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WOD
John Doe – Phase 1 – Date
A1. Hang Power Snatch 2-3 reps x 3 sets, rest 20 seconds
A2. GHD Situps 15x3, rest 3 minutes
AMRAP in 15 minutes of:
1 power clean @ 70% of 1RM
2 front squats
3 push presses
1 rope climb
Notes:
A1/A2 notation means do a set of 2-3 reps of hang power snatch, walk over to the GHD while counting to 20, then do a set of 15 GHD situps, rest 3 minutes, and repeat. For the hang power snatches if you get 3 reps or get 2 reps easily, increase the weight for the next set. Scale the reps down on GHDs if necessary—the goal over the next few weeks will be to gradually build up your volume on these.
For the metcon, do not combine the movements into each other. In other words, do the power clean, come to full extension, then do the 2 reps of front squats, then come to a brief stop and do the 3 reps of push press. Don’t combine the power clean/front squat into a squat clean, and don’t combine the front squat/push press into a thruster.
Q&A with Colonel Paul:
Eric-
Concerning the strength portions of the WOD, all good stuff and I'm tracking with you. I like it. I do have a question though. Does this approach for the strength part somewhat "violate" some Crossfit basics. Crossfit being constantly varied functional movements with Intensity. Intensity equals power. Intensity is the independent variable that maximizes all the good things of working out. Power is intensity and is Force*Distance/Time or Large loads, long distances quickly...etc. Because the strength portions of the workouts are done generally slowly, that is the clock is not too important, how are we getting intensity? or are there occasions where intensity isn't the maximizer of good results? Thoughts?
Paul-
Good questions. I'll put it this way--strength cannot (or shouldn't, anyways) be done for time if you want maximum results, which in the context of strength is maximum ability to move a heavy object for 1, 3, or 5 reps usually. Don't think of strength intensity in terms of work accomplished over the 10 or 20 minutes you're doing the strength portion, because a good amount of that time will by necessity be rest--look at how much intensity you're getting during those 2-3 seconds you're doing each rep. To maximize intensity (and results) there, you want to make sure you're sufficiently rested so that you're able to generate as much force as possible in order to move as much weight as possible. Rushing into a next set, or doing it on the clock, means that you'll lift minimal weight, which means minimal hormonal response and stress/adaptation response as well as reduced tax on your CNS...all of which are vital for getting stronger.
It's sorta the same idea behind the work/rest intervals you'll see in some of our workouts--doing a brief rest (such as in The Chief or FGB, or anything else where we put rest between rounds) increases the amount of intensity and peak power output you're able to sustain during the work periods. If you took the minute rest break out of FGB, on paper you might have a higher average power output (15 mins rather than 17 mins), but you'd end up slogging through rounds 2 and 3 and taking a bunch of rest anyways, reducing the number of reps (i.e. amount of work) you're able to accomplish.
Or look at yesterday's rowing portion--there's a big difference in the metcon effect of yesterday's workout (row 1K, rest 6 mins, row 500m, rest 4 mins, row 250m) versus what it would have been if we'd just said "Row 1750m." On paper the intensity would have been higher for the latter option because we took out the rest periods and shortened the amount of time over which the same 1750m of work were performed, but I don't think anyone who did the 1K-500m-250m sequence had any doubt about how much intensity they were putting out and how uncomfortable that made the workout. Peak power output is much higher in that sort of instance, which improves your ability to generate peak power, not just lower power sustained over a longer period of time. Rowing 1750m in a single piece isn't going to do a lot for your sprint rowing capacity, but rowing 500m or 250m repeats will clearly help your short-distance sprints and have carry-over results that improve your 1K and 2K rowing.
