May Programming Notes

It's May! It's time for BBQs, pool parties, and Hero WODs! My name is Chuck Lawrence. I am an Army logistics officer finishing up CGSC. It's the final full month for the current CGSC and SAMS students...so I'm going to send you all out of here with a bang!

Last month, Nick Lozar took you on a cardio adventure designed to help most of you smash your spring physical fitness test. You've seen lower loads, higher heart rates, and lots and lots of mobility. Now it's time to ratchet things up a bit, increase the loads, and start working on skill with that barbell!

What you can expect this month:
1) You will touch a bar almost every day.
2) You will do a lot of work with elements of the clean and jerk.
3) You will still get a chance to work on stretching and mobility.
4) High-skill gymnastics. We saw them in the Open, so now we have a whole year to work!
5) You're going to want to check that ego at the door. Scale when you need to, not just when you want to.
6) You will (hopefully) have fun!

7)  We will have our annual Memorial Day Murph event, co-hosted with our Team RWB friends.  We're providing the WOD, they're providing the 'Murica (and some food)!

As many of you are aware, Rob and Tara Kinney are heading off to their next Army adventure a little early. As such, they have turned over their responsibilities in preparation for their move. Emery Baughan is taking over as the IMCF Communications Lead, and Sean Carmody is filling the role of A910 Coordinator. Thanks guys for stepping up and filling some really big shoes! I will temporarily serve as the IMCF Program Coordinator until a suitable (and more permanent) replacement can be found.

Rob and Tara, thanks so much for your providing your time and leadership to the IMCF family. The Bubble will not be the same without either of you!

Finally, it's PCS season, and new people are going to be filtering into the Bubble over the course of the next few weeks. Please do your best to welcome new athletes into the fold...remember, IMCF is the Unofficial US Army CrossFit Center of Excellence!

I look forward to working with everyone over the course of the next month. See you in the Bubble!


-Chuck L.

Strength Training Discussion - "Starting Strength"

After a week hiatus (a lot going on last weekend!), here's the third in a series of posts from Jake on strength training.  He's been studying up on a number of the "gold standard" strength programs out there, and sharing executive overviews of the methodologies.  You can locate this article and revisit previous articles using the "Strength" tag in the category search at right.

Any questions, experiences, or insights to share?  Post to comments...

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III. Starting Strength, 3rd Edition

by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore

Starting Strength (SS) and its complement, Practical Programming for Strength Training (PPST), are novice and intermediate strength athlete programs. Hold your horses if you're reading this and thinking you're too uber-elite for this training because you have a 30 second Fran - I assure you it's worth your time.

Strength Training Discussion - Wendler 5/3/1

Here's the second in a series of posts from Jake on strength training.  He's been studying up on a number of the "gold standard" strength programs out there, and sharing executive overviews of the methodologies.  You can locate this and other related articles using the "Strength" tag in the category search at right.

Any questions, experiences, or insights to share?  Post to comments!

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II.  5/3/1 by Jim Wendler

"What would Conan do?" - Jim Wendler

The 5/3/1 program is very simple compared to the Westside methodology (and that's pretty simple minus the bands and chains). Here's a quick overview:

Weekend Discussion - Strength Training

"Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general."

- Rippetoe

CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program that seeks balanced adaptation and improvement across the 10 physical domains. This balance is crucial to the concept of developing general physical preparedness (GPP) and competency at all physical tasks.  IMCF's (and CrossFit main site's) base programming is designed with this GPP in mind, and includes activities to cause adaptations across the board, including strength.

That said, you could make a convincing argument that strength is one of the highest priorities for development.  A solid strength foundation enables development in the other domains, and strongly factors in an athlete's ability to generate power and speed.  Many programs and athletes, including some of our own, supplement or cycle their traditional GPP training with additional strength training.

Keep in mind that for most (especially new) athletes, this kind of specialized training is not needed. You will make tremendous gains performing our base programming consistently and with intensity. However, as your fitness objectives evolve you may choose to add this form of bias into your training. If you are going to do it, you may as well do it intelligently.

Our own Jake Atkins has been reading up on some of the "gold standard" strength programs out there, and sharing executive overviews of the methodologies with our programmers.  Posting them here to help spread some knowledge...you can locate this and future articles using the "Strength" tag.  Any questions, experiences, or insights to share?  Post to comments!

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I'm starting this discussion because strength by and large will make you a better CrossFitter. There is a lot of information out there from sources with different degrees of legitimacy. I am no expert, but I am interested in getting stronger - a lot stronger. So my intent is to provide some reviews of solid strength programs outside of normal CrossFit work. Basically, I'll read a book and give you the nuggets free o' charge. Hopefully this will pique your interest and perhaps lead you down the path of getting stronger. Other reviews to look forward to the next few weeks include:

• 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler
• Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe
• The Bulgarian System

Again, I'm no expert -- just looking to share information and start a productive dialogue.

Chalk Up,
Jake Atkins

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I. Westside Barbell's Book of Methods.

"It’s important to understand the Westside system is, first and foremost, designed to develop strength. It was not created for optimal fat loss or to improve general health. Plain and simple: Westside trains for strength. If this doesn't fall in line with your goals/area(s) of interest this may not be the optimal training system for you."  ~ Jordan Syatt, from Syatt Fitness

Louie Simmons' Westside Barbell gym and system has, quite simply, produced some of the strongest men and women in the world.  For those interested, here is roughly what they do: