Workout of the Day
STRENGTH
LEVEL 2
Back Squat
80%x 6 sets x 4 Reps
Notes
Rest as needed between sets. 2-3 minutes potentially. 80% is roughly a 7-8 rep max, so your work sets today should have 1-2 reps in reserve.
LEVEL 1
Back Squat
5 sets x 3 reps Across
Notes
Perform 4-5 progressive warm-up sets followed by 5 sets of 3 reps at the same weight. Try to go 5-10lbs heavier than last week.
ASSISTANCE
3-4 Rounds for Quality & Load
8-12e RFE Split Squat
:30 L-Sit or Tuck
Floater Exercise
Floater Options
A: 4-8 Chin-Ups
B: 8-12 DB Shoulder Presses
C: :45 recovery pace on air bike
Notes
Work through 3-4 rounds of the assistance gradually increasing intensity. For the L-Sits, accumulate :30 in no more than three sets for whatever version you’re doing.
FYI tomorrow we’ll be pressing overhead
CrossFit Group Class Programming Template (WK6/9)
Tricia graduated Foundations in June and takes group classes, Diapers & Dumbbells with her newborn AND here she is doing Murph!! We commend you Tricia!!!
NOT FOR TIME, A PRIMER
CFSBK weekly programming includes regular “For Quality & Load” assistance work either on top of or instead of traditional “For Time” conditioning. We usually use this method of training 1-3 times per week as a supplement to our primary lifts and conditioning tests. The value of this work can’t be overstated and in this article we’ll discuss the rationale behind FQ work.
“Assistance Work”
Most FQ workouts generally fall under the title “assistance work” because their intention is to help develop the muscle groups and movement patterns used in our primary lifts and WODs. Sometimes a lagging muscle group might prevent you from properly executing an exercise, especially at load or intensity. For example, if your chest regularly drops when trying to squat heavy, you might benefit from some concentrated low back/hip extension work like good mornings, RDLS, perhaps even heavy kettlebell swings. FQ work is our opportunity to program in different exercises that may not lend themselves well to being timed or performed at maximal weight, but do help you get into better positions when you need it most.
Work on imbalances
FQ work also uses more unilateral (one side at a time) bilateral (alternating sides) and stabilization exercises to promote symmetry and balance. An imbalance in your pressing strength might not be apparent with a barbell, but it can become comically obvious when working with dumbbells. Perhaps your imbalance is actually neurological, you know how to “set your back” but proper abdominal bracing strategies still elude you. A healthy dose of hollow rocks, planks or a variety of other holds can help you identify how to engage and develop different parts of your body. Mobility work would also fall under this category, if you’ve ever done a workout that included holding a stretch or performing something like an “inchworm” you know we’re sneaking in some active flexibility training.
Same movements, different focus
Sometimes we even will take movements that you regularly see in WODs like push-ups, jumping rope and rowing and take the clock away. These are great opportunities to troubleshoot the movements themselves and aim for perfection with every rep without the stress of worrying about what your time or load will be. Instead, you can still get a significant stimulus by focusing on whatever you struggle with most about that movement. It could be coordination, range of motion or strength at a particular position in the lift. Whever your case may be, slow down and do it right so you can speed up and do it right later.
The take home message is that the better you can become at a wide variety of exercises and types of workouts, the more well rounded and successful of an athlete you can become. We hope this gives you some food for thought the next time a FQ workout comes up and what our thought process is behind it.