Do hard things

Read me.

Stop that!

Apologies for the lack of posting this week, we've continued out CFSB (we're now in week four)
Monday
3x5 or 5x3 Back squat
Metcon
"annie"
50 double unders, 50 situps
40 du, 40 situps, continuing in descending sets of ten.

Tuesday
3x5 or 5x3 deadlift, then hi rep either 12-9-6 or 1x15
metcon
21-15-9
kettlebell swings
pressups
boxjumps

Wednesday
L.o.C
Bench press (it's been a while I know)
5x5

"Lynne"
Max reps bench press (ideally at bw, or scaled to suit)
Max reps pullups
5 rounds-not timed although it should be noted we didn't leave a huge amount of time between sets.

Thursday
L.o.C.
3x5 push press
7 sumo deadlift hi pull
7 thrusters
run 140m
x 7

Evening classes saw: snatch,2,2,2,2,2. Tech work on the Snatch by Burgener warm up
5 deads
25 situps
x5.

Pull that in.

Press
3x5
or
5x3

12-9-6 rest a minute in between.
Jon needs to pull his ribcage down as he presses overhead. This is important, with all our lifts we need to ensure that the spine is kept in its natural position, observing normal lordosis in the lower back, failure to do this can result in issues, he's still very new to CrossFit and we shall study form as you would expect.

metcon
5 hang power cleans
10 pressups
run 280
amrap 20 mins

3x5

Front squat
3x5
or
5x3

Back squat
1x15
(or if it makes it easier 3 sets of 5 back to back with no rest in between!)

Metcon
5 sumo deadlift hi pull
7 burpee to boxjump
x 5

choice.

Push jerk
3,3,3,3,3.

Either
"7 brides"
row 300m
7 deadlifts (ideally at bodyweight)
7 ring dips
x7
Or
"Camp Pendleton"
15 pressups
15 kettlebell swings
run 400
amrap 20 mins

Boxing in.

Whenever a new client joins us they are taught on a one to one basis the 9 fundamental movements that we (mainly) programme our workouts with. These movements are intrinsic to functional fitness and thusly CrossFit. Some of the nine movements can be explained, demonstrated, cued and understood relatively easily, others such as the push jerk need to be broken down into progressions due to their complicated nature, and each of these progressions performed and built upon. Here we can see new boy Rob getting to grips with landing on the push jerk and using the boxes to keep his feet under his hips (or there abouts).

1x15 again

deadlift
3x5
1x15

metcon
5 hang power cleans
12 double unders
x5

The high rep deadlifts (as well as the back squats) have been having interesting effects on our clients, these lifts, generally seen in the low reps ranges we use for our strength training (not to be confused with hypertrophy) use the phosphogen energy pathway,(1-10 seconds in duration) and are most often seen in the Olympic lifts such as the snatch and clean. It is our aim within CrossFit to be able to work efficiently within short duaration (phosphogen) mid range, at lower relative loads (glycolytic) and longer (oxidative) energy pathways. Thusly by blurring the margins between energy sytems, in this case between phosphogen and glycolytic we produce a result that allows for greater flexibility in different areas of performance. It needs to be stressed that favouritism by fitness programming that emphasises work in specific energy pathways leads to specialisation and can blunt the general fitness as a result.
In CrossFit we aim for a fitness that is broad, general and inclusive, our speciality is not specialising.

Introduction to CrossFit Seminar

Crossfit Hove is hosting another Introduction to CrossFit seminar on Sunday, March the 21st.
The seminar will consist of two parts, firstly lectures on "What is Fitness?" and "What is CrossFit?"

After a brief interval, the group will look at the 9 fundamental movements that form the core of CrossFit, and be taught these movements.

This seminar is designed to principly provide those with an interest or curiosity in CrossFit and, thusly functional fitness, a basic foundation of knowledge movement from which to grow from. It is not a level one Crossfit Certification. See CrossFit.com for details of level 1 certifications in Europe.

Introduction to Crossfit Seminar
Sunday 21st March 10.30 am-3.00pm

£50 per person, spaces are limited, to book contact Miles Key on 07779402991 or Zeb Glover on 07768002133. Email CrossFitHove@gmail.com for any enquiries.

Practice

Back squat
3x5 or
5x3

in 3 minutes
run 400m, as many situps as possible. Rest for two minutes, three rounds. Add total situps as score.

Practice gymnastic skills.

Saturday

Press
3x5 or
5x3

brief respite
10/7/4 press-rest 30 seconds between

Metcon
3 muscle ups
5 push jerks
10 lunges
x 10

1x15

Front squat
3x5 or 5x3

Back squat
1x15

So our work with the strength bias continues, and so far everybody across
the board is reaping the benefits of Jeff Martin's programme-and it's always
fun to ask what one of our athletes 15 rep max is!

Metcon
5 pullups
10 pressups
15 situps
amrap 15 minutes.

Certification.

Firstly apologies for the lack of blogging last week, we were closed for a couple of days as I travelled over to Switzerland to take my CrossFit level 2 certification. The level 1 and level 2 certifications are entirely different learning experiences.
The level 1 is seen as a starting point to instruct the individual more about functional fitness, what CrossFit is, how we would programme movements together to create workouts, what we should eat and most importantly the 9 foundational movements that lie in the heart of what we do. It is seen in regards to being a trainer as the begining of that knowledge development.

The level 2 assesses over two days the application of that knowledge of the core movements, the trainers presence, attitude, ability to run group workouts, move well during demonstrations or have a recognition of faults in ones own movement. Lastly "Visual perspicuity", is assessed, this is the ability to differentiate between good and bad movements and knowledge of how to get the athletes to move better, using cue points or reinforcing progressions for our more complicated movements.

This level 2 was the last of its kind, the certification process is being re-worked so that potentially less prepared coaches will be able to understand what is expected, then if they so choose undergo the assessment at their own behest.

(In case youre wondering I've attended 3 level 1 certs and am pleased to say I passed my level 2)

Braving the elements

A slight change from our usual saturday mornings
5 hang squat snatch
7 pressups
10 box jumps
amrap 15 minutes

Shoulder press
3 sets of 5

10-7-4
rest for 30 seconds between each set.

Many thanks to everybody who have braved the extreme weather this last few days-good to see you all!

There was sadly no kettlebell class this morning-hope to see you soon Neil.

No dress code

Front squats
3 sets of five

Courtesy of Patti of CrossFit Vancouver

21/15/9

Sumo-deadlift-hi-pull
Overhead squat.

Still smiling.

Lift of choice
Catch up time if you missed the back squats or deads or wanted to practice your overhead squats.

30 situps
30 wallball
30 pressups
x 5
Metcon capped to 20 minutes.

More from Emily!

as many recipes as possible!

PJ

Push jerk
5 sets of 3

Metcon borrowed from B&H kb club
10 kettlebell swings
10 box jump
10 pressups.
amrap 10 minutes

Thanks to Neil for that!

Tuesday

Deadlift
3 sets of 5

Junkyard Lizzie
7 hang power cleans
7 dips
7 rounds or capped workout to ten minutes.

CFSB

CrossFit Strength Bias program

Program intent and goal:
Increase strength for mid and long time Crossfitters within the CrossFit protocol.

On CrossFit.com’s message board we often see posters recommending leaving CrossFit to do strength cycles. Over time we have watched this approach and seen that while people do get stronger they are not generally able to bring that strength back into CrossFit in a usable manner. We believe that strength developed in a vacuum is usable in a vacuum. In other words if you do not develop strength in the context of metabolic work you will not be able to use it in metcons (or war, the fight, sport etc….). The statement “Segmented training leads to segmented capacity” has been proven over and over again in our gyms, the ring and in life.

We believe CrossFit is a Strength and Conditioning program, and there is a way to emphasize the acquisition of strength within the CrossFit protocol. One thing we are adamant about, this is CrossFit. It is CrossFit with a strength bias, in the same way that CrossFit Endurance is CrossFit with an endurance bias.

Program goals:
Long term linear increase in strength as well as linear increases in the other 9 general fitness parameters. The goal is to see a strength increase every week as measured by:
a. an increase in a 3 rep set from the previous week or a 3 rep PR
b. an increase in a 5 rep set from the previous week or a 5 rep PR
c. an increase in a single set of 12, 15, 20 or 21
d. a decrease in time of CrossFit named WODs
e. an increase in power produced from Crossfit named WODs

Recoverability
The proper focus of CrossFit should be on getting better for life – more fit, more strong, etc. The workout is just the tool. The focus should be not on how much we can do, but how much we should do to achieve the training effect. If one set at your max achieves the training effects, then that’s all that’s needed. Move on. Proving that one can do more sets will not necessarily get more return from the training effect and may push you into overtraining, or worse, towards retrograde performance. The program is built with an eye on recoverability and the training effect. On this program, you reach a PR and then shut it down. That is enough for the week.

As tempting as it is when you feel good to continue piling on the weight, a 5# PR is where I stop. Once I hit the PR, I’m done for that day even if I feel great. I’ve asked my body to do something it hasn’t done before and then backed off and allowed it to recover, get stronger and then do it again next week. If you wear it out be continuing to add weight or do more sets at your new PR you will harm your recoverability.

So, If the protocol calls for 5 sets of 3 and you hit your pr on the third set, walk away. Again the magic is in the stimulus not the number of rounds. The intent of the program is to gently induce the training effect, and maximize recovery. Jeff Martin Co Author of the CFSB (along with Darell White, aka Bingo)

So we're taking the strength bias from Brand X and applying it to a regular 6 day a week CrossFit training facility. So every time a client trains they can be guaranteed a lift. Therefore the client will either on non set days make up a lift they have missed or will be missing.

The protocol of the strength bias normally operates on a two days on-one off-three on one off cycle. We've adapted this so that the normal rest day (wednesday) would again constitute a lift, either one you've missed or another lift relative to athletic performance and a metcon. The same would be the case for a thursday which would on the bias be just a 20 minute or less metcon, a lift would be available if desired or if necessary to make up as a day has been missed.

Why?

In CrossFit, we aim to produce a fitness that is broad, general and inclusive, application of power to this definition of fitness is vital. To read more of our aims and our definition of Fitness click on the free CrossFit Journal link.

If you've read all this and it:

a) Scares the willies out of you, don't let it-our workouts are scalable but all are designed to improve your fitness.

b) Think that by doing the CFSB you're gonna be HUGE!!!-that is not what CrossFit or the CrossFit Strength Bias is for. We're looking to produce a greater power output from our clients.CFSB is designed to increase strength, the rep ranges are small, we aren't aiming for size (hypertrophy) but power (useful in general life and as CrossFitters).

Back squat
3 sets of 5

"Jackie"
Row 1000m
50 thrusters
30 pullups

New Class and new trainer!

Saturday mornings have seen the addition of a new class and a new trainer to CrossFit Hove
Brighton and Hove kettlebell club

Oly class

Overhead squat-working up to max singles.

Wowzers

We haven't blogged in colour in about 2 years.

Muscle up club

Karl and Anton both joined the muscle up club between Christmas and New Year-Much festive awesomeness! Thats four more people in the muscle up club in three weeks-fantastic work!

workload

75 kettlebell swings
70 burpees
run 1 mile

The first two elements could be combined, breaking up the swings and burpees as desired-the run had to be done after in one hit regardless.