Why Do You CrossFit? : CFCH Programming
by Grace Lin
Why do you CrossFit? What are your goals?
We all step into our first CrossFit gym for a reason. Maybe we got sick of our globo-gym routine, or our friend finally convinced us to come try out a class, or we just want to lose some weight. It’s also very possible your “why” has changed since you started. Whatever your reason is, be thoughtful and honest about your answer.
We, as a CrossFit gym, have a big responsibility to uphold: your fitness. And we don’t take that lightly. Programming plays a large part in ensuring you’re getting the appropriate daily dose of fitness every time you step foot inside the gym. A good program should include the following:
Give coaches enough time to sufficiently warm-up athletes
Provide opportunity for individual coaching, especially for more complex movements
Properly prepare athletes for the WOD (whiteboard explanation + movement prep)
Give athletes enough time for WOD set up, practice, and clean up, possibly even a cool down
Most CrossFitters, especially those who’ve been doing it for 1+ years or been part of multiple gyms, have been exposed to 2 different types of programming: Strength-Bias programming and Conditioning-Bias programming.
BOTH have benefits and have their place in CrossFit. Let me explain…
Strength-Bias Programming is structured so there is a pure strength portion and then a conditioning piece after. An example could be 5x5 Back Squat followed by a 12min AMRAP of 15 Box Jump, 12 Pull Up, and 9 Burpee. This type of program is called “Strength-Bias” because the strength component comes first, making it more of a priority. This is a great program… for those who are looking to compete in CrossFit as their sport. In fact, it is ESSENTIAL for athletes to have separate strength, skill, and conditioning pieces if they want to be competitive in the SPORT of CrossFit. They need to move a heavy barbell a couple times a week, snatch and clean & jerk a few times a week, and practice high skill gymnastics on a regular basis. If they don’t regularly do those things, they WILL NOT be competitive in this sport.
The 1% who choose to compete in the sport of CrossFit have made that choice knowing the risks. The risks look like any other pro-athlete in any other sport. It’s a full-time job! Training at the volume required for being competitive will most likely result in injury, due to the repetition, continuous load, and wear & tear placed on the body, if proper rest and recovery protocols are not followed. These athletes also KNOW that the volume is not sustainable for life; it is only temporary for their current goals. That lifestyle is not the goal for the majority.
Conditioning-Bias Programming puts emphasis on the conditioning piece (some refer to as the metcon). This type of programming is much more appropriate for the majority of people, the 99%. The goal of this program is to increase health, fitness, and LONGEVITY. In this program, LIFE is your sport. The goal is to not only make you fitter 3 months from now, but also 10 years from now. We want you to be fit for whatever life throws at you.
It is extremely difficult, maybe even impossible, to hit the previously mentioned Strength-Bias workout with the intended stimulus for both pieces. Hitting a 5x5 Back Squat at TRUE INTENSITY and then a 12min AMRAP at TRUE INTENSITY all within the confines of a 1 hour class is not possible. That should take at least 90 minutes to 2 hours. One piece would have to suffer in order to execute the other at the correct intensity. Results don’t come from volume. Results come from performing the workout at the intended stimulus CORRECTLY. An athlete can follow the best program in the world, but if it is not performed at the intended intensity (read: stimulus), then the results will be mediocre at best. This is why the whiteboard explanation is so important.
We also prioritize giving you QUALITY coaching when you’re in class. If there are too many pieces, it’s hard to sufficiently warm-up athletes, explain and teach movements, individually coach, and make sure the stimulus is met. The class becomes rushed, coaching turns into herding sheep, and the risk for injury increases. You aren’t sheep. You’re intelligent human beings. We want to maximize the information and knowledge for you every time you take a class. That way, you can continuously learn and maybe even apply some tidbits to your life outside of the gym.
Just because a program is Conditioning-Bias, doesn’t mean there is no strength at all. The strength is blended into the workout. There does NOT need to be two separate pieces in order to get stronger. For example, a 12 minute AMRAP of 3 Power Clean @70%, 6 Strict HSPU, and 9 T2B will make you stronger and fitter. Here’s why:
It is individualized to the athlete based off of his/her 1RM Clean
Strict HSPU build stronger overhead strength
Low T2B volume and Power Cleans at 70% can be done quickly, therefore elevating the heart rate to get benefits of cardiovascular training
Another format that we commonly use to incorporate strength into conditioning is in an EMOM (every minute on the minute). This could look like: every 3 minutes for 24 minutes of 50 double unders + 3 bar muscle-ups + 5 back squats (building each set). Again, athletes retain the benefits of cardiovascular training through the double unders and bar muscle-ups, get an opportunity to practice high level gymnastics, and build strength by progressively getting heavy on the back squats.
In both of these examples, the strength and conditioning pieces are not separate. But they are both still strength AND conditioning workouts. These workouts would fall under a Conditioning-Bias program.
CFCH follows predominantly a Conditioning-Bias program. However, we do have Strength-Bias days sprinkled in, which could look like a pure strength day or a day with two pieces. We also implement quarterly focuses based on the time of year (Strength, Olympic Weightlifting, Gymnastics, and Endurance). In addition, for those looking for some extra strength or skill work, we post extra-work 5 days a week. The extra-work is tailored to the specific quarter that we are in and gives those athletes interested in competing locally additional opportunity to train or practice various skills required for competition.
We will always test and re-test to keep an eye on the gym’s progress. So far, looks like it’s working :). These benchmark tests give us feedback on how to tweak future programming, so we can continue to improve as a gym and community. Please know that we are NOT against Strength-Bias programming. We love to lift and the barbell is our friend! But, a Strength-Bias program is not the best for LONGEVITY. Our goal is to provide you with a program that will allow quality coaching, improve your fitness, and prepare you for life in the long run!
For more insight into conditioning-biased programming, check out this podcast.