GUIDE TO

BEGINNER
STRENGTH
A 1-DAY SAMPLE OF OUR STRENGTH DOJO
BEGINNER PROGRAM!
 WELCOME TO
BEGINNER STRENGTH!

Our goal with this e-book is to help

you get your physical health back on
track. Whether you’re new to fitness
or returning after a long break, our
beginner guide to strength will help
you build the foundations required
to get stronger and more mobile.

This e-book includes one sample

workout from our beginner program
in the STRENGTH DOJO.

Our training style blends dynamic

and playful physical education
practices with traditional strength
training and more unconventional
strength moves.

We integrate restorative joint

mobility, breathing exercises,
balance work, vision training and
nerve glides to ensure that you walk
away feeling strong AND healthy.

With this approach you will develop

total body strength and suppleness
and be able to move more efficiently
and with less tension.

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 WHAT WE DO
Balanced, whole-body approach that develops
your strength while enhancing your health and
longevity!

Flexible programming so you can choose

exercises based on where you currently are and
where you’d like to go!

Workout with health first in mind so your

practice becomes sustainable!

An athletic and sophisticated approach mixed

with playfulness so you can love your workouts
again!

WHAT WE DON’T DO
We ditch the “no pain, no gain” mentality and
offer healthy programs that allow you to train
hard without compromising your physical
wellbeing.

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 HI! I'M TAYLOR!
I'm really excited to have you here! I've been a strength and
movement coach since 2007. My wife, Alisha, and I are co-
founders of KRUSE ELITE.

Over the course of our careers for the last 15 years we have seen
the number one problem in people's fitness journey is
overcoming an obstacle like recurring aches or an old nagging
injury. We've experienced that balancing your workout program
with proper recovery practices and variability is the key to
making strength gains and minimizing your risk of injury.

Our number one goal is to lead you into training habits that
place your health first so that you can do the things you love,
pain-free!

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 WHY IS STRENGTH
TRAINING SO
IMPORTANT?

Building muscle improves your metabolism,

helps you burn calories more efficiently and
helps manage your blood sugar

Strength training will make you stronger, build

stronger bones, make your tissue more resilient
and improve your mobility/flexibility

Building strength promotes a better quality of

life by improving your mood, enhancing brain
health and increasing yourself self-esteem

Consistent strength training improves heart

health by lowering blood pressure, balancing
cholesterol and improving circulation

It's never too late to strength train and there is

an entry point for EVERYBODY!

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 THE WORKOUT STRUCTURE:

WARM UP
Our warm ups are designed to prep your joints for action! We
don’t want to go from zero to hero with high impact or high
intensity without preparing your body for the physical demand.
You’ll find a variety of mobility exercises and stretches that help
prep your joints and surrounding tissues to withstand the load
placed on you with more dynamic movement. These drills will
often target the spine, hips, shoulders and even ankles, wrist
and knees. Really, it’s total body joint prep to take out the stress
of the day and prep you to move more efficiently.

SKILL
Right after the warm up we program a skills session that acts to
ramp up the intensity of the workout while also providing some
athletic and playful challenges. This is where we include things
like crawling, light plyometrics, coordination chart drills,
bodyweight challenges, balance and mobility exercises! The
skills session is designed to prepare you for higher intensity
exercise while developing many athletic qualities!

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 THE WORKOUT STRUCTURE:

STRENGTH
The strength portion of the workout is typically designed with 2
circuits. Each circuit has 3 strength exercises. You'll perform each
exercise back to back for 3 sets before moving to the next section.

Circuit #1:
Circuit #1 Includes the main exercise for the day which is typically a
compound movement like squats, chest press or deadlifts. The
intention is to complete the more challenging lift of the day early on
in the workout to maximize your energy capacity for the session. We
often pair the main lift with exercises like push ups or lunges and
core strength exercises like crossbody chops.

Circuit #2:
Circuit #2 offers exercises that complete the total body strength
template we are after. You’ll see a combination of upper or lower
body accessory drills like hip thrusts, split squats, bent over rows or
overhead presses. The goal here is that we target every movement
pattern (squat, hinge, push, pull, lunge) in every workout.

You’ll also typically see exercises that train rotation or anti-rotation

through the core like paloff presses or crossbody chops or even
ground-based core exercises.

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 THE WORKOUT STRUCTURE:

COOL DOWN
The cool down is your opportunity to transition your body to a
more restful state. We often include at least one breathing
exercise that promotes reduced tension. You’ll also commonly
see one or two mobility drills or neuromechanic drills to offload
the stress placed on your body during the workout. This is also
your chance to unwind and mentally prepare for your next task
of the day.

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 THE WORKOUT LINGO:

CIRCUITS
We program using circuits of 3 or more exercises. A circuit is multiple
exercises performed back to back until the prescribed sets are
completed. Here’s an example of a circuit from the strength portion
of your workout:

Circuit #1:

A1: Bodyweight Squat or DB Goblet Squat

A2: Elevated Push Ups or Push Ups
A3: Hand Knee Crawl or Hand Foot Crawl

You'll complete one set of a squat variation followed by one set of a

push up variation followed by one set of a crawl variation.

A1 A2

A3

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 THE WORKOUT LINGO:

PRESCRIPTION
We program exercises using a prescription which is written in
shorthand code to help you quickly understand how to move
through the workout.

Prescription Example:
3x8 at 6RPE then rest 15-30 seconds

Let’s break this down:

The “3” equals the number of sets you’ll complete, which is the
number of times you will perform each exercise in this circuit.
The “8” equals the number of repetitions you will complete for the
exercise in one set. You may also see a time listed or something
called "AMRAP" which means perform as many reps as possible.
The “6RPE” equals the level of perceived effort using a scale called
a "Rate of Perceived Exertion." We will dive into this soon but for
this example, you will be using a 6 out of 10 RPE to complete this
exercise.
The rest time of 15-30 seconds is the amount of time you’ll break
before moving on to the next exercise in the circuit.
At the end of one set of each exercise in the circuit you start back
at the top to complete the prescribed sets - in this case 3 sets
total.

Let’s use our circuit example from earlier to piece your workout
together:

A1: Squat: 3x8 3x8 reps at 6RPE then rest 30 seconds - 1 minute
A2: Push Ups: 3xAMRAP then rest 15 seconds
A3: Hand Knee Crawling: 3x10 forward & backward, rest 15 seconds

Perform A1, A2, A3 in this order for 3 sets total before moving on.

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 WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED?
You can complete this program with just a set of resistance
bands! If you do not have bands but you have some dumbbells
you'll do great.

Overtime, you can progress to using more equipment if you

choose. If you're not a gym member we can help you determine
the best investment based on your interests and goals.

The equipment list below includes all the possible options we

use in our beginner program. You will always have a choice
between exercises so you can choose based on equipment.

HERE'S A LIST OF EQUIPMENT

THAT WE USE:
Kettlebells
Dumbbells*
Resistance bands*
TRX or suspension trainer
Pull up bar
Stability ball
Jump rope
Bench
Coordination chart (see attached)

*We recommend a set of bands or

dumbbells at a minimum to start
building strength

FIND YOUR COORDINATION CHART ON THE NEXT PAGE

AND PRINT A COPY!

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Coordination Chart 1
 WHY THE COORDINATION CHART?
Coordination charts are a super valuable and unique part of our
programming!

Using them has multiple benefits for everyone! Such as:

Improving the speed of your visual processing.

They promote dynamic movement!
They add an athletic, reaction-based quality to your exercise!
They challenge your coordination which is often a neglected or
undervalued part of exercise.
They invite the idea of making mistakes and correcting them on
the fly!
They’re good for your brain!
They’re really challenging but fun!

You’ll notice that the coordination chart is part of each skill session in
this program. However, sometimes we also use it paired with other
exercises or even as part of a finisher that gets your heart rate up!

COORDINATION CHART TUTORIAL

HOW TO...
You can watch a full
tutorial on how to
use the coordination
chart by hitting the
play button to the
left!

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 HOW MUCH WEIGHT SHOULD I USE?
We encourage you to use a Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
Scale to determine how much weight to use with each exercise.

We see 2 common mistakes with strength training:

1. Lifting at near maximal effort every time

2. Lifting too little weight to get a strength benefit

Let’s go over how to use an RPE scale so you can be sure you are
creating an appropriate amount of training stress to increase
your strength!

WHAT IS RPE?
RPE is a scale of 1-10 and is used to gauge the intensity of your
workout as a whole and the intensity of any given exercise on its
own. It is a subjective scale used to monitor your effort so that
you can reduce your risk of injury and increase your training
response. We often encourage an RPE of 6-7 for strength-based
exercises as this will give you room to grow without burning out
in the process.

The goal with this RPE scale is to help you choose an appropriate
amount of weight to load your tissues gradually over the course
of a training cycle so that your body can adapt. With some
practice you will become very fast and comfortable using an
RPE.

FIND YOUR RATE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION CHART

ON THE NEXT PAGE!

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UNDERSTANDING YOUR

RATE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION

RPE SCALE HOW MANY MORE REPS

HOW DOES IT FEEL?
1-10 COULD I DO?

Very hard, can’t talk and

couldn’t handle any more 10 Max Effort 0 reps left in the tank
weight

Very difficult, can’t 9 Near Max

1 more rep
talk Effort

Difficult but can say a

8 Very Hard 2 more reps
couple words

Pushing just past your

comfort zone but can 7 Hard 3 more reps
still speak

Breathing is labored but 6 Moderate

4 more reps
within your control to Hard

Breathing rate is
5 Moderate
increased but can carry
4 Moderate
on a conversation

Easy and comfortable, 3 Light to

breathing rate fairly Moderate
normal 2 Light

Active rest 1 Zero Effort

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 THE
WARM UP

You'll perform the same warm up prior to each session.

Take your time with this section and learn to hit the target!
These mobility drills will lay the foundation for your strength
development and recovery.

Lateral Ankle Tilts: 5 reps each side

Medial Ankle Tilts: 5 reps each side

Double Knee Circles: 5 reps each direction

Hourglass Circles: 5 reps each direction

Thoracic Glides: 5 reps each direction

Shoulder Camshafts: 5 reps each direction

Standing Spinal Twists: 10 reps

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 DAY 1

Practice one exercise from A1-A4 back to back for 1-2 rounds total:

THE "SKILL" CIRCUIT EXERCISE 1

A1 1. CC1: Cross Crawling with Squats: 1x through the chart fast! (right star =
right cross crawl, left star = left cross crawl, middle star = squat). Note:
View a full coordination chart tutorial here

THE "SKILL" CIRCUIT EXERCISE 2

A2 Choose one of these balance variations:
Head Turns & Tilts: 1 rep per head movement (up, down, left, right,
tilt left, tilt right). Hold each head turn for 5 seconds. Choose your
stance:
1. Head Turns & Tilts Eyes Open Narrow Stance
2. Head Turns & Tilts Eyes Open Tandem Stance

3. Head Turns & Tilts Eyes Open Single Leg Stance

THE "SKILL" CIRCUIT EXERCISE 3

A3 Choose one of these shin box variations:
1. Back Lying Shin Box Switches: 10 reps
2. Shin Box Switches Hands Down: 10 reps
3. Shin Box Switch: 10 reps

THE "SKILL" CIRCUIT EXERCISE 4

A4 Choose one of these plank variations:
1. Stability Ball Plank: 10 second hold
2. Plank: 10 second hold

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 DAY 1

Practice one exercise from B1-B3 back to back for 2-3 rounds total:

THE "B" CIRCUIT EXERCISE 1

B1 Choose your squat variation:
1. Bodyweight Squat: 2-3x8 reps
2. DB Goblet Squat: 2-3x8 reps at 6-7 out of 10 RPE

3. KB Goblet Squat: 2-3x8 reps at 6-7 out of 10 RPE

Rest 30 seconds to 1 minute

THE "B" CIRCUIT EXERCISE 2

B2 Choose your push up variation:

1. Elevated Push Ups: 2-3xAMRAP (as many reps as possible)

2. Push Ups: 2-3xAMRAP (as many reps as possible)
Rest 15-30 seconds

THE "B" CIRCUIT EXERCISE 3

B3 Choose your core exercise:

1. Banded Pallof Press with Lateral Lunge: 2-3x6 reps each side
2. Lateral Crawling from Hands and Knees: 2-3x10 reps each direction
3. Lateral Crawling: 2-3x6 reps each direction
Rest 15-30 seconds

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 DAY 1

Practice one exercise from C1-C3 back to back for 2-3 rounds total:

THE "C" CIRCUIT EXERCISE 1

C1 Choose your hip thrust variation:
1. Glute Bridge: 2-3x8 reps
2. DB Glute Bridge: 2-3x8 reps at 6-7 out of 10 RPE

3. DB Hip Thrust: 2-3x8 reps at 6-7 out of 10 RPE

Rest 15-30 seconds

THE "C" CIRCUIT EXERCISE 2

C2 Choose your lunge variation
1. Alternated Forward Lunges: 2-3x10 reps (5 each leg)
2. 2DB Forward Lunges: 2-3x10 reps (5 each leg) at 6-7 out of 10 RPE
Rest 15-30 seconds

THE "C" CIRCUIT EXERCISE 3

C3 Choose your row variation:
1. DB Bench Supported 1 Arm Row: 2-3x8 reps at 6-7 out of 10 RPE
2. Seated 2 Arm Banded Row: 2-3x8 reps at 6-7 out of 10 RPE
Rest 15-30 seconds

COOL DOWN
D Finish with 1 round of this breathing exercise:

1. Back Lying Diaphragm Stretch: 1x5 reps

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 HOW DO I PROGRESS WEEK TO WEEK?
When it comes to improving strength, burning body fat and increasing
self-confidence the key is to continuously and consistently challenge your
body to adapt. Too little effort and you won’t mark any significant progress.
Too much effort and you may plateau, burnout or get injured.

There are many variables that will impact workout intensity and effort.
Choosing one or two variables to adjust week over week will ensure that
you are moving in the right direction at a pace that works for you.

01Increase Weight Each Week:

A good rule of thumb is to increase
weight by 2-5lbs each week. If you do
not currently have access to a variety
02
Adjust Sets & Reps:
The prescription lists a good starting
point for sets and reps. You can add 1
rep each week to continue
of weighted options you can progressing. Once you hit the 10-12 rep
manipulate other variables here to range begin increasing weight or add
make progress. another set to make progress.

03 Modify rest time:

There is space to make every workout
easier or more difficult by adjusting
how much rest time you take in
04
Speed Changes:

One of our favorite ways to insert an

athletic challenge is to program speed
between exercises and each set. changes for a given exercise. For
Shorten your rest time each week as example, once you master push ups
long as you can continue maintaining you can alter the script to read 3x2
good form and hit your target slow, 2 medium, 2 fast. Performing an
reps/sets. However, realize that exercise at different speeds places an
without enough rest period between entirely different load on your tissue
sets, you might be sacrificing strength and your nervous system. And,
gains in the longterm but developing because we move at different speeds
better stamina. So this one is very in life and sport it has a direct transfer
much goal dependent! into daily performance.

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 FREQUENCY
Strength gains diminish with a lack of consistency. And, while this sounds
discouraging it doesn't have to be! This means you can make progress with one
workout per week. And, sometimes this is the best place to start to build great
exercise habits.

For best results, you are able to schedule 2-3 strength workouts per week that last
about 30-45 minutes at a minimum.

We program 3 workouts per week in our beginner Strength Dojo program.

An ideal schedule for your 3 workouts per week would fall into an every other day
split. This will allow your body the optimal time required to fully recover before
your next training session. Here are the days of the week we recommend
completing your workouts:

WORKOUT #1 WORKOUT #2 WORKOUT #3

SUNDAY TUESDAY THURSDAY

MONDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY

TUESDAY THURSDAY SATURDAY

NEED MORE SUPPORT?

We've got you!

We have a 12-week beginner program in the

Strength Dojo. It includes 3 workouts/week
and you can repeat the 12 week period as
many times as you'd like!

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 Thank you!

We hope this sample workout brings you a sense of complete, total body
strength that challenges your fitness but never compromises your health!

Our goal at KRUSE ELITE is to balance strength training efforts with

dynamic, functional movement and to sprinkle in recovery drills to keep
you moving pain-free and with greater ease. You should always walk away
from your workouts feeling better than when you started and as if you
could have done just a bit more.

This is not a bootcamp! We do not want you feeling burnt out!

If you like our approach and are looking for more guidance month to
month, check out our signature program, the STRENGTH DOJO.

In the STRENGTH DOJO, you access your workouts in an app that includes
video demos and instructions for each exercise, allows you to log and track
your progress and upload videos to request technique feedback!

In addition to the workout app you’ll have access to our private community
app for added support along with educational content posted almost daily.
You’ll receive coaching from myself, Taylor, and encouragement from an
incredible community of individuals just like you.

Let’s Go!

Stay ready,
- Taylor

ps: If you can’t join right now we hope to see you when the time is right for
you!

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 JOIN THE
STRENGTH DOJO
TODAY!

Now offering a beginner

program!
Explore the option of
following a solid strength
program to get you back on
track. Get stronger and
healthier. All with the support
and accountability you need
to be consistent and get
results!

Join STRENGTH DOJO to receive your next workout and all of the
built-in coaching support you need!

Click the link below:

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STRENGTH DOJO