Workout of the Day:
Four sets of:
Weighted Pull-Ups x 5 reps @ 21X1
Rest 2 minutes
Good Mornings x 8 reps @ 3011
Rest 2 minutes;
and then,
Four sets for max reps of:
60 seconds of Hang Power Cleans
30 seconds of Rest
60 seconds of Handstand Push-Ups
30 seconds of Rest
60 seconds of Double-Unders
30 seconds of Rest
Josh B - Eric's mustache is super cool, and so is this t-shirt he's rockin. We'll have to hook you up with one when you get back. Stay well and drop us a line once in a while.
More Testing Questions and Answers
Written by C.J. Martin
I got back late Monday night from the OPT CCP Nutrition Module in Calgary (which was awesome!) and saw a couple of great questions on the blog that I want to address so that everyone has these answers. So here they are:
From Courtland – “[C]ould [you] explain how the testing ties in with the strength cycle we are entering (if I’ve correctly understood previous posts). Is it the case that we will be encountering dead lifts, squats, presses and weighted pull ups more frequently over the next couple of months, or that the prescribed loading will be on the heavier side for that time period?”
Not necessarily, but quite possibly. Because our general philosophy is to develop clients who are fit and capable at a wide variety of tasks, we will never have a cycle that is solely focused on one aspect of fitness (such as strength). Remember, we have also conducted conditioning tests over the last couple of weeks which were extremely light or bodyweight only (Lucky Sevens, Jackie, 50 Burpees for time). I am as interested in seeing your progress on those workouts as I am in seeing your deadlift increase. So this is where things get tricky, or from my perspective, FUN!
If I were coaching solely for strength gains, I assure you the program would look VERY different. Similarly, if I was training someone solely to master light workouts or endurance affairs, that training protocol would look much different than ours. What’s fun is trying to get someone as strong and fast as possible.
That said, you will certainly notice trends in our programming cycles (you picked out a few). I believe you MUST have repetition and volume with a particular lift to see genuine progress in a short span of time. I have experienced and witnessed many athletes get stronger pretty quickly with a completely varied program and relatively few exposures to some lifts, but I am firmly of the belief that we can get athletes there quicker and make them stronger by focusing attention on a couple of things at a time. You will see trends where a few lifts get much more exposure than others for a 4, 6, or 8 week cycle to develop competence in that lift, and then it will likely be placed on a maintenance rotation while a few other movements take a priority. That’s true of our conditioning cycles as well – you might see similar movements, rest intervals or time domains popping up more often in one cycle and then appearing less frequently in the next.
The whole point of the testing is to see which types of programming cycles effect the most change in our athletes. If our results don’t look great on one aspect or another then we know we need to change something up.
From Brad – “How should one go about making up a testing day? If that is an option?”
Yes, that is an option. In fact, I strongly encourage it. If you miss a testing day and would like to make it up, please email info@crossfitinvictus.com and let us know when you would like to come in and make it up. We will, within reason, try to accommodate you and even pair you up with someone else who is looking to make up a test day. An email 8-10 hours ahead of time will give us a chance to let the coach know you’ll be doing something separate from the main group. Of course, I would ask that anyone making up a test be respectful of the larger group and understand that if the gym is slammed and space and/or equipment is scarce, they will need to postpone their make-up for another time.
From Lena – “These tests are perfect for newbies like me – hard to tell how I’m progressing when I don’t even know where I started!”
EXACTLY!!! I love the Lewis Carroll quote (slightly altered for Alice in Wonderland), “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” Similarly, if you don’t know where you are starting from, then you have no idea where you can go or how to get there. Whether you’re a newbie or a grizzled veteran, it’s important to know where you’re at and whether you are progressing. Without some baseline tracking, it can get hard to stay motivated and on the right track over the long haul. And while I encourage lots of short-term goals, my priority is helping your short-term goals add up to make you all strong, fit and healthy for decades to come.
Now, go have fun. Know that future tests and re-tests are on the horizon, and train hard to set new personal bests each time they do pop up.
Thanks for the reply, C.J. I think I heard Michele say we were entering a strength phase–not necessarily only strength, but rather more focused on that aspect relative to others for some cycle of weeks. My body is well aware of the met con testing to which we have been subjected. I loved doing the 50 burpees and Lucky 7′s, but truly hated Jackie and her 50 thrusters.
Let’s roll!
Courtland bite your tongue! Jackie is a beautiful girl!
Nothing like having sore quads for three days from only 45# thrusters!
Only managed 191 total reps on this WOD, pretty good given the hot-as-hell weather conditions. did 155 on the hang cleans, may have been a little too much in retrospect.
POS, Jackie’s aftermath was a little rough for my legs too, but the wind-suckage that hit me on the thrusters after the rowing is something that may have scarred me for life.