Mindset, Rants, Training

How Do You Compare?

The 2012 Crossfit Games are on ESPN 2 right now.

Between my recent experience with SEALFIT & the numerous questions I’m getting about the athletes on TV right now, we need to address something important…

STRENGTH

Everything, I mean EVERYTHING starts with a foundation of strength. Building huge bodybuilder muscles, exploding off the ground for a 48″ vertical, running a 4.2 forty, winning the CrossFit Games…all of those physical feats are built upon a foundation of strength.

That’s why I named my gym House Of STRENGTH. We focus on building physical and mental strength. The mental side was covered HERE on Monday. Right now, we’re going to make sure you understand the importance of physical strength.

***I’m not a CrossFit guy. My gym is not affiliated and I have some strong feelings AGAINST some of CrossFit’s programming. That said, they do A LOT OF THINGS RIGHT.***

Like Bruce Lee says…

Here’s the payoff:

The CrossFit Games depict athletes who are fit, lean, and have the endurance of the energizer bunny. What they don’t show, is how supremely STRONG this athletes are.

This leads people (like YOU) to see what they do in the games, and then try to go out and mimic those workouts expecting the same results.

You have to realize the GAMES are a TEST. Remember when we TRAIN, we build strength, not test it. 

For example, look at a few of the feats the men have performed this year:

  • Clean 205 x 10 (Twice in under 10 minutes)
  • Climb a 20′ Rope (5 times)
  • Overhead Squat 155 x 10 (Twice in under 10 minutes)
  • 10 Ring Muscle Ups (in a fatigued state)
Those are just a fraction of the feats completed – all of which were done at a blazing pace as they were being timed and racing the other competitors.
Think about this…Can YOU clean 205 for ONE REP? How much weight can you clean for 2 sets of 10? What % of your max clean are you using to complete those 10 reps? Now, how STRONG will you have to be to clean 205 x 10???
Example…
  • Let’s say you can clean 135 x 10.
  • This MIGHT put your 1RM at 185. That makes 135 72% of your 1RM.
  • Now 205 is 72% of…285!!
To Clean 205 for 10 reps as easily as he can clean currently clean 135 for 10 reps, this lifter will have to increase his 1RM from 185 to 285! That’s 100 pounds!
Think about how much more athletic, explosive, powerful, and muscular this lifter will be after adding that STRENGTH.
There you have it – TIME TO GET STRONG!