We Love Your Weird

On tap for this session is a time priority metcon, meaning that the time is the constant and the reps that you will complete are the variable. The goal for this workout is to keep moving for all of the 30 second “working” intervals. Don’t worry about your rep count or your spot on the whiteboard because this is primarily a working day. In fact, a large part of your training these days should be spent pushing further and further into the proverbial “suck.” The “suck” never goes away, but we do get better at dealing with it, and this is the goal of building work capacity: to be able to do more work than you could before, to train your body to continue to move properly and efficiently under stress. On the other hand, building work capacity also necessitates test days. These are your benchmark workouts, the measuring sticks we use in our CrossFit community at large. You might think of working days like daily homework, and test days/benchmark days like standardized tests. Maybe it’s not a perfect analogy, but I think most people will see the relation. The point of this ramble is to push you to push yourselves harder. Allow yourself to run up against, and through, that threshold. Choose the appropriate scale for the workout that will allow you to maintain good form for 90% of the metcon so that you can work when you’re tired and move when it hurts. A breakdown in form at some point during the metcon is to be expected, but it shouldn’t be right out of the gate. Play with this going forward, and choose your scale (up or down) based on this criteria. I want all of you to own your training and not need me, or anyone, to tell you how to work out. If you can figure out the best way to increase metabolic capacity for yourself and your own body, you’ll be miles ahead of the pack. CrossFit Lowell – CrossFit Warm-up Hips and Ankles (No Measure) 30 second sampson stretch 10 dislocates 10 good mornings 10 overhead squats 30 seconds of foam on soleus (each side) 2 minutes banded hip distraction (each side, timed as a group) 2 minute paleo chair (timed as a group) Strength Chin-Ups (2 x chart) Push-ups (2 x chart) Strength Shoulder Press (2×5, 1×5+) plus 2.5 Back Squat (2×5, 1×5+) plus 5 Strength Chin-Ups (1 x chart) Push-ups (1 x chart) Metcon Metcon (AMRAP – Reps) double unders dumbbell snatches (35/25) 30 seconds on, 20 seconds off for 10 rounds. Double unders on the odd rounds, db snatches on the even rounds. Mobility and Recovery

So you’ve decided to take the leap and you’re going to give CrossFit a try. Your friends won’t stop talking about it, you watched a few YouTube videos, and you fancy losing a little weight. But what to wear? We get this question a lot and it’s pretty simple, actually. Your CrossFit apparel should be something you can move in but not too loose, baggy is bad as you don’t want the fabric of your clothing catching on any of the equipment. Shorts or cropped yoga pants and a tee shirt or tank top are perfectly fine for the first timer. As you progress you may find yourself dressing for the particular workout (WoD) that your gym (Box) is doing that day, but more on that another time. A good, quick test is to come from a standing position to a prone (flat on your belly) position and then back to standing a few times. How did that feel? If your apparel wasn’t restrictive or it didn’t get in your way as you were moving then you’re in good shape. Now the footwear. If you can avoid running shoes I would recommend that, however, if running shoes are what you have then wear them. The give or sponginess that running shoes have in the sole is not ideal for the movements that you will be doing in CrossFit. Some people prefer Chuck Taylors or the New Balance Minimus, anything with a similarly minimal sole will work well. Don’t feel like you need to run out and buy special shoes before you go to your first class, find out if you like what you’ll be doing before you commit any extra expense towards it. Also, check with the gym before you show up because it might be acceptable for you to take some or all of the class barefoot depending on the workout they are doing that day. The important part is to be able to be able to move comfortably and enjoy your workout. Relax, pay attention to the instructor, and enjoy the process. Bring a water bottle and a small snack (simple carbs) for after the workout.

I like the shared suffering. It feels good to do something difficult as a group, it brings you and your fellow classmates closer together. I need the community. I need people to hold me accountable especially when I don’t want to be, that’s when I need it the most. When “I’ve got nothing left” during a workout, I have a whole lot more in me. We all do. It’s okay to let it out and lay in a heap on the floor after a tough workout, so do that. Progress is so much easier when there is a plan to follow. Programming is crucial. I need to know, specifically, what I’m after and then have a plan to achieve it. If I don’t use it, I’ll lose it. I mean movement, in general. I’m not exactly an old man but I’m no kid either. Movement is a practice whether it’s with barbells, combat sports, dance, gymnastics, or anything else. Keep practicing, keep building your capacity to do work.

“I want to be faster.” “I want to be stronger.” “I want to be thicker.” “I want to be thinner.” “I want to live longer.” “I want to lift heavier.” Ring true? The fitness and nutrition industry is built around pandering to an audience that might vaguely want one or more of these things for themselves. Given the option, we’d all want to live longer, healthier lives and beast massive amounts of weight, right? One only has to glance at the glossy issues of Generic Fitness Magazine piled up at the register to see the direction in which the authors are pointing you. “Lose 5lbs in just 10 days!” Is that really what you want? An indiscriminate drop in weight on the scale? Or do you want to lose fat? Gain muscle? Change your body composition? The industry’s job is to try to tell you what you want, but you’re the only one who knows for sure. So what are you looking for from your fitness program? Any goal that’s yours warrants merit. Proper goal setting methods can vary depending on personal preference, but let’s keep it simple: it must be measurable. “I want to be faster” becomes “I want to take my 100 meter dash time from 13.5 seconds to 12.3 seconds”. “I want to be stronger” becomes “I have a 155lb bench press now, I want to add 30lbs by Christmas”. These goals can be measured with baseline now and later a retest, and what you can measure can be improved. Now that you’re thinking in data-based terms, consider the program that will best suit your needs. Fitness is not one-dimensional. A solid modality will incorporate elements beyond standard-issue cardio to put you on the fast track to achievement. Be prepared for a shift in your goals – you may find that you begin a program to look or feel a certain way, and notice that months later, your goals have become more performance based Give your goal specificity and it will be easy to find the right program for you.

Building hip strength, in my opinion, is what a good, GPP training plan should be striving towards. The foundation must be built before any real intensity is placed on an athlete. The hips are the motor and the back and midline are the transmission, this is what CrossFit’s mantra of “core to extremity” is saying to us. Combining powerful hips with a strong back and midline will serve you well in almost anything life or training will throw at you. Weightlifting (snatch/clean & jerk) is a great way to increase hip power and explosiveness through development of the hamstrings, glutes, and back. The same is true of the much simpler and easier to learn movements of squatting, carrying, jumping (plyometrics), deadlifts, hip extensions, and back extensions, all of which are important to the development of these core muscle groups. You can see a great example of powerful hip extension in the video below, and note that this athlete (Mart Seim of Estonia) weighs in at 150kgs (330lbs). If general physical preparedness is your goal you would do well to start working from core to extremity. Hips, back, and midline.

Strive for quality movement, work towards perfecting your squat, kip, running stride, push-ups, and overhead position. Make your goal to increase the quality of your movement first, after that the speed, metcon time, and weight will mean so much more. “Mechanics, consistency, then (and only then) intensity.”

For a lot of us the idea of training is simple; show up, go hard, repeat 5 or 6 times a week, get results. Sounds logical and for many of us it’s worked before. Then life happens. You get that promotion at work, you have a baby or go on vacation! More realistically, you’re working overtime or spending all your energy looking for a job, you have to stay home and care for a loved one, or maybe you slipped on the ice and now you’re in a cast. The fact of the matter is that no one can see the future, shit happens and you might have to take some time off from the gym. So what am I supposed to do, just sit on my ass and watch all my gains go out the window? Well, yes but only temporarily. (remember we’re training for health and longevity not the olympics). The good news is that if you’re an athlete coming back from an extended absence you’re not starting back at zero. In fact you might be surprised after a couple training sessions just how much your body remembers. In many of cases it’s possible to get back to where you were and more, but as long as you’re willing to train smart. Reality check. You are not the athlete you once were, and that’s ok. In the past, you might of been making lots of progress and accumulated lots of Personal Records. However, now if you try to train like you did, using your old or lifetime lifting numbers, you’re setting yourself up for an injury. It’s going to take some time, planning, mindfulness, and recovery to get the ball rolling again. Ok I’m back, now how much can I train? Start with something that’s consistent and sustainable. You might have been away for months or years. Trying to train 5 or 6 days a week is asking for trouble. Start with something like twice a week for a few weeks. It might not seem like much at first, but you’re giving your body time to recover from a new stimulus as well as giving yourself time to mentally adapt. Remember that training is a stressor to your body, albeit a good stressor. Dose it wisely, too much stress too quickly can do a number on your tissues, central nervous system, immune system and more. Once you feel comfortable with this, then try 3 weeks of 3 times a week. Then 4 weeks of 4 times a week and so on. Listen to your body, the goal is to build you up, not break you. What about my diet, should I go full Paleo? That depends. Adding too many major changes to your life can cause more harm than good. If you already eat “clean” and it’s a matter or adjusting a few things, go for it. However, if you’ve been off the wagon for a while, changing your diet will act as a stressor. Now there’s nothing wrong with removing all the “bad foods” right away, but this brings us back to the concept of stressors and how time can be your friend. If you’ve eaten processed foods and lots of sugary drinks for months on end, removing all these items cold turkey can lead to withdrawal type symptoms or worse, urgent bathroom trips. Instead, try changing or substituting 1 food a week. For example, your first week, try to give up added sugar or if that’s too much, cutting down the number of sugary drinks you consume. The point is that you want to be able to make the changes where they are unnoticeable so it doesn’t stress your body too much mentally or physically. Make small steps that you can sustain. How hard to I push it? Your effort or your ability to work to a certain task will be perceived differently after a long break than if you’re still conditioned for that task. It sounds obvious, but I can’t tell you how many people I’ve seen try to pick up right where they left off. You might of been able to do push ups all day long, but now you’re struggling to get one or two. When you’re getting back into training, keep your perceived effort low. Start with 50% effort or if you’re doing multiple reps, use a weight where you could do double the amount you’re doing if you had to. For example, you’re pressing for 5 reps, use a weight where you could press 10 if you had to. This will feel easy at first, very easy, to the point where you’re wondering if you’re doing any work. Well you are! Your body is adapting to the weights at a physical level and you’re reinforcing good movement patterns, aka technique, at a mental level. This will allow you to build to higher intensity training over time. There’s a host of issues about returning to high intensity work too soon such as; muscle tears from going too heavy too quick, overloading your Central Nervous System which reduces your ability to recover, and the dreaded Uncle Rhabdo (Rhabdomyolysis). The biggest takeaway from this is that we’re trying to improve your quality of life and overtraining will destroy your progress. Enough talk, let’s go already! Here’s some guidance to creating our long term training plan. Remember, time is your friend. You’re rebuilding the foundation to what will be your House of Gainz, make sure your foundation is strong and ready before you continue to build, or else it will come crumbling down all over again. Set a realistic training schedule. Example: 2 times a week for 2 weeks, 3 times a week for 3 weeks, 4 times a week for 4 weeks Have a benchmark test where you can regularly retest to measure your progress. Example: 1 mile run/ 2k row/ 3 rep max lift Keep your Relative Intensity around 50% for the first 2 to 3 weeks, then slowly increase. In the beginning, training to failure is NOT your friend. Regularly add in beneficial foods and remove ones that hinder your progress. Talk with a coach to see what works for you. Start your day on the right food. Add a meditation or journaling practice to help with your mental recovery. Set up an End of Day routine. Sleep is one of the most important parts for recovery and stress reduction. No electronics/screens 2 hours before bed. Wind down with some stretching or foam rolling. Keep your stress levels as low as possible. Even all the healthy stuff we’re doing can initially put a strain on your body and mind. Don’t add too much too quick. Drink a protein shake post workout. There’s a lot of products out there. Talk to a coach about what options will work best for you. Get an Accountability-buddy. Have someone that will help you along the way keep to your plan. Keep it Fun. “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” We don’t need to suffer while trying to improve our health. Get yourself in an environment that will keep you motivated and where you get get a good laugh at the same time.