Congratulations for working through the summer of squats! I imagine most of you may be relieved to hear that the days of the doubled up front squat/back squat sessions are, more or less, coming to a close. I hope the last few weeks have been full of personal records and created a firm focus on what’s to come.
We are still firmly in the ‘off-season’ portion of our preparations. Remember, the goal is to be at peak performance when the 2017 CrossFit Games Open begins in late February/early March. From the programming it is easy to see our current focuses in each realm.
- Strength – Increasing absolute strength in all plains in addition to hammering form in the Olympic lifts. Don’t lose sight of those goals day to day, week to week, or month to month. Focus on your technique and make the necessary adjustments to make you a stronger and more efficient athlete. Do not be afraid to a step back to take three forward.
- Skill – Increasing bodyweight exercise strength and solidifying gymnastic positions. You need to move with a purpose and goal in every piece. Again, now is the time to fix your positions and work towards the perfection of your movement.
- Conditioning – We have a very focused and tested method to the conditioning pieces. We make every effort to make the workouts “fun” without sacrificing the end goal. Make sure you are performing the work to the best of your abilities while following the prescription. If it states to rest 2:1 then take the rest! There is a method to the madness. With that said, make sure you are scaling the work as needed. There is no shame in working inside of your capabilities but if you can perform the work, perform the work. You may also notice the aerobic bias throughout many of the workouts. Building a usable aerobic foundation is only acquired through hard work over time. This being the off-season that theme will continue… remember what you are working for.
- Also, if there is a crew of people about to perform a workout that looks like fun, do not hesitate to jump in. I’m sure few of you have a posse who follow our programming to the T. Don’t be afraid to, occasionally, have a little fun and push some intensity in a group setting. Remember, your training environment may be the largest outside variable to your success. One word… Win.
We begin a new strength cycle on Monday working back to longer complexes and lighter percentages. Again, make sure you are not just checking the box but are taking the time to think about the way you move and why you may have difficulties in certain positions. Does your back make the letter S in your jerk? Then you may need focused overhead mobility work, get it done. Can you not hold a hook grip in your front rack for a thruster or a clean? Then you need to work on wrist, elbow, or lat mobility, get it done.
The best athletes in this sport don’t ignore, hide, or run away from their limitations in movement, flexibility, or strength. The great ones zero in on those weaknesses and make no excuse in their pursuit to rectify them.
Stay happy, stay healthy, and as always it’s a privilege for us to be your coaches.