- Increase amount of warm up time and session time:
Warm up time now takes me almost 45 minutes. It is a lot more structured and focused on the areas that I need work in and less general body prep. Doesn't sound like rocket science, but I think it is easy to get trapped in the same style of warm up when you feel it is working and have seen benefits from it previously. My warm up regime now consists of 5 min. on the spinning bike with 2:30 in forward pedalling and 2:30 in reverse pedalling. 5 minutes of alternating track work - forward jog, backward jog, and side shuffles both directions. I then move to the foam roller, tennis/lacrosse balls and ropes/bands for stretching. 5 minutes on the rower at a 70% exertion pace. and then move into specific movements for the days training session. By the time the session starts my body is ready and not feeling like a tin man in need of some grease. With the increase in warm up time, sessions have moved from a 1 hour time frame to a 1:45-2 hr time frame. The amount of actual work time is still 45 minutes to an hour, but the total time spent at the facility has gone up.
- Increase in isolation movements:
I have started to incorporate a lot more weightlifting in my program following old school powerlifting, strongman and bodybuilding style training. I have found it has been a great help in increasing my base strength in a lot of my lifts and allowing me to mentally begin preparing for the wod to come while still doing things at a high intensity. On top of that it has allowed me to focus on specific helpers in CF movements such as brachialis in kipping pull ups, shoulder rotators and rear deltoids, etc.
- Increase in load:
As an advanced level lifter there are many movements where technique has been mastered. Not all movements are technically perfect, as no one is ever perfect in every movement, but proficiency in many is very high. As a result the loads I have been using are much heavier than those utilized in the regular scheme of CrossFit style training. An easy example would be using 85lbs for KB swings instead of 55 or 70lbs. This is not a good idea in novice lifters and technique must always be the priority before loads are increased. If you can do really heavy really fast, then light feels even lighter and moves even faster.
- Short Metcons:
Metcons are now usually not exiting the 10 min range at most. They are short, brutal and intense. They have heavy loads in compound movements paired with bodyweight gymnastic movements. There are still days where there is no weightlifting involved, but not many. Is this a good idea? Bad idea? Time will tell.
Here is an example post warm up of a training session I did last week:
A. Clean 5x1
B. 5 rounds for time
Back Squat 315 x 3 reps
Burpees 5 reps
rest 1 minute
5 Rounds for time
Good Morning 225 x 6 reps
Double Unders 25
C. Glute Hame Raise
4 x Fail 1 minute rest between sets
At first glance it does not look like a huge divergence from the original training, but the heavy strength training bias, muscle specificity and only short time frames surrounding metcons definitely make for some different stimuli. I will periodically report on how things are going and how I am feeling with the new style of training.
Week 3 of 3
Program 1 Tabata
Day 1 MB Thruster/MB Clean/MB Sit Under/MB Russian Twist (20/14)
Day 2 Pull Up/Sprawl/V Sit/Box Jump
Day 3 Plyo Lunge/Handstand Push Up/Dip Under/Air Squat
Day 4 Double Under/Wall Ball Shot/Ball Slams/Push Wall Touch
Program 2 Strength
Up 1
A1 Bench Press Week 3 3,3,2,2 (No Tempo)
B1 Incline Dbells w/ Rotation 3 6-8 (2,1,1,1)
B2 Cable X-Overs 3x8-10 (3,1,x,1)
C1 Triceps Pressdown 4x20
Program 3 - Conquest
AMRAP 20 Minutes
5 KBS
10 Box Jumps 20/14
15 Sit Ups
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