How Tenured Members Can Continue Progressing Through Power Output
High heart rate and sweat aren't true measures of intensity but they are part of the total picture.
Let me explain.
If your favorite Singer/Actoress showed up at your door unexpectedly, your heart rate would spike. Is that intensity? No.
If you sit in a sauna, you'll sweat. Is that intensity? Still no.
True intensity is measured by your maximum power output.
And no intensity doesn’t mean “max effort” in the way many people think. It’s not about going as hard as you can every time. It’s about strategically pushing the limits of your capacity to get the most return on your effort.
Because let’s be honest: we all want the best possible results in the shortest amount of time.
The fastest path to that? Intensity that is relative to you.
Without intensity, results come slowly (if at all). With intensity, you're training your body to adapt and grow stronger, faster, and more resilient.
As a tenured member, your foundation is already built. You're competent in the movements. You understand how to move well. Now, it’s about moving powerfully.
Functional Competence → Functional Dominance
New members are building functional competence—learning the movements, developing stability, and improving coordination.
But you? You’re beyond that.
As a tenured Pherform member, you're working on functional dominance. And that doesn't mean doing new movements; it means doing the same movements with more power.
Here’s how that looks in action:
Example 1: Ignither Class Devil Press + Assault Bike
Let’s say you’ve chosen 7.5kg dumbbells for your devil presses. You get 5 reps in 30 seconds, then hop on the assault bike and maintain 58 RPM for another 30 seconds. You repeat that for 4–5 rounds.
Now let’s say next week, you grab the 10kg dumbbells but still hit 5 reps in 30 seconds. Then you hop on the bike and push to 60 RPM.
That’s higher power output. That’s intensity. That’s progress.
You’re doing the same amount of work in the same amount of time but with more load and more speed. That’s how we measure improvement. That’s how your results continue to stack up.
Example 2: Power Class – Zercher Chained Box Squats
This month in Power Class, we've introduced Zercher Chained Box Squats, a new movement for most of you. In your first session, the focus was on finding your heaviest 5-rep weight. For many, that meant working up in sets like:
30kg → 35kg → 40kg → 45kg → 50kg
Now, let’s look at two ways you could approach this lift in your next session:
Option A: You follow the same build-up structure gradually increasing weight across all five sets.
Option B: You start with the heaviest weight you hit last week (50kg), perform four working sets there, and attempt something slightly heavier (e.g., 52.5kg) for your final set.
Which option creates more power output?
👉 Option B.
Why? Because you’re moving more total load across your working sets. More weight, more volume, more mechanical work done all of which translate to higher power output.
This kind of training decision is where tenured members truly start to separate themselves. Not by learning more movements, but by doing the familiar ones at a higher level.
Why Power Output Matters
Power output is the ultimate marker of performance. It combines strength, speed, and movement efficiency. As a tenured member, focusing on improving your power output allows you to:
Train smarter, not just harder
Keep seeing measurable results
Avoid stagnation or plateaus
Increase metabolic adaptation (burn more, recover better)
Build athleticism and resilience well into your later years
At this stage of your journey, it’s not about doing more—it’s about doing better.
Refining your output. Increasing your intensity. Being deliberate in your training choices.
So next time you approach a familiar workout, ask yourself:
How can I increase my power output today?
Because that’s how you continue to evolve in getting stronger, faster, fitter for the long run.
