Friday 27, June 2014 - Assessment DAY 5

Today - for a lot of you will be a light day on work, so with that add your 3 rep max on front squats for me.

Clean and Jerk		3 rep	5-5-3-3-3 Max Three Rep
Max Muscle Ups		2 minutes	Full ROM / NO KIPPING
Max Wall Balls		1 minute	Full ROM / Men 20lbs Woman 16lbs
Max GHD Sit Ups		1 minute	Full Range of Motion

Thursday 26, June 2014 - Assessment DAY 4

Bench Press		1 set	5-5-3-3-1-1-1 Max One Rep
Max Ring Dips		1 minute	Full ROM / STRICT-No Kip Band ok
Max HSPU		1 set	Full ROM / No KIPPING
Max Double Unders		2 minutes	Count ONLY double unders
Row		2000m x 1	As fast as possible

Wednesday 25, June 2014 - Assessment DAY 3

Back Squat		1 rep	5-5-3-3-1-1-1 Max One Rep
Max Ring Push Ups		1 minute	Full Range of Motion
Max Strict Pull Ups		1 set	Full ROM / No Kipping
Max L-Sit Hold		1 set	Record longest hold
Max Handstand Hold		1 set	Record longest hold
Run		1.5  mile	As fast as possible

Tuesday 24, June 2014 - Assessment DAY 2

Strict Press		1 rep	5-5-3-3-1-1-1 Max One Rep
Max Box Jumps		1 minute	Use 20" box - NO BOUNDING
Max Toes 2 Bar		1 minute	Full Range of Motion
Max Strict Chin Ups		1 set	Full ROM / No Kipping
Power Cleans		3 rep	5-5-3-3-3 Max Three Rep

Look Forward - Keep Going - Always Keep Going

Always the next rep.

Stop thinking about how tired you are, how your muscles are done, how this workout just won't end.

Don't think about how much it hurts, how badly you want to let go of the bar, how much you want to pause and shake it out.

Think only of the next rep.

Push yourself off the bar and kip yourself back up.


Stand with that weight, and then squat right back down.

Transition from the barbell to the pullup structure with lightening speed.

Jump up from your burpee and get right back down to the ground.

Catch that wall ball as you drop into your squat, so the next rep is primed and ready.

Think about your form, your coaches cues, the adjustments you need to improve your technique on the next rep.

Don't think about the intangables, about where you are at or how much is left. They don't matter right now.

Think about the next rep.

Figure out how you are going to get it done.

Focus.

One rep at a time.

How do you get to the next rep? What do you think about? 

Monday 23, June 2014 - Assessment DAY 1

Deadlift		1 rep	5-5-3-3-1-1-1 Max One Rep
Max Air Squat		2 minutes	Full Range of Motion
Max Push Ups		2 minutes	Full Range of Motion STRICT
Max Sit Ups		2 minutes	Full ROM - OLD SCHOOL no abmat
Max Pull Ups		1 set	Full ROM / Kipping authorized
Run		400m x 2	Record fastest time
Row		500m x 2	Record fastest time

CrosssFit Olympic Lifting Trainer Course

Hey guys, guess what????!!!!

November 1st and 2nd we will have the incredible HQ staff here at BattleBorn CrossFit instructing our second Olympic Lifting Course.

Below you will find the link for registration, and I have included the awesomeness of what you will be learning during this weekend of education!

http://www.regonline.com/OlyRenoNVNovember2014

 

Weightlifting Trainer Course: Spend two full days with CrossFit Weightlifting Seminar Staff learning, studying and practicing the two basic lifts. The snatch and clean and jerk bring speed, power, coordination, agility, accuracy and balance to your strength training. These lifts are indispensable to CrossFit programming, and expert coaching is a powerful advantage.

 



TRAINER COURSE
One day is spent detailing each lift (snatch, clean and jerk). The focus is on participants experiencing the basic positions and knowing the teaching points for instructing others in these lifts.
Schedule
Saturday: Snatch

• 0900: Welcome and expectations
• 0915: Lateral speed and agility warm-up plus junkyard-dog warm-up
• 0930: Snatch instruction
• Burgener warm-up
• Snatch skill transfer exercises
• Snatch from high hang
• 1200: Lunch
• 1300: Barbell snatch instruction
• Snatch from high hang
• Snatch from takeoff position
• Lift from floor to takeoff position
• Snatch from floor
• 1600: Secure

Sunday: Snatch review, Clean and Jerk

• 0900: Review
• 0915: Lateral speed and agility warm-up and junkyard-dog warm-up
• 0930: Snatch: Putting together what you learned Saturday
• 1015: Front squat
• 11:00 Clean instruction
• High hang
• Takeoff position
• Floor
• 1200: Lunch
• 1300: Learning the jerk
• Skill transfer exercises
• Footwork
• 1400: Putting the clean and jerk together
• 1500: Secure

The coaching staff is led by Mike Burgener, owner of Mike's Gym (a CrossFit affiliate and USAW Regional Training Center), is a USAW Senior International Coach, former Junior World Team (1996-2004) and Senior World Team (2005) coach and former strength and conditioning coach at Rancho Buena Vista High School in Vista, CA.


Frequently Asked Questions

#1: Are there any prerequisites for this course?
No. Anyone can attend; however, to receive a Trainer Certificate for the Weightlifting Trainer Course one must hold a valid and current Level 1 Trainer Certificate. If you attend and do not hold a valid and current Level 1 Trainer Certificate, you will be issued a Certificate of Attendance.
#2: What are the requirements for becoming CrossFit Weightlifting Trainer?You will receive your certificate at the completion of the seminar.
The requirements for this credential are stringent, primarily for your protection and the safety of those you train. They are:

• Holding a valid and current CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Certificate
• Course Attendance 100%
• Participation 100%

#3: When will I receive my certificate?
You will receive your certificate at the completion of the seminar.

IT IS THAT TIME AGAIN

Assessment week!!!

Remember it is very important you be here this week.

Why you ask?

1. Our new strength cycle starting next week - July will be based off of your 1 rep max's from your assessment week

2. It is a guideline for me as your coach to see where your strengths and yes weaknesses lie.

3. In six months you will see a SIGNIFICANT change as long as you stick with the consistency and plans we set up for you based on your goals!

4. It is a fun, awesome "de-load" week!


IF YOU ARE GOING TO MISS A DAY - please let myself or your coach know, so that we can make sure we get all your strength work done!

Have you checked out

our new blog site?????????

Get More Fit with BattleBorn CrossFit yet????


If not YOU NEED to - we have new HIIT workouts posted daily and some other great info you may not be getting on this site - just a hint.

:-)


www.bbcffit.BlogSpot.com

You Pay What For Your Gym?!?!?

Gasping, silence, blank stares and judgement follow.

Why would you pay more than $10 or $25 a month for a gym membership? And it doesn't even have a pool? Wait, no kiddie care? No Sauna?
What kind of a place is your gym anyhow?

What makes it worth the investment?

Tell them this...

Because its a place where people get fit and healthy in a world of stress.

A place where coaches guide you to strength you never knew you had

A place where people care about how you eat, how you live and how you feel.

A place where you can develop a community of friends from all walks of life, where a CEO can cheer on a barmaid and a teenager encourages their parents to succeed.

A place that will go out and run 5k's with you, hell, even marathons , to help you get through it.

When you walk into your gym, you get a place that cares far more about your health than the monthly invoice, a place that welcomes you and actually makes you eager to get out of bed at 5am to hit the WOD with your friends.

You get a place that becomes family.

Your gym gets you results and it will make you stronger, faster, healthier and more motivated to reach your potential than you ever thought you would be.

So when people ask how you can pay so much, tell them you've found the best place in the world to invest, YOURSELF, and there is no better bargain in the world

Friday 20, June 2014

Skill:

Mobility
Bergner

Strength:

15 minutes to establish a 1 rep max
Clean and Jerk

Stabilizer:

3x

25 four count mountain climbers
25 four count flutter kicks

Metcon:

3x
10 commando pull ups - 1 to each side = 1
20 GHD sit ups
10 man makers 45/25lb
20 hollow rocks

Wednesday 18, June 2014

Skill:

Mobility
Or
Bergner

Strength:

15 mins to find your 1 rep max (ish) on
Snatch

Stabilizer:

3x
25 four count mountain climbers
25 four count flutter kicks

Metcon:

5x
10 thrusters
20 box jumps
10 strict pull ups
42.5/30kg

Tuesday 17, June 2014

Skill:

Mobility

Strength:

Back squats

5x5

*make up 1 rep max power clean from Monday if you missed it

Stabilizer:

3x
15 GHD sit ups
15 evil wheels

Metcon:

10 power cleans
400m run
8 hang cleans
400m run
6 clean and jerk
400m run
4 snatch
500m row
6 clean and jerk
500m row
8 hang cleans
500m row
10 power cleans
42.5/30kg

Monday 16, June 2014

This week is the LAST week of our Olympic lifting cycle

We WILL TEST OUR MAX'S this week.

Next week is our ASSESSMENT WEEK - Be here everyday even if only on a 3x a week plan to get all your max's done, you NEED THEM for the start of our next strength cycle.

Skill:

Mobility - all week
Olympic transfer movements

Strength:

Power clean

15 minutes to establish 1 rep max - yes you will squat clean this

Stabilizer:

3x
25 four count mountain climbers
25 four count flutter kicks

Metcon:

From CF main

5x
5 HSPU
10 pistol squats - alternating and total
15 pull ups
12 deadlifts 70/50kg
9 hang cleans 70/50kg
6 push jerks 70/50kg

Saturday 14, June 2014

1 mile run

Then:

Alexander
5 rounds for time of:
31 back squats, 135 lb.
12 power cleans, 185 lb.

Then:
1 mile run




Staff Sgt. Alexander G. Povilaitis, 47, of Dawsonville, Georgia, assigned to the 570th Sapper Company, 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Brigade, was killed in action on May 31, 2012 in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and two sons, Alexander Blaine and Danny.

Friday 13, June 2014

Skill:

All paid off this week for TODAY

Strength:

Clean and jerk
15 HEAVY singles

Snatch
15 singles

Stabilizer:

Look at your WOD

Metcon:

50 Turkish Get Ups - AHAP
25 swings at the completion of 10 get ups 24/20kg

Thursday 12, June 2014

Skill:

One more day as skill work and then...

Turkish get ups 10 mins

Strength:

Hang clean

5x2

Back squat

3x5

Metcon:

EMOM

3 burpees
3 G2OH 50/30kg

increase 1 G2OH every minute until failure

Wednesday 11, June 2014

Skill:

You guessed it, and yes still 10 minutes

Strength:

Jerk
6x3

Deadlift
5x3
last 3 85-90%

Stabilizer:

50 v-twists

Metcon:

12 min AMRAP
12 thrusters 50/40kg
12 ring push ups


HIIT:

Check out our new blog for the Get More Fit With BBCF

www.bbcffit.blogspot.com

Our daily posts for some extra shred work, if you miss a workout, great recipes and overall support on your journey to a fitter you!

Tuesday 10, June 2014

Skill:

10 mins Turkish get ups

Strength:

Front squat
5x3 - GET HEAVY

Push press
3x6 - GET HEAVY

Stabilizer:

100 partner leg tosses

Metcon:

100 walking lunges - total
800m run
100 air squats

Monday 9, June 2014

Happy Week to you all!!!

Skill:

10 minutes Turkish Get ups

All week

Strength:

Snatch
5x2
Catch in the hole

Back squats
3x6

Stabilizer:

100 medicine ball partner tosses

Metcon:

4x
25 KB swings 24/20kg
10 squat cleans 60/42.5kg
25 evil wheels 60/42.5kg

Gonna feel this one for a few days!

Friday 6, June 2014

Skill:
Well I told you all week to do it, and you didn't listen - oh you will today!

:-)

Strength:

15 single snatch
*catch in the hole
*work to a "heavier" set

15 Clean and jerk
*catch in the hole
***GET HEAVY

Metcon:

5-10-15-20-25-30-35-40-45-50-50-45-40-35-30-25-20-15-10-5

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Double Unders
*if you screw up a round you start that round over - yes even if you are on #49 of 50

20 min time limit

Thursday 5, June 2014

Skill:

You guessed it - double unders

Strength:

Hang clean
5x2 HEAVY

Back squat
3x5work up to 90% of 1 rep

Metcon:

12 min EMOM

3 deadlifts
3 hang cleans
3 shoulder 2 OH
70/50kg
60/40kg
50/30kg

Wednesday 4, June 2014

Skill:

Told you so

Strength:

Jerk
6x3 - ok from rack and oh yes HEAVY

Deadlift
5x3
work up to 90% of your 1 rep max

Metcon:

1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1
KB clean and press to each side
Strict pull ups
****Always 10 swings between "rounds"

So
1 left KB C&P
1 right KB C&P
1 strict pull up
10 swings
2
2
2
10
and so on

Tuesday 3, June 2014

Skill:

5 minutes of double unders
Same all week

Strength:

Front squat
3x3 HEAVY

Push press
3x6 HEAVY

Stabilizer:

50 evil wheels

Metcon:
5x
3 rack lunges to each leg
6 thrusters
9 front squats
60/42.5kg

Don't put the bar down during the "round" or a 10 burpee penalty at the end for every bar drop in a round

Don't Look Beyond the Mark

Don't Look Beyond the Mark

Published May 29th, 2014 by Cael Sanderson

General

During a recent scripture study, I read about an ancient people who ultimately lost their way and ended up "falling" because "they looked beyond the mark."  They rejected simple truths and "despised the words of plainness."  Instead, they desired complex answers and "sought for things they could not understand."

Fascinating!!  This is so common in our world today, in every area of life:  sports, families, business, politics, government, etc.

As a coach, my job is to teach plain and simple truths to student athletes trying to reach their greatest potential.  The truth is that there are no secrets or magic formula for success.  Success comes from having a great attitude, refusing to be discouraged, working your rear end off, being humble and full of gratitude, discipline, determination, and taking 100% responsibility for your results.

So why do so many look beyond, or reject, the "plain and simple truths of success?"  There are many reasons.  For one, it is easier to look for answers away from ourselves and the effort we put forth, shifting blame to the coach, the referee, the weather, or other circumstances.  Also, many want to do things on their own terms.  They may slack in a few areas, rationalizing that they are the exception or that they can have total success with a casual commitment.  Finally, it can be difficult to accept that even with a total effort and commitment, success is still not guaranteed (at least not in the form or time frame you desire).

"Complexity" is preferred to simplicity because it provides an escape or an excuse from making a total effort and total commitment.

What happens to those who "look beyond the mark?"  They go around and around in circles, limiting their opportunities for progress and learning. They live without the peace of mind that comes from accepting and implementing "the plain and simple truths."

In the sport of wrestling, there is no unstoppable technique.  There is a counter to every technique and there is a counter to every counter technique.  There are endless techniques, endless setups, endless counters, and endless combinations of each.

Many want to win without struggle.  When things get tough, they want to blame technique or look for a "complex" solution when the simple truth is that you have to battle for what you really want.  There is no technique that works consistently on a quality opponent if you lack a fighting spirit.

The higher your aspirations, the greater adversity and struggle you can expect.  That's what makes winning so darn fun.  It's up to you.  You have to earn it.

Surround yourself with great people but look no further than yourself.  You are the answer.  There are no guarantees that success will come in the time and form that you want it to, but without exception, success will come.

See, recognize and implement the "plain and simple truths."

Be one of the few who "don't look beyond the mark."

7 Training Rules to Lift By

Rule #1: Intensity, Intensity, Intensity

People always ask me what workout routine is best. My response? It doesn’t exist.
No matter how they look on paper, you can make ANY workout either a really good one or a really crappy one depending on the intensity that they are performed.
Some tips: lift heavy weights, take shorter rest periods, and strive to break new personal records every week. If you don’t look like you’re in any discomfort (keyword “discomfort”, not “pain”), then you’re not working out at all.

Rule #2: Form is Everything

No really, it’s everything.
In order to get the most out of your workouts, you must learn how to perform every exercise that you do with strict form. And strict form isn’t just all about moving the weights slowly. Body positioning, setup of equipment, mental preparation, and the flexing of working muscles (mind-muscle connection) are all things you need to pay attention on every set.
More importantly though, you want to keep your body healthy. The last thing you want happening is a rotator cuff tear or bulging disc.
Make every rep count. Lift weights with intensity, but do it with proper form.

Rule #3: Train Hard, Not Long

I never work out for more than an hour. Nor do any of my clients.
How can you do the same? Socialize less. Don’t work out in groups. Listen to music that helps you to focus on what you’re doing. Do more compound exercises and less isolation work. Do supersets.
The name of the game is effectiveness and efficiency.

Rule #4: You Need a Proper Training Program

The worst thing you can do is to go to the gym without a plan. Unfortunately, that’s how a lot of people approach their training.
You need a training program that incorporates proper progressive overload. If you’re seeking to improve your physique, you must not let your body adapt. You need to be constantly improving in some way every week to stimulate the muscle fibers to grow.
Taking a cookie-cutter workout routine from a magazine isn’t the way to do it. If y    ou have no idea where to start, take part in one of Fitocracy’s groups fitness programs or hire a trainer (just make sure they know what they’re doing).

Rule #5: Ab Exercises Don’t Give Six-Packs

They’re done to strengthen the core because having a strong core carries over to everything else you do in the gym.
Doing ab exercises will NOT burn off fat from your stomach. If that was the case, everybody would be walking around with six-packs.
This sounds very cliche, but it can’t be any more true — abs are made in the kitchen. Your results will come from your diet.
If you have a proper training and nutrition regimen, then there’s no need to spend more than 15 minutes A WEEK on ab training. Your abs are already there, they’re just hidden.
 

Rule #6: Don’t Neglect the Basics 

Eight out of every ten exercises you do should be compound exercises. You know, the boring stuff that actually give you results.
Focus on doing exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, squats, deadlifts, rows, presses, etc. Stop trying to do circus acts just because they look cool. Dumbbell bicep curls on a bosu ball? Barbell squats on a stability ball? Seriously?
Also, save the bodybuilding splits that focus on isolation exercises for later. And when I say later I’m talking about 6-12 months down the road. Build a good foundation with your strength and physique first, then that’s when you can start partaking in the universal “Chest Mondays” and “Back Tuesdays”.

Rule #7: HIIT It

Steady-state cardio isn’t necessary.
Jogging on a treadmill is a great way to burn calories, but it’s not something that you have to do. Instead, try doing some high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and/or metabolic resistance training which are far more effective than just steady-state cardio. You’ll be burning calories during the workout and even up to 24 hours AFTER.
If conditioning is not important to you (if you’re not a marathoner, triathlete, boxer, or MMA fighter) limit your cardio or cut it out completely. The demands on your metabolic system and joints are just far too high. Doing more cardio than you need to can be detrimental to the body’s recovery process.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that steady-state cardio is useless. It actually has great benefits for your body. If you like to run, great. Keep doing it. All I’m saying is that there is no need to run for hours and hours just to burn calories. When it comes to cardio, there are other options out there like HIIT if running is not your thing.
Focus on getting stronger and eating better. The fat will come off your body even without stepping on a treadmill.

Monday 2, June 2014

Skill:

5 min double unders
If you are WAY SKILLED on DU - then strict pull ups

Strength:

Snatch
5x2 - catch in the HOLE

Back squat
3x6

Metcon:

"Helen"

3x
400m run
21 KB swings 24/16kg
12 pull ups

Sprint with weight and body weight - should for sure leave the "taste of CrossFit in your throat"

Get MORE FIT witth BBCF - here we go guys - are you READY!!!

So you should of all gotten your log books, measurements, email with the nutrition plan and had some time to get shopping and strategize for what we have going on.

I will post the daily workouts done here at BBCF, on our blog and I will also put a secondary, HIIT, or workout you can do on your own, as a group, or throw in a double day here and there to get the shred we are looking for.

Hopefully you have already been logging your food and workouts, and those of you on our "strict" paleo plan can give me your log to look at ASAP.

If not - get on it!
If you are on a macro plan two weeks in e need to look at our results and see where we are, and if you are on my shred plan then we will be coming up on a refeed day soon.

I will be posting daily tips etc for all of you, and I am ALWAYS here ffor any questions or extra support or help you need.

Love you!

Did you know that the years of eating processed foods, lack of exercise, and normal eating patters have literally PROGRAMMED your body to burn NOTHING but calories and sugars from the foods you consume everyday…

…INSTEAD of burning off your ugly body fat? 

It’s a super simple 3-step metabolic primer that TURNS OFF your body’s “addiction” to burning sugars, while making your most stubborn fat your “go to” energy source in ONLY 3 or 4 days. 

STEP #1: Try to consume zero starches or fruits for 3 or 4 days in a row during the week. 

This will help accelerate depletion of glycogen (your stored energy) and get your body burning fat again. This should equate to a total of 25 to 50 impact carbs for the day. Consume protein in every meal to help increase satiety and keep your body in “fat burning mode”. 

You’ll program your body to burn a ton more belly fat by using this approach a just a few days of the week. 

STEP #2: Increase your fats and double your servings of green cruciferous veggies on deplete days. 

When you lower carbs for a few days you’ll automatically need energy from other sources. Friendly fats and cruciferous veggies should be your go to macronutrients to help provide this needed energy. 

Some good examples to use are extra fish or krill oil, olive oil, coconut oil, grass fed butter and small amounts of raw nuts for fats -- spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, arugula, green beans, Brussels sprouts and cabbage are great choices for extra veggies.

This will help provide all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals necessary to maximize fat-loss during a lower carb phase. 

It will also DECREASE your cravings in a big way.

 

STEP #3: Double your daily water intake when you deplete carbs. 

Remember, for EVERY gram of carbs you eat over the weekend (or any other time) your body holds nearly 3 grams of water. 

So if you had a few slices of pizza, some bread and a bowl of ice cream we’re talking an extra 700 to 1000 grams of water sitting under your belly skin. 

Consuming extra water is the fastest way to UNDO the damage of over-eating, getting rid of excess water retention, and facilitating other metabolic processes that burn fat. 

A good rule of thumb is to consume at least 50-60% of your total body weight in ounces of water a few days after overeating. 

A Sport of Specificity - Chad Wesley Smith

Guess what the most specific skill a CrossFit competitor needs to excel in is…not powerlifting, not weightlifting, not distance running/rowing/swimming/hiking, not gymnastics but CrossFit, the unique, unpredictable, soul crushing combination of all the above. The most important skill a CrossFit athlete needs to train is doing CrossFit!! The best CrossFitter is the one who is best at doing CrossFit, not the strongest one, the most gymnasty one, the one with the best mile time, it is the CrossFittest one.

Note: Those of you who argue about CrossFit’s legitimacy as a sport or its safety, stop it, just stop. CrossFit has one governing body, a real World Championship (the Games), a real qualifying process (The Open and Regionals), real prize money/media coverage (to the powerlifters and strongmen who say they don’t want or care about this for their sport…you’re an idiot). All of those traits are things that powerlifting/strongman desperately need. To the “it’s dangerous” crowd, first lets distinguish that I’m talking about the sport of CrossFit-not people who train day to day for general fitness with CrossFit . Sports done at high levels are dangerous and the competitors choose to deal with that risk. Powerlifting isn’t healthy, strongman isn’t healthy, running marathons isn’t healthy, playing in the NFL isn’t healthy and getting punched in the face for a living in the UFC ain’t healthy, neither is CrossFit, who cares, it’s a competition.

 

There has been a lot of talk recently from well known coaches about how competitive CrossFit athletes don’t train by doing CrossFit, that they need to put specific time towards specific tasks and developing specific skills.

This statement is true and guess what the most specific skill a CrossFit competitor needs to excel in is…not powerlifting, not weightlifting, not distance running/rowing/swimming/hiking, not gymnastics but CrossFit, the unique, unpredictable, soul crushing combination of all the above. The most important skill a CrossFit athlete needs to train is doing CrossFit!! The best CrossFitter is the one who is best at doing CrossFit, not the strongest one, the most gymnasty one, the one with the best mile time, it is the CrossFittest one.

Now what does it mean to be the CrossFittest? In my opinion it is the person who combines strength, skill, aerobic capacity, lactic capacity, mental toughness, durability and strategy in relatively balanced proportions.

Everyone who begins competing in CrossFit comes in with a unique athletic background and accompanying set of physical qualities, these athletes exist within a spectrum of to the far right the highest level of explosive strength and power qualities (ie. Olympic weightlifter, 100m sprinter) and to the far left, athletes with the highest aerobic qualities (marathon runner, triathletes).
The person who excels in CrossFit will fall towards the middle of this spectrum, possibly slightly to the right. You don’t get bonus points for snatching 350 if 2nd place is 300 pounds, nor do you get bonus points for lapping the field during a 5k, you just need to win.

CrossFit though is not so cut and dry as various tests of diverse singular qualities, like a snatch max or 5k. Those may exist sure, but undoubtedly there will be workouts that combine multiple skills, multiple energy systems and in that way are specifically CrossFit.

CrossFit competition is uniquely CrossFit and you need to expand your mind when thinking about its training as it does not comply with many (if any) traditional models.

Powerlifters (hopefully) understand that if you want to squat more, you squat more, if you want to bench more, you bench more, if you want to pull more, you pull more. This same idea holds true for CrossFitters, if you want to CrossFit better, you CrossFit more. Now what exactly that means, if a bit more broad but for the most part it means that you need to train specifically for CrossFit and that means doing a broad variety of tasks at low/medium intensity for varying durations, fast, and doing that a lot.

The idea that CrossFit competitors should compartmentalize their training into a variety of specialties in lieu of training traditional CrossFit style workouts, is just wrong, so stop saying it. Is there a place for directed training in the snatch, clean & jerk, squat, deadlift, gymnastics and aerobic capacity? Of course, but they can not be trained in a vaccum to maximize success.

The idea that CrossFit competitors should direct the majority of their training towards strength development because conditioning only takes a short time to develop is also wrong, so stop saying it. Conditioning (though still sub par) for football can be developed in a few weeks, if you think that this is also true for CrossFit then you don’t watch CrossFit. Conditioning for a workout, sure, conditioning for a day of workouts, maybe if you’re inclined towards it already, conditioning for a weekend of workouts, not a chance in hell.

Conditioning for CrossFit is a unique quality, you will not find it in books by Bompa or Siff or Veroshansky, it is a unique hodge-podge of energy system work that can only be trained for in 1 specific way, by doing CrossFit. Great alactic capacity alone will fail you, yet it is a key trait, great aerobic capacity alone will fail you, yet it is a key trait, great lactic capacity alone will fail you, yet it is a key trait. All of these qualities must be trained, separately and together, via a variety of means.
Training for competitive CrossFit is a complex and challenging undertaking and is one of my favorites as a coach-obviously not an athlete because I mean 100 reps of something, f&@# that! In regards to training specificity, I would suggest you think of the sport as a dart board, it isn’t about hitting a few bull’s-eyes it’s about evenly covering the board as well as possible, and the more quality training you do, the more darts you get to throw. So if you want to improve as a CrossFit athlete, then train specifically, by doing more CrossFit.

Chad Wesley Smith is the founder and head physical preparation coach at Juggernaut Training Systems. Chad has a diverse athletic background, winning two national championships in the shot put, setting the American Record in the squat (905 in the 308 class, raw w/ wraps) and most recently winning the 2012 North American Strongman championship, where he earned his pro card. In addition to his athletic exploits, Chad has helped over 50 athletes earn Division 1 athletic scholarships since 2009 and worked with many NFL Players and Olympians.