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.
November 3rd to January 4th (9 weeks):
This cycle builds on the momentum we created in the fall. We’re shifting our attention to developing stronger legs, sharper Olympic lifts, and the kind of conditioning that makes you feel unreasonably calm halfway through a nasty metcon.
We’ll train for three weeks, take a deload during the final week of November, push through two more working weeks, and then finish with a Max-Out week before setting the stage for a holiday deload for 2 weeks. Think of this cycle as sharpening the sword before we hit January hungry.
The goals of the cycle are:
- Deepen confidence and precision in the Olympic lifts
- Increase strength and capacity in both the back squat and front squat
- Build a strong aerobic engine that supports year-round performance
- Improve the ability to perform gymnastics movements under fatigue
Benchmarks:
- Snatch (1 RM)
- Clean and Jerk (1RM)
- Front Squat (1RM)
- Back Squat (1RM)
As always, recording scores in Wodify helps you see progress across the year. If you miss a benchmark, hop into open gym and get it done.
Monday — Front Squat Focus: We start the week by getting serious about squats. Expect pause variations at different positions in the squat to strengthen the sticking points and reinforce great positions. This work will directly support cleaner, stronger lifts on Wednesdays for clean and jerk work.
Tuesday — Snatch Day: With a running clock, each week you’ll build to a heavy snatch for the day, then take a percentage of that lift into snatch intervals paired with two complementary movements. Over the cycle, intervals get heavier.
Wednesday — Clean & Jerk Waves: We’ll begin the first 3 weeks with jerk technique work to dial in overhead mechanics, then roll into clean & jerk waves leading us toward maxing out. Following the lifts, we will include variations of clean and jerks with classic CrossFit-style couplets and triplets.
Thursday — Aerobic & Mobility Emphasis: Endurance work will be the focus with a combination of rowing, running, biking, double-unders, and light weights to keep you moving and build cardiovascular stamina. This cycle will put an emphasis on mobility as part of the workout on Thursdays.
Friday — Back Squat + Posterior Chain: Heavy back squats paired with hamstring accessory work. Building off of our last cycle, our metcons on Friday will revolve around the posterior chain exercises.
Saturday: Workouts with both a partner and solo option will continue as previously programmed.
Feel free to reach out if you have questions about the programming. Enjoy this cycle! See you Monday!
– Head Coach Whitney Gelin whitney@12thstatecrossfit.com
September 8th to November 2nd (8 weeks):
This cycle is focused on improving Olympic lifting technique and Olympic lifting/ pulling strength. Additionally, we will spend time working on gymnastic efficiency and capacity. Technique will be prioritized on Mondays while strength will be prioritized on Wednesdays and Fridays. Throughout the cycle athletes will have the opportunity to build to heavy/maximal lifts, so at the end of the cycle we won’t have a specific max out day.
The goals of the cycle are:
- Develop confidence in our Olympic lifting technique
- Improve Olympic lifting pulling position and strength from the floor
- Establish confidence and strength with single leg movements through various
- Improve capacity and position push and pull gymnastic movements
Benchmarks:
- 1 Rep Max Snatch
- 1 Rep Max Clean
- 1 Rep Max Strict Press
- 3 Rep Max Push Press
- 5 and 3 Rep Max Deadlift
*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: Progress with Olympic lifting technique. Athletes can expect drills to enhance the lifts and our positions. We will alternate clean and the snatch for the first 4 weeks. Beginning week 5 we will clean and the snatch on the same day. The focus will be lifting, no metcon on Mondays. Our fitness track will have a metcon to complete in place of the lifting with a similar time domain.
Tuesday: Gymnastic accessory focus. Class will begin with a metcon followed by gymnastic accessory work alternating each week between pushing and pulling movements. The objective is to build strength and capacity through better positioning. With the gymnastic accessory work being after our metcon it will also help to establish confidence under fatigue.
Wednesday: Focus is on building strength via front rack and back rack Rack lunging. Four weeks of front rack lunging accompanied by plyometric movements and then switch to back rack for the second half. Metcons will consist of EMOM style workouts.
Thursday: Endurance work will be the focus with a combination of rowing, running, biking, jump rope, and light weights to keep moving and build cardiovascular stamina.
Friday: The focus is on pressing and pulling strength. To begin the cycle we will use strict press and deadlift. After 4 weeks we will move to push press and deadlift. The fitness programming will complete workouts with a similar time window as the lifters. The day will finish with a short metcon. Athletes can expect sprint style efforts with time caps of 8 minutes.
Saturday: Workouts with both a partner and solo option with varied movements and time domains.
Next Level: Athletes can expect to see next level work. The exact days will shift depending on what each week holds for our athletes.
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Feel free to reach out if you have questions about the programming. Enjoy this cycle! See you Monday!
- Head Coach Whitney Gelin
- whitney@12thstatecrossfit.com