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* Xfittest - FINALLY, A FULLY PERIODIZED APPROACH TO CROSSFIT™
TRAINING
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FINALLY, A FULLY PERIODIZED APPROACH TO CROSSFIT(tm) TRAINING
Brought to you by BANDANA TRAINING - strength coach, sports
nutritionist, Advisory Board Member for Arnold Schwarzenegger - and
contributing writer for:
$135 ONLY $67 FOR THE NEXT
CROSSFIT(tm) + INTELLEGENT PERIODIZATION = XFITTEST
"CrossFit(tm) is 'good' -- Xfittest makes it great."
- John Romaniello, NY Times Best Selling
Author of Man 2.0
"An absolute must if you're serious about CrossFit(tm)...OR taking
your fitness to the next level."
- Brett Hoebel, celebrity trainer on NBC's
The Biggest Loser season 11
"If I were preparing for the CrossFit(tm) Games, this is how I'd
train."
- Dan Trink, Badass MoFo, Trink Fitness
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IF YOU’RE NOT INTERESTED IN THE ABSOLUTE MOST AWESOME, HARDCORE,
EFFECTIVE TRAINING PROGRAM EVER CONCEIVED, PLEASE LEAVE THIS WEBSITE
IMMEDIATELY.
Xfittest is a Training Guide.
It‘s a fully periodized approach to getting ridiculously good at
CrossFit.
It’s a blueprint for the entire strength and energy system
continuum.
It’s tough as balls, but only if you do it and do it with absolute
conviction.
It’s highly organized and meticulously researched.
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IT PULLS EXPERTISE FROM:
OLYMPIC LIFTING
POWER LIFTING
MARATHON TRAINING
BODY BUILDING
GYMNASTICS
WRESTLING
TRACK width: 30%; padding: 0 1.6% 25px;">
The primary focus of this phase is structural balance and aerobic
endurance. Lots of unilateral work in the weight-room + time pounding
the pavement. A very important phase for injury prevention down the
road. The journey begins.
Hypertrophy is the name of the game in the weight-room. The energy
system focus switches to anaerobic endurance. The goal is to set the
foundation for strength development and prime your system for
tough-as-balls repeat efforts.
The foundation has been established. Now it’s time to get strong.
Like, stupid strong. OX strong. Energy system training moves into
aerobic power where the goal is to sustain max effort for an extended
period of time. Not fun but definitely awesome.
The weight room is now dedicated to moving massive weight lightning
fast. The more you can increase your max power, the less taxing
repeatable efforts become. This entire phase is about short explosive
effort.
Tie it all together. Do CrossFit workouts at a CrossFit box. Crush
everything in sight. You’ll be working to improve your strength
endurance, anaerobic enzymes, and lactic acid tolerance. A very
important phase for getting accustomed to CrossFit - the style, the
atmosphere, the workouts, the intensity.
Shorter duration meso phases to retouch the brick-shit-house
strength and energy system foundations that you've spend months
developing. Macro Phrase 2 tapers into The Open and the competitive
season where a whole new journey begins.
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Closing Statements
Heart Chakra/Thank You’s
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Xfittest is primarily a Training Guide. The value lies in its
thoughtful periodization and the scope of its expertise. But it's
only worth the $ if you have the courage to train like a wildebeest.
CHAPTER 1 - WHY CROSSFIT IS AWESOME
(OKAY, OKAYALSO HOW IT COULD BE BETTER. BUT MOSTLY THE AWESOME
THING.)
*Originally written for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Published on
schwarzenegger.com on July 22nd, 2013.
CrossFit is all about constantly varied “functional” movement
performed at high intensity.
Their definition of fitness is: “increased work capacity across
broad time and modal domains” (CrossFit.com). To translate that into
how people normally talk, that means the ability to do a butt-ton of
work for various amounts of time in various amounts of ways. Whoever
can do the most work wins at being the fittest.
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_Here’s a weight._
_Here’s a rope._
_Here’s a box._
_Lift._
_Climb._
_Jump._
_Who can do it the most in 15 minutes?__ _
_That sort of thing. _
_ __All pretty cool stuff, RIGHT?_
_ _Hard work is awesome. Our bodies are awesome. Winning is awesome.
Triple victory.
This whole CrossFit thing was started by Greg Glassman, “over
several decades ago” (CrossFit.com). I’m assuming that means more
than 3 but less than 12.
Like any impressive movement, it started from humble beginnings and a
strong propensity for hard work. As CrossFit expanded, it became
increasingly important to standardize the practice. And so, CrossFit
precisely defines their rules of movement:
* _Hips have to sink below parallel on an air squat. _
* _Full extension must be achieved atop the box on a box jump_
* _Hands off the ground on a (hand-release) pushup. __ _
No big. All part of the logistics of maintaining an even playing
field.
BUT, as sure as the grass is green the winter is cold and the ocean
is wet: Movement + measurement = competition. And from these
measurements naturally evolved a sport.
(A tip of the hat to Crossfit Rise Above for posting.)
The Sport of Fitness was born.
CrossFit set out to increase work capacity over a broad time and
movement spectrum and then evolved into a sport - The CrossFit Games.
Whoever can produce the most work under the given circumstances is
crowned the champion.
_Faster. Longer. Harder. CrossFitter.__ _
And so CrossFit is challenging as hell. The tough-as-balls nature of
the sport attacks ultra competitive A-types and everyone is working
their asses off.
So far, SO awesome (and we haven’t even gotten to the GOOD part
yet.)
Because the most magical part of CrossFit is that it’s become a
community. An awesome community. A _movement_.
From the fitness program that is CrossFit, a enthusiastic crew of
CrossFitters have emerged. Go to any CrossFit box and you’re sure to
come across a friendly and welcoming band of dedicated fitness freaks.
These folks are getting REALLY amped about exercise (how awesome is
THAT???) and they’re happy to share their passion.
Makes sense, when you think about it
Anytime you bring a crew of people together to work ridiculously
hard, good things happen. It’s why teammates on championship
dynasties are so tight-knit, successful businesses create lasting
friendships, and wing-men are fiercely loyal. BECAUSE DOING TOUGH SHIT
BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER.
_SO_
_CrossFit brings people together._
_This is great. This is SO great. _
CrossFit has taken the lifts we trainer geeks adore - the clean, the
snatch, the squat, the chin up - and they’ve made a sport out of
‘em. This sport is attracting massive, national attention and it’s
getting folks ridiculously amped about exercise. I can’t even tell
you how excited that makes me. The world needs MORE of this.
Anyone who isn’t a hater will agree - CrossFit has done a lot of
really awesome shit. Really, really, really awesome shit.
Go CrossFit.
BUT, unfortunately the story gets a little more complicated
Because all that glitters is not gold. At least not pure gold.
Because when you set up an environment that encourages people to push
their body to the extreme, you have a responsibility to protect them.
I’m going to say that again because it is vitally important: WHEN
YOU SET UP AN ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO PUSH THEIR BODY TO
THE EXTREME, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THEM.
We’ve seen Spider man:
“With great power production comes great responsibility.” (or
something like that.)
We’ve also probably seen the YouTube clipsmismanaged execution of
CrossFit is terrifying:
Terrrrrrifying.
But there are bad coaches in any realm and some athletes have no
business doing CrossFit.
It’s common sense. _CrossFit isn’t for everyone._ Some athletes
need specificity. If you want to get awesome at, say, lifting
ridiculously heavy things (a worthy goal, in my book) CrossFit isn’t
your ideal training program. Plus, there’s the fact that challenging
a variety of strength qualities at the same time in an ultra
competitive environment, while awesome for some, is downright
dangerous for others. Kind of basic logic that nobody in their right
mind could possibly disagree with.
Ideal programming for my Grandmother is going to be different than
ideal programming for, say, an Olympic athlete.
HOLD THE PHONE!
_“we don’t change programsThe needs of Olympic athletes and our
grandparents differ by degree, not kind.” _
_- CrossFit.com _
DAMMIT CROSSFIT.
I‘m not going to romanticize the art of exercise selection or the
importance of program design, but
actually that’s EXACTLY what I’m going to do.
‘Cause that shit’s important.
My Grandmother, bless her heart, has different needs than Michael
Phelps. Phelps needed to win gold. My Grandma needs to watch the
Golden Girls. And I wouldn’t recommend CrossFit to either.
In order to teach someone how to utilize their body towards its
maximum potential, its not merely a question of load and intensity. To
claim otherwise is a gross misunderstanding of, you know, everything.
But that’s not really my biggest concern with CrossFit.
Because my Grandma doesn’t even know what CrossFit is. And I’m
confident that common sense will prevail - different populations have
different needs and that means CrossFit isn’t for everyone. Plus, an
intelligent CrossFit coach can make all the difference in allowing for
a huge spectrum of clients to find success with CrossFit.
SO WHAT’S MY BIGGEST CONCERN?
My biggest concern with CrossFit is that there is a growing community
of enthusiastic fitness freaks who want to get REALLY good at
CrossFit.
And if you want to get really good at CrossFit, just going CrossFit
is a BAD IDEA.
HUH?
CrossFit is designed to challenge every possible type of training -
“the unknown and the unknowable,” as they say. That’s A LOT of
shit. So much shit that we can’t even think up all that shit.
So if you want to be awesome at CrossFit, you want to be awesome at
EVERYTHING (nothing if not ambitious.) You want to be well conditioned
and resilient. You want to be strong. You want to be technically
efficient. You want to be powerful. You want to kick in doors and ride
unicorns at the same time. And if you want to be awesome at
everything, the worst thing you could do is try to train
everythingevery workouteverydaywith no progression.
AN ANALOGY:
Let’s say you want get a law degree, a medical degree, a business
degree, and a black belt - sort of the life equivalent of CrossFit.
Would you study law for 10 minutes, study medicine for 10 minutes,
study business for 10 minutes, and then do 10 karate chops?
NO. It’s just not the most efficient way to learn.
What if instead you went to Law School for a while, then went to Med
School for a while, then went the Business School for a while, then
went to The Dojo for a while.
I’m not saying you need to get your full degree or there can’t be
some overlap, but you’d at least spend LARGE chunks of time studying
and improving each aspect. Then you might circle back around and spent
a little less time studying each aspect. And eventually, when you’ve
mastered each aspect, you could practice them all in tandem.
And so I wrote a training guide that accomplishes that.
It’s 7 months of training broken into two different macro phases
each containing 5 different meso phases. It’s founded upon basic
adaptive strategy. If you want to be awesome at everything, you train
a few things A LOT of the time, and then move on to other things.
Through smart programing and intelligent progression, you maintain
previous qualities while shifting focus towards improving new
qualities. It’s the principles that govern periodization which are
the same principles that govern the development of human physiology.
Strength qualities and energy systems need TIME and FOCUS in order to
improve.
In other words, CrossFit is not the best way to become a CrossFit
Champion.
Here is a better answer
ROB SULAVER IS A WRITER, TRAINER, COACH, AND SPORTS NUTRITIONIST.
His fitness and nutrition site, BandanaTraining.com combines Rob’s
professional expertise with his irreverent sense of humor making him
one of the Top Fitness experts in America according to _The Huffington
Post, Shape Magazine_ and _The Greatist._ Rob’s ability to
articulate fitness, nutrition, and good-living advice has lead to a
seat on ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER’S ADVISORY BOARD as well as regular
contributions and features in national publications including:
_Men’s Health_
_Men’s Fitness_
_Muscle & Fitness_
_Self Magazine_ _Shape Magazine_
_USA Today_
_Arnold Schwarzenegger.com_
_Seventeen Magazine_
-------------------------
Rob is a CERTIFIED STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING SPECIALIST (National
Strength and Conditioning Association), a CERTIFIED SPORTS
NUTRITIONIST (International Society of Sports Nutrition), and a
CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER (American Council on Exercise).
Additional Credentials Include:
Arnold Schwarzenegger Advisory Board
Top 20 Fitness Experts Worth Following _- The Huffington Post_
Top 50 Hottest Trainers in America - _Shape Magazine_
Technical Advisor – Muscle & Fitness
Technical Advisor – _Men’s Fitness_
Top 60 Must Follow Health and Fitness Experts - _The Greatest_
On Camera Fitness Expert – _Seventeen Magazine_
Certified Nutrition Coach - Precision Nutrition
Poliquin International Certification Program – Level I, II, III
Coach
Olympic Lifting Certification – Pierre Roy
Athletes’ Performance Custom Mentorship
Certified Power Plate Instructor
Certified Kettle Bell Instructor – Kettle Bell Concepts
Rob Is Also An Ex-Big 10 Wrestler (University Of Michigan) And Has An
Intense Love-affair With Peanut Butter.
For More Info On Rob, Please Visit: http://www.bandanatraining.com/hi/
THE BEST PLACE TO REACH ME IS SOCIAL MEDIA. I'M ALL UP IN THAT MIX.
Please reach out to me here and if you need additional assistance:
You can also email me at if you need anything.
P.S. - honestly, social media is probably faster.
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