Lost after the metcon & CrossFit habit......

Alex Amat · 07-01-2012, 12:54 PM

Can someone explain what the deal is with CrossFit then and now? Ive been CrossFiting for about 5 years now and competing for 2 1/2 years. I'm in a search of new programming but would like to know why CrossFit main site is no longer or if it was ever good for long term training. I like the style CrossFit but if there is something wrong then I would like to correct my programming. Thx to all that reply.

Matt Morris · 07-02-2012, 05:03 AM

Alex,

Welcome to the forum!

I don't have too much to say about how crossfit programming has changed. But if you're looking for help on what to do for your own programming, then the folks here will want to know 1) what are your goals, 2) what is your training history, 3) what is your recovery like (ie how much sleep do you get a night, how well do you eat etc). Once that's out there, then they can give you a much better answer on what a good program for you might look like.

Best of luck!

Alex Amat · 07-02-2012, 09:52 PM

Thanks Matt, I will follow up with your recommendation.

Greg Everett · 07-03-2012, 08:20 AM

Alex -

Completely different now than it was in the early years. The site started in 2001 I believe, and I was involved by the end of 2003 (and then owned the 4th affiliate w robb wolf by 2004). At that time, the programming was much simpler, much more rational, and not just a couple guys trying to dream up the most ridiculous workouts possible to impress people w how amazing crossfitters are. They were tough and demanding, but not in an unreasonable way. And there was some semblance of planning rather than now, where only the most delusional of cf inc employees could argue that there's a plan (I mean a plan other than what I described above). Those were the salad days, as they say.... long gone and never to be again.

The good news is that you yourself can do what CF intended to do back then, which was simply use the best training methods from various athletic disciplines - combine weightlifting, powerlifting, gymnastics and sprint training in a rational, methodical manner with appropriate progressions and long term planning, and you'll have some good programming.

Alex Amat · 07-03-2012, 03:38 PM

Thanks Greg,

These are my goals:
Stay fit, healthy and functional.
I came from a body building programming prior to CrossFit and then I found CrossFit the good years. I broke away from the affiliate due to scheduling with work (firefighter) and having a new born, our first. We converted our garage into a 2 person (wife & I) CrossFit/olmpic style gym.
Took my level 1 CF cert. then the rest was on our own.
I enjoy the CrossFit methods but since i don't belong to an affiliate I don't learn what's good or bad anymore. I know cf has changed since they went corporate America....
I want to still compete in local CrossFit competetion but nothing like the games.
Overall I still want to avoid beating my body up since I still have a long career as a firefighter, but want to be fit at doing it along with off duty.
Right now I'm doing the (General Cycle) form your site 4 days into it and I do my own programing for short metcon based on the Gant Grimes post. I only met con 3 days a week.

What do you think? Thanks....

Greg Everett · 07-04-2012, 09:28 AM

Gant's template is a good one.

You may find doing the programs posted here a bit too much if you're also doing significant conditioning work. You can check out this as another possibility to combine w Gant's thing - http://www.catalystathletics.com/blo...hp?blogID=1686

Tom Seryak · 07-19-2012, 04:11 PM

Alex, after we dropped our affiliation with crossfit, we kept some conditioning components, but structure is much differently. Mainly we stick to low skill movements, reasonable volume, couplets and triplets, and always include rest...either through a fixed period or a send-off time. I wrote about it hear:

http://www.seryakstrength.com/2011/1...y-sustainable/

Patrick McCarty · 07-19-2012, 04:34 PM

Greg,

You summed up how I have been feeling for quite a while, exactly.

alex, I do OPT's "Being" track along with seeing an OLY coach twice a week. I am preping for the 2012 games in the master's 50-54 division so it might be a bit more volume that you are looking for as I definitely have games goals.

Once I win the games, I am going to move on to Oly masters competing at which time I will follow Catalyst's site spot on!

Good luck.

Pat

Will Nipper · 07-19-2012, 08:58 PM

Alex,
Check out The Outlaw Way, Crossfit Football, and OPT. And, you know, Cathletics. Naturally. They are all run by people much smarter than I am.

Personally, I follow Cathletics now, but I also write programming; my trainees have seen some pretty solid results. You can find us at http://www.facebook.com/centralflori...thandmasochism. I post the workouts daily.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Seryak

Alex, after we dropped our affiliation with crossfit, we kept some conditioning components, but structure is much differently. Mainly we stick to low skill movements, reasonable volume, couplets and triplets, and always include rest...either through a fixed period or a send-off time. I wrote about it hear:

http://www.seryakstrength.com/2011/1...y-sustainable/

Tom, that article was on point. I think you and I are of a very similar mind in regards to conditioning. The only time I really break from the rules is for my "Saturday Supercon"...a tradition that started as a joke but has carried on because my trainees effing love it. Sunday's a rest day, so I don't feel too bad about beating them up a little on Saturdays.

I like your idea of cutting back the conditioning work to two days a week and adding in supplemental lifts. That might just form the basis for my next strength cycle.

John Frazer · 07-20-2012, 06:41 AM

I did main page CF from 2004 to about 2006, then realized I needed to work more on strength. At that point I did Rippetoe's Starting Strength program for a few month and got a lot stronger until I plateaued. (No surprise, I was 40.)

I had occasionally been using Coach Rut's workouts as substitutes for main page when I didn't have the time or equipment for HQ's prescription, and I always enjoyed them. In 2007 he went to a year-round template of max effort lifting plus a short metcon (the Max Effort Black Box or MEBB), three days a week. I've been on that ever since and find it incredibly sustainable.

I usually add a long run on the weekend to prepare for road racing (or this year, the Tough Mudder). I may also do some volume work on pull-ups or other gymnastics. Lots of time left for recovery and I've never felt the need for more than a couple days off the program. My only setbacks have been due to injuries, which have been my fault and would have been more frequent if I'd stuck with main page.

Lately I've gotten a few of my fellow over-40 friends to try it; they've been having fun and hitting PRs in their lifts.

Check it out at http://www.bootcampfitnesskc.com/the-fitness-conduit/ -- and if you try the workouts, please post your results. Every now and then, Coach Rut threatens to stop posting workouts for lack of feedback, and this would be a big problem for some of us!