Hey team! If you’ve been tracking the website or showing up regularly to workouts over the last week and a half, you’ve probably noticed that a bunch of strength-oriented cash-outs and WODs have been popping up. You may be wondering why this is happening and why your poor post-WOD trashed body is being asked to summon the effort to lift some decently heavy weights. The answer is pretty simple, and comes in four parts…
First, the whole idea of Crossfit is to be well-rounded. Metcons and running workouts will turn you quickly into an anaerobic fat and calorie burning beast but will only take your strength so far. Well-rounded Crossfit training prepares you not only for running a 10k, playing pickup soccer, showing your kids cartwheels, or hiking a mountain but also to be able to lift, carry, and manipulate decently heavy things without excessive strain or chance of injury. To be able to accomplish the latter tasks, heavier weights must be lifted on a fairly regular basis.
Second, being strong makes a lot of things easier, especially metcons that consist of lifting moderate to heavier weights. The stronger you are on thrusters, shoulder presses, deadlifts, cleans etc., the lighter the prescribed weights will be relative to your maximum. It is really really really hard to have a decent “Fran” time if your maximum strength thruster is only slightly heavier than the prescribed weight for the thrusters in Fran. If you are female, imagine how easy 65lb thrusters would be if you had the ability to thruster 100lb. If you’ve been crossfitting for a while, your base conditioning should be pretty good, so if you’re still having to scale down from the prescribed weights, chances are it’s your maximum strength that is letting you down.
Third, heavy weights make your body more structurally resilient. The strain that is put on your body by heavier loads strengthens your ligaments, tendons, and bones to an extent that isn’t possible with lighter weights. Stronger postural muscles make your body less susceptible to technique flaws such as rounding through the back, thus protecting you from getting into potentially injurious positions. Stronger connections through joints help to keep control and fluidity of movement when under the duress of fatigue.
Fourth, lifting heavier stuff and being strong feels good! There is a certain everyday confidence that comes from surviving Crossfit workouts in general and that is amplified when you know your training has made you stronger than the average person walking the streets. The strength you generate in the gym crosses over into your mindset in every day life, and affirms that you can meet challenges with a positive attitude and brimming with confidence.
Rest assured we won’t sacrifice the metabolic conditioning aspects of Crossfit to solely work on strength. We are simply working to create a holistic program of training for our team (you!) that involves all elements of fitness. I’m really excited about this direction we’re headed and we are all going to attain higher levels of fitness, health, and achievement because of it.
Until next time, keep fit and have fun!
Today’s Workout:
Buy in– Inchworm and slow monkey crawl x 5 lengths of floor each
WOD –
3 Rounds (Elite)
- 400 Metre run
- 20 double crunch
- 15 burpees
- 10 med ball slams (14/20)
Zone 3: as above
Zone 2: scale to 15 double crunch, 10 burpees, 10/14 medballs
Zone 1: 2 rounds scaled to 10 double crunch, 10 burpees, 10/14 medballs
Cash out– Front squat 4 x 10 reps (adding weight each set)
