Alright, I have been thinking about this and planning it out in my head for a very long time. Like many others, I have always enjoyed competing in fitness competitions. I try to do at least 3-5 competitions per year. Some are good, some are not as good. Regardless of that, I believe the only way to achieve your ultimate potential in fitness is to test yourself. Further, I believe the only way for fitness competitions to evolve is for them to occur; without having them, we can't improve them.
The date for the competition will be September 7th and 8th, 2013. The event will include multiple events per day, but with an added feature. Throughout the day there will be mini-education sessions to allow competitors to understand what goes into the event design, why it was designed as such, what limitations existed, what they can take away from their performance and how to fuel/recover appropriately throughout the year and during competition. The fuelling/recovery portion will be done by Mike Kesthely of Dynamic Nutrition.
What should be noted is that this is NOT a beginners competition. Here are some basic strength qualifications to have:
- able to do strict chin-ups (female - 3 reps, male - 6 reps)
- able to perform the snatch and clean and jerk movements
- able to power snatch (female - 85lbs, male - 135lbs)
- able to power clean (female - 125lbs, male - 185lbs)
- able to front squat (female - 135lbs, male - 205lbs)
If you are interested in competing, please e-mail us. More details on the events and movements will be posted later, this is an announcement. Cost for participating will also be established shortly. The total number of participants will not be large. Initially I am thinking there will be a maximum of 30-40 competitors. There will not be any age categories or teams events. Although, if you are travelling from the U.S.A you may receive bonus points for your dedication!
(The picture has nothing to do the the competition. I just love it. My niece took the picture near my hometown in Wabush, NL, Canada. The tracks in the snow are from numerous snowmobiles travelling to and from. I am sure I traced this route multiple times in my teens. There is a certain beauty in this winter landscape.)
I was asked by two of my clients, David Zeff and Chris Berry, to design the workouts for the last Throwdown Series, as well as the current one. David and Chris run the event.
Overall, the event was meant to be completed within a 60-75 minute time frame, and therefore was not meant to utilize all possibilities with event selection. As well, all modalities had to be easily accessible to all participants based on what most facilities would have (i.e. no Airdynes). Here is a short breakdown of my thought process as well as the science involved in the layout. Any feedback is much appreciated (place in comments below).
Event 1 - 3RM Hang Snatch Modality - 1 Energy System tested - ATP/CP Characteristics - speed, strength, power, flexibility, technical efficiency, grip strength Thoughts:
- overall, just a variation on testing the ATP/CP system.
- could be either a power snatch, full squat, or split (no knee touch).
- competitors must be able to control the load from overhead, back to hips, and not let bar go below knee caps at any point.
- some of the more technically efficient, and truly powerful individuals, will be limited by the fact they have to bring the weight back to the hips under control.
- using a 3RM instead of 1RM, favours individuals with less neuromuscular efficiency to a certain extent (i.e. those they perform well with multiple reps close to their 1RM's).
- from the hang simplifies the movement, and will allow competitors to truly express hip power as the hang is less technically advanced than from the floor.
- involves a certain amount of skill adaptation, if unfamiliar with doing heavy hang snatches, without the use of straps, or dropping the bar.
(my score = 165lb)
Event 2 - Thruster/Row Modalities - 2 Energy System tested - Anaerobic Lactate Endurance Characteristics - speed of movement, technical efficiency, mental fortitude, knowing oneself Thoughts:
- was meant to be a test of Anaerobic Lactate Endurance (i.e. for those that were able to push hard on the thrusters and get them done quickly and unbroken + went hard on the row and pushed for a top time).
- could also have been Aerobic Power (i.e. strong competitor that thrusters were not too difficult + they did not go hard on the Row, a.k.a. performed much below their potential on the event).
- could also have been CP Stamina + Aerobic Power (i.e. competitor that had to break the thrusters several times meaning they were not working for a significant time duration, and did not push the row hard enough, or were unable to due to the leg fatigue).
- could also have been CP Stamina + Anaerobic Lactate Endurance (i.e. competitor had to break the thrusters several times, but pushed hard on the row and made it hurt).
- I designed it, trying to have somewhat of a "fair" event for all sizes of individuals, thinking that a taller individual should be slightly slower on the thrusters and should be slightly faster on the rower. Does it balance out? I don't know. Looking forward to the results to be posted.
- Speed of movement is imperative. For those that are able to do the thrusters unbroken, they should be pushing hard to shave as many seconds off of those 30 reps as possible, demonstrating they possess speed and power.
- the Row! If done right, this event sucks. If done incorrectly, it is not too bad. The top competitors should be doing the event under 2:30 min.
(My score = 2:32)
Event 3 - 5 roundER Modalities - 3 Energy System tested - Aerobic Power Characteristics - recovery between events, speed of movement, technical efficiency, knowing oneself/pace accordingly. Thoughts:
- event was meant to be high/fast turnover and sustainable event for 8-12 minutes. This is an event that generally allows most competitors to increase the pace if they want to and allows them to slow down as needed, all while taking very little rest. Meaning, the event is adjustable based on how much pain you want to go through (i.e. think of a 10 min Row for max meters OR AMRAP Cals on an Airdyne in 10 minutes...the better you want to do, the more it is going to hurt).
- I designed it to reward the individual that does no stop moving, performs the movements technically well and rapidly, and displays sustainability and true aerobic power.
- the burpee standard will be different for many people, and quickly adapting to a new standard is necessary in this event, or the time per rep on the burpees will be too slow.
- if event 2 for a competitor is a true lactate endurance event, then those that possess a good aerobic system will recover sufficiently and will also succeed in event 3. If this same competitor does NOT possess a good aerobic system, they will not be able to clear the lactate during that short of a recovery time and then be able to perform in a high aerobic environment for 8-12 minutes in event 3 (maybe they will, but it will be VERY uncomfortable the entire time). What will most likely happen is they will get 1 or 2 rounds into this event, and will have to begin taking multiple breaks. People in this situation NEED to train their aerobic system appropriately throughout the year to make ANY reasonable progress. Otherwise, they will continually bump up against this "wall" in events like this again and again.
(My score - 8:53...I missed 1 burpee in round 1, so I figure a 4 sec penalty is sufficient. Did an extra clean and wall ball in there as well. Event 2 ruined my brain function. I would also like to thank my Aussie camera man for the shaky video...he did his best!)
(Throwdown Series going down in Calgary @ our facility)
The past 6 months of my training have led to this point!
Beginning in the summer I began building my Anaerobic Lactate training as part of my weekly template. Slowly, intelligently (or I thought so), the results came along. For me, it would take 2-3 weeks before I would truly adapt to each progression of the Lactate energy system (maybe due to under utilization of lactate recycling/exposure to liver/muscles, as time and exposures seems to be the most important thing). For example, from a previous post on "Periodization of Energy System Templates"I outlined how I progressed my training following the OPTathalon in October, 2011.
The simplest way to understand the progression of the Lactate system I choose was to move from:
1 - 20 seconds - 40 seconds of work @ 97% effort, to..
2 - 40 seconds - 60 seconds of work @ 95% effort, to..
3 - 60 seconds - 90 seconds of work @ 90-95% effort, to..
4 - 90 seconds - 120 seconds of work @ 90-95% effort, to..
5 - 120 seconds - 150 seconds of work @ 90% effort, to..
6 - 150 seconds - 180 seconds + of work @ 90% effort.
As the months moved along, the duration of effort moved along (in a linear fashion). I went about the progression like this for many reasons, but mainly because I wanted to truly adapt to the shorter duration/higher intensity lacate training, as my skill/preference is for longer duration/lower intensity training - read running/rowing/airdyne/double unders/and the like - and in order for me to truly improve my short duration power out put I had to go about it like this. My other clients are going about it in other ways, but some are going about it like this too.
Also, please take note of the % effort prescription as this is imperative to proper program design. Without providing the appropriate % of effort relative to the duration of effort, you have nothing. The % of effort needs to come from 2 places, 1) the athlete needs to truly understand the correct % in which to approach the efforts, and 2) the program designer (i.e. coach) needs to ensure that the athlete is getting the dose response from the effort (i.e. correct repetition, exercise, and loading parameters - this is the most difficult part for most coaches/designers that are new to deigning energy system training sessions...I know this as I teach a bunch of them how).
3-4 weeks ago when I began to train in the 150-180 sec + time frame, my session was...
Set # 1:
21,15,9
Thruster - 75lb
Chin-ups
2:50 @ 90% effort
+
25 min rest
+
Set # 2:
15,12,9
Power Clean - 115lb
Push-up Burpees
*Made it to round of 12, then I quite as I was full of lactate and had no ability to continue the power out required to train the energy system appropriately. Yada, yada, yada, I was cooked.
The following week...
For time:
Power Clean (115lb) - 15,12,9
Push-up Burpees - 15,15,15
3:28 @ 95% effort - pure death! I was laying down for over 15 minutes.
Last week...
For time:
20 Thrusters - 95lb
20 Chest to Bar Chin-ups
20 KBS - 32kg
20 Push-up Burpees
2:50ish...murdered! Felt better able to "handle" the intensity than previous weeks, but the energy system is still not quite where it needs to be for competition.
Then, this week...oh how nice it feels when training works. The point of the video is only to show the training works, not to pat myself on the back (i.e. I am sure others out there would have faster times, but for me working @ a high effort, not max, it was fantastic). The session was 2 different lactate endurance training efforts, separated by 20 minutes. In past weeks, I would have not felt recovered even after 20 minutes of rest, but this week, things felt different after the efforts. I literally felt good to go 3-5 minutes afterwards...also know as lactate endurance! The other portion of this "peaking" feeling, is that even during the efforts I know in my brain that I can speed up, and move faster even towards the end of the effort. For the first effort, it happened after the set of 12 burpees going back to the power cleans, I did the power cleans faster on the round of 9, not out of necessity, but out of ability. In the second effort, I began to speed up after the first 5-7 burpees, again as I knew I could lay it all out and I would be able to tolerate/recover from the effort. This "peaking" response is imperative to athletes wanting to perform at their best (I mean true best, not 95% of it) when it matters. For me, I will recycle this training template/strategy for when I am heading to Regionals 2012...hopefully things will go as planned!
- professional Rugby League Player (Edinburgh, Scotland)
- previous injuries - a lot
- movement irregularities:
*limited dorsiflexion on both ankles, right foot more mobile for active pronation/supination
*limited functional hip extension with feet on floor - limitation coming from low back compression (ilacus/psoas maybe?) and pec/shoulder tightness, not so much from the rectus femoris.
*good functional hip flexion with feet on floor - more tension at end ROM in left hamstring (previously partial tear) compared to right leg
*What I call the "Scratch Test" (internal rotation/adduction of humerus - try to touch your finger tips together with one arm over the shoulders and one hand coming from the bottom of the shoulder) - the shits! His overhead flexibility was limited in general.
- His goal: to compete in fitness
Physical Testing
- Vertical Jump - 24.5" - good for his weight
- Front Squat - 331lb
- Power Clean - 275lb
- Power Snatch - 195
- Close Grip Bench Press - 280lb
- Seated DB Overhead Press - 75lb/hand x 1 rep (should be at 80/hand x 6 based on OPT CCP assessment)
- HSPU - 1
- Sorensen - 120 sec
- L/R Side Bridges - 120 sec
- Non-kipping Knees to Elbows - 15 - easy
- Split Squat - 90lb/hand @ 30X0 x 8 reps/leg
- 1 mile on Airdyne = 2:01 (finished, not excessively lactic, recover quickly)
- 10 rounds for time of 500m Row/15 Push-up Burpees - 30:20 (see attached pic) - completed in late November 2011
*As you can tell, the difference in modalities will dictate the heart rate "requirement" of the cardiorespiratory system, as the red dots indicate his heart rate at the end of the 500m row and the black dots indicate his heart rate at the end of the 15 push-up burpees (can anyone tell me why rowing would produce a lower average heart rate than push-up burpees? If so, post to comments).
*Interesting to note that his heart rate decreased as his performance slowed during rounds 3/4/5/6.
*His heart rate goes up initially, then drops (even as his performance stays relatively constant) and only after reducing his output for 15 minutes straight, begins to go up again (there is lactate in that blood...I need to buy a lactate analyzer like James has). His heart rate goes down, even when he feels and tells me that he cannot go any harder (and this is a person that can go through a lot of pain, so it is not mental). You will notice a lot of similarities between this pic and the next one.
- 5 rounds for time of 1000m Row/15 COVP Chin-ups/15 Thrusters - 75lb/15 Push-up Burpees = 36:23 (see pic below) - completed in late November 2011
*Compare with the first graph picture - What I took from this was that his inability to perform with excessive lactate in the blood and to recycle it/utilize it (look at his round 1 time and what had to happen in round 2 to compensate for the higher output in round 1 - part of this will be that he does not know his engine very well in multiple modality environments, but that is beside the point of the physiology going on). Again, it is hard to make an inference without having the blood test to prove it, but nothing else could explain the reduction in heart rate and performance, while still feeling like you are giving it your all. I mean, rowing a 5 minute 1000m row on the last 2 rounds and still feeling like you are going to die...WTF!
*Basically, from this 1 week assessment of all his physical abilities, he was lacking in certain areas in structural balance and was poor at clearing/using lactate (Lactate Endurance).
*Once we figured this part out, for the next 8 weeks he did Lactate Power and Lactate Endurance sessions 2-3 times per week (about 9-15 sets per week) as part of the weekly template I designed. The sessions built in both duration and # of sets per session. He was already strong enough to compete in CrossFit, he just need some technical work on the Olympic lifts, which meant there was less emphasis on strength, except on his overhead pressing strength.
Since November 2011 - J-Kohn has maintained his lifting number previously listed, with the exception of increasing his Power Clean to 285lb, and getting tons better at the Oly lifts. He has lost 7 pounds, mostly from food choices and doing the Neera Cleanse for 5 day in December. Now, look at what happened when we re-tested the last workout graph.
This graph was finished yesterday (the graph has been on the white board since November 2011). We tracked his heart rate (Brad Parkinson and DJ Wickham actually did this), scored laps times, row times (bottom left corner for 1000m Row times) all to see what had happened in the last 8 weeks. And, what a result it was. His round times, row times and overall time was much improved. More importantly to him as a competitor in the sport of fitness his heart rate was able to stay elevated during the entire event, even when his performance slowed slightly from round to round, signifying that he was able to now better handle lactate in the blood during a continued multiple modality aerobic capacity tester while providing sufficient oxygen transport (via the higher heart rate) to his working musculature...Mission accomplished. Jordan did say 2 things after finishing, 1) that was harder (breathing wise) than last time, and 2) Mike, lets never do that one again!
