Move
Introducing The Power of Practice: Building Strength, our new program to build strength—body and mind
Welcome to The Power of Practice: Building Strength, a 14-day program designed to help you build strength, push past plateaus, and explore what you’re capable of—all measured by one key move—the pushup. You may be wondering, what is the power of practice? Why are we focusing on the (dreaded, cough cough) pushup? We sat down with Product Manager and Lead Instructor Franny Loch to learn more about this transformative program. To opt in to The Power of Practice: Building Strength, click here.
BARRE3 MAGAZINE: Franny, hello! We can’t wait to pick your brain about this new strength program. Tell us, what is the background behind it?
FRANNY: This is part one of a three-part series we’re kicking off, the Power of Practice! For this first program, we’ll be focusing on building strength through consistent practice. With practice, we can make what once felt impossible, possible. We can change our narrative through a daily committed practice. We are intentionally working on something we find difficult in order to create a new definition of what we’re capable of. When we move our bodies in new ways, we open ourselves to new ways of being.
So that brings us to the pushup. This program revolves around the pushup because it’s accessible, modifiable, and regardless of where you are in your fitness journey, there’s always room to grow with this move. We love it because it’s convenient (you don’t need any equipment and can do one wherever you are), but at the same time, challenging.
BARRE3 MAGAZINE: What can we expect from The Power of Practice: Building Strength?
FRANNY: At its core, this program includes 14 days of expertly designed workouts crafted to be performed in a specific order with the goal of building strength. There will be days of push and days of recovery. To start, you’ll track your baseline number of pushups at the beginning of the program and reassess at the end to measure your progress. You’ll check in with yourself throughout the process to honor your needs, make adjustments, set daily intentions, and more so you feel successful in your practice, however that looks for you.
BARRE3 MAGAZINE: I don’t know about you, but pushups are SO challenging for me. How can clients modify pushups to work for their specific needs?
FRANNY: The first step in performing a pushup is being able to hold a high plank (whether it’s on the ground or at a higher surface). Work toward building the strength to hold a plank on your palms and toes for at least a minute before progressing to a pushup.
If you’re not able to perform a pushup on the floor yet, practice the move at a higher surface. As you build strength and are able to complete five to 10 repetitions of the movement at this incline, gradually begin to lower yourself down toward the ground. Regardless of what pushup variation you’re working on, a way to build strength toward the next progression is lengthening the eccentric, or lowering, phase of the movement. The goal is to lower with as much control as possible while maintaining postural integrity (neutral spine and core engagement).
BARRE3 MAGAZINE: If it’s challenging to fit in a 30-minute workout each day, can you still opt in to this program?
FRANNY: We got you! Pushups are included in the workouts on day 1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 12, and 14. On those days, if you don’t have time for 30 minutes but could squeeze in 15, we recommend redoing the warmup and pushup assessment workout from day one. If it’s a pushup-free workout day and you have time for a 15-minute practice, maybe you do a b3 Flow workout with me or give barre3 Signature with Andrew a try.
If it’s just one of those days where you have no time at all, that’s okay—push that class to the next day. We encourage you to try and stay as consistent as possible but understand that life happens! If you can’t work out for more than three days in a row, we would suggest starting the program again from the beginning.
BARRE3 MAGAZINE: How is progress measured during The Power of Practice: Building Strength?
FRANNY: ALL PROGRESS is progress—remember that. Progress is more than adding repetitions to your pushup. The progress you made over the last 14 days could have been physical, mental, or emotional. Maybe the progress you made was changing the mindset you had about your ability to do pushups or any hard thing. Maybe you’re able to pick up heavy items easier. Maybe you can hold your plank longer. Maybe the progress you made was realizing the power of training toward a specific goal and while you haven’t reached it yet, you have a clearer direction on how to proceed from here. We encourage you to consider any learning or any change you have made during the program as progress.
To join us in The Power of Practice: Building Strength, opt in here. We’ll see you there!
Welcome to The Power of Practice: Building Strength, a 14-day program designed to help you build strength, push past plateaus, and explore what you’re capable of—all measured by one key move—the pushup. You may be wondering, what is the power of practice? Why are we focusing on the (dreaded, cough cough) pushup? We sat down with Product Manager and Lead Instructor Franny Loch to learn more about this transformative program. To opt in to The Power of Practice: Building Strength, click here.
BARRE3 MAGAZINE: Franny, hello! We can’t wait to pick your brain about this new strength program. Tell us, what is the background behind it?
FRANNY: This is part one of a three-part series we’re kicking off, the Power of Practice! For this first program, we’ll be focusing on building strength through consistent practice. With practice, we can make what once felt impossible, possible. We can change our narrative through a daily committed practice. We are intentionally working on something we find difficult in order to create a new definition of what we’re capable of. When we move our bodies in new ways, we open ourselves to new ways of being.
So that brings us to the pushup. This program revolves around the pushup because it’s accessible, modifiable, and regardless of where you are in your fitness journey, there’s always room to grow with this move. We love it because it’s convenient (you don’t need any equipment and can do one wherever you are), but at the same time, challenging.
BARRE3 MAGAZINE: What can we expect from The Power of Practice: Building Strength?
FRANNY: At its core, this program includes 14 days of expertly designed workouts crafted to be performed in a specific order with the goal of building strength. There will be days of push and days of recovery. To start, you’ll track your baseline number of pushups at the beginning of the program and reassess at the end to measure your progress. You’ll check in with yourself throughout the process to honor your needs, make adjustments, set daily intentions, and more so you feel successful in your practice, however that looks for you.
BARRE3 MAGAZINE: I don’t know about you, but pushups are SO challenging for me. How can clients modify pushups to work for their specific needs?
FRANNY: The first step in performing a pushup is being able to hold a high plank (whether it’s on the ground or at a higher surface). Work toward building the strength to hold a plank on your palms and toes for at least a minute before progressing to a pushup.
If you’re not able to perform a pushup on the floor yet, practice the move at a higher surface. As you build strength and are able to complete five to 10 repetitions of the movement at this incline, gradually begin to lower yourself down toward the ground. Regardless of what pushup variation you’re working on, a way to build strength toward the next progression is lengthening the eccentric, or lowering, phase of the movement. The goal is to lower with as much control as possible while maintaining postural integrity (neutral spine and core engagement).
BARRE3 MAGAZINE: If it’s challenging to fit in a 30-minute workout each day, can you still opt in to this program?
FRANNY: We got you! Pushups are included in the workouts on day 1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 12, and 14. On those days, if you don’t have time for 30 minutes but could squeeze in 15, we recommend redoing the warmup and pushup assessment workout from day one. If it’s a pushup-free workout day and you have time for a 15-minute practice, maybe you do a b3 Flow workout with me or give barre3 Signature with Andrew a try.
If it’s just one of those days where you have no time at all, that’s okay—push that class to the next day. We encourage you to try and stay as consistent as possible but understand that life happens! If you can’t work out for more than three days in a row, we would suggest starting the program again from the beginning.
BARRE3 MAGAZINE: How is progress measured during The Power of Practice: Building Strength?
FRANNY: ALL PROGRESS is progress—remember that. Progress is more than adding repetitions to your pushup. The progress you made over the last 14 days could have been physical, mental, or emotional. Maybe the progress you made was changing the mindset you had about your ability to do pushups or any hard thing. Maybe you’re able to pick up heavy items easier. Maybe you can hold your plank longer. Maybe the progress you made was realizing the power of training toward a specific goal and while you haven’t reached it yet, you have a clearer direction on how to proceed from here. We encourage you to consider any learning or any change you have made during the program as progress.
To join us in The Power of Practice: Building Strength, opt in here. We’ll see you there!
