Functional Movement

The Functional Movement Screen assesses seven basic movement patterns to identify tightness and weakness in the body – so you can correct them before they cause major problems.

Robert Konishi has been running all his life. In a normal year, the 52-year-old Orange County, Calif., businessman would churn out two or three marathons. But when chronic injuries to his feet and Achilles’ tendons eventually caught up to him, he was forced to take time off to heal. Rest, ice and stretching, however, didn’t offer enough relief. What he needed, he eventually discovered, was to completely reassess how he moved.

Last year, Konishi joined the Core Performance Center in Santa Monica, Calif., to start a new training program. During his first session, trainers screened him using a seven-part test called the Functional Movement Screen (FMS). The FMS helps identify muscle asymmetries, tightness, weakness and other risk factors for injury by examining the mobility and stability of the hips, core, shoulders, knees, spine and ankles.

This screening has recently gained popularity among trainers, chiropractors and physical therapists because it’s scored simply, gives a good baseline of abilities and, through rescreening, provides a consistent measure of progress.

“The movements were a bit awkward and difficult to do,” Konishi recalls. That’s by design — each isolates a different area of the body to prevent you from compensating and hiding weakness, says Lee Burton, PhD, ATC, CSCS, codeveloper of the Functional Movement Screen.

With this information, Konishi’s trainers were able to design an ultraspecialized workout that reenforced proper movement patterns, putting less stress on his feet and Achilles’ tendons. As a result, his workouts went from painful to supercharged. “After about four to six weeks, I had quicker recovery and less soreness in my hips after long workouts,” he says. “And I was able to touch my toes, which I’d never been able to do in my adult life.” This past June, Konishi completed his first marathon in more than two years and plans to do another in January.

It’s not magic — it’s simply good mechanics. The main purpose of the FMS is to seek out poor movement patterns so you can retrain the body to move in the most stable, efficient way possible.

FINDING FAULTY PATTERNS

As babies, we enter the world limber and symmetrical. But over time, we develop muscle imbalances and asymmetries, which can make us less efficient and more prone to injury. “Think of it this way: Even if a car has a flat tire, you can still drive it pretty fast,” says Kevin Elsey, performance specialist at Athletes’ Performance in Phoenix, Ariz. “But that tire uses up extra energy and will eventually distort the overall alignment of the car.”

The Functional Movement Screen is designed to ferret out those inefficiencies. If any of the seven movements is mechanically unsound, this indicates you have asymmetries or limitations somewhere.

This isn’t a self-assessment you can do at home. “You need a professional to administer the Functional Movement Screen — there’s definitely an art to it,” says Elsey. (See “The Functional Movement Screen,” below.)

What sets the FMS apart from other screenings — say for posture or flexibility — is its focus on dynamic movement. “Movement indicates how a body works,” explains Burton. “It lets us know how the brain is controlling the body and how the joints and muscles communicate.”

The Functional Movement Screen can help prevent injuries before they occur by identifying risk factors. “If you smoke a bunch of cigarettes, it doesn’t mean you’re for sure going to get cancer — but you are at a higher risk,” explains Burton. The same goes for poor movement patterns. If you do nothing to fix them, chances are greater that they’ll catch up to you.

Because no one moves perfectly, anyone can benefit from being screened. Then you can put the results of a Functional Movement Screen test to work, retraining your faulty movement patterns and keeping yourself running like a well-oiled machine.
Jenny Lui is a Chicago-based writer.

FIND A PRO

Professionals certified to perform the Functional Movement Screen are typically personal trainers, chiropractors and physical therapists who have completed special training. They can be found in sports clinics, physical therapy centers and some health clubs nationwide. To find an FMS-certified professional near you, go to www.functionalmovement.com.

THE FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT SCREEN

The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) tests seven different movement patterns, scoring them on a scale from 0 to 3.

0 — Movement was painful, requiring a referral to a healthcare professional.
1 — Inability to perform or complete a functional movement pattern.
2 — Ability to perform a functional pattern, but with some degree of compensation.
3 — Unquestioned ability to perform the functional movement pattern.

1. Deep Squat: Used to screen hips, shoulders, knees, spine and ankles.

You’ll be asked to hold a dowel rod directly above your head to keep your hands and arms in place, and squat as low as you can with good form.

What the specialist is looking for: Ideally, the upper torso will be parallel to the shins, thighs will be below horizontal, and the knees and dowel will be aligned over the feet. In faulty movement patterns, the heels might be off the ground, the dowel might fall forward, the squat might be too high, or there’s twisting, leaning or other asymmetries.

2. Hurdle Step: Used to screen hips, knees and ankles.

You’ll be asked to step over a hurdle that’s a little below knee height. While holding the dowel across your shoulders, step over with one leg. Touch the heel down on the other side. Return to starting position.

What the specialist is looking for: Ability to balance; shifting in the level of the hips; how neutral the upper body remains.

3. In-Line Lunge: Used to screen ankle and knee stability, as well as abductor or adductor weakness.

Once the administrator positions your feet, you’ll do a basic lunge while holding the dowel behind your back, one hand near the neck, one hand near the lower back. Feet are pointed straight forward and in line with each other, until your back knee hits the floor. Return to starting position.

What the specialist is looking for: The rear knee must touch the board just behind the forward foot, and the dowel must remain vertical. Also, the dowel must maintain contact with the head, upper back and butt during the entire move. Faulty movement patterns include the feet turning in or out, the torso tilting forward or backward, or an inability to balance.

4. Shoulder Mobility: Used to screen the shoulder’s range of motion, external and internal rotation, and posture.

You’ll be asked to make thumbs-in fists and put both hands behind your back at the same time — one hand goes over the shoulder while the other comes from the bottom and reaches up the back. The closer together your hands are to one another, the better. Repeat on other side.

What the specialist is looking for: Rounded shoulders, how close together your hands are, symmetry between sides.

5. Active Straight-Leg Raise: Used to screen hamstring and calf flexibility, hip mobility, and pelvic stability.

While lying on your back, arms at your sides, you’ll be asked to raise one leg as high as it can go without bending the knee, while leaving the other leg on the floor.

What the specialist is looking for: The angle of your raised leg, if it’s bent, the alignment of your ankle in relation to the mid-thigh.

6. Trunk Stability Pushup: Used to screen trunk stability and core strength.

You’ll be asked to perform a pushup with your hands aligned with the top of the forehead for men and the chin for women.

What the specialist is looking for: The movement should be a simultaneous, full-body movement; watch for hyperextension of the spine, or saggy hips.

7. Rotational Stability: Used to screen core stability and asymmetry.

You’ll be asked to get down on all fours. Raise your right arm and leg until they are parallel to the floor, then touch your right elbow to your right knee, extend the leg and arm again and return under control to the start position. Repeat with the left side.

What the specialist is looking for: Elbow knee alignment, trunk rotation, and differences between right and left sides.

Rower Settings

-Article from the Crossfit Journal.

People often ask us at Concept2 what the damper on our rower does and where to set it for the best workout. The damper setting is important, but it does not determine how much actual work you are doing when you row.
Selecting a damper setting is not like selecting how much weight to put on a bar. In the case of the bar, if for one workout you load it with 100 pounds and lift it 10 times, and for the next workout you put 110 pounds on for 10 reps, you have clearly done more work in the second workout. The rower, or “erg,” is different. It does not determine how much work you do; rather, it responds to the amount of force you put into the exercise. The more force you put into each stroke, the more resistance you will feel.
Rowing on the erg is really about producing power, and here I would like to clarify what I mean by power. Power is often confused with force, and, although related, they are different. Force applied over a distance yields work. Work integrated over time yields power. By this definition, lifting 10 pounds two feet is the same amount of work as lifting 20 pounds one foot. And if both those lifts are accomplished in one second, they require the same amount of power. Obviously, the speed movement of the two-foot lift would be greater than the speed of the one-foot lift if they both take one second. When a rower does a 500-meter test, the 500 meters represents the amount of work they will do. Everyone doing the 500 meter test will do the same amount of work, regardless of the damper setting. The rower who does that work in the least amount off time

will generate the most power. So an athlete who is using the erg to train for maximum power output should set the damper where they can go a given distance in the shortest time. That is how they will generate the most power.
Much like selecting a gear on a bicycle, setting the rower’s damper is a personal choice. You should experiment with different damper settings to find the setting that gives you the best workout and results.

At any damper setting, though, you can choose to row easy or row hard. Most people initially prefer to use the higher damper settings (7 to 10) for rowing hard because they don’t have to move as fast to generate a lot of power. Moving more slowly gives you more time during the drive to coordinate the stroke. At a low damper setting (1 to 3), you need to coordinate your drive more quickly in order to generate power. Rowing at a high stroke rate is another way of “moving faster to generate higher power,” but there is a trade-off as “wasted energy” becomes a factor, particularly if your goal is to achieve your best time for a set distance.
Some coaches of top rowers (big guys scoring in the 6:00 range for 2000 meters) insist that their athletes’ off-water winter training be done at the lower damper settings so that they train at delivering high force quickly—which translates into making a boat go fast rather than being a big and strong but slow team. This is done specifically for improving boat speed on the water, but keep in mind that these are

a slower starting speed on your next pull. Closing the damper (setting it to a lower number) reduces the air that the fan has to move, so you must get the fan spinning faster in order to generate the power. It’s more like rowing a fast-moving boat where the rower has to be quick in applying force to make the boat go even faster.
Finally, the electronic monitor has the job of measuring all these factors and calculating the work so that the readout gives comparable results regardless of where the damper is set. This assures that two athletes rowing the same distance in the same time are in fact putting out the same amount of power. If the setting is lower, the rower will have to be pulling more quickly during the drive, and perhaps (but not necessarily) rowing at a higher stroke rate.

You can experience what I mean by this last point the next time you get on an erg. Pick a pace (time per 500 meters) and a stroke rate that is comfortable for you to maintain—perhaps something like a 2:00 pace and 28 strokes per minute. (Note: the monitor displays the “pace” of each stroke in the center display window and strokes per minute in the upper right). During this demonstration you will try to make every stroke at the 2:00 pace and hold a constant stroke rate of 28. Start in a high damper setting and maintain this for a minute, then switch to a lower setting and get back into the 2:00 pace at 28 strokes per minute. First, you will be able to feel the difference in the quickness of your movement during the drive. You will also be taking more time coming back up the slide on the recovery. The goal of this exercise is to prove to yourself that the same power can be generated at different damper settings and at the same stroke rate. You will need higher force during the drive in a higher damper setting, but the speed of your pull through will be slower.

In practice, an athlete will generally row at a lower stroke rate when rowing in the high damper settings. This is because more time is spent on the drive, requiring a rush back up the slide on the recovery in order to achieve a high stroke rate. A rushed recovery can result in wasted energy and leave the athlete unprepared to deliver a best effort on the next drive.
It is important to note that, unlike weightlifting, the goal is not to use a higher drag factor as a means of achieving fitness on the indoor rower. If your goal is to train for maximum power output, I suggest trying different damper levels and drag settings, while improving your speed, form, and muscle coordination, to discover where you can achieve the highest power output. This will be where you are able to get your best time for a test distance.
Fine tuning the damper setting by adjusting the drag factor
In addition to choosing a damper setting, you can also adjust the drag factor of each rower. Drag factor is a numerical value for the rate at which the flywheel decelerates. This number changes with the volume

of air that passes through the flywheel housing. Since higher damper settings allow more air into the flywheel housing, the flywheel decelerates more quickly, resulting in a higher drag factor value. The PM measures the drag factor on the recovery phase of each stroke and uses it to calculate your score (in the units you care about: time, distance, pace, or wattage). This method of “self-calibration” compensates for local conditions and damper settings, making scores on different rowers truly comparable. Indoor racing and the online community and rankings are made possible by this self-calibration.
However, because it is compensating for a number of environmental factors (such as temperature, altitude, wind, and lint accumulation inside the flywheel cover), drag factor settings can make different rowers feel different even at the same damper setting. So on an unfamiliar indoor rower, you may need to change the damper setting to make it feel “right” to you.
For more detailed information on drag factor and how to view it on your rower’s monitor, see “Understanding Drag Factor” at http://www.concept2.com/us/training/ tools/dragfactor.asp.

-Peter Dreissigacker, along with his brother Dick, founded Concept2 as an oar manufacturer in 1976. In 1981, they developed the first Concept2 indoor rower, which rapidly became the standard for wind- resistance indoor rowers. In addition to his work at Concept2, Peter continues to row competitively both on and off the water, with some backcountry skiing for variety in the winter. He also makes time for painting and drawing, and at 55, is a novice piano student and closet accordion player.
The February issue of the CrossFit Journal included Peter’s article, “How to Prepare for an Erg Test,” in which he stated his goal of finishing the 2000-meter race at February’s C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints in under 6:40. He is happy to report that his time of 6:39.2 placed him fourth in the 55-to-59 age.

Dan John's 10 Commandments of Fitness

Dan john 10 commandments :

By Dan John

First Commandment:

There is one truth to long-term fitness: there is no perfect program. Yes, I said it: There is no perfect program. If I could give one piece of fitness advice to most trainees it would be to stop doing what you are doing and try something else. Let’s be honest, Monday is National Bench Press and Curl Day. Every single guy in the gym does Upper Body on Monday. And, after three years of it, your body might just possibly adapt to it! In truth, ANY change will help progress. That is why shifting to just one set of each exercise or subbing dumbbells for barbells works so well: it is a change.

I suggest at the very least that most people adopt four different seasonal plans. I suggest a disciplined set and rep scheme for autumn when many of us go “back to school” and football rules the television sets. Autumn seems to be a time to organize our lives. In winter, I recommend going heavy and hard. I also tell my athletes to use their slow cookers and enjoy hearty stews and soups this time of year, so you can “warm your belly” after you train. In spring, start getting outside again and add some fun to your workouts. And, as summer comes around, make your fitness lifestyle as active and fun as your budget can allow. Simply following the four seasons approach can add years to your life as well as benefiting your body composition goals.

Second Commandment:

Attack fat separate from any other goal. I fought this for years, but I have to come to this simple conclusion: if you are doing this and this and that and this...you can’t also have the energy to lose fat. I recommend two week to four-week periods of commitment. Doing something as simple as the Atkin’s Two Week Induction, literally a feast of fish, meat, eggs, and cheese for two weeks, can allow you to focus on the single goal of losing fat. One or two concentrated two-week fat attacks a year seems to do better than the 52 week a year diet failure that most people endure.

Third Commandment:

People tease me about one of my key training principles: I recommend that you floss twice a day. Yes, floss. Why? Well, if you ask any dentist or dental hygienist, they will tell you that not only does flossing save your teeth, but new research tells us that it might be the best thing you can do for your heart health. It seems that keeping small dental infections at bay is a great thing to do for the rest of your system, too.

But, there is a point beyond the issue of cardiovascular health. If someone asks me to design a multi-year training program that peaks with an Olympic championship or a Mr. Universe victory, but can’t set aside two minutes or less a day to floss, well, then why are we all wasting our time? And that is the issue here: what are the secrets to long-term fitness? Sadly, most of us “know” this already, but let’s decide right away to rededicate ourselves to taking these simple concepts and running with them.

Fourth Commandment:

Cultivate the free resources that can keep you in the game for a long time. Here is one thing: sleep. I can often improve an athlete’s career simply by insisting on going to bed earlier. Sleep is free and it does wonders for the hormone profiles, recovery process and fat burning. Fat burning? Sure, do you eat while you sleep? For most of us, the answer is no. The other free, or nearly free, resources include drinking water as your chief beverage. Don’t swallow liquid calories, or, at least, limit them to special days like the Super Bowl or College Game Day. Finally, don’t sit in the car waiting for the parking spot next to the gym. Park a little farther away and get some extra work for the whole body. Take the stairs, too. Over a decade or so, the extra flights of stairs and the extra paces across the parking lot are going to add up.

Fifth Commandment:

Your P.E. teacher and the Drill Sergeant were both right: Push-ups do wonders for you. Not only does the standard push-up work the upper body’s pushing muscles, it is also a great exercise for that loathsome term, the “core.” I’m amazed as I work with adults and adolescents who simply cannot hold the plank as they do push-ups. Not convinced about the value? Plop down on the ground with a dictionary lined up on your sternum. Crank out as many push-ups as you can in one minute. If you can’t do 40, I don’t allow you to lift weights until you can! And, tomorrow, that odd soreness in your muscles is reminding you that maybe the simplest exercise of all is still one of the best.

Sixth Commandment:

Always choose intensity over volume. When in doubt, do less sets or less reps, but go heavier. When in doubt, go faster, not longer. If you are truly interested in being ripped, join the track team and run the 400 meters. I see “skinny fat” joggers every single day at the park where I train, but you can’t find a person who runs a sub 50 second 400 meter who is anything but cut. When in doubt, go to the track and run one lap as fast as you can. Enjoy the last 100 meters of the “fat burning zone.” That thing on your back is called the “bear,” by the way. In the gym, don’t waste your time with lots of sets and reps of not much more than baton twirling. Pack the plates on and go heavy!

Seventh Commandment:

When you rest, rest. I used to believe in light days and easy weeks, but as the years in the gym add up, I began to notice an interesting thing. When I stayed away from the gym for a week or two on a vacation or work trip, I began to miss the sights and smells and fun of training. I looked forward to my workouts. So, I took the advice from my mentors and decided that on work out days, I work out. Rest days, I rest. I no longer have those “easy” days that do little more than cut into my time with friends, family and football games on television.

Eight Commandment:

Eat more protein. Eat more fiber. I know you think you do, but you don’t. Not long ago, I experimented with adding two additional low carb protein shakes a day to my diet and, besides the fact my belt got too loose in a week, my energy and general level of happiness soared. I then started adding an orange flavored no sugar psyllium supplement to the protein and my blood profile improved at my next check up.

Here is the deal: I have my athletes who are struggling keep a two week food journal and overwhelmingly the biggest lapse is protein. “But, I ate chicken with dinner,” they will argue. Right...a 200 pound guy eats 40 grams a protein and thinks that is enough? Try to eat a palmful of protein at every meal and a palmful of veggies or beans, too. Eat breakfast. Eat!

Ninth Commandment:

Cultivate Community. Whether at the gym or the park or a rec league team, try to get training as a part of your social world, too. I have buddies in lifting and Highland Games and here and there that I genuinely look forward to seeing in competition. I also have “Fitness Buddies” that are always happy to try something new in the world of training. Walk your dog, at least. Many have noticed that fat dogs have fat owners and, for the love of the dog, walk your puppy back into condition. Finally, try my favorite training idea: invite some friends over for a workout and a BBQ afterwards. You will get the workout of your life and a great protein rich meal, too.

Tenth Commandment:

Avoid things that hurt. You know, every so often I will read somewhere about a puke inducing workout or a program that guarantees sore joints or whatever. It is hard to work out for more than a decade throwing up three days a week. In fact, there is probably a disease named for this! Certainly, soreness and fatigue are part of the deal, but learn, and learn quickly, the difference between “good soreness and fatigue” and agony and injury. You can’t always avoid it, but use a dose of common sense occasionally and look to the next decade of training...and the decades after that.

Traveling WODs

Here is a list of traveling workouts you can do with minimal equipment if you are on vacation or just on the go and can't make it to the gym.

3 Rounds For Time:
Run 800m
50 Air Squats

10 Rounds For Time:
10 Pushups
10 Sit ups
10 Squats

For Time:
200 Air Squats

5 Rounds For Time:
Run 200m
10 Squats
10 Push Ups

3 Rounds For Time:
Run 200m
25 Pushups

3 Rounds For Time:
10 Handstand Pushups
Run 200m

20 Rounds For Time:
5 Pushups
5 Squats
5 Situps

Walk 100m on your hands

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 of
sit-ups
100 meter sprint between each set

21-15-9
Air Squats
Pushups

Spend a total of 5 minutes in a handstand

For Time: Run 1 mile

6 Rounds For Time:
10 Pushups
10 Air Squats
10 Sit Ups

5 Rounds For Time:
3 Tuck Jumps
3 Squats
3 Broad Jumps

8 Rounds For Time:
Handstand 30 seconds
10 Squats

10 Rounds For Time:
10 Pushups
Run 100M

For Time:
Run 1 mile
lunging 30 steps every minute

5 Rounds for Time:
Run 400m sprints

10 Rounds for Time:
100m sprints

Run 1 mile
lunging 30 steps every 1 minute.

10 handstand jackknife to vertical jump
10 handstand jackknife to tuck jump
10 handstand jackknife to straddle jump

5 Rounds For Time:
Handstand 30 seconds
20 Air Squats

4 Rounds for Time:
25 Jumping Squats

For Time:
250 Air Squats

4 Rounds For Time:
10 Tuck Jumps
10 Pushups
10 Situps

For Time:
100 Burpees

10 Rounds For Time:
10 Pushups
10 Squats
10 Tuck Jumps

5 Rounds For Time:
Handstand 1 minute
Hold bottom of the squat 1 minute

10 Rounds For Time:
Sprint 100m
Walk 100m

For Time:
100 Pushups

For Time: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Burpees
Situps

3 Rounds:
50 Situps
Run 400m

"L" sit off the floor.
10 rounds of 10 seconds...if you can't do it sit with your legs straight out and try to lift your heels of the ground for 10 seconds instead

10 Rounds For Time:
10 Walking Lunges
10 Pushups

10 Rounds For Time:
10 Burpees
Run 100m

4 Rounds For Time:
Run 400m
50 Air Squats

10 Rounds For Time:
10 Pushups
10 Squats

Tabata Squats:
20 seconds on 10 seconds rest
8 rounds.

For Time:
Run 800m
100 Air Squats
Run 800m

4 Rounds For Time:
Run 400 meters
50 air squats

10 Rounds:
Handstand 30 seconds
Squat hold 30 seconds

5 Rounds For Time:
Ten vertical jumps ( jump as high as you can, land and do it again)
10 push-ups

7 Rounds For Time:
7 Air Squats
7 Burpees

5 Rounds For Time:
50 Air Squats
Rest the amount of time it took to complete the 50

For Time: Run 1 mile -- do 10 Pushups every minute

8 Rounds For Time:
Run 100m
30 Air Squats

10 Rounds For Time:
10 Situps
10 Burpees

For Time:
250 Jumping Jacks
250 lunges

For Time:
100 Jumping Jacks
75 Air Squats
50 Pushups
25 Burpees

5 Rounds For Time:
Run 1 minute
Squat 1 minute

3 Rounds For Time:
10 Air Squats
10 Pushups
10 Situps

For Time:
50 Air Squats
Rest for 2 minutes between rounds.

3 Rounds For Time:
20 Jumping Jacks
20 Burpees
20 Air Squats

10 Rounds For Time
Run 100m
20 Air Squats

For Time:
100 Push-ups
100 Sit-ups
100 Squats

10 Rounds For Time:
10 push-ups
10 sit-ups
10 squats

3 Rounds For Time:
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats

30 Reps:
Handstand to Jack-Knife to vertical jump

AMRAP in 20 minutes:
5 Pushups
10 Situps
15 Squats

For Time:
21-15-9
Walking Lunges (each leg)
Handstand Push-ups

3 Rounds for Time:
Run 400m
50 Squats
25 Pushups

For Time:
Run 1000m
100 Air Squats
50 Pushups

Squats for time (pick a number between 100-500)

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 for Time:
Burpees
Pushups
Situps

AMRAP in 20 minutes:
5 Handstand push-ups
10 Pistols

“Annie”
50-40-30-20-10 For Time:
Double-Unders
Sit-ups

For Time: Run 1 mile with 100 air squats at midpoint

50-40-30-20-10 For Time:
Single Unders
Pushups

5 Rounds For Time:
Burpee to the push up position, do 10 push ups, Burpee out.

For Time:
Burpees (50-150 - pick a number and go for it!)

For Time:
Run 800m
50 Squats
50 Situps

For Time:
Run 1 mile
100 Push-ups
200 Squats
Run 1 mile

For Time:
21-15-9
Handstand Push-ups
Chair Dips
Push-Ups

For Time:
21 Pushups
42 Squats
15 Pushups
30 Squats
9 Pushups
18 Squats

For Time:
400m Walking Lunges

For Time:
Run 1 mile
50 Squats

10 Rounds:
Plebs plank
bottom of squat
hollow rock hold
:30 seconds each

10 Rounds:
5 push ups with a 30 second plebs plank
(a hold at the top of the push up, arms extended and body tight)
After the 10 rounds
3x 100m dash @ 80%.

Handstand practice:
25 tries at free handstands
then a 1 mile run at 80%

25 Reps: Handstand 10 seconds jack-knife to vertical jump.

For Time:
Run 400 meters
50 Squats
Run 400 meters
50 Push-ups
Run 400 meters
50 Sit-ups
Run 400 meters

For Time:
80-60-40-20
Air Squats
40-30-20-10
Sit-ups
20-15-10-5
Handstand Pushups

Run 1 mile and do 10 push-ups every 1 minute

For Time:
50 Walking Lunges
800m run
50 Walking Lunges

For Time:
30 Handstand Pushups
40 Jump squats
50 Sit-ups
60 Squats
70 Double unders

AMRAP in 20 minutes:
10 Bench dips
10 Box jumps
10 Walking Lunges

For Time:
60 Pushups
Run 400m
40 Pushups
Run 800m
20 Pushups
Run 1 mile

5 Rounds For Time:
100 Single Unders
50 Squats

For Time:
150 Double Unders or Tuck Jumps

“Nicole”
AMRAP in 20 minutes of:
Run 400
Max rep pull ups

For Time:
100 Air Squats
75 Situps
50 Box Jumps
25 KTE’s
Run 400m

“Michael”
3 rounds for time of:
Run 800m
50 Back Extensions
50 Situps

For Time:
2 Minutes Double Unders
2 Minutes Situps
Rest 1 min
90 sec Double Unders
90 sec Situps
Rest 1 min
60 sec Double Unders
60 sec Sit-ups

5 Rounds:
Run 1 minute
squat 1 minute

5 Rounds For Time:
10 push-ups
10 hollow rocks
run 200 meters

3 Rounds for Time:
10 air squats
10 push ups
10 sit ups

10 Rounds:
Sprint 50 meters
10 push ups

3x 20 tuck jumps
3x 30 second handstands.

Handstand 5x 30 seconds
Run: 2x 800 meters for time
Do the handstands first. Rest and recover and do the runs with a rest in between that is as long as it took you to run your first 800.

Run with high knees for 15 seconds and drop into a pushup, get back up and run with high knees again for 15 seconds.......repeat 5x. This is 1 round. Rest. Do 3 more rounds.

Test yourself on a max set of push ups

For Form, 3 Rounds:
5 handstand to jacknife to high jump
5 handstand to jacknife to tuck jump
5 handstand to jacknife to split jump

5 Rounds for Time:
Run up Hill
5 push ups
Run down Hill
5 push ups

4 Rounds for Time:
20 pull ups
20 push ups

For Time:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
push up
jumping squat

Do Tabata Squats with eyes closed
Bottom to bottom Tabata Squats ( rest at the bottom of the squat instead of standing….without support on your hands or butt and make the bottom good, straight back, butt back)

Burpee/ Sit ups Ladder:
Do 10 burpees ....Go to opposite side of room......do 2 Sit ups. Return to original side do 9 burpees......Go to opposite side of room......do 4 Sit ups. Decrease Burpees by 1 and increase Sit Ups by 2. Work your way down to one Burpee and up to 20 Sit up

AMRAP 10 min:
3 Burpees
6 supermans
9 Sit-ups

100 Unbroken double unders

 5 Rounds For Time:
20 sec of mountain climbers
20 sec of squats
20 sec of rest

For Reps:
2 minute max push ups
1 minute break
2 minutes max sit ups
1 minute break
2 minute max squats

Run 5 minutes turn around and go back in less than 5 minutes (a negative split)

 

Cardio

Here's what you need to know...

• A little intelligently-planned cardio or metcon is good. How most people go about doing it isn't.
• The elliptical machine is too easy. However, it's great for mental zombies who enjoy pretending to exercise.
• "Slogging" – slow jogging – is one of the most popular forms of exercise in America. And America is fat and injured. Coincidence?
• The stair mill is actually a pretty good machine. Problem is, people crank it up too high, hang on to the rails, and wreck their posture.
• Biking is fine, but modern spin classes have devolved into spine crunching, shoulder-pinching train wrecks.

The Bad Boys of Cardio

When programmed intelligently, certain forms of cardio can fit into any type of performance or aesthetics-based workout program. Problem is, four of the most popular choices, well, suck.

As a doctor of physical therapy, rehab specialist, and soft tissue therapist, I see what these types of cardio can do to the body. And it's not good. What's more, some of these activities are wastes of time if your goal is to lose fat and keep it off.

Here are the top four dumbest forms of cardio along with a few smarter, more effective alternatives.

Fourth Dumbest: The Elliptical

Since its inception in the mid 90s, the elliptical has become one of the most popular cardio machines known to man.

Today, you'd be hard pressed to walk into any type of training facility without seeing at least a handful of these self-proclaimed revolutionary machines. A better description for them? Time-wasting plastic prisons.

Primary Problem: It's Monotonous and Unchallenging

Finally, workout addicts from all walks of life, from cardio queens to beach bros, could justify their three-hour workouts consisting of monotonous, mind-numbing exercise because a few university studies concluded the elliptical to be "more joint friendly" than its vilified counterpart, the treadmill.

Like many novelties, we as a fitness society are capable of transforming a once noble idea of reducing joint stress into pathological insanity. In today's dysfunctional fitness culture, the idea of hopping on the elliptical a few hours a week while catching up on reality TV has become the single-minded symbol of what fitness actually is.

Why do people continue to flock to the elliptical at alarming rates? The answer is simple: The elliptical is inherently easy and unchallenging, both physically and mentally, for the person who's content to only pretend to exercise.

When used as a singular method of fitness, the elliptical provides self-justification for people who are not mentally or emotionally capable of training with passion, purpose, or focus.

Hitting autopilot and hanging on for the ride does not deliver life-changing health and fitness results. It's just not that simple.

The Alternative: Total Body HIIT 1-2 Times Per Week

Total Body HIIT Circuit
(no rest between exercises):

1. Bodyweight Squat x 10
2. Strict Push-Up x 10
3. Alternating Reverse Lunge x 8 per leg
4. Medium Grip Pull-Up x 6
5. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift x 12 per leg
6. RKC Plank, 15 seconds

Repeat 3-4 times through, 45 seconds between circuits.

Rage against the machine and retake your fitness! By diversifying your training routine, you'll not only be able to break through your fat loss plateau, but become more functional in the process.

And if you're worried about separation anxiety or missing primetime Bravo programming, remember, the elliptical isn't going anywhere for at least another two decades. Fitness fads, no matter how damaging, are hard to kill.

Third Dumbest: The Slow Jog (Slog)

Unless you're scuffing your Sketchers on the streets of Boston like Meb Keflezighi in late April, you are not, and will never be, considered a runner.

If your goal is quickly eliciting knee pain while adding to your soft and jiggling midsection, there are more amusing and entertaining activities other than slogging down the streets of your neighborhood.

Save yourself and your family the public humiliation. If you insist on slogging, do so in the confines of your own home. That ugly gait needs to remain private!

Primary Problem: Orthopedic Injury

Due to its highly simplified nature, running has been the world's most popular form of exercise. Today, more than a billion people worldwide use running as their primary form of fitness. That many people can't be wrong... right?

Based on evidence, it's clear that true runners are largely born to run. Those that aren't naturally blessed with perfect foot structure, stride control, and rhythmical movement capacity are behind the eight ball before they take their first true steps. We need to focus on more attainable, long-term solutions on how to remain healthy and fit.

Related:  The Jogging Delusion

The popularized idea of the "moderately slow jog" for health and body composition benefits defeats the purpose of training from both sides of equation. This is one of the biggest misconceptions in all of fitness.

Based on the foundational energy systems of your body (aerobic and anaerobic) and how and when these systems kick in to keep your butt plodding down the street, the moderate intensity (based on heart rate) of slow running actually yields a very small benefit compared to the time you're putting in.

This may be hard to accept for some lifelong running bandwagoners, but it's the truth.

The Alternative: Energy System Training

Treadmill Incline Sprints

Speed: 7.5-10.0 mph
Incline: 3.0-8.0 degrees
Sprint Time: 15-25 seconds
Rest: 30-45 seconds
Sets: 5-8

Tip: Sprint in front of a mirror. It will clean up your pitiful gait pretty damn quick!

Your training plan should largely reflect your goals. If your primary goal is fat loss, stick to either end of the heart-rate spectrum. Extremely low intensity exercise and metabolically challenging intensities provide the best bang for your buck.

Related:  Regular Cardio Will Make You Fat

And if you insist on continuing to tally the miles, mix in a little speed work – intervals and sprints – to increase your work capacity. Quit killing yourself for subpar results.

Second Dumbest: The Slumped Stair Climber

The origin and treatment of lower back pain continues to be one of the most deeply rooted mysteries in medicine and orthopedics. The numbers of reported cases are climbing. Sadly, one normally effective form of exercise – stair climbing – may be contributing to this among the gym-going population.

Primary Problems: Holding On and Slumping

The stair climber has been turned into the primary form of exercise for too many people wasting $10 a month on a gym membership. True, the stair climber is responsible for carving out some of the tightest asses in fitness. That's not the problem. I think we all enjoy the benefits of step training.

Once again, the problem can be attributed to those who put their egos above their physical capabilities. Ramping up the speed of the stair mill doesn't enhance your workout. It limits your ability to maintain some semblance of not looking like an idiot.

With the speed cranked up, it amazes me the types of compensation patterns people will fall into, all in an attempt to keep those little Nike's pumping. This list includes, but isn't limited to:

• The traditional slouch
• The arm contortionist
• The upper-body hour long iso-hold
• The side and back step

The Alternative: Incline, Hand-Free Walking

Treadmill Incline Walk

Speed: 2.5-3.5 mph
Incline: 5.0-10.0 degrees
Time: 25-45 minutes

Monitor your heart rate every 5 minutes to ensure it stays where you want it – low and steady. Adapt incline and speed accordingly.

This fix is simple, so quit complicating things. Not everyone has the endurance or testicular fortitude to refrain from unloading the stair climber by hanging on to it for dear life. If you fall into this category, switch over to the treadmill for incline walks. This isn't an excuse to hang on either, so hands off the rails!

If you can keep your hands off the stair climber for the full duration of your workout, fine, carry on and reap the benefits of building that backside.

Dumbest: Spinning

Ah, spin class, where posture goes to die a slow, painful death! We've turned this once respectable and effective form of exercise into a spine crunching, shoulder-pinching train wreck all in the name of sweat and skull-shaking techno.

Primary Problem: Stupidity

Cycling itself can decrease hip and knee joint stresses, along with being a decent way to pack some muscle on to the ol' thighs. However, spin class is the nasty stepbrother of the traditional bike program, intensifying stupidity to new heights in the form of painful, ass-crack-of-the-morning classes.

Spin class should only include what the name advertises, pedaling tirelessly until either the class is over or the sound system blows a speaker. Veterans of the dark room look forward to both ass-saving options.

However, at the same time that spin classes were already in full, painful swing, the faddists began to hype high-intensity intervals. Unfortunately, some "pioneer" decided to mesh the two and create arguably the most damaging cardiovascular training method of all time.

The idiocy started the instant atrocious "strengthening" movements were mindlessly added to an already insane class full of out-of-the-seat joint crushing sprints. Biceps curls times a thousand with the pink five-pounders, while pumping your cankles at a fiercely ineffective rate, doesn't produce results – it produces tendonitis.

But this isn't even the worst. I've personally witnessed a class of 75 cyclists, all wearing their $200-plus clip-in bike shoes, being forced to complete sets of 30 burpees between bike sprints while being verbally abused by a metabolically challenged instructor on a microphone. That was the worst.

The Alternative: Intelligently Programmed Bike Sprints

Airdyne Bike Sprints

Resistance: Maximal
Sprint Time: 15-30 seconds
Rest: 30-45 seconds
Sets: 5-8

Keep the trashcan handy. You may need it if you're pushing your intensity to the limits.

If your goals are hypertrophy based, bike sprints cause a heavy metabolic stress to the quads and glutes that's necessary for anabolic growth.

Is your program more focused on conditioning? Good for you. Longer duration sprints, while decreasing rest periods, can skyrocket your heart rate and increase the rate of vascularization that will enhance endurance performance. You can't go wrong with bike sprints. They simply work. Enough said.

Pull-up Program

Pull-Up Program

QUESTION: Why can't I do pull-ups? Why don't I have my pull-ups yet? When will I get my pull-ups? Why do I need to learn pull-ups? How do I get a Pull-Up?
ANSWER: Why CrossFitters don't have pull-ups: 
- 1.) lack of upper body strength (Lats, biceps, traps, forearms) 
- 2.) excessive body weight 
- 3.) not enough time in schedule to practice skills
- 4.) insufficient coaching (not enough one on one time)
- 5.) inadequate scales that don't work towards a common goal. 
- 6.) lack of motivation (LAZY- "Don't be that guy!")
- 7.) Skipping WODs when Pull-Up work is required
SOLUTION: If you want your CrossFit experience to be a success, you have to WANT to get better, not act like it. Just like anything else, a realistic timeline, and list of priority goals MUST be established toward learning this movement.
- The goal of this program is to SET A SCHEDULE  (Test/Re-Test- Target Date for PU) for learning the pull-up and all accessory skills that aid in the movement.
- The bulk of this program is to be done post workout once the athlete has recovered.
- "Homework" is described as your extra skill work, after workout of the day (before test day)
- Homework can be pushed back a day if pull-ups are in the workout of the day, or if athlete is under recovered.
- Homework will consist of 3x week (day one=pulling, day two=lat activation, day three=kipping)
- EMOM Style is most encouraged, although the homework may be done independently w/o clock.
- Extra Credit: YouTube videos are STRONGLY encouraged to watch others learn and teach the pull-up and all styles of Kipping. If applicable, watch 1-2 videos a week, and try the progressions out at the gym in place of prescribed homework, if you so chose to.

Week #1

Day 1: (pulling)
*Ensure athlete is familiar with:
- Ring Row
- Ring Row (w/ feet elevated)
- Partner Assisted Pull-Ups
- Banded Pull-ups

EMOM for 10 Minutes: (alt.)
- 3-5 Banded Pull-Ups (annotate band color/#)
- 5-7 Ring Rows (measure feet distance in relation to rings/height of plates/boxes)

Day 2: (Lat Activation)
*Ensure athlete is familiar with:
- Dead Hang Lat Activates (on pull-up bar)
- Bent Over Rows (DB and BB) (Pronated/Supinated Grip)
- Seated Banded Lat Pull-Downs
- T-Bar Rows

EMOM for 10 Minutes: (alt.)
- :20 Lat Activation on Pull-Up Bar (minimum of 2-3 second hold)
- 10-12 Banded Lat Pull-Downs

Day 3: (Kipping)
*Ensure athlete has a good set of grips, and is familiar with the following:
- Traditional Kipping
- Grip for Pull-Ups (width/dead-mans grip/thumb around/grips/gloves)
- Correct use of chalk (when/why/how much)

EMOM for 10 Minutes: (alt.)
- :20 Traditional Kipping
- 3-5 Partner Assisted Pull-Ups

Week #2

Day One: (Pulling)
EMOM for 10 Minutes: (alt.)
- 5-7 Prone BB Rows (laying on bench elevated w/ plates)
- 7-9 Jumping Pull-Ups

Day Two: (Lat Activation)
EMOM for 10 Minutes: (alt.)
- :20 Lat Activation on Pull-Up Bar (minimum 2-3 second hold)
- 10 BB Curls (empty bb)

Day Three (Kipping)
- :20 Traditional Kipping
- 5-7 T-Bar Rows

Week #3

Day One: (Pulling)
EMOM for 12 Minutes: (alt.)
- 5-7 Banded Pull-Ups (trying a lighter band if applicable)
- 7-9 Ring Rows (+elevation if applicable)

Day Two: (Lat Activation)
EMOM for 12 Minutes: (alt.)
- :25 Lat Activation on Pull-Up Bar (minimum 2-3 second hold)
- 12-15 Banded Lat Pull-Downs (Thicker band from week one if applicable)

Day Three (Kipping)
EMOM for 12 Minutes: (alt.)
- :25 Traditional Kipping
- 5-7 Partner Assisted Pull-Ups

Week #4

Day One: (Pulling)
EMOM for 14 Minutes: (alt.)
- 8-10 Bent Over BB Rows
- 6-8 Partner Assisted Pull-Ups

Day Two: (Lat Activation)
- 30 Lat Activation on Pull-Up Bar (minimum 2-3 second hold)
- 14 DB Hammer Curls (7 per arm)

Day Three: (Kipping)
- :30 Traditional Kipping
- 8-10 Banded Lat Pull-Downs

Week #5

Day One: (Pulling)
EMOM for 14 Minutes: (alt.)
- 8-10 Banded Pull-Ups
- 5-7 DB Bent Over Rows (5-7 per arm)

Day Two: (Lat Activation)
EMOM for 14 Minutes: (alt.)
- :30 Lat Activation on Pull-Up Bar
- : 15 Prone Row (2.5# plates in each hand, laying on the ground)

Day Three: (Kipping)
EMOM for 14 Minutes: (alt.)
- :30 Traditional Kipping
- 10-12 Jumping Pull-Ups

Summary:
- At this point in the program, the athlete should have a good idea of what scales work best for them.
- The program can continue if athlete needs more time to meet his/her goal. (5 weeks worth of work doesn't guarantee you a pull-up. It is merely a model to gauge success/weakness.)
- Skill work at this template can be altered accordingly based on how the athlete reacts.(Ex. If you don't get much of out swinging on the pull-up bar, STOP-get a COACH to observe you, reassess what you're trying to accomplish, try a different scale.)
- Approach any and all skill work with a fresh mind and attitude. Not many people get better when they're upset and frustrated. 
- REMEMBER: Pull-Ups can be tested/re-tested whenever the athlete feels ready.
- Take this program one day at a time. The longest race begins with the first step.

Coach James, CF-L1, USAW-L1