on plate or floor)/ Self Spotted Pistol (holding onto Rig, band, door frame)/ Lateral
box Step up