Spartan Performance

CROSSFIT SUFFOLK  **  Forging Elite Fitness

"Nicole"

Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
Run 400 meters
Max rep Pull-ups

Post number of pull-ups completed for each round to comments.

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The soon to be obsolete corner of the garage.....stay tuned for details...   

Kevin Davis, an excellent trainer from the law enforcement community, has written an article on what it takes to be really proficient at a skill.  He writes for the the law enforcement professional, but it could be applied to any skill set.  The article appears in LawOfficer.com:

Ten Years or 10,000 Hours

CROSSFIT SUFFOLK   **  Forging Elite Fitness

"Elizabeth"

21-15-9 reps of:
Clean 135 pounds
Ring dips

Post time to comments.

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This article comes courtesy of T-Nation.com (**Scantilly clad figure athletes in sidebar**) Mr. Cressey takes a little dig at CrossFit, but his information is both informative and entertaining: 

What I Learned In 2008 by Eric Cressey

Another good one from T-Nation.com (Same warning as above)...various movements to test abs strength:

How Strong Are Your Abs Really

CROSSFIT SUFFOLK  **  Forging Elite Fitness

Thruster 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps

Post loads to comments.

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The look of determination.....

 

The Universal Post MetCon Position...flat on back, arms up to promote free flow of oxygen while simultaneously shielding light from eyes

CROSSFIT SUFFOLK  **  Forging Elite Fitness

Rest Day

The New Pull Up bars....coming soon..    

WHAT'S IN A NAME? 

By George Demetriou

In an article from the National Tactical Officers Organization's publication, The Edge, the author, Brian L. Springer, a member of the National Strength and Conditioning's Tactical Strength and Conditioning's Division,  speaks of functional fitness for Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) officers and hits on the necessary points for optimizing performance and making routines task specific.

The article is well written, and while attempting to stay generic in regard to methods, does actually refer to "CrossFit" by name.  There is a description of what CrossFit is and what is good about it.  For the "con" about CrossFit the author states, "

While functional training has

maintained a strong presence as an “alternative”

method of training for over a decade, it

has yet to withstand the test of time. There

is not yet a sizeable study population that

has kept up this type of high intensity training

from decade to decade into old age.

There are arguments that the extreme variability

of training technique, while avoiding

overuse injury, may leave participants more

susceptible to acute injury. Anecdotally, the

high intensity of functional training workouts

may lead even highly fit individuals to

the development of rhabdomyolysis, a potentially

life-threatening condition resulting

from extensive damage to muscle tissue.

The author is quite correct, but let's take a look at this.  First, to the best of my knowledge there is no information available based on long term study ('the test of time") for what method of exercise is best for SWAT operators.  Perhaps it would be best to take a look at the results CrossFit has achieved since their existence, see who is using CrossFit and compare it to the alternatives.  At least for now, CrossFit seems to be working quite well.  If 20 years from now I turn out to be wrong I promise to apologize and write about why I was wrong.  For now though there is nothing better for SWAT operators and many others looking for general physical preparedness.

Although the "alternative" methods of functional fitness have been around "for over a decade" the NSCA didn't think of jumping on board until 2007 as CrossFit was expanding to over 400 affiliates worldwide.  Funny how that happened.

Personally, I wear the "Rhabdo" tag like a badge of honor.  Yes, a handful of people have gotten rhabdomyolysis, but the overwhelming majority never have.  We also have a better understanding of it now and how to avoid it.  It's not difficult.  It amuses me when those who train others to go into harm's way call CrossFit "dangerous".  Sorry, but you can't make everything completely safe and prepare for the rigors of taking down the most violent of society.  Not that you can't, but you shouldn't.  I prefer to have the operators push themselves hard in training so they perform as flawlessly as possible in real life.  Call me crazy.  Here's a little fact to consider:  There are currently numerous SWAT officers using the CrossFit method that are better prepared than those not using it AND they were never injured during a workout AND never suffered from "rhabdo".  Honest!

The author mentions another company by name, but not on purpose.  He uses the words "tactical athlete" in the article which of course is the name of Jeff Martone's company.  Jeff has spent years in the law enforcement training community formerly as an instructor at DARC (Direct Action Resource Center) in Arkansas, and as a kettlebell instructor for other organizations as well as his own company.  Besides providing the Kettlebell Certification course for CrossFit Jeff has presented kettlebell classes at law enforcement training conferences such as ASLET's (American Society For Law Enforcement Trainers).  Jeff is one of the first people on the planet to offer kettlebell instructional DVDs.

Jeff Martone has established his reputation as an excellent trainer and has established the name of his company long before those who are suddenly using the "tactical athlete" name as if it were their idea.  You figure if they're going to use the name of Jeff's company as it were their special monikor for members of the military and law enforcement community, they would at least give Martone a mention.  Call me crazy a second time!

I appreciate what those from the emergency medical field such as Doug Kleiner and Brian L. Springer do for the law enforcement community.  I really do.  I'm also glad that CrossFit and Jeff Martone are around to give Kleiner and Springer ideas and names to provide to the members of the law enforcement community that they train.  It'd be nice, not to mention professional, if they'd give Jeff Martone a mention when they use the name of his training company in their articles.

That's not much to ask for.

 

Fitness Training For the Tactical operator: Sorting through the Options by Brian L. Springer

CROSSFIT SUFFOLK  **  Forging Elite Fitness

Five rounds for time of:
30 Glute-ham sit-ups
25 Back extensions

Post time to comments.

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From Elite Fitness Systems (www.elitefts.com):  Myles Kantor interviews Mark Rippetoe regarding the deadlift.  Rippetoe is the powerlifting coach who does the Basic Barbell certification for CrossFit.  Mark is the author of Starting Strength.  One looking to improve their deadlift would be wise to read what Rippetoe has to say!

 Going Deeper Into The Deadlift with Mark Rippetoe

Going Deeper Into The Deadlift - Part 2

CROSSFIT SUFFOLK  **  Forging Elite Fitness

Five rounds, each for time of:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats

Rest precisely three minutes between each round.

Post time for each of five rounds to comments.

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Another good one from Ross Enamait, rosstraining.com:    Pick Your Passion

CROSSFIT SUFFOLK  **  Forging Elite Fitness

 

"CrossFit Total"

Back squat, 1 rep
Shoulder Press, 1 rep
Deadlift, 1 rep

Post total to comments.

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From Charles Staley (www.staleytraining.com):

The Ten Most Common Strength training Mistakes Made By Martial Artists

CROSSFIT SUFFOLK  ** Forging Elite Fitness

Rest Day

FITNESS.....Not A Part Time Gig

By Lee

Most professional athletes know that in order to be at the top of their game there are a few elements that must be maintained and must compliment each other.  Skill Development, practice, proper nutrition, proper rest and conditioning all factor in on how they'll perform.

The same applies to the ordinary "Joe" or "Jane" only for us mere mortals it's more of a challenge as we don't get paid to workout, we have other responsibilities other than working out and we don't have a coach for every aspect of our "sport" or conditioning.  We don't have a team of health professionals, a nutritionist, a chiropractor, a message therapist and separate coach for every aspect of our "game".  We usually don't have the time a pro athlete does as we have careers, family, school or a combination of things going on.

Now that we got that out of the way I'm here to tell you that fitness should be a way of life not just something you do when you can find the the time and it's convenient or you have nothing else going on.  It should be part of your "normal" routine like showering and brushing your teeth.  No, not because I say so or because it works for me, but because the benefits far outweigh being a "weekend warrior".  Fitness should be a part of your culture, something that needs to be done.

Amongst people we speak to or train with we find:

The Dedicated

The Convenient

The "Should"

The Dedicated have embraced the fitness lifestyle and the only thing we need to occassionally do for them is save them from themselves.  Sometimes they try to bite off more than they can chew and we have to reign them in.  This "problem" is easily corrected and if you have to have a training problem this is the one to have.

The Convenient will workout when the mood strikes.  When they have run out of excuses.  They know they should train on a consistent basis, but life gets in the way.  Somehow life gets in the way regularly.

The "Should" crowd understands, on some level, that they should work out and make more of a commitment to take care of themselves, but they often lack any real desire to do so.  They know they should, but they don't push themselves.  Sometimes they fall into the "Should" group after guilt gets the better of them, they train and then the reality sets in.  They feel a bit sore or they actually sweated and breathed heavy without sex being involved.  Some people just don't like that sort of thing. They complain.  They just want to get it over with.  Some people just don't want to work hard.

Each group requires different treatment.  The dedicated only need to be tempered for safety.  The Convenient need focus and understanding of their fitness goals, and the "Should" group may need a boost in confidence as well as a reminder that however they function, working on fitness will help them function better.  Working on fitness will keep them functioning...period.

For the athletes other than the Dedicated the points of a tough conditioning program must be demonstrated constantly.  We emphasize running, squatting, bending , lifting and carrying objects in everyday life.  Then we move onto the things most don't think about.  Last week, in upstate New York a taxi was pulled over on the highway and the passenger began firing at the officer with a rifle.  Other motorists stopped heard the gunshots and abandoned their cars.  The motorists, some say about 100, ran down the highway.  Now imagine having to run for your life and not being in any condition to do so while the madman heads your way.  Imagine the trooper needed help.  Imagine having to fight for your life.  How about the plane that had to land in the Hudson River.  Imagine having to tread water for a while or having to swim without ever doing a tough workout routine.  Imagine having to walk down stairs from the 87th floor of a building that is on fire.

It doesn't have to be quite that dangerous. Imagine poor shape turns into dysfunction as you grow old.  Imagine having to use hand rails to get off the toilet because your ability to effectively squat has ceased to exist.  Imagine dropping something important that you cannot get close enough to the floor to retrieve.  Imagine being completely winded from walking a flight of stairs. 

Of course some folks will read this and enter a completely different category, a topic for another day---DENIAL.

How about training for the sake of training.  To have a better quality of life.  To reduce stress.  To feel the thrill of competition.  To feel the victorious feeling of accomplishing something that is difficult to do and knowing that it took everything you had.

Fitness has to be perceived as a positive, not negative investment of time and effort.  It should be as important as the most important things in life.  We're confused by people who spend hour after hour working on their homes, lawns and cars, but are badly overweight, totally unfit and eat crap at every meal and whenever they feel like getting something in their stomachs.  What is it about their living space, car and the grass in front of the house that these things are given time, commitment and dedication?  They plan how to fix and maintain inanimate objects but don't have time to plan and carry out a workout and don't have the time to eat properlyl?

We really owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to be fit.  Since we have to be fit we may as well train as if we are athletes and be highly fit and high functioning.  We were not made for the sedentary lifestyle.  We were built to move and be involved in our own adventures.  Be prepared now and for a long time to come.

CROSSFIT SUFFOLK  **  Forging Elite Fitness

Five rounds for time of:
45 pound barbell Overhead walking lunges, 50 feet
21 Burpees

Let trailing knee gently kiss the ground on each lunge.

Post time to comments.

Compare to 070113.

   

Check out the following two videos courtesy of Youtube.com.  The videos are short training session clips of two professional mixed martial artists, Georges St.Pierre and BJ Penn.  These guys are two of the greatest fighters ever to grace the octagon.  Both are tremendously skilled.  Which brings me to today's observation.

If you have two fighters who are great at damn near every aspect of the fight game what factor may make the difference?  I see you back there jumping up and down with your hand raised.  You're right.....conditioning.

CONDITIONING.  You've heard this before: All things being equal the better conditioned athlete will win.

In the world of pro mixed martial arts it seems anything could happen.  You can be in great shape and get caught with a perfectly timed (or lucky?) punch or kick and get knocked out.  This is understood.  It's also understood that skill can trump conditioning.

These guys are both great fighters.  Did I mention that?  While both have made errors in the octagon those errors were few and far between.  Neither fighter makes a habit of making errors or losing focus.  In this particular fight conditioning is going to play a major part.

My comments are hardly going to be fair because they will be based on a few minutes of videotaped training out of 2 or more months of preparing, but here it goes:  After watching the following videos I have to pick Georges St. Pierre (GSP) to win the fight.  GSP performs whole body, explosive exercises that promote power and the type of muscular endurance one needs in a fight that consists of 5 five minute rounds that have a minute rest in between.  That's 25 minutes of fighting.

BJ Penn is working out on a bench or machines in what appears to be a globo gym.  What happened to "Fight Gone Bad"?  What's with the isolation exercises?  Seated curls, flyes......are you kidding me?  I'm hoping BJ's video was made with the expressed purpose of fooling GSP into believing that BJ won't be in shape for this fight.  I'm hoping that this was not an example of what all of BJ's conditioning was like.

If you were training for a fight in the ring or to protect yourself in the street who would prefer to train like, GSP or BJ Penn?

Jonathan Chaimberg training Georges St. Pierre

BJ Penn training for fight against Georges St. Pierre  

CROSSFIT SUFFOLK  **  Forging Elite Fitness

For time:
15 Handstand push-ups
1 L Pull-up
13 Handstand push-ups
3 L Pull-ups
11 Handstand push-ups
5 L Pull-ups
9 Handstand push-ups
7 L Pull-ups
7 Handstand push-ups
9 L Pull-ups
5 Handstand push-ups
11 L Pull-ups
3 Handstand push-ups
13 L Pull-ups
1 Handstand push-up
15 L Pull-ups

Post time to comments.

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The below article was written by Kevin Neeld of Prodigy Performance Training and was featured in T-Nation.com.  While taking a break from training is the typical response from the medical field when an injury occurs we find that advice.....unacceptable most of the time.  Common sense and a little knowledge needs to be applied.  This article is helpful to this end.  CAUTION: There are scantilly clad female physique models in the sidebar at this website.  If your reading this at work some people may find the photos objectionable.

 Fight The Injury Blues: Keep Training