The many faces of Crossfit

Crossfit is an amazing marketing engine. I love and hate it.  When I saw a barbell advertised as a "WOD bar", I had enough.  I can't justify spending $175 per month to work hard when most gyms either:

  • have poor programming that won't lead to consistent improvement
  • outsource their programming to places you could go directly (Invictus, MisFit, Mayhem, etc.)
  • Have highly enthusiastic coaches with no understanding of long-term planning at all.
So here I am training with my buddy making consistent, injury free progress, looking better at 41 than I did at 31.

What we're doing now could arguably called CrossBuilding.  Like that?  Yet another CrossFit mashup to differentiate for no real reason. I REALLY like the Cross Lifting stuff coming out of Russia. Dimitri Klokov and Mikhail Koklyaev are just mind boggling.  They know more than I'll ever know about strength training, programming, and fitness.  Its astounding.

So what I'm doing is nothing as sophisticated or competitive.  Its a just training whole body strength and power expression while following a bodybuilding split.  We start each day with a complex and progress first in volume, then intensity

Here is a sample week:


Block-1, week-1

Monday: Chest & Back
  1. a. Pullup: 5,4,3,2,1
    b. Front levers: 5 x 1
  2. Clean Complex #1:  5 x 1
    a. Clean
    b. Front squat
    c. Push press
    d. Hang clean
    e. Front squat
    f. Jerk
  3. Bent row: 4 x 6
  4. rope grip row: 4 x 12
  5. Bench press: 4 x 6
  6. Incline bench press: 4 x 12
  7. a. Dumbbell flye: 3 x 15
    b. Dumbbell pullover: 3 x 15
Wednesday: Legs
  1. Pullup: 5,4,3,2,2
  2. Clean Complex #1: 5 x 2
  3. Trap bar deadlift: 4 x 6
  4. Front squat: 4 x 12
  5. a. leg extension: 4 x 12
    b. leg curl: 4 x 12
  6. Leg press calves: 30,25,20,15,10,40
Friday: Shoulder & Arms
  1. a. Pullup: 5,4,3,3,1
    b. Toes to bar: 5 x max
  2. Clean Complex #1: 5 x 3
  3. Overhead press: 4 x 6
  4. a. behind neck press: 4 x 12
    b. lateral raise: 4 x 12
  5. a. Barbell curl: 4 x 6
    b. Close grip bench press: 4 x 6
  6. a. Incline dumbbell curl: 4 x 12
    b. Skull crusher: 4 x 12

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