But in all seriousness, over the past decade I’ve made plenty of mistakes regarding the programming of workouts and teaching movements to my clients. I know this because I’m constantly self-educating in order to provide my clients with the best information available.

With that said, when I started training full time I was heavily influenced by the material in The CrossFit Journal. During those early days, I used many of the cues presented in those issues with all my clients. However, as time wore on, I realized some of those movement cues weren’t applicable to everyone.

Today many of those early CrossFit Journal articles have been integrated into the CrossFit Level 1 Training Guide as teaching tools. So, I’m going to revisit a few of the older cues I feel could use a little updating. Hopefully, these progressive coaching tips can help you create better movement patterns and increased performance in yourself and your clients.

Evolved Cueing for the Squat

One of the cues seen in the CrossFit Level 1 Training Guide that I take exception to relates to squat mechanics. Many trainers will use the cue send your “butt back and down” to teach a client how to initiate the squat.¹

The reality is a one-size-fits-all cueing approach like that rarely works, primarily because any form of cueing should be somewhat individually specific. Plus, the “butt back and down” cue requires a client to have sufficient joint mobility coupled with a body-type that lends itself to squatting correctly in this manner. Unfortunately, a large segment of the population cannot execute this movement in a kinesthetically acceptable way.

For many of you, when you send your “butt back and down,” your torso and head will pitch forward and down. This occurs because the upper body is acting as a counterweight in order to prevent you from falling on your ass. This is attributed to the fact that most adults have crappy ankle mobility and individually unique anthropometrics (ex: long femur/long torso) and following this cue asks us to defy physics.

On a personal level, I know how disheartening it can be when you push your “butt back and down” and you can’t maintain a ramrod straight upper body because of the factors mentioned above. A better cue for people like me, when they initiate the squat descent, is to bend at the knees and push them forward and out, while you let your pelvis drop between your feet. This format aids in the maintaining of an upright torso while the ankle and hip have a more favorable relationship.

Maintaining a Neutral Spine

The second couple of cues we’ll examine deal with both squat mechanics and any barbell lift from the floor. The CrossFit Level 1 Training Guide cues of “keep your head up looking slightly above parallel” and “do not look down at all” have a tendency to contradict themselves.² This is because these cues lay in direct opposition of maintaining “a neutral spine” while lifting, which, in fairness, has always been encouraged and proselytized in the CrossFit literature.

“The reality is a one-size-fits-all cueing approach like that rarely works, primarily because any form of cueing should be somewhat individually specific.” 

A better cue would be to keep your neck and spine in alignment, while imagining you’re pinning a tennis ball against your neck, under your chin. This neutral neck position will help reduce spinal shear and optimize transference of power to the barbell. Keep in mind that although up until now we’ve been primarily focusing on the squat, this cue is also beneficial when you’re deadlifting, power cleaning, or snatching.

The Overhead Squat

There are two cues from the CrossFit Level 1 Training Guide that deal with the overhead squat (OHS) that really irk me:

The first one asks athletes who are attempting an OHS to “grip as wide as needed to perform a pass-through and keep the bar in the frontal plane.”³ I would argue the grip for an OHS should be determined by an athlete’s snatch grip. The appropriate snatch grip is easily determined by gripping a barbell and widening your grip until the barbell rests slightly below the boney protuberance of the pelvis above your junk. This method takes in account an individual’s body type and provides better transference to the snatch.

The second poor cue in this series is “use active shoulders.” This cue is initiated when the loaded barbell is directly overhead while employing a snatch grip.⁴ I think that this cues genesis may be attributed to a misinterpretation of Mark Rippetoe’s excellent cueing of the shoulder press.

“Hopefully, these progressive coaching tips can help you create better movement patterns and increased performance in yourself and your clients.”

As some of you may know, Rip correctly encourages the shrugging of the shoulders at the top of a shoulder press. But a shoulder press is biomechanically very different than an OHS. This is due to the fact the different grips greatly affect the orientation of the humerus in the glenohumeral joint.

Ultimately, using active shoulders in an OHS is an unstable and weak position that will dramatically increase the potential for injury while limiting the load used as a training stimulus.

Shrug It Out, Bro!

I’ve been to many gyms where the screaming of “shrug” is a standard cue when people are attempting to learn the classic lifts. Strangely enough a medicine ball is often initially being used – which makes little sense when more times than not barbells are readily available. After all, you don’t learn to play golf using a baseball bat.⁵

Regardless of the implement, most astute coaches recognize that when it comes to teaching the snatch and the clean the cue “shrug” has no place. I’ve taught the classic lifts both ways and the reality is that the act of shrugging when you’re dynamically lifting a barbell occurs naturally. The best description of this I’ve seen so far was offered by Mark Rippetoe when he stated:

The shrug at the top of both the snatch and clean is an artifact of the jump with the bar in the hands.

Everybody that jumps with a bar in the hands shrugs as a reflex, a protective mechanism for the shoulders that also aids in the addition of upward momentum to the bar.

Clearly, there is no real corrective action needed here. Simply stop artificially attempting to shrug the barbell and all problems will be solved.

Always Seek to Improve Your Methods

At the end of the day, I’m not knocking the cueing offered in those early issues of The CrossFit Journal. I’m merely offering some different methods that I think jive with the open source nature of CrossFit itself. I hope that these corrective tips may offer the end user some progressive ways to improve.

Check out these related articles:

• When Good Cues Go Bad
• Reassess Your Coaching Cues to Get Results for Your Clients
• 5 Strategies to Become a Better Coach
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

References:

1,2. Greg Glassman, “Squat Clinic”, The CrossFit Journal, December 2002

3,4. Greg Glassman, “The Overhead Squat”, The CrossFit Journal, August 2005

5. Greg Glassman, “Medicine Ball Cleans”, The CrossFit Journal, September 2004

Photos courtesy of CrossFit Empirical.

The post The 3 Worst CrossFit Coaching Cues (and How to Fix Them) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Although this approach is logical, the lifts shouldn’t be judged in this order in regard to complexity or merit. The jerk is every bit as technical and challenging as the clean or snatch.

When it comes to Olympic weightlifting, the snatch and clean get the most attention. The jerk just doesn’t get the same amount of love. As a trainer, I’ll take some of the blame. My weightlifting teaching progressions address the snatch first, followed by the clean, with the jerk bringing up the rear.

Although this approach is logical, the lifts shouldn’t be judged in this order in regard to complexity or merit. The jerk is every bit as technical and challenging as the clean or snatch.

RELATED: Perfecting Your Jerk

In this article, we’ll take a look at the entire jerk movement from start to finish, and detail exactly what you should be doing at each stage to ensure a safe and successful lift.

The Grip

A good jerk starts with the barbell in a solid rack position with a proper grip. The grip width for the jerk should be just outside your shoulders. If you have large biceps and/or a tough time externally rotating your arms while gripping the barbell, then a wider grip may be required.

“A good jerk starts with the barbell in a solid rack position with a proper grip. The grip width for the jerk should be just outside your shoulders.”

Once you’ve securely gripped the bar, raise your arms until your triceps are parallel to floor, similar to the position used in a front squat. Your wrist should be slightly cocked with the barbell gripped securely. If you’ve got poor shoulder or thoracic mobility, then you’ll need to let the barbell roll onto the tips of your fingers in order to get into a solid lifting position. 

RELATED: How to Determine Your Jerk Grip Width 

The Stance

The jerk primarily uses the lower body and trunk to dynamically get the barbell overhead. With that said, safety is paramount and your goal with any dynamic overhead movement should be to maintain a stacked spinal column while exhibiting force throughout the lift.

This is often best achieved by taking a wide stance with your feet slightly externally rotated. Although it varies from person to person, I prefer most people take a stance similar to their front squat.

RELATED: The Jerk Drive Comes From the Legs (Video)

You may have psychological difficulty with this because a narrow stance feels more powerful. But unless you have outstanding ankle flexibility, it is difficult to prevent your torso from shooting forward in the drive phase of the lift while in a narrow stance. It’s also difficult to wind up and subsequently release the stored energy in your hips while employing a narrow stance.

The Dip-Drive

When you are ready to execute the dip-drive of the jerk, take a large belly breath and hold it. This will help protect the lower back and transfer energy from your legs through the trunk to the barbell.

“The jerk relies heavily on the tension of your musculature in order to generate force. If this phase looks slow and sluggish, like a wet sponge, then you’re doing it wrong.”

To start the dip, slightly flex at the knees, pushing them out like you would in a squat. This movement should occur quickly. It’s a shallow and violent movement.

The drive phase is simply a redirection of force. This action is largely dependent on creating tense musculature throughout the legs and trunk, while quickly extending the knees, ankles, and hips. It’s important we drive through the heels during this step. You may end up on the forefoot or toes, but that should be a symptom of your natural kinesthetics – not a contrived effort.

RELATED: It’s All About the 2-Phase Dip 

The jerk relies heavily on the tension of your musculature in order to generate force. If this phase looks slow and sluggish, like a wet sponge, then you’re doing it wrong.

Jerk dip drill.

The Receive Position

Once the drive is initiated, the barbell should hop up with some zip. It will become weightless for a split second before reaching its apogee. It’s at this point that you need to aggressively drop under the bar into a split jerk receiving position.

“The first question you probably have is which foot should go forward. The answer is easily found by asking a buddy to give you a light push on the back when you’re not expecting it.”

Most adults will receive the barbell in a split jerk position (as opposed to the push jerk position) due to mobility limitations and the increased efficiency the split jerk offers. With that said, one of the most important things you’ll need to figure out when it comes to split jerking is footwork.

The first question you probably have is which foot should go forward. The answer is easily found by asking a buddy to give you a light push on the back when you’re not expecting it. Whichever foot you put forward to break your fall is your dominant foot. That’s the one that will go forward in the jerk.

RELATED: The 2 Fundamental Roles of Footwork in the Jerk

Of course, once you’ve executed your dip drive, you’ll only have a split second to get your feet into this stable position, so it will take some practice and concentration.

The Lock-Out

During the barbell’s weightless phase, after the drive, you need to rotate your arms into a locked-out overhead position while simultaneously dropping under the bar. Done properly, the jerk only asks the arms to stabilize a load, not press it (that will result in a “no lift” in competition).

RELATED: A Jerk Is a Jerk (and a Press Is a Press)

This position is best achieved by aggressively moving your front foot forward with a slight inward canter, while simultaneously driving the back leg’s knee down toward the spot on the floor the feet previously occupied. You don’t want to literarily drive the knee into the ground, but it helps to think that way in order to create a stable base.

A slight internal rotation of the front foot will help create a stable split receiving position. The downward motion of the rear knee helps create relaxed flexion, enabling you to adjust depth based on the outcome of the drive phase. This position also prevents tight lifters from getting stuck in the split because they’ve reached their end range of motion in the anterior hip capsule of their rear leg.

“You don’t want to literarily drive the knee into the ground, but it helps to think that way in order to create a stable base.”

When you’re in this split position, imagine we painted a circle on the platform the size of a large hula-hoop. Your feet should be in contact with the inside edge of that hoop. If your rear foot is way back and outside the hoop, then it’s a problem.

The Recovery

When the bar is locked out overhead and you’re in a stable split position, then it’s time to stand the weight up. This is easily done by taking a half-step back with the forefoot, bringing the rear foot a half-step forward, and then repeating that process.

It’s important your feet are parallel to one another on the platform at this point, and you’ll need to have control of the barbell overhead. Again, failure to do so will result in a “no lift” during a meet.

RELATED: Behind the Neck Jerk Balance (Video)

Never ghost ride or drop the barbell from overhead. I always encourage my athletes to maintain control over the bar until it descends to their mid-thigh. From a safety standpoint, I understand it may be necessary to drop from overhead during a poor lift, but it’s important to respect the equipment and the sport by exercising some control when appropriate.

Summary of the Split Jerk

The jerk requires a great amount of athleticism, concentration, and timing in order to do it well. Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it burned in one. Take your time and use reasonable weight while learning this lift.

RELATED: Catching the Bounce: The Jerk

The jerk is a demanding lift that can help a wide range of trainees when done properly. But due to its complex nature and each individual’s anthropometric nuances, I feel it’s of utmost importance that all trainees find a knowledgeable and competent coach to help them in their journey.

The information I’ve shared here is certainly not everything there is to know about jerking, but I think it offers some good conceptual starting points as well as tips for the intermediate lifter. So, I encourage you all to take these points and go have fun training the jerk.

Photo 1 courtesy of Shutterstock.

Photo 2 courtesy of CrossFit Empirical.

Photo 3 “Clean and Jerk” by Jamie Jamieson. Attribution 2.0 Generic License.

Photos 4 and 5 courtesy of Eric Auciello.

The post A Step-by-Step Guide to a Perfect Jerk appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

But I did train regularly, and eventually I become a bench-pressing machine. My peers, bodybuilding magazines, and my football coaches largely drove this particular outcome.

RELATED: 12 Simple Strategies to Boost Your Bench Press (and Save Your Shoulders)

I’m not bagging on the bench. In fact, in the short term, it was a good thing for me as an athlete. It certainly increased my upper-body strength, which dovetailed nicely with the sports I played. But unfortunately, in the long term, the bench press played a significant role in exacerbating my jacked-up shoulders.

Structure Issues in the Shoulder

As a kid, I was fortunate to be relatively injury-free throughout grammar school, junior high, and high school. The only exception was my chronic and acute shoulder pain. In fairness, a large portion of this condition can be attributed to my individual anthropometrics and bone structure. I was a boney little bastard.

RELATED: 5 Simple Solutions to Shoulder Pain

Regardless, I think in today’s world a decent athletic trainer or coach would have quickly figured out I had some structural issues in the shoulder joint. They’d also likely have deduced that the bench press wasn’t the best movement for me. Looking back, I wish someone had told me enough was enough when it came to benching.

The Problem With Persistance

By 2007, my training had become a bit stagnant and I started mucking around with an underground Internet-methodology called CrossFit. After a few months of training I was digging it. As my interest grew, I began attempting to master some of the more complex aspects. Specifically, those related to gymnastics and Olympic weightlifting.

Of course, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, and the available resources of the time were a shadowy reflection of what we have now. But, like most meatheads, I began pounding the proverbial square peg into the round hole and working my way through the pain.

“And again, keep in mind that nobody had ever told me I had shoulder mobility issues. Not one athletic trainer, medic, or doctor. Nobody.”

I almost immediately began having issues. Like a fool, I struggled mightily while fighting shoulder pain, all in an attempt to achieve a decent overhead squat and snatch. It was infuriating. I’d watch videos of women half my size lifting more weight than me. It was a tough pill to swallow.

The reality was my shoulders hurt – badly. I found it difficult, if not impossible, to achieve a decent rack position in the clean and my overhead squat was a hellish nightmare. And again, keep in mind that nobody had ever told me I had shoulder mobility issues. Not one athletic trainer, medic, or doctor. Nobody.

So I continued to devour all the resources available on weightlifting, and I stretched and grimaced my way through many an overhead-squatting session. After several months of pain and misery, my shoulder mobility didn’t improve and my snatch made me look like an arthritic giraffe on rollerskates.

Seek Out an Expert You Respect

After a year of misery I decided to seek out an expert. A buddy of mine invited me to attend a CrossFit Olympic lifting certification he was hosting at his gym. As fate would have it, Coach Mike Burgener was teaching this particular certification.

Nowadays, a lot of people take great pride in being a Burgener demonstrator during a certification. But I can’t honestly say “pride” was what I was feeling when Coach Burgener paraded me onto center stage in front of my friends and peers.

To be fair, there was no malicious intent as Coach Burgener cued me through several different movements. It quickly became apparent that I was the physically defective opposite of the previously viewed perfect demo-girl.

“In Burgener’s expert opinion, the only viable solution for me was to do away with overhead squats and simply embrace the split snatch, like Everett.”

As “shocking” as it may be, it turned out that my biggest limitation was shoulder mobility. Over the course of the day, Coach Burgener worked with me one-on-one. Then, he tactfully informed the class that my shoulder immobility was probably beyond treatment.

He then shared a story of one of his star pupils, Josh Everett . It turns out Everett had exhibited the same type of dysfunction and Burgener and his team had spent the better part of two years trying to amend his condition to no avail. In Burgener’s expert opinion, the only viable solution for me was to do away with overhead squats and simply embrace the split snatch, like Everett.

Give Yourself Permission to Stop the Pain

You might think I would be upset or feel dejected with this outcome. But that wasn’t the case at all. I was ecstatic with the news. I no longer had to beat the crap out of myself to achieve a perfect overhead squat. I was downright thrilled.

RELATED: The Overhead Squat Is a Punk: Advice on How to Make It Better

In the end, Coach Burgener simply gave me permission to stop trying to do something I couldn’t do. As silly as that sounds, it was all it took for me to get past my sticking point.

Sadly, I still see this type of behavior in people almost eight years later. This aggravates me to no end. Self-abuse is not a healthy or normal undertaking. I often implore these types of folks to learn from my mistakes and not be goaded by the magical powers of the interwebz.

And the funny thing is that after my time with Coach Burgener my shoulders improved. The dynamic nature of the split snatch actually helped to create length through my pecs, leading to a better range of motion. It would appear in hindsight that the static nature of the overhead squat through the shoulder joint was causing most of my problems.

Be Honest With Yourself

The moral of my story is: don’t fall prey to arbitrary movement standards that may not be appropriate for you. We have to accept certain facts about our capacity to move. Whether that relates to a prior injury, dysfunction, or a lack of athleticism, it’s important to be honest with ourselves.

“There’s no need to get caught up in dogmatic principles when your body is giving you negative feedback signals.”

People who look at their training goals with an open mind and have a good coach can always find a work-around. There’s no need to get caught up in dogmatic principles when your body is giving you negative feedback signals. I can certainly understand and can attest to the psychological anguish you experience when you’re driven to achieve a goal and your body simply won’t comply. It sucks. I get it. But, is it really worth getting injured over?

In the end, it simply took someone I respected giving me an alternate route to the same destination to finally set my mind at ease. Strangely enough, this mental breakthrough led to a physical one as well. That’s why it’s important to surround yourself with supportive people who have your best interests in mind.

Training outcomes are largely dependent on your ability to solve problems. You can’t solve a problem by repeating the same actions over and over and expecting a different result.

Photos 1 & 2 courtesy of Shutterstock.

Photo 3 courtesy of CrossFit Impulse.

The post How I Put an End to My Shoulder Pain appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Unfortunately, it was difficult to establish initial fitness baselines because each branch had it’s own individual physical training test. So, in order to simplify the process, I developed a test using minimal equipment that provides a set of objective data points.

Although this test was created for the military, anyone can use it to measure his or her fitness level. In fact, I integrated the test into our initial screening of civilian clients at my gym and it’s proven to be safe and effective for any population.

The Work Capacity Test (WCT)

The WCT is designed to measure several means of motor abilities – such as strength, speed, flexibility, and endurance – over a fixed period of five minutes. It provides the administrator with pre- and/or post-training metrics, which can be used to validate the efficacy of any training program.

It’s also a safe tool that offers ease of administration and minimal equipment requirements. Additionally, the test is quantitative in nature and is accompanied by a detailed scoring matrix that maps a trainee’s actual fitness level.

For safe and accurate testing, the test administrator must follow these instructions:

1. Encourage participants to stretch and warm up adequately before the test.
2. Do not test anyone who is sick or injured.
3. Do not conduct tests during conditions that could compromise health or safety. (Extreme heat, lightning, etc.)
4. Monitor participants to identify those having severe difficulties. Terminate the test, if necessary.
5. Encourage fluid intake prior to test and replacement post. Provide fluids when conditions contribute to heat stress.
6. Encourage cooling down with an easy walk after the test. Monitor the recovery of participants, especially those who appear distressed.
7. Recommend several weeks of training before participants retake the test.

The WCT should be executed with maximal effort, while achieving a full range of motion on all components. Women will use two ten-pound dumbbells and men will use two twenty-pound dumbbells. It’s always advisable to allow test subjects to attempt a few trial runs prior to the actual test. Subjects should be allowed to take rest periods and pace themselves throughout the test.

Some subjects may be unable to complete a proper push up. These individuals can be allowed to omit the push up portion of the test. This amended test will be automatically scored “poor” and the amendment will be notated in the comments section of the scorecard. In this scenario, amended reps will be recorded only in order to measure future performance changes.

Movement Standards

Still photos are provided below as a visual tool for test administrators. This test includes rapid movement turnover and these photos simply provide performance standards and cues for test administrators to observe and judge.

Advanced athletes with experience training functional movements or the Olympic lifts may opt to use a squat clean to thruster technique for steps seven through ten. This technique is acceptable. However, these athletes must still meet all performance standards established in the still photos in order for all reps to be counted.

Step 1

The WCT subject should start in a strict forward-leaning rest position. The subject’s feet should be at approximately shoulder width or slightly wider. The test begins when the administrator starts the stopwatch and gives the command “begin.” At this point the subject has five minutes to complete as many repetitions of the entire movement as possible. To begin the repetitions the subject should begin to lower him- or herself to the floor in a controlled manner.

Step 2

A portion of the subject’s upper body (shoulder, chest, bicep, etc.) must touch the floor or both dumbbells. At this stage the subject should ascend back to the forward leaning rest position.

Step 3

The subject must fully extend both the elbows and not exhibit any sagging or excessively high hip position. (i.e., subject’s body line should be in a plank position).

Step 4

The subject will row the right-side dumbbell until it touches a portion of the upper body (shoulder, chest, bicep, etc.). Then the subject will lower the weight until they achieve the forward leaning rest position.

Step 5

The subject will row the left-side dumbbell until it touches a portion of the upper body (shoulder, chest, bicep, etc.). Then the subject will lower the weight until they achieve the forward leaning rest position.

Step 6

The subject prepares for the next movement, which is a dynamic hop. At this step the subject may adjusting foot, dumbbell, or hip positions, etc. in preparation for the hop.

Step 7

The subject is required to complete a dynamic hop starting from the forward leaning rest position, ending in the position below. The feet should end up shoulder width or wider and slightly flared out. This movement is optimal from an efficiency standpoint and helps the administrator assess flexibility and athleticism.

Individuals who are poorly conditioned, immobile, obese and/or uncoordinated may use a step-up (lunge) in lieu of a hop. This amended movement should be notated in the comments section of the scorecard.

Step 8

The subject completes the hop in an upright standing position. The dumbbells should be raised (power cleaned or curled) into a front rack position with a neutral grip. The head of the dumbbell should be in contact with the front of the deltoid. At this time the subject should prepare for the descent into a front squat by making any necessary adjustments to foot position, dumbbells or hips, etc.

Step 9

The subject’s feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width and slightly flared out. At this time the subject will lower himself or herself into a front squat. The crease of the subject’s hip should be below the subject’s patella for scoring purposes. Once this standard is met the subject will ascend until the hip is completely open and the knees are locked out.

Step 10

The subject places the dumbbells directly overhead (via press, push press, jerk or thruster) with elbows completely locked out. Individuals who exhibit tight shoulders may have difficulty with this step. However, orthopedic dysfunction is a component on this test and these individuals will be held to the same standard. If the subject has difficulty with this step please notate in the comment section of the scorecard.

Step 11

Return to the front leaning rest position in a controlled manner. Be sure to place dumbbells down in a controlled manner in order to avoid injuring the wrist.

How to Score the Work Capacity Test

At the completion of five minutes immediately ask the subject what his or her rate of perceived exertion (RPE) is in relationship to the test. The RPE is scored on a on a scale of one to ten. The number of total repetitions and RPE should be recorded on the individual’s scorecard.

Using the WCT as a Screening Test for New Clients

As you can see, the WCT is a simple way of establishing a baseline of work capacity through scoring. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the subjective elements of the test are important, as well. For example, the test helps detect mobility and stabilty issues present with certain clients, while also giving you the ability to see how well people follow directions.

These observational examples can give a coach valuable insight into what makes a trainee tick. When we couple the subjective elements with the objective data it often leads to a meaningful dialogue between the coach and client. So, although this test was initially designed as a baseline fitness test, it can easily transition to a screening tool.

It’s important to keep in mind that when using the WCT as a screening tool there is a pass/fail standard of five reps. Many of you may think five reps in five minutes is absurdly easy, but I’ve seen people fail to achieve this standard countless times. Individuals who are unable to meet this objective are often severly deconditioned and/or obese and should not be placed in a group training enviorment.

Ultimately, there is no perfect test to measure a person’s overall fitness. However, the WCT offers a solid compromise on many fronts and it’s holistic nature gives the astute trainer an effective testing tool. At the end of the day, every trainee needs to know where they are in terms of overall fitness and the WCT helps us validate the efficacy of our training regimin with pre- and post- testing.

So, if you think you’re up to it, give the WCT a shot. I think you’ll find it an invaluable way to gauge your progress on your fitness journey or that of your clients on theirs. If you try it, post your score to the comments below.

Photo 1 courtesy of CrossFit Empirical.

The post A Simple Protocol for Testing Your Work Capacity appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The Legend of Pat O’Shea

You may have never heard of Dr. Pat O’Shea, but take my word for it, he’s one tough guy. In 1976, O’Shea fell through a hidden crevasse on Mt. St. Helens and plummeted sixty feet to, what his companions thought, was a sure death. After several hours his rescuers descended into the void and found O’Shea buried under five feet of snow and unconscious. Fortunately, an air pocket had formed in his snow tomb and he survived to tell the tale.¹

Dr. O’Shea’s survival has been largely attributed to his excellent physical fitness. Proving that he not only was a brilliant academic, but also someone who walked the walk. Although O’Shea has had many contributions to the field of strength and conditioning, today I’d like to focus on his interval weight training concept. 

Mainstream IWT

In 1987, Pat O’Shea published a comprehensive version of the IWT protocol in the NCSA journal.² He described IWT as:

…a highly sophisticated and effective means of multi-variable cross-training to optimize performance in a wide variety of sports. Through the proper selection and manipulation of IWT intensity (load, intensity, volume, and frequency of training) an extremely high level of total athletic fitness can be achieved.

That’s a mouthful, eh? Allow me to offer a simpler way to look at IWT. I find it’s easier to understand if we treat it as a blueprint that can be used as a single-session programming template. Please keep in mind, I’ve taken some liberties with the original format of IWT, but have seen no noticeable loss in its effectiveness.

IWT Training Format

In my gym IWT training will always follow a three-session format:

Session A

3 rounds:

• 8-12 reps of an explosive/compound barbell lift at an RPE of 6-8 (this portion is untimed).
• Upon completion of the 8-12 reps immediately transition to: 1-2 minutes of a mono-structured activity that is executed at high-intensity (RPE 9-10). Upon completion the athlete is given a 1-3 minute rest.
• When the athlete has completed the third round, he or she will be given a 3-5 minute rest prior to beginning Session B.

Session B

3 rounds:

• 8-12 reps of a slow/compound barbell lift at an RPE of 6-8 (this portion is untimed).
• 1-2 minutes of a mono-structured activity that is executed at high-intensity (RPE 9-10). Upon completion the athlete is given a 1-3 minute rest.
• When the athlete has completed the third round, he or she will be given a 3-5 minute rest prior to beginning Session C.

Session C

• 5-15 minutes: Circuit of bodyweight and/or gymnastic movements that emphasize skill development in a controlled and safe environment. An example would be: 4 rounds of a handstand push up ladder (1-4 reps). Take a ten second break for each rep as you ascend. So, upon completing 4 reps, you earn a 40 second rest. If at anytime a rep is missed default back to 1.

Now that you’ve seen a rough outline and gained a better understanding of how IWT works, let’s take a look at a sample session.

Sample Workout

Session A

3 rounds: 

• 8 Clean High-Pulls (RPE 8)
• 1 Minute Airdyne for Calories
• Rest 1 min (Last round rest 3 min)

Session B

3 rounds:

• 8 Front Squats – Tempo 2-1-2-1 (RPE 7)
• 1 minute Double-Unders
• Rest 1 minute (Last round rest 3 min)

Session C

• 150 Second cumulative L-sit hold (rings or bar)

There are many excellent reasons for adding IWT to the programming mix. Let’s take a look at a few examples:

The Barbell Element

The untimed nature of the compound-lifting portion of the IWT allows an athlete to get sufficient reps to improve technique. This is done while avoiding some of the deleterious effects seen when these lifts are done for time.

In addition, the lifting component of both sessions A and B allows me, as a coach, to program certain derivative-lifts that I don’t think work well in metabolic conditioning-style CrossFit classes. These lifts include, but aren’t limited to, snatch-pulls, clean-pulls, bent over rows, Romanian deadlifts, elevated split-squats, and tempo squats.

The Conditioning Element

The IWT’s one- to two-minute steady-state conditioning blocks allow clients’ efforts to be tracked through objective metrics such as calories on an erg, reps of double unders, or length of prowler pushes.

Another benefit of IWT is the rest sequences provided after the cardio element is complete. This element is integral as a risk-mitigation effort because it provides the athlete with time to recover, while simultaneously up-regulating creatine phosphate stores prior to attempting another lift.

Ultimately, the IWT conditioning format allows me greater control through manipulation of the variables needed to elicit adaptation in my clients. This stands in stark contrast to the for-time workouts that require the client to solve the organic riddle of “work” on their own. Honestly this, in itself, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, it can frequently result in different athletes receiving unintended stimuli.

The Skill Element

The third phase of IWT is often expressed in a controlled session focusing on one or multiple skills. I use this segment of IWT for a few different purposes.

The first of which is to allow the athlete to work on elements of CrossFit that I feel have a high potential for injury when attempted in a severely fatigued state. For example: high-rep toes to bar or handstand push ups.

Secondly, I can add unique conditioning movements that are beneficial, but that don’t work well in a timed CrossFit format. For example: sandbag get-ups or jackknives on rings.

Class Management With the IWT Structure

In a perfect world, the format of IWT should follow the aforementioned criteria. However, one of the best components of IWT is its ability to break up a large class into three different elements at once. This helps tremendously when equipment limitations are a factor.

The ability to break a 21-person class into three distinct portions allows for 100% participation and a seamless transition between sessions. The three to five minute break between each session assures that there will not be any equipment logjams. 

From an antidotal standpoint, when I worked for the Department of Defense, the IWT became a staple of my two day-introduction course. The IWTs versatility of structure proved itself invaluable in that environment of constant flux.

At the end of the day, I’m always trying to help my clients improve and I think that the IWT is an effective way we achieve this outcome. I’d encourage anyone looking to incorporate assistance and specialty exercises into their CrossFit programming to give it a try.

References:

1. Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, “2012 Legends in the Field,” Accessed 4th September, 2014

2. O’Shea, P. “Applied Sports Science: Interval weight training-A scientific approach to cross-training for athletic strength fitness.” NSCA Journal, volume 9, number 2, 1987.

Photos courtesy of CrossFit Impulse.

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Sometime come the mother. Sometime the wolf.”

– Cormac McCarthy, “Blood Meridian”

I recently read an article about one of my favorite books, Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian. The author of the article said he had to put the book down after reading only sixty pages. He couldn’t stomach the grotesque violence. He clearly missed the point, which is: man is wolf to man.

What does this have to do with fitness? I believe fitness, training, and shared life lessons may be the only viable path toward helping our youth become self-defensive in our ever-changing, politically correct, and litigious world.

It’s of paramount importance that older generations share our own personal experiences with violence. Sharing these experiences with today’s youth may provide a more impactful warning than the desensitized mass media is capable of conveying.

Times Have Changed

During a snow day many years ago, my friends and I wandered into a neighboring city, where we weren’t particularly welcome. We had a few choice words with some older kids from the projects. As things calmed down and we turned tail to head home, one of the townies smashed a block of ice over my head. Thirty years later I remember one thing – it hurt! This was my first introduction to real violence.

A Boy Named Sue

I’m the product of a single mom. She worked full-time and went to school at night in order to give my sister and me a better life. In turn, I became a bit feral in my formative years. There was no helicopter parenting in my neighborhood. Most of the parents were divorced and worked full time. This gave us kids a chance to make a lot of mistakes on our own.

Mass transit played a big part in this process. It provided us with freedoms that kids nowadays rarely experience. It was that freedom and the tribal nature of the city that led us to many violent confrontations. Some of these scrapes ended in our favor, others not so much. But I recognize that those early bouts of violence taught me some potent life lessons.

Things are a lot different today compared to when I was a kid. The kids in my neighborhood don’t seem to fight much. Maybe that’s a good thing. I honestly don’t know. I do know that I love my two little girls more than anything in the world and I never want them to be victims.

It’s my hope that someday my girls can learn from the mistakes I made in my less than savory past. In no particular order, the taste of blood taught me these lessons:

1. Learn Conflict Resolution

If you street fight long enough, you’re gonna get your ass kicked. It usually only takes a time or two, but eventually you’ll start to wise up and learn to avoid altercations at all costs. This turned out to be a useful tool in all walks of life. After all, I’m still married after fourteen years.

2. Choose Your Friends Wisely

I recently watched a movie about Whitey Bulger, a notorious Irish gangster. The film portrayed some once-removed acquaintances who eventually became his victims. My wife couldn’t understand why I had no sympathy for these folks. It’s because I’ve seen this first hand. When you spend time in close proximity to violent people, you’ll eventually become a victim of violence. It’s that simple.

3. Avoid Victimization

You can call it a sixth sense if you want, but know this – I can tell when shit’s about to go down. This is probably the greatest skill violence has taught me. The uncanny ability to recognize when people aim to do me or those I love harm. This skill set isn’t exclusive to just violence. It can also carry over to other areas of your life.

4. Persevere

It goes without saying, fights are suffer-fests and in a street fight, there isn’t a referee to stop the action when it gets ugly. In these types of altercations saving yourself from serious harm often lies in your ability to endure and fight through pain. In our contemporary society this trait seems to have become a lost art on many fronts.

5. Live to Fight Another Day

Sometimes you’re beat or outnumbered, and in those situations you need to run. Certain macho-types will avoid discussing this outcome, but take it from me, if you’re going to end up in the hospital or dead, run. I’m not ashamed to say I’ve done it before. This scenario is encountered throughout life. Sometimes we need to cut our losses, regroup, and fight another day.

6. Act Decisively

Sometimes there is no way out. When you find yourself with your back against the wall, you better fight. I’m not talking about an ineffectual jab or two. I’m talking about going naked-berserker-bat-shit crazy. In this realm, you’ll need to fight with everything and anything you have.

7. Keep Your Guard Up

Always keep your guard up. There are people out there who simply enjoy hurting others. People who have never been in a fight or have been sheltered have a hard time with this simple fact. If you don’t want to take my word on this one, go ahead and ask a local police officer or judge. They’ll be happy to discuss their jobs in gory detail.

8. Remember Nothing Good Happens After 2:00am

Pretty self-explanatory. If not, Google bar fight or mugging.

9. Have Confidence

Confidence is sorely lacking in many of the kids I meet today, especially boys. There’s nothing like a fight or a few rounds in the squared circle to boost a kid’s self-confidence.

10. Spend Time in Introspective Thought

When the dust settled, I often found myself reflecting. I spent time thinking deeply about things like religion, human nature, life, death, and karma. Being maliciously attacked or attacking someone else will do that to you.

Violence Is Intuitive

At the end of the day, I’m not proud of that period of my life. But in reality, violence is intuitive. As humans, we all posses the capacity to cause others physical harm. It’s probably locked away deep down in our DNA’s double helix somewhere.

The point in all of this is that our new societal normal provides a stark contrast to the world I grew up in. Today everyone gets a trophy and aggression in youth sports is nipped in the bud. However, we are also seeing more frequent mass shootings and a stark increase in mental illness.

So, maybe we as humans need to participate in some sort of controlled violence in order to avoid its deleterious effects for both the short and long term. I can’t help but think if more people took up boxing or Krav Maga and actually sparred without headgear once in a while the world would be a better place.

Ultimately, as a parent I’d like to see everyone’s kids safe. I hope adults don’t brush the topic of violence under the rug when it comes time to have that chat with their kids. They’re our most precious resource and it’s our job to help them understand the world we live in, warts and all. I think in the long run, our kids will be better adults for understanding and gaining a (hopefully safe) exposure to violence.

References:

1. AVClub: “Harold Bloom on Blood Meridian,” By Leonard Pirece, Jun 15, 2009 12:00 PM.

2. Mad in America: “Why the Rise of Mental Illness? Pathologizing Normal, Adverse Drug Effects, and a Peculiar Rebellion,” by Bruce Levine, July 32, 2013.

3. NPR: “Study: Mass Shootings Are On The Rise Across U.S.”, David Greed and J. David Blair, January 09, 2014.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post The Violence Conundrum: 11 Lessons Learned Through Fighting appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

What Is the Hopper Model?

For those unfamiliar with the hopper model, it relates to selecting workouts at random. No program architecture exists, and workouts are scheduled based on the whim of the programmer with a “one size fits all” mentality. This method is a recipe for disaster for the individual who is deconditioned and/or orthopedically compromised. It should be obvious that the hopper model flies in the face of the coach’s creed of “do no harm.”

With this said, I’ve become more dedicated to programming for the middle 80% of our constituency, with the outliers following their own individualized programs. So today I’d like to focus on how we meet the wants and needs of our populace while proactively preventing injuries.

Periodization

Pretty obvious, I know. Yet, the hopper model doesn’t provide any periodized elements; it’s completely random. This is a disservice to your clientele and to yourself as a businessman. Linear progress is the greatest client retention tool in our industry – specifically when it comes to dedicated strength training. After all, quantitative results equal happy clients.

Keep in mind that on the most remedial level, periodization is just a plan. Coaches need to structure training based on a litany of factors and if you’re new to the game, keep it simple. In the mean time, get yourself a copy of Supertraining by Yuri Verkhoshansky, and Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.

Risk Mitigation

The easiest way to mitigate risk is by conducting an initial movement evaluation and orthopedic screening. If a client shows gross deficiencies, provide him or her with a prohibited movement matrix and a corrective exercise protocol.

Being a coach means you are accountable for your clients’ safety. The act of prohibiting activities based on objective assessment results is not only reasonable – it is your job. For example, if a client cannot externally rotate his shoulder and achieve a safe rack position, then he is not allowed to front squat or power clean in my gym. It’s that simple. Of course, I want to see my clients progress, so I’ll also provide them with rehabilitation protocols and the ability to retest.

Cybernetic Periodization

If you’re not familiar with the concept, cybernetic periodization (CP) was first introduced by Dr. Yuri Verkoshanksy and it’s simply a flexible plan designed to control volume and intensity on the fly. It’s based on both the athlete’s feedback and the coach’s rating of his technique. This method is invaluable in preventing overuse and overtraining injuries.

The way I incorporate CP into our programming is by using Wendler 5/3/1 for our foundational strength training. We use this for deadlift, back squat, bench press, and shoulder press. The last set of each day’s training is cybernetically periodized. It establishes a minimum rep count (ex. 5+), but also calls for a max effort. This allows for variability in an athlete’s capacity on any given day.

So, if a client is sick, he may complete 5 reps, but if he feels like a world-beater, he might do10 reps. This simple feature helps prevent injury by offering a final max effort set instead of a randomly dictated specific rep count.

Planned Recovery

The hopper model doesn’t offer a proactive plan for recovery. Randomization doesn’t categorize workouts based on factors such as central nervous system (CNS) fatigue, volume, or intensity. It simply links workouts based on subjective training concepts unique to CrossFit such as Hero workouts (“Murph”), Girls workouts (“Diane”), and chippers (“Filthy Fifty”). I’m not saying you can’t program these WODs, but please use some common sense in their distribution and have a plan to match the stimulus with the objective. At the very least, program a mandatory rest day post “Murph.”

One example of how I program is by categorizing strength training based on CNS fatigue. My clients train hip dominant (highest strain) strength and power movements (deadlift, power clean, clean, and snatch) on Monday, assuring an athlete is fresh from a weekend of rest. The CNS load diminishes as the week and training volume progresses. This format helps manage both the classes and the clients, while fostering injury free gains.

Progressions

Our clients are required to show proficiency in the foundational lifts (deadlift, back squat, shoulder press, and bench press) prior to advancing to the transition to power (power clean, front squat, and push press) and power movements (clean, jerk, and snatch).

Progression based training is something the hopper model fails to deliver. Unfortunately, it often assumes an athlete is already relatively strong by dictating weights without caveat. This approach overlooks the fact that power is dependent upon strength. You cannot have one without the other. When I see gyms program 10×2 power snatch and no one in the house can get 135lbs overhead, it makes no sense. A better approach would be to get your athletes strong in the foundational lifts, then make them powerful if their goals are commensurate.

Energy System Training

If I hear “we do energy system training, brah” one more time, I may sumo deadlift high pull my head off. The reality is supercompensation-based energy system training is tough to administer via CrossFit, largely due to its mixed-modal nature. Variations in aspiratory capacity, prior injury, anthropometrics, dysfunction, and bodyweight all make it virtually impossible.

The best way to hone energy systems is through mono-structured events. Don’t be afraid to program rowing, running, or Airdyne training as stand-alone conditioning sessions.

Scaling with RPE

When a workout is not pre-scaled and is simply tossed into the hopper, then the training environment becomes flooded with subjective reps and schemes.

Previously we discussed “Fran.” Let’s take a look at the male RX of 21-15-9 thrusters and pull ups, with a thruster weight of 95lbs. If a new client can only front squat 135lbs and “Fran” comes out of the hopper, he may still give it a shot at RX. What happens next should be obvious – an anaerobically front-loaded power endurance session becomes an aerobic-interval slog. The client will likely break his sets into two to five reps, breathe for thirty to sixty seconds, and continue ad nauseam.

A better way to assure your client receives the prescribed stimulus is to use a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) chart (see below). Although, this method is somewhat subjective in terms of effort, it does use objective measures for weight selection. I’ve also found that it helps clients understand the relationship between absolute strength and CrossFit. Stronger athletes are better athletes regardless of the sport.

Consistent Strength Training

When done correctly, strength training is just too easy. Unfortunately, the hopper model doesn’t do it correctly. Back squatting once a month does not allow for any kinesthetic adaptation to the movement. This is a shame because in reality, most of the gains a new client sees in strength in the first three months are due to improved body awareness and exposure to the lifts.

By repeatedly programming the foundational lifts we supply clients with sufficient stimulus to improve and accurately express their true strength. This is not achieved by randomly injecting a one-rep max every third week of a training cycle.

In summation, there are better ways to program CrossFit than the hopper model. It may take some extra effort, but in the end the clients’ safety necessitates it. As CrossFit has evolved, so have many great coaches and programs, many of which are happy to help those entering into our profession. I encourage the newbies out there to use the scientific method when developing new training plans and hold yourselves accountable to the highest standard of do no harm.

Photo 1 courtesy of Shutterstock.

Photo 2 courtesy of CrossFit LA.

The post Why the CrossFit Hopper Model Is Broken appeared first on Breaking Muscle.