CrossFit Pittsburgh

Tuesday

Advanced:

    Power Clean

Beginner:

    Hang Power Clean

Build to a tough 3 reps

+

3 min @ 90%

3 Burpees

3 C2B Pull-ups

rest 2 min

3 min @ 90%

12 Walking Lunges

24 Double Unders

rest 2 min

3 min @ 90%

7 Wall Balls

7 Push-ups

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So, what's the deal with the new programming?

For those of you who have been with us for a while you may remember that in preparation for the Fall Brawl, I was following an alternative program.  That program was OPT's (Optimum Performance Training) designed by James "OPT" Fitzgerald.  James was the first CrossFit Games Champion.

I was introduced to this training by my good friend AJ Moore.  If you've followed the Reebok CrossFit games for the past few years you've probably heard his name.  AJ is a Games contender.  He's an atlhete to watch again this year.  He will be the Games Champion.

The methodology behind this type of training is to prepare you, the Athlete to be better overall including at the more classic CrossFit WODs.  The approach is simple.  You can't smash yourself on each and every WOD and expect to recover and make gains.  We cycle rest and recovery with strength, bodyweight and MetCon training and the end result is improved performance in all domains.

With guidance from AJ, we are now utilizing this training matrix to bring you what we feel is a very sound system.

If you have any questions or you aren't clear on where this is going please ask.

The following video featuring OPT will explain the end-game better than I can here.

What Is OPT from OptimumPerformanceTraining on Vimeo.

 

 

Monday

Advanced;

    Build to a heavy TGU (Turkish Get Up (part 1) (part 2)*

Beginners;

    Play with TGUs using light weights and higher reps.

+

A1. Deadlift 6 reps heavy
A2. 12 heavy KBS
A3. 24 high box jumps

rest 2 min x 5 sets

*Jeff Martone is the Kettlebell SME for CrossFit.  He is also a good friend of mine as well as one of the toughest guys I've ever known or had the pleasure and honor to train with.

Sunday

Rest Day

Please review the following links.

Phase 2 Training begins tomorrow.

Turkish Get Up (part 1)

Turkish Get Up (part 2)

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Bagdad 2005

l to r standing: Swannie, Jinx, Maris, Dog, Ringo

Kneeling: Mad Dog, Rocky

Saturday

9:00 AM Open Gym

10:00 AM WOD

As you relax and enjoy your weekend it would be good for you to check out these videos.

Turkish Get Up

Part 1

Part 2

Phase 2 training begins on Monday.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAT!

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Adam's form is the result of hard work that's really started to pay off.

 

Friday

A1. OHS 3 tough reps; rest 20s

A2. 1-3 tough power snatch; rest 3 min x 3 sets

 

B1. 5 tough Push Jerks; rest 20s

B2. 10-15 CTB Pull-ups; rest 2 min x 3

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE MAN!

 

Thursday

This post was taken from yesterday's blog.  It was written by Sarah and based on her training from the beginning of the year ... 25 days ago.  After you read it decide if this program works.  If you can still say no, you're not doing it right.

"big day at the box...improved my AMRAP toes to bar max from 8 to 16 and pr'ed my power cleans by 20 lbs (from 75 to 95). I think I finally understand the form of the power clean." 

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Just over a week to register for the Practical Paleo Seminar!

Hit the link to the left and join us next Saturday.

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Optional rest day.

-or-

Make up workout from beginning of week.

-or-

20 min easy effort row/jump rope/run + gymnastics play work.

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One example of a good "Active Recovery Day" session comes from CrossFit Endurance 

Strength & Conditioning Recovery

This can and should be done the day of races, after T/TT efforts, and/or after intervals as needed.

3 sets with light to medium weight of:

GHD Sit ups, 15 reps (extend knees aggressively)
GHD Hip Extensions, 15 reps
KB/DB Swings, 15 reps
Bench Press, 15 reps
Pull ups, 15 reps

Remember, this is a recovery tool and is not a timed workout.

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GOOD LUCK TO OUR FRIEND DAVE THIS WEEKEND IN MIAMI FOR A HALF MARATHON!

Wednesday

A1. 3 tough Power Cleans; rest 20s

A2. AMRAP Ring Push-ups; rest 2 min x 3 sets

 

B1. 3 tough Back Squat; rest 20s

B2. AMRAP T2B; rest 2 min x 3 sets

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 Happy Birthday Kristen!

Tuesday

5 sets @ 90%;

30s Box jump

30s KBS 1.5/1 Pood

30s Burpees

30s Double Unders

rest 2 min between sets

+ 

5 sets; 

row 200m max effort

rest 5 min bt sets

During rest accumulate as much time in a handstand as possible.

Goal would be to maintain same time per 200m effort.

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 How Bad Ass is this Commercial?

 

Monday

A1. KB/DB Bench Press* 8-10 reps; rest 20s

A2. Front Squat 8-10 reps; rest 2 min x 3 sets

        *If KB/DB is too light change to Bench Press

 

B1. Weighted Pull-ups 8-10 reps (scale as necessary); rest 20s

B2. Single Leg Deadlift 8-10/leg; rest 2 min x 3 sets

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Thanks to Dan Reshef for the great pics! 

 

Sunday

Rest Day

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I thought this article was so good that I had to borrow it from our friend Freddy Camacho at CrossFit One World.

"How to Kill a Goat"

Before you get all tree huggy on me, let’s talk about a goat. I’m not talking those cute little animals that ate that kibble out of your hands at the petting zoo. It would be pretty easy to kill one of those things. I bet I could easily choke out that cute little guy in the photo above. Don’t worry, we aren’t going to be killing goats for time in any workout in the future, but we are going to kill a goat. I’m talking about your training goat.

Your “goat” in your training is that thing you really suck at. EVERYONE has a goat. It’s that one exercise that comes up and you dread it. I can assure you that even the winners of the CrossFit Games have a goat. Some of us have two, three, four or more goats. In that case, you have a whole herd of those little beasts, and you have a lot of work to do.

I have a goat. My goat is the overhead squat. My overhead squat is so ugly, it hurts other people when they watch me do it. When overhead squats come up in a workout, I am a miserable person to be around before and after. I’m still working on killing my goat, but the good news is I knocked my goat down from a ram to just a kid. (Yes, my overhead squat was even worse than it is now.)

The most important thing you can do to kill your goat is to not avoid it. I DREAD OVERHEAD SQUATS IN A WORKOUT. But..... I do them every time they come up. Chyna knows how much I hate them, but she knows that I need to work on them, so I am overhead squatting at least once a week. Oh joy....

So, if your 400m run time is slower than my grandfather walking down a flight of stairs, stop skipping the day that 400m runs are in a workout. If you see burpees posted in a workout and you think that queasiness in your stomach means you have the stomach flu, don’t do everyone else in the gym a favor by not coming in because you don’t want to get anyone else sick. We are already sick...of you making excuses! If back squatting a 5x5 sucks because you aren’t very strong, I assure you that you are not going to get stronger skipping squat days and instead hanging out with your friends and telling them all about your “intense” CrossFit workout program. Instead of figuring out how to avoid your goat, grab that little fucker by the throat and shake the shit out of it!

So, step one- Don’t avoid your goat. Even the substitutions for your goat in a workout are structured to help you eventually kill that goat.

Step Two- Ask a trainer how to kill your goat. Do the “How good is my trainer test.” Walk up to your trainer and ask him how to get better at...... (you pick the movement). If your trainer tells you, “Do more CrossFit and it will come to you”, it’s time to look for a new trainer. There is a different way to kill every goat. The biggest cause I see for a movement being someone’s goat is lack of strength. Two other reasons are usually flexibility and being overweight. I don’t think I would be a good trainer if you asked me how to get a muscle up, and I told you, “You are a weak, inflexible, fat ass, so get stronger, more flexible and lose some weight.” Although the statement may be the answer, telling you that would probably go over as well as a fart in church.

Everyone’s goat has to be analyzed. It might be an easy fix, or it might be something that will take some serious work. Whether that path be the yellow brick road or a little walk up a few flights of stairs, a good trainer should be able to give you directions to navigate the path you need to follow.

Step three- Commit to killing that little bastard! One’s ability to kill a goat is a great judge of one’s character. It’s easy to stand up to the goat and tell everyone how you are going to kill it. Unfortunately, it’s even easier to realize that killing the goat is going to take some hard work so you make no effort in killing the goat after a few weeks, maybe even days. In no time at all, everyone will forget that you swore to bring the carcass of that goat back to the tribe. Most people forget, but being a trainer, I pay attention to that shit. If you are bragging on Facebook about becoming a goat killer, there are those that know that you are simply still at the petting zoo talking a tough game. And please don't routinely promise about how you are going to kill a whole heard of your goats. KISS. One goat killing at a time.

In the end, you can continue to feed your goat kibble out of the palm of your hand, pat it on the head, and hope it doesn’t bite you. I say let’s kill that goat and have us a BBQ.......

Note: No goats were harmed during the writing of this post.