"On the battlefield, protoss warriors are known to fight with tremendous power and grace."
"So it looks like we are continuing the trend of naming cycles after childhood computer and video games?" - Random Member
"God damn right we are." - Aidan
"This is the coolest thing that anyone could ever do. Thank you." - Probably every member we have
So...last cycle. Wow. It was amazing and brutal, I think we can all agree. This was the first time in a while that the coaches could see improvement in everyone, but also the internal debate most folks were having about whether it was worth it. This is a prime example of the difference between a series of hard workouts in a week or a cycle, and continuous hard training day in and day out. There was nowhere to hide during this cycle, except at home because "all of a sudden you had a work meeting put on your schedule on Mondays and Thursdays" and "unfortunately had to miss those days." We get it, though. Life can be pretty demanding with all the stress, family, work, and mental challenges. So, if you feel like you are showing up and knowingly walking into the fire repeatedly, this can be a lot to ask of ourselves and for us to ask of you. It's important to do hard things, unquestionably. It's also important to know if we are prepared to do so, if we can handle it, and the outcomes and the effort it takes to do them. I think we found that line in this last cycle. If we didn't have our house in order (so to speak), then it was extremely taxing, and physical fitness on top of that was sometimes too much for some of us.
That all being said, I want to acknowledge the many awesome things we experienced that I believe you all are not giving yourselves enough credit for. If any of the coaches were present to discuss how challenging it was, it means that you showed up that day, put in the effort, and were present to even have that conversation. I've never been a fan of the saying 'showing up is half the battle'. No, it's not; doing the battle is the actual battle. It's like saying, "at least I went to school today," but received all F's. Parents, imagine if you credited your kid for that. However, showing up knowing the exact pain that you are about to endure deserves credit. In CrossFit, the workouts always change, so you don't realize how tough it is until afterward. But this time, we knew in advance what it was going to feel like every time. Kudos Team. Moreover, two of my favorite days were the 20-rep squat tests. They were not part of the original plan, yet you all crushed it. Even if you missed by a rep or two, the effort put in was real, and we enjoyed seeing the community support and encourage each other. You are all amazing. Lastly, those Mondays became tough and perhaps mundane, but in order to achieve better results in the retests, it took a lot of effort, and you all improved. That's the purpose of this training: improvement. And you did it. Please be proud of yourselves, even if just for a moment. Average people aren't doing these things. You are, though.
Alright, you're all probably on the edge of your seat, so let's reveal the next training cycle. In the game StarCraft, you can choose to be one of three races: Terran, Zerg, and Protoss. The Protoss are known for their strength on a per-unit basis. If I were to rename the last cycle to continue with the theme, it would be Zerg. The Zerg are powerful in numbers, which reflects our focus on volume in the previous cycle. This time, we will shift our focus to bias strength. Keep in mind that when we say "strength-biased," it doesn't mean we'll neglect other aspects like skills, gymnastics, cardio, or energy system training. We always aim to be well-rounded. However, we will slightly emphasize the 1-5 rep ranges and incorporate more "traditional" couplets and triplets in our workouts. We want to avoid the temptation of making workouts overly complex just to look impressive on paper, as simplicity reveals the truth about our fitness. I also find it important to sometimes make workouts just simply look dope and fun. So, the goal is for most people throughout this cycle to look at the workouts and think, "I need to be there." Although our main focus is to improve, we'll package the hard work and training in a more enjoyable presentation. It's essential to remind ourselves that we can still strive to be our best and to move the needle while having fun with our workouts and community, even if we're not training for high-level competitions like the Games.
Main Areas of Focus:
• 5-rep max Back Squat paired with Texas Method Training off that number
• 1-rep max Squat Clean
• General shoulder-to-overhead strength, leading up to a 5-rep max Push Press
• Build up to a 3-rep max Deadlift
• "Fun" workouts that involve the feeling of more traditional CrossFit-themed couplets or triplets with bodyweight movements
As mentioned before, this is a 7-week cycle. The only real fixed structure to this will be on back squats, cleans, and deadlifts. Weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7 will involve squatting twice, Monday and Friday. Weeks 2, 4, and 6 will involve one back squat day, Wednesday. Every other back squat day will rotate between a 5-rep max back squat or a 5x5 back squat @ 90% of your previous 5-rep max. On the weeks that we back squat once, you will see a Friday with a bigger deadlift at the beginning of class, usually followed up with a single-leg strength accessory. As for 1-rep squat clean, you will see the training days rotate between Mondays and Wednesdays, based on which week we are squatting and deadlifting. We will retest the clean in week six.
Also, in our last last cycle, we did Mikko's Triangle. Don't worry, I didn't forget. We will retest this week two of this cycle. So get ready for that. You will also see a few actual traditional CrossFit workouts, such as Nancy. This involves running and overhead squats. And don't worry, less gross runs in this cycle, but a few more overhead squat sessions. There are also some fun little versions of Mary and Cindy as well that you will see later. On a few days, you will also see more intentional progressions and focus on muscle-ups, primarily rings. Not all days need to be jam-packed from start to finish. Without practice, we don't get better at things to train and then eventually test. There will also be more burpees. Just saying. Let's keep fitness simple. Sprinkle in some handstands, rope climbs, and double-unders, I think that this is going to be a cycle that all of you will look back on and say, "That was actually pretty dope, I got stronger, and now I want to play StarCraft."
I encourage you all to embrace the power of saying 'Yes' during this cycle. Don't overthink your workouts. Don't pick and choose. Don't let your emotions dictate your actions. Just say 'yes'. You won't see much improvement by showing up only once a week. I challenge you to commit to 5 days a week this cycle, or at least for one month. Truly understand what it will take in your life to make that happen. I guarantee that incredible things will follow. I'm not just talking about your fitness, but also your sleep, diet, priorities, and stress levels. It's called a lifestyle for a reason. It may take a while to adjust, but when everything is running smoothly, amazing things happen. But doing intense workouts while dealing with stress, poor sleep, and bad nutrition usually doesn't lead to great results. Then fitness gets blamed. It gets left behind. It becomes the scapegoat for a victim mentality.
We are always here to help you adjust to the workout, regardless of injury, comfort, or experience. We will help you. But you need to show up. For those who do other sports, we understand that this can be a lot. I am mainly referring to those who do this as their primary form of fitness and health. However, come anyways! Scale the workout. Ride a bike. Be part of the community. This is more fun with friends, right?!
"We are the blades of Aiur." - Zealot
IYKYK
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