Back to the Basics: Building a Foundation
Hey all!
The New Year has begun, which means we’re headed into the first phase of CrossFit group programming! This is also a reflective time when new goals are established and many are prioritizing their fitness and making the gym a part of their routine.
Every 4-12 weeks, we like to shift our focus in order to bring you a balanced and varied program that increases work capacity across broad time and modal domains. The balance helps you continue working toward your personal fitness goals in a safe manner. The variance keeps your body guessing and helps prevent “fitness boredom” and plateaus. The increased work capacity allows you to see your fitness improve with measurable and observable data.
In this next phase, from January 6th to February 28th, we’ll be focusing on building a foundation for this coming year.
The purpose of our strength phase is to build lean muscle, improve body control, improve muscular endurance, and increase your efficiency in some of our basic movements. We will accomplish this by continuing to focus on the squat, deadlift, press and pull. However, in this phase expect to see 1-3 sets of 8-20 reps. This will be a big adjustment from our sets of 1-5 reps from our previous strength phase. For those of you who have experienced our 20 rep squat cycle, we’ll be revisiting this again, with small adjustments. We’ve found it to be one of our most beneficial strength cycles each year! Expect to perform some high rep squats at least twice per week, higher rep deadlifts once per week, and higher rep pressing & pulling movements once per week for each movement.
Our goal for the conditioning in this phase is to build an aerobic base for the future. Building an aerobic base early in the year is best while focusing on movements in a slower and methodical method. This allows you to build confidence in efficiency for safer, higher intensity, faster tempo conditioning pieces in the upcoming phases. Expect to see longer 15-40 minute aerobic workouts at least three times per week. You will still continue to see higher intensity interval training at least twice per week.
This phase is beneficial for both the newer CrossFit athlete and the more experienced.
For newer crossfit athletes, it’s a great opportunity to practice technique and build muscle for the upcoming phases. We think it’s really important to walk before you run. During this period, you will get the opportunity to practice the fundamentals so you can excel in the future with some of the more complex movements with confidence and without injury. Becoming proficient at the fundamentals early in your CrossFit journey, allows you to amplify the intensity, burn more fat and build lean muscle.
For the more experienced, it’s a great opportunity to hit the reset button, re-focus on technique and improve your basics. Even the most experienced athletes need to focus and improve their fundamentals on a frequent basis. This is the perfect time of year to do that. The more efficient you are at the basics, the faster you will improve on the higher skilled exercises. Building on this base will help build lean muscle for added strength in the upcoming phases.
We are really excited to help you reach your goals in 2020!
Remember, we’re building a foundation for the rest of the year. Health and fitness is a lifetime journey and our goal is to help you with the plan. A goal without a plan is just a wish!
If you have more specific goals and want some assistance in reaching those, please schedule a goal strategy session with one of our coaches. We can help you stay on track for the rest of 2020!
Schedule your session here: https://CrossFitLincoln.as.me/ —> choose “Goal Strategy Session”