Beginner who can't even do official warmup...

02-26-2005, 10:51 AM

Is the beginner routine in CS Journal 10 a good plan for someone like me to ease into the WOD? Or would you guys suggest a different way? Thanks.

Karl Steadman · 02-26-2005, 11:00 AM

I reckon you should just give it a go, but adapt the WOD to your own limits Michael. Don't be afraid to drop the weight, but try your hardest to keep to reps and intensity. As you can probably see from the comments board there are exceedingly different times posted on a daily basis. If you ever get stuck with exercises or any substitution ideas, just ask, they're a proper friendly bunch here and will to their upmost to help.

Oh yeah......WELCOME! :happy:

David Easton · 02-26-2005, 04:39 PM

Like Karl said, adjust the WOD to suit your own limits Michael. The WOD is scaleable to suit all levels.

Welcome

Paul Theodorescu · 02-26-2005, 04:49 PM

Michael, what about "girl" push-ups and jumping pull-ups?

Carrie Klumpar · 02-27-2005, 11:28 PM

I assume Paul means knee push-ups.

Beth Moscov · 02-28-2005, 09:46 AM

Micheal,

The beginner program is a great way to start. It will give you good basic learning in some of the moves we do regularly. Pay attention to excellent form. You can read back Crossfit Journals as well as watch the exercise videos on the site to learn more about form. You could also do the warm up as well as you can AS your workout if you wish or cut it down. Or you can modify the wod each day to your level. All of these are workable ways to get started.

Beth

02-28-2005, 08:36 PM

I have been doing the beginners program for the past couple of weeks and have a question. Are the squats supposed to be just BW or the heaviest weight you can work with while still doing correct form. I see in the "Program Guidelines" that you increase weight in the deadlift and push press each week but not in the squat? I can see where this may make sense given the rep increase every other week from weeks 4-12, Any insights here would help.

Thanks in advance!

Beth Moscov · 02-28-2005, 10:00 PM

In Crossfit, if it says "squat" it means air squat - no weight. Work on form and speed - full hip extension at top, below parallel at bottom, etc. If they say, front squat or back squat or overhead squat - then they mean with weight.

Kawika Harbottle · 03-01-2005, 02:00 AM

If no one minds me adding my own $0.02

The warm up in itself is a workout. Before I knew of CrossFit during workouts (during 1998-2001), I used to do a similar workout as a warm up. It mainly consisted of the pull up, the squat, three directional crunches (which were left, right, & middle for one rep; I still did crunches back then silly me), and push ups. These were bodyweight basics that were staples for me when conditioning for grappling and other martial arts. Unfortunately because it was a warm up mentality, I never did above a comfort zone of reps. So it was parameters of a 5 round circuit of 5reps for pull ups, 10reps for squats, 15 reps for push ups, and 15 3-count crunches. The plus was that I was able to increase my work capacity doing these everyday, but I never increased the degree of difficulty that's similar to the "regular" Official CrossFit warmup.

So what am I leading to with this past experience in reference to your question? Well pull ups are still my weakness while the rest of the stuff are on par. But I still do the WODs as prescribed even though I may not crank out 10-15rep pull ups for the warm up all the time. I did not start the WODs until I could confidently complete 15 reps on all the warm up movements for at least one round. I was happy to be able to accomplish it in 10 reps, which was more consistent in the three rounds. But my aim was the 15 and not be tired. During the basic conditioning phase, which I called the warm up, I would learn and/or re-learn the exercises offered by CrossFit. Keeping each exercise as a single rather than do multiple reps in one set. It was primarily to prepare my starting strength and pay close attention to my technique. I think this approach was due to my previous work with Westside Barbell Protocol. I worked CrossFit this way for a month before I just did the WODs following the warm up.

So work on improving up the warm up, such as the GTG or ladder approach, and learn the lifts separate from each other. It's all a learning experience when you take on CrossFit. Hope this helps.

Sorry for long message.

Larry Lindenman · 03-01-2005, 05:49 AM

Kawika, don't be sorry for the message...it was excellent! When I started (9/03) I was to impatient to do what you did (I also don't think there was a published official Crossfit warm-up yet). The result for me was a lot of flopping around and modified, incomplete WOD's. It all worked out but you method seems more...sane.

02-26-2005, 10:51 AM	#1
Michael Claggett Profile: Posts: n/a	Is the beginner routine in CS Journal 10 a good plan for someone like me to ease into the WOD? Or would you guys suggest a different way? Thanks.
Michael Claggett Profile: Posts: n/a

02-28-2005, 08:36 PM	#7
Tony Lambert Profile: Posts: n/a	I have been doing the beginners program for the past couple of weeks and have a question. Are the squats supposed to be just BW or the heaviest weight you can work with while still doing correct form. I see in the "Program Guidelines" that you increase weight in the deadlift and push press each week but not in the squat? I can see where this may make sense given the rep increase every other week from weeks 4-12, Any insights here would help. Thanks in advance!
Tony Lambert Profile: Posts: n/a

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02-26-2005, 11:00 AM	#2
Karl Steadman Member Profile: Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Glossop Derbyshire Posts: 598	I reckon you should just give it a go, but adapt the WOD to your own limits Michael. Don't be afraid to drop the weight, but try your hardest to keep to reps and intensity. As you can probably see from the comments board there are exceedingly different times posted on a daily basis. If you ever get stuck with exercises or any substitution ideas, just ask, they're a proper friendly bunch here and will to their upmost to help. Oh yeah......WELCOME! :happy:

02-26-2005, 04:39 PM	#3
David Easton Member Profile: Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Motherwell Strathclyde Posts: 566	Like Karl said, adjust the WOD to suit your own limits Michael. The WOD is scaleable to suit all levels. Welcome

02-26-2005, 04:49 PM	#4
Paul Theodorescu Member Profile: Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Quebec Quebec Posts: 685	Michael, what about "girl" push-ups and jumping pull-ups?

02-27-2005, 11:28 PM	#5
Carrie Klumpar Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Seattle/Redmond WA Posts: 461	I assume Paul means knee push-ups.

02-28-2005, 09:46 AM	#6
Beth Moscov Member Profile: Join Date: May 2007 Location: Boulder Creek CA Posts: 1,269	Micheal, The beginner program is a great way to start. It will give you good basic learning in some of the moves we do regularly. Pay attention to excellent form. You can read back Crossfit Journals as well as watch the exercise videos on the site to learn more about form. You could also do the warm up as well as you can AS your workout if you wish or cut it down. Or you can modify the wod each day to your level. All of these are workable ways to get started. Beth

02-28-2005, 10:00 PM	#8
Beth Moscov Member Profile: Join Date: May 2007 Location: Boulder Creek CA Posts: 1,269	In Crossfit, if it says "squat" it means air squat - no weight. Work on form and speed - full hip extension at top, below parallel at bottom, etc. If they say, front squat or back squat or overhead squat - then they mean with weight.

03-01-2005, 02:00 AM	#9
Kawika Harbottle Member Profile: Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Kane'ohe/Kahalu'u/Hilo/Mililani HI Posts: 433	If no one minds me adding my own $0.02 The warm up in itself is a workout. Before I knew of CrossFit during workouts (during 1998-2001), I used to do a similar workout as a warm up. It mainly consisted of the pull up, the squat, three directional crunches (which were left, right, & middle for one rep; I still did crunches back then silly me), and push ups. These were bodyweight basics that were staples for me when conditioning for grappling and other martial arts. Unfortunately because it was a warm up mentality, I never did above a comfort zone of reps. So it was parameters of a 5 round circuit of 5reps for pull ups, 10reps for squats, 15 reps for push ups, and 15 3-count crunches. The plus was that I was able to increase my work capacity doing these everyday, but I never increased the degree of difficulty that's similar to the "regular" Official CrossFit warmup. So what am I leading to with this past experience in reference to your question? Well pull ups are still my weakness while the rest of the stuff are on par. But I still do the WODs as prescribed even though I may not crank out 10-15rep pull ups for the warm up all the time. I did not start the WODs until I could confidently complete 15 reps on all the warm up movements for at least one round. I was happy to be able to accomplish it in 10 reps, which was more consistent in the three rounds. But my aim was the 15 and not be tired. During the basic conditioning phase, which I called the warm up, I would learn and/or re-learn the exercises offered by CrossFit. Keeping each exercise as a single rather than do multiple reps in one set. It was primarily to prepare my starting strength and pay close attention to my technique. I think this approach was due to my previous work with Westside Barbell Protocol. I worked CrossFit this way for a month before I just did the WODs following the warm up. So work on improving up the warm up, such as the GTG or ladder approach, and learn the lifts separate from each other. It's all a learning experience when you take on CrossFit. Hope this helps. Sorry for long message.

03-01-2005, 05:49 AM	#10
Larry Lindenman Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Chicago Illinois Posts: 2,769	Kawika, don't be sorry for the message...it was excellent! When I started (9/03) I was to impatient to do what you did (I also don't think there was a published official Crossfit warm-up yet). The result for me was a lot of flopping around and modified, incomplete WOD's. It all worked out but you method seems more...sane.