WOD 5-01-08

In 20 minutes, how many rounds?

5 Handstand Push-Ups
10 Burpees
15 Double-Unders

1x5 Deadlift

5 Rounds For Time:

Run 200 Meters
10 "KettleBear" 55#/35#

The "KettleBear": without putting down the Kettlebell, perform:

Deadlift left
Clean left
Front Squat left
Push-Jerk left
Overhead Squat left
Deadlift right
Clean right
Front Squat right
Push Jerk right
Overhead squat right

That is ONE rep. A momentary touch on the second DL is acceptable. Resting the KB on the floor is a miss, and the rep must be repeated.

Here is a valuable resource via ExRX.net and Lon Kilgore, PHD. If you don't meet the intermediate standards, you might want to think about using the CFEB strength protocol, found HERE, until you are.

The standards (not norms) presented in the linked tables below represent a 1RM performance (in pounds) that can be reasonably expected of an adult athlete at various levels of training advancement using standard full range-of-motion barbell exercises with no supportive wraps or suits.

• Press
• Bench Press
• Squat
• Deadlift
• Clean

In the tables linked above, the term:

Untrained

Expected level of strength in a healthy individual who has not trained on the exercise before but can perform it correctly. This represents the minimum level of strength required to maintain a reasonable quality of life in a sedentary individual.

Novice

A person training regularly for a period of 3-9 months. This strength level supports the demands of vigorous recreational activities.

Intermediate

A person who has engaged in regular training for up to two years. The intermediate level indicates some degree of specialization in the exercises and a high level of performance at the recreational level.

Advanced

An individual with multi-year training experience with definite goals in the higher levels of competitive athletics.

Elite

Refers specifically to athletes competing in strength sports. Less than 1% of the weight training population will attain this level.

Submaximum loads may be used to estimate one rep maximum values using the One Rep Max Calculator.

Tables for the basic barbell exercises were developed from:

• definitions in "Practical Programming" by Kilgore, Rippetoe, and Pendlay
• the experience and judgment of the authors,
• the exercise techniques described and illustrated in "Starting Strength" by Rippetoe and Kilgore, and
• published performance standards for the sports of powerlifting and weightlifting.

Provided by Dr. Lon Kilgore, PhD

There will be a few changes happening in May.

1. Starting Sunday May 4th, The Sunday Noon class will be  a "Fundamentals" Class. I will be going over the basic movements, in detail, with a brief "finisher" of around 10 minutes. Feel free to come if you want to brush up on basics, or are new to CrossFit.

2. Starting Wednesday May 7th, we will be test-piloting a lot of WODs that involve climbing so check the website and bring your climbing shoes: If you have some less aggressively sized ones it may be faster on some workouts to wear them so you don't have to take them on and off. There will be subs for non-climbers.

WOD 4-20-08 "Sprint 8"

8 rounds

90 seconds jog
30 seconds sprint

Each sprint should be absolute, full-out maximal effort. Hold nothing back, don't think about the future, don't game it, just run as hard as you possibly can for 30 seconds each time. Period.

WOD 4-26-06

Run 800 Meters
10 Overhead Kettlebell Squat Right 55#/35#
10 Overhead Kettlebell Squat Left 55#/35#

Nicole Carrol HSPU: very strong, but I prefer a flatter back.

WOD 4-25-08

5 Handstand Push-Ups
10 Burpees
15 Double-Unders

"Quarter Gone Bad"

Five rounds for total reps of:
135 pound Thruster, 15 seconds (women 95 pounds)
Rest 45 Seconds
50 pound Weighted pull-up, 15 seconds (women 30 pounds)
Rest 45 Seconds
Burpees, 15 seconds
Rest 45 seconds

-OR-

Reverse Quarter Gone Bad

Five rounds for total reps of:
65 pound Thruster, 45 seconds (women 45 Pounds)
Rest 15 Seconds
pull-up, 45 seconds
Rest 15 Seconds
Air Squats, 45 seconds
Rest 15 seconds

Post total reps for all five rounds to comments.

One Leg Kettlebell Deadlift

WOD 4-22-08 "Little Linda" AKA "Kettlebellinda"

Rounds of: 10-8-6-4-2-1 reps:

1 Leg Kettlebell Deadlift Left 71#/55#
Kettlebell Clean & Jerk/Press Left 55#/35#
Kettlebell Front Squat Left 55#/35#
1 Leg Kettlebell Deadlift Right 71#/55#
Kettlebell Clean & Jerk/Press Right55#/35#
Kettlebell Front Squat Right 55#/35#

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From The Desk Of Clarence Bass

If you enjoy and benefit from our website and products, tell your friends.

"This has the potential to change the way we think about keeping fit. We thought there would be benefits but we did not expect them to be this obvious. It shows how effective short intense exercise can be"
                             ~ Professor Martin J. Gibala (London Telegraph, June 5, 2005)

  "Slowly, slowly the rest of world figures this out." Laszlo Bencze

  Sprints Build Endurance!
------

Tabata-type Training Takes Center Stage
--------
Two Minutes Potent as Two Hours 
-----
Intensity Trumps Volume

My friend Richard Winett, PhD, publisher of Master Trainer, was one of the first in this country--perhaps the first--to write about Dr. Izume Tabata's groundbreaking research published in 1996, on short, intense intervals. Dr. Tabata and his colleagues at the National Institute of Health & Nutrition, Tokyo, Japan, reported: "[Six to 8 very hard 20 second intervals with 10 second rest periods] may be one of the best possible training protocols..." Dr. Tabata told Dick Winett in a personal communication:  "The rate of increase in VO2max [14% in only 6 weeks] is one of the highest ever reported in exercise science." What's more, anaerobic capacity increased by a whopping 28%.

Several of the earliest articles on this website were about high intensity intervals for fitness and fat loss; articles 10 and 11 in our Aerobic Exercise category discuss Dr. Tabata's research.

Because of my interest in high-intensity aerobics (I first wrote about it in Ripped 3), quite a number of people emailed about the recent research on sprint interval training done by Kirsten Burgomaster and colleagues at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and published in the Journal of Applied Physiology (June 2005).

In that study, sixteen active but untrained students, average age 22, were divided into two groups: eight who performed two weeks of sprint intervals, and eight controls who were tested before and after, but did no training.

The test group did four to seven "all-out" 30-second sprints on a bicycle ergometer with four-minute rest periods, six times over two weeks. (Dr. Tabata's subjects did intervals five days a week for six weeks; the rest periods were much shorter, of course. We'll discuss the differences in the two studies below.)

The muscles of the trained group showed substantial aerobic adaptation: 38% increase in citrate synthase, a mitochondrial enzyme that indicates the power to use oxygen, and a 26% increase in glycogen (muscle sugar) content. Interestingly, there was no change in peak oxygen uptake (VO2max) or anaerobic work capacity.

"Most strikingly," the researchers wrote, "cycle endurance capacity increased by 100% after [sprint interval training]." The time to fatigue cycling at about 80% of VO2max increased on average from 26 minutes to 51 minutes!

The control group showed no change in any of the test parameters.

"To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that sprint training dramatically improves endurance capacity during a fixed workload test in which the majority of cellular energy is derived from aerobic metabolism," the researchers reported. Impressively, the short period of very intense exercise produced improvements "comparable to or higher than previously reported aerobic-based training studies of similar duration." In other words, about two minutes of very intense exercise (15 minutes over 2 weeks) produced the same or better results than previously shown after two hours a day at about 65% of VO2max, or 20 hours over two weeks.

  Intervals for the Masses

Although in some ways less impressive the Dr. Tabata's results (more later), the new study has created quite a stir, especially among health professionals eagerly looking for ways to motivate people to exercise.

Martin J. Gibala, an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University and lead spokesman for the new study, has been quoted widely in this country, Canada and in the UK.

"The whole excuse that 'I don't have enough time to exercise' is directly challenged by these findings," Gibala told the London Telegraph. "This has the potential to change the way we think about keeping fit. We have shown that a person can get the same benefits in fitness and health in a much shorter period if they are willing to endure the discomfort of high-intensity activity."

"This type of training is very demanding and requires a high level of motivation; however less frequent, high intensity exercise can indeed lead to improvements in health and fitness," Gibala told CNN.

"We thought the findings were startling," Gibala told CTV, Canada, "because it suggests the overall volume of exercise people need to do is lower than what's recommended." He added, "We think there might be a public health message that you can perform intense exercise, but less volume, and obtain similar benefits."

The Journal of Applied Physiology found the new study noteworthy enough to merit a thought provoking "Invited Editorial" in the same issue by Edward F. Coyle, Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, University of Texas at Austin.

Not only is the study a "documented first," Coyle writes, it "serves as a dramatic reminder of the potency" of intense exercise to improve performance, with "implications for improving health." It shows that sprints are "very time efficient, with much bang for the buck."

  Challenge to Conventional Wisdom

It seems logical, says Coyle, that "aerobic endurance performance is only enhanced by aerobic endurance training, but it has been proven wrong in the realm of athletics as well as muscle biochemistry." In short, prolonged low intensity exercise is not necessarily the best way to build endurance. Long slow running or biking may be a waste of time for people who want to become fit and healthy but have no plans to run a marathon or compete in high-level bicycle racing.

Coyle observes that middle-distance runners typically include sprint intervals in their training to improve aerobic endurance. "Indeed," he writes, "it is likely that if an experienced runner or bicyclist had only 2 weeks and very limited time to prepare for a race of [about] 30-minutes duration, that sprint interval training would become a mainstay of their preparation." Roger Bannister's preparation to run the first 4-minutes mile is a classic case in point; see article 136 in our Aerobic Exercise category.

Coyle points to the recent popularity on "spinning" as an indication that the idea may be catching on in the general fitness population. "From the perspective of muscle biochemistry," he adds, "it has long been recognized that 6-8 weeks of sprint interval training increases aerobic enzyme activity in muscle [citing several studies]."

Regarding the health implications, Coyle adds: "The large increase in citrate synthase activity in muscle implies that a host of adaptations typical of aerobic endurance training have been initiated, such as improved insulin action, improved lipoprotein lipase activity, and greater clearance of plasma triglycerides [citing studies]."

Referencing a research paper about the evolutionary underpinning of modern chronic diseases, Coyle suggests that sprint interval training might be an efficient way to keep our sedentary population from crossing "a biological threshold, beyond which chronic health conditions develop." (See "Grow Or Decay, Your Choice," # 146, Health and Fitness category.)

  Energizing the Fibers

What accounts for the surprising effectiveness of very hard 30-second sprints in improving endurance capacity? It obviously works, but why? What's the precise mechanism? The researchers offered a smorgasbord of possible mechanisms, but I found the explanation offered in the editorial more satisfying and quite logical.

"We can only speculate," the researchers state, "but it is plausible that a training-induced increase in mitochondrial potential, as measured by citrate synthase maximal activity" is responsible for the improvement. Being good scientists, however, they go on to muddy the water, perhaps unnecessarily: "However, the precise mechanisms that regulate endurance performance are multifactorial and extremely complicated, and the data from other studies suggest that sprint training can stimulate a range of adaptations that might facilitate performance aside from changes in mitochondrial potential." They then proceed to give a long list of possibilities that only an exercise physiologist would appreciate.

The editorial, on the other hand, goes for the jugular. Coyle says that both sprint interval training and prolonged sub-maximal aerobic exercise increase mitochondrial potential, but reminds us that the muscle fibers affected are different. The specific fibers affected probably explains why very brief sprint training proved to be as effective [or more effective] for improving endurance as much longer and less intense aerobic training, according to Coyle. "All-out sprint training especially stresses recruitment and adaptation of fast twitch muscle fibers that are remarkably and equally responsive as slow twitch muscle fibers in their ability to increase mitochondrial enzyme activity," Coyle explains. "In fact, the low-intensity aerobic exercise that is typically prescribed for endurance training or health is not very effective at increasing aerobic activity in [fast twitch] muscle fibers, which comprise approximately one-half of the fibers within the muscles of most people," he continues. "Thus low-intensity aerobic training is not a very effective or efficient method for maximizing aerobic adaptation in skeletal muscle because it generally does not recruit  [fast twitch] fibers."

In other words, sprint interval training increases the endurance capacity in all muscle fibers, fast and slow, while long slow training leaves half of the fibers unused and untrained. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? It's like pulling the wagon with one horse, when two would get you a lot farther down the road. (See Ripped 2 for an explanation of the "all-or-none" law of muscle fiber recruitment, and The Lean Advantage (first volume) on the order in which muscle fibers, slow and fast, are recruited.)       

  A Price to Pay

There is no free lunch, of course. High-intensity intervals are hard. The editorial also addressed this issue. "[Repeated all-out sprints] cause a feeling of severe fatigue lasting for at least 10-20 minutes," Edward Coyle writes. "That is the price for its effectiveness and remarkable time efficiency. It remains to be determined which population, depending on age, health status, and psychology, are most likely to adhere and benefit from sprint interval training." The possibility of injury is also a factor to be considered. "Chance for impact injury during stationary cycling or swimming seems low and might be compared with sprint running," Coyle suggests.

Recognizing that adherence and motivation would be an issue, the London Telegraph asked three "quite fit" employees of the Reebok Sports Club in Canary Wharf, London, to evaluate sprint intervals. As might be expected, reviews were mixed.

One eager beaver, 35, rode for 10 minutes in 60-second sprints. "It felt like I had just done an hour's run," he reported. "It was more than I was used to but I feel more exhilarated because it was so intense."

"To be honest, it was not much fun and unless I was really pressed for time I would not change my exercise regime," he added.

Another fellow, 23, tried the two minutes of cycling in 30-second super-bursts and found that he was exhausted. "It was torture, really, but I was amazed at how short a time it took me to tire myself out completely," he related. "I didn't enjoy it but it felt like it worked."

The third guinea pig, 27, who rode for 45 minutes at a moderate pace, insisted that she had also received a good workout. She said, "I am not sure I would want to go through the pain of 30-second sprints."

A fitness expert for Reebok, who had not tried the study protocol, thought that most people would not want to do it "because it is so uncomfortable, but for those willing to endure it would work."

Finally, an Olympic triple jump gold medallist offered a more positive spin: "Going for a 40-minute run is not for everybody. The idea of going and doing a short intense workout would appeal to people and help them to embrace a healthier lifestyle."

 Tabata Compared

Anyone who has tried them both will tell you that 30 seconds "all-out" with 4 minutes rest is a walk in the park compared to the Tabata protocol. Four minutes allows almost complete recovery--and time to renew enthusiasm for another very hard 30 seconds. The heart of the Tabata protocol is the 10-second rest interval, which allows partial recovery at best. That's the idea; incomplete recovery makes each rep harder than the last, and brings you to the point of exhaustion on the last rep. Seven or eight reps and you're done, literally.

The longer rest period in the study under discussion was probably a drawback in terms of effectiveness. On the other hand, the three-day-a-week frequency was very likely an advantage. (The Tabata protocol was done Monday through Friday with no rest days between exercise bouts.)

As noted above, the 20:10 work-to-rest ratio in the Tabata study produced substantial improvement in both aerobic and anaerobic work capacity, while the 30-second:4-minute ratio failed to produce improvement in either category. As explained in article 10, the reason almost certainly lies in the degree of overload. The Tabata protocol overloaded both aerobic capacity and anaerobic capacity to the max, while the work-rest ratio in the present study--the much longer rest periods in particular--probably produced a sub-maximum overload.

In a later study, Dr. Tabata compared the original protocol with an interval program very similar to one under discussion. Each subject did 4-5 bouts of 30 seconds, with 2-minute rest periods, to exhaustion. Tests showed that the 20-second intervals, with 10 seconds rest, overloaded both aerobic capacity and anaerobic capacity  maximally, while the longer interval protocol, with two-minute rest periods, did not. In both respects, the stress produced by the second protocol fell well short of maximum.

But why? Why did the original protocol stress both aerobic and anaerobic capacity maximally, when the more intense (200% VO2max vs. 170%) and longer (30 seconds vs. 20) bouts of the second protocol did not? Dr. Tabata and his colleagues believe the key factor was the difference in the rest periods.

The relatively long 2-minute rest periods allowed oxygen uptake to fall considerably and, therefore, when the next exercise bout started there was a delay before the oxygen uptake increased and began again to approach maximum. On the other hand, the short 10-second rest periods allowed only slight recovery, and therefore oxygen uptake increased in each succeeding bout, reaching maximum capacity in the final seconds of the last bout. The same was true for anaerobic energy release. The 2-minute rest periods stopped the buildup of lactate and allowed the resynthesis of phosphocreatine (see article 7, Diet & Nutrition, on creatine) to occur. Again, the short rest periods in original protocol caused the oxygen deficit to continue building from rep to rep, reaching maximum anaerobic capacity at the end of the exercise.

Almost surely, that's why the current study failed to show improvement in aerobic and anaerobic capacity. The 4-minute rest periods allowed almost complete recovery and maximum stress was never achieved.

On the other hand, the one or two days rest between workouts probably gave the current study a leg up on the original Tabata protocol. The researchers believed that the rest days would be an important advantage. "The importance of rest days between sprint training sessions was emphasized in a recent study that showed that peak and mean power elicited were unchanged after 14 consecutive days of sprint training; however, when subjects performed the same number of training sessions over 6 weeks, with 1-2 days of rest between training sessions, power output improved significantly," they wrote in the study report. "Although numerous mechanisms could potentially be involved, the importance of rest days between training sessions may be related in part to the fact that strenuous exercise leads to inactivation of cation pumps, and it has been speculated that up to several days may be required for normalization of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump function." Simply put, it takes a day or two for muscles to recharge after very intense exercise.

So, it's possible that Dr. Tabata and his colleagues could have achieved even better results by allowing their athletes a day or two to recover between workouts.

Another advantage of the interval protocol under discussion is that more people are likely to be willing to do intervals with 4-minute rest periods than with 10-seconds. Both protocols are obviously hard, but the less demanding regimen probably has wider appeal. It might turn more couch potatoes into gym rats.    

Words to the Wise

As noted above, interval sprints are not for everyone--certainly not for people just getting started or those with health problems. If you have doubts, by all means talk it over with your doctor.

Frankly, I enjoy high-intensity intervals; they're challenging and leave no time for boredom. Not all the time, however. I make it a point to vary the work-rest ratio and cycle my training. I don't train all-out all the time.

Generally, short hard intervals with long rest periods are recommended to improve anaerobic capacity; and repetitions with short rest periods are suggested to overload the aerobic system. The Tabata research and the current study suggest that intensity--not volume--is the key to success. 

It's important to start a new regime at a manageable pace and ramp-up over time as your condition improves. When you top out, change the plan and start over.

Train smart and keep in mind that you usually get out of a program about what you put into it. That doesn't mean more is better, however. As the current study demonstrates, stress and rest are both important.

Good training.

Ripped Enterprises, 528 Chama, N.E., Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108, Phone (505) 266-5858, e-mail:  cncbass@aol.com, FAX:  (505) 266-9123.  Office hours:  Monday-Friday, 8-5, Mountain time.  FAX for international orders: Please check with your local phone book and make sure to include the following: 505 2669123

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Skydiving without a parachute.

Anyone up for a CF East Bay skydiving outing? With parachutes.

WOD 4-20-08 "Sprint 8"

8 rounds

90 seconds jog
30 seconds sprint

Each sprint should be absolute, full-out maximal effort. Hold nothing back, don't think about the future, don't game it, just run as hard as you possibly can for 30 seconds each time. Period.

"Murph"

Run One Mile
300 Squats
200 Push-ups
100 Pull-ups
Run One Mile

If you have a 20 # weighted vest, body armor, firefighting gear, etc. wear it. A backpack with weights in it may be substituted, however you may experience some chafing. Proceed at your own risk. The squats, push-ups and pull-ups can be done in any order, and broken as needed (i.e. 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats AKA "Cindy-Style").

Late lunch at Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe at 1PM to follow. Sorry about late notice. We will be making this a regular Saturday event. See you there!

View Larger Map

Dumbbell Snatch 3-3-3-3-3-3-3 (each arm)

+ finisher:

21-15-9

Dumbbell Snatch Left Arm
Sit-Up
Dumbbell Snatch Right Arm
Squat

For DB Snatch, use 50% of 1RM

Kids "Cindy: CrossFit Kids

"Cindy"

In twenty minutes how many rounds can you perform of:

5 Pull-Ups
10 Push-Ups
15 Squats

?

Post rounds and partial rounds completed to comments.

"Kelly"

Five rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
30 Box jump, 24 inch box
30 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball

Post time to comments.

I'm working on T-shirts. Here is the first Beta Logo T-shirt, available here, however I don't suggest buying it, it is untested (plus I need to fix the alignment). I will let folks know when everything is ready. Many more options will be offered.

Watch this and be deeply ashamed if you cannot do as well...

WOD 4-12-08

How many rounds in 20 minutes?

12 KB deadlift
3 KB clean left arm
3 KB push-press left arm
9 KB swing
3 KB clean right arm
3 KB push-press right arm

Men: 1.5 P

Women 1.0 P

Wow pretty slick. I should make something like this, except with the movements being done correctly, some actual intensity, and a little something for the ladies.

Very nice KB swings from our sisters at Petranek Fitness in LA.

WOD 4-12-08

Four rounds for time:

Run 800 Meters
50 KB swings, 55#/35#

WHY NOT TO USE THE SWISS BALL

Tabata Something Else Demo

WOD 4-12-08

"Tabata Something Else"

Complete 32 intervals of 20 seconds of work followed by ten seconds of rest where the first 8 intervals are pull-ups, the second 8 are push-ups, the third 8 intervals are sit-ups, and finally, the last 8 intervals are squats. There is no rest between exercises.

Post total reps from all 32 intervals to comments.

Barbell Thruster

Five rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
75 pound Sumo deadlift high-pull, 21 reps
75 pound Thruster, 21 reps

Pavel Tsatsouline, author of "Power To The People".

CFEB WOD 1-26-08 "The 4000"

Get 4000 Pounds from the floor to overhead anyway, anyhow, for time.

Women use 3000 Pounds.

Move an object (Kettlebell, Dumbell, Barbell, Med Ball, Cat, Dog, Wife, etc.) from a position of contact with the floor to overhead at full lockout (knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows fully extended).

The default move for this workout will the kettlebell clean and push-press. You may mix and match weights if you are willing and able to do the math.

Possible Rep Schemes:

4KG kettlebell x 455 reps
8KG kettlebell x 228 reps
12KG kettlebell x 152 reps
16KG kettlebell x 114 reps
20KG kettlebell x 91 reps
24KG kettlebell x 76 reps
28KG kettlebell x 66 reps
32KG kettlebell x 57 reps

135# Barbell x 30 reps + 1rep with 50# dumbbell

Possible Movements:

Kettlebell Clean and Press
Kettlebell Clean and Push-Press
Kettlebell Clean and Jerk
Kettlebell Snatch

Barbell Clean and Press
Barbell Clean and Push-Press
Barbell Clean and Jerk
Barbell Snatch

Dumbbell Clean and Press
Dumbbell Clean and Push-Press
Dumbbell Clean and Jerk
Dumbbell Snatch

I am bringing these entries back to the front. A lot of folks at CFEB could benefit from doing this, and in fact I am doing it myself for a month, to try and get my strength back up closer to my PRs, while improving metcon, etc. at the same time.

PART ONE

Coach Rip Big Deadlift

I have fielded a lot of questions about incorporating 3x5s lately. If you are a beginner, you should just stick with CrossFit out of the box (national schedule WODs). However if you are an advanced beginner or intermediate and feel like your strength gains are stalled, or are deficient in strength, you might consider 3x5s.

An interesting test to see if your strength is up to par with your other skills can be found HERE.

Because CrossFit is a generalized physical preparedness protocol, some would argue that specialization is not necessary. However it is my feeling that fixing body composition by removing inert metabolic material and adding lean mass, along with focusing on strength until all workouts can be done as rx in under 45 minutes will yield faster progress towards developing elite athletic performance. I don't yet have the data to support this conclusion, only my admittedly anecdotal observations. I might mention that such luminaries as Coach Rippetoe (pictured above) substantially agree with me. In fact I spoke to him about this scheme and he gave input into it and pronounced it sound. See Starting Strength (2nd edition) and Practical Programming for Strength Training. In addition a similar program was initally suggested by Coach Mike Rutherford In Performance Menu #3, and followed up on in Performance Menu #7.

You can find much more comprehensive information on strength programming in the above books, however if you just want a simple strength programming protocol that you can insert into your CrossFit training, I have created a very basic program that will focus somewhat on building better strength (and power) without tremendously compromising the other aspects of your training. It should be said that altering CF in this way will result in somewhat more strength gains and somewhat less gains in other areas in the short run, however if it results in you being able to perform as rx'd sooner than you would have been able to otherwise, it should function as a shortcut to better performance in CF. Please keep in mind that this program is designed to preserve most of the GPP benefit of CF while increasing strength more rapidly than might be possible using pure CF. Adding more volume, or doing this on top of CF might lead to overtraining, while this protocol should not, at least not quickly. Think long-term results, not quick fixes. Unless you are genetically superior your results will not happen overnight anyway.

Here is the program:

• you are going to warm up with the empty bar for one or two sets


• You are going to progressively warm up for 2-4 sets depending on how strong you are. For example if you are planning to squat 405 3x across, do 45#, 45#, 185#, 225#, 275#, 315# as a warm-up. If you are going to Squat 95#, then 45#, 65#,75# should be adequate.


• You are going to perform five sets of five reps per exercise


• The first two sets are going to be warm-up sets


• The last three sets are going to be work sets, at the same weight


• You are going to start at 80% of your one-rep max in each exercise in week one


• You are going to add weight each week, either 2, 5 or 10 lbs as long as you can


• If you fail to complete the 3 sets as rx you will repeat the next week at the same weight


• You are going to repeat this protocol as long as it yields results


• You are going to stop doing the protocol when you fail at your target weight three weeks in a row.

So let's say you have a 100 lb shoulder press 1RM and you want to improve. In week one you do 3x5 @ 80 lbs. In week two you do 3x5 @ 85 lbs. In week three you do 3x5 @ 90 lbs and fail. In week four you do 3x5 @ 90 lbs. In week five you do 3x5 @ 92 lbs. In week six you do 3x5 @ 94 lbs. This should yield a new 1RM of 106 in the shoulder press. Continue as long as you are getting results, or until you have reached your target.

Simple 3x5 Program for CrossFit:

• Day One: 3x5 Deadlift, 3x5 Push-Press
• Day Two: CrossFit
• Day Three: CrossFit
• Day Four: Rest
• Day Five: 3x5 Squat, 3x5 Hang Power Clean
• Day Six: CrossFit
• Say Seven: CrossFit
• Day Eight Rest
• Repeat

This program can be repeated as needed. Of course other exercises can be used instead, but I would not recommend doing more than four exercises with this scheme. Other exercises that will yield good results are compound, multi-joint movements such as the Push-Press. Remember, this is a way of adding strength without too much sacrifice in metcon,etc. You should still be getting faster, etc. If you use this protocol I would be interested to hear about your results:

Contact Me.

PART TWO

There has been a fair amount of interest in the 3x5 schedule I posted on 11-13-08. I have gotten some questions about using different exercises.

Here is a list of exercises that can be used to good effect in the 3x5 schedule: use no more than 4 exercises performed one time a week each in this scheme: more volume will NOT equal more progress unless you are genetically superior in terms of strength development (a mesomorph).

Essential Exercises: Choose one for each day of the 3x5. These are the movements that will give you the biggest neuroendocrine hit.

• Deadlift
• Back Squat
• Front Squat
• Overhead Squat
• Thruster

Excellent Exercises: Choose one for each day of the 3x5.

• Bench Press/ Dumbbell Bench Press/ Weighted Dips
• Weighted Pull-Ups
• Hang Power Clean
• Sumo Deadlift High-Pull
• Press
• Push-Press
• Push-Jerk

Advanced Exercises. Use these in place of the "Excellent Exercises", above. You need to be able to do 3 sets of 5 unweighted first. I'll post on how to get there soon.

• HSPU/Weighted HSPU (need weight vest)
• Muscle-Up/Weighted Muscle-Up

Olympic Exercises: These can be substituted for the "Essential Exercises" if your focus is on developing power rather than limit strength. Use Dissimilar exercises (don't do Squat Clean followed by Hang Clean). Mix and Match (Day One: Deadlift, Bench Press/ Day Two Squat Clean, Weighted Pull-up).

• Squat Clean & Jerk
• Squat Clean
• Squat Snatch

There are, of course, many more permutations, such as the hang power snatch, etc. which could be used, but since the focus here is to build strength in intermediate athletes, let's keep it simple.

For those of you who just suffered through "Fran", take a look at what is possible. WR these days is 2:17.

Try this: http://backhand.uchicago.edu/Center/ShooterEffect/

Post score and thoughts to comments.

WOD 4-06-08

Run 800 meters Every 8 minutes on the 8 minutes.

* Finisher: 50 KB swings for time 55#/35#

* If Time

Older adults are not necessarily weak adults. Regular training can lead to a lifetime of strength. This 402lb deadlift by 72 year-old Darrell Gallenberger, was the result of perseverance and good training habits.

WOD 4-05-08 "Respect Your Elders" (created by ML)

For Time:

100 reps minus your age: Air Squats
100 reps minus your age: Walking Lunge
100 reps minus your age: Kettlebell Swing 1 Pood (35#/16KG)
100 reps minus your age: Sit-Up
100 reps minus your age: Push-Up
100 reps minus your age: Wall-Ball 20#/14# OR Thruster 45#/30#
100 reps minus your age: Burpees
100 reps minus your age: Double-Unders

Here is some video of me trying out the M&F "Full Body Blast In Two Moves" Workout. This is long.

WOD 4-04-08

"Fran"

Three rounds, 21-15- and 9 reps, for time of:
95 pound Thruster
Pull-ups

Post time to comments.

WOD 4-03-08

Two rounds for time:

Run 400 Meters
21 Double-Unders
12 Burpees

---------------------------

Deadlift 5-5-5

Eric Velazquez, Senior Editor
Muscle & Fitness
21100 Erwin Street
Woodland Hills, CA
91367

cc: Peter McGough, Editor in Chief

Dear Mr. Velazquez,

I was recently startled by your direct response to my comments about your magazine on my blog, relating to your upcoming article on CrossFit. You challenged me to pick up your magazine, which I admit I have not read since the early 1990s, having switched to "Muscle Media 2000". I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. While the magazine, in my opinion, still has some way to go before I would want to pay for it, it certainly has moved somewhat towards the "Fitness" side of the masthead.

I read the April Issue, cover to cover, and look forward to reading the May issue, with the CrossFit article. I especially liked the article on Bruce Lee, and I agree that he is a good role model, at least insofar as his weight training methods are concerned. The routine said to "include squat, deadlift, clean and press and bench press" is what your should be recommending to your readers who are new, or intermediate to the iron game and want to put on muscle. In the words of Mr. Lee, so much of what is found in your magazine is still a "fancy mess" with too many assistance exercises and not enough heavy deadlift, squat, clean, press and bench, which is really what the beginner, even the beginner bodybuilder should be focused on. To quote Coach Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, and the finest mind in fitness alive today, "Response to stimulus is systemic, not mechanical". Therefore the movements that have the greatest benefit, even in terms of building muscle are those with the greatest metabolic impact. To quote Coach again, "The most important criterion for exercise selection is neuroendocrine effect. Regardless of your sport or your fitness goals these moves are the shortest path to success."

Another article I was surprised and pleased to see was "Against All Odds" about a triathlete who came back from a coma to compete again. I also enjoyed what seems to me to be at least the beginning of a distinct CrossFit influence: Buddy Lee jumpropes, Turkish Get-Ups, weighted pull-ups, and proper push-up instruction. I also liked the Westside Barbell influence (chain bench press) and HIT article. The feats of strength were very interesting. As always, your nutritional advice is light years ahead of the mainstream. Still not perfect, but excellent.

While so much was good, as above, a lot of the exercise protocols in your articles, while better than nothing, seem like a waste of time. The 4x4 arms workout? Try googling "Arms Day at the L Street Gym" for thoughts on this sort of training. Actually there is nothing really wrong with this, but for all but the advanced, it seems like wasted effort. In the Turkish get-up, I would like to see a bit more weight, perhaps not a 135# barbell, but at least a 55# kettlebell, so you could see some effort. The sissy squat? Please, this movement would only be more silly if he was standing on a stability ball! The "Simply Huge" training plan was more fancy mess, even though it claimed to be simple! As Coach Mark Rippetoe, the world's foremost authority on the slow lifts states in "Practical Programming" the sort of plan outlined is paradoxically both "too much stimulus and not enough". I also found the bench press instruction to be substandard. You and your staff should, run, not walk, to find a copy of "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe and read it cover to cover, along with "Practical Programming". This would do more for your magazine that anything else I can think of, since you are so focused on the slow lifts.

Finally, the near total lack of simple effective gymnastics moves is a shame. The muscle-up on the rings is the king of upper-body exercises, and if that is not hard enough for you, add a weight vest. Also the handstand push-up, knees to elbows and pistols are fantastic movements that anyone can benefit from developing. As you say in your blog you have to "cater to the majority of your readership", but I guarantee if you did a well-written article on the muscle-up you would get a very positive response.

To quote Coach again:

"A strength and conditioning regimen devoid of gymnastics practice and skills is deficient."

"Traditionally, calisthenic movements are high rep movements, but there are numerous bodyweight exercises that only rarely can be performed for more than a rep or two. Find them. Explore them!"

Maximus Lewin
Owner, CrossFit East Bay

800 Potter Street
Berkeley CA
94710

520 20th Street
Oakland CA
94612

Heavy Helen

WOD 4-2-08

"Helen"

Three rounds for time of:
Run 400 Meters
1.5 pood Kettlebell swing, 21 reps
12 Pull-ups