Train with Purpose. Train with Intensity. Train for longevity.
Training with purpose means understanding the program’s goals and benchmarks, and selecting the training path that best meets your own personal goals. Click here to read more about which pathway might be best for you. If you still have questions, talk to one of our coaches and they will be happy to help you.
Training with intensity means bringing your best effort every day, allowing yourself to be pushed, and understanding that it takes hard work and commitment to see a consistent improvement in your fitness level.
Training for longevity means that we must consider the long term when deciding what we do in the gym every day. It means focusing on proper technique, mobility / flexibility, nutrition, and hydration. It means having an understanding that a positive attitude and the right mental approach are essential to enduring success.
January 5th to March 15th (10 weeks):
Our next programming cycle begins on January 5th and lasts 10 weeks. This cycle will include 6 working weeks, 1 Max Out Week and 3 deload Weeks. During our deload weeks we will also complete the three workouts programmed by CrossFit Games for the 2025 CrossFit Open. The intention of this cycle is to maintain strength while building confidence in our barbell and aerobic capacity. We will also continue to focus on training gymnastics under fatigue. Regardless of whether you are planning to compete in the open or not, this cycle will help you develop the confidence to take your metcon, weights and skills to the next level.
The goals of the cycle are:
- Build strength in cycling moderate barbell weights in both the Snatch and Clean
- Improve ability to Olympic lift under fatigue
- Develop awareness in the ability to pace each workout effectively
- Maintain strength lower body strength through back squatting
- Develop strength and confidence with gymnastics movements under fatigue
Benchmarks:
3 Rep Max Back Squat
3 Rep Max OHS (From Floor and Under Fatigue)
3 Rep Max Jerk (From Floor and Under Fatigue)
*For benchmarks, it is recommended that you record your results in Wodify, as these metrics will be repeated. Benchmarks are a way for you to assess your progress and see improvements. If you miss a benchmark day, feel free to come in during open gym time and make it up.
Monday: Our focus will be on positional work in our Olympic Lifts for the first few weeks and transition to barbell cycling to close out the cycle. We will alternate weeks working on the Snatch and Clean and Jerk. Following our barbell work, we will complete a metcon that will incorporate barbell cycling. This combination is set out to help increase threshold during workouts involving a barbell.
Tuesday: Push and pull gymnastics will be our focus for our first piece of the day on Tuesdays. Following our gymnastic work, we will give our athletes the opportunity to work on pacing. Our metcons will involve an ascending amrap for a certain duration. Upon the completion of our ascending amrap we will rest and work back down descending for time. The goal will be to pace correctly on the way out and have the ability to finish right on time on the way back or even negative split by a few seconds. Athletes should be aiming to stay right at their threshold on the way out and push their threshold on the way back.
Wednesday: We will continue to build our Back Squats in this cycle. Back Squat tempo reps paired with regular squat reps and a plyometric movement will help elicit a power response after a heavy barbell. Metcons will consist of classic CrossFit chippers, couplets and triplets but the focus will be on pacing. We will alternate each week between completing 6 rounds for time with a 12-minute cap and E2MOM for 6 rounds. This alternation reinforces the pacing work from Tuesdays.
Thursday: Endurance work will be the focus with a combination of rowing, running and biking, jump rope and light weights to keep us moving to build cardiovascular stamina. The workouts will also be programmed in a way that can allow athletes to use Thursday’s as active recovery.
Back by popular demand, there will be a large emphasis on mobility as part of the workout on Thursdays.
Friday: Friday’s focus will be on CrossFit Open Prep. These workouts will be designed to mimic open style workouts. Being prepared for the unknown, these workouts will feature a wide variety of gymnastics, monostructural and barbell movements. Some Fridays will also feature lifting under fatigue.
Saturday: Workouts with both a partner and solo option will continue as previously programmed. Saturday will also have a next level option to Front Squat. The progression will follow the same progression we saw with our back squat next level from last cycle.
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Feel free to reach out if you have questions about programming. Enjoy this cycle!
- Head Coach Whitney Gelin
- whitney@12thstatecrossfit.com