Adam's Gym, part one

So while I’m waiting for the day when I can get back to Crossfitting (which is starting to feel like waiting for the rapture), I’ve been using all this free time to start dreaming of my own box.  I don’t think I’ll ever open one up, it’s just not for me. But it’s a cool thought experiment and it keeps me entertained.  So what is Adam’s Dream Crossfit Gym like?  Well, I can tell you that I don’t really think about the equipment or the space, but I think about what the programming is like.  Programming is really what separates the boxes where people get hurt from the boxes where people get stronger.

So what’s in my programming?  I think it’s best to start off with what isn’t in it.  These moves will never show up in my WODs.  I’ll make special exceptions for those looking to compete, but even then the clients will be exposed to them like skill work and will rarely have them incorporated in conditioners.

1. Kipping pull ups: Essentially, they're nothing but trouble. If you really want to get better at kipping pullups try working on strict pull ups, like beast modal did.  Hell, kipping is one of the last things Drywall makes fun of.  You don't need it. Period. Unless you want your clients to get SLAP tears.
2. Sumo Deadlift High Pull (SDHP): Perhaps the second most dangerous exercise in crossfit.  It's ok if done with perfect form, but as soon as you get tired and form goes to crap (which it will), then you are asking for a supraspinatus impingement.  It's not needed, there are a lot better exercises out there.
3. High Rep Box Jumps: Again, there's a high risk of injury here.  Beast Modal brought it to my attention here. If you want to work the plyometric part of the box jump, just do double unders correctly.
4. High rep Oly lifts:  I probably won't have them at all in the conditioning section of a workout.  When you're doing a conditioner, form will degrade and when you do oly lifts with poor form you're asking for an injury.
5. Muscle ups: I'm kind of eh about keeping these out.  I do like them as a goal, Lord knows when I got my first one it was the happiest day of my life.

Another thing is introducing people to new movements, it will be gradual.  I see a lot of boxes just throw new client into the deep end and see if they swim.  Thing is, they’re definitely being set up to drown, so I’ve been coming up with ways to ease them into the water.

1. For one, I would follow nicki violetti’s on ramp program.  I’ve read over some of her stuff and philosophically we’re pretty much the same.  In a nut shell, the emphasis is on technique and not speed or weight.
2. For one, I’m not going to automatically sub in 3 or 4 reps of low-skill exercise for 1 rep of high skill exercise.. I’ve talked about this earlier, but when a new client comes in you don’t need to do even more stuff to kick their ass.  If they can’t do 10 single rope jumps in a row I’m sure as hell not making them do 150 of them when the WOD “Rx’d” prescribes 50 double unders.  In my gym you won’t even be allowed to even start doing double unders in WODs until you’re able to hit 100 single unders.  Boring?  Possibly, but I want to set up nice little attainable goals before you go for the big stuff.
3. Ring work is not going to be happen until you can show that you’ve mastered bar work.  I got this idea from this Grayskull’s post, I don’t care if we have bands to make you lighter, if you’re not used to doing dips of any sort I’m not going to overwork those shoulder stabilizers and get yourself hurt.  First thing’s first.  If you want to start doing ring dips, then you’re going to have to show me you can do 20 dips on the bars before you can try.

There are other things that I’ve been thinking about, but I think I’ll just keep this a running segment of “Adam’s Gym”.