CrossFit Gymnastics – September 2017

Well done for continuing to produce some beautiful strict muscle ups.

When put to a vote it was decided that this journey should continue. The first 15 mins of class will therefore remain allocated to practicing this movement (or an alternative gymnastics movement of your choice). Find a new friend, team up, explore and enjoy. 

The remainder of class has been designed to honour one of our members who completes Murph every Remembrance day. (After this phase perhaps some of you might want to join him?).

The ‘gymnastics’ part of Murph involves 100 pull ups, 200 push ups and 300 air squats.

The next four weeks will be spent learning your body’s strengths and limitations to discover the most efficient way for you to complete this (or an adapted) workload.

Take an interest in yourself and find out how to get the best out.

Since there are many different levels of experience this is how we will do this:

a) Pick a rep range that is achievable for you as an individual. It must be challenging but not damaging i.e. if 200 push ups are going to take you an hour to do or leave your shoulders in pieces for weeks then choose a lower rep range. The key is to build not break. Take particular note of how your elbows feel – avoid straining tendons.

Everyone should be able to do the 300 air squats. For the pull ups (strict) and push ups choose from 50, 75, 100, 150, 200. Adapt the formats in weeks 2-4 to be appropriate for your chosen range.

If you would like to replace and of these movements with an alternative, such as dips, handstand push ups, toe to bar, pistols, you are free to do so, as long as it is a rep range that is realistic for the movement. If you need to scale to ring rows and box push ups then please do so.

b) Week 1 is about learning how inefficient it can be to take yourself to the redline with bodyweight movements and burn out.

Do each set of pull ups and push ups to failure (the air squats are split between each set to give your upper body recovery time).

Learning points: Note how many reps you get on each set and how long it takes you to do them. How quickly do those reps start to drop off? How much longer is each set taking you the further through the work you are? How far do you get before your form starts to break down? (Incorrect movement becomes energy inefficient). Most importantly, note the time at which you completed half of the reps and the overall time to complete all of the reps.

c) Week 2 will be the start of building a knowledge base for how your body performs best.

The typical method of completing the gymnastics part of Murph is to do 20 sets of Cindy (5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 air squats). This week you will perform this method and you will try to complete each set of the pull ups and push ups unbroken.

Learning points: As above. Particularly note how far you get before you have to start to break up the reps.

Note: If you are at advanced level and sail through Cindy fairly easily please adapt the sets to ensure that you have a learning experience. i.e. 10 pull ups, 20 push ups, 30 air squats or 20 pull ups, 40 push ups, 60 air squats. Your focus will not be to improve your Cindy time (already nailed that) but to work out your most efficient route for wods where you encounter stipulated higher rep sets. You will follow the week 3 format this week and the week 4 format the last two weeks.

d) Week 3 will strip right back to create a foundation with which to work from for week 4.

Every couple/few reps jump off the rig or push back to stretch your triceps for momentary recovery. Do this after the same number of reps for each set.

Learning points: As above. Particularly note how many sets you get through before you have to take more frequent breaks, your overall time for completion of all reps, and for how much longer (hopefully) you manage to maintain form. Did you get further before breaking? Did you complete faster overall? Did your form last longer? 

e) Week 4 will be a test of the formula that you think will provide you with the most efficient time.

You have already tested burn out, smaller unbroken sets, momentary pauses for recovery from the offset.

Analyse your findings and create a format with which you think you can perform the best.

Test it out. Enjoy.

Use your new found knowledge to inform your future workouts 🙂

Jenna x