The CrossFit Wichita Falls Program

Recently I lost interest in posting repetitive daily updates to the CrossFit Wichita
Falls website. We follow a carefully made program that revolves around
progressive loading barbell training and two, maybe three, metabolic conditioning
workouts a week. I will outline this program here. Future posts on this website will
share my weekly thoughts on the success (or lack thereof) regarding the
programming as well as the experience, thought, research, study, conversation,
and experimentation that goes on in our gym.

The CrossFit Wichita Falls program is a mix of barbell training to increase
strength and metabolic conditioning. It has no specific goal and can be
considered a general physical preparedness (GPP) program. Understanding the
fundamental nature of strength helps validate the inclusion of barbell training.
Every physical attribute is directly correlated with and limited by strength. The
most efficient way to increase all physical attributes is to increase strength
because strength is the fundamental capacity.

Metabolic conditioning is a collection of movements that are organized to A)
produce and maintain a high metabolic output relative to the amount of time it is
performed and B) minimize any required recovery necessary, if any, between
bouts of said high output. A resulting adaptation of this process is the bodys
ability to mobilize and distribute resources efficiently and effectively. Even though
metabolic conditioning is an important aspect of performance, it must be
understood that its expression is strength-dependent. As strength improves, the
effort to maintain an output becomes a smaller fraction of absolute strength. It is
relatively easy to improve metabolic conditioning quickly once increases in
strength and lean body mass are in place. Therefore strength always maintains
precedence over metabolic conditioning in a training program.


Understanding the General Adaptation Syndrome (Hans Selye, 1936) is
imperative to constructing an optimal training program. To summarize, the body
undergoes a sub-lethal stress, recovers from the stress, and adapts to that stress
so that it can handle it in the future. This biological process is necessary for
survival as well as getting more strong and conditioned. Every aspect of an
optimal training program exists to drive a subsequent adaptation in improved
performance. Lastly, the theoretical and practical experience gained from
coaching this program daily drives adaptations in the program itself to make it
more effective.


The CrossFit Wichita Falls program is as follows:

Monday
Squat Weight lifted x 5 reps x 3 sets, sets across
(Increasing 2.5kg per workout)
Press 5x3, sets across
(Increasing 2.5kg per workout)
Chins/Pull-ups 3 sets of as many reps as possible
(Performed from a dead hang and with body weight initially)

Tuesday
Power Clean 3x5, sets across
(Increasing 2.5kg per workout)
Met-con

Wednesday
Off Day or Skill Day

Thursday
Squat 5x3, sets across
(Increasing 2.5kg per workout)
Bench Press 5x3, sets across
(Increasing 2.5kg per workout)

Friday
Deadlift 5x1
(Increasing 2.5kg to 5kg per workout)
Met-con


Notes:
Sets across means performing the same amount of weight for all of the working
sets

Met-cons will not be in excess of 10 minutes and typically stay in a range of 6 to
8 minutes

The pulling exercises (Power Clean and Deadlift) were originally programmed
for Monday and Thursday. This would essentially make them workouts A and B
on the novice linear progression model outlined in Practical Programming for
Strength Training (Rippetoe & Kilgore, 2006). However, time became the
limiting factor in completing the exercises, so moving them to the following day
was the logical solution to include them in the program.

Skill day can include activities such as POSE running skills, active rest,
stretching, massage or other necessary rehabilitation, learning about conceptual
frameworks concerning training or nutrition through lecture, and/or hanging out.



These are some of the Met-Cons from the old site:

5 rounds for time (After Power Clean workout)
- 10 dumbbell hang power snatches
- 10 Kettlebell swings
- 7 pull-ups


200 m running repeats with 1 minute rest periods (After Power Clean Workout)
Repeated 4 to 6 times, depending on the individual


4 rounds for time (After the Deadlift Workout):
5 Power cleans
250 m row


5 Rounds for Time (after a Deadlift workout):
250m Row
5 Pull Ups
15 Push Ups

5 Round for time of (after a Deadlift workout):
250m row
5 pull-ups
15 push-ups

4 Rounds for time of (after a Power Clean workout):
10 DB Power snatches
10 KB Swings
10 Air squat