Coach John Wooden's Wisdom

Today’s topic of discussion: Outcome vs. Process Oriented

When your expectation of the outcome outweighs the value inherent in the task, you will always set yourself up for disappointment.

When the value is found in your effort and the crafting of yourself, you eliminate the possibility for disappointment because it is a never ending journey.

The outcome is a momentary noticing that catches you by surprise. It’s a surprise because you aren’t focusing on the outcome, you’re focusing on the work that lies before you.

And the value you place on that work will be reflective of not only your enjoyment of the journey, but also the outcome you receive. 

As the great Coach John Wooden said, the results will be pretty close to what they should be.

The Crafting Fitness Podcast

Episode 4: Why You Need Goals

In this week’s episode, Mike and I discuss the importance of goals.

I saw a quote recently that made me pause and reflect upon why we have goals and what the true purpose a goal serves.

We discuss:

●      The purpose of a goal and the benefits it provides not only in the short-term, but also in the long-term.

●      What you are getting out of pursuing a goal and the deeper purpose behind it.

●      We share our own stories and paths through life, thus far, providing an example of how goals serve a bigger purpose than achievement alone.

●      Lastly, we close with practical considerations on how to pick a goal and what measures you can use to determine if this goal is one that will elicit the deeper purpose you want out of a goal.

Click here to give it a listen.

Please help us out by rating and sharing a review on the podcast app. Thanks!

See you next week,

Coach Sam Smith

Making Progress: The Key Steps

TODAY'S TOPIC OF DISCUSSION: Progress.

The quicker you expect progress, the longer it will take you.

The longer you expect it, the quicker you will get it.

We all want progress, and we all want it yesterday.

What I think we really want is to see ourselves growing; we equate progress to growth.

It can bring us great pain to feel and see stagnation in our lives. And one way we can inadvertently try to create growth and avoid this discomfort is by trying to do too much too soon.

Have no fear, there is a remedy to this overreaching.

When we aim to leave each day a little better than when we started, we open the door to the law of small incremental gains.

1% better each day over a year will lead to a 38% improvement, mathematically speaking. That’s not insignificant, that’s progress.

Expect progress from yourself, but expect it over a longer period of time.

FREE WEBINAR: CrossFit Quarterfinals Prep for the Mindful Competitor

If you want to break free from the pack and rise up the leaderboard in the 2023 CrossFit competition season then it’s no longer enough to just train hard, every day, and hope for the best.

Cranking up volume, intensity, and frequency may seem like the way to go… but if you’re serious about achieving success and competing in the sport you love for years to come then you need a smarter approach.

In this free webinar, I invite you, the aware athlete, for a discussion on Quarterfinals preparation, so you can ensure your training today sets you up for a strong competitive season.

Subject: CrossFit Quarterfinals Prep for the Aware Athlete

Date: Tuesday, November 22

Time: 12 PM EST

Link: Register Now

Topics I will cover include:

●      In-season training vs. Off-season training

●      The importance of a “date”

●      Reverse engineering your training based on your end goal

●      Building confidence

●      Sharpening and tapering

Spots are limited. Register now and secure yours.

THE CRAFTING FITNESS PODCAST

Along with a weekly written reflection in your inbox, I’ll keep you up to date with the newest Crafting Fitness podcast episode each week.

Episode 2: Training for Life with Coach Henry Torano

In this conversation we get into the following areas:

●      Henry’s competitive sport background

●      How we got into coaching

●      His new OPEX RC: Function Program

●      How his program differs from his Individual Design coaching

●      Misconceptions around training for health and vitality

●      What he’s you changed your mind on in the past year with regards to program design

Listen to episode 2 here or tune in wherever you get your podcasts.

Please help us out by rating and sharing a review on the podcast app. Thanks!

In case you missed my last newsletter, here’s what the show is all about:

Every episode of Crafting Fitness starts with the premise that a life well lived is one that is full of physical endeavors.

Along with my co-host Michael McElroy, I’ll be bringing top coaches together to discuss all things fitness—ranging from the sport of CrossFit to coaching to the pursuit of health—and how they all intertwine with every aspect of our lives.

Whether you’re a coach, athlete, or just want to live an active and meaningful life, join us each week for Crafting Fitness and we’ll grow and thrive together.

See you next week,

Coach Sam Smith

Lessons from Michelangelo's David

Written by Coach Sam Smith

Welcome to the Crafting Fitness Newsletter

My goal with this newsletter is to provide insights, thoughts, and ideas surrounding fitness for the athlete, coach, and fitness enthusiast.

The lack of quality information in the fitness world has made me want to step up to the plate and provide a resource for people to draw from to upgrade their thoughts and understanding of fitness.

To start, I want to briefly share my thoughts on why we named this weekly reflection, and our podcast, Crafting Fitness.

What does “crafting” mean?

It speaks to a continual refinement over time; a drawn out process.

It makes me think of Michelangelo’s David.

A perfect symbol of something magnificent that instantly makes you think of the time and effort that went into creating it.

It’s almost a law of nature: the more beauty and value inherent in something, the more time and effort that went into it. Value and time are locked tightly together.

And this also applies to our fitness pursuits.

Whether we are preparing for the CrossFit Games, a local throwdown with friends, or training for life, the value inside of that pursuit will be connected to the time investment we give it. And the more time we give it, the more value we will extract from it.

Crafting speaks to time, care, patience, discipline, consistency.

Fitness speaks to durability, resilience, preparedness, confidence, awareness.

Our lives require all of the aforementioned attributes.

Recognizing this is an ongoing process of continual refinement and growth, we can meet the journey with an appropriate time horizon. And by doing so, we increase our potential for success.

When Michelangelo began his project, he knew it was going to take a considerable amount of time to create something worthy. He gave the task the respect, and time, it required and chipped away consistently until he was finished. The worthier the goal, the longer it will take.

I hope this newsletter will be a resource for you to continually challenge yourself on how you are crafting your own unique version of fitness.

Introducing: The Crafting Fitness Podcast

Along with a weekly written reflection in your inbox, I’ll also be sharing a new Crafting Fitness podcast episode each week.

Every episode of Crafting Fitness starts with the premise that a life well lived is one that is full of physical endeavors.

Along with my co-host Michael McElroy, I’ll be bringing top coaches together to discuss all things fitness—ranging from the sport of CrossFit to coaching to the pursuit of health—and how they all intertwine with every aspect of our lives.

Whether you’re a coach, athlete, or just want to live an active and meaningful life, join us each week for Crafting Fitness and we’ll grow and thrive together.

Episode One: Individual Design vs. Template Programs

This week, Michael and I discussed:

●      Why we added programs at OPEX RC

●      What Individual Design is and isn’t

●      What Templated Programs are and are not

●      How programs are different from Individual Design

●      Who is Individual Design appropriate for

●      Who is Templated Program appropriate for

Listen to episode one here or tune in wherever you get your podcasts.

Please help us out by rating and sharing a review on the podcast app. Thanks for your support.

Until next week,

Coach Sam Smith

Welcome Sam Smith: New Leadership

OPEX RC is delighted to announce that Sam Smith, a long-term member of our coaching team, has purchased an ownership stake in the remote coaching company.

Sam will lead the vision of OPEX RC moving forward. He is unmatched in his commitment to providing a leading coaching service and will drive forward new and innovative ways for the OPEX RC team to provide fitness coaching in an online setting.

The decision to bring Sam on as an owner was made with confidence and we are excited to see a CCP coach ascend to this leadership role.

As a OPEX RC coach, Sam has worked relentlessly over the past 5 years, and has earned the opportunity to step into this role of visionary and leader. The entire OPEX RC team is excited to continue to deliver exceptional coaching with Sam at the helm of the company.

“I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity. I’m excited to help support our team and company in a new way as we continue to build ourselves into the preeminent remote fitness coaching company in the market.” - Sam Smith

Sam and the OPEX RC team will be rolling out exciting new initiatives over the coming months, so keep your eyes open for what is to come!

Focus on Minimums for Maximums: Part 2

Written by Coach Sam Smith

Minimums:

●      What are they?

●      Why are they the key to success?

●      How to raise them?

In part one, we discussed what are maximums, the foundations for maximums, what it means to express a maximum, and how to perform a maximum. The groundwork laid in the first part helped open our eyes to the enormity in prerequisites to truly express and perform a maximum. In the second part, we are going to discuss what are minimums, why they are the key to success, and how to raise them. To reiterate, when we are discussing minimums and maximums, we are referring to weightlifting and powerlifting activities. However, this concept can be applied more broadly to gymnastic volume minimums per week, aerobic volume per week, training volume per week, etc.

Focusing on minimums to raise maximums is a principle that applies to all areas. For the sake of our discussion, we will focus more so on its applicability to lifting weights.

What are minimums?

Minimums refer to the weight you can hit on a regular basis. Objectively speaking, minimums lie in the range of 85-90% of a maximum lift. This is a load that is moderately challenging but within your grasp if required to lift it regardless of the day in the week or location in the training cycle. Minimums are the weights that we become very accustomed to as we will spend a respectable length of time performing them before they are, ideally, bumped down into the 75-80% range. I like to think of minimums as the ground floor whereas maximums are the ceiling, the peak of the mountain. A large portion of training is spent accumulating repetitions at the ground floor. This is in part due to the lower intensity and demand on our system to lift the load allowing us to revisit it quite often. While in comparison, maximum loads, the ceiling, require far more resources (see part 1 for more details). As a result of spending a large portion of training here at the ground floor, the quality in which we are performing these repetitions becomes a very important measure in our ability to raise our ceiling over time.

Why are minimums the key to success?

1.         Build confidence when lifting
   
   

Due to the fact that minimums are below the point where failure and large inefficiencies are on the table, they allow the lifter to accumulate repetitions within a larger bandwidth for error. By doing so, refinement of the movement becomes more attainable allowing for greater efficiency, confidence, and consistency in the lift. Acquiring these three attributes allows the lifter to look forward to practicing the movement each session. This creates a positive feedback loop where seeing that movement come up in the training plan excites the lifter to perform it more often whereby efficiency, confidence and consistency are continually built. All these attributes become instrumental as one approaches maximum loads.

1.         Collect wins through practice
   
   

When we think about Olympic lifts as compared to the power lifts, there’s a greater demand placed on the lifter via complexity, timing, accuracy, and precision to perform them. As a result, it can become frustrating when practicing them due to the strong likelihood of error. By staying below one’s ceiling and focusing on minimums, you open the door to “practice.” When we frame the training as practice, we soften the perception. It allows for error and success to thrive at the same time. This shift creates a space where we can collect more wins through quality repetitions which reinforce our confidence and efficiency in the lift. When we accumulate wins, we reinforce the desire to practice more which continues to refine and improve our execution of the lift.

1.         Greater consistency in trainin
   
   

As mentioned in part one, one of the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for a coach is client training consistency. Cultivating great consistency in the training plan is a key for both the client and the coach. This is another way how minimums can elicit progress and growth. When we stay below our ceiling and hone in on our minimums, we allow for more success in training through less systemic fatigue and a lower risk of injury. Flirting close to our ceiling, maximums, too often increases our susceptibility to failures and injury. Both are at odds with the ability to cultivate consistency in the training.

How do you raise minimums?

There are two pieces I want to focus on when discussing how to raise minimums: improved movement efficiency and decreased perception of effort. First, we will define what each term means in the context of lifting.

Movement Efficiency - The ability to lift a load at full speed using less energy than an inefficient counterpart. (The physiological component)

Perception of Effort - The sense of effort associated with lifting the load. (The psychological component)

When thinking about movement efficiency, the first thing that should come to mind is repetitions. The refinement of movement is commensurate with the number of repetitions. The more we practice something the more capable we are of improving the efficiency in which we perform the activity. Biologically speaking, we are hardwired to find the path of least resistance possible. To perform a task more often with less cognitive load we must improve the efficiency. This ties back into the previously mentioned point around why minimums are the key to success. By staying below our ceiling and limiting the risk of failure, systemic fatigue, and potential for injury we allow for greater practice (repetitions) and consistency where movement efficiency can be cultivated.

We can also look at efficiency from a different angle. If we examine the Olympic weightlifting champions or world record powerlifting holders, we see great efficiency in their movement. Nearly no extra energy is wasted in each repetition they perform whether it’s a warmup lift or an attempt at a world record. This masterful level of efficiency has been cultivated through years of practice and repetition. Part of the equation in being able to accumulate that many years of practice and repetition is dependent on lifting loads that we would classify as minimums. When we stay below our ceiling, we give the brain space to learn and refine the motor sequence. As we push closer to our ceiling (maximums), the brain switches from “refinement” mode to “doing” mode. When we are in doing mode, we are expressing the patterns we have built from the accumulated repetitions below our ceiling. The quality of efficiency we built will become the rate limiter in our performance.

Shifting from the body to the mind, the perception of effort we experience when performing tasks plays a large part in our ability to recover and repeat the task. There are a multitude of factors that go into how we acquire our perception of effort for a task. To stay consistent with our discussion thus far, we are going to look at perception of effort through the lens of movement efficiency and repetition. The difficulty of a task will impact the level of demand placed on our brain to perform it. Part of what makes a task difficult is the amount of familiarity and exposure we have had to it. One of the simplest ways to decrease the difficulty of a task is to increase the number of exposures to that task. This opens the door for learning and upgrading the cognitive processes we use to perform the task more easily the next time. Think about tying your shoes. When you first learned it was quite a struggle to complete the sequence in a timely fashion; similar to when you first learned how to brush your teeth. Over time, through exposure and repetition, both tasks have become nearly automatic for most adults. The cognitive sequencing has become efficient and requires very little effort to perform. And as a result, the perception of effort required for the task is very low. This same process takes place with everything we learn. The degree to which we lower our perception of effort will be determined in part by the number of exposures and repetitions to the task. The more often we are lifting below our ceiling where we can learn and refine our movement efficiency, the better able we are at lowering our perception of effort to perform the task.

Closing

As we wrap up this deep dive into one of my training pillars, “Focus on minimums to raise maximums,” I hope it has become clear to you what that statement means and all the insights that can be pulled from it. Most notably, how important minimums are within the training process.

When you embark on a journey, you imply an investment in time; time to traverse the distance you are seeking to cover. Training is no different. And in order to successfully traverse the distance you seek, understanding what minimums are and how to leverage them in your training will be one of your strongest assets. Focus on minimums to raise maximums.

Focus on Minimums for Maximums: Part 1

Written by Coach Sam Smith

When I think about my pillars for training, there’s one that stands out above the rest: focus on minimums to raise maximums. Getting my clients to understand how focusing on minimums is the pathway to further growth in lifting (which is synonymous with weightlifting and powerlifting henceforth), and training in general, has been a very helpful tool in creating greater buy-in and enjoyment in their training pursuits. If there was only one Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for a coach it would be client training consistency. And when we think about lifting and developing consistency, we must discuss maximums and minimums.

Maximums get the limelight; they attract followers and likes along with getting attention. So naturally, they become the target to aim for. However, aiming at maximums is a recipe for disappointment, burnout, and injury. When the focus is solely on the “ceiling” it becomes easy to forget how the ceiling is built in the first place: from the foundation upwards. To paraphrase the great coach John Wooden, success is the culmination of small habits over time. If the aim is to improve maximums, don’t solely focus on lifting more weight. Instead, focus intently on the training for the day while aiming for perfect execution of all the small details that go into each repetition. Allow the culmination of quality work (minimums) to give rise to new levels of performance (maximums). And this leads to the paradox of lifting.

Paradox of Lifting:

When you aim solely at a new maximum you move further away from it. When you aim solely at raising your minimums you move closer to a new maximum.

To better understand why this paradox has merit, we must discuss the differences between maximums and minimums. Our starting point will be at the end with maximums, followed by working back to talk about minimums. To begin, we need to understand what are maximum lifts and the pieces that are required inside of them. I have broken this down into 3 sections: Foundations, Expressing, Performing. Each section builds upon itself to create a comprehensive picture behind what is needed to perform a maximum lift.

Foundations

A maximum lift (for example a clean and jerk) is the heaviest amount of load you can lift in that movement. Before we go any further, we need to pull apart the term “you.” Not all maximum lifts are created equal. Let’s use an example to further illuminate this difference. If a 25-year-old and an 85-year-old were to both perform a maximum lift in the clean and jerk, at face value, those would be very different expressions of a maximum. One of those would be a true maximum while the other would be a challenging load for that person in that movement. So, why is there a difference between the 25-year-old and 85-year-old if they both performed a maximum lift? Let’s discuss that further. When we think about a maximum lift, we are referring to the fullest expression possible by a person. To do that, the person needs to have the prerequisites required too actually fully express. So, what are those prerequisites? I want you to think about 3 things:

1. Training age - How much training have they done? How intense (relatively) was that training? The types of contractions inside that training history matter.

2. Chronological age - How old are they? Have they passed their years of peak hormonal expression (25-35 years of age)? Have they not yet reached their peak years of hormonal expression (under 21 years old age)? Have their nervous systems fully developed yet (24+ years of age)?

3. Biological age - Do they have the internal scaffolding to support maximum expressions? Or have they been living a life that isn’t optimally maintaining their biology?

Having these 3 “ages” gives us context around where someone is relative to their ability to truly express a maximum lift. If they haven’t trained enough with enough intense contractions, they are too young or too old, and haven’t been taking care of their system through poorer lifestyle habits then the idea of a maximum lift isn’t on the table yet or might never be. This is the starting point to fully understand what a maximum lift is and how capable, or not, someone is in being able to perform one.

Expressing

Now let’s talk about what is required to “express” a maximum. As mentioned above, we are going to utilize our 3 “ages” to give insight into what is required for true expression. First, training age will be the most important age to consider. If someone hasn’t accumulated enough training volume that has progressively gotten increased in challenge over time, then they won’t be capable of truly expressing a maximum. This is an important point, going to the gym for 15 years walking on the treadmill and doing some light dumbbell work is not the same as going to the gym for 10 years performing resistance training on a weekly basis that is progressively increasing in load and intensity over time. We can’t look at total training time in isolation, the types of contractions within that time frame are just as important.

Second, chronological age is giving us insight into where their hormonal system and nervous system are at in their respective life cycles. Hormonally speaking, we know girls peak earlier than boys having their first menstruation in their early to mid-teenage years while boys move through puberty around mid-teenage years (granted, those age ranges have been dropping over the last few decades). Now when we shift to the nervous system, our prefrontal cortex doesn’t fully develop until we are 24-25 years of age. This is important to note as we know all strength increase is initiated by neuromuscular stimulation. So, to fully express a maximum, we need a fully developed and functioning nervous system.

And finally, biological age. When you want to call upon a maximum expression you need the scaffolding in place to warrant the necessary usage of energy and effort that is required. There are exceptions to the rule (think: regular mom lifts part of a car off the ground to get her child out from underneath it) but in general the quality of care we are giving to our bodies each day, which is compounding overtime, through our circadian rhythms, food selections, hydration, environmental stressors, and emotional stressors (this list is not exhaustive) will all impact our body’s ability to have the resources required and warrant the usage of them, when wanting to express a maximum.

Once we have all of these pieces in place, we are now ready to express. However, are we able to “perform” a maximum lift? Let’s dive into the next section to discuss this further.

Performing

Now that we know what the foundational pieces are when thinking about maximum lifts along with what is required to express a maximum lift, we can now discuss what is required to perform a maximum lift. There are 3 key pieces that are needed to fully express a maximum lift. Those are the following:

1. Biochemical ability - cortisol, adrenaline, electricity

2. Mechanical strength - tensile, connective, muscle fibers

3. Belief - confidence, commitment

Biochemical ability speaks to the physiological ingredients we need internally to elicit a maximum lift. Without these chemicals, mainly cortisol, adrenaline, and electricity, we won’t be able to fully cultivate our resources of strength and energy to express the lift. This ties back into our point around the hormonal system and nervous system development. Without the proper development of these systems, we won’t have the biochemical ability to express a maximum.

Mechanical strength is the by-product of years under the barbell accumulating thousands of resistance repetitions. The progressive increase in strain and load on the system over time has helped create the necessary tensile, connective, and muscle tissue strength required for expressing a maximum. This path is akin to building a garden where initially the root system is very shallow, and the selection of plants is limited. But over time we keep adding and deepening our garden turning it into a magnificent panoply. To be capable of performing a maximum lift we need the depth and width in our muscular system and skeletal system. This is where mechanical strength fits into the equation.

Belief is a bit more abstract. This is the category where “magic” lies. When you are aiming to perform a maximum lift, it might be a load you’ve never lifted before. As a result, uncertainty lies in the attempt. If you go into it allowing that uncertainty to overwhelm you, failure will be inevitable. There must be a level of belief in knowing you “can” lift this load, committing to the attempt, and maintaining the confidence that the ability IS there for it. This might be the least tangible of the 3, but this is by far the most important when aiming to perform a maximum lift.

Now that we know what is required to perform a maximum lift, we can recognize there is a lot more to it than just walking up to the bar and lifting it. All these prerequisites highlight how expensive and rare true maximum lifts are for those who can perform them. By fixing our gaze on the unicorn lift, we subject ourselves to a greater level of fatigue and burnout from pushing the gas pedal too much and too often. Having a better understanding around what goes inside a maximum can help put it “in perspective.” So, if we aren’t going to focus on maximums, what are we going to do? We are going to focus on raising our minimums.

Stay tuned for part 2 where we will dive into what minimums are, why they are the key to success, and how to raise them.

22.3 Open Strategy Guide

Workout

For time (12:00 Time Cap)

21 Pull-Ups

42 Double Unders

21 Thrusters 95/65

18 Chest to Bar Pull-Ups

36 Double Unders

18 Thrusters, 115/75

15 Bar Muscle-Ups

30 Double Unders

15 Thrusters, 135/85

Top Scores

Female

Kristin Holte - 5:08

Sam Briggs - 5:50

Male

Noah Olsen - 4:27

Jake Berman - 4:29

Equipment/Set-Up Considerations

There’s several aspects to consider here, let's go in order of movements:

Pullups: Use a pullup bar that you’ve used before and that you like (whatever the reasons may be for that). Ideally, it's one that has good grip and that you can reach easily. It's not so high that you need a box to get on it but also not so low that your feet touch the ground when you kip. Keep chalk close to that pullup station. If possible, use the J cups in the rig to place a block of chalk there so that its readily accessible without stepping away or having to bend over. If you regularly use gloves or grips, definitely put them on. Also, it may be wise to wear wrist wraps or bands to catch sweat and keep hands dry.

Double Unders: Make sure that your jump rope is in good shape. Tighten up the screws, check cables where applicable. If at all possible, have a second rope nearby in case anything happens to your primary rope. Double knot your shoelaces or even tape them up to ensure they don't come undone. For those of you with very long hair, tie it low or use a headband to keep that ponytail from possibly interfering with your rope.

Thrusters: Use one of the better, tighter clamps available to keep those plates secure. Dense plates are advised to minimize bounce. Have the appropriate weight increments that will allow for adding plates every round without taking any off.

Warm-Up

This will be a very important piece for this workout. Take your time here:

Body temperature:
10:00-15:00 Aer of Choice, easy

+

Mobility:
Ankles, Hips, Lats, Shoulders

* you want to be able to get in the best possible position in the bottom of the squat, front rack, and with a barbell OH

+

Movement Prep:

3 rds:

10 Alt Cossack Squats

10 Alt Archer Ring Rows

10 Russian KBS, begin light, add some weight every rd

+

Potentiation:
Squat Clean + 5 Thrusters; build to a somewhat challenging set, with very fluid reps

+

Energy Systems Prep:

3-5 sets @ high (NOT MAX) effort

0:20 Row

2:40 rest

+

Workout Specific:

@ race pace

9 Pullups

30 DU

6 Thrusters, 95/65

6 C2B

30 DU

4 Thrusters, 115/75

3 bMU

30 DU

2 Thrusters, 135/85

Fueling

I'm probably sounding like a broken record here, but the truth is, Open workouts share fast pace, rapid contraction characteristics. Believe me, you will be running HOT in this one. Dont come in with a full stomach. Allow 3-4 hours after your last meal and make that lean protein and high carb. If absolutely necessary go for a fruit and deli meat snack 30-40 minutes before your warmup. If at any point over the course of the past 2 weeks you felt anything not sit right during your workouts, I can guarantee it will get worse here. So avoid those foods or allow for more time between your meal and workout.

Strategy

Well, this took no one by surprise. We knew this was coming, in fact, last week we called a 21.3 redo. This shares some similarities with it, plus a twist with DU’s. The first thing that I’ll say is to not even think about Fran. This is more reps, heavier loads, more complex gymnastics, and there's DU’s. Those thrusters will feel exponentially heavy, especially for the men, and bMU’s will feel way tougher than you’d expect by the time you get there. That being said, Ill break this down into 2 main groups:

Group 1 will be those threatening at the top 10% or slightly inside the line right now. You will need to be very strategic here. Remember, this gets increasingly difficult every round, albeit with lower reps. Be patient in the front end. Unless you are an absolute bMU ninja (25+ unbkn reps) I'd advise that you break in both thrusters and pullups/ C2B. The reasoning is that you will be able to control these breaks. Whereas if you get to the bMU with pullup fatigue, you will quickly be reduced to singles there. And mind you, there are still 15 reps. In the thrusters, make sure that you continue breathing. 2 full breath cycles per every rep. USE YOUR LEGS, save your arms for gymnastics. The workout ends with thrusters, so come with the mindset of selling out when you get there, finish strong.

Group 2 would be those that are very unlikely to hit bMU’s. In this case, volume is drastically reduced and you will not hit that 3rd, heavy bar. This would be a slightly different strategy as you can attack those first rounds. All the other points apply.

Re-Do Considerations

It’s a tough workout, so I doubt anybody will be looking forward to repeating. But it’s week 3, so do or die. If qualifying is on the line, there's no question you should give it a second go. I highly recommend a Friday/Monday plan for this one.

Good luck as you take on 22.3! While the work to prepare for this season has already been done, if you want to take your future performance to the next level then there’s no time like the present to hire a OPEX RC Coach.

22.2 Open Strategy Guide

Workout

For time 10:00 Time Cap

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

DL (225/155)

Bar Facing Burpees

Top Scores

Female

Horvath 9:30

Holte 9:09

Male

Medeiros 7:53

Panchik 8:22

Equipment/Set-Up Considerations

Follow CF Set Up guidelines for center line, video angle, and start position. Remember to clamp that barbell. Other than that, there really is no room for strategizing in this one equipment wise

Warm-Up

Mobility:
3:00-5:00 Hamstrings and Hip Hinge work

Activation:
0:30-0:20-0:10

/side Single Leg Glute Bridge Hold

Bear Plank

+

3 rds:

10 Russian KBS, light

10 Pushups

Potentiation:
Power Clean; build to a single @ 80-85% 1RM

+

Deadlift; build to moderately tough 5 - TnG - leave some in the tank

Energy Systems Prep:

4-5 sets

0:30 Row or Ski Erg

0:30 rest

@ 2k Row/Ski pace

Workout Specific Prep

2 sets @ race pace:

200m Ski

2 DL

2 BFB

2 DL

2 BFB

200m Ski

-rest 90 sec-

*Find your cadence, movement efficiency, and breathing with these pieces

*Get warm and ready

Fueling

Any time there's high volume burpees you need to expect a big metabolic kick. DL will definitely provide a change of pace and slow things down a little bit. Don't expect this one to be as hard charging as 22.1, but still err on the side of caution and allow 3-4 hours before your last big meal. May go with a simple carb snack such as fruit, and a small serving of lean protein, such as 2 slices deli meat, 30-40 minutes before warming up.

Strategy

This is a very nice pairing, not only in patterns but in rate of contractions. Its also not the first time that we see a couplet consisting of a barbell movement and bar facing burpees in the Open. However, it IS the first time that we see these higher loads. Pacing will be crucial here. It will be very easy to get excited up until that first round of 5 because you’ll be switching back and forth between movements before fatigue can even start to kick in. I would encourage you to be conservative all the way up to 10 reps, as the rounds between the 7’s may get a little sticky. DL is one of those movements where the bar can be dropped and picked back up with minimal loss of time if you’re disciplined. It may be a good idea to plan some breaks after that round of 5 to push off fatigue and perhaps even allow for a push on the descent. Consistent movement will greatly pay off. Control those burpee reps, make sure you maintain a good breathing rhythm. Long breaks and transitions will eat up WAY too much time here, as there's 36 total transitions for those who finish within the time cap. So even if you must resort to DL singles, you’re still in it so long as you can keep moving.

Mantra - “just get started” - force yourself to begin the next movement as quickly as possible.

Re-Do Considerations

The one concern as far as a redo here will be low back fatigue from the DL. For those who manage hip hinging volume well and are comfortable at these weights, there would be no issues in hitting this twice. Then again, this is fairly high level folks that would not need to repeat anyways. Feels like pacing will be a big factor in this one. By that, I mean there’s potentially some room for improvement in a second go. All this being said, you’ll want to avoid repeating unless 100% necessary.

Good luck as you take on 22.2! While the work to prepare for this season has already been done, if you want to take your future performance to the next level then there’s no time like the present to hire a OPEX RC Coach.

Strength Training for Martial Arts: Part 2

Written by OPEX RC Coach Mizar Fuentes-Ortega

During our first blog, we discussed tests of strength requirements specific for martial arts. Now that we know what the structural imbalances are, it is important to understand how to train to fully maximize your time at the gym and on the mats. It is important to recognize that you may be able to do a Bench Press 1.5 x Bodyweight but struggle to do a squat at Bodyweight. What this indicates is that there are significant imbalances from upper to lower body strength and we must spend time in these weak areas, otherwise the difference may become even greater. Trust the process and keep your white belt mentality. We are here to learn and become a better version of ourselves.

Our previous blog discussed the tests needed to identify your strength levels. We defined key specific points of performance of each level. In this section, we will address training protocol for strength training and volume acquisition for martial arts specifically.

Training Schedule and volume

In part 1 of this blog series, we discussed the different tests and have now a baseline to follow.

Note that your goal and current level in your martial arts practice will define your training schedule.

For example, I hear too often of white belts who train 5-6x per week, yet have trouble performing 1 good push-up or pull-up. These individuals will either be (1) ready to take the challenge because they have the physical attributes to continue fighting and improve or (2) get discouraged because they are overwhelmed by what it takes physically for them to overcome these challenges and quit.

Below is a breakdown of how a training week could look like for different practitioners:

White Belts

Monday – Martial Arts Skill class

Tuesday - Functional Bodybuilding

A1. Chin over bar hold (supination grip) 30-60sec hold x 4; 1 min rest

A2. Dumbbell  Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat 10/leg x 4; 30 sec rest bt legs

@32x1

A3. Reverse Crunch 10-15 x 4; 1 min rest

break as needed; @ 4 sec control down

1. Sustain

Nose breathing

Bike/run/row/skierg/Assault bike (choose your weapon)

3 min @ sustainable pace - report cals and average pace

1 min walk rest

x 4-6

Wednesday – 60 min walk in the sun (BREATHE)

Thursday – Martial Arts Skill class

Friday – Functional Bodybuilding

Saturday  – 60 min walk in the sun (BREATHE)

Sunday – Meal prep, Rest Day

Blue & Purple Belt

Monday - Martial Arts Skill class – position rolls/combos/technique refinement

Tuesday – Functional Bodybuilding

A1. Top down DB Bench Press 20 alternating reps x 4; 90 sec rest

@ 2 sec hold on top of each repetition

A2. Strict Knees to Elbow 10-15 x 4; 90 sec rest

1. Front squat 5, 5, 5, 5; 90 sec rest

@32x1

1. Sustain

4 rounds for sustainable pace

10 matador dip

15 goblet squat @ 24/32kg

15 tuck sit-up

500m row @ sustainable pace

90 sec rest bt rounds

increase pace each round

Wednesday – Martial Arts Skill class / Light Sparring

Thursday – 60min walk outside in the sun (Learn how to BREATHE)

Friday – Functional Bodybuilding

Saturday - Martial Arts Competition class

Sunday – Meal prep, Rest Day

*Note that the competition class is there to put you in a position that will simulate the conditions you will be fighting. Often this occurs during the weekend, but depending on your art, you can program accordingly. Take notice of your fuel intake and the timing/quantity because you want to practice this. Not a good time to try the new Mexican restaurant and then get a knee on the belly right after.

Brown & Black Belt

Monday - Martial Arts Specific Drills – things to practice that are specific to your game plan!

Tuesday – Martial Arts black belt class / Light Sparring

Wednesday – Functional Bodybuilding

1. Kick to handstand hold

5min practice

1. Squat clean

Build to a heavy 3 in 15min

10 sec rest bt lifts

focus on accelerating bar with legs and speed under the bar

C1. Back squat

3, 3, 3; 2min rest

@ 32x1

focus on depth and form as you stand-up from squat

C2. Weighted pull-up

3, 3, 3; 2min rest

@ 31x2

1. Pain

3 rounds for time - ALL OUT

300m row

21 KBs @ 32kg Male/24kgFemale

10 burpee

21 KBs @ 32kg Male/24kgFemale

300m row

3min walk rest bt rounds

report times for each rounds

Thursday – 60min walk outside in the sun (Learn how to BREATHE)

Friday – Martial Arts Specific Drills – Guard passing, combos punch/kicks

Saturday – AM - Martial Arts Competition class – PM - Functional Bodybuilding

Sunday – Meal prep, Rest Day

What is important to understand is that you need to train according to where you are in your Martial Arts journey. Understand that there is the practice of the art and there is the conditioning aspect.

You should be going to your martial arts school to practice the skills and get some specific training. It's not time to work on your cardio or strength. You should not spend 45min in your dojo doing push-ups and pull-ups. That should be done at the gym in a separate session or on a strength training day.

The mentality in martial arts is often that you must suffer to get better or get promoted to a higher belt. In my opinion, this is the perfect way to fizzle out within the first 2-3 years of practice, full of injuries and burned-out. Instead, we should aim for the long term. Build a strong foundation, both physically and with great technical skills and positions that will allow you to express yourself fully at a higher level.

Martial arts is a way of living.

Bushido - "the way of the warrior."

Personalization and Strength and Conditioning

To make sure that you will be a lifelong martial artist, it is important that you match your skill level with your strength and conditioning level. Know that each individual has different goals and a different lifestyle.

Some martial artists practice the art because it's part of their daily living. These may be mom/dads, doctors, nurses, mechanics, teachers, lawyers… in any case, each person has a specific reason! Everyone has a unique starting point, relationship with food, training experience, nagging injuries, etc.

It is important to surround yourself with coaches that can guide you through this process. During your martial arts class you are instructed on how to properly align your body to throw a punch or a kick, or how to set-up a triangle choke. You also need a coach to teach you how to structure your training routine, how to help you set-up your fueling schedule and quantities, or simply discuss your recovery strategies.

Don't wait any longer to ask for help to find a balance in your training and daily living. The coaches at OPEX RC are here to help you structure your training lifestyle to reach your true potential inside and outside the dojo.

Are you a martial artist who is ready to reach their full potential with the support of a smarter fitness program? Click here to start your journey with Coach Mizar today.

22.1 Open Strategy Guide

Workout

Complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:

3 wall walks
12 dumbbell snatches
15 box jump-overs
50/35-lb dumbbell, 24/20-in box

Top Scores

Female

332 reps

Male
330 reps

Equipment/Set-Up Considerations

No a lot to think about here, as it’s fairly basic equipment. Now, bear in mind that these are not high reps per round. Meaning there's a good chance that you can move from movement to movement fluidly. So having a tight setup would be wise. That being said, there's strict equipment setup guidelines that must be followed.

Warm-Up

General:

10:00-15:00 Easy Aer of Choice

+

Scap Activation

- 10/side X 2-3 sets Half Kneeling High Band Protraction/ Retraction @ 1011 tempo

- 10/side X 2-3 sets Lateral Scap Walk Up

- 10/side X 2-3 sets Side Plank KB Punchups

+

Movement Prep:
3 rds

5/side Crossbody DB RDL, 50/35

30m/side Light/ Moderate Single Arm OH KB Carry

10 GHD Hip Ext

+

Potentiation:
In 15:00-20:00

Power Clean + 3 S2OH @ 60%

+

Power Clean + 2 S2OH @ 70%

+

Power Clean + 1 S2OH @ 80%

*** off C&J 1RM, rest as needed between them

+

Sport Specific:

@ race pace
3-2-1 Wall Walks

8-8-8 Alt DB Snatch

9-6-3 Box Jump Overs

Fueling

There’s definitely an opportunity to run hot in this one. Yes, these wall walks will slow down tempo a little bit, but they will put you upside down. It would be advisable to do this on an empty stomach. 3-4 hours after your last meal should be enough. To be on the safe side, make that a higher carb, moderate protein, lower fat meal. A small, easily digestible carbohydrate snack is ok about 30 minutes before you begin your warm up. This could be fruit based baby food or even 8-10oz of fruit juice or sports drink if it's something you’re used to consuming.

Strategy

If you did the open last year, you remember wall walks. You also remember that DB Snatch/ Burpee Box Jump Over piece. I'd expect this to feel similar to the latter, although the Wall Walks will allow you to catch your breath a little bit. Also, consider that there's only 3 reps of them at a time, they will not bottleneck you like they did last year. Expect to feel a little shoulder fatigue in the snatches, particularly in the back half, but don't be intimidated by it as you will be able to rest the shoulders when you get to the box. There's no reason to put the DB down at any time nor to take extended breaks in the box jump overs as you know you have the slower tempo wall walks coming after. So set a pace you deem sustainable for 15:00 and have awareness for the movement that comes after and how it may provide a little recovery from either shoulder fatigue or aerobics. You want to have a little kick in the end, especially if you get through the wall walks of that particular round, as the other 2 movements will allow for a bunch of reps in a short span of time.

“Reps in transition” - This will be a big determiner in the final score. How well/quickly can you move from one movement to the next? If you watched the live announcement, Noah was beginning to slow down his transition between movements compared to Pat, which is what led to Pat beating him. Focus on forcing yourself to begin the next repetition as quickly as you can. If anything, treat the Wall Walks and Snatches as a part to “push” followed by a slow beginning of the BJO set to find your rhythm before heading back to the Wall Walks. This workout is a perfect circuit allowing for continual movement from one piece to the next. Stay disciplined and move quickly and efficiently.

Re-Do Considerations

This is definitely doable twice. The only factor that could change that would be low back fatigue. This being said, we need to be smart as far as where you would place with your score. Remember, all you need to do is be in the top 10%. The less work you need to do to get there, the better. Very early prediction is that 8 rounds gets you there. We’ll know more on this as scores start rolling in.

Good luck as you take on 22.1! While the work to prepare for this season has already been done, if you want to take your future performance to the next level then there’s no time like the present to hire a OPEX RC Coach.

Strength Training for Martial Arts: Part 1

Written by OPEX RC Coach Mizar Fuentes-Ortega

Too often we see that the martial artist’s mentality is to go HARD. No pain, no gain.

These individuals tend to do more work than their body can handle. In addition to this issue, we also see athletes not eating enough while trying to cut weight. This eventually leads them to burn out or to get injured.

So where does strength training fit into the martial arts practice?

Doing a ton of tough training in the weight room is only going to make it harder for the martial artist to recover if on top of that you are training at your specific art. It is essential that strength training is designed in an intelligent way, to build athletes up and prevent injury, rather than breaking the body down further. More is not necessarily better in this case

This TWO part blog series, we’ll break down how strength training can be a great complement to any martial artist along their journey. This series will discuss what strength training is and how to test for it (part 1). The second part will address training protocols for strength training and volume acquisition for martial arts specifically (part 2).

Before diving in, let's get something straight here. The intent of this text IS NOT to teach anyone how to throw kicks and punches or learn how to do an arm bar. Instead, the goal is to educate you on the space for strength training for a martial artist.

What is strength training?

Strength training, also known as resistance training, involves the performance of physical exercises that are designed to improve strength and muscular endurance. It is often associated with the use of weights. It can also incorporate a variety of training techniques such as calisthenics, isometrics, and plyometrics.

Why is strength training important for martial arts?

While form and timing are important for an effective punch or kick, strength is also needed to ensure that your attack is powerful. Benefits include reducing the risk of injury, increasing the power of striking, making you more dominant during grappling exchanges and developing the muscles in your hips, quads, and calves to promote balance and stability. Strength training is a key component for your health and longevity as a Martial Artist. Other important benefits that strength training will bring to your daily living are maintaining muscle tissue, increased strength, improved bone health, controlled body fat and decreased risk of injury.

How much strength training does a martial artist need?

It depends. In martial arts, there is a belt system that has been implemented to identify the skill level for that specific individual. The same is NOT true for strength requirements.

Often we see weekend warriors training like UFC fighters without the foundational pieces which will allow this individual to have a long journey as a martial artist. What we are proposing here is to define a “belt” system for strength and conditioning for the martial artist. If your belt is purple in your martial art, but you haven't developed the basic strength requirements for a white belt, then your strength progression should start there. Put your ego aside, and your body and life in the sport will thank you long term.

Where do we start?

Testing. Before you can move forward trying to design a plan, it is important to define some important milestones. This will give you a specific place to start and build from. Make sure to take the time to properly develop the strength requirements to move to the next level. Your body will thank you. Your martial arts practice will also thank you as you will see how much more in control of your body you will become.

White belt

The goal for these individuals would be to improve their martial art skill. To get “fit” or to look good naked. Often these individuals are predominantly sedentary or have not done much physical activity in the past months/years.

Male and Female standards:

●      Front & Reverse Plank - 2 min hold

●      Active Hang & Matador Support – 2 min hang and hold

●      Dumbbell Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat (RFEES) – 10 reps/leg bodyweight  @32X1

Blue belt

These individuals want to continue refining their MMA skills. Doing 1-2 local competitions per year is very beneficial to gain experience. The goal here is more about performance in the sport and intentions to find yourself climbing the podium.

Male and Female standards:

●      Push up & Pull-up & Dip: 10 repetitions for quality

●      Dumbbell Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat (RFEES): 8 reps/leg @ ⅓ Bodyweight @ 32X1

●      Strict Knees to Elbow – 10 repetitions @ 4sec down

Purple belt

These individuals have a greater understanding and control of the techniques and are refining these moves to be more efficient. The goal here is also to be competitive in 1-2 state/provincial events or fights. Weight categories are important so a greater awareness of nutrition and fueling is needed so that the body can recover from the hard training sessions.

Male standards:

●      Front & Back Squat - 1.5 x Bodyweight

●      Deadlift - 2 x Bodyweight

●      Bench Press - 1.25 x Bodyweight

●      Power Clean - 1 x Bodyweight

●      Weighted Pull-up & Dip - 1/3 Bodyweight @ 31X2 for 3 reps

Female standards:

●      Front & back squat - 1.25 x Bodyweight

●      Deadlift - 1.5 x Bodyweight

●      Bench Press - 1 x Bodyweight

●      Power Clean - .75 x Bodyweight

●      Weighted Pull-up & Dip - 1/4 Bodyweight @ 31X2 for 3 reps

Brown & Black

The goal here is to do 1-2 international competitions (PanAms, IBJJF Worlds). Depending where we are in the training cycle, this individual will need to focus more on the game plan that they will use during the fight. Less time should be spent in the gym as we approach the competition day. Doing curls and squats are not the same stimulus as trying to get an armbar under fatigue or doing punching and kicking combinations after 2-3 hard fighting rounds. Specific goal will be to win a podium in an IBJJF tournament.

Male standards:

●      Front & Back Squat - 2 x Bodyweight

●      Deadlift - 2.5 x Bodyweight

●      Bench Press - 1.5 x Bodyweight

●      Power Clean - 1.5 x Bodyweight

●      Weighted Pull-up & Dip - 1/2 Bodyweight @ 31X2 for 1 rep

Female standards:

●      Front & Back Squat - 1.5 x Bodyweight

●      Deadlift - 2 x Bodyweight

●      Bench Press - 1.25 x Bodyweight

●      Power Clean - 1 x Bodyweight

●      Weighted Pull-up & Dip - 1/3 Bodyweight @ 31x2 for 1 rep

Based on the results you find from these tests, you will be able to establish a starting point. If you have trouble with a plank or push-up, spend some time developing these basic movements. You may also notice that you meet the standards for one area but be lacking in another. For example, you may be a purple belt and find that you are able to perform more than 1.5x your bodyweight in a back squat but unable to perform 3 strict  pull ups. This indicates that there is an imbalance of lower body to upper body strength. 

What is important to understand is that we all have a different starting point and goals. However, strength for martial arts, or even life in general, should be a stepping stone to express your physical potential.

Take time to identify your weak points and most important, to balance your strength requirements to fully express your true potential on the mats. In our next blog, we will discuss the training protocols to help you build your strength specifically for Martial Arts.

Are you a martial artist who is ready to reach their full potential with the support of a smarter fitness program? Click here to start your journey with Coach Mizar today.

CrossFit Semifinal Athlete: Case Study

This case study was written by Sam Smith to provide insight into the process of coaching his client Nelli to compete in the CrossFit Semifinals.

Metrics:

●      Female

●      28 years old

●      5’6’’

●      150 pounds

●      Europe

Goals:

●      Finish in the Top 15 in a 2022 CrossFit Semifinal

●      Place herself in a position to be able to qualify for the CrossFit Games

●      Continued ascent towards physical potential

Priorities in Training:

●      She’s faster than she is strong; needs continued upticks in absolute strength both in the upper and lower body

●      Continued development of advanced strict gymnastics (IE – LLRC, Deficit HSPU, HSW Ramp, Pegboard, etc.)

●      Continued improvement in bending pattern; absolute strength and strength endurance

●      Develop capacity through muscle endurance

Periodization/Training Overview:

After the Semifinal, she had 2 full weeks off. This was followed with 2 weeks of “reloading” to get her body and mind back into training.

Overview of training for the second half of the year:

July 12th – 31st - 3 Week Build 1

August 2nd – 21st - 3 Week Build 2

September 6th – 12th - 1 Week Mild Deload (drop in volume; more bodybuilding-based work)

September 13th – October 10th - 4 Week Int 1 (Leading into Finnish IF3 National Championships)

October 15-17th – IF3 events

October 18-21st - 4 Day Deload

October 22-23rd – Mild Training

October 25th – November 21st – Int 2/Pre-Comp (Leading into IF3 World Championships)

November 26th - 28th – IF3 World Championships

November 29th - December 5th – Deload Week

December 6th - January 2nd – Build 1

*Once December begins, every 4 weeks she’ll have 3-4 days easy/off; this will be sequenced with her menstrual cycle

January 3rd – January 30th – Int 1

January 30th – February 20th – Int 2

February 21st – March 20th – 5 Week Pre-Comp (Open -> Quarterfinals)

March 21-27th – Taper Week

March 28-30th – Easier Days

March 31st – 3rd – 2022 CrossFit Quarterfinals

Our first initial training cycle centered around building a more robust aerobic system. We placed a heavy focus on building towards a 10-minute max calorie echo bike test and a 5000m Row Time Trial. We saw 2 great PRs in both tests (137 calories and 19:46, 1:58.6 average, respectively). Additionally, more structured based strength training and postural endurance work to ensure her frame is continually getting stronger and more robust season after season. We used heavy “DT” as a litmus for bending strength endurance at the tail end of the cycle which resulted in a time of 9:05, which is very fast in general, and for her.

Below I outline this initial cycle of training, followed by the outline of our current cycle which is leading into the IF3 Finnish National Championships in mid-October.

6 Week Cycle: Build 1 and 2

Build 1 – Weeks 1-3 – Central Focus: Volume and Tension

Build 2 – Week 4-6 – Central Focus: Pushing and Load

Monday

AM- Long Rowing (High / Low)

Breathing Prep

+

5 sets:

2 min Row @ 2:00/500m

1 min Row @ 2:08/500m

+

5 min rest/walk

+

5 sets:

1:30 min Row @ 1:54/500m

1:30 min Row @ 2:08/500m

PM- SN (Moderate %) + CN (Moderate %) + Front Squat (Clusters) + Bending (Str End -> ME)

Dynamic Warm Up Drills

+

1. 2 Squat Snatch + 2 Low Hang Squat Snatch x 6 sets – rest 90 sec – 2 @ 55, 57.5, 60kg – reset b/t snatches

2. 2 Squat Clean + 2 Low Hang Squat Clean + 2 Split Jerks x 6 sets – rest 90 sec – 2 @ 65, 70, 75kg – reset b/t cleans

3. Front Squat; 5.5.5 x 3 sets – rest fully – rest 10-20 sec b/t 5’s – tough sets!

+

4 sets:

9 Double KB Deadlift @ 32kg/hand – vertical shins

-rest 15 sec-

15 GHD Hip Extensions – fast

-rest 15 sec-

21 Cal Ski @ 80% - damper 5

-rest 90 sec-

Tuesday

AM- Running (Long/EZ)

Running Prep Drills

+

35-45 min Run – nice and smooth – Heart Rate below 150 beats per minute entire time

PM- Gym Skills (TGU/HSW/L Sit/DH2I) + BP/Pull Up (Clusters; Sets -> Int) + Press/Pull (Hyp) + Grip/Core

CARs specific to session

+

A.3 rounds, not for time:

4 Alt KB TGU

2 Strict T2B

10 sec L Sit Hang from Bar

2 Strict T2B

+

B1. Bench Press; 5.5.5 x 4 sets – rest 90 sec

B2. Strict Pull Up; 4.3.2.1 x 4 sets – rest 90 sec – weighted

C1. DB French Press @ 2110; 10 tough reps – rest 60 sec

C2. Supinated Grip Ring Row @ 2110; 10 tough reps – rest 60 sec

+

For Time:

2 min HS Hold Against Wall

100m FW @ 32kg/hand

2 min Ring FLR

100m FW @ 32kg/hand

2 min HS Hold Against Wall

Wednesday

AM- Long AB (High/Low)

Breathing Prep

+

5 sets:

2 min EB @ 61 RPM

1 min EB @ 51 RPM

+

5 min rest/walk

+

5 sets:

1:30 min EB @ 64 RPM

1:30 min EB @ 51 RPM

PM- Sn Tech/Cycling + Cn Tech/Cycling + Bending (Clusters; Sets -> Int) + GM (Moderate) + Mixed Lower (Str End -> ME Sets)

A.1 Muscle Snatch + 1 High Hang Squat Snatch + 1 Snatch Balance @ 35-45kg every minutes x 5 minutes

1. 1 Power Snatch + 2 Hang Squat Snatch + 1 OHS @ 50-55kg every minute x 5 minutes

2. 1 Muscle Clean + 1 High Hang Squat Clean Thruster + Split Jerk @ 50-55kg every minute x 5 minutes

3. 1 Power Clean + 2 Hang Squat Cleans + 3 S2O @ 60-65kg every minute x 5 minutes

4. Deadlift @ 11X1; 5.5.5 x 3 sets – rest as needed – double overhand hook grip

5. Seated Good Morning @ 2110; 12-15 reps x 3 sets – rest 90 sec

+

5 sets:

10 Double KB Front Rack Walking Lunges @ 24kg/hand

-rest 15 sec-

15 OHS @ 35kg

-rest 15 sec-

20 Alt Jumping Lunges @ bodyweight

-rest 90-120 sec-

Thursday

Active Recovery; 45-60 min

Friday

AM- Run/Ski Long (High / Low)

Breathing Prep

+

5 sets:

2 min Ski @ 75%

1 min Run @ 50%

+

5 min rest/walk

+

5 sets:

1:30 min Ski @ 90%

1:30 min Run @ 50%

PM- Sn Complex (Varied) + Cn Complex (Varied) + BS (Str End) + Hinging (ACC) + Core/PChain

1. Pause Squat Snatch x 3 – Build to a tough set in less than 15 min – pause above the knee on all reps

2. Power Clean x 3 + Jerk x 1 – Build to a tough set in less than 15 min – reset b/t power cleans

3. Back Squat @ 00X1; 10-10-10 – rest 2 min – fast reps here

4. Snatch Grip RDL @ 2110; 8-10 reps x 4 sets – rest 90 sec – straps preferred

+

4 sets:

15 GHDSU

-rest 15 sec-

15 Russian KBS @ 32kg

-rest 15 sec-

15 GHDSU

-rest 15 sec-

15 KBS @ 24kg

-rest 1-2 min-

Saturday

Upper CP (Gym Based) + 20/15/10 (IE; Mixed Sets)

Scap Specific Prep

+

A1. Strict HSPU to Deficit @ 30X0; 2.2.2 – rest 60 sec

A2. Strict Neutral Grip Pull Up @ 11X2; 2.2.2 – rest 90 sec

+

20 min AMRAP @ 75%/Moderate:

30 Cal EB

9 RA DB OH Walking Lunges @ 15kg

30 Wtd DU’s

9 LA DB OH Walking Lunges @ 15kg

+

5 min rest

+

15 min AMRAP @ 85%/Tough:

21 Cal Row

15 Pull Ups

9 Hang Power Snatch @ 35kg

+

5 min rest

+

10 min AMRAP @ 90%/Hard:

15 S2O @ 35kg

15m HSW

15 Cal Ski

Sunday

Swimming

4 Week Cycle: Intensification 1 - Finnish IF3 Championships (Oct 15-17th)

●      Specific Preparation for IF3 Tests: Endurance, Strength, Power, Mixed Modal, Bodyweight, Skill

●      Continued push on absolute strength

Monday

AM- Aer Power Sets (M/G/W)

3 rounds:

21 Cal Row

15 Cal EB

9 Cal Ski

1st round – 60%

2nd round – 75%

3rd round – 90%

+

2 sets @ 85-90%:

5 min clock:

1000m Row

*in remaining time:

Bar Facing Burpees

-rest 3 min-

5 min clock:

1000m Row

*in remaining time:

Alt DB PS @ 22.5kg

-rest 3 min-

5 min clock:

1000m Row

*in remaining time:

EB Cals

-rest 3 min-

PM-

Sn (High %) + Cn (High %) + GM (Int) + Sn/Cn Squatting End FT (Mixed)

1. 1 Squat Snatch every 60 sec x 15 reps - 5 @ 75, 5 @ 77.5, 5 @ 80kg - solid reps here, no misses

2. 1 Squat Clean and Split Jerk every 75 sec x 15 reps - 5 @ 85, 5 @ 90, 5 @ 95kg - solid reps here

3. Sumo Good Mornings @ 30X1; 6-6-6-6 - rest 2 min - all tough sets, PERFECT form! - this is strength work

+

For Time @ high effort:

5 Squat Snatch @ 65kg

3 LLRC to 15'

5 OHS @ 65kg

6 RC to 15' w/ legs

5 Squat Snatch @ 65kg

9 RMU

5 OHS @ 65kg

12 BMU

Tuesday

AM- Running Repeats (Incremental Work)

Running Prep

+

Every 7 min x 5 sets @ 85-90%:

1000m Run @ 4:20-4:25 pace

PM-

Gym Skill Practice -> FT + Gym/BB EMOMs -> FT

3 rounds - skill work:

3 Burpee Pull Overs

1/arm KB TGU - tough-ish

3 Strict T2B

HSW over Ramp – practice

+

Rest as needed

+

EMOM x 10 minutes @ high effort:

2 RMU

4 Strict HSPU

6 KBS @ 24kg

+

5 min rest

+

EMOM x 10 minutes w/ 14# vest on @ high effort:

1 RC to 15' w/ legs

5 Push Ups

10 Air Squats

+

5 min rest

+

EMOM x 10 minutes @ high effort:

6 C2B

4 Burpees to Bar

20 Wtd DU's

+

Powell Raise; @ 20X0; 12 tough reps / arm x 3 sets - rest 60 sec

Wednesday

AM- Aer Power Sets (M/G/W)

1. 3 rounds @ increasing pace:

200m Run

15 Cal Row

9 Cal C2 Bike

1st round - 60%

2nd round - 75%

3rd round - 90%

+

1. 2 sets @ 85-90%:

5 min clock:

2000m EB

*in remaining time:

DU's

-rest 3 min-

5 min clock:

2000m C2 Bike

*in remaining time:

HSW for distance

-rest 3 min-

5 min clock:

1000m Ski Erg

*in remaining time:

Sandbag over Shoulder @ 45kg

-rest 3 min-

PM- FS (Int Sets) + Speed Bending + LP -> LE

1. Prep Work

2. Front Squat; Build to a tough 5 for the day in less than 15 min - no fails

3. 3 Fast Deadlifts @ 100kg every min x 12 minutes - reset b/t reps - double overhand hook grip

4. 2 sets:

60 sec EB @ 95%/Hard

-rest 3-5 min-

60 sec Row @ 95%/Hard

-rest 3-5 min-

*Record cals on EB and ave RPM

*Record meters and ave split for Rower

+

10-15 min – flush the legs

Thursday

Active Recovery – 45-60 min blood flow + mobility work

Friday

AM- EZ Aer (Flush Based)

1. 40-60 min EZ:

2 min C2 Bike

1 min Walking Lunges

1 min Single Unders

1 min Plank

2 min Row

1 min Air Squats

1 min Bear Crawl

1 min Ski Erg

PM- Sn/Cn Int (Alternating) + FS (Back Off Sets; Low Vol) + SL (Reps -> FT) + Cn/Sn Squatting End FT (Mixed)

1. Snatch Balance x 1 + OHS x 3 - Build to a tough set in less than 15 min - take from rack

2. Front Squat; 5 reps @ 90% of tough set from Wednesday x 3-5 sets - rest 2-4 min b/t - only go past 3 sets if speed and strength are maintained

3. For Time:

5 Squat Cleans @ 80kg

5 Strict RMU

5 Hang Squat Cleans @ 80kg

5 Strict RMU

5 Squat Cleans @ 80kg

5 Strict RMU

5 Hang Squat Cleans @ 80kg

5 Strict RMU

Saturday

Upper CP + 5 min (Mixed Repeats) -> MM Tests

1. 3 rounds – skill practice:

1/arm KB TGU - moderately tough

HSW over Ramp - practice

3 L Sit Pull Ups

Triple Under Practice - 15-30 sec worth

B1. Close Grip Board Bench Press @ 22X1; 4-6 tough reps x 5 sets - rest 60 sec

B2. Pendlay Row @ 11X1; 4-6 tough reps x 5 sets - rest 2 min

1. 2 sets @ 85-90%:

5 min AMRAP:

9 Thrusters @ 35kg

7 BJO @ 20"

5 C2B

-rest 3 min-

5 min AMRAP:

12 Cal Ski

9 Kipping HSPU

6 Power Snatch @ 35kg

-rest 3 min-

5 min AMRAP:

50 DU's

10 OH Walking Lunges @ 35kg

5 Bar Facing Burpees

-rest 3 min-

*same output on second set

Sunday

Swimming

Warm Up:

3 down and backs - kickboard + thigh floatie if needed;  Slow pace

+

1 max breath hold swim

2 min - breathing technique (long inhale through nose, hard quick exhale through mouth, fast rate)

30 sec - regular mouth breathing

1 max breath hold swim

3 min - breathing technique

1 max breath hold swim

(you will be going at a steady rate, this is not for distance, conserve all the energy you have)

+

Freestyle Stroke

Base Swim:

A1. 5-7 laps; (down and back; 50m = 1 lap)

(cruising pace)  x 1

 rest 1:1

A2. 5-7 laps; (down and back; 50m = 1 lap)

(cruising pace)  x 1

- play with breathe rates

- find what feels good for you

- report the best breathing rate for you

(500-700m total volume)

If you’re an athlete preparing for an event, then there’s no better way to achieve success than with an individualized training program. Click the button below to learn more about working with a OPEX RC coach.

Photo by Minna Penkkimäki

Measuring Progress Beyond 1RMs

Written by Coach Sam Smith

Despite what you might believe, hitting a new max in your lifts isn’t the only measure of progress. When I think about the Sport of Fitness, there are multiple measures of progress that I believe have a greater impact on your overall ability, growth, and experience than your max lifts. One of those alternative measures is being able to do more training volume each year relative to the previous year. One of the main components of the Sport of Fitness is being able to do work. This can be summarized in the following two scenarios that make-up majority of the tests within the Sport of Fitness:

1. Doing more than the person next to you in a fixed time frame (think: AMRAPs)

2. Doing work faster than the person next to you (think: For Time)

In both cases, there is a requirement of expressing work in such a way that adequate exposure to training volume can become the linchpin in whether someone will do better than the person next to them. If you haven’t built enough training volume to support the demands and intensity of the tests, you will not perform as well as someone who has. Therefore, ensuring your training volume is growing year after year becomes a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) to show improved fitness and proficiency in your practice.

In this post, I want to highlight a client of mine who’s training I was reviewing recently and noticed the shift in his training load over the past year. I believe it highlights the importance of progression relative to the person and ensuring that progression is maintained over a long enough time frame to see the evolution of that process. The idea of doing more work year after year implies being able to stay consistent with your training to allow for an incremental increase in training volume.

If you are program hopping or getting injured every 3 months you will have a more challenging time seeing progress over a year. If either of these do describe you, you need to ask yourself how patient have you been with your training program? Are you allowing the progressions to mature and take shape or are you rushing through the process with hopes of achieving your goal faster? There are very few things in this life where patience is not a virtue and training isn’t one of them.

If building consistency is my number one priority with clients, my number two priority is building training volume and tolerance year after year. In the example below, we will look at my client’s training split from the first week of December 2020 compared to his week of training from the first week of November 2021. Both training cycles are aligned in reference to when the Open is beginning in the following year. (In 2021, the Crossfit Open started 3 weeks later than it will begin in 2022.) After we outline the overall training weeks and look at the total volume, I will then zoom in on a characteristic that is very important for anyone who wants to compete in the Sport of Fitness: gymnastics. To clarify, gymnastics are movements that are solely bodyweight based (excluding machines or running). Without further adieu, let’s get into it.

Client

Male

Age: 29 years old

Weight: 205 pounds

Height: 6’2’’

Goal

Qualify for the 2022 Crossfit Quarterfinals in Europe (He missed qualifying in 2021 by 200 spots).

Week of December 2nd 2020

 3rd week of a 5-week cycle

Monday

1. RNT OHS @ 2121; 4 reps x 2 sets – prep work

2. Tall Squat Snatch; 3 fast reps x 3 sets – rest 60 sec

3. 1 Snatch High Pull + 1 High Hang Squat Snatch + 1 Low Hang Squat Snatch @ 45kg x 3 sets – rest 60 sec

4. 1 Snatch High Pull + 1 Low Hang Squat Snatch every 75 sec x 8 sets – Start @ 70kg, add 5kg every 2 sets

5. Pause Back Squat @ 21X1; Build to a tough 3 for the day

6. 3 TnG Muscle Clean + 3 Thrusters @ 50kg every 60 sec x 5 sets

7. 3 TnG Power Clean + 3 Thrusters @ 60kg every 60 sec x 5 sets

+

3 rounds w/ 20# vest on @ skill pace:

30 Prisoner Walking Lunges

30 sec Hollow Hold

Tuesday

1. EMOM x 10 minutes:

1st min - 30 sec Supinated Hang from Bar

2nd min - 30 sec Knee Tuck Hold @ top of Dip - externally rotate hands

3rd min - 30 sec Pronated Hang from Bar

4th min - 30 sec Wall Facing HS Hold

5th min - 30 sec Wtd DU practice

1. (Gym Vol ACC)

Every 2 min x 5 sets:

5 Push Ups + 5 RMU + 5 Push Ups

-into-

Every 2 min x 5 sets:

25 DU's + 5 Strict HSPU + 25 DU's + 5 Kipping HSPU

-into-

Every 2 min x 5 sets:

10 T2B + 10 C2B

-into-

Every 2 min x 5 sets:

25 DU's + 5m HSW + 25 DU's + 5m HSW

Wednesday

1. Every 3 min x 3 sets:

5 Deadlifts @ 11X1

6 Alt Pistols

5 Deadlifts – TnG

*Start @ 110kg, add 5-10kg per set

1. For Time:

40 Cal AB

20 Bar Facing Burpees

40 Alt DB Power Snatch @ 22.5kg

20 Bar Facing Burpees

40 WB @ 30# to 10’

Thursday

Active Recovery

20 min of Thoracic + Hip Mobility Work

30-40 min of Running/Swimming

Friday

1. Single Leg Box Jump; 1/leg every 20 sec x 10 sets

2. Tall Squat Clean; 3 fast reps x 3 sets – rest 60 sec

3. 2 High Hang Squat Clean + 2 Split Jerk every 90 sec x 8 sets – 4 @ 90kg, 4 @ 100kg

4. 3 Fast Front Squats @ 90kg every 60 sec x 12 sets – take from the rack

5. 3 TnG Muscle Snatch + 3 OHS @ 45kg every 60 sec x 5 sets

6. 5 Hang Squat Snatch @ 45kg every 60 sec x 5 sets

7. Active Hollow Hold – Accumulate 2 min of Holding

Saturday

A1. Half Kneeling Landmine Press @ 21X1; 6/arm x 2 sets - rest 90 sec

A2. Single Arm Ring Row @ 21X2; 6/arm x 2 sets - rest 2 min

+

1. 15/10/5 (Mixed; Increasing)

15 min AMRAP @ 75-80%/Sustained Pace:

21 Cal AB

15 GHDSU

9 Double DB HPC to OH @ 20kg/hand

30 DU's

+

5 min rest

+

10 min AMRAP @ 85%/Sustained Power:

10 C2B

10 BJSD @ 24"

10 WB @ 30# to 10'

10 BJSD @ 24"

+

5 min rest

+

5 min AMRAP @ 90%/High Sustained Power:

10 KBS @ 32kg

10 Burpees -no jump @ top

Week of November 1st  2021

3rd week of a 5-week cycle

Monday

1. Seated Hurdle Jump; 1 powerful rep every 20 sec x 15 reps

2. 1 Squat Snatch every 75 sec x 12 reps – 6 @ 90kg, 6 @ 95kg – perfect reps here

3. Back Squat; 1.1.1.1.1 x 4 sets – rest 3-5 min b/t sets – rest 15-30 sec b/t 1’s

4. Glute Ham Raise @ 30X0; 6-7 tough reps x 4 sets – rest as needed

+

EMOM x 10 minutes:

5 min – 2 Strict HSPU to tough Deficit – UB sets

5 min – 2 Strict C2B (weighted) – UB sets

-rest 2 min-

EMOM x 10 minutes:

5 min – 1 LLRC to 15’

5 min – 1/arm KB TGU @ 32kg

+

For Time @ 85-90%:

1000m Ski Erg

3 min Ring FLR – accumulate

500m Ski Erg

90 sec Ring FLR – accumulate

Tuesday

20 min AMRAP @ 50%:

250m Ski Erg

5m HSW

25 DU’s

250m Ski Erg

20 Walking Lunges

25 DU’s

+

5-7 min rest

+

20 min AMRAP @ 85-90%/Sustained Power:

300m Ski Erg

15 WB @ 30# to 10’

30 DU’s

*Keep the tempo up and sustained here

Wednesday

1. 5 rounds - skill work:

1 Strict RMU + 2 Strict Ring Dip + 10 sec hold @ top

10-15 sec L Sit on Parallettes

200m Run - EZ

1. Gym Vol ACC

EMOM x 10 minutes:

1st min - 4 UB RMU

2nd min - 4 UB BMU

-rest 2 min-

EMOM x 10 minutes:

1st min - 6-8 UB Strict HSPU

2nd min - 6-8 UB Kipping HSPU

-rest 2 min-

EMOM x 10 minutes:

1st min - 8-10 UB C2B

2nd min - 8-10 UB T2B

1. Seated DB External Rotation; @ 30X0; 8/arm x 3 sets - rest 60 sec - tough sets

Thursday

Active Recovery

20 min - Hip/Thoracic Flow Work

+

30-60 min – MTB Riding

Friday

1. Seated Hurdle Jump; 1 powerful rep every 20 sec x 15 reps

2. 1 Squat Clean + 1 Jerk every 75 sec x 12 reps – 4 @ 105, 107.5, 110kg– perfect reps here

3. Front Squat; 1.1.1.1.1 x 4 sets – rest 3-5 min b/t sets – rest 15-30 sec b/t 1’s

4. Back Rack Reverse Lunge; 8-6-4/leg – rest 1 min b/t legs – Start moderate and increase per set

E1. DB Floor Press @ 11X1; 5 tough reps x 6 sets – rest 90 sec

E2. DB Neutral Grip Bent over Row @ 11X1; 5 tough reps x 6 sets – rest 90 sec

+

1. For Time @ 85-90%:

21-18-15-12-9-6-3

Row Cals

GHDSU

Saturday

6 sets @ 85-90%:

25 Air Squats

12 Pull Ups

3 Burpee RMU

12 Alt DB Power Snatch @ 32.5kg

3 Wall Walks

12 BJSD @ 24"

-rest 1:1-

*same times per set

At face value, there is a substantial amount of difference in volume when looking at the entire week. We could easily add up the total contractions over the entire week to get a gross estimate on total work completed. Granted, not all contractions are created equal so that must be accounted for when thinking about volume and what’s inside of those reps.

I now want to zoom in on his gymnastic specific training in each week of each cycle. If we look at his week of training from December 2020, we see 2 sessions where gymnastics movements are being trained (1 very specific session and 1 mixed style session):

Tuesday

1. EMOM x 10 minutes:

1st min - 30 sec Supinated Hang from Bar

2nd min - 30 sec Knee Tuck Hold @ top of Dip - externally rotate hands

3rd min - 30 sec Pronated Hang from Bar

4th min - 30 sec Wall Facing HS Hold

5th min - 30 sec Wtd DU practice

1. (Gym Vol ACC)

Every 2 min x 5 sets:

5 Push Ups + 5 RMU + 5 Push Ups

-into-

Every 2 min x 5 sets:

25 DU's + 5 Strict HSPU + 25 DU's + 5 Kipping HSPU

-into-

Every 2 min x 5 sets:

10 T2B + 10 C2B

-into-

Every 2 min x 5 sets:

25 DU's + 5m HSW + 25 DU's + 5m HSW

Total reps for B:

25 RMU

50 Push Ups

250 DU’s

25 Strict HSPU

25 Kipping HSPU

50 T2B

50 C2B

250 DU’s

50m HSW

=

250 reps

+

50m HSW

500 DU’s

(In 40 minutes)

Saturday

A1. Half Kneeling Landmine Press @ 21X1; 6/arm x 2 sets - rest 90 sec

A2. Single Arm Ring Row @ 21X2; 6/arm x 2 sets - rest 2 min

+

1. 15/10/5 (Mixed; Increasing)

15 min AMRAP @ 75-80%/Sustained Pace:

21 Cal AB

15 GHDSU

9 Double DB HPC to OH @ 20kg/hand

30 DU's

+

5 min rest

+

10 min AMRAP @ 85%/Sustained Power:

10 C2B

10 BJSD @ 24"

10 WB @ 30# to 10'

10 BJSD @ 24"

+

5 min rest

+

5 min AMRAP @ 90%/High Sustained Power:

10 KBS @ 32kg

10 Burpees -no jump @ top

His scores for these:

4 rounds

3 + 34

4 + 1

Total reps:

84 Cal AB

60 GHDSU

36 Double KB HPC to OH

120 DU’s

40 C2B

74 BJSD

40 WB

41 KBS

40 Burpees

*Some of the repetitions in this piece are not gymnastic movements but I wanted to show the total reps for when I compare it to his week of training in November of 2021.

Now, when we shift to his training split from November 2021, we see 3 sessions where gymnastics are being challenged/trained in various ways:

Monday

1. Gym CP

EMOM x 10 minutes:

5 min - 2 Strict HSPU to tough Deficit - UB sets

5 min - 2 Strict C2B (weighted) - UB sets

-rest 2 min-

EMOM x 10 minutes:

5 min - 1 LLRC to 15'

5 min - 1/arm KB TGU @ 32kg

1. For Time @ 85-90%:

1000m Ski Erg

3 min Ring FLR - accumulate

500m Ski Erg

90 sec Ring FLR – accumulate

Total reps for E:

10 Strict Deficit HSPU

10 Strict Weighted C2B

5 Legless Rope Climb to 15’

10 TGU @ 32kg

(I’m not counting F even though I’m challenging scap stability and endurance with that combination)

Wednesday

1. 5 rounds - skill work:

1 Strict RMU + 2 Strict Ring Dip + 10 sec hold @ top

10-15 sec L Sit on Parallettes

200m Run - EZ

1. Gym Vol ACC

EMOM x 10 minutes:

1st min - 4 UB RMU

2nd min - 4 UB BMU

-rest 2 min-

EMOM x 10 minutes:

1st min - 6-8 UB Strict HSPU

2nd min - 6-8 UB Kipping HSPU

-rest 2 min-

EMOM x 10 minutes:

1st min - 8-10 UB C2B

2nd min - 8-10 UB T2B

1. Seated DB External Rotation; @ 30X0; 8/arm x 3 sets - rest 60 sec - tough sets

Total reps for B:

20 RMU

20 BMU

40 Strict HSPU

40 Kipping HSPU

50 C2B

50 T2B

=

220 reps

(In 30 minutes)

Saturday

6 sets @ 85-90%:

25 Air Squats

12 Pull Ups

3 Burpee RMU

12 Alt DB Power Snatch @ 32.5kg

3 Wall Walks

12 BJSD @ 24"

-rest 1:1-

*same times per set

Total reps:

150 Air Squats

72 Pull Ups

18 Burpee RMUs

72 DB Power Snatch

18 Wall Walks

72 BJSD

When we reflect on the change in volume tolerance and expression from last year to this year, we see a very different athlete. We see an athlete who is growing, evolving, and moving towards his physical potential. Zooming out to see the bigger picture allows us to recognize this progress.

There are multiple measures of progress in the Sport of Fitness. One of those that often gets overlooked is incremental increases in training volume year after year. Being able to handle larger loads of volume year after year implies better efficiency and expression of that volume (and/or grouping of movements, such as gymnastics) allowing for proper adaptation.

Don’t be quick to fix your gaze on unicorn lifts. Instead, opt for the more mature and disciplined approach by taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. Are you moving forward across time towards your physical potential? If you aren’t incrementally increasing your training volume, then you are not.

Coach Sam Smith's Top Books 2021

Written by Coach Sam Smith

When did you first become fascinated with reading?

When I was young, I was drawn to reading due to my grandmother being an avid reader. I wanted to connect with her and be like her, reaffirming child development 101: we mirror those around us who we look up to. She used to read Clive Clusser novels, amongst many others. Clusser’s novels centered around a main character named Dirk Pitt (essentially a James Bond). His novels began my exploration into reading and by extension, learning. There were times when I’d have a lull in the consistency at which I read, but I’d always come back to it. As I’ve gotten older, I feel one of the reasons why I always came back to reading was its ability to allow me to escape the internal, and external, noise of life. I’ve been blessed with an internal generator that doesn’t stop running, also known as, my mind. Instead of trying to ignore or avoid it, I’ve learned to flow with it. And by doing so, I can better aim that power in the direction that I want. Reading has then become a powerful tool in helping me learn how to direct my attention toward someone else’s stories, words, and emotions. Allowing me to expand my understanding by looking through someone else’s eyes. If there is one tool that will always be at our disposal to rescue us from the unending onslaught of parasitic technology, it will be reading.

As I mention each year due to the sobering nature of numbers and math, aim to read a book each month for a full year. If you average 10 pages per day, you’ll get through a 300 page book each month. That’s 3600 pages in a year. If you do that for the next 5 years you will accumulate 60 books and 18,000 pages read. Big outcomes always start with small steps.

My Top 12 Books from 2021, in no particular order. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Sapiens - Harari

Skin in the Game - Taleb

Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Kiyosaki

Open - Agassi

Mastery - Leonard

The Power of Story - Loehr

12 More Rules for Life - Peterson

The Psychology of Money - Housel

Great by Choice - Collins

The Practice - Godin

Naval Ravikant Almanac - Jorgenson

The Great Mental Models (vol 1,2,3) – Farnam Street

Sapiens – Yuval Noah Harari

What a brain stretcher. It’s amazing how much resides in our collective imagination. It’s also amazing to recognize how much better off our current society at large is relative to pre-modern times, yet we are arguably less satisfied with our lives. The ultimate paradox.

“The real question facing us is not ‘what do we want to become?’, but ‘what do we want to want?’”

“We believe in a particular order not because it is objectively true, but because believing in it enables us to cooperate effectively and forge a better society.”

Skin in the Game – Nicolas Nassim Taleb

Taleb’s bluntness is always refreshing.

2 of my favorite quotes:

“If you manage to convince yourself that you are right in theory, you don’t really care about how your ideas affect others. Your ideas give you a virtuous status that makes you impervious to how they affect others.”

“When you are rewarded for perception, not results, you need to show sophistication.”

Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki

Money and fear; synonymous for most people. If you want to guard yourself against fear, arm yourself with knowledge.

Anything we shy away from we give it power over us. In the Harry Potter universe, people were initially forbidden to mention Voldemort’s name (he personified Evil/Satan). Once he was named, his power over everyone started to diminish. The things in life we shy away from are the things we must confront.

Money is one of those unnamed demons that lurk in the shadows. A lot of anxiety and stress can be kept at bay through a conscious effort to better understand money and how to integrate beneficial habits that will compound over time.

One of my favorite aspects within this book was the underlying principles mirror those in coaching, program design, sport, performance, etc.:

Discipline

Consistency

Long-term vision

Belief

Open – Andre Agassi

The full embodiment of the hero’s journey. This was the most fascinating and thought-provoking book I read this year. Given my previous life in golf at an elite level, I could empathize with the struggles he faced. Pushing something to its limits has unforeseen consequences. Agassi’s story provides tremendous insight into those consequences.

Mastery – George Leonard

I read a few books this year centered around the concept of mastery. Leonard is one of the first to write at length about mastery and how it can be woven into our careers and lives. I’ve always been deeply connected to the long-term process; delaying the outcome has come second nature to me. Learning more about this and how it can be instilled in others became a motivating pursuit. The aim of mastery implies a life-long journey that enables you to maintain a consistent perspective throughout the highs and lows. At bottom, this is the key for any endeavor or pursuit: can you sustain it long enough to see the fruits of your labor? While we might not “arrive” at mastery, aiming for it sets our course in a direction that will lead towards an unforgettable and fulfilling experience.

“The essence of boredom is to be found in the obsessive search for novelty. Satisfaction lies in mindful repetition, the discovery of endless richness in subtle variations on familiar themes.”

“When you discover your own desire, you’re not going to wait for other people to find solutions to your problems.”

“Competition provides spice in life as well as in sports; it’s only when the spice becomes the entire diet that the player gets sick.”

The Power of Story – Jim Loehr

What’s your story?

Is it leading you in the direction you want in your performance, competitions, health, relationships, work, happiness?

Here’s a great question to ask yourself:

“In which areas of my life is it clear that I cannot achieve my goals with the story I've got?”

If you want to change those outcomes it’s time to investigate your stories and rewrite them.

12 More Rules for Life – Jordan Peterson

Different from his first 12 in an enjoyable way. His fresh angle and approach expose another level of understanding that folds perfectly into the diary of our lives.

“You can quit this, but you must have a different plan that’s MORE difficult.”

The Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel

Define the game you’re playing. Always start with a clear definition of what is success for YOU.

Always play the long game; create buy-in and build consistency.

Stay patient and exercise discipline through forgoing the present for the future.

Recognize not everything will go your way; implement safeguards.

Principles that transcend time are apparent in all areas of our lives. Identify them and use them to guide you forward.

Great by Choice – Jim Collins

“We do not believe that chaos, uncertainty, and instability are good; companies, leaders, organizations, and societies do not thrive on chaos. But they can thrive in chaos.”

Principles.

LOTS of wisdom in this book. It’s been 5 years since I first read this one. And like any book I reread, it’s always better the second time.

Chaos and uncertainty are inevitable. We can’t control when or how they are going to hit us. We can control how we are preparing ourselves, our business, in preparation for those circumstances. Jim Collins does a fantastic job of explaining what separated the companies who did thrive and succeeded amidst the chaos and uncertainty they all faced; the “principles” they (the successful companies and their leaders) adopted that created the armor necessary for the inevitable onslaughts.

Are you cultivating the habits and practices necessary to handle the inescapable challenges you will face in the future?

The Practice – Seth Godin

This is the perfect read for a coach

At the time, I was on a Seth Godin kick and wanted to dive into his writing. I figured this would be the first one I’d start with from his 20 books to date and it didn’t disappoint.

-Better understanding the difference between an amateur and a professional

-How to separate your “self” from your work

-How to speak more clearly to your target audience

-How to tap into your creativity while maintaining consistency in your practice

-Asking hard questions to create clarity around what you are doing and why you are doing it: “what is the change you seek to make?”

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant – Eric Jorgenson

Lots of wisdom. As I get older, I’m becoming drawn to learning from those who I believe have lived (or are living) worthy lives and have valuable insights to share. Principally, the threads are all the same, but the unique experiences expand your understanding (similar to program design). Highly recommend this book and/or podcasts Naval has done.

The Great Mental Models (Vol 1,2,3) – Farnam Street

I’m a big fan of Farnam Street and their podcast “The Knowledge Project.” Their tag line for the show says it all, “We interview world-class doers and thinkers so you can better analyze problems, seize opportunities, and master decision-making.” Naturally, I had to get their books in order to dive deeper into mental models and how they impact my every day decision making whether or not I’m aware of it.

If you are someone who is fascinated with learning and exploring new ways of looking at problems then I’d highly suggest picking up a copy of their books. Easy to read and digest despite the daunting titles.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from each volume:

Vol 1 - General Thinking Concepts

“The chief enemy of good decisions is a lack of sufficient perspectives on a problem”

“Remember that all models are wrong; the practical question is how wrong do they have to be to not be useful.”

“You can’t improve if you don’t know what you’re doing wrong.”

Vol 2 - Physics, Chemistry, and Biology

“If a man does not know to what port he is steering, no wind is favorable to him.”

“We are all aware of disorder and the natural uncertainty that follows it and are attracted to stories that reduce it.”

“For many people, unpleasant events, such as getting fired or rejected, prove to be catalysts for tremendous personal growth.”

Vol 3 - Systems and Mathematics

“How much you know in the broad sense determines what you understand of the new things you learn.”

“It can scarcely be denied that the supreme goal of all theory is to make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few as possible without having to surrender the adequate representation of a single datum of experience.”

“The larger the influence of luck in producing an extreme event, the less likely the luck will repeat itself in multiple events.”

Go ahead and give these 12 books a read!

CrossFit Open Athlete: Case Study

Written by Coach Sam Smith

This case study was written by Sam Smith to provide insight into the process of coaching his client David to compete in the CrossFit Open with the goal of qualifying for the European Quarterfinals.

Metrics:

●       Male

●      28 years old

●      6’2’’

●      205 pounds

●      Europe

Goals:

●      Qualify for European Quarterfinals

●      Continued ascent towards physical potential

●      Continued learning as a client to better inform his own coaching process

Priorities in Training:

●      Continued improvement in efficiency in overhead positioning; breathing and mechanics

●      Continued improvement in bending pattern; starting with better mechanics to teach his brain how to load his hips more effectively before “stressing” that pattern in more dynamic settings

●      Continued improvement in volume tolerance with high-skill gymnastics

●      Leveraging competency on mono-structural implements to help further develop mixed modal capacity

Periodization/Training Overview:

Post-Open and time off, here was the overview leading into some testing mid-summer:

Testing Week of July 26th (15 weeks from April 12th the start of our new season)

4 Week Build 1

4 Week Build 2

1 Week Deload (Mild; just a drop in volume, not intensity)

4 Week Int 1

1 Week Deload (Mild; just a drop in volume, not intensity)

1 Week Int 2

1 Week Testing

1 Week Deload (Daily movement and some easier training)

After the initial 16-week cycle of training, he had an easier week to reload and recharge for the fall block of training. This will be the last block of training before we begin sport specific preparation for the Open and Quarterfinals in December. Below, I lay out our first two cycles of training. We are currently in the middle of the second cycle.

Build 1 (4 Weeks)

●      *Higher % Lifting (stressing improved positions from previous few months of training)

●      *Challenge Muscle Endurance

●      *Challenge Aerobic Capacity; get a litmus of where this is at

Monday: Sn (High %) + Cn (High %) + Gym/BB EMOM (Tough) + ACC

A1. Hip Extension Prep

A2. Dynamic Hip Extension Prep

1. 1 Squat Snatch every 60 sec x 10 reps – 2 @ 80,85,90,95,100kg

2. 1 Squat Clean and Split Jerk every 75 sec x 10 reps – 2 @ 100,105,110,115,120kg

+

EMOM x 20 minutes @ high effort:

1st min – 3 UB RMU + 3 Ring Dips

2nd min – 3 Bar Facing Burpees + 4 Power Cleans @ 60kg + 5 S2O @ 60kg

3rd min – 3 UB BMU + 3 Strict HSPU

4th min – 30 DU’s + 5 Hang Squat Cleans @ 60kg

*MOVE FAST

Tuesday: Row/AB IE Cyclical Sets

A.10 min Warm-Up / Prep

+

2 sets:

4 min Row @ 2:10/500m

3 min Row @ 2:00

2 min Row @ 1:50

1 min Row @ 1:40

4 min rest

4 min AB @ 55 RPM

3 min AB @ 65 RPM

2 min AB @ 70 RPM

1 min AB @ 75 RPM

4 min rest

Wednesday: Bending (Speed Based) w/ HSW + Mixed ME Sets

 A.Seated Good Morning @ 2211; 8-10 reps x 3 sets – rest 90 sec – bending prep

+

10 sets:

3 FAST Deadlifts – 5 @ 125kg, 5 @ 130kg

-into-

5-10m HSW

-rest 60 sec-

*reset b/t reps

*move fast with perfect positions

+

5 sets @ high effort:

15 Cal Ski Erg

10 DB Thrusters @ 22.5kg/hand

15 WB @ 30# to 10’

10 GHDSU

15 DB Deadlift @ 22.5kg/hand

10 BBJO @ 24”

-rest 1:1-

*same times per set

Thursday: 60-90 min MTB Ride

Friday: Sn (Int; Varied) + Cn (Int; Varied) + FS (Tough Sets) + PChain + Core

A.1 Box Jump Step Down every 15 sec x 20 reps – get CNS primed

1. Hang Squat Snatch x 2 – Build to a tough set in less than 15 min -no misses

2. Hang Power Clean x 1 + Hang Squat Clean x 1 + Jerk x 1 – Build to a tough set in less than 15 min – no misses

3. Front Squat; 6-5-4-4-4 – rest as needed – 6 and 5 – moderate, 4’s – tough – no fails

4. Lying Leg Curl on Swiss Ball @ 30X1; 10-12 tough reps x 4 sets – rest 90 sec

5. Psoas March; 30 sec on, 30 sec off x 5-7 sets – slow and perfect

Saturday: Upper CP (Gym Based) + 15 min (Mixed; High Effort)

A.Scapular CARs routine

+

6 sets:

3 Strict HSPU to tough deficit @ 30X1

-rest 30 sec-

6-10 UB C2B – butterfly

-rest 90 sec-

+

15 min AMRAP:

3 Wall Walks

6 Power Snatches @ 50kg

9 BJO @ 24” – clear the box

12 T2B

Min 0-10 @ 75%/Moderate Pace

Min 11-15 @ 90%/Hard Pace

Sunday: Off

Results:

Fitness Monitoring:

Snatch – 105kg – 95% of all time; better positions

HSPU – 18 UB – little low, needs some upticks here

Row – 190/178m – good for this time of year

Cyclical Test

50-40-30-20-10

AB/Row Cals

-Sub 16 minutes; good check in here

18 min AMRAP Mixed Test

Little low; need to build more muscle endurance and sport specific training here

Build 2 (5 Weeks)

*Squatting Push Phase

*Moderate to Tough Lifting % (Monitor closely)

*Muscle Endurance Build

Monday: Sn Tech -> Mod + FS (Int) + Clean/Gym ME Sets + PChain ACC

1. Sprint Accelerations; 50m x 5 sets – rest as needed – building speed each set

B.1 Muscle Snatch + 1 High Hang Squat Snatch + 1 OHS every 45 sec x 5 sets @ 50-60kg

C.1 Power Snatch + 1 Hang Squat Snatch + 1 OHS every 75 sec x 4 sets @ 70-80kg

D.1 Squat Snatch every 90 sec x 3 sets @ 90kg

1. Front Squat – Build to a tough 5 in less than 15 min – no fails

+

Every 2 min x 5 sets @ high effort:

9 Cal Ski

6 BMU

3 Squat Cleans @ 70kg – TnG

-rest 2-4 min-

Every 2 min x 5 sets @ high effort:

9 Cal Row

7 Strict HSPU

5 HPC @ 70kg

Tuesday: IE Mixed Sets (Low Eccentrics)

 A.10 sets @ increasing pace per set:

200m Run

5 Bar Facing Burpees

3 Ground to OH @ 60kg

200m Row

-rest 90 sec-

*Start @ 65%, get faster per set

*Alternate b/t Power Snatch and Power Clean to OH

 Wednesday: Sn Tech + Cn Tech + FS (Back Off Sets) + Short Chipper (Mixed) + Upper Gym Reps

1. Dynamic Hip Prep

2. 1 Snatch High Pull + 2 High Hang Squat Snatches every 60 sec x 10 sets – 5 @ 60, 5 @ 65kg

3. 1 Clean High Pull + 2 High Hang Squat Cleans + 1 Split Jerk every 60 sec x 10 sets – 5 @ 70, 5 @ 75kg

4. Front Squat; 5 reps @ 90-92% of top set from Monday x 3-6 sets – rest 2-4 min b/t sets – only go past 3 sets if speed and strength are maintained

+

For Time @ high effort:

50 Cal AB

40 BJSD @ 24”

30 T2B

20 DB S2O @ 22.5kg/hand

10 RMU

+

EMOM x 10 minutes:

1st min – 5 Strict HSPU + 5 Kipping HSPU

2nd min – 5 Strict C2B + 5 C2B

Thursday: 60-90 min MTB Ride

Friday: Cn Tech -> Mod + FS (Str End) + Sn/Gym ME Sets + PChain ACC

1. Sprint Accelerations; 50m x 5 sets – rest as needed – building speed each set

2. 1 Power Clean + 1 Low Hang Squat Clean + 1 Jerk every 45 sec x 5 sets @ 70-80kg

3. 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Squat Clean + 1 Jerk every 75 sec x 4 sets @ 90-100kg

4. 1 Squat Clean and Split Jerk every 90 sec x 3 sets @ 110kg

5. 5 Front Squats @ 10X0 @ 60% of max every minute x 6 minutes – move fast, from the rack

+

Every 2 min x 5 sets @ high effort:

9 Cal Ski

2 RC to 15’ w/ legs

1 Squat Snatch @ 60kg

2 OHS @ 60kg

-rest 2-4 min-

Every 2 min x 5 sets @ high effort:

9 Cal Row

5m HSW

3 TnG PS @ 60kg

5m HSW

+

EMOM x 10 minutes:

5 min – 10-20 GHD Hip Extensions

5 min – 10-20 GHDSU

Saturday: Bend (Tough) + 10 min (Mixed w/ AR)

1. Hip Prep

2. Sumo Good Morning @ 2211; 6-8 moderately tough reps x 3 sets – rest 90 sec – priming bending pattern

3. Snatch Grip Deadlift @ 11X1; 5-5-5 – rest 2-4 min b/t sets – straps ok here, chest up

+

10 min AMRAP @ 85-90%:

25 DU’s

10 Alt DB Power Snatch @ 22.5kg

25 DU’s

10 SA DB Thrusters @ 22.5kg – switch arms each round

-rest 2:30 min-

5 min AB @ 45-50 RPM

-rest 2:30 min-

10 min AMRAP @ 85-90%:

3 Wall Walks

6 HPC to OH @ 50kg

9 Pull Ups

-rest 2:30 min-

5 min AB @ 45-50 RPM

-rest 2:30 min-

10 min AMRAP @ 85-90%:

10 Burpees to 6” OH

10 OHS @ 50kg

-rest 2:30 min-

5 min AB @ 45-50 RPM

Sunday: Off

 If you’re an athlete preparing for an event, then there’s no better way to achieve success than with an individualized training program. Click the button below to learn more about working with a OPEX RC coach.

Hyrox World Championship Athlete Preparation

Written by Coach Sam Smith

This case study was written by Sam Smith to provide insight into the process of coaching his client Tim Perez to compete in the Hyrox World Championship.

Metrics:

●      Male

●      29

●      5’10’’

●      185 pounds

Results:

●      2nd place American male in Pro division

●      7th place in his age group

●      10+ minute improvement from first race 5 months prior

Tim decided to compete in a Hyrox qualifier in Texas earlier this summer where he qualified for the US National Championship in Chicago. We decided to go for it and ended up qualifying for the World Championship in Germany. This was a fun process in preparing him for the competition. He was able to take off over 10 minutes from his best time in Texas in less than 5 months.

For those that don’t know, this is what the test/event entails:

Hyrox World Championships

For Time:

1000m Run

1000m Ski Erg

1000m Run

50m Sled Push @ 400lbs

1000m Run

50m Sled Pull @ 300lbs pull by a rope

1000m Run

80m Burpee Broad Jump

1000m Run

1000m Row

1000m Run

400m Farmer’s Walk @ 32kg per hand

1000m Run

200m Sandbag Lunge @ 30kg

1000m Run

100 Wall Ball @ 20lbs to 10’

After finishing the US National Championship, we outlined a few priorities for us to focus on over the next 2 and a half months until the World Championships. They were the following:

Priorities:

1. Running – holding pace especially on the back half

2. Sled Push / Pull – grinding work; being able to move through these without much trouble

3. Wall Balls – going big at the end and having the capability to do so

The outline for the build into the World Championships was the following:

3 Week Build Phase (3rd week blended in prep for intense push)

Date: July 5th - July 25th

Monday

AM - Cyclical Repeats (Volume Build)

3 sets @ 85-90%/Sustained Power:

1500m Row

-rest 3 min-

1000m Run

-rest 3 min-

1500m Ski Erg

-rest 3 min-

2500m AB

-rest 3 min-

PM - Snatch Practice (Moderate %) + Pulls + BS (Str End -> Str/Int) + Strongman Intervals w/ Squatting ME

1. 1 Snatch Pull + 1 Squat Snatch + 1 Snatch Balance + 1 OHS x 8 sets - rest 90 sec - 4 @ 155, 2 @ 165, 2 @ 175 - reset b/t pull and snatch

2. Snatch Pull; 3 @ 225 x 2 sets + 3 @ 235 x 2 sets - rest as needed

3. Back Squat; 10 moderately tough reps x 4 sets - rest 2 min b/t sets

4. 5 sets:

5 Sandbag over Shoulder @ 150#

15 WB @ 30# to 10'

50' Sled Push

15 GHDSU

50' Sled Push

-rest 2 min-

Tuesday

AM - Long EZ Running (60 min) -> Intervals

1. 45-60 min Run - nice and smooth - Heart Rate below 150 the entire time

PM - Gym Skills + Upper Gym Str + Upper Gym ME + Scap/Grip

1. 5 rounds - easy:

1/arm KB TGU @ 24kg

1 LLRC to 15'

15-30' HSW

15-30 sec L Sit Hang from Bar

1. EMOM x 12 minutes:

1st min - 3-5 Strict HSPU to tough deficit on Parallettes @ 30X0

2nd min - 3-5 Strict C2B @ 30X0 - weighted

1. EMOM x 12 minutes:

1st min - 20 Push Ups + 20 Wtd DU's

2nd min - 15 Pull Ups + 20 Wtd DU's

1. 3 sets:

100m RA FW @ 80#

100m LA FW @ 80#

-rest as needed-

*Aiming for UB sets

Wednesday

AM - Strongman Session

1. 5 sets - each for time:

5 DB Burpee @ 80#/hand

15m Sled Pull - tough

10 Burpee BJO - 40" box - use hands to get over

15m Sled Push - tough

5 DB Burpee @ 80#/hand

-rest 2-3 min-

PM - 20 min x 3 (Running + BWT)

20 min AMRAP @ 75-80%:

400m Run

3 RC to 15' w/ legs

20 Hand Release Push Ups

+

5 min rest

+

20 min AMRAP @ 75-80%:

400m Run

10m HSW

20 Walking Lunges

+

5 min rest

+

20 min AMRAP @ 75-80%:

400m Run

20 GHDSU

10 Jumping Air Squats

Thursday

Active Recovery

Friday

AM - Cyclical Repeats (Volume Build)

4 sets @ 85-90%/Sustained Power:

500m Row

200m Run

500m Ski

200m Run

1000m AB

-rest 3-4 min-

PM - Clean Practice (Moderate %) + Pulls + SL (Tough) + Hinge/Core ACC

1. 1 Clean Pull + 1 Squat Clean + 2 Split Jerk x 8 sets - rest 90 sec - 4 @ 205, 2 @ 215, 2 @ 225 - reset b/t pull and clean

2. Clean Pull; 3 @ 245 x 2 sets + 3 @ 255 x 2 sets - rest as needed

3. Double KB Front Rack Walking Lunges; 20 alt reps x 4 sets - rest 60-90 sec - start with 24kg/hand, build if it feels good

4. 5 sets:

10 Double KB Russian Swings @ 32kg/hand

-into-

50m Sandbag Carry @ 150#

-rest 60-90 sec-

Saturday

Gym Warm Up + Upper CP + Running/BWT Intervals (Longer)

A1. Bottom’s Up Turkish Sit Up; 6-8 / arm x 3 sets - aim to externally rotate shoulder at top of each rep

A2. Side Plank Band Row; 6-8 w/ pause at finish position x 3 sets

1. 5 sets:

DB Incline Bench Press @ 31X1; 6 tough reps - 45 degree angle here

-rest 60 sec-

DB Torso Row @ 11X1; 6 tough reps / arm

-rest 90 sec-

+

Every 10 min x 4 sets @ 85-90%:

800m Run

5 Burpee RMU

200m Run

5 BMU

3 Week Intensification Phase

Date: July 26th - August 15th

Monday

AM - IE Cyclical Intervals (Extended)

4 sets @ increasing pace per set:

Against a 10 min clock:

600m Row

1200m AB

600m Ski

*in remaining time:

Running for distance

-rest 4 min-

PM - Snatch (Mod -> High %) + Halting SN DL -> SN DL + BS (Waves; Tough) + Knee Flex ME FT

1. 1 Snatch High Pull + 1 Squat Snatch + 1 Snatch Balance every 90 sec x 8 sets - 2 @ 145, 155, 165, 175 - work on driving under the bar with a solid lockout on the SB

2. Banded Halting Snatch Deadlift; 3 @ 205-225 x 3 sets - rest as needed - draw the bar back with the lats

3. Back Squat; 6-5-4-6-5-4 - rest as needed - 1st wave - moderate, 2nd wave - tough

*no fails

1. For Time:

150 DU's

25 Thrusters @ 65#

100 DU's

50 WB @ 30# to 10'

50 DU's

75 Air Squats

Tuesday

AM - Running Intervals (Race Pace Work)

3 sets:

3:00 @ 90%/Tough Pace

1 min @ 50%/Easy Pace

1:30 @ 90%/Tough Pace

1 min @ 50%/Easy Pace

1:00 @ 90%/Tough Pace

1 min @ 50%/Easy Pace

-3 min walk/rest-

90% - around 5:15-5:30 mile pace

50% - really easy

*should be tough but able to repeat the power each set

PM - Gym Skills + Upper CP Density + Upper ME + Scap/Grip

1. 5 rounds - easy:

1-3 Strict RMU

30' HSW

1 LLRC to 15'

3 Strict HSPU to moderate deficit - UB sets

+

For Time @ strength effort:

12-9-6-3

RA DB Bench Press @ 80#

2-2-2-2

LLRC to 15'

12-9-6-3

LA DB Bench Press @ 80#

2-2-2-2

LLRC to 15'

+

For Time:

10-15-20-25

RA DB Push Press @ 50#

15-15-15-15

Ski Cals @ damper 8

10-15-20-25

LA DB Push Press @ 50#

15-15-15-15

Ski Cals @ damper 8

+

1. Trap 3 Raise; @ 2115; 5 reps / arm x 3 sets - rest as needed

Wednesday

AM - Strongman Session (FT)

For Time @ strength effort:

10-8-6-4-2

Alt DB Power Snatch @ 100#

GHDSU w/ 20# med ball

RA DB FS @ 100#

GHDSU w/ 20# med ball

LA DB FS @ 100#

-into-

100m Sled Drag - steady grind

PM - 20/15/10 (IE)

20 min AMRAP @ 75%:

500m Row

5 Rounds of Strict Cindy

+

3-5min rest

+

15 min AMRAP @ 85%:

1000m AB

10 OH Walking Lunges @ 75#

10 Bar Facing Burpees

10 HPC to OH @ 75#

+

3-5 min rest

+

10 min AMRAP @ 90-95%:

1.5 mile Run

*in remaining time:

Sled Push - steady grind

Thursday

AR

Friday

AM - IE Cyclical Sets (Shorter to Moderate Length)

8 sets @ increasing per set:

20 Cal AB

20 Cal Row

200m Run

-rest 90 sec-

1st set - 50-60% / EZ

4th set - 80% / Moderate

8th set - 95%/ Hard

PM - Clean Practice (Mod -> High %) + Bending (Tough; Varied) + SL + Core (Varied) + PChain

1. 1 Squat Clean + 1 FS + 1 Jerk x 9 sets - rest 90 sec - 3 @ 205, 215, 225

2. Snatch Grip Deadlift @ 11X1; 5-5-5-5 - rest as needed - hips down, chest up, straps ok here

3. Goblet Cossack Squats; @ 2010; 10 / leg x 3 sets - rest as needed - nice and smooth

4. For Time:

50 Russian KBS @ 32kg

200m Double KB FR Carry @ 24kg/hand

50 KBS @ 24kg

200m Double KB FR Carry @ 24kg/hand

Saturday

Gym Warm Up + Upper CP + Run/Gym FT (Extended)

A1. Incline DB Bench Press @ 11X1; 6 tough reps x 3 sets

-rest as needed-

A2. Farmer Walk; 100m @ 80#/hand x 3 sets

-rest as needed-

+

For Time:

1000m Run

-into-

21-15-9

Double KB S2O @ 16kg/hand

3-2-1

RC to 15' w/ legs

-into-

1000m Run

-into-

15-12-9

Double KB S2O @ 24kg/hand

3-2-1

RC to 15' w/ legs

-into-

1000m Run

-into-

12-9-6

Double KB S2O @ 28kg/hand

3-2-1

RC to 15' w/ legs

2 Week Pre-Comp

Date: August 16th - August 29th

Monday

AM - IE Cyclical Intervals (FT)

1000m Row @ 60%

-rest 2 min-

1000m Row @ 75%

-rest 2:30 min-

1000m Row @ 80%

-rest 3 min-

1000m Row @ 90%

-rest 3:30 min-

1000m Row @ 95%

PM - Snatch Complex + Back Off Sets + Back Squat (Int; Low) + Knee Flexion (FT)

1. Squat Snatch x 2 - Build to a moderately tough set in less than 15 min

+

Then, take 90% of that tough 2 and perform 1 rep every 45 sec x 8 sets

1. Back Squat; 5-4-3-3 - rest as needed - tough sets, increasing, no fails

2. For Time:

50 GHDSU

35 WB @ 30# to 10'

20 BJSD @ 30"

35 WB @ 30# to 10'

50 GHDSU

Tuesday

AM - EZ Long Running

45 min Run - smooth pace - keep HR below 150

PM - Gym Skills (FT) + Upper (ME) + Scap/Grip (FT)

For Time @ skill effort:

50-40-30-20-10'

HSW

*after each set:

1 LLRC to 15' - begin seated

-into-

10-20-30-40-50'

HSW

*after each set:

2 Strict RMU

+

For Time:

21-18-15-12-9-6-3

Ski Cals

Hand Release Push Ups

+

3 sets:

100m RA FW @ 70-80#

-rest 30 sec-

100m LA FW @ 70-80#

-rest 60 sec-

Wednesday

AM - Strongman Session (Race Specific)

5 rounds @ strength effort:

1000m AB

100' Sandbag Carry @ 150#

10 Sandbag over Shoulder @ 150#

PM - 20 min (Mixed; Increasing Effort)

20 minute AMRAP:

500m Row

15 Burpees

15 BJSD @ 24"

15 Pull Ups

Min 0-10 @ 75%

Min 11-20 @ 90%

Thursday

AR

Friday

AM - Cyclical Flush

EMOM x 40 minutes:

1st min - 30 sec AB

2nd min - 30 sec Row

3rd min - 30 sec Ski

4th min- 30 sec Run

Smooth pace here; feel recovered and fresh by the end

*this is active recovery work

PM - Clean Practice (Moderate %) + Clean Pulls + Core/PChain EMOM (Structural)

1. Power Clean x 1 + Hang Power Clean x 1 every 60 sec x 10 sets - Start @ 155, small build per set, stay fast

2. Clean Pull; 3 @ 245 x 3 sets - rest as needed

3. EMOM x 16 minutes:

1st min - 30 sec Hollow Rock w/ 10# OH

2nd min - 30 sec Sorensen Hold w/ 25# at chest

Saturday (Simulation)

1st week - full running volume + 60% mixed work volume

2nd week - Full Race

For Time:

1k Run

600m Ski

1k Run

40m Sled Push

1k Run

40m Sled Pull

1k Run

60m Burpee Broad Jump

1k Run

600m Row

1k Run

100m FW

1k Run

50m Sandbag Lunges

1k Run

60 WB

*Aiming for near race pace on run's, total volume is dialed back

Taper

Date: August 30th - Sept 8th

Saturday the 4th (1 week out) - Increasing effort sets w/ 40-50% of race volume

Race Day

Date: September 11th

If you’re an athlete preparing for an event, then there’s no better way to achieve success than with an individualized training program. Click the button below to learn more about working with a OPEX RC coach.

Exploring the Intangibles of Competition

Written by Coach Sam Smith

I was fortunate enough to travel to quite a few competitions this past season. This led to a plethora of noticings and learnings both on the coach and athlete side.

A large part that often goes unnoticed in the athletic pursuit is competing, the experiences and learnings that follow, and how the athlete integrates them into their competitive self. Taking stock of these experiences and learnings will allow an athlete to continually mold themselves into a more formidable competitor.

The list I’ve compiled below comes from my own personal experience in high level sport, along with my experience coaching others. Starting to become mindful of these aspects will equip you with the tools you need in order to continually grow and develop not only as an athlete, but also as a human.

It’s worth noting, some of the wording I’ve used below is in question format. To get the most out of this, I would strongly recommend writing down the questions below and answering them after some reflection. It’s one thing to ask the question, but it’s another to give yourself time and space to respond appropriately to the question.

Know yourself

Go into the competition knowing what you are capable of, knowing where your strengths lie, knowing where your weaknesses lie, and having a comprehensive understanding of yourself both physically and psychologically.

Where will the challenge lie for me? When will it be easy for me to falter, and how can I push through that? When have I pushed through in the past? Draw on previous experiences for a point of reference and strength.

Stay in your lane

This one ties into knowing yourself, knowing your approach and running your race. Staying disciplined to prevent getting too caught up in the competitors next to you and allowing them to dictate your approach, especially when it’s an event they can beat you on. The hidden variable on the competition floor is the power dynamic between you and your competitors. Being able to navigate that web of difficulty can allow you to stay present whereby optimal execution of your game plan is attainable. Allow them to make the mistake. Everyone is fallible.

Routine

Managing stress and chaos can be achieved through routine and process that is deeply integrated in your system through consistent training and lifestyle behaviors outside of competition. Another hidden variable in competition is the environment and chaos that can only be replicated on the competition floor. Having a routine—a consistent process—allows the competitor to find rhythm and confidence amidst the chaos. Anxiety is curved through action. Action is initiated by routine.

Preparation (Repetition)

The unknown is a place where anything can happen and where uncertainty lies. While we can’t predict the future, we can have it set in our favor through proper preparation for the task. The less uncertain the task, the greater the drop in anxiety, tension, fear, and thinking. We allow our body to express the task as optimally as we can due to proper preparation.

This includes all variables that go into preparing for a competition: training routine and consistency, warm up and cool down, strategy within pieces of training, journaling, recording, and reflecting on training results, nutrition and meal timing, food hygiene, sleep quality and quantity and consistency, managing stress optimally to fully immerse oneself in their training. Everything is accounted for.

Don’t allow yourself the opportunity to say, “what if I did ‘that’ better throughout the season?” Cover all bases so you know that when the competition comes you are prepared as possible; you’ve done all that you can to put yourself in the right position to succeed. Proper preparation is how we set the future in our favor.

Visualization (imaginal experiences / cognitive self-modeling)

Some sports require more work and application in this area than others. Yet, all sports can benefit from the implementation of visualization. Scientifically and empirically, we have strong certainty in the value, and validity, of going through the competition (or event) in our mind beforehand. Navy Seals might be the hallmark example of a unit that not only implements visualization, but copious amounts of repetition to ingrain the sequence of events to follow on the mission. This level of preparation is helping shrink the level of uncertainty in the future.

Built into the practice of visualization is the practice of cultivating presence. In order to optimally perform visualization training you need to maintain presence on the competition to fully walk through each part of it, event by event. By doing so you are teaching the mind how to stay on the task at hand, which will become a tipping point in the heat of competition when getting outside of your lane could be the nail in the coffin.

Believe in yourself

In the end, it’s all on you. Only you can cultivate the self-belief required to accomplish something worthy. Only you can face the challenge and keep moving forward despite the inevitable adversity. Some people are more inclined to believe in themselves regardless of the task, while others continually battle with their self-belief. This is something you must aim to overcome in sport in order to push towards your potential.

With anything that needs growth, it needs to be stressed. You build courage through repeated exposure to experiences that frighten you. Self-belief is no different. If you want to push your competitive potential to its limits, recognize you must be the one who believes you can do it. It’s your journey.

Introducing OPEX RC: A New Era

Fitness is a dynamic, evolving, journey that should lead to growth for every individual. We face challenges, we overcome them, and we adapt.

As the individuals who make up our community have grown, so have we.

After a period of introspection, we are excited to announce that we will be rebranding from OPEX RC to OPEX RC. This speaks to who we identify as, both as coaches and as a company.

Above all, OPEX RC coaches believe in developing strong relationships and using exercise and lifestyle as a medium for growth as humans. The path to living your definition of an inspired life is through experiencing your ideal version of fitness.

While we have a long history in the sport of functional fitness and have coached 600+ athletes to high levels of competition, today we work with individuals in all sports, as well as those who just want to make fitness a high priority in their lives. Whether training for competition or for improved health and wellness, what our OPEX RC clients have in common is a desire to uncover their true potential through fitness.

OPEX RC coaches deliver you individually designed fitness through a 1:1 coaching relationship. We are not just programmers. We are not fitness trainers. We are craftsmen and women. And fitness is our craft.

Training Alone: Effective Strategies

Training Alone

If I was to distill down the following blog post into a single statement it would be this:

If you’re an athlete who competes in an individual sport and you can’t train alone or struggle to train alone, you need to stop trying to compete.

Sport vs. Health & Team vs. Individual

Before we begin, we must distinguish between sport and health. This discussion will center around sport and athletes within sport. Ensure this is top of mind throughout the discussion as it will help bring clarity to my words and my arguments.

What is Sport?

Points, pain, pleasure, prizes – a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared. Sport is about taking versus sharing. Sport is not about vitality and health. It’s about pushing yourself as far as you can both physically and mentally. It’s a quest that forces you to face adversity in order to see what you can handle; to see what you can overcome. There is tremendous value in this pursuit, that is not being argued here. Rather, it needs to be made clear that once you throw your hat into the ring your sole focus must shift towards how hard and how far can I push.

Team vs Individual Sports

If we think about team sports for a moment, the aim for the team is the same as it is for the individual: beat the opponent. Everyone is aligned with the common goal. This adds a motivational aspect: a strengthened resolve to push oneself to not let down their teammates. And this bond is built through training and sacrificing together for the common goal. Seeing someone go through the same adversity as you builds empathy and respect for each other. When we look at an individual sport, that entire branch of responsibility to the team and the common goal is gone. It morphs into an individual goal and an individual responsibility to push towards the prize. There must be a separation from the tribal mentality of group centric success towards self-centric success. And this begins our discussion on why being able to train alone is a key determiner in one’s success within individual sports.

Debunking A Common Argument

Now that we’ve delineated between sport and health and team versus individual sports, I want to discuss a very common argument against training alone. Before I do that, I must make note of another very important point. There’s a substantial difference between training “around” others in the gym versus doing the same training as others in the gym. The former is a very acceptable and recommended method for training. It is valuable to be around others for a multitude of reasons. There will also be times when you will be completely alone and that must be a welcomed circumstance. If it is not, that’s a problem. And we will touch more on that further down. The argument I’m going to debunk is the latter: doing the same training as others in the gym. This is not recommended for those competing in an individual sport.

The argument is the following:

“[When you do the same training as others] you can push yourself harder than you otherwise could.”

I’m going to unpack this argument in two chunks.

First chunk:

“When you do the same training as others”

The antithesis to training alone is training with others which implies doing the same training as others. For a select few this can be a useful strategy to help push them into a higher level, but for the vast majority this will limit the individual athlete’s potential. With our focus centered around individual sport, the following statement must be made: every athlete will have unique needs in order to get better at any individual sport. Humans are different from each other. We are different in our genes (nature) and how the environment (nurture) has impacted the expression of those genes. With that in mind and the definition of sport mentioned above, a large portion of the training will need to be focused on the individual requirements to best prepare that athlete for the competition. And this will inevitably lead to athletes completing individualized training which might be done by themselves majority of the time.

[As an aside, it doesn’t take much critical thinking to figure out that performing the same training as others will limit one’s ability to reach their potential due to a lack of uniqueness in the design and approach. Humans are too unique and too complex.]

As an athlete continues to perform the same training as others, they will experience its insidious influence of morphing training into competing. And competing is not the same as training. Competing is the expression of the sport at its fullest capacity. Whereas training is the practice and refinement of the characteristics required in the sport. That capability to compete must be built through training. Yes, part of it is dependent on competing, but that plays a smaller part than most people think. Moreover, most people don’t have enough training under their belt to warrant more consistent competing within their training plan. Why? Because they can’t fully express the tests, recover optimally, and positively adapt from them. That is the true sign of someone who is prepared and capable of competing. And that takes A LOT of time and training to build someone to that level, and most people are not patient enough for this harsh truth. This then leads to the discussion around how many “true” expressions of potential can someone express each year? Without going into individual differences based on training age, biological age, and chronological age, along with the aforementioned nature and nurture impact, there’s a limit to it, and if the daily competing verse others taps into that limit that will lead to less capability in the actual competitions.

Second chunk:

“…you can push yourself harder than you otherwise could.”

It’s a fallacy to think that in order to get better or become elite in the sport of CrossFit you must push yourself harder in all your training. First thought, what does “harder” even mean? And why does “harder” automatically lead to improved results; how is that the case? Are those who push themselves the “hardest” the best in the sport? Is the key to becoming elite in the sport of CrossFit simply by pushing yourself “harder” in training?

Those are 4 questions that are poorly answered majority of the time by people who don’t understand the sport they are competing in (read: athletes) and/or the sport they are preparing individuals to compete in (read: coaches).

Let’s focus in on the word “harder” and its implications. To begin, the overarching goal of the sport of CrossFit is to make all dynamic contractions as “aerobically driven” as possible over a 3-to-4-day period with 8-12 varying tasks; 1 to 2 of the tasks will be maximal contractions while the remaining tasks will be varied metabolic tasks. This implies a work rate that allows for balanced oxygen utilization to oxygen consumption regardless of the task. This also implies mechanical and cellular efficiency to create the greatest energy economy possible. Whereby perceptually, and physiologically, the work is less demanding. The goal isn’t to work “harder” but to work more efficient and economical so you can recover quicker before the next event, or next training session, which then allows you to perform with more energy and fuel than your opponent next to you. The ones who are standing atop the podium at the end of the weekend are those who have managed energy usage with demand the best. So, you aren’t aiming to go “harder.” You are aiming to build maximal efficiency to allow for faster work rates that are repeatable allowing you to recover faster. The elite do this unconsciously and the rate they can maintain in pieces of work is extremely hard for most people to fathom leading one to assume, “they must be going ‘harder’ than I can. If I can just go ‘harder’ I will move towards the elite ranks in the sport.” The simplest way to put it is, your 95% perceived effort is equivalent to an elite’s 75% perceived effort. Think about that for a moment. In the meantime, start to shift your focus towards improving efficiency and movement economy so you can build more training volume and ascend more quickly towards your potential. There will be many times when you must push yourself more than you normally would. This will be the instance where you can fall back on your movement efficiency and economy to allow for a larger bandwidth of effort to pull from. Don’t try to raise the ceiling, aim to raise the floor as close to the ceiling as possible.

Arguments for Training Alone

Through my own experience competing in higher level athletics for 14+ years of my life and through my experience coaching athletes in all phases of athletic development these are my strongest arguments, to date, for why training alone is a valuable asset in any individual athlete’s journey.

1.         You can be more selfish. At bottom, being an individual athlete requires a heightened level of selfishness. You can’t get around this. Your needs become the priority. The more people you bring into your circle the more responsibility you must account for in your choices and actions.

2.         You’re less reliant on others. The more dependent you are on others for choices, decisions, outcomes the less agency you have. The less agency you have the less ownership you have. In the context of sport, this slowly eats away at your self-belief and sense of competence. How can you accomplish or complete anything without those in which you are dependent? You can’t. You are handcuffed.

3.         The onus is fully on you. The burden, the challenge, the responsibility rests fully on your own shoulders. The outcomes become more commensurate with the level of intent and consistency placed in the work.

4.         The act self-selects for those who are intrinsically driven versus those who are extrinsically driven. Being intrinsically driven allows one to act upon something without the need for an external push. This is paramount for anyone who is pursuing their maximum physical potential. There will always be a limit on how far an extrinsic drive will take you, but an intrinsic driven has no limit; only that in which you decide for yourself.

Closing

Training alone is nothing grander than growing up.

Training alone is threatening for some. Figuratively, I see it as an opportunity to grow up. What does training alone signify? Taking ownership for the work and the quality of the work. Testing yourself; can you handle the responsibility, commitment, and consistency required to take something far? Probably farther than anything else you’ve taken. These are the attributes needed for someone to “grow up” and become something of themselves. This is the requirement for those who want to push their sport to its limit. While there is a great deal of folly wrapped inside of sport, there is tremendous value in the ability to build the attributes that will provide value and resilience for the many challenges you will face in life. Lean into the discomfort you may face with training alone. Only there will you truly uncover what is driving you in this pursuit. And if the intentions are true and straight, you will find a vast resource of strength and power you have yet seen.

Metrics Examination in Sports

Lead vs. Lag Metrics

Outcomes = lagging measure of habits

When it comes to engaging in any endeavor that requires a growth curve you will confront a systems principle called “Lead vs. Lag Metrics (or Measures).” A simple way to describe the difference between the two is the following:

 “While a lag measure tells you if you’ve achieved the goal, a lead measure tells you if you are likely to achieve the goal.” - FranklinCovey

Your leading metrics can influence change in your approach while lagging metrics can only record what has happened. One is changing/active, the other is fixed/reflective.

For a coach aiming to get their athlete to their physical potential, you need to know the “lead metrics” that get you to your “lag metrics.”

Lead Metrics (Indicators you are “on track”)

Strength Adaptations

Capacity Adaptations

Movement Quality

Consistent learning and execution of training sessions

Consistent behaviors (sleep, hydration, routine, stress management, soft tissue work, etc.)

Lag Metrics (Indicators that you “want to get”)

Less Injuries

Winning

Improved competitive outcomes

Greater resilience

What was once challenging isn’t any more

As a coach, it’s imperative to have metrics that allow you to track progress across a multitude of areas, otherwise what are you really doing? In my opinion, the key to progress in any program is a comprehensive selection of lead metrics. If we pigeonhole ourselves to just 1 or 2 metrics that could negatively impact our understanding of growth along with our athlete’s mindset around their own growth. For example, if those 2 metrics aren’t improving, the athlete could then believe they are not getting better when they could be improving across 3-4 other metrics that play an important role in the long-term goal. The success of an athlete is multi-faceted.

To use driving as an analogy, you only reach your destination (lag metric) after you’ve traveled down the road for quite some time. The quality of your driving experience and the time needed to arrive is dictated in large part by your management of your lead metrics: ensuring your oil levels are on point, your fuel tank is full, your tire pressure is optimal, your spare tire is in the trunk, your AC is working well, the list goes on. The compounding effect of these pieces dictate how efficiently and safely you arrive at your destination.

Maximizing Lead Metrics

We will arrive at favorable lag metrics through consistent execution and maximization of our lead metrics. We can look at this from two different perspectives: the athlete and the coach.

Athlete Perspective:

Control the controllables. This is a maxim that I continually remind my athletes. If we boil everything down, this is all we can impact with regards to our outcomes. Focusing on the controllables each day will compound into your lag metrics, which will either be favorable or not favorable. If we use first principles thinking, to favorably adapt to a training stressor, you must recover from that stressor. Optimal recovery begins with lifestyle behaviors. If we condense that we’d arrive at: sleep, rhythm/routine, nourishment, stress management, hydration. These become our lead metrics. The combination of these behaviors over time will give us our lag metrics. Principles to maximize lifestyle success:

-Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day

-If you take your training seriously, aim for 8+ hours of sleep per night; if you train more than 7 times per week, aim for 9+ hours of sleep per night

-Maintain a consistent rhythm each day with regards to meal timing, training timing, sleep timing, wind down timing, etc.

-Ensure adequate hydration with electrolyte support; 60% of bodyweight (in pounds) equals a starting point for ounces of water needed per day. Increases in training volume will require increases in water consumption

-Understanding your daily stressors and how to best manage them.

In addition to lifestyle behaviors acting as lead metrics, we also have lead metrics inside our training. To reach performance goals, we must have controllable targets to be mindful of during the training process to allow for incremental growth each session. The intention we put behind our training will create a 1% divide each training session. Over the course of many years that 1% will compound into vastly different outcomes. Principles to maximize training success:

-Better understanding of the intention behind your training pieces to maximize proper execution

-Reviewing your results, behaviors, decisions made during training to better inform yourself on what was successful and what was not successful

-Filming yourself to review movement quality, efficiency, and progression over time

-Managing distractions while training to maximize focus and deliberate execution of your tasks

-Taking the time to properly prepare for the training session to maximize the dose response

-Taking the time to properly cool down to begin the recovery process promptly

Coach Perspective:

We need to start with the goal. What is the outcome we want for our athlete? That becomes our lag metric; we only arrive at that after all the work, and a little magic, has taken place. Once we have our goal, we can then identify lead metrics that will help move us closer to the target. As mentioned above, this can come in the form of strength metrics, capacity metrics, movement quality, consistent training over multiple years, daily learning and upgrading of the athlete’s experience to build greater awareness in themselves and their training. Additionally, it’s imperative that the coach communicates this plan and process with their athlete to ensure they are on the same page and understand what our long-term target is (lag metric) and what our short-term targets are (lead metrics). This will allow for full alignment for both the coach and athlete. Then we execute. Principles to maximize success:

-Full alignment with the athlete on the goal, timeline, and lead metrics required

-Comprehensive list of lead metrics to help guide the training program

-Ongoing check-ins to ensure lifestyle lead metrics are being maintained if not maximized by the athlete

-Routine discussion to reiterate the goal, timeline, and lead metrics required

Closing:

The investment an athlete puts into their daily routine, and training, doesn’t pay dividends tomorrow - it pays you back further down the road (lag metric). If you skimp on the investment today (lead metric), you will pay the price later. Part of this investment process requires the collaboration of a coach who can help inform and dialogue with the athlete to create clarity around what that investment strategy looks like relative to the long-term goal.

Keep a close eye on what matters most, your lead metrics, to ensure forward progress. Do this consistently over time and the performance will take care of itself.