Notes on CFCC’s programming from Grog:
The key to getting the most of this programming is going to be auto-regulation (operating within your DAILY capacity, not your ABSOLUTE capacity). You will NOT always be hitting PR weights, and that must be understood. Your adaptations will be based on speed and proficiency in each lift, as well as frequency of practice. Instead of a large stimulus each session and getting that stimulus only once per week, similar movement patterns will be used multiple times per week, and sometimes when you certainly don’t feel recovered. It is the responsibility of you and your coach to only work up to a weight that still can be completed with good speed on your peak sets. If you push your weights too much, and especially if you push them up too soon, you will stall on a high frequency program like this.
As much as training the lifts, you will be training yourself to recover more quickly and completely in between sessions. I will expand on why we are doing what in a future post, but I have a lot on my plate at the moment, and even a few other blog posts to write. If you have any specific questions for now, post them to comments.
There will be many specialized classes (Endurance, Oly, Gymnastics, Kettlebell), and the classes will follow a similar outline. There will be class descriptions posted for the spec classes at a later date. We should be good to start this programming on the 13th of February.
Notes on CFCC’s programming from Erin:
I’ve competed enough times to know that training and competition are two very different things. This is the reason why Grog’s ideas about auto-regulation makes sense to me. I will admit though, that they have been very difficult to sometimes implement due to a CNS that needs more rest than I think it does and a mind that has a lot of trouble believing that unless I’m doing the most I could possibly do I have not done enough.
When I get to a competition I’m willing to do anything: a slow rep, a max effort anything, and as many reps as Angie thinks I should do. I’m also hoping I will be able to anything as a direct result of resting and recovering enough to prepare my body for it’s best. The week before a competition is well thought out and no sacrifice at all – peaking at the competition is my focus and I will do anything in my power to make the day of the competition my best.
The week after competition though, is often filled with a lot of the same intentionality though. I feel absolutely drained and I know it. I try to curb my loads in metcons and rest a lot more than I normally would. Why is the following week different? Why not just max out on everything all the time? Because your training is not the same as competing and if all you do is max… nothing is REALLY your max.
Our very own Coach Liz has a saying that many people found encouraging in tough times in the gym: “Strength is more than just the number of plates on the bar. It is everything that is overcome with each lift.” This is actually more true than you may know. Let’s take one of my best lifts for example, the back squat. My current best back squat is 225lbs. While we were still in Camac and I began waitressing at Betty’s there were some days when (after two doubles and two nights of having to get up for the 6am session) just back squatting 135lbs. felt RIDICULOUSLY heavy and my peak set of one was something more like 205.
At first, this system of only doing what’s done well, and done with great speed was frustrating to me. My ego clamoured, “Isn’t more weight better? Isn’t stomping your feet and decimating your last PR even if your back is jacked and your eyeballs split a little REALLY FREAKING HARDCORE???” The answer, oh misguided ego is, as you’ve all learned, “No, better is simply better.”
For those of you who are looking for a very practical example of how this new programming will effect you, worry not. You’ll learn as you go and that will be part of your becoming a great life-long athlete. This new version of our programming will cover a wide range of skills. Your proficiency and your metcon will sky-rocket and, during peak week, if you’ve prepared yourself well over the cycle, if you’ve rested adequately and lifted with your brain and not just your ego, you’ll PR.
I’ll leave you with a quote from Dr. Mel Siff, who wrote possibly one of the greatest texts on training of all time:
“To me, the sign of a really excellent routine is one which places great demands on the athlete, yet produces progressive long-term improvement without soreness, injury or the athlete ever feeling thoroughly depleted. Any fool can create a program that is so demanding that it would virtually kill the toughest marine or hardiest of elite athletes, but not any fool can create a tough program that produces progress without unnecessary pain.” - Dr. Mel C. Siff
