I need more strength. It’s a rule of physics… It takes more effort to move a heavy load than a lighter load. To be the athlete I want to be, I need to move heavier loads. I need to move these heavier loads quicker and more efficiently. I’ve decided to start focusing on that.
I thought about getting creative with the title of this post, something like “I’m super weak and I need to get stronger!” or “I’m Getting’ Them Gainz Son!”. But nope, I opted for a standard title (shout out SEO!).
I am a CrossFitter. My overall goal of my fitness world is to be a better CrossFitter. That means, I need to finish my workouts faster to get a better time. After taking a long hard look at myself, ok really it was like a sideways glance for 3 seconds, I determined developing strength would be most beneficial towards this goal.
With CrossFit, you’re always racing against the clock. I want to take seconds and minutes off that clock. How would getting stronger (strength) help me go faster (time)?
I’m glad you asked. =)
Take Fran for instance. You all know that was my first real foray into CrossFit and you know I have done Fran a couple times. What sucks the most for me are those dang thrusters. I’m not very good at pushing a loaded barbell over my head. Why? Because I’m not very strong.
Let’s say the most I can lift over my head is 100 lbs, for discussion’s sake. If I’m doing multiple reps of, say, 85 pounds, that’s really close to my maximum and therefore I won’t be able to complete many reps before I have to take a rest due to muscle fatigue. Not cardiovascular fatigue, muscular.
Basically, my muscles are saying hey dude… we can’t take much more captain! And therefore, the suck occurs and I assume this position.
Not fun.
So I started this week doing Wendler’s 5/3/1 Strength program. This program uses set percentages based on your one rep max to complete prescribed rep schemes. I could try and explain it all here, but I found a website that breaks it down in summary form… so as not to plagiarize a plagiarization, just check out this link for all you need to know.
Seriously, read this so you understand the program!
I’ll wait.
Ok, you’ve got it now.
I’m doing the squat, bench press, deadlift, and press. My true 1RMs are, respectively, 215, 210, 385, and 115. These are fresh PRs as I obtained them over the weekend.
Definitely not any impressive numbers there. But that’s ok. I’m ok with that. I’m very much self-admittedly weak (hence the whole reason for this program and post) but I plan on changing that. I will get stronger. It won’t be easy.
But that’s ok.
I clearly have some strength imbalances that will hopefully work themselves out through overall body strengthening. I’m getting serious about mobility and trying to increase the quality of my tissue and work on my super tight hips and ankles and shoulders. (Thanks engineering job!)
I’m getting up and working out before work. I am not much of a morning person, but I’m motivated to get stronger. Of course, the beautiful fall weather has been pretty pleasant.. we will see what happens when the cold chill of winter gets here! And I’m only in my first week… I have months and months to go.
5/3/1 is a slow-paced program. There isn’t much variation and progressions a slow but consistent. And consistent is what I need. Let’s be real, I’ll never make the CrossFit Games and I probably won’t even make Regionals. I definitely will not be the next Rich Froning. But I can still craft myself into the best CrossFitter I can be.
Progress in the 5/3/1 is measured at a monthly pace. You increase your weights every month and repeat the same sequence of reps and sets that you already read about.
I’m going to do a monthly update and create a new tab up on the top of this blog where you can see my progress. Plus, it’ll hold me accountable to all of you readers. I’m also going to post my current CrossFit benchmark times as I discover them again.
This leads to the question, will I still be doing my box’s regular WOD programming? The short answer is yes.
The longer answer is, for the most part. I may cherry pick a few WODs here and there if they don’t line up with my strength training. For now, strength is going to take precedence and if there is a WOD that conflicts with my strength training, aka CrossFit 865 has deadlifts programmed on a day that I already trained deadlifts, I’ll either skip the WOD or find something else to do or another way to modify.
Haha, yeah right, like I would ever skip deadlift days!
Sorry for being shirtless… again… but that’s how I roll!
I’ve set goals for strength benchmarks that I want to meet. They are arbitrary for the most part, although my short term and long term goals stem from charts that plot an athlete’s weight versus the weight they should be able to lift for a given exercise at their given weight. Basically, I want to crack into the “advanced” category on these lifts at my weight.
So there you go. I’m supplementing my CrossFit training with some 5/3/1 strength training. Check my progress at this page. Be sure to follow me on Instagram where I’ll post photos and videos of the journey. While you’re at it, hit me up on Twitter too, and maybe even Facebook. Because, well… I like you.
I truly believe that getting absolutely stronger will be of most benefit to my CrossFitting. That’s almost 400 pounds on the bar above. Soon it will be more than 400 lbs. And then maybe I’ll be a little closer to not failing Fran…
Your Turn -> Have you ever supplemented an activity of yours with something to make you better at that activity?
I want to get stronger! I sat down for an adjustment the other day and my chiro said “dang, girl, you’re getting jacked!” I felt so strong and awesome in that moment! I still have a lot of work to do but I’m setting new PRs almost every day and that is an amazing feeling!
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Awesome! I had a really good week in the box this week, don’t know what it was from… I’ll say it was the end of the summer heat! Go us!
I’m excited to see how this works out for you. I’m taking lots of notes on my options for getting back into fighting shape after B2 arrives. I’m still doing the workouts now, but have taken it down a notch and haven’t been able to ‘challenge’ myself in the past few months. Boo.
Katie@LifesNextBigStep recently posted…The Fitness Games – Product Review!
I saw a good post on carrotsncake.com the other day about scaling CrossFit while pregnant. It might be a good read for you!
Very cool post! I think it’s something everyone relates to– back when i ran, i realized i needed a stronger core to get better, which led me to pilates/bar method and then those things took over as the main loves of my life. But yeah this sounds like a great plan to reach a great goal– looking forward to learning about your progress!
Charlotte @ Commitness to Fitness recently posted…Muscle Confusion vs Consistency and Why Muscles are Like People (TOL)
Thanks! I’m gonna confuse these muscles with heavy weights.. yeah!
This sounds like a great program and seems similar to Invictus in that it “uses set percentages based on your one rep max to complete prescribed rep schemes.” Very exciting and I’m looking forward to hearing about all your gains!
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Yeah I definitely checked out Invictus too but this one seemed more strength based so I’m gonna give it a spin for a few months at least! We both should gain a lot from our extra programming!
I have absolutely “supplemented!” In fact, CrossFit for me was originally intended to supplement Speedskating. And when I qualified for the Granite Games CrossFit competition, I immediately made a list of all the movements I sucked at, and started working on those every day before the regular WOD. And now, our box has added a strength program and “extra” workouts daily for thos who want to work on improving specific skills (typically, this would be those of us who want to compete.). Of course, I can’t participate in this until my hamstring recovers a lot more, but I think it’s a great idea. CrossFit is an excellent “general conditioning” program, but we all have our “goats,” and a bit of focused attention on those weak areas is very beneficial whether we just want our weak areas to catch up to the things we’re better at, or whether we want to be excel or to compete. Good luck…I think supplementing your strength workouts is a great idea.
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You said it exactly. CrossFit is the perfect GPP program, and eventually it will bring up all deficiencies, but there’s no harm in attacking weaknesses to get them brought up sooner!
I LOVE DEM GAINZ!!
I agree- so much of Crossfit is about getting stronger so that you can move things faster. We have a coach that is a powerlifter, well, powerlifter turned Crossfitter. She is freaking crazy strong in her small size, but even though her endurance may not match up with some of the others at the gym, her potential is huge because she can outlift even some of the guys..
I’m excited to see how this works out for you!
Jennifer recently posted…You are only as strong as you think you are
Speed kills… and that comes back to just being purely stronger. I’ll admit, seeing your gains through your extra programs has spurred me to make my decision to go after it more!
Looks like an awesome programme – look forward to hearing how it works out.
CrossFit is all about getting stronger – sometimes I get pretty down about how weak I am in comparrison to other girls at the box and then I look at my WOD log and see how far I have come in just over a year. Then I beam from ear to ear and remember the truly weak very sick girl i once was and now no longer am 🙂
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Absolutely, I do that too, I look at myself in comparison to others and I am on the weaker end of the spectrum. But, I can run faster than most and I have other advantages so when you look across it all, I’m not in too bad of shape. When I get stronger though… watch out! =P
So excited to watch your progress and read your monthly checkins!!! Get stronger already 😛
Haha thanks! I will get stronger, then you can holler at me when your new house needs a couch moved or something!
Great post, thanks! I think I’m going to try this program as well to see where we end up. Can’t start for a couple weeks, but should be motivating. We’ve done percentages in movements before, but this will give us some more structured direction. Look forward to following all your progress man. Keep up the good work!
I’ve never worked with percentages. I love the structure of 531 and the steady progression. Not only is this something I need, but I should respond to the program because it fits me. Let me know if you start it!
Dead keen on seeing how you progress incorporating lifting + Crossfit- it’s usually either or!
I’m actually contemplating doing the 5/3/1 protocol myself- I just finished Layne Norton’s PHAT for the 3rd time and keen on going back to basics.
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Never heard of that program so I looked it up. Wow, that’s a lot of volume! I’ll definitely keep you updated. I’m worried that I’ll do too much volume with CrossFit so I may have to adjust quite a bit.
soon you’ll be the thlayli of your box.
sorry, the “watership down” jokes just write themselves.
ANYWAY. very interested to watch your wendler cycle [and jennifer’s continuing progress with outlaw], as my coach has me on a squat strength cycle right now and i have seen AMAZING progress. i love that there’s a method to the madness. get at it, y’all! get. at. it.
the gelt recently posted…life. it happens, sometimes.
Hahaha I actually had to look that reference up because it has been a while since I read the book! Squat is definitely one of my weakest areas, from a strength stance and a mobility point. I’ll be getting at it!
They say once you go crossfitting, you can’t get enough of weights. And I guess this is true, cause ever since my brother started doing cross fit, all he could talk about are weights, and everything about.
I guess he’s gonna love seeing this post and reading your article.
It is true, so many people develop a passion for fitness and a healthy lifestyle once they get bitten by the CrossFit bug!
Impressive! I wonder though, if women can have the same program. Or, maybe, you have some recommendations appropriate just for them!
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