Strength Cycle: This week brings to a close our current squat cycle, with our pressing program continuing on through the end of next week. We will take this as an opportunity to assess our current benchmarks. The goal isn’t necessarily to smash PR’s, but more to have a better working knowledge of where we are right now. That being said, if you’re in the mood to express your awesomeness, do what you have to do. Squatting makes you better at life…it’s a fact. Not an opinion, but a non-debatable statement. The only way to get materially better at squatting is to squat, not as a function of doing other things, but in a methodical and planned manner. Beginners learn form and comfort under the bar. Their body adapts to moving in space with a weight and they develop the confidence and stability to perform in both in the gym and everyday life. Simply putting these movements into workouts is insufficient and at times dangerous. Many initial gains beginners see in MetCon heavy programs are conditioning based and the result of a lower starting point. Competitive athletes need to follow a structured program if they want to see real gains. Never discount the decades of Olympic Lifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding research and testing that has been done. Without exception, they build from a strong squat. Do you want a faster Fran time? Improve your front squat. Stop banging your head against the wall doing Fran over and over. Integrating structured strength training into an Ultra-Marathoner and Ironman Triathlete’s training schedule helped both athletes far exceed their expected finishes. We’ve retested Open workouts from the past 2 years before and after a structured program and the improvement is significant. The most common explanation for the improvement has been “the weights just felt lighter.” We use our strength programming to supplement CrossFit programming. The increased mobility and strength allows them to perform at a higher level. They move heavier weights faster or are simply more powerful. Not having a plan is planning to fail.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 20:00:43 +0000