EDITOR’S NOTE: These workouts are designed by athlete and coach James FitzGerald. A long-time athlete and coach, James is the director of training at Optimum Performance Training, a multi-national educational and coaching program. The four weeks of programming were designed to prepare a CrossFit athlete for the CrossFit Regionals. Click here to read more about James and his work with athletes.
This is an exact training split in a specific preparation phase for a male CrossFit athlete. This athlete has been close to qualifying two other times and began training with us in the summer of 2011.
He is what we call a true “grinder” – mentally tough, physically resilient, stronger than he is fast, and mobile. His long-term plan has been to get to a point where the volume was high enough to allow him multiple intense pieces over a few days to be controlled and methodical. This year, this athlete qualified for the CrossFit Games and will compete in Carson, CA in July. The end of this program brought us to ten days out from the Regional qualifiers, the most important date in the two-year plan.
This was the prescription for him and some of the reasoning for the programming:
- A 2 on, 1 off, 3 on, 1 off split was used to prepare for the 3 day piece to come in May for competition.
- In season, this athlete works well on a M/W/F only training days, where there are 3 pieces in each day for 9 total workouts in the week.
- 12 workouts per week for this athlete is very doable when the balance is there in the aerobic work and intense CNS work.
- The athlete knows his own engine and knows when to call an audible or go hard when needed. In this phase it’s important to learn where the competition format scenarios are in the mixed modal setting.
Week 1, Day 2
This was week 1 of a 2-week phase. During this phase, the preparation was still a balance of maintaining aerobic potential and introducing test scenarios, mainly in areas where he needed work. The second goal was to ensure the highest potential of that middle ground ability without over-reaching.
We knew at this point that larger aspects of physical ability cannot be gained in fitness, but can be lost. Therefore a close watch was on to ensure that he was preparing for the Regionals to come while also staying fresh and ready.
AM Workout
3 Rounds in 5 min, as many reps as possible @85%:
- Run 200m
- 7 Chin-to-bar Chin Ups
- Rest 5 min
(NOTE: Aerobic mixed modal work, gymnastics skill practice with some breathing)
Noon Workout
- Front Squat: 10, 6, 2, 2, 2; Rest 3 min
- 30 Squat Snatch for time 185# (5 Burpees on the top of each minute)
(NOTE: C/ATP work + CP intensity piece – 185# is 70% of his 1RM)
PM Workout
A. 15 min, as many reps as possible @ 90-95%
- 5 Muscle Ups
- 15 Back Squat 155#
- 30 Push Press 75#
Rest 10 min
B. 15 min, as many reps as possible @ 90-95%
- 20 Power Clean 95#
- 20 meter Handstand Walk
- 20 GHD Sit Ups
(NOTE: max AER power work – mixed work, constant movement, flow, non stop, no grunting, grinding or redlining)
