Josh Warms Up With Some Push-Ups

DIY Cool Downs

We pack as much Strength and Conditioning into our Group Classes as possible.  A basic template for what a class looks like is something like this:

DROMS
Couplet or Triplet Warm-Up
Some Targeted Stretching
Barbell Strength Work
Conditioning or Assistance Work

or Like this

DROMS/Names
Soft Tissue Work (Foam Roll/Lax ball)
Barbell or Movement Review/Warm-Up
Longer Conditioning

What’s missing?  Well, it’s the oft overlooked cool down.  We’ve done a pretty good job of doing away with allowing people to remain sprawled out on the ground after workouts but something we need be better at is getting you guys doing DIY cool downs.  By finishing a hard effort (the workout) with a medium to long cool down, you flush out the metabolites in your blood stream with oxygen rich blood. What that means for you is quicker recovery time, less soreness and helps shift your central nervous system back into a normal state.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

5-10 minute Row at 20-22 s/m
You could just as easily row for a set distance like 500m, 750m or 1000m but using a time stamp ensures you’ll be on the erg for enough time to get your blood flowing and actually settle into your cool down. Focus on technique at minimal intensity.  You should be able to have a conversation with the person next to you about how awesome cooling down is.

2+ Easy Laps Around The Block
Roughly 2/3 of a mile, don’t be afraid of that third lap if you’re up for it.  Again, this should be very light and easy, the basic test is that you should be able to hold a conversation during it. You can also focus on a soft landing and upper body mechanics. My recommendation would be to also add in some upper body DROMs in at the end of this.

DROMS + Informed Freestyling then Foam Roll
Similar to the DROMS we do at the beginning of most classes.  When I do these on my own, I like to count our the reps in my head. Usually 10-15 reps each side makes for a thorough cool down. Remember that since this can be less vigorous than the other modalities you’ll have so spend enough time moving to get the benefit. Check a clock and intend on 10 minutes of cooling down. You can go through Greg A’s warm-up DROMS and then some light calisthenics like squats, sit-ups, jumping rope or dynamic mat based movement like downward dogs to hip mobs etc. Finish off with some foam rolling on the the primary muscle groups you just worked.

Remember, none of these are a second workout or should in any way be described as “hard”. You might mentally feel like they’re hard since you just want to peel your shirt off and walk home, but really they’re not and you’ll get back to “normal” much quicker this way.  Also- in terms of length, the above cool downs are all about 10 minutes, which isn’t set in stone.  If you ask coach Nick, he’ll tell you that the cool down should be twice as long as the workout, if you’ve got the time, go for it, otherwise do at least 10 minutes.
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Setting The Torso Properly ATG
Quick Test: Is It Your Shoulders? Mobility WOD
Annie S Demos Kettlebell Swings
Igor Lukanin’s Weightlifting YouTube Channel

Fitness: 3-4 Warm-Up sets then 1×5 Work Sets
5lbs heavier than last week

Performance: 2-3 Warm-Up Sets then 65%x1x8 every :30
This will be our last Dynamic Effort exposure

Post loads to comments.
DL e4/6 compare to 10.9.12
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Fitness
3 attempts of:
25 Kettlebell Swings
10 Strict Chin-Ups.
Rest about 2:00 between Rounds

If you can’t do 10 Strict Chin-Ups use a manual support from a partner. If needed, you can also use a band, but consider it more to assist your partner than you.

Performance
3 attempts of:
25 Unbroken Kettlebell Swings 2p/20k
Max Reps Strict Chin-Ups
Rest about 2:00 between Rounds

Post Rx and chin-ups per round to comments.

Can You Tell What Rip Is Talking About?

Fight Gone Bad

• We realize that you guys are having some issues with the fundraising site. Apperently the BCF classification had not been updated as a public foundation which caused some issues with crowdrise. They’re performing a work around and we should be up and running very soon. Stay tuned!
• In the meanwhile, make sure you guys have gotten your team captains organized and gotten your information to cfsbkFGB(AT)gmail.com. We need to get this information organized ASAP!

5 Year Anniversary Party Postponed

I (David) blew it and didn’t realize what a task planning a legit party actually entailed.  The 5 year anniversary party for the gym has been postponed, the new tentative date will be Saturday November 3rd. We’ve hired Jamie D, the very FIRST CFSBKer and party planner extroirdinare to plan the party. We’ve got some awesome stuff in the works!

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A Vegan and Meat Eater Engage In Civil Discourse!
A Closer Look At Minimalist Footwear Podiatry Today
Stop Doing Kegels: Real Pelvic Floor Advice For Women (and Men) Breaking Muscle
Beauty In Strength
LGBT CrossFit Fundraiser

5 Rounds, each for time of:
Run 400m
20 Push-Ups
10 Strict Knees to Elbows
Rest 2:00

Scale Push-Ups to 10 or modify with an incline
If you can’t get your kneed to your lower arm, substitute supine knees to elbows with an anchor.

Post total time and rx to comments.

Watch these two videos of Annie S demoing Push-Up standards and Playing with Push-Ups!

Reminder there is NO Comp Class or Teaser Class Today!

Want more Annie Sakamoto?!

Annie Wins the 2011 CrossFit Games “Spirit Of The Games” Award
Annie Does “Diane” (Deadlifts and Handstand Push-Ups)
Annie Demos Various Rope Climb Techniques
Annie, Eva and Nicole do “Nasty Girls”

Fitness: 4 Warm-Up Sets then your third 3×5 LBBSQ exposure. Bar speed should remain quick.

Performance: 4-5 Warm-Ups sets then a heavy 3×3. Next week is a heavy double for 5 Sets.

Post loads to comments.
LBBSQ e3/6 compare to 9.8.12
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Perform the Following Couplet for 12 Minutes:
Odd Minutes: :30 Max Reps Heavy Thruster
Even Minutes: :30 Max Double Unders

Choose one of the following options for your Thruster weight:
A: 135/95
B: 115/85
C: 95/65
D: 75/45

Post total reps per movement and Rx to comments.

Newlywed , Jane M launches a Medicine Ball at her target.

Reminder there is NO Active Recovery today!

Warming Up Wisely

By Noah Abbott

Each time we walk into the gym, we are confronted with a certain amount of work for the day. For many, this is one of the greatest pluses of working out at a “non-traditional” gym- you don’t have to think about programming or planning. Upon walking in the door and looking at the white board, we are given a prescription: exercises, rep-and-set schemes, even target weights, be they relative (70% of 1RM) or absolute (225#/185#.)

Despite the seeming absolutism, each day there is as much unsaid information and room for improvisation and interpretation as there are set parameters and instructions undoubtedly scrawled illegibly and supplemented with original art from the Osorio Stick Figure collection. The way we warm up for each lift and WOD is our own time to acquaint ourselves with the given exercise, practice form and execution, and familiarize our body with the (often heavy as all get out) weight we are about to move.

In the “real world,” when give a task most people will start by hashing out a plan of attack before jumping into the deep end. If we were to fix a broken table leg, we would plan out what tools we needed, sketch a few ideas, acquire materials, set out a work space, and make sure we had enough beer to get us through our clumsy Bob Villa imitation. If given a project at work, we would brew a pot of coffee, do some internet research, sketch a few outlines, vent to coworkers about how unfair it was that we had to do this shit, call home and say we’d be home late, and then maybe get to work. I propose that before any endeavor in the gym, we should practice a similar amount of introspection, practice, and slow familiarization with our task at hand. The beer and the bitching are up to you.

Position, Balance, Tension, Focus   

Our first consideration when beginning our warm-up sets is to use lighter weight repetitions of a movement as practice for the relatively high skill movement to follow. A good rubric to follow is to begin with an emphasis on Position and Balance in our first few sets and transition to emphasizing Tension and Focus as the weight begins to increase and we near our work weight. To illustrate this concept, let’s use the squat (our most familiar and important lift) as an example.

During your first 2 or 3 warm-up sets (always starting with an EMPTY BAR), while the weight is light and manageable, try to dial in your Position. Where are your feet and hands set up? Are they too close or far? Is your rack tight and centered? Are you reaching proper depth as you squat, are your knees shoved out, is your back in a good, safe position at the bottom? Think about these concepts, and begin to fix the feeling of proper positions in your mind. Your lifting partner is an invaluable resource at this time, as they can cue you on some things you can’t see. Ask them questions, and use their feedback to inform your lifting.

Once your positioning feels OK, quickly check in on your Balance. What part of your foot is bearing your weight at the start of your squat, does it shift at the bottom or remain constant? Is your bar path straight and balanced, or is it wavering or shifting? Your partner is helpful here as well, although some elements of balance, especially in your feet, can be so subtle that they are tough to perceive. If you can’t sense your balance due to your shoes, consider removing them – going barefoot is Tre Paleo.

Now that we are Properly Positioned and Badassedly Balanced, lets work on Tension and Focus. As the weight begins to increase, shift your inner gaze to getting TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT. Are you making sure to get a full, deep breath before you lift? Are you staying tight at the bottom of the lift? Are you holding that breath at the top and staying tight and controlled at the top of the lift before your next rep? Check in with your partner, and don’t get offended if they say you’ve gone soft, this isn’t Menace II Society, G.

Finally, its time to get Focused. Are you often suprised when your warm-up sets feel really heavy and slow, and then your heavier work sets feel faster and relatively light? If so, you are probably not truly focusing until your work sets, which can be both dangerous and prevent you from reaching full potential. Treat your last few warm-up sets exactly like a work set. If you have a ritual during your work sets- stamping feet, Monica Seles grunts, weeping uncontrollably- perform it during your last few warm-up sets. Prime your central nervous system for the task at hand, and your work sets will feel even easier and more controlled when you get there. Also, as you near your work sets, cut the chatter and jokes (what my grandpa called “grab-assin”) and go to your Squatty Place. Find your Power Animal, Chi, or Inner Ronnie Coleman, get centered, and then attack the bar.

Weights Go Up, Reps Go Down, or “The Two Trains Passing In The Night Theory of Warm-ups”

Numerous times I have had an athlete come to me and complain that their first work set of, say, 100 pounds for 5 reps felt incredibly heavy and slow. I walk over to their rack to watch their next set, and before they even begin, I spot a whiteboard where this dutiful soul has recorded their warm-up sets. It reads: 45×5, 55×5, 65×5, 75×5, 85×5, 95×5. As this point I begin sounding like Foghorn Leghorn as I stammer and sputter (I say, I, I, I say, boy!) and explain that a warm-up scheme like this means that before their very first “live” squat they have already moved over ¾ of a ton of weight!

Our first few warm-up sets, while the weight is light, should mimic the repetitions we plan to use when we work, or can even be slightly more. We can use these sets to get more mobile and comfortable in the positions we will need to hit when we work. As we begin to increase weight, we should drop the repetitions. We have already achieved Supple Leopard/Panther/Aardvark status due to our dedicated mobility work, standardized warm-up, and our first few light warm-up sets. Now we just need to accustom our body to the feeling of moving heavy weight. As we get close to work sets we should drop the repetitions to singles or doubles in an effort to not fatigue ourselves before we really get started. A warm-up set for the same reps at 95% of our work weight is just a neglected work set, sitting alone and unloved in our log book and condemned to a lifetime of second class Squatizen status.

Other Considerations

If we warm up with intention (Position, Balance, Tension, Focus) and with a plan (dropping the repetitions as we increase weight), we are most of the way there, but there are still a few ideas to consider. First, as Fox likes to say, “you are your own Peyton Manning.” I assume he means 2010 Peyton Manning (a cool and introspective leader who is confident changing playcalls on the fly and makes funny commercials) and not 2011 Peyton Manning (a spinally-fused ghost who haunts the sidelines of the NFL’s worst team looking like he wants to stab his teammates, yet still makes funny commercials). Listen to your body, and be prepared to add in some extra warm-up sets if you feel cold, wonky, or want to practice something. If something feels sticky or sore, do some mobility work or foam roll a bit between warm-up or work sets. You are Peyton Manning! (Minus the peanut shaped head.)

Also, keep in mind that lifts using smaller muscle groups (think: Beach Muscles) will fatigue faster than those using your larger muscle groups (think: Yo’ Butt) Don’t go overboard warming up the Little Guys, they are generally simpler lifts anyway, and you’ll find yourself fatigued when you work. You can linger a little bit on the Big Mommas, which have higher muscular endurance and can be trickier to nail down.

Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance

Hopefully, now that you’ve suffered through some decent informati
on wrapped in a bunch of bad jokes, you’ve got a better understanding of the general concepts that drive a good warm-up. If nothing else, when warming up make sure you have a plan. Think about what you want to accomplish with your warm-up, and use that time to get yourself ready to succeed. A lackadaisical warm-up inevitably leads to spotty and uneven results. Make your warm-up a dress rehearsal for your lifts and then break a leg. On second thought, don’t.

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iCore Cruncher Informercial

Lauren B with some early evening carries

Scheduling Note

There is No Teaser Class, Comp Class or Active Recovery this weekend as David will be taking the Starting Strength Seminar with Mark Rippetoe (Coach Jess too!)

CFSBKers Sound Off

We’re gushing at all the great content being produced from our own in-house athletes. Check it out!

• Michael S, a brand new CrossFitter at CFSBK has something to say about “What To Do When You’re The Worst“

• CrossFit Veteran Vincent D was featured on ABC 7 News in their piece on “Warning For Barefoot Runners”

• “The Professor” Samir C has a blog post on the physical and psychological stress of rowing with “Row, Row, Row Your Erg (Not So Merrily However)

Fight Gone Bad Update

We have a few slots left for Fight Gone Bad in order to make full teams. If you are interested and didn’t get to sign up, please email Jess ASAP at cfsbkfgb(at)gmail(dot)com.

Everyone that signed up for Fight Gone Bad (not FGBelated) should have received an email indicating your team and teammates. If you didn’t please also email me and let me know ASAP.

Rest Day Trivia

1. Today, marmalade refers to a kind of jelly containing the fruit and rind of many kinds of fruits, but originally, around 400 years ago, the first kind of marmalade was made from what fruit that resembles a hard yellow apple?

2. In 1943, French underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau helped create an invention designed for underwater breathing, and 60’s British rock group Jethro Tull named an album after it. What is it?

3. Who was the author of the 1961 classic of science-fiction, “Stranger in a Strange Land”?

4. By what three-word phrase do we name the index used to measure the quantity of harmful particles and chemicals in the air?

5. If all the U.S. state capitals were listed in alphabetical order, the first and last on the list would be capitals of bordering states. Can you name them?

As always, no researching allowed. If you know the answers post to comments, even if someone else already answered and you didn’t read it yet!
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CrossFit and GPP by Tony Leyland
Aaron O’Connell: Making sense of a visible quantum object TED

Performance:

For Time:
Row 50 Calories
21 Kipping Pull-Ups
Row 40 Calories
21 Wall Ball Shots, 20lb 10’/14lb 9′
Row 30 Calories
21 Kipping Pull-Ups
Row 20 Calories 
21 Wall Ball Shots, 20lb 10’/14lb 9′
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Fitness

For Time:
Row 50/40 Calories
21 Ring Jumping Pull-Ups or 10 Strict Pull-Ups
Row 40/30 Calories
21 Wall Ball Shots
Row 30/20 Calories
21 Ring Jumping Pull-Ups or 10 Strict Pull-Ups
Row 20/10 Calories
21 Wall Ball Shots

Post time and Rx to comments.

Sergey B takes the Jerry Cans for a stroll

The Farmer’s Walk

Check out this short video from Elite FTS on The Farmer’s Walk Set Up and Execution. You can also check out Dan John’s article on “The Secret of Loaded Carries” for more related reading.  Then check out Matt Gonzalez carry 700lbs for 50ft and this little carry slightly less.

Dude, Where’s My 1RM?

By Coach Jeremy 

Everyone has had the experience:  it’s the 2nd attempt of a Crossfit total or your working up to a new 1RM on singles day, you load up the bar with a weight equal to you your existing 1RM, you get psyched up, unrack the bar, go into the hole, and……nothing.  It doesn’t come back up.  Why?  Did you get weaker?  Are you doing something wrong?  Why can’t you do what you’ve already done?

Think of a 1RM not so much as a measure of strength capacity but as an act of strength performance.  Veteran lifters will speak of owning a weight versus hitting a weight.  Owning a weight means that you can get under a bar just about anytime you want and move that weight (assuming a proper warm-up and having not done back-to-back hero WOD’s that week).  Hitting a weight is a much less reproducible feat.  It means that on a day where you felt good, were well rested, timed your eating properly, had your weight belt sitting just right, heavenly bodies were aligned properly, and you managed not to fuck anything up,  you were able to squeeze out a higher weight than ever before. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a weight that you have only hit isn’t something that you can just do on command.  It’s an act of strength and will; repeating it doesn’t just happen.  No sprinter expects to hit a PR every time they run a given distance, not in competition and especially not in training.  There is no reason to just assume that every time you get under a barbell you’re going to PR.

We should also consider that not every one’s best event in lifting is the 1RM.  Consider again, sprinting.  All sprinters are fast, that’s why they are sprinters.  However sprinters have different specialties, some are better in a 60m dash, others are better at the quarter mile.  If we took a random group of sprinters and tested their best times at a series of distances, say 60m, 100m, 200m, and 400m, we would probably find that the rankings would look very similar across the events: the faster runners would tend to do well at all of them.  However, you would also expect to see some shuffling of rankings based upon the individual strengths of the sprinters.  Some are better at accelerating, some run the turns well, some finish well, etc. To bring this back to lifting, imagine a group of powerlifters from the same weight class.  If you tested their 1RM, 3RM, and 5RM squat you would see something very similar:  The strongest lifters would tend to be at the the top of each ranking, however you would also see some move up or down the leader board as the reps changed based upon their individual characteristics.  This is relevant to us because the better you are at an event, the 3RM versus the 1RM for instance, the more likely you are able to reproduce your best effort.  We should test our strength at 3RM’s and 5RM’s for precisely the same reason that Track and Field tests more than just the 100m dash as a measure of speed.

Weighlifting, Powerlifting and Crossfit Total’s are all tests of 1RM. This isn’t because 1RM’s are magical, it’s just that they are easier to quantify, they are the highest weights (and everyone wants to see big weights), so they lend themselves to being tested. All this being said there is certainly nothing wrong with going after 1RM’s and when game day comes, you want to break some records. Set yourself up for success by working hard at a good program, resting up in the days leading to the event and getting your head inside your lift when you get under the bar.  Once the day’s lifting is over, let it go.  A sprinter isn’t suddenly slow on the day they don’t PR; you’re not weak on the day you don’t either.  Allow for the fact that not everyday you try to PR is going to be the perfect day to demonstrate that amount of strength.

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Survival of the Fittest: The Future of CrossFit’s Innovative Model Huffington Post
Let Me Tell You About CrossFit

Fitness: 3-5 Warm-Up Sets then a medium heavy 3×5

Performance: Work up to a heavy single then drop back to 80%x4-10 reps

Post loads to comments.
conjugate exposure 3/6
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As Many Rounds As Possible In 10 Minutes of:
Run 400m
21 Burpee Box Jumps 24/20″

Post time and Rx to comments.

Last Saturday the 9am crew had the pleasure of doing the Run+Dip/Push-Up WOD during the rain storm. Despite the heavy downfall everyone in class opted to still do the runs.  This soaked floor is the aftermath!

News and Notes

• Hooray! We’ve got 127 people signed up for Fight Gone Bad! We’ll start making all the teams today and get you the information to sign up ASAP!
• There is No Teaser Class, Comp Class or Active Recovery this weekend as David will be taking the Starting Strength Seminar with Mark Rippetoe (Coach Jess too!)
• There are a boatload of new photos up on our Flickr page.. check them out! Also, don’t forget our Facebook page or to check in on Foursquare, if you’re so inclined. WhatupmayorGina!
• The CFSBK Book Club meeting was pushed back to 9/23 due to the Jewish Holiday.  This month’s book is Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72 by Hunter S. Thompson. All are welcome to attend! 
• The 2012 CrossFit Games will be airing on ESPN2 all this week. Check out the schedule here.

Recommended Reading

We’ve been seeing Romanian Deadlifts this cycle on Mondays.  Many have griped over sore hamstrings and inadequate grip strength for the movement.  Check out Greg Everett’s article discussing the history, technique, common faults, transferability and details of the RDL.

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Watch… Long Jumping
Watch… The Highland Games
Think Volley Ball is Hard? Try playing with your feet.. Watch Sepak Takraw
Ngyuen Thi Buch Thuy: ‘Just Give Me The Damn Sepak Takraw Ball’

Today’s rest day WOD is to perform 5 minutes of free writing.  The topic is “How am I doing?”
You can do this on paper or on your computer. You might be surprised what comes out when you don’t allow yourself to censor or edit your thoughts.

From Wikipedia:
Here are the essential rules that are often formulated for the beginners or students, often a paraphrase of Natalie Goldberg’s “Rules for Free Writing,” ^[ often referred as Natalie Goldberg’s first four rules of writing

• Give yourself a time limit. Write for one or ten or twenty minutes, and then stop.
• Keep your hand moving until the time is up. Do not pause to stare into space or to read what you’ve written. Write quickly but not in a hurry.
• Pay no attention to grammar, spelling, punctuation, neatness, or style. Nobody else needs to read what you produce here. The correctness and quality of what you write do not matter; the act of writing does.
• If you get off the topic or run out of ideas, keep writing anyway. If necessary, write nonsense or whatever comes into your head, or simply scribble: anything to keep the hand moving.
• If you feel bored or uncomfortable as you’re writing, ask yourself what’s bothering you and write about that.
• When the time is up, look over what you’ve written, and mark passages that contain ideas or phrases that might be worth keeping or elaborating on in a subsequent free-writing session.

Sunday Crew Caught Red Handed Just Standing Around!

Sign Up For Fight Gone Bad Today!

Today is the deadline to sign up for Fight Gone Bad 2012!! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to participate. Most of our verteran CFSBKers say that FGB is their favorite day of their CrossFit year! Come see why!
There are currently 92 people signed up for FGB2012!

Last Chance to Be a Supple Leopard

We’ve got over 100 CFSBK orders in for Kelly Starrett’s “Becoming a Supple Leopard” book.  David will be placing the order on Wednesday so if you’d like to get in on the 50% wholesale discount, email him with “Leopard” in the subject line. We’ll be collecting money when the books come in.

Ho’ Brah Tacos

Check out CFSBKer Alan L’s Bay Ridge restaurant Ho’ Brah Taco Joint.  Several coaches have made it down and can attest that this place is LEGIT. Currently coach Jeremy holds the top leader board spot for Tacos at 33 eaten in 24 hours. BAZ holds the second spot at 1 taco eaten.  If you’re looking to make a shot at the board, why not start here! Support your local CFSBKers!

Do you have an all time favorite WOD?
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World’s Fattest Dachsund
Brandon Wynn’s Gymnastics Ring Training
A Case For Wide Stance Squats Elite FTS

Fitness:
3-4 Warm-Up Sets
Deadlifts: 1×5
5lbs heavier than last week

Performance:
2-3 Warm-Up Sets
Speed Deadlifts: 55%x1x8 every :30

Post loads to comments.
DL e2/6 compare to 2.2.2
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3 Rounds NFT of:
6 Romanian Deadlifts, slightly heavier than last week
6 Heavy Single Arm Dumbbell Presses
2:00 Plank, add weight if necessary

If you need to, use a hook grip on the RDLS.
For the Dumbbell Press, start with your non-dominant arm and don’t let your stronger arm exceed the reps and weight of the former. Get TIGHT
While this is not for time move quickly between each station.

Last Year David promised to do 15 Burpees during each rest period and the entire workout in a 20lb weighted vest if he hit his fundraising goal

Sign up for Fight Gone Bad 2012 Today!

Training vs. Testing

by Coach Noah
Originally Posted 8/1/12

All last week attempted One Rep Maxes (1RMs) here at CFSBK.  People moved some impressive weight, beat old PRs, and gained insight about their training and their performance.  Going forward into Crush Week, now that many of us have some experience exploring the outer margins of our strength, let us discuss what testing is, as opposed to training, and where both of these concepts fit our development as Crossfitters.

Training

When we train a skill or movement, we perform with a direct and focused outcome.  At CFSBK we mainly use a “linear progression” model for our strength training, which allows us to slowly and steadily increase our strength and avoid plateaus.  We mix this with conditioning and muscular endurance training that is designed to complement our strength training while drawing from a deeper pool of movements and time domains.  Our training is never random- our coaches spend a good deal of time and energy to make sure that each movement we do in the gym makes us stronger, more mobile, and works to address weaknesses and imbalances.  At CFSBK we train submaximally 90% or more of the time- basically if it is a workout without a “Girl” or “Hero” name or a One Rep Max test, consider it training, and handle yourself accordingly, as described below.

Good training is generally submaximal, which means we use loads or rep schemes that are lower than our absolute ability.  Training submaximally is great for a number of reasons.  It allows us to train with proper technique, avoid injury, and recover better.  Training submaximally also lets us “own our exercise” and perform our reps with good speed, authority, and confidence.  

Your own training should draw on these concepts.  Your training should be submaximal, with an eye on the larger outcome your training session will have on your general fitness.  During training, failure should be nearly non-existent (I will discuss this further at the end of the article) and we should reflect about what today’s work means to our greater plans both before and after our training session.  We should leave each training session feeling that we accomplished our goals and are moving forward with our bigger plan.

Testing

Testing is the rare and exotic unicorn in direct opposition to the common utilitarian draft horse of training.   Compared to training, testing is rare.  At CFSBK we have programmed crush weeks, during which we will program more “named” workouts, or generally tougher workouts that are related to the training cycle we have just completed, with an eye on testing how effective our training has been.  Unlike training, where we have a full understanding and direction for our daily toil, a day of testing can be a bit of a wild card.  Coach Jeremy has referred to it as a “performance,” and just like on the stage, sometimes during a test we bring the house down, and some days we fall flat.  Part of the value of training lies in this mystery and our reaction to it.

Why train so frequently and test so rarely?  Testing taxes your body and has little progressive effect on your system.  Moving extremely heavy load or at breakneck speed can lead to diminished accuracy in technique, technical misses, and is extremely taxing on our CNS.  Incessant testing leads to poor recovery and less adaptive stress on our system.  Adaptive stress fuels growth, so the more we test, the less we grow.

Why test at all then?  Tests are necessary for benchmarking our progress, identifying weaknesses, and gaining experience and confidence in performance under pressure.  The very reason the “girls” and “heroes” are referred to as “benchmark” workouts is that we should only perform them every so often as a yardstick for our strength and conditioning gains.  Don’t be the guy who does Fran every friday.  That said, every so often you should pick a workout and say “I’m gonna really get after this” and lay it all out there.  It’s best to make sure it’s a workout we do semi-regularly so you will have some comparative data, and it’s good to pick a workout that incorporates movements you have been working on during your training so that you can reward your hard work with progress.

Failing and Bailing

This conversation is a long time coming, and an attempt to clean up some lax training habits and psychology that have become a bit too hardwired at the gym.  The difference between training, where we very rarely fail, and testing, where we very well may fail, necessitates a discussion of when, why, and how failing/bailing should occur.

During training we should virtually never fail.  We should be working submaximally, with a plan, and in control of the weight.  Part of our plan is a plan to succeed.  If we do fail it should be a technical fail- lost balance in a squat, hitting ourselves in the chin during a press- a mistake.  Repeated failure during a training phase is a not-so-subtle message from our CNS that we are training too hard and need to back off or deload entirely.  During a 6-8 week training phase you should be able to count your missed reps on one hand, with fingers to spare.

During a test, we may very well fail as we brush up against the ceiling of our strength, conditioning, and skill.  This could be as simple as not being able to stand a squat back up after taking it down, or can be biting off more than we can chew in a WOD and realizing that we either won’t be able to complete it at all, or at least not before the next equinox.  These failures will inform our training going forward, as they set concrete benchmarks about what where we currently stand.  A missed lift or slow metcon shouldn’t be a cause for frustration, demonstrative shouting, or thrown weight belts, but as useful data that will inform our next training cycle.

Bailing is a luxury that weightlifters went without for many years.  Bumper plates are an invention of Olympic Weightlifting, where technical misses occur fairly often due to the high skill demand of the movements.  Powerlifters for years toiled away in “iron gyms,” without the ability to bail every time they got stuck in the hole.  This week we had everyone get spotted during 1RM attempts, and asked that they hang in there and finish their lifts, even if it had to be with the aid of the spotter.  Fighting through a rep is a learned skill, and often the feeling of “oh no, this will never go up” can one second later become “I’ve got it” with the application of a little tenacity.  The converse is true- people can become so comfortable bailing the bar that the second their squat feels less than stellar they toss if off their shoulders.  While there are some WODs and specific workouts where a (CONTROLLED) bail is ok (Grace for example) these bails usually happen at the TOP of a lift so the athlete doesn’t tire out or have to fight through a suboptimal position. Learn to fight out a rep, finish what you start, and don’t get comfortable with the idea of bailing the bar.

The Takeaway

The best athletes have a larger view of their training, and don’t simply walk into the gym each day without a plan, throw some weight on the bar, and see what they can do.  Careful planning, listening to your coaches and your own body for feedback, and picking your times to test a lift
or skill will all lead to greater success, faster recovery, and less injuries.

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James Hobart Split Snatches Heavy Doubles
The History of Fitness

2 Warm-Up Sets
Then 3 Work Sets of:
Chinese Rows, 10 Reps
Supine Band Pull-Aparts, 15 Reps

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5 Rounds NFT of:
L-Sit Hold, Accumulate 40 or 25 seconds
100m Farmers Carry, go very heavy

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Congratulations to the CFSBK Softball Team on a Successful First Season!
See more pics from the last game here. Thanks Ellie!

Newly Weds! Congratulations to Mike and Janelle as well as Jane and Jenna on getting hitched yesteday! CrossFit Couples FOR LIFE!!!

New Equipment

CFSBK recently picked up some more new equipment. Look out for it at a Group Class near you soon!

25lb Competition Green Bumpers: 3 Pair
35lb Competition Yellow Bumpers: 3 Pair
45lb Competition Blue Bumpers: 2 Pair
New Micro Mini Orange Bands: 6 Pair
20lb Medball: 2
16lb Medball: 1
14lb Medball: 1
12lb Medball: 3 (by popular female request)
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The Man Behind The Beard: Lucas Parker CrossFit Games
The Tragic Death Of the Military Press Starting Strength
Words Of Wisdom And Training Compilation Ross Enmait