Came across an interesting thread on the crossfit message boards talking about how all the game competitors train with a strength bias, and it got me to thinking about crossfit programming. Programming a good strength and conditioning program, in my opinion, is one of the top three things you should look at in a crossfit gym (Programming, emphasis on technique, and personality).
And when you think about crossfit sans a strength bias, which looks like a bunch of random met-cons that have to be done at maximum intensity, it becomes appearent that you need something more. That something more, if you want to get much faster times and bigger lifts, is a strength bias. Sure Met-cons are cool, but as Whole9 says, beware of the sexy metcon.
I've heard of the 5/3/1 program, and because Jerry always has us finding our 5, 3, and 1 rep max I think that's what we do here at CFOT. For anyone who wants to know what it is exactly, I reccomend checking out this awesome article summerizing the program here.
It seems to me that a problem with crossfit.com programming is two fold: 1) a lack of periodization and 2) high intensity all the time for every workout.
First, you need to have programming with a plan, you just can't vomit up a triplet of random movements and do it for time. However, as far as I can tell the .com workouts seem to be exactly that, there's no rhyme or reason, no repetition. It's exciting, but you actually need to repeat movements periodically if you want to get better at them. Muscle confusion is great and all, but you actually want muscle adaptation to occur, you need it to occur to actually be stronger. If you squat every week, your squat will get stronger. Proper programming is cyclical with goals in mind, a beginning, middle, and an end. Because .com is suppose to be for everyone all the time, it has no beginning, middle or end. It's just a continuous stream of workouts that leave people in a puddle. Which leads me to my second point, intensity doesn't always have to be 100%.
"Simple answer is you can't go balls to the wall all the time. Well you can but then it becomes raisins against the wall."
One of the hallmarks of Crossfit.com is that you're suppose to do each workout as fast and as intense as possible, but as Crossfit One World says, intensity isn't always the answer. You'll open yourself up to injury and won't see much long term gains.
Point is, you need a stregnth bias in crossfit if you really want to see any real gains in you lifts as well as see improvement on your Fran time.
1 comment:
With three years of CF behind me, as of this week, I wholeheartedly agree with you! The first CF gym I was at, the programming sucked. We would do either a strength, or a metcon, and never two in the same day. I changed to another box and love the programming there. We typically have a strength component 3 days a week and work progressively on those lifts and revist them on a regular basis. Those days we will also have a short metcon. Days we don't have a strength component we have a longer metcon, and do skill work, usually in gymnastics. It's a well-rounded program, and hilights the fact that we have an excellent coach. He's been a competitor in all four CF Games, and I believe his programming is top notch and it shows in the results of the members of our box.
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