Strength Above All Else...My Trip to Westside Barbell

As we turn down the street to into the industrial complex my nervous anxiety is on par with a competition.  Since finding CrossFit and strength sports the industrial warehouse is a familiar arena for gyms, and I have many times traveled to one to train.  But this is different...this is Westside Barbell.  The "Mecca" of powerlifting and strength & conditioning.  This is one of the most if not THE most intense training environment on the planet.

When we pull up there are about 10 people both male and female pulling sleds and pushing wheelbarrows.  As we walk into the building it feels like walking into a stadium during a playoff game.  The energy level of this small building literally hits you in the face.  As we wade through the heavy metal music, and the different people doing all different manners of training we see Louis Simmons.  The owner and trainer at Westside Barbell is shorter than I would have expected, but at 67 years old he looks at you with both the wisdom of a real life Guru and the intensity of a man who has fought 100 fights in the ring. 

To myself as a trainer this is the same as meeting both Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson crammed into the same person.  Not only has hit an Elite Total for many years but he is like the Yoda of strength.  We introduce ourselves (we had to phone ahead and let him know we were coming, as this is an invite only gym), and make introductions.  Today is max effort lower at Westside and in the second room of this small gym is what could only be described as a war going on.  Seven of Louis' guys from his powerlifting team are deadlifting and the word intense doesn't describe it.  I have been in sports all my life and not since a freshman walking into a varsity locker room have I felt so out of small.

With so many people there we notice we are the only ones standing around.  This is not a gym where you do a set and sit and talk.  You work, plan and simple.  So we go out to Joe the assistant trainer and ask to jump in on the sled work.  What we jumped into was a training session with 10 other people, 2 were other visitors, 2 were college track stars, and 6 were professional MMA fighters.  Many who have fought for the UFC, and two who apparently traveled from Brazil, as I never heard them say a word in anything but Portuguese.

We spent the next hour pulling sleds in as many ways as possible.  Running, walking, bear crawls, holding a 40 lb medball, holding a bamboo bar overhead, if you could think of it we did it.  We never touched a barbell that first day and were wiped out.  After it died down a bit, Louis was kind enough to give us close to an hour of his time.  Since we employ the conjugate method of training at our CrossFit gyms he seemed to open up and answer any questions we might have had.   The subject of Olympic Weightlifting came up and after a 20 min barrage of knowledge bombs he told me that on Wednesday he would make me PR my power clean.

When we arrived on Wednesday, it was max effort upper body at Westside.  We hopped in with a coach and PR'd our pin press.  When we arrived Louis was benching so we didn't want to interrupt his lifting session.  Then Louis walked up to me and said "when your done fucking around, lets get those bands out and PR that clean of yours."  I had to smile because Louis would walk around and put his expertise into every athlete in the gym.  It didn't matter how much you lifted, as long as you came to work he treated you like an athlete.

I worked up to about 65% of my power clean max with bands on the bar.  At this point the powerlifting team was watching me and joking with me about my ability to get my elbows high for the front rack position.  Then we pulled the bands off and began working up.  I would hit a lift and we would add weight.  My lifts felt faster than ever before.  Then we were ready to max.  As I set up Louis began to yell at me that I "better make this lift."  The room got quiet and of course, I hit the lift easy.  I then added five more pounds and again hit the lift.  Louis was smiling and I was like a little kid.  But now that I've given a description of my story, here is the important part that you could only see if you were in the gym those days.

As I watched the video of my second PR I noticed something amazing.  As I set up everyone, and I mean everyone in the background stopped and watched.  Powerlifters who were just benching 500-600 lbs, scholarship track athletes who look like the most athletic CrossFit women, MMA fighters, literally everyone within ear shot.  As I hit my lift, they all looked and a few nodded and everyone went back to their work.  When someone attempts a PR at Westside everyone watches, but here is the important part.  When I set up for my max it was as if you hit a pause button.  When I hit it there were a few nods and then the play button was hit and everyone returned to normal.  They KNEW I would hit it, it is expected that you hit a max. 

This is different than in most CrossFit gyms I have been to.  In CrossFit many times we push too hard and too fast. Instead of accepting a 5-10 pound record we want to push the limits and get a 20 pound record.  Of course we are then upset if we don't PR for 3 months on the same lift, and we wonder why.  Not only did the athletes at Westside expect you to hit a max they expect good form with it.  Nothing in there was sloppy or ugly.  It is because they know and trust the system.  They know that they will break world records, but they have a plan and stick to it.  I saw one lifter on Monday deadlift close to 700 pounds, and on Wednesday do incline barbell pushups because he felt weak in his transition during the bench press. 

The other factor of this gym was intensity.  And I don't mean screaming (even though there was plenty of that).  I mean when you touched a barbell, sled, machine, dumbbell you attacked it perfectly and with your whole self.  This is something most gyms including CrossFit gyms lack right now.  We go all out in WODs and we love to lift heavy, but the concentration and meaning of each rep is lost to many athletes.  When I got into CrossFit, it was because I saw an intensity that I hadn't seen or felt since wrestling in school.  At Westside it is an everyday event.  They crush everything they do with the intent to master it, no matter the time needed or cost.  There is a free flow of knowledge in the gym, and everything done there is backed by not only science but the warriors who came before.

This is what I want our gyms to be.  In CrossFit we are a community of athletes who respect hard work and discipline.  With other gyms (and I use that word VERY loosely) like Planet Fitness, Orange Theory, and Bosu Ball Brazilian Butt Works (I made this last one up) we as lifters know the barbell is the way to true fitness.  We know that strength is our expression of fitness.  And we know that "If you don't have strength...you have nothing!!"

The 5 Exercises You Should be Doing to Become a Better Athlete

When you become a coach or a personal trainer you begin to accumulate time on the job.  You begin to find your voice, and get better at your craft.  As a CrossFit coach you get to teach the same movements each day to numerous classes, with a wide variety of people.  These people have a variety of skill levels, bad habit, old injuries, levels of coordination, strengths, etc.  After a while you begin to see patterns that repeat between individuals, even those with vastly different skill levels.  This can be a chance as a coach to not only fix the problem but learn something to help you become a master at your craft.

Now while I don't consider myself a master, I do however consider myself a smart and driven coach.  I am driven to make people move right to improve their strength, flexibility, and improve their daily quality of life.  So in recognizing certain patterns in many athletes of various levels, you begin the search for why.  Why do these people all have the same faults in their movement?  You begin watching closely to how an athlete reacts to your cues.  You begin asking master coaches about said problems, and how they fixed them in their athletes.  You consume as much  knowledge as possible on your quest to solve this movement puzzle.  As the answers are reveled you begin putting together a virtual "tool kit" to fix these problems and be able to quickly diagnose and fix future problems.

In recognizing these patterns you begin to realize many people neglect the same things and are weak in the same areas, even if the scope is different.  So I have put together a list of five movements/exercises I believe most athletes would benefit from performing.  I find that these movements are neglected in many cases by superior athletes and soccer moms alike.  Here are my "FAB 5" of movements you NEED to be incorporating into your training regiment.

1. Sled Work

Sled work is amazing on numerous levels.  It is great for cardiovascular work as well as muscle endurance training.  It is low skill so you don't have to "train" someone to use the sled.  If they can walk they can pull a sled.  Most look at the sled as simple or boring, but there are many variations of this exercise that can be used.  Why we love the sled drag at Steel mill CrossFit:

1. It helps build the posterior chain and as many quad dominant CrossFitters can attest to, you will feel it attack your hamstrings.
2. If you are injured and cannot squat or have knee pain, the sled allows you to work legs without pain.  There is not an extreme bend in the knee so it feels better, and it will help pump blood to the injured knee to help with recovery.
3. It can be used for upper body work as well with things like chest pulls, walk and row, etc.
4. Helps build work capacity and muscle endurance.  If you can pull a heavy sled 400 meters without stopping, then I know the thruster work of FRAN is a walk in the park.

Here are some of my favorite variations:

Around the Shoulders - 3 sets of 100 meter walks.  50 meters forward and 50 backward.
Around the waist - My personal favorite.  Secure the straps through your weight belt and power walk. For extra credit, do this while holding a medball to your chest.
Bear Crawls - Secured to your waist start bear crawling back and forth across the gym floor.
Lateral Steps -  Secured around waist, side step for a certain length then repeat the same number of steps to the other side.

2. Barbell Hip Thrust

Lets talk about your glutes (butt).  Strong glutes protect you from injury, enhance athletic performance, and give you a nice curvy shape.  Glutes stabilize your pelvis when walking and running. Strong glutes help with hip extension and forward propulsion, as well as help with body alignment.  The gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in the body, can produce an enormous amount of power. Strengthen this muscle to sprint faster, become more agile, jump higher, cycle more powerfully and lift heavier weights during squats and deadlifts.  Strong glutes mean your lower back takes less abuse over the long haul.  That is why my favorite glute exercise is the hip thrust.

There are many ways to do the hip thrust.  From the floor as pictured above, from a bench, with bands, with a barbell, or even one legged.  The point is that a little 5 min effort can go a long way.  Want that extra 50 lbs added to your squat and deadlift....do your hip thrusts.  They will help you lift more, run faster, jump higher, and most importantly keep you safe.

Much like the reverse hyper, these can be performed multiple days a week.  I recommend one heavy day, preferably on your max effort lower day, one mid range for 10-20 reps, and a very light (maybe banded), for 2 sets of 50 reps.

3. Prowler Pushes

These can be the best and worst thing you have ever done.  The prowler is amazing for both fat loss and building muscle.  If used for sprints with light weight and short distance this machine can wreck you in a very short time.  To the newbies, puking is almost inevitable if your not careful.  What is great about the prowler sprints is you can get a devastating workout done in just 10 min.  So if your short on time and don't know what to do, this may be a great option.

For muscle building go heavy.  Load that sucker up and go longer distances.  By doing heavy prowler pushes you get an extreme lower body workout without the pounding.  There is no eccentric load which means it goes easy on your joints.  It will also flood your joints and muscles with blood, which helps with recovery and helps flush lactic acid.

For speed pulling a prowler will make you faster without a coach running you to death.  Coaches like Joe DeFranco and Louis Simmons have bee using heavy prowler and sled drag variations to increase sprinting speed for years.  When you are pulling a heavy sled you must be in a forward lean, which mocks the proper posture of the acceleration portion of a sprint.  So you get to spend time engraining perfect sprinting form without endless sprint drills.  This has works wonders with my student athletes. 

Whatever your reason or method of using the prowler, definitely give them a try.

4.  Reverse Hyperextensions

This one is not only good for but it just may save you from a trip to the hospital.  Lets be honest here, we are athletes.  We have chosen to be athletes, which means you have chosen to do things others won't do.  This also means that although you are saving yourself from things like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity; you also are at more risk of acute injury.  What if I told you I had a magic pill that would not only take away any lower back pain, but make you stronger, have better posture, and drop your risk of injury...I bet you would take it.  Well I don't have a magic pill but this is a damn close second.

You don't need lots of weight or lots of time.  As your belly sits on the pad it supports your spine so it is safer than good mornings, regular hyperextensions, and deadlifts.  This is also a benefit to older athletes or people with previous back injuries.  When your legs swing under you, your lumbar spine is in traction and it creates space between disks.  When you extend your legs that closes and you create a pumping motion with your back, which causes it to fill with blood.  It also is a hell of a workout for your spinal erectors.

I recommend 3-4 days each week with 4 sets of 20.  You want higher reps to achieve the "pump" we talked about earlier.  Each week you add a little weight.  Once you've found a weight that is comfortable spend a few weeks there before moving up again.  Remember this is about the long game, not how much you can put on the machine.

After many years of wrestling and other sports, I can honestly say I have never felt more healthy and stable as I have since I started using this machine.

5.  Farmers Carry

Some of you knew this was coming.  Legendary strength coach Dan John said this about the carry, “The loaded carry does more to expand athletic qualities than any other single thing I’ve attempted in my career as a coach and an athlete.” This method of training has been used forever.  And from someone who grew up in a farm town and wrestled believe me when I say those "corn fed" boys who were sons of the local farmers were no joke when it came to strength.

For me I use this training in two methods, long and light, and short and heavy.  Lets do short and heavy first, you load up the handles with increasing weight and go a short distance (20-60 meters).  I like to have my athletes turn while holding the handles, because if forces them to keep their core tight and fight the momentum.  For these you should work up to bodyweight in each hand.  Then you should aim to make it 1.5x's bodyweight.  This would be considered strong.

Now to the long and light.  One of my favorite things to do is grab my training partner and walk a mile with kettlebells.  Yep I said one mile.  This does numerous things.  It helps build grip strength and endurance, which any CrossFit athlete knows the longer you can stay on the bar the faster your times.  It also is a great core workout because you are forced to keep good posture and stay tight.  And maybe most importantly, its a mental gut check.  If you regularly can put yourself in uncomfortable positions you will begin to mentally become tougher.  Believe me when you are a 1/2 mile away from the gym and you have no choice but to continue, it makes you a stronger athlete.  I bet they don't set the bar down in Fran if they can walk a mile with heavy weight.



These movements will make you into a monster, and send your game to the next level.  Every one of these exercises can be used in the training of ANY athlete in any sport.  They are low skill level and you reap high benefits.  So get out here and get after it.

William Davis
Head Trainer at Steel Mill CrossFit



Training vs Exercising, and how knowing the difference can help you succeed.

As a CrossFit athlete it's easy to get lost in the shuffle of the daily WOD's and the list of skills and movements you need to master.  When you go to box everyday you go to train right?  Are you really training or are you becoming a great exerciser?  I will attempt to explain the difference (as I see it), and maybe this information can help you succeed as an athlete.

One thing I loved about CrossFit and still do is there are measurable skills and tasks.  If you back squatted 200lbs last month for 3 reps, and this month you squat 215lbs for 3 reps, then you have improved.  If your GRACE time went down 30sec then you have improved.  I think CrossFit boxes still do a good job of this today; and with programs like WODIFY it makes it easy for athletes to track and chart progress.  But have you ever asked yourself why you're testing?  The obvious answer is to see if you are getting stronger, faster, etc.  However, maybe we should look past the numbers.

When I heard Chad Wesley Smith of Juggernaut Training Systems talk this past January, he said something that stuck with me.  He said you need to build not test.  What he means is; you need to build for a purpose and not test just for the sake of testing.  Is there really a reason you are taking another 1 rep max in the deadlift after testing that lift last month?  Chad is a world class powerlifter, and his seminar is geared towards that sport.  So they follow a cycle to get them to peak at the next meet and beyond, even having yearly plans or multi year plans.

What Powerlifters & Olympic Weightlifters can teach us...If we are willing to listen.

 

 

Powerlifters train to complete the heaviest squat, bench press, and deadlift in one meet.  So they obviously have a very specific goal.  They train the main lifts and accessory movements to help them in the three lifts of their sport.  However, because their training has to be so specific they make large gains in these lifts.  They don't have to worry about 7 minutes of burpees, or muscle-ups. 

 

Olympic Weightlifters train for two lifts; the snatch and the clean and jerk.  So they obviously train those lifts, the variations of those lifts, and accessory movements.  They have to be precise and technical.  They don't have to worry about 30 snatches as fast as possible, or having to climb on the rower after a set of nasty cleans.

 

These athletes have very specific programs that slowly build them up to the next meet.  An Olympic athlete may have a 2-4 year program in place.  They do the work given, and peak when they are supposed too....on the platform.

 

The platform, is where they get to express all their training into the sport they have chosen.  The platform is the culmination of all the hard work, and weeks upon weeks of building.

 

 

So where do CrossFit athletes express their training?  In competition of course.  Local competitions are a great place to show how hard you have worked.  And in the case of regional & games athletes, this is the culmination or peak of their training year.  And if you think a top level CrossFit athlete just does an hour a day, your dead wrong.  They have very specific plans and programs.  They just have to split their efforts into the many movements CrossFit will throw their way.

 

 

Exercising and the regular CrossFit athlete

 

I am now talking to the regular gym member.  I'm talking to the rest of us who are content to do local competitions, and work are butts off daily.  I'm talking to the moms and dads who come 5-6 days a week to better themselves.

 

Once your body adjusts to the rigors of your daily class and you are able to come 5 days a week and still sit on the toilet without making a pain face, you will want to do more.  Maybe its training for a competition.  Maybe its doing a few 2 a days, or train for a weightlifting meet.  This is a great transition from daily survivor to someone who wants more out of training.  This is also where you may make some poor training choices.

 

 

I see this same scenario over and over.  Coach: Hey Suzie, nice to see you at open gym, what are you working on?  Suzie:  I did the 6 am class and now I'm back to do this WOD I found online, then test my FRAN time.  Coach:  Hey, that's great that you want to do more work but I don't think that these 3 WODs are going to be good for you or your CNS (central nervous system).  Suzie: But I want to do a competition next month and I have to get WOD ready.

 

 

Your daily WOD is exercise NOT training.  Your training is done with the warm-up, the strength work, the accessory work, and mobility work.  Your WOD is your chance to express your training.  Completing HERO or Benchmark WOD's everyday is going to do nothing but slowly destroy you and could lead to injury.  Those are meant to be tests of your fitness. 

 

Lets use FRAN as an example...since it's CrossFit's version of "How much ya bench Bro."

 

 

To be better at FRAN you must start with the thruster.  If you have been training your front squat, then the 95/65# weight should not be an issue.  If your front squat is on point then you should have a good front rack position and a very upright torso which makes thrusters much easier.  If you have been steadily working on your overhead pressing...then each rep will end in a strong position on active shoulder and proper head position which will cut down on fatigue.

 

Now the pull-ups.  If you have been working your strict pull-ups then your strength for the pulling motion should be stronger than the last FRAN.  Your grip strength will be stronger to allow you to stay on the bar without dropping off, which saves you time.  By practicing the skill work of the butterfly pull-up, you should be efficient and able to string many together without breaking momentum.

 

So with those movements taken care of, what's left?  GO FASTER.  This is where your daily WODs come in, as well as sprint work.  I can bet that if I take a very strong guy/girl and get their engine built up in a month or so and they will beat the bodyweight "fast guy" every time.  Because he hasn't trained enough to get strong or be efficient in the movements need for the workout.

 

I am not saying you can't do another WOD every so often.  In fact the better you get the more WOD's you will do.  BUT... you have to eat your veggies before you get dessert.  So eat your Veggies "training and skill work," then you can have the dessert "WOD's."



A candid look inside the 2015 CrossFit Open

So I finished my final WOD of the 2015 CrossFit Open about 14 hours ago, and I decided I would give my thoughts on this years Open.  I also wanted to give a very personal insight into this years Open from the eyes of both a coach and competitor.  So lets begin...

Workout 15.1 & 15.1a:

9 Min AMRAP of
15 Toes to Bar
10 Deadlifts (115/75#)
5 Snatches (115/75#)

What did I think:
I have to say this is my all time favorite WOD in the history of the Open.  I absolutely loved it and thought it was a great way to kick off the new season.  With the addition of the scaled division, no one really knew how this would effect the workouts.  A very manageable amount of work, with a good time limit, and manageable weights.

Coaches Eye:
From a coaching perspective I think this is a go, go, go WOD.  My number one concern for my athletes is managing the Toes to Bar.  A person who is great at toes to bar has to be careful.  If you did not break it up, chances are these would catch up with you.  The deadlift and snatch weight was low as well as the reps, so you were back to the bar very quickly.  I recommended a 5 - 5 - 5 split with a 2 sec rest in between.  The deadlift was light so this is your chance to rest.  you needed to go unbroken and manage your heart rate; which means control your breathing.  The snatches just need to be done efficiently while taking the time to set up properly for each rep.  Those who went with a touch and go "muscle snatch" hybrid, became very sloppy, which meant unnecessary fatigue.

How it felt:
I am relatively decent at toes to bar.  I knew this would require a lot of reps and I also know from last years chipper that the 5-5-5 rep scheme works very well for me.  The deadlift was my rest as pointed out above.  The snatches were very manageable in the beginning but got a little sloppy in the end.  The weight of 115# on a power snatch is very manageable for me when I'm fresh, but as the WOD went on I required a longer setup to make sure I didn't bomb any reps. Personal note: Last year a 115# snatch would have been on the heavy side so I was happy about that.  The snatch is easily my worst lift so I was glad to be able to get through in a good fashion.

Workout 15.1a:

6 Min to find a 1 rep max Clean & Jerk

What did I think:
I love the fact that CrossFit has got to the point where we now have a max lift in the Open.  Any local competition you attend will almost always have some form of heavy lift or some sort of max.  I think we should expect a heavy type lift in all future opens; whether its a 1RM, 3RM, or some sort of complex.

Coaches Eye:
Obviously as a coach my first task is to calm my athlete down.  I made my athletes treat this WOD as if it was a weightlifting meet.  I like to do this on certain strength/skill components of our daily WODs in the gym.  I usually make them reset every lift and do not allow touch and go reps.  This is because especially with the Olympic Weightlifting movements most of the problems begin in the first pull or below the knees.  So if they get used to pulling from a dead stop every time they must practice perfect form.  The same goes for a lifter who has trouble breaking the bar in their deadlift.  I make them pull from a dead stop for months until they can get enough bar speed to break the bar off the ground every rep.

 I had my lifters hit one good lift at about 85-90% of their current max.  This allowed them to gain the confidence for the future lifts and also feel how their body is reacting to the previous 9 min of work.  The second lift needed to be either their current PR or a new PR depending on how they felt and how I perceived the previous lift.  The final lift would be a new PR or if they previously hit a new PR, an attempt at a 2nd PR.  I accounted for 3 lifts for every athlete with maybe enough time to get a 4th.

How it felt:
I know many athletes who got a new PR on this WOD.  I was not one of them, as I tied my old PR at 205#.  It felt just like the CrossFit Games Staff had planned; and that was my midline was tore up from all those toes to bar.  I wore a belt because after my first clean, I attempted my dip and drive for my jerk and about bent in half.  This let me know that 1. my midline took a beating and 2. Because I was still tired I would have to concentrate extra hard on keeping everything tight.  I hit my first lift at 185# (a lift I can make any day of the week).  My 2nd was 205# which was my current PR.  I attempted 215# and missed getting under the clean.  A great set of WODs that did exactly what they were meant to.


Workout 15.2:
0:00-3:00 Min
2 rounds of:
10 OH Squats
10 Chest to bar Pull-ups
*Every 3 Min you add two reps...if you complete the 2 rounds it buys you 3 more min*

What did I think:
When they announced it I was not happy because it was my worst Open WOD from last year.  They always do a repeat and I would have been happy with anything but this.  It was obvious that CrossFit HQ was going to start the separation of good & great athletes starting now.  This WOD is a huge test of fitness and anytime you have to buy time to continue there is a stress factor involved.  This one is all about the chest to bar pull-ups.

Coaches Eye:
My concern for most is the pacing.  I had lots of athletes who had regular pull-ups but not chest to bar; so for them it became a 3:00 min race to get as many as possible.  For those who can do the pull-ups it becomes an exercise in pacing.  In the beginning you want to manage your rest periods as best as possible, because in later rounds you will have to put the pedal down to try and beat the clock.  I noticed anyone who took their time and used most of the 3 min to complete the 1st round had a better 2nd round.  those who went crazy out of the gate blew their lungs up, and technically had more "rest" time but could not recover because their heart rate kept spiking.  On the Overhead Squats you just have to stay consistent and not set the bar down.  Resting the bar on your back worked great for many of my athletes.

How it felt:
I was very nervous for this because I had only previously accumulated 64 reps.   I took most of the 3 min and broke my pull-ups into 4-3-3.  I am not the strongest at chest to bars and had to kip because my butterfly is not able to get chest to bars yet.  2nd round was hard but I got through it.  As previously stated I and my athletes rested the bar on the back so you didn't need to snatch it up again and waste energy; a tip I took for Coach Rudy of Outlaw Way.  I ended up with 127 reps, which is nothing spectacular but for me acceptable. Personal note: I have not been this pleased with my performance in a WOD in a while.  This was a hug indicator that the last year has been a very productive training year.

Workout 15.3:
14 Min Amrap
7 Muscle Ups
50 Wallballs
100 Double-Unders

What did I think:
I really liked this one.  It is a good all around test with a longer time cap.  Of course everyone was butt hurt about having muscle-ups first.  Again CrossFit HQ used this to separate people early, and force those who cannot do a muscle-up but can clean 350# to take a scaled score.  I liked it since they did have a scaled division.  This definitely caused some people to wonder why they hadn't added this movement to their training, since the Open ALWAYS has muscle-ups.  Wallballs and Double-Unders are what they are.

Coaches Eye:
For many people this was a 14 min chance to get their first muscle-up.  I saw many folks do it as well, which as a coach is great and lights a fire under their ass.  It also should tell the other athletes who couldn't they have a holes in their game.  For the rest the muscle-ups needed to be not wasted.  What I mean by that is, anyone within shot of regionals should be able to hit 7 MU's in a row any day of the week.  For the rest of us; we need to know when to get off the rings.  No wasted reps was my motto for everyone.  The wall balls also needed to be broken up responsibly, based on the athletes current skill level.  You then just had to burn through the double-unders as fast as you can.

How it felt:
To put it mildly, it was terrible.  I hit my muscle-ups which was good because I had recently put on 10lbs and was having elbow issues.  Got to the wall balls; and since I am tall they have always a strong movement.  I broke my first set up 25-25.  Then came double-unders and I realized I screwed up the wall balls.  I am not the best person on the jump rope but I can motor through.  However when I started jumping; I realized how bad my shoulders hurt.  By the time I got done with my first round I didn't want to lift my arms.  Luckily I was able to get through the MU's without missing a rep (3-2-2).  The 2nd round of wall balls were torture, and I was wishing this was over.  When I hit the rope again I could only manage 5 DU's at a time.  People were screaming at me to continue and all I could do was shake my head and squeeze out another 5.  Easily one of the worst cardio blowouts I've had in a while.

Workout 15.4:
8 Min Amrap of:
Handstand Pushups
Cleans (185/125#)
*ascending ladder format*

What did I think:
Finally the Open has handstand pushups.  It is such a staple in the CrossFit world, it should definitely be a test in the Open.  Again the separation of good and great athletes continues.  The weight on the cleans is a little on the heavy side when you get into the higher rep ranges, but nothing crazy.  The biggest surprise of this WOD was the standard for the handstand pushups.  I think they hit the nail on the head.  No longer can someone put their arms way out and splice their legs apart like a giant X.  I think this will finally even out the playing field on this movement.

Coaches Eye:
Most athletes were 50/50, meaning they were either good at handstand pushups and the weight was heavy or the weight was good and they sucked upside down on the wall.  Again it came down to managing rest and reps especially on the handstands.  If you broke them up too much it would cost you in both time and energy, because you would have to re-kip up against the wall and perform a negative.  The cleans were nothing special.  You could clean the weight or you couldn't.  Eight minutes is not that long so you had to take very short rests and with the new standard had to make sure every rep counted on the HSPU.

How it felt:
For me handstand pushups are a strong movement.  My first attempt I broke them up too much and just wasted time.  My second attempt I did more reps unbroken and saved lots of time.  My issues came with the 185# clean.  My current 1RM in the clean is 215# which means I am doing a fast WOD at 85% of my max.  Personal note:  This was just an affirmation that although I have made great progress, I need to get much stronger.  At Steel Mill CrossFit strength always comes first; as does any of my athletes I program for.  I just got beat by the weight; which is hard to swallow considering I am constantly getting stronger.  But that's why we test, so we can find our faults and attack them.  This was MY gut check.

Workout 15.5
27-21-15-9
Calories on the rower
Thrusters (95/65)

What did I think:
We all knew thrusters were coming.  For the second year the rower makes an appearance.  At first I was just glad it wasn't thrusters and burpees.  But I also knew this would be a kick in the dick, because NO ONE wants to do 72 thrusters.  I kinda like the workout, I just wasn't looking forward to performing it.

Coaches Eye:
To me the rower was the key to this workout.  If your form stayed strong then you would be fine; but if you started to short stroke it or have weak pulls it was gonna be a long night.  You also have to have a quick transition from rower to bar.  As far as the thruster go, you just have to know yourself.  Break them up and take a VERY short break...no more than 5 sec.  This was just painful and you cant let your athletes rest too long.

How it felt:
It felt just how it looked...terrible.  I had a respectable (for me) time of 10:30.  I stayed with my plan on the rower and was pulling at about 26-28 strokes per min.  I broke the thrusters up in 3's so 9-9-9, then 7-7-7, then 5-5-5, then 5-4.  The second I dropped the bar I would count to five, then continue.  It worked as I could concentrate on my breathing, which meant I didn't redline out.  Personal Note: I didn't think I would get the time I got, and I was happy with it.  A good closeout for me to the Open.

In Closing...A note to my athletes.
The Open exposed us all.  That is what it is meant for and it is a great thing.  No longer can you hide or make an excuse.  We all must suffer and put our numbers in on the world stage for all to see.  Please do not let this go to waste.  I have athletes who will show up on lifting days and cherry pick running or cardio bombs.  On the flip side is my bodyweight specialists who are afraid to get under heavy weight.  Remember why you do this, or why you got into CrossFit.  You must be balanced, and if you are not right now its ok.  You get to start a new season with new goals.  Just remember the feeling you got when you couldn't lift that weight, or complete even one rep of a certain skill.  WHY IS THIS?  Be honest with yourself, and attack it with a fire in your belly.

In the words of CT Fletcher...." I command you to grow!" and of course as always "It's still your mother fuckin set!!!"

Are you still having fun?

As the 2015 CrossFit Open season nears its end, I wanted to talk about having fun.  This may seem like a silly question, or a topic of little importance.  However,  most of us (those who did not make Regionals, aka the 99%) get to start a new training season.  And as with most things, if it's not fun....it's done!

Just like the flowers and trees begin to bloom with the new life of Spring, we as CrossFit athletes can take a minute to reflect on how the Open went and where our training needs to improve.  So lets take a breath, and look honestly at your training.

I have had the pleasure of watching both new and not so new athletes get their first Muscle-up, Handstand Pushup, & Double-Unders.  Now these are great accomplishments, especially for the newer athlete.  For the rest of us we have to ask ourselves "why didn't I work on those specific skills ALL year?"  These movements are not new to CrossFit, and with the exception of the handstand pushup have been in the Open forever.  The best part of watching an athlete get a new skill for the first time is to see the smile on their face.  The realization of the work they have put in to accomplish this goal.  Those reactions are what makes the hard work worthwhile to the athlete, and as a coach is the best part of my job.

But why does this feeling have to be reserved for a "first time" accomplishment or a Personal Record?

The usual order of things is to go into a heavy strength cycle, or Olympic Weightlifting cycle after the Open, Regionals, etc.  This is a great time to get strong and focus on heavy weight.  If you go into this time of year with the right mindset it may be the difference between having a great 2015 season, and burning out.

By the time the Open ends and the dust settles most people are glad it's over.  They can let go of the stress of competing each week, and the stress of whether or not they prepared correctly.  They can start fresh again with a higher level of fitness than the year before.  But if your not having fun, you may be doing more damage than good.  Let me explain with a scenario.

You are traveling out of town and you drop into a box for a workout.  You buy a t-shirt to add to your collection, talk with the trainer, and take in the change of scenery.  You follow what the coach tells you, do your skills, do your WOD, and have a great time.  Why is this so different?

1. The change of scenery automatically puts you in a different mindset, much like traveling to a competition.
2. You don't know anyone at the gym and therefore do not have to prove anything to your usual nemesis.  You don't care about the scores on the whiteboard because you have no personal attachment to those people.
3. You get to feel like the new person again.  When you first got into CrossFit, everything was new and shiny.  You felt excited about everything, but as time went on you may have gotten complacent.
4. You get to see and hear people coach in different ways.  This can be a bad thing if you get a terrible coach, but for the most part it's a good thing.  If you listen closely you may hear the same points your usual coach talks about, but heard from a different perspective.
5. You don't worry about things like "I squatted heavy yesterday, so I'm going to take it easy," "Didn't we just do cleans?" "Why do we have to run, we ran last week."

The fact is this:

You will make the most progress when you are in a good state of mind.  Quit worrying about the sets and reps, just do what your coach tells you.  If you feel good it's ok to throw a little weight on, just as it's ok to work sub maximally if you didn't quite recover from the week before.  If you have a good and positive training environment, you will always make better progress than the "worlds best program."  That is because there is no "best program."  At Steel Mill there are scientific principles that we put into place that have been proven for over 50 years, but if you half ass it you will not get better.  But if you go in and work hard, push each other, and not worry about the little things you will make huge gains.

You should be able to walk into the gym and with a smile on your face tear the barbell apart.  Destroy the WOD, and be happy that you could push that hard.  Hard training makes you feel alive.  Why else would getting under a squat that has the potential to crush you be acceptable...because when you stand it up you can smile knowing you own that weight.  If you want to do bicep curls after a workout, then DO it.   There are many roads to Rome, and you MUST enjoy the journey.  The journey is the key to all success.  If you ever reach the destination, you will just make a new one anyway.  If you squat 300 pounds, the next week you will be looking towards 350. 

If your not having fun during training, you need to change your mindset and start having fun.  Not only will it make you better, but progress will happen quicker.  When everyone in the gym is having a good time and crushing weights you can't help but smile.  And if this happens enough...you may just start having fun again.

Why your not getting better....and the CrossFit Open

Why your not getting better....and the CrossFit Open

 

So you have been participating in CrossFit for a while now 6 months, 1 year, or more and you have hit this sticking point.  Maybe your lifts aren't going anywhere, or maybe you initially lost weight but cant lose anymore.  Maybe you just don't feel like your getting better, and other members are passing you by.  I can and will address some common problems that I see as a coach, but if you are participating in the CrossFit Open then the answer may be right in front of your face.

 

 



When you first get into the sport of fitness you can't help but PR.  Seems like if you so much as take a piss you can lift more, run longer, and WOD faster.  For most the simple shock of a routine program with structure and thought behind it blow whatever they have done in the past, out of the water.

 

But then something happens.  You have made so many new friends and the intimidation is gone.  You treat the box like a second home, a hobby, and your social circle all rolled into one.  Only now the PR's don't always show up when you think they should.  You feel strong and fit but you just can't get rid of the belly fat.  Or hit that new PR on your Olympic lifts.  The answer is what I call shiny object syndrome, and I'll tell you how to fix it.

 

Once you learn the form of most movements and have tried many different WODs you begin to find weaknesses.  Now you want to be great at CrossFit so you try and patch that weakness (lets just say your snatch).  But while your at it you also want to do muscle-ups, and handstand walks look pretty cool too so lets work on that.  Then you begin to skate around the programming because you don't really like good mornings, or "I hate to run, I just want to lift."  You have now started your snowball down the hill, in what will only end in frustration.

Now I don't want to get too far off track her, but I will address some issues in small detail.  In later blogs I will give a more comprehensive look into these issues.  I will list the "problem" you may be having, then I will ask you a series of questions related to that problem.  If you are honest with yourself and you have tried all the things I am suggesting then you need to sit down with your coach or write me and I will take a more in-depth look into it.

Problem #1 "I don't feel like I'm getting stronger"

1. Do you show up to the gym for the FULL class 3-4 days a week?
2. Do you do accessory work? (this is a big one) aka. AFTERMATH if your a Steel Mill athlete
3. Are you sprinting? Or running at all?
4. Are you trying to focus on Powerlifting, Weightlifting, Gymnastics all at the same time?
5. For hard gainers...Are you eating enough?

Truth:  If you do not show up for the FULL class (includes warm-up) 3-4 days a week you are not there enough.  Your body has adapted to the stimulus and needs to be shocked again.  If you do not do accessory work then this is where you need to start.  No hamstrings or glute power (like many CrossFitters) better hit up the sled, reverse hyper, and good mornings like your next meal depended on it.  If your not sprinting, then start..nuff said.  If you want to focus on cleans and your benching twice a week then you need to prioritize.  And finally for us skinny folk...eat,eat,eat.

Problem #2 "I feel stronger but I'm not losing weight"

1. How is your diet?  Do you have one?
2. How many calories are you taking in a day?
3. Are you drinking a gallon of water a day?
4. Are you REALLY giving it your all in the gym, is your mouth getting more of a workout?
5. Drinks anyone....How much alcohol are you consuming?

Truth: What does your diet look like, and do you have a plan.(Most do not)  If you don't know how many calories you take in per day then you have NO IDEA where you stand.  You are probably not drinking enough water...and no the "I pretty much drink 4 of these a day" is not an answer.  I mean 120 OZ measured out.  CrossFit is social and we love to have fun but when you get to the bar its time to work.  When your done with your set then you can relax and joke.  Did you really go as hard as you could on the WOD?  Safety is always first but if you got 11 rounds of "Cindy" why didn't you get 12?  And alcohol....the answer no one wants to hear.  I enjoy alcohol also but I know it will effect my performance. 

Now that the reality sandwich is out of the way lets take a look at how the CrossFit Open can help you get over this hump.

I wasn't to crazy to learn about the new scaled division in the open.  So far it hasn't been that bad, but the reason I initially like the idea is that I was afraid it would give people and easy out.  Let me explain before you get mad at me. 

The other day I witnessed 3 women get their very first unassisted pull-ups (one was a chest to bar).  The reason this happened?  Because they had no other choice!  They could either stand there and look at the bar in defeat, or they can damn well try while everyone cheers them on.  There is something special about being put into a situation where the only way out it guts.  People who resisted even signing up for the Open will get their first pull-up, double-under, box jump, even a muscle-up.  Why?  Because they fucking have too!!!  And when you have to you can either shy away or accept the challenge.  These people have accepted the challenge.  So how will this get you out of your rut?

You can recognize this spark and continue it with you into regular training.  The Open may have been the first time in a while where you truly dug down deep in your soul and lowered your head and ran towards that wall.  This is the spark that you must use on a daily basis.  This is the same ignition that allows makes you run when you want to lift, and eat right because you have a goal.  I try daily to inspire and educate my athletes, and sometimes they listen and sometimes it goes in one ear and out the other.  You as an athlete need to take some responsibility and do what you do not want to. 

If you think you are getting passed up by other newer athletes its because they still have that spark.  Like a boxer climbing the ranks who is hungry for a title shot.  This is what you must be like every time you step into the gym.

Bill Davis
Head trainer at Steel Mill CrossFit Fleming Island

https://www.facebook.com/beastmodecoach