Decreased fran performance with Rxd Weights...

[Max Fourman]

Hi all,

I know there has been several discussions on scaling and when to just hit the Rxd weight and suffer before but I wanted to ask a specific question about fran.

I just did fran for the second time today. First time (may 19th) was with 40kg thrusters and finished in 11:35. Todays was with 42.5kg thrusters (95lb is about 43kg i think) and was slower at 13:35 - 2 whole minutes slower. I went down to 40kg after the first 21 because i was pretty much at singles.

Searching for "scaling fran" i found threads where some people mention that the max power output for a movement is between 40-50% 1RM. If that is the case my one rep max press is about 45-50kg (havent checked) and front squat about 80kg. So should I be using 25kg thrusters for fran?

I am doing 2 ME effort days a week, one 3x5 front squat, press and 1x5 DL, and the other technique work then heavy double or triple on snatch/C+J. Other threads people have advised to use the RXd weight once it is comfortable. 40kg is doable in a few sets each round, but 42.5 was too much, could be other factors, like i have upped the volume of training lately, or that I went heavy on oly lifts 2 days ago and could still be tired from that. 2.5 kg seems a small jump to elicit a 2 minute slower time, or does it represent quite a big jump considering it is so close to my 1RM.?

So drop the weight, storm through and get strong on the ME days, or slog it out at the RXd weight and slowly bring down the time, which way did you all use to bring you fran time to where they are today???!

[Shane Skowron]

Work on front squats, back squats, and overhead presses.
If you have to relegate yourself to singles on a Fran, it is way too heavy. You should be able to do the thrusters in sets of 5 at least, if not full sets of 21-15-9. You should scale down your Fran so that your time is under 10:00. This workout is supposed to be a sprint, not a strength session. Too much bar-gazing destroys the purpose of the Fran.

By the way what is your height/weight and your max loads for the major lifts?

[Max Fourman]

height 183cm
weight about 75kg

FS 80kg
SN 50kg
C+J 65kg
clean 77.5kg
DL 140kg
press 50kg? not checked, can do 5 x40kg

so I should cut down to about 30kg or so, or even 25kg, for half my thruster 1rm or so???

cheers
max

[Justin McGinley]

Give it a go at 30kg. There is a lot of momentum created by the hip drive in the squat that helps the press get up. Like others said, this is supposed to be a short, hard, sprinting WOD.

[Robert D Taylor Jr]

I've always done Fran as RXed sometimes subbing dumbbells at around a 6-7 min. The cert I went to last weekend convinced me I should scale at least sometimes. I was more willing to tolerate bad form than the trainers were, and my Fran time went to a DNF at 10o time cut off, and I wasn't the only one. With the shooting analogy, I was shooting too fast. I would say scale for around a 6 min with good if not pristine form.

[Max Fourman]

Ok will try it with 30kg and let you know how i get on...

[Joey Powell]

Max, you are on the right track. I would say you want the first 21 thrusters in under 45 seconds. when you can do that move up 2.5K each time you can do get under 45 seconds

[Jeff Belyeu]

It seems to me that the prescription is:
1) perfect the form
2) up the weight until at Rx'd level
3) increase the speed

I think 10-12 minutes is not a bad time, but a good place to work from. If you are getting down to singles, I would think you should look at the partitioning. Instead of 9-5-2-2-1-1-1, maybe try for 7-5-5-4. Perhaps 95# is still a little heavy for you, but the best way to get stronger is to lift heavy. While the holy grail is to get this somewhere under 4:00 (or even sub 2:00 for some), I don't think you should lower the weight until you get that time.

Just my .02.

[George Mounce]

You did Fran for the second time. That tells me you have a lot of athleticism to build - don't get bogged down with it. You won't be hitting a sub 4 overnight, it could take you a year or two. Keep working hard, you are on the right track. Lots of overthinking going on here.

[Jared Ashley]

The only part of your post that tells me you might want to drop the weight a bit is that you say you were down to singles on the first round... I wouldn't get hung up on time. I know it seems like everyone and their brother has a 3-minute fran, but in reality it's very, very few people.

My 2nd fran, after only 6 weeks or so of CF was 6:12 with 75lbs... a month later I went "as rx'd" and posted a 9:01! Just 20 lbs, and my time went up almost 50%!

My most recent was more than 3 months later, and I STILL haven't matched the scaled time, though I'm getting closer (6:44). And the full-body crushed feeling after that one was so much more intense than how I felt after the scaled version I just can't describe it.