Timing/weight (newbie)

[Dan Bowen]

Hi,

I am just starting on CF. I read as much as I could, and I STILL find the WOD format puzzling. Perhaps someone on here could fill in the GAPS? Please?

Let's take yesterday's WOD.

Shoulder press 1-1-1-1-1 reps
Push press 3-3-3-3-3 reps
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5-5 reps

I take it to mean:

1. Warm up any way you like (although there is a standard warm-up someplace, incl. Samson stretch, etc.) - fine.
2. Do 5 sets of 1 shoulder press each
   • OK, but with what weight?
     • Someplace said "weight you are comfortable with" - NOT helpful. I am comfortable with a range of weights, depending on the exercises goal.
     • Someplace said "95 lb. for a 175lb guy". I use dumbbells instead of a barbell - should the weight stay the same?
   • How long do I rest between sets?
   • How long do I rest after I am done with shoulder press before going on?
3. After I am done with all of the exercises, do I do pretty much anything I want - stretching, or jump rope - whatever?

Sorry if this is already covered someplace, and I just missed it.
Thanks!

[Chris Walls]

There is a good video of Annie doing this WOD in the videos section. Basically when it says things like 1-1-1-1-1 or 3-3-3-3-3 that means you work your way up to a 1RM (RM=rep max) or 3RM or 5RM. So you start with something you KNOW you can do, and work your way up to maximum. That is of course after some lighter warmup sets of the movement. (kind of like doing the CFT)

[Dan Bowen]

Thanks, Chris!

Originally Posted by Chris Walls

That is of course after some lighter warmup sets of the movement.

Hold on, are you saying that I need to do "some lighter warmup sets of the movement" before even starting the WOD?

Also, what about the rest times between sets and between exercises?

[Timothy Walsh]

Originally Posted by Dan Bowen

Thanks, Chris!

Hold on, are you saying that I need to do "some lighter warmup sets of the movement" before even starting the WOD?

Also, what about the rest times between sets and between exercises?

You dont "need" to do some lighter warmup sets, but a good CFWU (crossfit warm up) should be all you need. In my opinion you can use the first 1-3 reps as a warmup for the movement and shoot for your max on rep 3-5.

You can take as much rest as you need between sets for this WOD. Although most people use about 2-4 minutes in between if i recall correctly.

[Chris Walls]

Ok I'll give you an example of how I did this WOD the other day (might not ve exact but will be close)

my usual warmup of stretching, pushups, dips, pullups, air squats, etc...

some skills based warmup of rowing, kb swings, or something fun.

starting with the press, I would do maybe 3 sets of 5 starting at 45#, working up to about 95#, then I'd start in climbing to my 1RM at about 105# (I think my PR is somewhere in the area of 135-140#)

The presses would have been a good enough warmup for my push presses and power jerks. I would have most likely ended with some deadlifts because I like them heh...

edit to add: like he said, rest in between sets on max efforts are as much as you need, but exceeding 5 minutes is probably unnecessarily long...

[Steven Low]

1. Any warmpup is fine although it really helps if you warmup the movement with a couple sets (or a related exercise such as if you were doing cleans before say DLs that would be warmup for the DLs).

2a. All of the 1-1-1-1-1 should be near 1 RM trying to hit your limit.
2b. Rest between strength sets is generally 3-5 minutes.
2c. Same as 2b.

3. Anything you want. Pure strength WODs like CFT and this may not leave you "gassed" if that's the feeling you're working for. However, it's not always good to be gassed after a workout especially strength if you want to optimally increase your max strength.

[Dan Bowen]

Steven et al

Thank you! That answered my questions.

[Brandon Oto]

Most people will do lighter warmups before the actual "work" sets and not count them. It's perhaps a bit arbitrary at which weight you start to "count" the sets, but for the best workout, it should all be right around your known max -- starting a little below it, matching it, trying to exceed it, and probably settling at something you can maintain. Whether you consistently push to failure or stay within a weight you can hold is a bit of a personal thing.

[David Wood]

This one varies for me depending on whether it's the workout discussed:
1-1-1-1-1
3-3-3-3-3
5-5-5-5-5

(5 sets of 3 different exercises, each one building in the # of reps and the amount of "whole-body" you can use)

or the one shows up a bit more often:

1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 (10 singles)


In the former, I'm only doing 5 sets of any one movement, so I try hard to be at or near my 1-rep max (or my 3-rep max, or my 5-rep max) for each movement when I begin counting. (I do both a general and specific warmup before I start the max efforts, about 10-15 minutes total). I try to hit a true max effort by the last set of each movement.

Ideally, the weight should be fairly constant across all 15 sets of this progression. Even with increasing fatigue and the increasing number of reps as you progress to the next exercise, the addition of more "legs" to the movement "should" allow a heavier weight (to match the fatigue and increased reps). Obviously, this will vary from person and even from workout to workout for the same person, so no one should beat themselves up over it if the weight they use goes up or down.


On the latter workouts, I really can't seem to sustain 10 consecutive truly "max" efforts (or maybe I just think I can't?). I warm up (both general and specific), and start "counting" the sets when I'm about 70% of my previous PR. I try to advance to my previous (or new) PR by the 7th or 8th set (1 rep each), then repeat that (or surpass it, if it seemed easy) at least once or twice more. I usually do a few "back off" sets after the 10 singles (3's and 5's at much lower weight).

[Dan Bowen]

David,

Do you generally allow about 3-5 min rest between sets for all exercises, or only for "strength" ones?

I want to make sure that workouts don't take more than 30 minutes or less (lack of time), so my inclination would be to shorten the rest period to 1 min - and lower the weight. As I get better, I'd increase the weight... Would that be completely missing the point?

It is probably a good idea to state my workout goals, since your answer might depend on what I am trying to achieve.. I am a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor, and my goal is to build endurance for competitions (not strength, I am almost always stronger than other people in my weight class). Competition format: 4-5 matches, each match 5 minutes long, 1-5 minutes rest bw matches (1 min. rest towards the end). Matches themselves have uneven rhythm - stall- explode -go-go-go while switching directions, and often require you to work without being able to breathe fully because of body positioning or the opponent compressing your lungs.

Thanks!