Programming Questions?
Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 2:03PM I just wanted to sit down and put a few things out there to clear up any misunderstandings...
We constantly get questions as to why we (Ben & Shane) do not exclusively follow our own programming that we provide for the gym. Mostly the inquiries are just out of curiosity, just trying to understand our goals, but some make me feel that our intentions are being questioned.
I want to be very clear about one thing, we stand behind our programming 100% and we believe that it is the best possible programming that we can provide. We put a lot of thought, time, effort and research into the programming that we sit down and write.
That being said, we have about 60 athletes attending our gym throughout any given week. While all CrossFit WODs are scalable to any fitness level, we still have to consider the wide range of athletes, skill and fitness levels that will be completing our WODs each day. We feel that our programming effectively spans this range to challenge and increase the fitness level of all of our athletes. We think and work hard to make this so.
Now, that being said, is the programming provided at CrossFit Albuquerque the best possible programming that can be provided for any given individual athlete? Well, no. Providing "mass" programming that ideally suits each individual is not possible. Every athletes has their own unique set of strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes and skills.
Personally, I have chosen to follow the CrossFit.com main page programming. Why? For many reasons. I have tried writing my own programming, having Ben write my programming, following OPT Big Dawgs, following MEBB, a few individual CrossFit gyms online programming, etc...I could go on and on. None of these options have produced the results, for myself individually, that the CrossFit.com main page programming has. For whatever reason, that style of programming seems to have my optimal mix of attacking my weaknesses and honing my strengths. It's not for everyone, that is for sure, but it works well for me.
Furthermore, we talk about "Cherry Picking" all the time. Which is one of the main reasons we don't post the CF Abq WODs until the end of the day. Well, believe it or not, regardless of how much will power I have, I will also allow myself to cherry pick, at some level, even if subconsciously. If I was following the programming that myself and Ben write, this would cause two things to happen. One, I would know, way ahead of time, what WOD is being done on any given day...makes it easy to avoid your weaknesses. And Two, on the weeks that I personally write the programming, the knowledge that I would have to do it too, would creep into my mind and possibly effect the the programming that I would be writing for the box...subconsciously avoiding my weaknesses as I program. Just like anyone else, there are days, many days, that I look at "the board" and I just don't want to do it. I don't want this to have any effect on the programming I provide for the gym, as well as not wanting it to effect my own goals in the programming that I use.
CrossFit.com works perfect for me, I wake up, check the WOD, and then go do it. I don't have to worry about it, wonder about it or have anyone to question. If it says WOD, I WOD, if it says rest, I rest. This allows me to receive essentially the same benefit that we provide to you. My goal is to qualify for the CrossFit Games regionals this year, so I am doing what I feel will give me the best shot at achieving that goal. And following my own programming, is not going to get me there.
Now, without trying to speak too much for Ben, I think I can sum his situation up pretty easily. He works at two ski areas. One is in Sante Fe, the other is here in town. His schedule as mountain manager puts him staying over night in Sante Fe at times, as well as working insane and inconsistent hours. This puts him squeezing in workouts when and where he can. With whatever equipment he has at his disposal at that time. He has put a decent amount of equipment up in Sante Fe, mostly geared toward strength training which he views as his main weakness. He is focusing the ski season and the limited and inconsistent training that he will be able to do on getting stronger. The amount of time and energy that it takes to do his job, especially this time of year, makes it difficult for him to "get up" for "for time" WODs. So he is going another direction right now.
I hope that this makes sense and gives you all a little insight to why we do what we do. Our number one priority is to provide you, our athletes, with the best possible programming and coaching that we can. This is how we feel we can do that in the most effective manner.
Please comment and let us know if you have any questions or thoughts? As always, thank you so much for the opportunity to be your coach. Because of you all, I get to live my dream every day.
Reader Comments (5)
I totally agree with you that we ALL will cherry pick at some level, because it sucks to have your weaknesses brought out in a WOD. I know 5K day used to be a pretty slow day at the gym... However, sometimes I feel it would be nice to know the WODS for the week because some of us do other training, either strength or endurance, in conjunction with CFABQ WODS. It makes it difficult to plan out a week of workouts not knowing what WODS we'll be doing. For example, if we are scheduled to do "Murph", I would not plan a CFE run that day. But I also see where you are coming from not letting us know the WODS until we get to the box... Just some of my thoughts!!! Thanks for giving us the forum to discuss these topics!!!
Personally, I really like not knowing what the WOD will be until I walk in the door. I know I will sometimes avoid working on my weaknesses if I have a choice, and the way the current programming is presented doesn't allow me to do that. Overall, I think the current programming is awesome. Thanks for all the time and energy you guys put into CF ABQ!
I agree with Matt, I prefer not to know the WOD beforehand because then I can't play the mental game with myself. That said I can see where it would be useful at times to know so you could plan accordingly. I completely get why you follow mainpage and I never wondered anyways but it makes a lot of sense. Prior to CF I was trying to put my own plan together and there is too much room for excuses and I just flat out didn't push myself to my own potential. I love the program and the butt kicking I get every week. Thanks to you all for all the hard work you guys do!
Thanks for posting this discussion and I also really appreciate all the hard work you guys put into the programing. It shows and I really enjoy the WOD's. I will admit I was wondering why you weren't hitting the WOD's with us but mostly missing the sense of competition that I enjoy so much.
As for knowing the WOD before hand, I prefer to know. I have experienced both and I find it easier to balance out additional work outs, strength training, skills and plan out physical activities(hikes, rugby etc) if I know the WOD's a week in advance.
As for cherry picking… well there some WOD's I don't like to do but I choose to do them anyway, thats part of doing CrossFit. I remember not wanting to come in because we were running 400 meter intervals(back when Niki owned the gym). I sucked it up and came in anyway. I later realized that the WOD is only one part of CrossFit. The other part was all of us doing it together and that made it a great work out.
I am also glad that you explained your rationale to us...and I do miss seeing Shane's accomplishments and times on the board. Although I could never in a million years compete against Shane, it is always fun and interesting to see how I can stack up against him...how far behind, etc. There's always someone to strive to beat, etc. It is good motivation for me, as I would like to "run with the big dogs". The best way you can get better is to compete against people better than you.
I have definitely found that at CFA and am proud to be a member. Thanks for all the support and also the awesome programing that you guys do!