How do you program a good metcon?

[Steven Low]

Originally Posted by Kyle Marston

So further to the original question, is it possible for someone like me who knows nothing about exercise physiology other than what I've read in Pmenu and the CFJ make the distinction referred to here?

To say that it depends on your goals seems like an easy way out. Hopefully those of you that know would be able to design a metcon for a client looking to better his MMA conditioning or performance on the rugby pitch, right? Is that just from experience? Is there no other way to get that knowledge (for, say, someone with a desk job--i.e. no way to gain that experience--but a keen interest in the subject)? Am I left with trial and error? Or relying on others with the expertise?

Look at the people who program with heavy lifting and metabolic work. There's some advice in here which you didn't get to that I believe Gant/Garrett/Brandon posts, and there's stuff out there like the front page of PMenu.

Notice how the metabolic work is programmed differently from the strength/power work. Rarely is there a lot if much barbell work in the metabolic... it's mostly gymnastics, sprinting, rowing, etc. while the main strength section is barbell. There's a couple reasons for this which have already been described.

A lot is about experience, but it's possible to also learn a lot from understanding in theory (a lot of which has been hashed out in the first 40 posts in this thread).

[Justin Herring]

So I've been reading this thread with some interest. Now I'm wondering how one programs a metcon to "fit your goals."

There's a lot of advice in the thread about what a metcon should be. Most of it is pretty straightforward and specific (like what Steve mentions in the previous post). But I don't have much sense for how you should modify metcons to fit your goals. How would your metcons look different if you were, say, trying to prepare for endurance events (running or triathlons), emphasizing strength, oly lifting, rock climbing, or whatever.

For instance, there's advice here that you should go short (relative to CF mainpage), go hard, avoid barbells, etc. Is that always true, regardless of what your preparing for? Or only true if your trying to replicate the program of Grant et al?

I'm not much for programming, so my approach is to borrow from whatever seems like the best fit for my goals at the time. (CF Football, CFE, Catalyst, local affiliate, etc.)

[Steven Low]

Do you guys want examples or something? Because it doesn't seem like the guidelines in this thread are enough for a lot of you who don't have a lot of experience programming... but seriously there are various sources out there.

In most cases, "metabolic" work for sports training ends up being intervals such as in sprinting. It's very rare from what I've seen that they'd use any type of gymnastics or weightlifting to do metabolic work or complexes.

[Matt Corley]

Originally Posted by Steven Low

Do you guys want examples or something? Because it doesn't seem like the guidelines in this thread are enough for a lot of you who don't have a lot of experience programming... but seriously there are various sources out there.

In most cases, "metabolic" work for sports training ends up being intervals such as in sprinting. It's very rare from what I've seen that they'd use any type of gymnastics or weightlifting to do metabolic work or complexes.

i would love some examples. I'm (re)doing SS right now and plan to move over to Wendler's 5/3/1 once I stall on SS. i really want to incorporate (relatively) short conditioning into the programming. I'm planning on working out Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun.

I was planning on working in tire flips and sled dragging on lower body days and not sure about upper body days.

thanks in advance,
matt

[Kyle Marston]

Steven—No need for examples for me. If the general guidelines given so far are what’s involved then I think I’ve got a handle on it. I guess I was thinking there is some wickedly complex set of guidelines or rules to be followed, known only to the fitness illuminati. Some folks tend to hype their programming as the super secret sauce so I guess I always assume it must be something way more complex than just thousand island dressing.