4 things you can learn from CrossFit

Here is a brief summary:

1. Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM) will increase your work capacity and provide structured periods of work and rest.
2. Training multiple strength qualities can improve your overall fitness and body composition.
3. Gym exercises can enhance a training program with weights. Using your own body weight as resistance can increase your strength and muscle endurance.
4. A supportive environment motivates exercisers to challenge themselves with difficult and often painful workouts.

Claw ideas

CrossFit has stolen from many fitness modalities, which include Olympic weightlifting, sprinting, powerlifting and strongman training, to name a few. Even if you're not interested in CrossFit, it can't hurt to use some of the ideas popularized by CrossFit to enhance your own workouts.

You need to look at the big picture. Every training style has its problems, but we also know that different training styles have their own merits. There's a lot we can learn from each other.

Here are the best ideas you can take from CrossFit.

1 - Every Minute On The Minute Sets

Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM) sets hold you accountable for both work and rest. They force you to focus on doing a certain amount of work within a specific amount of time. During the remaining minute, you recover for the next round of work.

There are several ways to use EMOM. Here are two of them:

1. Load a trap bar with a 3 to 5 RM weight. Over a period of 10 minutes, perform two repetitions at the beginning of each minute. After this, you will have performed 20 reps with a fairly heavy weight in the amount of time most people would have performed two sets. This will increase your work capacity while continuing to use relatively heavy weights, which, if your priority is to be strong, will ultimately be more effective than simply doing intervals on the treadmill.
2. Load the bar with your 10 RM weight. Perform one repetition at the beginning of the first minute. Then perform two repetitions at the start of the second minute. Do one more repetition every minute until you can no longer complete the set within a minute. This will obviously become increasingly strenuous as the gap between the end of the last set and the start of the next set gets shorter and shorter. If you manage to get to 10 repetitions, then you are doing well. If you make it to 15 reps, then you're a monster from another planet.

2 - Train multiple strength qualities during a training session

For overall fitness and body composition improvement, training multiple strength qualities within a training session will produce excellent results.

Traditional block periodization forces you to train one strength quality over a period of time (often 2 to 5 weeks). More general periodization schemes let you work on a primary strength quality over a similar period of time while also training a secondary strength quality.

Periodization methods are effective, but you should not ignore the value of training multiple strength qualities.

For example, use heavier sets with lower repetitions, followed by strength training with multi-joint exercises (in the range of 4 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 repetitions), followed by 2 to 3 sets of isolation training / low impact CNS training in the range of 8 to 12 repetitions generally associated with hypertrophy, and finish with either strength endurance training or conditioning training.

An example program could look like this:

	Exercise	Sets		Rest
A	One-arm dumbbell deadlift and push-up	6	3 *	120 sec.
B1	Front squats	4	4-6	90 sec.
B2	Pull-ups with additional weight	4	4-6	90 sec.
C1	Cable pull through	3	10	60 sec.
C2	Overhead dumbbell press sitting	3	10	60 sec.
D	Concept II rowing machine	2	500 m.	180 sec.

* Single-arm dumbbell reps and push-ups - per side

So you have a power exercise followed by a non-competitive superset for strength and then less CNS taxing supersets and conditioning on the rowing machine to finish.

3 - Use more gymnast-style exercises

Exercises such as handstands, dips on rings, rope climbs and pull-ups on rings are a great way to build isometric strength, build shoulder and core stability and work the shoulders, latissimus and triceps

One of my clients is a 40 year old corporate executive and father of two. He recently performed a handstand during a dinner party. Everyone in the audience thought he must be a superhero.

As these are bodyweight exercises, you should try to perform them as part of a metabolic cycle towards the end of your training session (once you have some confidence in performing the exercises, of course.

Here is an example:

	Exercise	Sets		Rest
C1	Pushing a weight sled	3	40 m.	30 sec.
C2	Pull-ups on rings	3	8	30 sec.
C3	Farmers walk	3	40 m.	30 sec.
C4	Dips on rings	3	8	60 sec.

It should go without saying that due to the lack of stability of the rings on standard dips, pull-ups and shoulder presses, you will need to be reasonably strong to perform these exercises, especially in a fatigued state.

Remember that many of these exercises are progressions of the basic exercises, so you should not attempt them until you are ready.

4 - The X Factor

Even CrossFit haters admit that there is one thing that CrossFit does right. It's creating a dynamic environment that encourages members to test their limits.

For a long time, many people associated working out with either boredom or punishment. CrossFit has completely changed that relationship - so much so that people both within the ranks of CrossFitters and outsiders often refer to CrossFit as a cult.

But how many people do you know who can't wait to do their back and biceps day at the local gym? Sure, these people exist, but there are very few of them. CrossFit has grown entire groups of passionate members who live to work out with their training partners. They love a challenge.

When you feel like your coach and the training community supports your successes, you become more committed.

Even if you work out at a regular run-of-the-mill gym, chances are you'll see the same people there on a regular basis. Don't be afraid to take off your sound-absorbing headphones and cheer on the guy who's trying to break his personal deadlift record.

And when that karma comes back to you a few weeks later when you finally try to bench press 170 kilos, you'll be glad you made the effort to become more a part of your gym community.

Do what's valuable and ignore the rest

Is performing snatches with high reps a good idea when you're exhausted? Probably not. Is training multiple strength qualities the best way to prepare for a powerlifting competition? No.

But just because a system isn't perfect (and every training system has its limitations) doesn't mean it's completely worthless.

Take a closer look at CrossFit (or Westside, or Poliquin, or Boyle) and find out for yourself what you can use from this methodology to your advantage.

By Dan Trink | 04/08/13

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/4-things-i-have-stolen-from-crossfit