What isn't immediately obvious from the photo, is that 28 people are attempting to back squat a one rep max. Just take a moment and bask in the pure, goodness of that.
Now clearly, there are some collegiate strength programs, and some high schools too, where this isn't a big deal because it happens all the time. But in say, 99.9% of the world's group class structured workouts, seeing this many people going very heavy is much akin to seeing Coach Boz doing Tabata Elliptical (not saying it isn't possible, just unlikely.)
There exists some magic number for a coach, where the number of athletes they are coaching springs some mechanism in their heads that prevents them from teaching complex or heavy movements. Too often we have traveling Crossfitters drop in and tell us they don't train heavy or with complex movments often back home. It is far easier for a coach to program runnin' and chinnin' for a large group. Trust us we know and, people like the gas/metabolic stuff.
This is a type I error, a huge mistake. Crossfit is about work capacity right? Think of your ability to perform work as the amount of water you have in your "work" swimming pool. What is the limiting factor to having more water? Why, the size of your pool of course. You've got to get stronger to increase you pool size potential and thus, your work capacity potential.
The key to complex/maximal effort programming for a large group is to coach people on how to be safe. Note in all three photos for example, that the squatting athlete is being supported by three other athletes. The squatting athlete feels safe and is safe. And additionally, you've got four coaches at each rack. On a side note, check out the 115 pound soldier above, working her way up to a 195lb back squat. The French have a word for that, LE Git!
Damian above just completed the 100 day Burbpee challenge! How many burbpees is that? Nice job D! And, check out the hands ready to help should he get stapled by the weight after effectively becoming a long distance, endurance burbpee athlete.
Reminder to RSVP to Blog comments on Taco-Social if you plan on attending.
Way to be SFCF!
Coach kstar
14 comments:
Uh, Kelly, pretty sure Le Git is TWO words...
-Boz
Oh, and also, I love Ollie's bush-man look. That is awesome!
-Boz
I love Dial's face in that picture. That's some good spotting. I picture him yelling like chewbacca.
Greater maximal power output = ability to also output more power over time (aka work capacity)?!?! Holy crap, who woulda thunk it
-jd
count me in for tacos. oliver
Wish I could be there for that social tomorrow! Man do I miss SF right about now.
100 days of burpees = 5050 burpees.
A famous story regarding this is of a young future physicist named Carl Friedrich Gauss. One day in class, his German primary school teacher tried to occupy his students for a time by making them add a list of integers, namely all numbers from 1 to 100. To the astonishment of the teacher, Gauss was able to produce the correct answer of 5050 within seconds.
Gauss' method here was to turn the list of numbers into a set of pairs: 1 + 100 = 101; 2 + 99 = 101; 3 + 98 = 101, and so on. The total number of pairs in 100 is of course 50, so 50 x 101 = 5050.
OK, I'm done.
Whoa Huge. NYC has made you smart! I am going to double check with my calculator watch.
What if some of the pairs wanted to be in a threesome? Try to figure that out Gauss!
The problem is 100 days of burpees does not help your squat. Thanks to Dial, Oliver and John for the great spot and helping me when I bailed twice!
Damian, is that 295 or 325 you're squatting. Damn right we lift heavy. Deadlifting is now my favorite physical activity. Period. Squatting a close second. I call out 400 deadlift 1 month after my race on Sunday. I can't wait. I feel all delicate and fragile right now. Hold me Dial.
Eugene, I don't have the noggin friend does, but you can also think of it as (n/2)*first term+2nd term where n = the number of terms, i.e. 100.
Tacos and beer, I'm there!
--Scott
Dial is with us in Connecticut now. You'll never get him back.
I had someone come to class who had been "CrossFitting" for a year and had never done a 1RM Back Squat, Deadlift or Press. Wonderful. She said they don't do that kind of stuff back home. They do "CrossFit" mostly, so she said.
!!!
Is it uncouth to be posting on an older post?
xo
David,
Of course not.
Hearts,
-Boz
Post a Comment