Delta 2013 mesocycle, Conditioning Phase, Week 7

Length: 8 weeks
"Capacity Building"

Monday: Clean and Jerk Work
Tuesday: Push-Up Ladder
Wednesday: OHS
Thursday: BSQT
Friday: Deadlift
Saturday: 3 Rds, Max Reps Pull-Up, rest 60s
Sunday: 5k Run

EXERCISE KEY:
FSQT - Front Squat
OHS - Overhead Squat
PU - Push-Up
SDHP - Sumo Deadlift, High-Pull
UB - Unbroken

Click here for additional phases

Delta 2013 mesocycle, Conditioning Phase, Week 6

Length: 8 weeks
"Capacity Building"

Monday: Death by Deadlift
Tuesday: Max Pull-Ups
Wednesday: Snatch
Thursday: FSQT
Friday: Backwards Run
Saturday: 300 Sit-Ups
Sunday: 45 minute Ruck March

EXERCISE KEY:
FSQT - Front Squat
PU - Push-Up
SDHP - Sumo Deadlift, High-Pull
UB - Unbroken

Click here for additional phases

Delta 2013 mesocycle, Conditioning Phase, Week 5

Length: 8 weeks
"Capacity Building"

Monday: OHS
Tuesday: Bear Complex
Wednesday: OH Walking Lunge
Thursday: Sandbag Run
Friday: Dueling Ropes
Saturday: 3rds Max Rep PU; 60s rest
Sunday: 5k Run

EXERCISE KEY:
PU - Push-Up
SDHP - Sumo Deadlift, High-Pull
UB - Unbroken

Click here for additional phases

Delta 2013 mesocycle, Conditioning Phase, Week 4

Length: 8 weeks
"Capacity Building"

Monday: Backsquat
Tuesday: Thrusters
Wednesday: Calorie Row
Thursday: Overhead Squat
Friday: Weighted Pull-Ups
Saturday: 200m Walking Lunge
Sunday: Active Rest Day - Yoga or Swim

EXERCISE KEY:
PU - Push-Up
SDHP - Sumo Deadlift, High-Pull
UB - Unbroken

Click here for additional phases

Delta 2013 mesocycle, Conditioning Phase, Week 3

Length: 8 weeks
"Capacity Building"

Monday: Bear Complex
Tuesday: SDHP + Clean
Wednesday: Man-Makers
Thursday: Snatch Balance
Friday: Walking Lunge
Saturday: 2rds Max Reps PU, 60s Rest
Sunday: 5k Run

EXERCISE KEY:
PU - Push-Up
SDHP - Sumo Deadlift, High-Pull
UB - Unbroken

Click here for additional phases

Delta 2013 mesocycle, Conditioning Phase, Week 2

Length: 8 weeks
"Capacity Building"

Monday: Tire Flips
Tuesday: Weighted Pull-Ups
Wednesday: Thrusters
Thursday: Deadlift
Friday: Bear Crawl
Saturday: Rest Day
Sunday: 45 minute Ruck March

OLY LIFT KEY:
BP - Bench Press
BSQT - Back Squat
C&J - Clean and Jerk
DL - Dead Lift
DU - Double Unders
FSQT - Front Squat
HPC - Hang Power Clean
OH - Overhead
OHS - Overhead Squat
PC - Power Clean
PJ - Push Jerk
PP - Push Press
SDHP - Sumo Deadlift, High Pull
T2B - Toes to Bar
UB - Unbroken

Click here for additional phases

Delta 2013 mesocycle, Conditioning Phase, Week 1

Total Phase: 8 Weeks
"Capacity Building"

Monday: Weighted Pull-Ups
Tuesday: Weighted Push-Ups
Wednesday: OH Walking Lunge
Thursday: 1 Mile Sandbag Run
Friday: Clean and Jerk
Saturday: 5k Run
Sunday: 15 Minutes: Swim Laps

OLY LIFT KEY:
BP - Bench Press
BSQT - Back Squat
C&J - Clean and Jerk
DL - Dead Lift
DU - Double Unders
FSQT - Front Squat
HPC - Hang Power Clean
OH - Overhead
OHS - Overhead Squat
PC - Power Clean
PJ - Push Jerk
PP - Push Press
SDHP - Sumo Deadlift, High Pull
T2B - Toes to Bar

Click here for additional phases

Capacity Building - Delta Mesocycle 2013

As you have seen in the last few weeks, I've added a "conditioning" portion to the dailies. We are going to expand upon that in the DELTA portion of this year's macrocycle.

Conditioning, in my mind, is "capacity building". Unlike our endurance portion where we're going distance and increasing cardio-respitory fitness, in capacity building we are focused on sustaining a load over time. Yes, you have the strength to lift a heavy load, but we want to increase your strength capacity in order to lift that load many more times.

This mesocycle will last 8 weeks and take us almost to the end of 2013. Enjoy!

~Chief

Muscle Fatigue and the SVG FIT Couplet

Good morning, Savages!


Before diving into the meat of this article, it's worth caveating ALL of this with the following: you are not going to see ANY results worth the effort you are putting into this program if you are not also modifying your diet to compensate both for your weight (if you are trying to shed pounds) and for the amount of work you're doing. The NUMBER ONE biggest mistake I see people make is assuming, because they've made it through a brutal workout, that gives them carte blanche to eat whatever the hell they want. NO!

Your body is a machine - when you fuel it correctly and adequately, it performs like a monster. When you pour sugar in the tank and eat like crap, your performance suffers and you will not lose the weight you want to lose. It's just that simple.

Whew! With that being said - two things:

1) This is not necessarily a weight-loss post!

2) I LOVE questions - keep them coming.


A question was posed to me today:

Why do the Couplets for the Heavy portion of the workout?.

I realized this probably hadn't been addressed; at least not adequately. So I thought I would do a little write-up on it for everyone. It important to note that CrossFit, while a terrific program and ultimate ass-kicker, is not the only program competitive athletes train to. The MetCon is only a part of their daily routine, and it is with a similar mindset to which I approach the programming at SVG FIT. Strict CrossFit programming will undoubtedly produce an increased capacity over time, but it will not inherently create a stronger athlete with random 7x1 strength training.

Regular participation in weightlifting will result in increased strength, an increase in definition and size of muscles and, overall, a generally trim figure over time. We all know this! Running miles at a time or going to that Supreme Cardio Extreme 200 Ninja X (patent pending) workout will not have the same effect!

Lifting weights, even body weight HIIT stresses the body and is far more beneficial for weight loss over time than running or ANY strictly cardio workout. Aside from the simple fact that you are creating muscle which is much more beneficial than fat when it comes to efficiency at consuming calories, you are also engaging in a greater EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) effect than cardio. The EPOC is the phenomenon where the body continues to run along in an advanced state for many hours after the conclusion of an anaerobic workout involving external stiumuli (in our case - weights). In order for the body to fully appreciate the benefits of a weightlifting session, however, we have to stress it. We have to put the body in a state uncertainty that elicits a response - that response, over time, is muscle growth, heart conditioning and an increase in overall capacity.

From a capacity-building standpoint, take the following excerpt from Alwyn Cosgrove:

Overweight subjects were assigned to three groups: diet-only, diet plus aerobics, diet plus aerobics plus weights. The diet group lost 14.6 pounds of fat in 12 weeks. The aerobic group lost only one more pound (15.6 pounds) than the diet group (training was three times a week starting at 30 minutes and progressing to 50 minutes over the 12 weeks).

The weight training group lost 21.1 pounds of fat (44% and 35% more than diet and aerobic only groups respectively). Basically, the addition of aerobic training didn’t result in any real world significant fat loss over dieting alone.

Thirty-six sessions of up to 50 minutes is a lot of work for one additional pound of fat loss. However, the addition of resistance training greatly accelerated fat loss results.

So, to come back around to original question - why the couplet? - we look at the single lift we do daily and quickly come to the conclusion that the solitary movement, despite being multi-functional in its mechanics, may not be enough of a stressor for the body to which it feels the need to respond. By creating the couplet, the intent is to add a layer of uncertainty for the body to deal with. This additional level of fatigue-inducing exercise forces the body to compensate and ensures a greater response (i.e. musculoskeletal growth) in a shorter amount of time.

In-short, it is critical that each session (with the exception of the Deload weeks) be an overload of the muscle groups being targeted. Creating the couplet ensures the desired response.

Stay Savage, My Friends!
Matt Everhart

Week 4, Phase 2 - SVG Heavy Work

Phase Length: 5 Weeks
Sets: 4
Rep Range: 8-10
Load: 70-80% 1RM (1 Rep Max)

Monday:BSQT / 20 Supine Bike Kicks
Tuesday:PP / 3 Strict Pull-Ups
Wednesday:Rest Day
Thursday:OHS / 7 Ring Row
Friday:Clean / 5 Jump Squats, 1p KB
Saturday:SDHP / 20 Double Unders
Sunday:Rest Day
The exercises listed after the lift are to be done between each set.

Rest no less than 2 and NO MORE THAN 3 minutes following the LIFT.

OLY LIFT KEY:
BP - Bench Press
BSQT - Back Squat
C&J - Clean and Jerk
DL - Dead Lift
FSQT - Front Squat
GSQT - Goblet Squat
HPC - Hang Power Clean
OHS - Overhead Squat
OTB - Over The Back w/ Sandbag
PC - Power Clean
PJ - Push Jerk
PP - Push Press

Click here for additional phases

The CrossFit Clean - what are the standards?

A question was raised by some trainer friends of mine about what CrossFit considers "the standard" for the Clean. Away from the CrossFit world, I think most people agree a solid rack, with the arms parallel to the deck are generally required for a strong, complete Clean position.

In fact (as Ryan Kittrell, Level 1 CF Trainer was kind enough to Google up): "The power clean is best thought of as a jump with the bar in the hands, followed immediately by an upward forward slam of the elbows to rack it on the shoulders." ---Rippetoe

The 2012 Games recently displayed the standard as basically having the elbow in front of the bar. In this video, I explain my thoughts on the CrossFit Clean and a few differences between the actual "Rippetoe" definition and the standard at CrossFit.

Elbows are good - but the head is NOT neutral. Judging by this stance,
he appears to be a little far forward  and above that 90-degree sweet spot

Virtually NO rack at all. What's worse is this gal is posing
for a model-type picture, presumably demonstrating the Clean

I think this may have been at CrossFit regionals or maybe even
the CrossFit Games. This, in my opinion is NO REP. The elbows
are down and the knees are WAY forward. Poor form if nothing else

Just. Freaking. Awesome.

A progression picture. The top is AFTER, the bottom
the BEFORE picture.

20 AUG 2012 - Tosh

INTENSITY:
Tosh
3 Rounds of:
Run 200 meters
Run 400 meters
Run 600 meters

Rest the exact time it takes you to do each interval in each set.

EX. 200m run in 35 sec. rest 35 sec then 400m run, rest 400m time, run 600m, rest 600m time, run 200m, etc.

RESET:
2 Rounds of:
 60s Squat Bridge
 10 Weighted Walking Lunge (45/25)
 10 Landmine Obliques

19 JUN 2012 - "Barbara"

HEAVY:
Rest Day

INTENSITY:

"Barbara"
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats
Rest precisely three minutes between each round. Post total time, including rest to comments.


RESET:
100 Double Unders