UN(Cross) YOUR (Fit)ness Program......here's why!

Look at any book, magazine or website relating to fitness today and you will undoubtedly see the ever growing popularity of Cross-Fit training. Cross-Fit training has literally taken the country by storm over the last few years and seems to be running away from its competition (if it even has any). Cross-Fit training for those who live under a rock and don't know, is exactly what it says, a cross between many different forms of training all meshed together @ seemingly torturous intensities to create what they believe is better bodies and better fitness levels. Cross-fit also garners world wide attention for it's "all-inclusive" approach. A statement from the website HERE says  The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs. This statement is the hallmark of their program and their culture. The idea that "we dont change programs" says it all. Before I continue I just want to mention that I personally have NOTHING against cross-fit style workouts in and of themselves. This is a free country and people are free to do as they wish. But, if you're an athlete or simply an individual who has a specific set of goals...we challenge you to think again. It's time to uncross your fitness and here's why:

Here at KEY 2 we train athletes and individuals who are serious about their goals. Goals and vision are the driving force behind what we do because they are what gives the purpose for why we train. Where there is no goal or vision, there is chaos. We believe strongly that training must have a purpose and a concise well planned approach before goals can be reached. Simply throwing a bunch of exercises at the proverbial wall will never have the same effect as a well planned training regimen.

Hey don't get me wrong, i'm all for super high intensity and challenging ourselves to the core of our being. I'm all about squats, bench press, olympic lifts, sprints, medium distance runs and body weight training. Rings and kettle-bells are a part of our program as well. I'm not against any of the methods, my issue is with the layout and its relevance to athletes/clients specific goals. The one size fits all mantra doesn't cut it when we're looking at improving athletes performance. In addition to the intensity, volume and sheer "tough as nails" mentality behind cross-fit, there has to be accountability for bio-energetic demands of training and its affect on performance. Your cardiovascular system, CNS, Metabolic system as well as your hormonal system all have to be considered before maximum fitness and results can be achieved. If your program or trainer doesn't have at least a working knowledge of how these systems are being affected, you will undoubtedly run into issues. So I will repeat, training grandma the same way you train 'Mr. Military Buff Guy' will not work. Here are some reasons why:

Training is specific and must have a plan. The general adaptation syndrome states that our bodies will develop an adaptation to the stressers we place on it. In short, if we do enough of any one thing, our bodies will respond by its own means to adapt to that same stimulus. A body builder is interested in muscle size and muscle symmetry. Therefore their program must have the proper amount of exercises within it to allow their bodies to grow in those two areas. It would be highly inaccurate and very niiave for a body builder to walk into a gym and simply start doing distance training, power training and high repetition resistance training all at the same time. Their goal is muscle size and symmetry, therefore they train for that purpose.

Now, that's an easy example and one many can understand. But it works the same way regardless of the goal. When we cross all forms of fitness together in one big ball, our bodies cannot develop the proper adaptation in any one specific area. That said general conditioning does have its place. General conditioning is great for beginners and even novice level individuals like teenagers looking to increase their fitness levels. However after the first few weeks or sometimes months of a beginners program you may see performance come to a halt or even begin to go down. This is when you need to hone in on the goal for your program whether it be muscle size, fat loss, better aerobic conditioning etc. Prolonged periods of unorganized training will not lead to optimal results. At best you will simply train yourself to handle "poor training". This leads me to my next point.

Over training/under training. The Jack of all trades is usually the master of none. When our bodies under go super intense stimulus over prolonged periods of time we are susceptible to over training. All training is interpreted as stress to our bodies. All these stressers have acute, short term, accumulation and sometimes even delayed effect on our bodies. When we fail to realize that what you lift, or how you lift/run today has an affect on what you "can" do tomorrow or even next week, we leave ourselves vulnerable to harms way. Not everything can or should be trained at the same time. Even at times when we are training different qualities simultaneously, there has to be a plan and order. This is where understanding our bodies systems and how each works comes into play.

the phrase over trained can mean many things... avoid all of them

In addition, when we involve too many un-related types of training all together we invariably leave out some of what we "should" have been doing. If you're goal is to simply get in the best shape possible while increasing muscle mass and decreasing body fat then your program should resemble that. However, depending on the individual you may have two do different programs based on where you are physically when you start. A 40yr old male who's 50lbs over weight and never been an athlete should not begin (even with a modified load) with the same program as a 27yr old female who played collegiate soccer and has only been inactive for the last 3 years. Common sense would tell you that their programs, albeit have the same goal....will and should have different approaches. There are too many variables to consider, however the point is to see the individuality that should be somewhat present when we engage in training programs.

Many of the cross-fit disciples are severely over trained. They market marines and MMA fighters as trophy's to what they can accomplish by training cross-fit. But think about it, many marines and state/local police officers who are fresh out of boot camp or the police academy are also over trained. Only difference is that they (marines and officers) are trained that way on purpose! I don't know about you but, I want people serving and protecting me that have been sharpened and pushed to limits beyond the norm. I want to know they are mentally and physically trained to protect and serve. But to think that one should prepare for being purposely over trained by pre-over training is asinine! Not taking into account proper rest, joint and connective tissue regeneration, skeletal muscle regeneration and proper heart conditioning will lead to severe injury, period. If not right away, then definitely over time. Balance training and order of regimen are vital if achievement is going to be made. In order to have balance, you must have an approach that accounts for all the general and specific areas of your goals. Order is what will help take you there. This brings me to my next point......

selection process comes after the goal has been established

Exercise selection. Exercise selection should NOT be the primary governing factor behind exercise programs. I know I know.... I've done it too, cycled a bunch of exercises week to week in an attempt to develop a "well rounded" program. This is and always will be a mistake, and i've definitely made my share. Your training regimen should be indicative of your goals 1st. Then you must select the correct training type followed by the correct volume and intensity that will help produce that adaptation to meet that goal. Cross-fit is not interested in your goals primarily, it's more interested in its reputation. When the program is more important than the goal, you have yourself a faulty program. Exercise selection should be next to last on the list. Why? Because the same exercises can create different adaptations based on the volume and intensity with which they are done. You want to get strong?.... squat....you want to get faster?....squat......you want to improve endurance?.......squat......mobility? .......squat. The squat is not the goal. Its simply the vehicle used to produce the response you're seeking. So whether you squat heavy, or for reps or jump squat or super slow squat or whatever, understand that 1 single exercise can produce many different responses based on how its used. I simply used squats as an example to make my point, i'm not literally saying all one should do is squat. My point is the mere exercise isn't as important as the way one uses it. After selecting the appropriate training type, the volume and intensity is whats most important. Once that's established, the program can be sure that at least for the moment, its on the right path.


General and Specific gains. Because of the super high intensity used in X-fit and the relative ease at which one can be over trained, it very hard to see results.

Cross-fit and muscle - If you're looking for muscle size or strength you may see small resemblance in the beginning of what looks to be strength increase. You will soon realize that strength is not a matter of sets and reps. Muscle size doesn't come from doing 1000 dips in  a 30 minute workout 3x's a week. Muscle building and strength building are much different but both require 1 vital thing. REST. When we strength train either by body weight or resistance, we need to give our bodies rest. Our bodies need energy to operate. The way we get energy is by the metabolizing of food in to a substance called ATP. ATP gets converted into energy we can you for whatever the task at hand is. When we fail to eat properly and rest we rob our bodies own ability to utilize this energy. In addition when we train at super intense paces without fully recovering, we fail to give our CNS and our skeletal muscle and its connective tissue to time necessary to prepare for the next bout of exercise. This leads to muscle breakdown. So while you think you're building muscle and strength, you're actually breaking it down much faster than it has time to recover and thus grow.

Cross-fit and fat loss. Fat loss can come in many different forms. For some its a mere matter of eating cleaner and drinking more water. For others, intense exercise is needed to assist in the process. Pretty much every one falls some where in-between the two. So the perfect combination is to eat better, train smart and rest. However we must remember that intensity is relative. We respond best when we use the LEAST AMOUNT OF INTENSITY TO STIMULATE RESPONSE AS POSSIBLE. This means that we should do only what is necessary to see change. By progressing whether by load or volume too early, we can set ourselves up for failure or injury. Many people have not developed the proper aerobic work capacity to handle bouts of kipping pull-ups, 400meter sprints and kettle bell swings repeatedly. They need more aerobic/oxidative muscle capacity to even be able to sustain any level of activity for long periods. I'm talking from a safety issue, 1st. So its possible that a more general program may be needed for some involving low grade aerobic work to build a base. For others who have stronger cardiac capacity, intensity should be minimized to meet them at their threshold and not exceed it. To go over and beyond and have someone throwing up just to say you gave them a good workout is not burning fat, its simply uneducated. My over all point is not to associate intense circuits with fat loss. Many times you could be burning more than fat if you're even burning fat at all.

BUT I LOOK GREAT HOW CAN YOU DENY THAT? There is something to be said about consistency and effort. Any person will see changes if they apply themselves to any one thing long enough. All programs will work even for a short period of time. They KEY is to constantly evaluate and educate. Evaluate your program constantly. Look over it and consider the long term effects. Many cross-fit enthusiast are sold on its 'quick fix' appeal. Workout crash course for 2 weeks and drop 30lbs and look great. Yeah ok, but what about after you've lost the weight? A healthy program should sustain you over time and always have a progression that keeps pushing you forward. Not pushing you to near death, but progression. There is a difference. Also, keep educating yourself about what it is you're doing. There is a reason why programs progress every few years. The same things always work, but education about how they work certainly can increase performance. Continually educate and evaluate and you'll at the very least know how to navigate through the myriad of marketing hype pushing you to the next fad workout.

Solution

For those of you who are willing to admit there is truth to what i'm saying, I challenge you to over look your program. Your program should incorporate all areas you are trying to improve. I prefer block style training programs because they have proven to be the best at developing all the general and specific qualities in the least amount of time while being completely 100% healthy. After a organized and well planned block, you will not be over trained or under trained. You will not have gaping holes in your program symmetry and you will feel 10x's better progressing into the next phase of training. Block training, unlike cross-fit or group (boot camp) training doesn't work as well for groups although it can be used in a group setting.

In short block training focuses on general & specific training means and pre-determined training periods over time. The focus of building work capacity and building optimal development of the aerobic system which fuels all of our energy systems happens early on. As the end date approaches or as work capacity improves, the blocks become more personalized to hone in on specific training designed to optimize that specific training block. Blocks may last anywhere from 1-4 weeks depending on the goals of the individual. The blocks, when outlined properly, will overlap at the proper times to fully optimize the effects of the previous block and allow the individual to train unaffected. Blocks can come in many types and depending on the individual, can take all different time frames to complete. The benefit of this style of training is that there is NO wasted effort and NO useless or detrimental training. All the stages compliment and are specified as you improve. This is a far superior way to train than picking random exercises out of a hat and doing them until you either throw up or can go any longer. The even better part is, once a training block ends, you'll have the next one waiting and you'll be able to track progressions and look at tangible increases over time. This is not possible with cross-fit style training.The one issue you may run into is actually having a block program developed. This may cost you a little bit more because a great deal of education is necessary before a program can be written. However, once you see the results of a proper training regimen, it'll pay for itself twice over. Besides the gym you have a membership at and never attend probably has 10x's more of your money for NO results, so if you're going to spend $$ the least you can do is spend wisely. If you want to learn more about having a specific block designed for you contact me @ key2sportsperformance@gmail.com.


My goal is to help stimulate thought and educate those willing to listen. Hope this sheds some light on the issue. Until next time....

GET STRONG BE EXPLOSIVE!!

-Cornell