Elite crossfit athlete development theory

[Michael Dowling]

Originally Posted by Tamara Cohen

if you don't like that fact, you can hand out participation medals. I don't play that game.

totally off-topic but...

my son recently lost his little league championship game in extra innings. after the heartbreaking loss he got his runner up trophy and promptly tossed it in the trash can. i said "why did you do that?" he said "a trophy is for the winners not the losers, why would i want to look at that thing everyday, to remind me of this loss every time i look at it?"

couldn't blame the kid, i was proud of him for not being excited about "almost winning"...

[Tamara Cohen]

Originally Posted by Michael Dowling

totally off-topic but...

my son recently lost his little league championship game in extra innings. after the heartbreaking loss he got his runner up trophy and promptly tossed it in the trash can. i said "why did you do that?" he said "a trophy is for the winners not the losers, why would i want to look at that thing everyday, to remind me of this loss every time i look at it?"

couldn't blame the kid, i was proud of him for not being excited about "almost winning"...

My four year old came home with a participation certificate for attending science class.

Wait. WHAT? You mean he went to school and went to science like he was supposed to? He merely showed up and as a warm, breathing human body got a certificate for that?

Excuse me while I get p*ssed off that my tuition dollars and an innocent tree went towards that stupid piece of paper.

[Katherine Derbyshire]

Originally Posted by Shane Skowron

Now, whether or not following an affiliate's own Crossfit programming can bring you to be great at Crossfit or another sport, then IMO it depends a lot on the affiliate's coaching ability. I've been looking over Crossfit affiliate sites for several years now and there's a big disconnect between affiliates that are programming just to get people to have fun, stay in shape, and be competitive amongst themselves, and affiliates that are programming to produce athletic competitors.

And the workouts posted on an affiliate's site are not necessarily the ones (or the only ones) done by that affiliate's elite athletes.

Katherine

[Jim Denofa]

The "Sport of Fitness" or CrossFit as a sport is still in it's infancy. Not enough time has elapsed to determine the original question. A good example is my son, he is 6 and he does CrossFit. He can do kipping pullups, 24" box jumps, 105 lb deadlift, climb the rope etc. He does not play team sports yet, but I believe if he continues on the track he is on he may be a succesful CrossFit competitor one day.

The elite competitors as of right now did not have a chance to compete in CrossFit until it became popular as a sport, which only started in 2007. Having a background in any type of athletics is helpful for success in any sport, CrossFit is no exception. Most weightlifters, powerlifters, strongman competitors started as Football players or participated in some other type of high school or collegiate athletics.

[Doug Lantz]

Originally Posted by Shane Skowron

I've been looking over Crossfit affiliate sites for several years now and there's a big disconnect between affiliates that are programming just to get people to have fun, stay in shape, and be competitive amongst themselves, and affiliates that are programming to produce athletic competitors.

If you look at the programming of the guys and gals who are the best at Crossfit, you'll notice they're doing regular dedicated strength training, varied metcons with an emphasis on strength, skill work, and some dedicated speed and/or aerobic endurance work. There are some elements of periodization.

Shane,

Can you post some names of affiliates whose programs are designed to produce athletic competitors ?

Are you talking about competitive at CF or other sports ?

Do you post programming ? I believe you have or had a website.

[Nathan Greaves]

I dont know if anyone else has seen it, but on one of Dave Castro's programming lectures, he points out a member of the audiance who made it to the games simply by doing the .com WOD's. Theres no questioning of if she did anything extra but as Rob O. points out on strongmanwod.com, the .com WOD's should be the foundation of everyones programming.
Speal did a lecture recently where individualisation of programming was touched upon. But like people have said, Crossfit is not a "magic fix". It wont make you Poundstone strong and Bolt quick in a matter of months, it's gonna take years of hard work, eating right and an unrelenting stubborness to not give up.
Hard Work - The foundation on which CrossFit is built upon!

[Jeffrey Cupra]

Originally Posted by Doug Lantz

Shane,

Can you post some names of affiliates whose programs are designed to produce athletic competitors ?

Are you talking about competitive at CF or other sports ?

Do you post programming ? I believe you have or had a website.

Not shane but I can name a few from which I think uses good programming to build athletes

http://darkside.dccrossfit.com/
http://optexperience.com/
http://www.cathletics.com/

[Ryan R Johnson]

Originally Posted by Shane Skowron

Actually, you asked this question:



And I gave my answer. If the Crossfit program you're talking about is just the mainsite WOD, the answer is a definitive "no".

Now, whether or not following an affiliate's own Crossfit programming can bring you to be great at Crossfit or another sport, then IMO it depends a lot on the affiliate's coaching ability. I've been looking over Crossfit affiliate sites for several years now and there's a big disconnect between affiliates that are programming just to get people to have fun, stay in shape, and be competitive amongst themselves, and affiliates that are programming to produce athletic competitors.

If you look at the programming of the guys and gals who are the best at Crossfit, you'll notice they're doing regular dedicated strength training, varied metcons with an emphasis on strength, skill work, and some dedicated speed and/or aerobic endurance work. There are some elements of periodization.

My guess is that if you can find the optimal combination of the above, find the time to train and recover, and have the money to eat properly, and maybe some genetics, then you'll be pretty great.

The real question is: is it still Crossfit?

GREAT point. When programmed and focused on certain aspects, such as strength. you are breaking several tenets of crossfit. So now you have a strength program plus conditioning.. these are the exact questions i was going for!!!

[Ryan R Johnson]

Originally Posted by Tamara Cohen

Hardly.

I'm a competitive weightlifter who is weak, slow, and inflexible. The only way I have gotten where I am is out of determination and spite.

CrossFit can't turn a lazy person into a hard worker, though.

Not everyone is a winner. It's the way of the world.

If you don't like that fact, you can hand out participation medals. I don't play that game.

I was not attempting to insult you. Just wanting elaboration. I agree that nothing will make you are hard worker.

And i also know the when it comes to athleticism, you either have it or you dont. Ive seen people put in less time blow past me, because of athleticism. And in the games, alot of those elite have natural athletic ability.

but i also believe, that everyone has a strenght, and time is better utilized adressing weaknesses. So, the question is... if you take out the randomization and focus on weakness, is it still crossfit!

[Katherine Derbyshire]

Originally Posted by Ryan R Johnson

but i also believe, that everyone has a strenght, and time is better utilized adressing weaknesses. So, the question is... if you take out the randomization and focus on weakness, is it still crossfit!

Does it matter?

Someone who does well in the Crossfit Games clearly has a very high level of GPP. Results seem to me to be more important than arguments about whether this or that program fits the definition of Crossfit.

Furthermore, if someone with a periodized program does better than someone with random programming, maybe that's an indication that random programming might not be such a great idea.

Katherine