Six Key Principles For Metabolic Conditioning Workouts
1. Focus on fundamental movements. Hit as many
different aspects of fitness as possible at the same time. This means focusing
on fundamental movements. High rep Olympic lifting, runs of varying distances,
and basic gymnastics exercises such as pullups, handstand pushups, and air
squats, should make up the bulk of your metcon workouts. Consider the original
CrossFit girls as a source of inspiration.
As a practical illustration of this concept, contrast these two
metcon WODs:
A. 5 rounds for time of 20 ball slams, 30 lbs., 20 burpees.
B. 5 rounds for time of 400m run 10 clean and jerks at 135 lbs.
Both will be extraordinarily taxing of the body’s ability to
supply energy for physical activity, however, it is our contention that workout
B is substantially more effective at producing elite fitness. It requires and
develops a much larger quantity of physical skill and strength to finish
quickly. Anecdotally, we have seen that athletes that master the basics of
weightlifting, gymnastics, and running, adapt quickly to sideshow movements
like ball slams very quickly, whereas burpee and ball-slam addicts tend to
struggle with stuff like clean and jerks even at low levels of load and
intensity.
2. Vary your modes. This sounds weird, but its meaning is
simple. Weightlifting/throwing is one mode, gymnastics is another, and
mono-structural metcon activities are another. Metabolic conditioning tends to
be very activity-specific. It has long been known in the endurance sport world
that an athlete who has great endurance in running may suffer greatly at
swimming. In the CrossFit world, someone who never tires on “Cindy” may end up
gasping for air for a mediocre score on “Fight Gone Bad.” If our aim is to
develop as broad a range of adaptations as possible, we must ensure that our
metabolic conditioning circuits involve all three modes of movement. If you
always do bodyweight exercises, it’s time to start incorporating thrusters,
squat cleans, and snatches, etc. If you never run in your workouts, then start.
Yes, I know it hurts.
3. Vary your format. In general, metcon workouts can be X rounds
for time, as many rounds or reps as possible in X minutes, follow a particular
interval format (such as tabata) for max reps in the interval, or follow the
chipper format whereby a list of tasks is completed in order, with each movement
only being hit one time. Other formats are possible, but these are the main
formats you’ll see. Different formats require different strategies and even
psychologies. It is important not to just stick to workout formats that you are
comfortable with.
4. Vary your time domains. Coach Glassman has long said that we
suffer at the margins of our experience. If we confine our workouts to a
certain time domain, we assuredly will perform sub-optimally when asked to
leave that time domain. We have seen athletes err by never going longer than 15
minutes, as well as by never going shorter than 10. If there is a particular
time domain that you are most comfortable with, make sure to train outside of
that time domain on a regular basis.
5. Vary your loads. Are you seeing a pattern here? People who
only do light metcons, or only do heavy metcons, will not perform as well when
taken out of their comfort zone. Don’t be that guy. If you never lift a barbell
heavier than 135# (or even 225#) in your metcon workouts, then start
experimenting with heavier lifts. If you never go above 30 reps, or under 135
lbs. in your workouts, start lowering the loads and upping the reps
6. Compete! If you’re reading this blog, I shouldn’t have to
lecture you about intensity and training hard. The problem is, however, that
everyone thinks they’re training hard, and very few people are training as hard
as they could be. The problem is that you’ll never train as hard as you can
without competition. Furthermore, you will never reach the level of fitness
that you could reach with competition. Competition pulls us above our
comfortable level of discomfort, and into a dark place where we’d rather not
be. Most of us wouldn’t there go if we could avoid it without looking like a
pussy. If you don’t time and record your workouts and constantly try to beat
other CrossFitters or your previous times, you’re not as fit as you could be.
Follow these principles in your metcon WODS and be prepared to both suffer and progress more than your use to.
Metcon: "KELLY"
5RFT
30 Wallballs
30 box jumps
400 meter run
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