MEBB

http://www.cathletics.com/articles/index.php?show=shorty&shortyID=60

Goat Skills

Got Goat? 

 

Goats.  We all have them.  All athletes do.  We are not talking about the standard definition of goat, however.  In this context we are referring to the slang definition often used in the CrossFit world.

goat (gōt)
n. Slang
Someone who is blamed when things go wrong.
Examples:

1. Sarah made Michael the goat for the broken lamp.
2. The goalie was the goat in the 1-0 soccer match.

Etymology: ‘Goat’ is short for ’scapegoat’, which is a person or thing that is given all blame or responsibility for a negative event. A ‘goat’ is the opposite of a hero
Synonyms: fall guy, patsy

A goat for us is a movement or skill that we are not particularly good at, in comparison to the rest of our repertoire.  For example, we have some otherwise heavy-hitting athletes that, for whatever reason, can’t do a double-under to save their lives.  Likewise, we have athletes who can overhead squat a mountain but can not snatch a significant weight.
These movements and skills often hold us back in our workouts, thus becoming our scapegoats.  It is important to remember, though, that we are responsible for addressing our own goats.  It is far too easy at times to simply blame the movement or skill for a poor workout performance rather than accepting accountability for ourselves.  The reality is that we are the only ones that can fix our deficiencies; no one can do the work for us.
Great, so now that we have taken responsibility for our own improvement, how do we actually work on our goats?  Mid-WOD is not the time to learn to snatch.  This is something that needs to be done outside of a workout context.  The same applies to double-unders, cleans, handstands, etc.  Similarly, these are not movements that we can really start our warm-up with, either.  Nothing like 95# snatches first thing in the day when you are still cold and inflexible to potentially cause some serious grief!  No, most of the time our goat movements require us to warm-up before we can start working on them.  So, if we can not work on these skills mid-WOD nor can we typically use them in our warm-up, what is the answer?
The buy-in/cash-out model is the approach we have adopted, along with a number of other CrossFitters and CrossFit gyms.
The buy-in and cash-out are skills development periods that may have a mini-workout feel to them, depending on what is being worked on.  These allow us time to work on underdeveloped skills and movements, after properly preparing our bodies, outside of a workout.  A typical class or workout session employing this approach looks like this:

1. Warm-up
2. Buy-in
3. Workout
4. Cash-out
5. Cool-down

There are also other movements that themselves do not fit into a workout very well but are nonetheless important and useful skills to develop.  The buy-in and cash-out are great places for these, too.  Consider how to incorporate static holds in a workout.  Given the “maximizing work output” approach we take to training, static holds obviously do not fit well.  The same can be said for Turkish Get-ups.  There are much faster and more efficient ways to get that weight overhead.  The TGU is a slow, and inefficient movements when it comes to developing power.  Both skills (static holds and TGUs), however, are very useful for overall athletic development.
If you have been neglecting the buy-in and cash-out components of your training, don’t be surprised when you get left in the dust of those athletes who take full accountability for their development.  Only you can fix your goats.
Read what the folks at CrossFit California City have to say on the subject.

http://www.crossfitto.com/2009/08/15/got-goat/

Max Effort Black Box (MEBB)

Max Effort Black Box (MEBB)

http://primalliving.blogspot.com 

This is my version of the highly regarded system created by Mike Rutherford - based on the way it was formatted several months ago.

1st Cycle
Day 1:
Max Effort Upper Body (PULL) - 5x5, 2x3, 3x1
Total Body Movement - 5x5

Day 2:
WOD/Metcon/Swim

Day 3:
Max Effort Lower Body - 5x5, 2x3, 3x1
Total Body Movement - 5x5

Day 4:
REST Day

Day 5:
Max Effort Upper Body (PUSH) - 5x5, 2x3, 3x1
Total Body Movement - 5x5

Day 6:
Corrective Routine, REST Day, or Swim

Day 7:
REST Day

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2nd Cycle
Use the same sequence as Cycle 1
Max Effort Upper & Lower Body - 7x3, 3x1
Total Body Movement - 5x5

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3rd Cycle
Use the same sequence as Cycle 1
Max Effort Upper & Lower Body - 10x1
Total Body Movement - 5x5

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4th Cycle
Use the same sequence as Cycle 1
Max Effort Upper & Lower Body - 5x5 @ 60% 1RM - Done EXPLOSIVELY
Total Body Movement - 5x5 @ 60% 1RM- Done EXPLOSIVELY

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5th-8th Cycle: Repeat - ALL 4 Cycles, but at a higher weight

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9th-12th Cycle: Repeat - ALL 4 Cycles, but at a higher weight yet again

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Upper Body PUSH Exercises:

• Dips
• Press
• Bench Press
• Incline Bench Press
  

Upper Body PUll Exercises:

• Pull-ups
• Muscle-ups

Lower Body Exercises:

• Back Squats
  
• Zercher Squats
• Front Squats

PREFERRED Total Body Exercises:

For Dips:

• Push Press
• Push Jerk

For Bench Press/Incline Bench Press:

• Push Press
• Push Jerk

For Pull-ups:

• Power Clean, from the hang position
  
• Power Snatch, from the hang position

For Squats:

• Deadlifts
  
• Cleans - from the deck
• Snatch - from the deck
  

ALL Total Body Exercises:

• Clean - from the deck or the hang position
• Power Clean - from the deck or the hang position
• Snatch - from the deck or the hang position
• Power Snatch - from the deck or the hang position
• Deadlifts
  
• Push Press
• Push Jerk
• Thrusters
• Overhead Squat
• Overhead Reverse Lunge - better suited for ancillary work, not 5x5
  
• The Barbell Bear - not the best choice though - better suited for a WOD/MetCon Day, BUT, use a much lighter load than usual - think conditioning, not strength!
  

WOD/MetCon Routines (Workout Of the Day/Metabolic Conditioning):

• Crossfit WOD
• The Fitness Conduit WOD
• Or one of the routines from my 96 Day Routine
  
• Just make sure that the routine makes sense. Examples: if your shoulders are smoked from a Max Effort Upper Body Day, don't choose a routine with too much shoulder work. The day before a Max Effort Lower Body Day you should avoid routines that will smoke the legs. Just use common sense here.
  

Additional Details:

• The MAX EFFORT movement is the PRIMARY movement. The Total Body Movement is the secondary movement. As such, the load for the Total Body Movement "may" have to be lighter than it would normally be. Example: If your normal 5x5 weight for a Power Clean is 135lbs, then it may be 125-130lbs on this day
  
• The Max Effort Movement is ONE exercise ONLY! - It is MORE than enough!!!
  
• Ancillary & Core Work is performed at the end of the routine - the possibilities are endless, just don't overdo it
  
• Warm up exercises should be performed as well - a no-brainer
• It is assumed that you have already ramped up with 5x5 routines, AND that you can perform Oly Lifts with good form before attempting this type of periodization schedule/routine
• Use the Burgener Warn-up every day, in addition to the Crossfit Warm-up on the really heavy days
  

Black box

CROSSFIT PROGRESSION: "