IGX

This should get us to 150K

Crossfit Conundrum

As many T-Nation readers may remember, I also trained in the Crossfit style for two years. In Tyler Hass's famous interview with Crossfit's founder, Greg Glassman, I saw another interesting promise:

"If you come to us with a four-minute mile, six months into it you are going to be 30 seconds slower but a whole hell of a lot fitter. Similarly, if you come to us with a 900-pound squat, in six months it's going to be 750 pounds, but you, too, will be much fitter. A four-minute mile and a 900-pound squat are both clear and compelling evidence of a lack of balance in your program. This doesn't reflect the limitations of our program but the inherent nature of flesh and blood. But here's the fascinating part. We can take you from a 200-pound max deadlift to a 500-750 pound max deadlift in two years while only pulling max singles four or five times a year."

The same issue emerges here: a four-minute mile is a world-class time which would/should/could/probably provide this athlete with a salary, or at least a free education. A 4:30 mile isn't unusual in a high school state meet. Certainly, there are lots of examples of students running these times well before their junior year. So, here's the rub: we're recommending a program that literally takes one from world class to solid high school performer?

Yeah.

Because the difference between 500 and 750 is just a few weeks of training, right?

This might possibly be the quintessential Glassman quote ever.

500 in the dead?

It's fucking easy to get to. FUCKING EASY. If you are a man, and you are over 180-200 lbs and you can't reach a 500# deadlift, then either you are stupid, a profound candyass, or you just haven't tried.

Which is fine. Maybe you don't want to make the effort, and that's cool.

750 in the dead?

Not so easy, in fact, this requires some factors that are probably uneffected by training programs.

Shaf wrote: Not so easy, in fact, this requires some factors that are probably uneffected by training programs.

Such as?

Optimal body type.
Optimal levers.
Overall superior strength levels.

Shit like dat.

I almost missed the "this" button in GrandPa Spell's thread.
The panties should be bunching over at x-fit.
Maybe even the womens.

Gary John wrote:The panties should be bunching over at x-fit.
Maybe even the womens.

Zing!

Figured that nobody over at x-fit would admit to reading the
new t-nation article. Nice to see some people are aware that
the emperor is nekkid.

http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/21/36283.html

Gary John wrote:Figured that nobody over at x-fit would admit to reading the
new t-nation article. Nice to see some people are aware that
the emperor is nekkid.

http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/21/36283.html

Oh snap! From their own guys:

I actually agree with John's comment about CrossFit taking you from elite performance to medocrity. Glassman makes the statement "the world rewards a generalist." This is balantly false. Just ask Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Serena Williams, etc. The greatest atheletes in the world train for one sport only. While CrossFit may praise the athelete who can deadlift 2 1/2 times his body weight and run a 5 minute mile, in the world of elite performance, he/she would be invisible.

The whole problem with X@ is that Glassman doesn't get this joke:

"Why do you play golf?"

"It keeps me fit."

"Fit for what?"

"Golf."

GDG!

Shaf wrote:Yeah.

Because the difference between 500 and 750 is just a few weeks of training, right?

This might possibly be the quintessential Glassman quote ever.

500 in the dead?

It's fucking easy to get to. FUCKING EASY. If you are a man, and you are over 180-200 lbs and you can't reach a 500# deadlift, then either you are stupid, a profound candyass, or you just haven't tried.

Which is fine. Maybe you don't want to make the effort, and that's cool.

750 in the dead?

Not so easy, in fact, this requires some factors that are probably uneffected by training programs.

Serious question here, my man Shaf:

I have pulled 345 pounds.
I am between 180-200.

Roughly how long would it take to get to #500 if I concentrated on it?
& what program would you reccomend for doing such?

Jack wrote:Shaf said PTTP would get ya there. Many agree.

2 of them got me to 345.

Not that I couldn't have worked & pulled more, but I started other interests.

Thanks Jack.

Seriously, with the deadlift, damn near everything will work for a while, then nothing will work for a while.

Done PTTP? OK, now pull a max single every week for 5-6 weeks. Really push to add weight to the bar each time, even if it's just 5#. Make this a max in good form.

Did the max single thing? OK, do you miss towards the top or towards the bottom?

If it's bottom: Do 5s or 3s from a 2-3" platform, extending the ROM.

If it's top: Do 5s or threes from above the knee cap...that shit's got to be heavy.

Do one for three weeks, then the other for three weeks.

Take another single and see where you are.

Use a belt/straps/whatever, if you need 'em.

The big thing is reprogramming the nervous system to let you do it without thinking you are going to fuck yourself up.

Anytime you need a break from the dead, switch over to heavy front squats and good mornings. If you don't like good mornings try zercher squats.

In addition to all of this, the power clean/high pull/deadlift combo is an excellent one for overall development.

Grandpa's Spells wrote:

Gary John wrote:Figured that nobody over at x-fit would admit to reading the
new t-nation article. Nice to see some people are aware that
the emperor is nekkid.

http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/21/36283.html

Oh snap! From their own guys:

I actually agree with John's comment about CrossFit taking you from elite performance to medocrity. Glassman makes the statement "the world rewards a generalist." This is balantly false. Just ask Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Serena Williams, etc. The greatest atheletes in the world train for one sport only. While CrossFit may praise the athelete who can deadlift 2 1/2 times his body weight and run a 5 minute mile, in the world of elite performance, he/she would be invisible.

Yeah, but amazingly no one seems to be stepping up to agree with him. An amazing amount of people apparently don't feel like they need to be good/great at something. Just ok at a lot of things. They should go tell their bosses that they want to spend less time in their field and instead start doing their co-workers work as well, just so they can be more prepared for what life might throw at them.

Tim wrote:Yeah, but amazingly no one seems to be stepping up to agree with him. An amazing amount of people apparently don't feel like they need to be good/great at something. Just ok at a lot of things. They should go tell their bosses that they want to spend less time in their field and instead start doing their co-workers work as well, just so they can be more prepared for what life might throw at them.

I'm ambivalent on this whole focus on one thing topic. On the one hand, this is the quote I used in the front matter of my PhD thesis, and obviously agree with:

“If one is the master of one thing and understands one thing well, one has at the same time insight into and understanding of many things.â€

Good post brainiac.

It's the first time ever I can see a coach being kind of proud of doing somebody less competitive.

So, when I do my pullups...should I kip?

Let me know.

Fat Cat wrote:So, when I do my pullups...should I kip?

You should change your name to Kip.

Fat Kip?

I like Kip Kat better. Makes you seem like a Beatnik.

Student: Do you kip when you do pullups?
Master: I am Kip when I do pullups.

Shapecharge wrote:Good post brainiac.

Hardest i have laughed at work during a meeting in a long time.

Moral:Don't read IGx during meetings.

C'mon Captain Jack that's obviously!

nafod wrote:And it rocks as a GPP program, which as long as you're achieving excellence in something, might as well have it make you healthier.

Nafod:

What do you think of Pukie and all of the cheerleading surrounding Pukie?

How much aerobic fitness do you need for health? How much strength-endurance do you need for everyday functional ability? I'd say not very much.

Those guys are taking a good idea way, way, way too far.

All of the burning up of energy and excess slicing and dicing of exercise minutia would be better put into IMA or Ashtanga yoga. Crossifit isn't as healthy, balanced, or comprehensive as they think it is. JMO.

ultracool wrote:

nafod wrote:And it rocks as a GPP program, which as long as you're achieving excellence in something, might as well have it make you healthier.

Nafod:

What do you think of Pukie and all of the cheerleading surrounding Pukie?

How much aerobic fitness do you need for health? How much strength-endurance do you need for everyday functional ability? I'd say not very much.

Those guys are taking a good idea way, way, way too far.

All of the burning up of energy and excess slicing and dicing of exercise minutia would be better put into IMA or Ashtanga yoga. Crossifit isn't as healthy, balanced, or comprehensive as they think it is. JMO.

Aye, Cap'n, there's the rub. As I found out in my early 30's, if you just grind and grind away at various strenous exercises with only "go until you puke" in mind, eventually you are going to tear and injure something (or in my case, several things over the course of three years) to the point where you can no longer continue. You might also trash your immune system (when I ran marathons in my 20's, I caught every cold that went around) and your personal relationships in your fitness obsession.

One good anecdotal example of this can be found in Dr. Bob Arnot's book "Wear And Tear", which should really be titled 'Turning Back the Clock II: The Retraction". "TBTC" was essentially a hardcore aerobics/weightlifting manifesto, and it was pretty amusing to see Arnot talk about all the damage he had to undo from his overenthiastic participation in various extreme activities. (He never explicitly admitted the damage was from following his own advice in TBTC, but anyone with a working memory can make the connections.)