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The idea of this page is to encourage you to make article contribution, and then link that article to a forum to allow you to discuss it.

If you want to submit an article, send it to mailto:andrewstemler@aol.com

D BALLS 

James

You may recall (but I certainly won't be offended if you don't) that I asked you about D-Balls back at the last kettlebell seminar. You said you had never really seen the application of ball slams.

Now I've noticed since CrossFit HQ has put emphasis on strength development that a lot of the old canon doesn't come around in the WOD that often. For example tabatas hadn't been used for a while although they did rear their ugly head earlier this week. As CrossFit has so much at it's disposal these days repetition is very irregular.

I know that Michael Rutherford, Mark Twight, Ross Enamait are all big fans of the movement though and I've seen pro-Rugby players use one hand variations. Mike Boyle thinks that it is a great core exercise. Anyway, with some time on my hands I recently constructed a heavy med ball using Enamait's instructions (I have a very nice leather ball which I have no intention of wrecking by throwing around).  I used the fairly simple method given by Ross on a now obsolete e-book on MB training but he now references Pierre Auge's plan on his forum: 

http://www.mikesgym.org/articles/uploads/EbookMedBall1THESLAMMER.pdf

Yesterday I put it to the test with the following triplet:

Ball slams
Swings with 25k KB
Tuck jumps
21-15-9 reps for time.

I thought the swings would compliment the slams nicely and the tuck jumps were partly to counter the hamstring movement and partly in honour of Enamait. The slams were fine but I was stuffed for the swings. Maybe I'm wrong but I think they work the swing movement in the opposite direction. What do you think? And, importantly they are fun. In the way that hitting a heavy bag with all you've got is fun. And that's pretty important in any exercise.



"A more thoughtful approach to making yourself puke while training?" *

James

*Or perhaps just a different flavour of hell

One of the things that really stuck with me at the KB masterclass was the quick routine you had us doing, ie:

20 swings
5 snatches each arm
3 rounds

I love the simplicity of this and the brevity. I use it a lot now if I absolutely need to do something but have little time available. The masterclass was a good experience for me because I am used to training alone and I had recently quit smoking. I was struck by my ability (partly due to KB experience I admit) to keep ahead of everyone and by my apparently improved work capacity. I know we weren't racing but putting the bell down at the same time as Denzil (having used the same weight and being about half his size) was a big confidence boost that I was doing the right thing.

Anyway, I use the routine a lot, particularly for its conditioning benefits. I have completed it in 3 minutes 20 (although it felt like a lifetime) and I have laboured for over 12 minutes putting the bell down after each set. This was after 30 miles of mountain biking and was an interesting insight into building fatigue on the body. I should confess actually that after having written this I went back over my training diaries and realised I had used 10 snatches per arm instead of 5 so that probably has mored to do with than the bloody bike...ho, hum.

I have recently tweaked your idea into the following:

Clean and Jerk 15, 10 & 5 reps each arm
Snatch 15, 10, & 5 reps each arm
Swing 20, 20, 20

20 minutes on the clock the first time round. I must have been shattered because I did it yesterday in 12 minutes, resting between sets with a circle of the bells and the odd swig of water. I can smash this time when I work straight through without putting the bell down (hard rules rather than gentlemen's rules) but the very nature of the clean & jerk limits your speed. I timed the first 30 reps at 2 minutes and I can't see that lowering much.

I think this puts a slightly different emphasis on the workout.

The subject of work capacity and rest management is often discussed in CrossFit circles. I am currently training with a mate who is a rowing coach. He is as at present not as strong as me and has a few injury issues to contend with. That aside, the other day we played around with a CF style workout after our strength work. This was tailored to accommodate his current limitations:

Ball slams 15, 12, 9
Prone rows 15, 12, 9
DB Push pressed 15, 12, 9

Gerry is a pretty competitive guy and despite general disgust on his part, far fitter than he thinks and he tried to storm this, so much so that I expected him to throw up. Taking no rest he attacked each round and it was noticeable how much his form was failing. This was particularly apparent on the prone rows, a deceptively difficult exercise undeserving of its  'Fatman Pull-ups' moniker. I rested between each exercise and, as far as I am concerned, tried to ensure that every rep was spot on. I took 30 seconds off his time without really busting a gut and I certainly wasn't sprawled out on the floor like a spaniel in a heat wave.

This made me go and re-read some of Robb Wolf's stuff on Power Bias, the idea of breaking some of the key CrossFit work outs up with one minute’s breaks. Take Helen, perform your pull-ups, your swings and your 400 meter sprint balls to the wall. Rest a minute and do it again. Your sprints don't start to resemble a jog by the end and you’re putting a different tilt on your training.

Food for thought ?

Check out this discussion over at the Performance Menu forums:

http://www.performancemenu.com/forum/showthread.php?t=104

and back issues of the Performance Menu Journal for more on this.


 

Those Bloody Burpees….

James

If your burpees suck and mine certainly do here is a fairly simple progression from Ross Enamait (http://www.rosstraining.com/).

The aim is to achieve a conditioning session of 12 continuous burpee intervals. You work for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds and so on. Eleven & half minutes and you’re done. Probably in more than one sense.

However, achieving your 12 intervals may be a little daunting to start out with so try this:

I can do more burpees in 10 minutes now than I was doing in 12 back in July. Try and shoot for the same number each round, I think 9 or ten is a good target.

Style wise, I’m talking a press up at the bottom and a decent jump from the squat. I personally don’t fling my arms above my head or go for a clap because when I do them inside I’d smash the ceiling.

Ross suggests that when you become comfortable with 12 intervals either add resistance (a weighted vest, a medball or a pair of dumb bells) or skip during the rest periods. Ultimately both options would be an impressive progression.

Or if you really want a challenge try 'Full Bastards with a Clap':

1. Squat down
2. Kick out to plank
3. Clap press up
4. Knees back to squat
5. Drive up into star jump
6. Land
7. Squat down.
8. Return to standing for one rep

But that would be the work of a sick man.