I have made a life and career out of fitness. I am truly lucky and blessed. But the biggest impact on my fitness career has been discovering, coaching and competing in CrossFit. CrossFit did not invent anything in movement that humans have not seen before. What CrossFit did was perfect how the movements are used and to more importantly how to use rep ranges and intensity to deliver a physical product that has completely changed the way we see body composition and physical strength.
Lets talk reps for a second. High reps Vs. Low Reps... What do you like more?. Which hurts more? How does using both make you feel? These are qualitative and quantitative observations that you should be watching and paying attention to in your training.
Plain and simple Physiology and hypertorophy... Low Reps = Greater Strength W/ less focus on metabolic conditioning and body composition. High Reps= Greater overall muscular endurance and hypertrophy (Muscle Building). Less on absolute strength.
So the goal is developing high strength and big gains and great body composition. Ok Go....
The truth is not that simple. Proper programming in CrossFit training has shown us the clearest path towards that middle ground though! Lets take a look at 21-15-9 for example. This rep scheme has been used for YEARS and has become a default rep scheme for total reps produced during exercise. By decreasing reps each round the athlete (you) are able to;
1) Keep intensity rather high, this benefits endurance and muscle building.
2) Use a variety of weights. Although the reps stay the same the programming can dictate stimulus by weighting the workout in various ways. Goping light will benefit muscle growth and going heavy still keeps the rep range in a strength building zone!
As you all know the proof is in consistency. By coming and crushing workouts each day you will be exposed to a variety of low intensity/ high strength days and high rep/muscle building days. The goal is to appreciate both. Which brings up my final point about body composition.
Body Composition for males and females and the definition of beauty has literally been re-defined by the CrossFit method. CrossFitters walk taller and have better posture because our backs are strong and well developed. We all have great butts because we place a high value on full ROM exercises (especially squats). And that's just some external pieces; when you look at the insides of CrossFitters you notice that our training has also helped to dismiss common ailments and diseases that plague the general population. Amazing!
So it is one thing to get stoked on the workout, it is another thing to actually see what this process is doing for you. CrossFit is just a method, it needs your engine to move!
Baseline;
400m Run
10 Banded Pass Thru
10 Banded Trunk Twist
10 Banded Good Morning
10 Banded Squats
10 Squat-Banded Pass Thru
10 Squat- Banded Sotts Press
400m Run
Skill Development:
Overhead Squat
3-3-3-3-3
*Ascending
Snatch balance
10 Reps @ 60% of Heaviest OHS
- hold bottom for 3-5 seconds.
WOD:
10-1
Med ball Clean
Chest TO bar Pull Up
