Jack Ellis Strength Coaching

20/08/2026

10/08/2026

Full lower, minus the boring stuff.

Slightly different to my boring as f**k method of programming the same s**t for my upper days on both sessions, I actually do make the lower days slightly different.

However this is mainly because I'm in a hostage situation with my knees most of the time and it's very much a negotiation as to what we can do on a regular basis. Though we do seem to have found a groove and my enthusiasm for training is very much returning.

Monday - lower 1.

Main objectives, return to the bird kingdom as a functional human.

Main exercises:

Glute drive - 2 sets

Single leg RDL - 2 sets

Watson squat press - 2 sets

Copenhagen planks - 2 sets EL

Single leg seated curl - 2 sets

Everything here was within 1-3 RIR. Some things I could have pushed harder, yes. But again, if negotiations mean leaving some reps in the tank and my knees and hips don't make me suffer for the rest of the day then that's a deal I'm willing to make.

It gets to a point where you have to start understanding your own body and recognising when you can push and when you need to hold back. For me right now, holding back is enabling me to keep training on a regular basis and we're still progressing.

You can't always train at 10/10 intensity and expect nothing to give at some point.

And if you're 30+ reading this.... Do your f**king warm up sets. I know you skip them!

Ok bye

10/08/2026

Warm up sets are an underutilized tool in my opinion.

They're not just an arbitrary few sets that we throw in for the sake of it.

They help to prime your body for the work that's about to come.

But warm ups are also often over done or skipped all together. The idea is to stimulate the muscle, prime the nervous system. Not annihilate yourself before you've even started.

We don't need huge amounts, just enough. My warm up rep scheme will look something like, 6 reps, 3-4 reps, 2-3 reps then if necessary a 1-2 rep set. The last set in my opinion should be fairly close in weight to your first working set.

If you feel fatigued after your warm ups, you've likely gone too hard. If your second working set feels better than your first, I'd say you haven't warmed up enough.

So if you're 30+ do your f**king warm ups, we're not made of rubber and magic anymore!

Ok bye.

04/08/2026

Boring f**k Upper day - As mentioned in a previous post, my upper day 1 and day 2 are exactly the same.

Why is this? Cogantive bandwidth.

When i walk into the gym i want to do as little thinking as possible. I've in the past when i have 2 completely different days I haven't been as productive in each session. Since changing my sessions to be exactly the same, I've been able to put a lot more energy into each session. I know exactly what I'm doing, i know exactly where progressions need to be made.

I'm a boeing f**k, i don't need lots of variety in my gym work. The only thing that might change is the order of things

So today's session:

Chest supported row - Upper back focuse: 2 sets

Low incline smiths: 2 sets

Single arm machine laterals: 2 sets

Lat pull down - Underhand grip (because we like it): 2 sets

Incline tricep press down: 2 sets

Cuffed cable hammer curl: 2 sets

Cable crunch: 2 sets

Why only 2 sets?

Recently I've found that doing 2 sets has still allowed me to progress my lifts nicely without feeling like I've overdone it. I will sometimes add a 3rd set in depending on how i feel the other 2 sets have gone and if i feel like I'll get anything more out of the 3rd set. If not, i move on.

I tend to stay a couple of reps shy of failure for most of my sets most of the time. I've found for me this a more enjoyable way to train and It seems to be more sustainable FOR ME and still allows me to progress. This is all personal preference, if you like to push weights until you prolapse, f**king get after it.

This isn't to say i don't push failure points, just not all the time.

My training right now is focused on 3 things:

A. Enjoyment.

2. Leaving the gym feeling like I've had a productive session

D. Not battering my body so hard that the next day feels like I'm climbing out of a sarcophagus after a thousand years.

Do I program this way for clients? It depends. Every client is different, most need/want more variety. But like I said, I'm a boring f**k.

If you're struggling with your training, confused or have no plan whatsoever, get in touch and lets get you pointing in the right direction.

23/04/2026

I thought my point was valid to be honest 🤷.