Apparently this question/comment…
So my, and probably a bunch of other peoples, season is over. Is there an Outlaw approved ‘I’m-going-to-put-conditioning-on-the-back-burner-and-lift-heavy-shit-and-get-strong-as-for-the-next-month-or-two-and-hopefully-gain-some-weight’ program? Like I’m talking maybe doing 1 or possibly no metcons at all. We all know that there’s no fast track to putting on the size and strength like dumping metcons for a bit, and in my own personal experience doing this conditioning comes back quick; I just want to use any time off conditioning as best as possible. Plus it’s a nice mental break. I figure there’s no time to do it like the present for those of us who aren’t going to the games.
-Jordan Derksen
…caused enough of a stir, that I have to break from my regularly scheduled exercise commentary and lulz-making, to answer it with some sort of intelligence. Fine.
Jordan, what did you have in mind? Maybe a Hatch cycle? Or you could try the Conjugate Method—I hear it’s pretty effective. Sorry, I couldn’t help but take a couple shots.
Look, I know that in approximately 12 days there will be 25 people who are following this site, and are officially still a part of the season (do the math, 7 individuals, 18 team members, SO FAR). I know the other 150 to 15,000 of you are now officially training for next season. This, however, doesn’t mean there’s a better option for your continued development.
I’ll let you in on the big secret: make sure you don’t tell anyone. The Outlaw Way is a strength & conditioning program designed for athletes. There’s really no other way to describe it. The fact is that most of the athletes who follow the program happen to play “the sport of fitness”. I, therefore, build the general framework of the template around the seasonal demands of the sport. When the season is over (in 12 days), and we’ve done 2 weeks of testing/data collection, we will immediately go into our off-season developmental program. I’ve actually laid this out in the Template section of the Doctrine page:
When you plug the Limited Conjugate into all aspects of programming, you can begin to design daily WODs that will build to a bigger goal. The goal here is to be prepared for CrossFit competitions and CrossFit Games season. I would use the exact same design and template no matter what I was trying to prepare an athlete for, depending upon the demands of their season. The loading and volume of the program will change as we move closer to the season, then back to the off-season. A few weeks ago Brandon (Phillips) said to me, “It’s the off-season. We should only be doing enough metcon to keep us hungry.” I couldn’t agree more. Here are the basics of what we’re doing right now:
From 4 weeks after the Games until 4 weeks before the Open begins: This is when we build. If you’re worried about losing your “wind” because of a local competition, then you have your priorities wrong. I’ve moderated volume to ensure that strength/power/skill building will not be stunted. We’re working on the highest level (that we will need) of gymnastics skills as frequently as possible and are practicing to attain a virtuoso level with the Olympic lifts (for overall athletic development). Add in some good old-fashioned CrossFit.com-style ass-kickery, some traditional S&C Barbell and Bodyweight movements for overall strength gains, and govern it with a Limited Conjugate method that does a perfect job of keeping everything in order.
Last year we started 4 weeks after the Games, because we were dealing with a group who was made up of Games participants. This year we will start building as soon as our testing period is over, 2 weeks after Regionals. That will allow for 6 months of “I’m-going-to-put-conditioning-on-the-back-burner-and-lift-heavy-shit-and-get-strong-as-for-the-next-month-or-two-and-hopefully-gain-some-weight”. If you want to go off and do some fucking combination of 5/3/1, Bulgarian weightlifting, CF Endurance, and Pole Dance Fitness, be my mother-fucking guest. I can’t wait to see your spine shoot out your asshole when you attempt that new 1RM Back Squat of 700#. I mean you’re supposed to have that after hitting 17 reps at 60%, right?
RANT WARNING: Stupid fucking exercisers. YOU TRAIN FOR MUSCULAR ENDURANCE. What do you expect to happen when you load the bar with a moderate weight and try to do as many reps as possible? I don’t give a fuck how many reps you did at 70%. The predictive calculator doesn’t provide you with ‘roided out fairies who can float over, throw some Westside chains around the bar, and help you squat a weight that you’ve never even seen loaded on a barbell before.
We will be doing squat cycles, weightlifting cycles, skill development, and a “stay hungry” level of conditioning for the entire off season. They will all run concurrently, be cycled often, and be governed by a method designed to moderate volume while providing maximum positive adaptation.
Jordan, if you want to gain weight—eat more. If you want to get strong as shit—this is probably a pretty good place.
WOD 120516:
BB Gymnastics
1) 7X1 3 Position Snatch (low to high) – rest 60 sec. DEMO VIDEO
Notes: Do not load heavy unless you are proficient through every position. This is a technique and speed drill (working turnover when fatigued), but you may go heavier as long as there are no misses or slop reps.
Strength
1a) 3 X ME Bench Press @ 95% – rest 60 sec.
1b) 3 X 8 Good Mornings – heavy, rest 60 sec. DEMO VIDEO
Conditioning
4 rounds for time of:
30 Front Squats @ 115/75#
15 T2B
15 Lateral Box Jumps 24″ DEMO VIDEO
Extra 120516:
*The recommendation is to rest at least 2-4 hours after the day’s normal conditioning before performing this work. If you cannot rest this long, test your resting heart rate before beginning the normal conditioning work and rest long enough for it to return to within 5 BPMs of that number.
Group 5 Conditioning
For time:
30 Back Squats 135/95#
20 Pullups
10 Push Jerks 135/95#
20 Front Squats 135/95#
20 Pullups
10 Push Jerks 135/95#
10 OHS 135/95#
20 Pullups
10 Push Jerks 135/95#
