Workout of the Day
Zatsiorsky, Scaling, and Power
Originally published six years ago, the article "Zatsiorsky, Scaling, and Power" by Jon Gilson (founder of Again Faster and former member of the CrossFit HQ Seminar Staff) is as useful today as it was back in 2010. Check it out:
You could struggle like a rocket trying to take off on regular unleaded, or you could actually get stronger.
You’re the kid who saw one phenom go from high school straight to the Major Leagues, and figured “What the hell? If that skinny punk can do it, so can I.” Attention, achievement, some sliver of recognition, nothing less will do.
You’re Rx’d. You made the Major League jump. Except, you really, really shouldn’t have, and now you’re striking out. Slow your roll, tee ball slugger.
It’s okay. I did the same thing, and if I don’t admit it, the pot would definitely be calling the kettle another piece of kitchen equipment. Learn from my stupidity.
This is not what we meant.The whole point of our sport is power output: do more work faster. Intrinsic in this little missive is “faster”, but every guy secretly wants to be bigger and stronger, and figures that what we actually meant was “heavier”.
It comes down to simple physics: power is the product of speed and strength. Too much of either (without the other) will result in extremely blunted power.
Imagine speed and strength on the see-saw together, and strength is the fat kid. The really fat kid. In fact, he outweighs speed by a factor of ten. The see-saw stays stuck, and no one has fun at recess. Escaping my metaphor, if the load is too large and speed is too small, power is zip, much like multiplying by zero always gets you zero.
Now, imagine speed and strength are balanced, each kid weighing about the same. This parity allows them to act in concert with each other, and the see-saw really flies. We get power.
“Heavier” isn’t the answer. Balance is the answer.
On page six in The Science and Practice of Strength Training, author Vladimir Zatsiorsky posits that maximal power output occurs at approximately 30% of maximal velocity and 50% of maximal load. I’m in love with page six, and simultaneously dumbfounded by its mathematical exactitude.
Applied to CrossFit and our never ending pursuit of power, this unforgettable page states that we’re looking for a load that you can move with 30% speed, one that tends to occur somewhere around your 50% of one-rep maximum.
Of course, CrossFit won’t ask you to move the bar once, but perhaps ten or twenty or fifty times. To maximize your power across this broad spectrum of work, you’ll want to load to less than 50% 1RM, and continue to try to move the hell out of the bar.
Holy shit. A formula for scaling.
For too long, we’ve focused on strength bias this and power animal super athlete that, when this entire program is predicated on power. Stop thinking of scaling as something to keep Grandma in the game. We scale to the physical and psychological tolerance of the athlete for one reason: it enables the individual to produce as much power as possible.
Following Zatsiorsky’s formula, if you can’t thruster at least 190 pounds, you shouldn’t be doing “Fran” with 95. If you can’t clean and jerk 270, don’t do “Grace” with 135. You’re blunting your power output. Scale that weight down; it will make you more powerful.
I did not just tell you to abandon heavy weights. In fact, I want you to lift heavy. A lot. Just not in the middle of your WOD.
If you increase your 1RM, through any number of methods, your 50% 1RM will go up as well, and you’ll climb into the Rx’d echelon via this prescription. You thruster 150, you do “Fran” at 75 pounds or less. You thruster 200, welcome to the Big Leagues.
In other words, don’t strength bias your WODs—strength bias your strength, and scale your WODs to your current strength level.
Proof? Take a look at the strongest men in the world, not by fiat, but by actual numbers lifted, the gargantuan boys of Westside Barbell. Their program regularly calls for moving 50% 1RM as fast as possible. In fact, it was a conversation with Louie Simmons, the founder of the Westside Method and its Dynamic Effort Days, that persuaded me to pick up a copy of The Science and Practice of Strength Training in the first place.
I’m sure he’d be disappointed I never made it past page six, but I bet he’d love it if you stopped trying to do Fran with 65% of your 1RM.
The successful implementation of scaling demands a simple recognition: there are an infinite number of weights that can be loaded on a barbell, and every one must be removed from ego and firmly affixed to power. When this mental shift occurs, we’ll get more powerful athletes, guaranteed.
-Jon Gilson
This article is a great segue into Tuesday's workout below, which was a CrossFit.com main site WOD from the Fall of 2014. The WOD looks so simple on paper - it starts out harmlessly in terms of loading - and some athletes may be convinced that they can start at the Rx weight of 75/65 lbs (as we have scaled it) and have no problems getting into the 20+, 25+, or even 30+ minute range. Here is where understanding 1) what the intended stimulus of the workout is; 2) how your current strength and fitness levels fit into that intended stimulus; and 3) how best to scale & approach the workout in order to get the highest possible power output and overall benefit can greatly improve the effectiveness of the workout and the positive adaptation you glean from doing it at an appropriate sequence of loading.
Here are two former CrossFit Games athletes, and still some of the fittest guys out there, doing the WOD starting at 75 lbs. Their final scores were 25 minutes (Pat Barber) and 35 minutes + 4 reps (Wes Piatt):
WOD for 06-14-16:
With a Continuously Running Clock...
Complete 5 Thrusters Every Minute:
0:00 - 5:00 use 75/65 lbs
5:00 - 10:00 use 95/75 lbs
10:00 - 15:00 use 115/85 lbs
15:00 - 20:00 use 135/95 lbs
Etc...
Continue adding 20/10 lbs every 5 minutes for as long as you are able.
Score is minutes completed plus any reps in your final partial minute.
IKEA: CrossFit, Tetris, Mobility, Engineering
Saturday's classes reminded me of an old blog post I once wrote several years ago when we were still making weekly IKEA runs to buy things for setting-up the gym. While Sarah's fear of Achilles tendon ruptures courtesy of stray Costco flatbed carts is a valid one, I still think that the experience that is IKEA remains my all-time least favorite "shopping" excursion:
IKEA. Just the word makes me shudder. But it had to be done (and needs to be done again soon, sadly), and recently we got after it. In between classes and other appointments we had only approximately 90 minutes on the running clock to complete the following:
Locate, purchase, lift and carry (thank you, CrossFit):
17x Folding Chairs
1x Eight Compartment Shelf
1x Sixteen Compartment Shelf
1x Large Bathroom Storage Bench
-then-
Jam said treasures into smallish SUV without breaking anything (thank you, Tetris)
-then-
Drive back to Arena Ready with my seat nearly against the steering wheel (thank you, hip mobility)
-then-
Coach the next class while my fiancee [Editor's Note: we weren't married yet, obviously] assembles the first few pieces (thank you, my dear, for your engineering mind and useful skill set)
About 3 minutes before we took the picture below I thought to myself "FML, I'm going to have to drag this stuff back in there and return the ones that don't fit in the car. And then my head might explode on some poor girl's plate of Swedish meatballs."
But then the NES Tetris song in my head changed tunes and BOOM, like a glove.
Arena Ready - 1
IKEA - 0
The picture doesn't even do it justice
WOD for 06-13-16:
ON A RUNNING CLOCK...
A) At 0:00
Deadlift:
5-5-5-5-5
Climbing
B) At 18:00
"Diane"
For Time:
21-15-9
Deadlifts @ 255/155 lbs
Handstand Push-ups
(Compare to 02-13-15, 03-03-14, and 09-03-13)
Back-to-Back
Friday's programming gave us an opportunity to utilize a WOD that was unlike any other Friday class in the last 2+ months (thanks to the highly successful back squat program and resulting GAINZ that occupied our Fridays in April and May). Athletes who came in on Friday were treated to a nasty partner met-con with our good friend, Curtis P, and many may be thinking that the traditional Sweaty Saturday Partner Programming would be on hold for a week. Well, in this case, you'd be wrong.
Giddy up, get your (sore?) booty in here, and enjoy!
WOD for 06-11-16:
With a Partner For Time:
1600m Run
150 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
30 Ground-to-Overhead @ 135/95 lbs
One person working at a time. Spit/partition the run and reps in any fashion.
Summer On-Boarding Starts This Saturday!
Summer 2016 on-boarding for newcomers starts this Saturday, June 11th!
Most of you who are members at Arena Ready know that we only on-board a small number of new athletes every few months as membership spaces become available (usually because a couple of existing members moved for a job/school/etc). We're lucky to have a community of members with very little turnover, and we have dozens and dozens of folks who have been with us for 2, 3, and even going on 4 years. This creates the sort of unique and welcoming atmosphere we have at the gym... a close knit family of like-minded people from all different walks of life, who support and encourage each other in the pursuit of getting better. While we receive inquiries every day for new people to join Arena Ready, we keep the intake & on-boarding process deliberate in order to keep our membership at a constant number - putting us in that sweet spot of knowing everyone in the gym, and being able to coach each athlete in a personal manner that ultimately leads to real progress.
Our Summer on-boarding process starts this Saturday (June 11th) with the "Introduction to CrossFit" class and continues the following Saturday (June 18th) with the "Beginner's CrossFit" class. Both 90-minute classes are free, and the completion of both allows a prospective athlete to then select a membership and start taking group classes as a member at Arena Ready. Existing members who would like to sit-in on the first half of the "Introduction to CrossFit" class are also welcome to do so, as the first 45 minutes cover the methodology of CrossFit and our specific approach to the application of that methodology at Arena Ready (a great way to get a refresher on that info if it's been a while since you've given it any thought).
Why am I telling all of you this? Because I want you to help us continue to build Arena Ready with the sort of amazing people we already have in the building. I want your significant others, your family members, your friends, your neighbors, your loved ones - those are the folks we want to be a part of this incredible community, and those are the people who tend to stick around and really make fitness a lifestyle... because they already have you as a built-in advocate and support system. That's not to say we don't love the complete strangers who find their way to us and eventually become big parts of the AR family - we certainly have our fair share of those stories as well. But since so many of you ask us on a regular basis when the next on-boarding opportunity will be - because you have someone special in mind who you think might really enjoy it and benefit from the program - I figured I would post a final last-minute reminder here to let everyone know.
So send them our way and help us fill the place with the incredible people in your life. They can register for the free classes on our website here! Existing AR members who would like to sit-in on the first half of the "Introduction to CrossFit" class can simply show up and hang out - no need to register for the class online.
WOD for 06-10-16:
With a Partner For Time:
2000m Row, then...
50 Curtis P Complexes @ 95/65 lbs
***4 Burpees At The Top of Every Minute During Curtis Ps***
Partners may SPLIT the row and Curtis P reps in any fashion (does NOT have to be evenly). The Curtis P's cannot start until the row is completed. 4 burpees must be completed by BOTH partners at the top of every minute while accumulating the Curtis P reps, and the Curtis P's cannot re-start until both partners have completed the burpees.
Backrocked Obama
Whenever I think about doing barbell rows I think about how strong and jacked my back (hypothetically) looks when performing the movement. Then, of course, I think about all the different ways to say "jacked" - which inevitably leads me to watching this video for, like, the 30th time (some language NSFW):
Yup, still funny.
WOD for 06-09-16:
Four-Cone Shuttle For Time:
Teams of Two or Three x 3 Cycles Per Person
-then-
8-8-8-8
For Quality
-then-
3 Rounds for Max Reps:
Russian Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs
Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 in
Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
There is 45 seconds of work per movement, with 15 seconds of rest/transition time between movements. Rest 1 minute between rounds. Score is total reps.
The OG Nasty Girls
Every year we re-test some of the most famous and recognizable benchmark WODs in CrossFit, and Wednesday is one of those classic test days. If you've done the workout "Nasty Girls" at Arena Ready before then you've likely heard me talking about the old-school video of the WOD, featuring some of CrossFit's original fire-breathing females. For some (like Coach Alyssa) this video was one of their first exposures to CrossFit, and it may have been a catalyst in starting their CrossFit training journey.
It's amazing to see how far things have come since the time of this video (I believe it was shot in the mid or late 2000s) - our understanding of the movements, technique considerations, ideas of what is humanly possible, etc. have all evolved. But even after all these years, a couple of things still remain... this workout is nasty, and these women are still super badass.
WOD for 06-08-16:
2 Hang Power Clans + 1 Hang Squat Clean:
5 Sets of (2+1)
Climbing
-then-
"Nasty Girls"
3 Rounds for Time:
50 Air Squats
7 Muscle-ups
10 Hang Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs
(Compare to 04-26-15, 08-07-14, and 11-19-13)
Productive Application Of Force
CrossFit defines "strength" as "the productive application of force." A simple way I like to think of this is that true strength is useful strength. What good is it to have raw strength that one cannot apply in various life (or even sport) situations? What's the point of being the fastest person on the football field if you can never get open or catch the ball? If you're a longtime Raiders fan then please don't answer the latter question - you have it hard enough as it is without me bringing up old wounds.
From the CrossFit journal in 2008:
Strength, as an isolated quality, can be defined and measured as the biological contractile potential of muscle--as how hard your muscles can contract to apply force. But from our perspective, Coach Glassman explains in this lecture excerpt, that is an incomplete definition and an isolated measure that doesn't really reveal much about its application to real-world functionality (just as VO2 max measurements alone tell us little about a person's capacity and athleticism).
True, useful strength is not merely the muscles' ability to generate force but a body's ability to productively apply that force.
The missing link in so much mainstream fitness programming, from bodybuilding to monostructural endeavors, is the neuromuscular piece--in particular, the development of coordination, accuracy, agility, and balance. We can sum these elements up as "technique." Omitting them from one's training necessarily results in only partial fitness, partial expression of one's genetic potential, and a decreased threshold of maximal capacity. To increase work capacity across broad time and modal domains (the goal of CrossFit), technique is the crucial connection--whether your goal is to win the game, protect your life, complete the mission, or just be fit for the demands of everyday life at any age.
-"Productive Application of Force"
Now that many of you have a bunch of newfangled raw strength courtesy of the last eight weeks, we're going to spend the next couple of months applying it in various ways to effect positive changes in your overall fitness. Part of that application will be an increase in the frequency of the Olympic-style lifts and related variations of those lifts. This will build upon the raw strength foundation you've laid by expanding many of the other general physical skills that CrossFit, weightlifting, and life requires - balance, coordination, speed, power, agility, flexibility, and accuracy. And obviously, we're going to keep you breathing hard and lifting heavy things all the while (in order to maintain your new baseline level of strength while continuing to build cardio-respiratory endurance and stamina).
So, here we go... Monday was an aggressive start, I'll admit it. But sometimes it's like removing a Band-Aid - you just have to do it and get it over with (or in this case get it started). Tuesday should continue to do the trick.
Enjoy!
WOD for 06-07-16:
Squat Snatch + 2 Overhead Squats:
5 Sets of (1+2)
Climbing
-then-
Three 4-Minute Cycles For Max Reps:
600m Run
15-12-9 Overhead Squats @ 135/95 lbs (no rack)
Max Reps Lateral Bar Burpees
Rest 2 minutes between cycles. Overhead Squat reps decrease by 3 every cycle. Score is total number of lateral bar burpees completed.
Motivation Monday: Beginners
Not a member at Arena Ready but considering attending our free on-boarding series starting this Saturday, June 11th? What's holding you back?
You don't have to be great to start. But you have to start to be great.
WOD for 06-06-16:
Row:
2 Minutes for Max Calories
(Compare to 09-28-15)
-then-
AMRAP 12 Minutes:
10 Shoulder-to-Overhead @ 135/95 lbs
10 Toes-to-Bar
30 Double Unders
(Compare to 09-28-15)
PR City
I think it worked.
We counted nearly 50 total back squat PRs on Friday's 1RM test day, with literally over 90% of the folks who came in hitting a lifetime best. Special shout out to Bex and Mike S. for hitting the "double body weight back squat" milestone, which is a heck of an accomplishment. We had nine women in the 200+ club, eighteen men in the 300+ club, and two gentlemen (Travis & Jeff G.) joined Tony in the 400+ club (with a handful in the 365-395 zone). With a few athletes a week or two behind on the program we expect to add some more impressive numbers to the long list. GREAT WORK EVERYONE!
As a counterbalance to the heavy max squat day we're going to utilize some light-moderate hinging movement on Saturday. Not to worry, we'll get a bit of a Sweaty Saturday WOD in there too...
Tempo lifting may be a new concept to some, and since we'll be using tempo deadlifts in Saturday's class here's some basic info on the practice courtesy of a blog post excerpt from the good folks at Invictus:
Tempo prescriptions come in a series of four numbers representing the times in which it should take to complete four stages of the lift. In a workout, the tempo prescription will follow the assigned number of reps, such as:
Front Squat x 2-3 reps @ 30X0
The First Number – The first number refers to the lowering (eccentric) phase of the lift. Using our front squat example, the 3 will represent the amount of time (in seconds) that it should take you to descend to the bottom of the squat. (The first number always refers to the lowering/eccentric phase, even if the movement begins with the ascending/concentric phase, such as in a pull-up.)
The Second Number – The second number refers to the amount of time spent in the bottom position of the lift – the point in which the lift transitions from lowering to ascending. In our front squat example, the prescribed 0 means that the athlete should reach the bottom position and immediately begin their ascent. If, however, the prescription was 32X0, the athlete would be expected to pause for 2 seconds at the bottom position.
The Third Number – The third number refers to ascending (concentric) phase of the lift – the amount of time it takes you to get to the top of the lift. Yes, I am aware that X is not a number. The X signifies that the athlete should EXPLODE the weight up as quickly as possible. In many cases, this will not be very fast, but it is the intent that counts – try to accelerate the weight as fast as you can. If the third number is a 2, it should take the athlete 2 seconds to get the lift to the top regardless of whether they are capable of moving it faster.
The Fourth Number – The fourth number refers to how long you should pause at the top of the lift. Take, for example, a weighted pull-up prescription of 20X2, the athlete would be expected to hold his or her chin over the bar for two seconds before beginning to come down.
Counting – It seems silly to even mention how to count seconds, but I have heard many clients audibly count to 4 in less than one second while under a heavy load. So, to ensure that your 4 second count and mine are the same, use “one thousands,” as in: 1-one thousand, 2-one thousand, 3-one thousand, 4-one thousand.
To read the entire post on tempo training from Invictus click here - it's a good one and talks about the benefits of the practice, so give it a quick read if you have a few minutes.
WOD for 06-04-16:
Tempo Deadlift:
3-3-3-3-3 @ 30X0
For Quality, Climbing to a Moderate Top Set (NOT Max)
-then-
With a Partner, For Time:
800m Run TOGETHER
42 Deadlifts @ 155/105 lbs
42 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
600m Run TOGETHER
30 Deadlifts
30 Box Jumps
400m Run TOGETHER
18 Deadlifts
18 Box Jumps
Partners run TOGETHER and then SPLIT the deadlift and box jump reps in any fashion (with only one person working at a time). Deadlifts cannot start until both partners have completed the run.
Back Squat 1RM Friday + Therapeutic Yoga Back in Action on Monday, June 6th!
Therapeutic Yoga
After a break for the Memorial Day holiday, our Monday evening Therapeutic Yoga class is back on for this coming Monday, June 6th at 7:00pm. Check out the background info below from Dani for what to expect in class. We had a great group of athletes at the first class a couple of weeks ago, all of whom gave some very positive feedback - so get on it and take advantage of this on-going class that is FREE for Arena Ready members (sign-up as you would for any other class)!
Therapeutic yoga is probably very different from what most people think of when they think of yoga. Not quite restorative, definitely not vinyasa, you can expect some stability work, standing poses, twists, and a whole lot of laying on the floor connecting to a deeper breath. I teach a slow practice, and will encourage a mind - body connection by asking you to pay attention to the more subtle aspects of the body (breath, skin, muscles, bones).
Moving in this slower way helps reveal both strengths and weaknesses you might not be able to connect with during more intense workouts. This awareness translates to every other area of life, including kicking ass in the gym. I'm a stickler for alignment, and as someone who injured myself practicing a more popular yoga style it is important to me that people practice yoga in a safe way. I play fun music, I don't chant, and I promise I'll leave your chakras alone. Besides, where else in your life to you get express permission and encouragement to slow down, breathe, and CTFO (chill the f*ck out) for an hour?
FINALLY: I often hear people say they can't do yoga because they're not flexible. Frankly, that's like saying someone shouldn't do CrossFit because they can't do a muscle up :) All bodies are welcome and this is appropriate/accessible for everyone at AR.
Back Squat 1RM Friday
Here we go! The culmination of 8 weeks of targeted back squat training is upon us! If you've made all 15 of the previous back squat sessions, used accurate calculations on your loading, consistently made your sets and reps, and worked out a couple of times at AR since doing "Murph" (i.e. didn't sit around all week getting stiffer and tighter by the minute), then chances are you have earned the right to attempt some new PR weights on Friday.
A few words of advice, if I may:
1) Confidence is key. If you did all the things I listed in the paragraph above then you're physically ready for a new 1RM, no question. But testing is different from training, and sometimes the numbers can get into an athlete's head. Remember that your technique and training got you here, and that you've been under heavy weights for a while now - so trust the training, and be confident in your strength. If you're mentally ready to make a new max, then your body can express what it's already physically capable of doing.
2) Don't be greedy. Warm-up much like you've done the last 3 weeks during the "intensity" phase of the program. Don't go changing things up too much or trying new stuff on game day. Once you're through those warm-ups take your old 1-rep max for a single and feel how easy that bullshit is now (I'm probably going to swear at you a little in the gym on Friday, so get over it and see #1 above about confidence). Then be smart about your jumps in weight thereafter - don't leave pounds on the table because you took too big of a jump. Expect that you'll have more than one shot at a new PR, and ask a coach if you want another opinion on what weight to take next.
3) Safety first. Getting pinned or pancaked is not an option. Use the safety bars/arms if needed, or get a spotter (or spotters) who knows how to spot and is strong enough to spot you - and remember that if you're being spotted KEEP STANDING UP NO MATTER WHAT.
Like I said at the beginning of this program I need new videos of badass PRs, so put those lucky shorts/pants/tank tops on and be ready to make some heavy weights. Meantime here's the same two videos I posted for motivation at the start of these 8 weeks - Squirrel squatting 235 (at 108 bodyweight) and Coach Sarah squatting 353 (at 165 bodyweight), both following a version of this same squat program:
WOD for 06-03-16:
ON A RUNNING CLOCK...
A) From 0:00 - 15:00
"Partner Baseline"
For Quality, Split Evenly With a Partner:
1000m Row
80 Air Squats
60 AbMat Sit-ups
40 Push-ups
20 Pull-ups
Partners split the reps evenly, with only one partner working at a time. This is FOR QUALITY not for time, so move with a purpose (i.e. don't lollygag or you won't be done by 15:00) but prioritize movement to prepare/warm the entire body for the back squats.
B) From 15:00 - 50:00
Back Squat (Week 8, Day 2):
Find Your New 1-Rep Max
(Compare to 11-24-15)
Throwback Thursday: Muscle-ups
#TBT to that awesome video Brian C. made in the Spring of 2015 of Open workout 15.3 at Arena Ready. Still one of my favorites of all time...
WOD for 06-02-16:
Muscle-up:
10 Minutes of Skills & Drills
-then-
3 Rounds for Time:
400m Run
7 Muscle-ups
14 Push Presses @ 115/80 lbs (no rack)
The $31 DIY Standing Desk Life Hack
Increase your ammunition against desk shoulders and office hips! You work so hard to reclaim your mobility so that you can get into good, safe positions that allow you to train in the gym - so make your workstation set-up something that helps you in your battle against bad posture, tight hips, and poor shoulder range-of-motion.
Is your company dragging their feet on the standing desk you've already asked for? Are you sick of the hoops you have to go through to get a proper desk set-up? Well, take matters into your own hands, spend $31 at IKEA, and take 20 minutes of elbow grease to get it done yourself - check out this link for materials needed and assembly instructions.
You back, hips, and shoulders will thank you later.
WOD for 06-01-16:
Every 90 Seconds for 7 Rounds:
2 Power Cleans
Climbing
-then-
AMRAP 7 Minutes:
5 Box Jumps @ 30/24 in
3 Power Cleans @ 225/155 lbs
(Compare to 08-27-15)