This template will be split into:
- Task Oriented Workouts (TAO) – These will always be done with exercises where external torque (ET) is needed. They are designed to hit the sympathetic nervous system, so you should go at them hard and with the proper mindset. No pacing here: I want 100% explosion on each rep. Put on System Of A Down or something similar, get angry and go kill ’em reps! Do not cheat yourself. If you go too light, the workout will be ineffective.
- Til You Quit Workouts (TYQ) – These will always be with internal torque (IT) exercises. They are designed to hit the parasympathetic nervous system, so I want muscle failure with each and every one of them. Pacing is welcomed, as long as you push to that last rep. I would recommend a more mellow music, as the mindset is quite different. You will push just as hard and it will hurt just as much as the TAO workouts, they will just be a different kind of effort.
- Overtraining – I believe that if you respect the order of TAO followed by TYQ, you will create a strong arch of tension within your nervous system that will allow you to increase the intensity without crashing mentally, which is what overtraining is. This way to approach workouts will change the way we train. We will train based on the affect on the nervous system more than just on the affect on muscles. You will be exhausted physically, but mentally sharp.
- Intensity Training – Any who have worked with the StrongFit templates or methodology before understand that this is the foundation. Intensity is best done in a group setting to truly push mental and physical boundaries. Beyond routine conditioning, true intensity work moves beyond the usual domains and aims to “scare” the system into rising to the next notch. This portion of the templates is not necessarily targeting the muscles, but mental fortitude and truly anaerobic threshold so don’t be let down if you can’t complete it every time. In fact, it’s designed that way. If by the end of these sessions you aren’t cursing the name of Julien, you may need to reconsider your efforts.
- Structural Work – This would be considered your accessory work and will be specifically used to ensure the structure is strong and balanced to handle both training and sport. You will use both traditional and unique exercises of StrongFit to rebuild your foundations and further grow from there.
- Mobility Exercises – Mobility work will be done through the StrongFit Openers and some additional assistance exercises.
- Static Lifts – Performed with “awkward objects” such as the sandbag, you will be prompted into more natural movement patterns that minimize risk of injury or even learning time. Barbells do not always mimic the most functional patterns due to the weight being on the outside of the body. In comparison, most of our day to day “lifting” has been done between our hands for our entire human existence. For that reason, you will use objects that will more naturally follow basic patterns of movement that will prove incredible benefits to CrossFit athletes.
- ‘Gym’ Work – These will be classic accessory exercises performed with traditional gym equipment that can be performed as a stand-alone session or in addition to another, but must be performed once or twice per week. These will be movements focused on internal rotation torque and may be followed in any order:
- Lat Pulldowns – Get a pump and feel those lats. Engage your pecs as hard as possible as you perform the rep. 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Cable Crossover – The eccentric is external torque and concentric is internal torque here. Do not do this exercise mindlessly. The point is to teach you to create tension correctly through the range of motion, which is the very definition of mobility itself. Being able to do this correctly will tremendously lessen the stress on your shoulders. 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Breathing – So as a rule: if you have issue on a movement (whether it is discomfort, trouble with the skill, lack of awareness & mobility) inhale through your nose on the phase that gives you trouble (eccentric or concentric). You can even inhale through the nose on both phases, making the entire movement one long nose inhale. Do not discard the importance of this, it has allowed our people to make huge improvement. The TAO wods are all action, all ET so inhale through your mouth and exhale short & forcefully.
- Openers – Mobility is range of motion while maintaining proper torque. The point here is to work on mobility, not flexibility therefore tension is paramount. This is not about performance, so do not focus on how many reps you can do, the weight or how far you can go. This is about quality and finding torque, nothing else. Be patient, you will get better over time. For reference, I worked the Shoulder Opener for two sets, three sessions per week for 12 weeks before I got good at it.
- Hinge: https://youtu.be/eL2RAFOa1CE
- Shoulder Opener: https://youtu.be/C6GcYZi7G7k
- Biceps Opener: https://youtu.be/MTmUnExmBXc
- Jeffersons: https://youtu.be/pJK7LGDCgK0
- External Obliques Opener: https://youtu.be/uihlk3ki78M
- External Obliques Opener Variation Leg Raises: https://youtu.be/7FqzZFzH-UU
- T-Spine Opener: https://youtu.be/lONjflzDsu8
AM vs. PM Training
Based on when you train, you may want to reorder the elements of each workout. Read on…
AM:
If you are training in the morning and you want to give your body a push for the day, finish with the last TAO portion (assistance work). This will trigger your sympathetic nervous system and give you more energy for the remainder of your day. I know it is hard to do more work after TYQ, but give it a shot and thank me later for winning the day and staying awake in your meetings.
So you will do e.g. Skill Work – TAO – TYQ – TAO.
PM:
If you are training in the afternoon/evening and you want to give your body a chance of having a good night’s sleep, finish with the TYQ portion. This will trigger your parasympathetic nervous system and mellow you out.
So you will do e.g. Skill Work – TAO – TYQ – TAO – TYQ.
As always – try it, test it, do it the other way around and see how your body reacts. Don’t blame me for falling asleep at work though if you finish with TYQ in the morning.
Maintaining tension in the arch concept
The concept of maintaining tension in movements is being able to switch between internal torque/IT, starting with the main arch being the core (external obliques, lower abs, etc.) and external torque/ET (starting with the main arch being the core internal obliques, six pack, etc.) as needed without form breaking. It requires changing to what is needed to successfully execute a movement. Your body just wants to make sure you survive, sometimes quite literally. So it won’t disengage one torque to work on the other. You will increase tension through both, with more focus on the most appropriate one, depending on the more dominating torque chain.
Take a look at the picture below. If you have ever tried to create an arch without using adhesive materials, you noticed that you have to apply equal pressure from both sides of the arch to hold the keystone in place. If pressure is applied unequally, the arch will collapse to one side or the other.
I recently witnessed this with a bunch of kids at the California Science Center using soft toy bricks and it was fascinating to see how they applied basic principles of engineering and physics to build the arch. By the way, in real life using real bricks/stones, you will need a supporting wood construction in the shape of an arch to hold the weight until the final stone (the keystone) is inserted, making the arch hold itself. Does that sound like a helping hand in order to build tension and torque? Welcome to coaching. We are the supporting wood construction that can, and at some point has to be, removed in order for the arch to hold itself.
Each session should not take more than 90mns, hopefully 75mns. Have all the equipment set up and the correct weights chosen already. Keep the rest times on target, and if you need more time, cut the number of sets down. Do not lengthen the workout. The point is to keep the intensity going, not to have marathon sessions. As you get used to the programming and fitter you will be able to do more sets but still keep the sessions short(ish).
More is not better, better is better!
DAY 1
Openers
See explanations above. You do not necessarily need all of the Openers each session. Work on your needs, choose 2 or 3 and go at them with maximum focus.
Skill Work
1-arm Barbell Bench Press
5 reps each side, start with an empty barbell, rest 1 minute and do it again
We want to start fixing imbalances with this movement. Lets focus on how we do the movement, not on the weight on the bar. It can be used as an opener. Focus on keeping the pec engaged at all times along with the teres major. On the decent, load in ET and then press in IT. It will be fairly aggressive at the beginning, so the it easy.
https://www.instagram.com/p/
TYQ
Incline Dumbbell Arnold Dumbbell Press & Rope Pulls
3 Sets with 90 sec rest in between
You should be able to get about 16-20 reps on the
Arnold press.Check Richard at the end of this video to see the movement
If you want to add some incline Bench Press beforehand like he does, go for it 🙂
https://www.instagram.com/p/
Straight into…
Rope Pull
The rope pull is for around 60m. Stop the set when your form breaks down to the point that you have to stand up and switch to external torque. The idea is intensity through muscle failure, so still pull as fast as possible. If you are not cramping everywhere after the second set, you either went too light or too slow. This exercise is VERY difficult, even for me, and I am really good at rope pulls. We want MAXIMUM blood flow into the lats – this is far more important than you know. Your main focus should be to move your hands as fast as possible. Chest faces the ground. Do NOT stand up, this would cause you to use your biceps more and your lats less. Try not to use your hips too much. Here is a video demonstrating rope pulls: https://instagram.com/p/
TYQ
3 rounds for time of: 400m Run + Max Effort Sandbag Squats
With 90sec rest between rounds – I want you to hit every single round as hard as you can.
Run
Simple, run as fast as possible. No pacing. No strategizing. Hear the lion chasing you and try to survive. Sprinting is internal torque, so stop running on the outer edges of your feet. Try to keep your external obliques engaged. If done properly that should help you if you are prone to feeling your lower back while running.
SB Squats
Choose a weight that will allow you to perform 10-15 reps. We said max effort, so if you can, bang an extra rep or two. You will obviously do a bunch of reps, so I want you to stay in IT as much as you can. Load IT on the way down and all the way up to parallel. Don’t count reps for the sake of counting. Push yourself mentally to the limit while somebody watching should think you will never stop – showing perfect form and not defaulting to ET (overarching at the top). Muscle failure means you can’t complete your last rep. If you could do one more…
TAO
Supinated Pull-Ups & Sandbag Clean
EMOM 8mns. 5 reps of each exercise, both exercises on the minute
Wide-grip Strict Supinated Pull-ups
The point here is to find a width at which you cannot default to your traps and have to engage your latissimus dorsi to the max (NOT your teres major, that is coming next), to do that engage your internal obliques first. The elbows are pointing toward the floor. Once you can go over 6 reps, start adding weight.
If you cannot make your chest touch the bar, it’s ok. Do not use momentum.
You need lat and biceps mobility to achieve the position and by that I mean, as always, range of motion while maintaining proper torque. Again DO NOT SHRUG
Sandbag Clean
Yes, a heavy sandbag clean is ET work. You should use a weight close to your 5RM weight for this workout. You will be breathing hard, but try to stay in a relaxed and mellow mood. This is not a curl, I want a power clean. Here is a video of the clean & jerk with a sandbag so you can see how to perform the clean: https://youtu.be/izLUVd-zszw
TAO
Bicep Curls & Rear-Delt Raises
EMOM 5mns of 5 reps for each exercise, both on the minute
Biceps Curl
The idea is to get the long head (outside head) of the biceps to do the work so create external torque. Your chest should not be engaged. You may use dumbbells, kettlebells or a barbell.
Rear Delt Raises
Use dumbbells, go heavy and create external torque through your whole body. That means using your lumbar spine, yes.
TYQ
400m Sandbag Carry & Sled Sprint
1 Set to Failure
Sandbag Carry
Look up some french swear words. You will be glad to have them on hand after 250m. If you didn’t use them while finishing the 400m – go heavier.
Straight into:
Sled Sprint
Max weight and max speed for 200m. Do not ever ask me “is that it?” Grab a partner. His/her only task is to let you not quit. The friendship must be on hold for the next 10 minutes. Anything is allowed to keep you moving. Yes, I said anything. Once you stop on the sled sprint – that also includes walking – you are done and not allowed to continue that day. That should make you very angry – and push harder next time.
DAY 1
Openers
See explanations above. You do not necessarily need all of the Openers each session. Work on your needs, choose 2 or 3 and go at them with maximum focus. Always start with the External Oblique Opener.
External Obliques Opener: https://youtu.be/uihlk3ki78M
External Obliques Opener Variation Leg Raises: https://youtu.be/7FqzZFzH-UU
T-Spine Opener: https://youtu.be/lONjflzDsu8
TYQ
Sandbag Over Yoke
Teams of 2, for time:
60 SB over Yoke
Pick up a SB and throw it over a Yoke at about shoulder height.
Pick 75%-ish of your bodyweight.
TYQ
Overhead Yoke Carry
2 Sets to Failure (challenge yourself but mind the form)
Pick a weight you can use for about 50m
Stabilize weight with arms locked out. You are doing a carry so you must have
internal torque/external obliques active. This very important exercise teaches you how to properly engage your lats (teres major) in an overhead position. It will work the low traps (always very tricky), lat mobility, anti-rotation ( great external obliques work), erectors,etc. The yoke forces you to stabilize toward and away from you (frontal plane) and not up and down (sagittal plane). If the Yoke at the gym is too heavy (or they do not have one) create a yoke by drilling holes on 4x4s and stick them on an Axle bar. Put some nails at the bottom of the wood to carry weights and voila – yoke! A sandbag works as well, albeit not as well. You can use a bar with chains (not bands), but be aware that the weights moving side to side make this very aggressive on the shoulders. It is a Load + Carry + Load, making it very balanced. The “carry” part means you have to use both legs equally (to a degree) while working on anti-rotation on both sides – winning! It also means you are into internal torque chain.
TYQ
Farmers Carry & Rope Pulls
2 sets to muscle failure
Farmer’s Carry
Use your max weight for 30m with a turn at the 15m line (if you can keep going, do it!)
It is a Load + a Carry + a Hold, making it very balanced. It teaches you internal torque by engaging your lats and pecs, it strengthens your grip as well as your traps while keeping your shoulders down. The pick-up is a hinge and will strengthen your lower back. Overall, this is one of the best structural exercise out there.
Straight into:
Rope Pull
The rope pull is for around 30m, but keep going if you can. Stop the set when your form breaks down to the point that you have to stand up and switch to external torque. The idea is intensity through muscle failure, so still pull as fast as possible. If you are not cramping everywhere after the second set, you either went too light or too slow. This exercise is VERY difficult, even for me, and I am really good at rope pulls. We want MAXIMUM blood flow into the lats – this is far more important than you know. Your main focus should be to move your hands as fast as possible. Chest faces the ground. Do NOT stand up, this would cause you to use your biceps more and your lats less. Try not to use your hips too much. Here is a video demonstrating rope pulls: https://instagram.com/p/
You should get a lovely pump…
TAO
Sumo Deadlift Off Blocks & Broad Jumps
EMOM 7mns, 5 reps of each exercise. Both exercises on the minute.
Sumo Deadlift
Work your way up in weight and height until you find your 5 rep max. And use that for the EMOM. This session will be designed to work toward allowing you to pull in ET from the ground (if you already are capable of it, good for you, sumo is for you). Most people cannot achieve this because of a lack of mobility (range of motion while maintaining proper torque, in this case external torque). Mobility depends on strength, since it relates to torque. Off the floor, you should be able to keep in ET and pull some weight. As the weights get heavier, you’ll see yourself be pulled forward and switch to IT. When this happens you will elevate the weights using blocks until you can get back to the perfect position (all ET). So forth and so on until you pull a max 5 reps from right below the knee.
Key points are:
You are to create external torque
Use straps if you have to but no mixed grip. It leads to very bad habits.
No bouncing, learn to reset each rep.
Explode up but do not rip the bar. Find tension through those internal obliques first.
Do these barefoot.
Broad Jumps
The point here is to get to max power. Set a mark on the floor for your max distance jump and try to hit it every single time. Be aggressive and visualize a picture in your head if you are up for a challenge. Make it count. That task-oriented mindset is most important! If you just “jump” without challenging yourself this workout will miss the stimulus we are shooting for.
TYQ
200m Sled Sprint
Do not ever ask me “is that it?” Grab a partner. His/her only task is to let you not quit. The friendship must be on hold for the next 10 minutes. Anything is allowed to keep you moving. Yes, I said anything. Once you stop on the sled sprint – that also includes walking – you are done and not allowed to continue that day. That should make you very angry – and push harder next time.