Crossfit Norwest, Raw strength and conditioning and Barefoot Evolution Discussion Forum

[Mark]

After approximately 2 weeks, I'm a veteran now and at least everyone has seen me dying in pretty much every WOD which is to be expected. a big thanks to Rob, Cam and Dan for getting me through some of the tougher ones.

I find my big barrier is that I am so ridiculously weak so I am thinking I might need to get into some strength training and gets some decent pressing, squating and pulling power as I feel it's going to hold me back until I get off the novice strength standards.

Don't want to be trashed all the time but I am finding I am not as ridiculously sore as I was the first week but feeling much more motivated to train now, so recovery is coming along well enough with some leanings towards going mostly paleo.

Too early to add this in or go for it.I'm thinking very low volume here 2-3 sets of 5 (deadlifts, pullups, push press, squat)with 85% or more in a wave loading fashion?

[Dan]

You would see from the Raw programming that a lot of it is a strength component to start then a metcon to smash the finish. It certainly helps improve your strength, but the normal CF programming has a lot of strength work and you will improve out of sight, I know I did. I would say give it 3 months of regular WODs, because Rob has programmed this in, so if you stick to 3 on 1 off, you will be fine. Reassess in 3-6 months, by then you can prob do the Raw stuff comfortably.

[Mark]

ah patience grasshopper...

will work up to that volume, just doing mon/wed/fri/sat at this time and will re-evaluate after another month.

[Tom]

Follow the programming for 3 months as Dan said, then if results aren't coming it may be time to change things up. Always scale weight so that you can complete the WOD with good form. Bad form = not working the right muscles.

[Rob]

Mark,

Dan and Tom are right. Extra lifting should only be performed by advanced lifters. All the programing I have done factors in all facets of fitness. You will see that quite a few workouts use large weights. If not large weights then reasonable weights that are performed a number of times. You will get stronger with this programming and you will move closer to rx'd (prescribed) weights. Tom is correct in saying that scaling is the key and there are no short cuts. If you train hard and give each WOD 100% then you will get results I guarantee.

A few examples. I do less training than any one at the gym. I don't do finishers, i don't do the warm up that everyone does my warm up consists of only light gymnastic work and broom stick stuff. I have only done heavy deadlift maybe 6 times in the last year. In that year I have had 2 shoulder reconstructions. My deadlift since starting pure CrossFit has gone from 180kg to yesterday lifting 270kg. I think 90% of people at the gym would be stoked with a 190 deadlift. My back squat has gone from 145kg to 190kg in a little over a year and my press has gone from 62.5 to 95kg. The whole time maintaining a Fran of 2min 37 (last one was 2min 40 something) and running a 5km in 19min 01.

My mother could not pick up the bar. An empty bar to deadlift................ No way. Now with an average of twice a week she can no deadlift 60kg. That is over 300% increase. Your Partner Bec will have the same strength gains.

Christie the winner of our paleo challenge earlier this year has gone from 50kg deadlift to just today deadlifting 100kg. Dana only weights 53kg today she squatted 85kg and nearly got 90kg. She nearly does double body weight squat.

Do not do supplemental weight training unless that is your overall goal. If you want to be a strongman like Tom Vale then you may need to find a gym to train like a strong man. I am not sure of Toms stats but when he started with me over a year ago actually 18months ago he could not do 50 jumping band pull ups in his first workout. I am also pretty sure his deadlift was around 100kg??? when he left CrossFit he could easily perform 100 normal pull ups unassisted (not in a one set obviously) and his deadlift was maybe around 170/180kg. Since he has left and taken up his primary goal of doing only strongman and power lifting competitions he can now deadlift 220/230kg but he couldn't run out of sight on a dark night. But his primary goal is strength strength strength. He is definitely stronger but over all I could say that his "Fitness level" would have dropped by at least 50%. I am not having a go at him because he is becoming very good at his primary goal. But he is not a CrossFitter.

It comes down to what you want. Do you want to be fit across broad time and modal domains or do you want to pigeon hole yourself into a narrow minded way of thinking and only be able to pick up heavy shit and be terrible at everything else?

[Tom]

Haha I don't think my fitness has slipped that much Rob, can't say I was too far behind the pack on the rowing workout I did at the gym not that long ago. I also did this after my own workout .

As for the comment about it being narrow minded to focus on one goal, does that make all those who only compete in one sport narrow minded haha?
I'll tell Lance Armstrong to stop being so narrow minded, not that I'll ever be as good at my chosen goals as lance is at his .

[Mark]

Thanks Rob (and everyone else)

That all makes sense, my goal is not to get strongman/powerlifter strong but to get fit and be good at crossfit so we'll just put in 100% each time and see what comes of it.

Having a good time despite dying in all the metcons and pumped to train each session - best gym environment I've ever come across.

[adrian]

Sounds like Tom should do the Fran challenge

You'd beat me at least

[Rob]

Tom,

I wasn't getting at that. What I meant was that if you want to be really good at one specific sport then you have to train for that sport. Exactly what you are doing and your mate Lance.

CrossFit will deliver fantastic all round fitness (GPP) and give you the fitness requirements through out a number of fitness parameters to complete any challenge however if you want to deadlift 400kg and not be able to walk around the block then you have to train for that 400kg deadlift. If you want to wear the yellow jersey on the Tour De France I think you'll need more than just a good Fight Gone Bad score.

Tommy you did do well on the rowing wod but that is just like a deadlift workout. I think you do a FRAN and compare that time to what you were capable of 8 months ago. How about the 21, 15, 9 thruster, kettlebell swings, pull ups 400m run wod you did at Penrith about a year ago?

[Mark]

Okay the supplemental strength question is resolved but I have another.

Is it a good idea to do a small amount of bodyweight training - my pushups, burpees and pullups are progressing pretty slowly. I was thinking of adding a set of say 10 a couple of times a week in the morning or lunchtime?

Though I plan 4x a week now at the box and it seems to be doable without stupid DOMS now so hopefully I'll start to increase my performance but sick of quaking in fear whenever the word burpees and pushups are mentioned.