The Phoenix Effect The Phoenix
Effect
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Our programs

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A rack of dumbbells at The Phoenix Effect in Hollywood
01  /  Strength + Conditioning

Get strong. Have fun doing it.

Coached group strength training sessions on Melrose. A coach is right there with you every class, fixing your form and pushing you just enough.

Our program is for all ability levels. Our certified coaches can help you scale every workout to meet you exactly where you're at.

Why this
works.

You don't stay in business in the world's most competitive fitness market for 12 years without giving your clients outstanding results.

Our program is science-backed, and we are extremely data driven. We organize our training into 6-week cycles. Each cycle has its own focus and flavor, with different exercises and challenges to keep you from plateauing and continuously improving. Like a phoenix, we believe you are never done growing, and the joy is always in the journey.

How we program

The six week cycle.

We test you, build you, sharpen you, then test you again. Six weeks later you know exactly what changed.

Build up. Taper. Then PR. Load on the barTraining volume
HIGHLOW TESTBUILDTAPERPR WEEK 123456

This is not a generic HIIT program like many of our competitors run. This is sophisticated, science backed, periodized training that gets you serious results. All you have to do is show up.

Six weeks. ZERO PLATEAUS. 

01 Test Week one We test 3-5 different benchmark lifts or movements at the beginning of the cycle and work on improving them over the 6 weeks.
02-04 Build Three weeks, heavier every week The bar goes up and the reps come down, and every week asks for more than the last one did. In week 3 we introduce more complex movements and more strain. It is not only about going heavy. The whole body gets challenged.
05 Taper week Week five We reduce load and volume and focus on form the week prior to PR week.
06 PR Week six PR stands for personal record, and it's our favorite week of the cycle! We re-test our benchmark lifts from week 1.

The research behind it.

Every part of the cycle traces to published, peer reviewed work. Here is what was tested, on how many people, and what it found.

35% strength gain, heavy loads Why the weight climbs Across 21 studies where every set was taken to failure, heavy loads produced a 35% gain in maximal strength against 28% for light loads. Muscle growth was similar either way, 8.3% against 7.0%. Heavy weight is what moves the number on the board. Schoenfeld, Grgic, Ogborn and Krieger. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2017.
35 studies, volume matched Why it runs in phases Across 35 studies where total training volume was matched between groups, programs that changed load and reps in planned phases produced greater maximal strength gains than programs that kept them fixed. Same work, better result, because of the order it was done in. Moesgaard, Beck, Christiansen, Aagaard and Lundbye-Jensen. Sports Medicine, 2022.
Deload the expert consensus Why week 5 pulls back 34 strength and physique coaches from around the world went through three rounds of review and agreed: a deload is a planned period of reduced training stress that cuts physical and mental fatigue, promotes recovery and sets you up for the training that comes next. Pull back in week 5 so you show up fresh for PR week. Bell, Strafford, Coleman, Androulakis Korakakis and Nolan. Sports Medicine - Open, 2023.
+10% squat and bench, six weeks Why six weeks is enough 16 competitive powerlifters ran a six week program that built up and then tapered into a test. Back squat went from 175 to 192 kg and bench press from 119 to 131 kg. Six weeks of structured loading, measured at both ends, moved every lift. Travis, Zwetsloot, Mujika, Stone and Bazyler. Frontiers in Physiology, 2021.

Then we do it again.

New focus, new benchmarks, same method. Our coaches write every cycle from scratch, and no two are the same.

Track every PR in your own app.

All athletes get a custom app to track their progress.

Log your benchmark lifts, watch your numbers climb every cycle, and see where you stack up on the gym leaderboard.

Gym leaderboard
Most improvedHeaviest
Back squatDeadliftBench
1Maya R.+18%135 → 160 lb
2Jordan T.+15%185 → 212 lb
3Priya N.+14%95 → 108 lb
4Alex P.+12%225 → 252 lb
5Sam K.+11%115 → 128 lb
6Chris L.+9%205 → 224 lb
Ranked by improvement from your own start number.

Warning:
our program may give you

  • Arms you'll want to show off
  • A booty that fills out your jeans
  • A body that burns fat while you build muscle
  • A metabolism that burns calories even while you're binge-watching
  • The strength to lift your own suitcase into the overhead bin
  • Stamina to dance all night
  • A heart that thanks you
  • The best sleep of your life
  • Energy that lasts way past 3pm
  • A healthy place to leave your stress
  • A mood boost that beats your morning latte
  • Bones that stay strong for decades
  • Fewer aches and tweaks
  • Confidence that walks into the room before you do
  • A PR bell moment with the whole gym cheering for you
  • A crew of friends who notice when you're not there
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