Front Squat
2-2-2-2-2
then,
25-15-10
Slam Ball (30/20)
Burpee Sit-up
Planned Benchmarks for the Year
So far this week we’ve dropped a lot of information on the blog about our plans for programming and workout logging starting in September. If you’ve missed the information so far this week, be sure to go back and read these two posts:
A (Perfect) Storm is Brewing
Programming – Innovate or Die
Yesterday, we described in detail, our plans to evolve the programming at Roots beginning in September. The goal of the changes is to get even better results from the time you spend at the shop and help athletes get more out of the goal of CrossFit – “increased workout capacity across broad time and modal domains.”
Because of the constantly varied nature and black box concept of CrossFit programming, one must build in a method to test the programming in relation to the goal. Benchmark testing has long been a part of CrossFit but one that can sometimes get overlooked if not specifically scheduled.
If testing progress is not a part of your programming, there is no way to evaluate the success or failure of your programming.
We have selected 12 benchmark Girls and Heros, four lifts, and four skill benchmark workouts to help us continuously evaluate our progress over the next year. Together, the 21 workouts will test an athlete’s capacity in all the CrossFit time domains, movements, and ten general physical skills. We will use these workouts on a continuos basis to help us evaluate whether our programming is developing athletes in all areas, not just one or two, and to keep athletes focused on continuous improvement and consistency in the shop.
To take full advantage of the upcoming year it will be imperative that you log your workouts. More on that tomorrow!
Well, maybe I’m a geek who loves excel, but this completely kicks ass. It’s really inspiring to know you are planning for our success thinking this far into the future – as an “athlete” it’s always motivating to feel like you’re rising to a challenge versus just flailing around. 🙂 One hope I have is that the benchmarks and retests take place on a specified day of the week so we can plan rest days accordingly. For instance, I never come on Wednesdays, but would shift my schedule around if I knew these would take place on Wednesdays. Just a thought! THANKS for thinking of us at this level!
Hi Maggie,
That’s a great idea and one we’ll consider. There are a ton of considerations in regard to class and workout scheduling and making the workout happen on a specific day all the time is probably not possible. We could work to give folks a heads up though.
Looks really interesting and fun — Hurray for data and retests!
I’m full of questions.
What do the skill benchmarks look like? Max-reps in some time-period? Is the toes-to-bar benchmark in the second month of each cycle (it doesn’t have any x’s)?
How will the schedule work — it looks like there will about 2 benchmarks / week. Will there be a specific set of days devoted to them, or will they just be random within a week? What about timing within a class period — will you keep that consistent across months, or will the test days always be the only thing we do that day?
🙂
Hey Jeremy,
We’ll release the skills benchmark tests next week. They are stand alone efforts for the individual skill.
The toes-to-bar is a typo. I’ll update the chart tonight.
There will be 1.25 benchmarks each week:), about one skills benchmark each week, and one lift a week.
The test will not be the only thing you do that day all the time. We want everyone to get away from the thought that they have to be in perfect sleep/condition all the time to perform well. Life doesn’t always work that way…
Updated skills benchmarks photo.
This looks RAD.
I am INSTANTLY motivated just looking at that chart…..
#accountability
Super excited for the new programming and benchmark tests! Thanks for spending so much thought and effort on making us better athletes!
Hide yo kids, hide yo wife, hide yo husbands! It’s about to get real!!!
I love how the fancy schedule (which is awesome, btw) is distracting everyone from the big ole’ WTF in this post… BURPEE SITUPS??? WHAT?? 🙂