CFJ_English_Level1_TrainingGuide.pdf

Level 1 Training Guide  Level 1 Training Guide  The CrossFit Level 1 Training Guide is a collection of CrossFit Journal articles written since 2002 primarily by CrossFit Founder Coach Greg Glassman on the foundational...

Level 1 Training Guide  Level 1 Training Guide  The CrossFit Level 1 Training Guide is a collection of CrossFit Journal articles written since 2002 primarily by CrossFit Founder Coach Greg Glassman on the foundational movements and methodology of CrossFit. This guide is designed to be used in conjunction with the Level 1 Course to develop the participant’s knowledge and trainer skills and as an essential resource for any- one who is interested in improving their own health and fitness. Some edits to the original articles have been made for the Training Guide to flow as a stand-alone reference, to provide context for readers, and to stay current with the course format. All original works are preserved in the CrossFit Journal. © 2002–2020 CrossFit, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without permission. All images are copyrighted by the artists and reproduced with the kind permission of the artists and/or their representatives. Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders and to ensure that all the information presented is correct. Some of the facts in this volume may be subject to debate or dispute. If proper copyright acknowledgment has not been made, or for clarifications and corrections, please contact the publishers and we will correct the information in future reprintings, if any. No seminar other than the CrossFit Level 1 Certificate Course, as run by CrossFit, grants you the title CrossFit Trainer. Official events can only be verified by using CrossFit.com for registration or by emailing [email protected] with your inquiry. Official qualifications for any individual can be verified in CrossFit’s Trainer Directory. Only CrossFit, LLC offers the CrossFit Level 1 Certificate Course, and the course has no prerequisites. Only successful completion of this course allows a trainer to apply for affiliation with CrossFit. If an affiliate or other fitness organization claims otherwise, it should be reported at crossfit.com/iptheft. Third Edition LCCN: 2017941775 Level 1 Training Guide | i of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Table of Contents Level 1 Training Guide  METHODOLOGY Understanding CrossFit.................... 2 Supplementation........................ 68 Foundations.............................. 5 A Theoretical Template for CrossFit’s What Is Fitness? (Part 1)................... 17 Programming............................ 71 What Is Fitness? (Part 2)................... 32 Scaling CrossFit......................... 77 Technique.............................. 40 “The Girls” for Grandmas................. 83 Nutrition: Avoiding Disease and Running a CrossFit Class.................. 87 Optimizing Performance.................. 45 Lesson Plan: Fran.................... 88 Fitness, Luck and Health.................. 50 Lesson Plan: Back Squat............... 92 Zone Meal Plans........................ 53 Lesson Plan: 20-Minute AMRAP........ 96 Typical CrossFit Block Prescriptions and Adjustments............................. 65 MOVEMENTS Anatomy and Physiology for Jocks....... 100 The Deadlift........................... 123 Squat Clinic............................ 104 Medicine-Ball Cleans.................... 127 The Overhead Squat..................... 111 The Glute-Ham Developer (GHD).......... 131 Shoulder Press, Push Press, Push Jerk..... 118 TRAINER GUIDANCE Where Do I Go From Here?.............. 142 Scaling Professional Training............ 162 Responsible Training..................... 151 CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Certificate License Fundamentals, Virtuosity and Mastery: Agreement in Plain English.............. 166 An Open Letter to CrossFit Trainers...... 158 Frequently Asked Questions............. 167 Professional Training................... 160 CrossFit Credentials.................... 169 MOVEMENT GUIDE Nine Foundational Movements Summary.. 170 Four Additional Movements Summary.... 218 The Air Squat........................ 171 The Pull-up.......................... 219 The Front Squat...................... 176 The Thruster........................ 227 The Overhead Squat.................. 178 The Muscle-up...................... 232 The Shoulder Press.................. 180 The Snatch......................... 240 The Push Press..................... 184 The Push Jerk....................... 188 The Deadlift........................ 194 The Sumo Deadlift High Pull.......... 201 The Medicine-Ball Clean............. 208 INDEX Index................................. 248 Alphabetical List of Figures.............. 255 Alphabetical List of Tables............... 255 Level 1 Training Guide | 1 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. V6E3OL-20201212KW METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Understanding CrossFit, continued UNDERSTANDING CROSSFIT Originally published in April 2007. The aims, prescription, methodology, implementation, and adaptations of Cross- Fit are collectively and individually unique, defining of CrossFit, and instrumental in our program’s successes in diverse applications. AIMS From the beginning, the aim of CrossFit has been to forge a broad, general, and in- clusive fitness. We sought to build a program that would best prepare trainees for any physical contingency—prepare them not only for the unknown but for the un- knowable. Looking at all sport and physical tasks collectively, we asked what physi- cal skills and adaptations would most universally lend themselves to performance advantage. Capacity culled from the intersection of all sports demands would quite logically lend itself well to all sport. In sum, our specialty is not specializing. PRESCRIPTION CrossFit is: “constantly varied, high-intensity functional movement.” This is our prescription. Functional movements are universal motor recruitment patterns; they are performed in a wave of contraction from core to extremity; and they are compound movements—i.e., they are multi-joint. They are natural, effective, and efficient locomotors of body and external objects. But no aspect of functional movements is more important than their capacity to move large loads over long distances, and to do so quickly. Collectively, these three attributes (load, distance, and speed) uniquely qualify functional movements for the production of high pow- er. Intensity is defined exactly as power, and intensity is the independent variable most commonly associated with maximizing the rate of return of favorable adap- tation to exercise. Recognizing that the breadth and depth of a program’s stimulus will determine the breadth and depth of the adaptation it elicits, our prescription of functionality and intensity is constantly varied. We believe that preparation for random physical challenges—i.e., unknown and unknowable events—is at odds with fixed, predictable, and routine regimens. Level 1 Training Guide | 2 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Understanding CrossFit, continued METHODOLOGY The methodology that drives CrossFit is entirely empirical. We believe that mean- ingful statements about safety, efficacy, and efficiency, the three most important and interdependent facets to evaluate any fitness program, can be supported only by measurable, observable, repeatable data. We call this approach “evidence-based fitness.” CrossFit’s methodology depends on full disclosure of methods, results, and criticisms, and we have employed the internet to support these values. Our charter is open source, making co-developers out of participating coaches, ath- letes, and trainers through a spontaneous and collaborative online community. CrossFit is empirically driven, clinically tested, and community developed. IMPLEMENTATION We’ve taken high- In implementation, CrossFit is, quite simply, a sport—the Sport of Fitness. We have intensity, constantly learned that harnessing the natural camaraderie, competition, and fun of sport varied functional or game yields an intensity that cannot be matched by other means. The late Col. Jeff Cooper observed that “the fear of sporting failure is worse than the fear of workouts and death.” It is our observation that men will die for points. Using whiteboards as distilled load, range scoreboards, keeping accurate scores and records, running a clock, and precisely of motion, exercise, defining the rules and standards for performance, we not only motivate unprece- dented output but derive both relative and absolute metrics at every workout; this power, work, line data has important value well beyond motivation. of action, flexibility, speed, and all ADAPTATIONS Our commitment to evidence-based fitness, publicly posting performance data, pertinent metabolics co-developing our program in collaboration with other coaches, and our open- to a single value— source charter in general have well positioned us to garner important lessons from usually time. This is our program—to learn precisely and accurately, that is, about the adaptations elic- the Sport of Fitness. ited by CrossFit programming. What we have discovered is that CrossFit increases work capacity across broad time and modal domains (see “What Is Fitness? (Part 2)” We’re best at it.” article). This is a discovery of great import and has come to motivate our program- —COACH GLASSMAN ming and refocus our efforts. This far-reaching increase in work capacity supports our initially stated aims of building a broad, general, and inclusive fitness program. It also explains the wide variety of sport demands met by CrossFit, as evidenced by our deep penetration among diverse sports and endeavors. We have come to see increased work capacity as the Holy Grail of performance improvement and all other common metrics like VO2 max, lactate threshold, body composition, and even strength and flexibility as being correlates—derivatives, even. We would not trade improvements in any other fitness metric for a decrease in work capacity. CONCLUSIONS The modest start of publicly posting our daily workouts on the internet beginning in 2001 has evolved into a community where human performance is measured and publicly recorded against multiple, diverse, and fixed workloads. CrossFit is an open-source engine where inputs from any quarter can be publicly given Level 1 Training Guide | 3 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Understanding CrossFit, continued to demonstrate fitness and fitness programming, and where coaches, trainers, and athletes can collectively advance the art and science of optimizing human performance. Level 1 Training Guide | 4 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Foundations, continued FOUNDATIONS Originally published in April 2002. CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program. We have designed our program to elicit as broad an adaptational response as possible. CrossFit is not a specialized fitness program but a deliberate attempt to optimize physical com- petence in each of 10 fitness domains. They are cardiovascular/respiratory endur- ance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. CrossFit was developed to enhance an individual’s competency at all physical tasks. Our athletes are trained to perform successfully at multiple, diverse, and randomized physical challenges. This fitness is demanded of military and police personnel, firefighters, and many sports requiring total or complete physical prowess. CrossFit has proven effective in these arenas. Level 1 Training Guide | 5 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Foundations, continued Aside from the breadth or totality of fitness CrossFit seeks, our program is dis- tinctive, if not unique, in its focus on maximizing neuroendocrine response, de- veloping power, cross-training with multiple training modalities, constant training and practice with functional movements, and the development of successful diet strategies. Our athletes are trained to bike, run, swim, and row at short, middle, and long distances, guaranteeing exposure and competency in each of the three main met- abolic pathways. We train our athletes in gymnastics from rudimentary to advanced movements, garnering great capacity at controlling the body both dynamically and statically while maximizing strength-to-weight ratio and flexibility. We also place a heavy emphasis on Olympic weightlifting, having seen this sport’s unique ability to devel- op an athlete’s explosive power, control of external objects, and mastery of critical motor recruitment patterns. And finally we encourage and assist our athletes to explore a variety of sports as a vehicle to express and apply their fitness. AN EFFECTIVE APPROACH In gyms and health clubs throughout the world the typical workout consists of isolation movements and extended aerobic sessions. The fitness community from trainers to the magazines has the exercising public believing that lateral raises, curls, leg extensions, sit-ups and the like combined with 20- to 40-minute stints on the stationary bike or treadmill are going to lead to some kind of great fitness. Well, at CrossFit we work exclusively with compound movements and shorter high-in- tensity cardiovascular sessions. We have replaced the lateral raise with the push press, the curl with the pull-up, and the leg extension with the squat. For every long-distance effort our athletes will do five or six at short distance. Why? Because functional movements and high intensity are radically more effective at eliciting nearly any desired fitness result. Startlingly, this is not a matter of opinion but solid, irrefutable scientific fact, and yet the marginally effective old ways persist and are nearly universal. Our approach is consistent with what is practiced in elite Level 1 Training Guide | 6 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Foundations, continued training programs associated with major university athletic teams and profession- al sports. CrossFit endeavors to bring state-of-the-art coaching techniques to the general public and athlete. IS THIS FOR ME? Absolutely! Your needs and the Olympic athlete’s differ by degree not kind. In- creased power, speed, strength, cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, flexibility, stamina, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy are each important to the world’s best athletes and to our grandparents. The amazing truth is that the very same methods that elicit optimal response in the Olympic or professional athlete will optimize the same response in the elderly. Of course, we cannot load your grandmother with the same squatting weight that we would assign an Olympic skier, but they both need to squat. In fact, squatting is essential to maintaining functional independence and improving fitness. Squatting is just one example of a movement that is universally valuable and essential yet rarely taught to any but the most advanced of athletes. This is a tragedy. Through painstakingly thor- ough coaching and incremental load assignment, CrossFit has been able to teach everyone who can care for himself or herself to perform safe- ly and with maximum efficacy the same movements typically utilized by professional coaches in elite and certainly exclusive environments. WHO HAS BENEFITED FROM CROSSFIT? Many professional and elite athletes are participating in CrossFit. Prizefighters, cyclists, surfers, skiers, tennis players, triathletes and others competing at the highest levels are using CrossFit to advance their core strength and conditioning, but that is not all. CrossFit has tested its methods on the sedentary, overweight, pathological, and elderly and found that these special popula- tions met the same success as our stable of athletes. We call this “bracketing.” If our program works for Olympic skiers and over- weight, sedentary homemakers then it will work for you. YOUR CURRENT REGIMEN If your current routine looks somewhat like what we have de- scribed as typical of the fitness magazines and gyms, do not de- spair. Any exercise is better than none, and you have not wasted your time. In fact, the aerobic exercise that you have been do- ing is an essential foundation to fitness, and the isolation move- ments have given you some degree of strength. You are in good company; we have found that some of the world’s best athletes were sorely lacking in their core strength and conditioning. It is hard to believe, but many elite athletes have achieved interna- tional success and are still far from their potential because they have not had the benefit of state-of-the-art coaching methods. Level 1 Training Guide | 7 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved.  METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Foundations, continued JUST WHAT IS A “CORE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING” PROGRAM? CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program in two distinct senses. First, we are a core strength and conditioning program in the sense that the fitness we develop is foundational to all other athletic needs. This is the same sense in which the uni- versity courses required of a particular major are called the “core curriculum.” This is the stuff that everyone needs. Second, we are a “core” strength and conditioning program in the literal sense meaning the center of something. Much of our work focuses on the major functional axis of the human body, the extension and flexion of the hips and torso or trunk. The primacy of Significantly improve core strength and conditioning in this sense is your 400-meter run, supported by the simple observation that pow- erful hip extension alone is necessary and near- 2,000-meter row, ly sufficient for elite athletic performance. That squat, dead, bench, is, our experience has been that no one without pull-up, and dip. the capacity for powerful hip extension enjoys great athletic prowess and nearly everyone we Now you are a more have met with that capacity was a great athlete. formidable being.” Running, jumping, punching, and throwing all originate at the core. At CrossFit we endeavor —COACH GLASSMAN to develop our athletes from the inside out, from core to extremity, which is, by the way, how good functional movements recruit muscle, from the core to the extremities. CAN I ENJOY OPTIMAL HEALTH WITHOUT BEING AN ATHLETE? No! Athletes experience a protection from the ravages of aging and disease that non-athletes never find. For instance, 80-year-old athletes are stronger than non-athletes in their prime at 25 years old. If you think that strength is not import- ant, consider that strength loss is what puts people in nursing homes. Athletes have greater bone density, stronger immune systems, less coronary heart dis- ease, reduced cancer risk, fewer strokes, and less depression than non-athletes. WHAT IS AN ATHLETE? According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, an athlete is “a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina.” The CrossFit definition of an athlete is a bit tighter. The CrossFit definition of an athlete is “a person who is trained or skilled in strength, power, balance and agility, flexibility, and endurance.” CrossFit holds “fitness,” “health,” and “athleti- cism” as strongly overlapping constructs. For most purposes, they can be seen as equivalents. Level 1 Training Guide | 8 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Foundations, continued WHAT IF I DO NOT WANT TO BE AN ATHLETE; I JUST WANT TO BE HEALTHY? You are in luck. We hear this often, but the truth is that fitness, wellness, and pa- thology (sickness) are measures of the same entity: your health. There are a mul- titude of measurable parameters that can be ordered from sick (pathological) to well (normal) to fit (better than normal). These include but are not limited to blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, body fat, muscle mass, flexibility, and strength. It seems as though all of the body functions that can go awry have states that are pathological, normal, and exceptional and that elite athletes typically show these parameters in the exceptional range. CrossFit’s view is that fitness and health are the same thing (see “What Is Fitness? (Part 1)” article). It is also interesting to notice that the health professional maintains your health with drugs and surgery, each with potentially undesirable side effects, whereas the CrossFit trainer typically achieves a superior result always with “side benefit” versus side effect. EXAMPLES OF CROSSFIT EXERCISES Biking, running, swimming, and rowing in an endless variety of drills. The clean and jerk, snatch, squat, deadlift, push press, bench press, and power clean. Jumping, medicine-ball throws and catches, pull-ups, dips, push-ups, handstands, presses to handstands, pirouettes, kips, cartwheels, muscle-ups, sit-ups, scales, and holds. We make regular use of bikes, the track, rowing shells and ergometers, Olympic weight sets, rings, parallel bars, free exercise mats, horizontal bars, plyometrics boxes, medicine balls, and jump ropes. There is not a strength and conditioning program anywhere that works with a greater diversity of tools, modalities, and drills. WHAT IF I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR ALL OF THIS? It is a common sentiment to feel that because of the obligations of career and fami- ly that you do not have the time to become as fit as you might like. Here is the good news: World-class age group strength and conditioning is obtainable through an hour a day six days per week of training. It turns out that the intensity of training that optimizes physical conditioning is not sustainable past 45 minutes to an hour. Athletes who train for hours a day are developing skill or training for sports that in- clude adaptations inconsistent with elite strength and conditioning. Past one hour, more is not better! “FRINGE ATHLETES” There is a near universal misconception that long-distance athletes are fitter than their short-distance counterparts. The triathlete, cyclist, and marathoner are of- ten regarded as among the fittest athletes on Earth. Nothing could be further from the truth. The endurance athlete has trained long past any cardiovascular health benefit and has lost ground in strength, speed, and power; typically does noth- ing for coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy; and possesses little more than average flexibility. This is hardly the stuff of elite athleticism. The CrossFit athlete, remember, has trained and practiced for optimal physical competence in all 10 Level 1 Training Guide | 9 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved.  METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Foundations, continued physical skills (cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, flexibility, strength, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy). The excessive aero- bic volume of the endurance athletes’ training costs them in speed, power, and strength to the point that their athletic competency has been compromised. No triathlete is in ideal shape to wrestle, box, pole-vault, sprint, play any ball sport, fight fires, or do police work. Each of these requires a fitness level far beyond the needs of the endurance athlete. None of this suggests that being a marathoner, triathlete or other endurance athlete is a bad thing; just do not believe that training as a long-distance athlete gives you the fitness that is prerequisite to many sports. CrossFit considers the sumo wrestler, triathlete, marathoner, and powerlifter to be “fringe athletes” in that their fitness demands are so specialized as to be incon- sistent with the adaptations that give maximum competency at all physical chal- lenges. Elite strength and conditioning is a compromise between each of the 10 physical adaptations. Endurance athletes do not balance that compromise. Traditionally, calisthenic AEROBICS AND ANAEROBICS There are three main energy systems that fuel all human activity. Almost all chang- movements are es that occur in the body due to exercise are related to the demands placed on high-rep movements, these energy systems. Furthermore, the efficacy of any given fitness regimen may but there are largely be tied to its ability to elicit an adequate stimulus for change within these three energy systems. numerous body- weight exercises that Energy is derived aerobically when oxygen is utilized to metabolize substrates de- only rarely can be rived from food and liberates energy. An activity is termed aerobic when the ma- jority of energy needed is derived aerobically. These activities are usually greater performed for more than 90 seconds in duration and involve low to moderate power output or inten- than a rep or two. sity. Examples of aerobic activity include running on the treadmill for 20 minutes, Find them. Explore swimming a mile, and watching TV. them!” Energy is derived anaerobically when energy is liberated from substrates in the —COACH GLASSMAN absence of oxygen. Activities are considered anaerobic when the majority of the energy needed is derived anaerobically. In fact, properly structured, anaerobic ac- tivity can be used to develop a very high level of aerobic fitness without the muscle wasting consistent with high-volume aerobic exercise! These activities are of less than two minutes in duration and involve moderate to high-power output or inten- sity. There are two such anaerobic systems, the phosphagen (or phosphocreatine) system and the lactic acid (or glycolytic) system. Examples of anaerobic activity include running a 100-meter sprint, squatting, and doing pull-ups. Anaerobic and aerobic training support performance variables like strength, pow- er, speed, and endurance. We also support the contention that total conditioning and optimal health necessitate training each of the physiological systems in a sys- tematic fashion (see “What is Fitness? (Part 1)” article). Level 1 Training Guide | 10 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Foundations, continued It warrants mention that in any activity all three energy systems are utilized though one may dominate. The interplay of these systems can be complex, yet a simple examination of the characteristics of aerobic versus anaerobic training can prove useful. CrossFit’s approach is to judiciously balance anaerobic and aerobic exercise in a manner that is consistent with the athlete’s goals. Our exercise prescriptions ad- here to proper specificity, progression, variation, and recovery to optimize adaptations. THE OLYMPIC LIFTS, A.K.A., WEIGHTLIFTING There are two Olympic lifts, the clean and jerk and the snatch. Mastery of these lifts develops the squat, deadlift, power clean, and split jerk while integrating them into a single movement of un- equaled value in all of strength and conditioning. The Olympic lifters are without a doubt the world’s strongest athletes. These lifts train athletes to effectively activate more muscle fibers more rapidly than through any other modality of training. The explosiveness that results from this training is of vital necessity to every sport. Practicing the Olympic lifts teaches one to apply force to muscle groups in proper sequence; i.e., from the center of the body to its extremities (core to extremity). Learning this vital technical lesson benefits all athletes who need to impart force to another person or object, as is commonly required in near- ly all sports. In addition to learning to impart explosive forces, the clean and jerk and snatch condition the body to receive such forces from another moving body both safely and effectively. Numerous studies have demonstrated the Olympic lifts’ unique capacity to devel- op strength, muscle, power, speed, coordination, vertical leap, muscular endur- ance, bone strength, and the physical capacity to withstand stress. It is also worth mentioning that the Olympic lifts are the only lifts shown to increase maximum oxygen uptake, the most important marker for cardiovascular fitness. Sadly, the Olympic lifts are seldom seen in the commercial fitness community be- cause of their inherently complex and technical nature. CrossFit makes them avail- able to anyone with the patience and persistence to learn. Level 1 Training Guide | 11 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Foundations, continued GYMNASTICS The extraordinary value of gymnastics as a training modality lies in its reliance on the body’s own weight as the sole source of resistance. This places a unique premi- um on the improvement of strength-to-weight ratio. Unlike other strength training modalities, gymnastics and calisthenics allow for increases in strength only while increasing strength-to-weight ratio! Gymnastics develops pull-ups, squats, lunges, jumping, push-ups, and numerous presses to handstand, scales, and holds. These skills are unrivaled in their benefit to the physique, as evident in any competitive gymnast. As important as the capacity of this modality is for strength development, it is with- out a doubt the ultimate approach to improving coordination, balance, agility, ac- curacy, and flexibility. Through the use of numerous presses, handstands, scales, and other floor work, the gymnast’s training greatly enhances kinesthetic sense. The variety of movements available for inclusion in this modality probably exceeds the number of exercises known to all non-gymnastic sport! The rich variety here contributes substantially to CrossFit’s ability to inspire great athletic confidence and prowess. For a combination of strength, flexibility, well-developed physique, coordina- tion, balance, accuracy, and agility, the gymnast has no equal in the sports world. The inclusion of this training modality is absurdly absent from nearly all train- ing programs. ROUTINES There is no ideal routine! In fact, the chief value of any routine lies in abandon- ing it for another. The CrossFit ideal is to train for any contingency. The obvious implication is that this is possible only if there is a tremendously varied quality to the breadth of stimulus. It is in this sense that CrossFit is a core strength and con- ditioning program. Anything else is sport-specific training, not core strength and conditioning. Any routine, no matter how complete, contains within its omissions the parame- ters for which there will be no adaptation. The breadth of adaptation will exact- ly match the breadth of the stimulus. For this reason, CrossFit embraces short-, middle-, and long-distance metabolic conditioning, and low, moderate, and heavy load assignment. We encourage creative and continuously varied compositions that tax physiological functions against every realistically conceivable combination of stressors. This is the stuff of surviving fights and fires. Developing a fitness that is varied yet complete defines the very art of strength and conditioning coaching. This is not a comforting message in an age when scientific certainty and special- ization confer authority and expertise. Yet, the reality of performance enhance- Level 1 Training Guide | 12 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Foundations, continued ment cares not one wit for trend or authority. CrossFit’s success in elevating the performance of world-class athletes lies clearly in demanding of our athletes total and complete physical competence. No routine takes us there. NEUROENDOCRINE ADAPTATION “Neuroendocrine adaptation” is a change in the body that affects you either neu- rologically or hormonally. Most important adaptations to exercise are in part or completely a result of a hormonal or neurological shift. Research has shown which exercise protocols maximize neuroendocrine responses. Earlier we faulted isola- tion movements as being ineffectual. Now we can tell you that one of the critical elements missing from these movements is that they invoke essentially no neuro- endocrine response. Among the hormonal responses vital to athletic development are substantial increases in testosterone, insulin-like growth factor, and human growth hor- mone. Exercising with protocols known to elevate these hormones eerily mimics the hormonal changes sought in exogenous hormonal therapy (ste- roid use) with none of the deleterious effect. Exercise regimens that induce a high neuroendocrine response produce champions! Increased muscle mass and bone density are just two of many adaptive responses to exercises capable of pro- ducing a significant neuroendocrine response. It is impossible to overstate the importance of the neuroendocrine response to exercise protocols. Heavy load weight training, short rest between sets, high heart rates, high-in- tensity training, and short rest intervals, though not entirely distinct components, are all associated with a high neuroendo- crine response. POWER Power is defined as the “time rate of doing work.” It has often been said that in sport speed is king. At CrossFit “power” is the undisputed king of performance. Power is, in simplest terms, “hard and fast.” Jump- ing, punching, throwing, and sprinting are all measures of power. Increasing your ability to produce power is necessary and nearly sufficient to elite athleticism. Addi- tionally, power is the definition of intensi- ty, which in turn has been linked to nearly every positive aspect of fitness. Increases Level 1 Training Guide | 13 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved.  METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Foundations, continued in strength, performance, muscle mass, and bone den- sity all arise in proportion to The CrossFit concept the intensity of exercise. And can be viewed as again, intensity is defined as power. Power development ‘functional atomism’ is an ever-present aspect of in that we strive the CrossFit.com Workout of to reduce human the Day (WOD). performance to a CROSS TRAINING limited number of Cross training is typically de- movements that are fined as participating in mul- tiple sports. At CrossFit, we simple, irreducible, take a much broader view of indivisible functions. the term. We view cross train- Teaching an athlete ing as exceeding the normal to run, jump, throw, parameters of the regular demands of your sport or punch, squat, lunge, training. CrossFit recognizes push, pull, and functional, metabolic, and climb powerfully, modal cross training. That is, we regularly train past the normal motions, meta- bolic pathways, and modes or sports common to the athlete’s sport or exercise with mechanical regimen. We are unique and again distinctive to the extent that we adhere to and efficiency and program within this context. soundness across a broad range of If you remember CrossFit’s objective of providing a broad-based fitness that pro- vides maximal competency in all adaptive capacities, then cross training, or train- time-intensity ing outside of the athlete’s normal or regular demands, is a given. Long ago, we protocols with rapid noticed that athletes are weakest at the margins of their exposure for almost every recovery establishes measurable parameter. For instance, if you only cycle between 5 and 7 miles at each training effort you will test weak at less than 5 and greater than 7 miles. This a foundation that will is true for range of motion, load, rest, intensity, power, etc. CrossFit workouts are give unprecedented engineered to expand the margins of exposure as broad as function and capaci- advantage in ty will allow. learning new sports, FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENTS mastering existent There are movements that mimic motor recruitment patterns that are found in skills, and surviving everyday life. Others are somewhat unique to the gym. Squatting is standing from unforeseeable a seated position; deadlifting is picking any object off the ground. They are both functional movements. Leg extension and leg curl both have no equivalent in na- challenges.” ture and are in turn non-functional movements. The bulk of isolation movements are non-functional movements. By contrast the compound or multi-joint move- —COACH GLASSMAN ments are functional. Natural movement typically involves the movement of mul- tiple joints for every activity. Level 1 Training Guide | 14 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Foundations, continued Functional movements are mechanically sound and therefore safe, and they also elicit a high neuroendocrine response. CrossFit has managed a stable of elite athletes and dramatically enhanced their performance exclusively with functional movements. The superiority of training with functional movements is clearly apparent with any athlete within weeks of their incorporation. The soundness and efficacy of functional movements are so profound that exer- cising without them is by comparison a colossal waste of time. DIET The CrossFit dietary prescription is as follows: Protein should be lean and varied and account for about 30 percent of your total caloric load. Carbohydrates should be predominantly low-glycemic and account for about 40 percent of your total caloric load. Fat should be from whole food sources and account for about 30 percent of your total caloric load. Total calories should be based on protein needs, which should be set at between 0.7 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass (depending on your activity level). The 0.7 figure is for moderate daily workout loads, and the 1.0 figure is for the hardcore athlete. Level 1 Training Guide | 15 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide Foundations, continued WHAT SHOULD I EAT? In plain language, base your diet on garden vegetables (especially greens), meats, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. That is about as simple as we can get. Many have observed that keeping your grocery cart to the perimeter of the grocery store while avoiding the aisles is a great way to protect your health. Food is perishable. The stuff with long shelf life is all suspect. If you follow these simple guidelines, you will benefit from nearly all that can be achieved through nutrition. THE CAVEMAN OR PALEOLITHIC MODEL FOR NUTRITION Modern diets are ill suited for our genetic composition. Evolution has not kept pace with advances in agriculture and food processing, resulting in a plague of health problems for modern man. Coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporo- sis, obesity, and psychological dysfunction have all been scientifically linked to a diet too high in refined or processed carbohydrate. The caveman model is perfect- ly consistent with CrossFit’s prescription. WHAT FOODS SHOULD I AVOID? Excessive consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates is the primary culprit in nutritionally caused health problems. High-glycemic carbohydrates are those that raise blood sugar too rapidly. They include rice, bread, candy, potato, sweets, so- das, and most processed carbohydrates. Processing can include bleaching, bak- ing, grinding, and refining. Processing of carbohydrates greatly increases their glycemic index, a measure of their propensity to elevate blood sugar. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH HIGH-GLYCEMIC CARBOHYDRATES? The problem with high-glycemic carbohydrates is that in excess they give an inor- dinate insulin response. Insulin is an essential hormone for life, yet acute, chron- ic elevation of insulin leads to hyperinsulinism, which has been positively linked to obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, blood pressure, mood dysfunction, and a Pandora’s box of disease and disability. Research “hyperinsulinism.” CrossFit’s pre- scription is a low-glycemic diet (and relatively lower in total carbohydrate quantity) and consequently severely blunts the insulin response, yet still provides ample nutrition for rigorous activity. Level 1 Training Guide | 16 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide What Is Fitness? (Part 1), continued WHAT IS FITNESS? (PART 1) Originally published in October 2002. This article explains the supporting models and con- cepts for defining fitness, which was formally codified years after this publication. “What Is Fitness? (Part 2),” which follows, contains the definitions of fitness and health. WHAT IS FITNESS AND WHO IS FIT? In 1997, Outside Magazine crowned triathlete Mark Allen “the fittest man on Earth.” Let us just assume for a moment that this famous six-time winner of the Ironman Triathlon is the fittest of the fit, then what title do we bestow on the decathlete Simon Poelman, who also possesses incredible endurance and stamina, yet crushes Mr. Allen in any comparison that includes strength, power, speed, and coordination? Perhaps the definition of fitness does not include strength, speed, power, and co- ordination, though that seems rather odd. Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines “fitness” and being “fit” as the ability to transmit genes and being healthy. No help there. Searching the internet for a workable, reasonable definition of fitness yields disappointingly little. Worse yet, the National Strength and Conditioning As- sociation (NSCA), the most respected publisher in exercise physiology, in its highly authoritative “Essentials of Strength Training and Con- ditioning,” does not even attempt a definition. Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and CROSSFIT’S FITNESS seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no For CrossFit, the specter of championing a fitness pro- sugar. Keep intake to levels that will gram without clearly defining what it is that the pro- support exercise but not body fat. gram delivers combines elements of fraud and farce. The vacuum of guiding authority has therefore necessi- Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, tated that CrossFit provides its own definition of fitness. clean, squat, presses, C&J (clean and That is what this article is about: our “fitness.” jerk), and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, Our pondering, studying, debating about, and finally rope climbs, push-ups, sit-ups, presses defining fitness have played a formative role in Cross- to handstands, pirouettes, flips, splits, Fit’s successes. The keys to understanding the methods and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc. and achievements of CrossFit are perfectly embedded hard and fast. in our view of fitness and basic exercise science. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and It will come as no surprise to most of you that our view patterns as creativity will allow. Routine of fitness is a contrarian view. The general public both is the enemy. Keep workouts short in opinion and in media holds endurance athletes as ex- and intense. emplars of fitness. We do not. Our incredulity on learn- ing of Outside’s awarding a triathlete the title of “fittest Regularly learn and play new sports. man on Earth” becomes apparent in light of CrossFit’s models for assessing and defining fitness. Figure 1. World-Class Fitness in 100 Words. Level 1 Training Guide | 17 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide What Is Fitness? (Part 1), continued CrossFit makes use of four different models for evaluating and guiding fitness. Col- lectively, these four models provide the basis for CrossFit’s definition of fitness. The first is based on the 10 general physical skills widely recognized by exercise physiol- ogists; the second model is based on the per- formance of athletic tasks; the third is based If your goal is optimum physical competence, then on the energy systems that drive all human all the general physical skills must be considered: action; the fourth uses health markers as a measure of fitness. 1. Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance—The ability of body systems to gather, process, Each model is critical to CrossFit and each and deliver oxygen. has distinct utility in evaluating an athlete’s overall fitness or a strength and condition- 2. Stamina—The ability of body systems to ing regimen’s efficacy. Before explaining in process, deliver, store, and utilize energy. detail how each of these four models works, 3. Strength—The ability of a muscular unit, it warrants mention that we are not attempt- or combination of muscular units, to ing to demonstrate our program’s legitima- apply force. cy through scientific principles. We are but sharing the methods of a program whose 4. Flexibility—The ability to maximize the legitimacy has been established through range of motion at a given joint. the testimony of athletes, soldiers, cops, and others whose lives or livelihoods de- 5. Power—The ability of a muscular unit, or pend on fitness. combination of muscular units, to apply maximum force in minimum time. CROSSFIT’S FIRST FITNESS MODEL: THE 10 6. Speed—The ability to minimize the time GENERAL PHYSICAL SKILLS cycle of a repeated movement. There are 10 recognized general physical skills. They are cardiovascular/respiratory en- 7. Coordination—The ability to combine several durance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, distinct movement patterns into a singular speed, coordination, agility, balance, and ac- distinct movement. curacy. (See Figure 2. Ten General Physical Skills for definitions.) You are as fit as you are 8. Agility—The ability to minimize competent in each of these 10 skills. A regi- transition time from one movement men develops fitness to the extent that it im- pattern to another. proves each of these 10 skills. 9. Balance—The ability to control the placement of the body’s center of gravity in Importantly, improvements in endurance, relation to its support base. stamina, strength, and flexibility come about through training. Training refers to activity 10. Accuracy—The ability to control movement that improves performance through a mea- in a given direction or at a given intensity. surable organic change in the body. By con- trast improvements in coordination, agility, (Thanks to Jim Cawley and Bruce Evans of Dynamax) balance, and accuracy come about through practice. Practice refers to activity that im- Figure 2. Ten General Physical Skills. proves performance through changes in the nervous system. Power and speed are adap- tations of both training and practice. Level 1 Training Guide | 18 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide What Is Fitness? (Part 1), continued TABLE 1. SUMMARY OF THE THREE METABOLIC PATHWAYS Phosphagen Glycolytic Oxidative Short, Medium, Long, Time Domain ~10 seconds ~120 seconds >120 seconds Anaerobic vs. Anaerobic Anaerobic Aerobic Aerobic Maximum- Medium-high- Low-intensity Relative Power intensity efforts intensity efforts efforts Output (~100 percent) (70 percent) (40 percent) Other Names Phosphocreatine Lactate Aerobic Cytosol of Cytosol of all Mitochondria of Location muscle cells (i.e., sarcoplasm) cells cells Our emphasis on skill development Muscle Fiber Type IIb Type IIa Type I Type (General) is integral to our Glucose from charter of optimizing Pyruvate (from bloodstream, Phosphocreatine glycolysis), or work capacity.” muscle Substrate molecules in acetate (derived (glycogen), or muscles from fat —COACH GLASSMAN glycerol (derived or protein) from fat) Phosphate Pyruvate Glucose oxidized molecule from oxidized to to pyruvate ATP Mechanism phosphocreatine produce 34 ATP produces joins ADP to (fat, protein yield 2 ATP form ATP less) 100-meter dash Anything >120 Example Activ- 1-repetition- 400-meter sprint seconds of ities maximum Elite-level Fran sustained effort deadlift CROSSFIT’S SECOND FITNESS MODEL: THE HOPPER The essence of this model is the view that fitness is about performing well at any and every task imaginable. Picture a hopper loaded with an infinite number of physical challenges, where no selective mechanism is operative, and being asked to perform feats randomly drawn from the hopper. This model suggests that your fitness can be measured by your capacity to perform well at these tasks in relation to other individuals. The implication here is that fitness requires an ability to perform well at all tasks, even unfamiliar tasks and tasks combined in infinitely varying combinations. In prac- tice this encourages the athlete to disinvest in any set notions of sets, rest periods, reps, exercises, order of exercises, routines, periodization, etc. Nature frequently Level 1 Training Guide | 19 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide What Is Fitness? (Part 1), continued phosphocreatine phosphagen 100% Anaerobic vs. Aerobic Line POWER glycolytic lactate 70% oxidative/aerobic 40% TIME 00:10 01:00 02:00 Figure 3. Potential Power Output Versus Duration for the Three Metabolic Energy Pathways. provides largely unforeseeable challenges; train for that by striving to keep the train- ing stimulus broad and constantly varied. CROSSFIT’S THIRD FITNESS MODEL: THE METABOLIC PATHWAYS There are three metabolic pathways that provide the energy for all human action. These “metabolic engines” are known as the phosphagen (or phosphocreatine) pathway, the glycolytic (or lactate) pathway, and the oxidative (or aerobic) pathway (Table 1, Figure 3). The first, the phosphagen, dominates the highest-powered activ- ities, those that last less than about 10 seconds. The second pathway, the glycolytic, dominates moderate-powered activities, those that last up to several minutes. The third pathway, the oxidative, dominates low-powered activities, those that last in excess of several minutes. Total fitness, the fitness that CrossFit promotes and develops, requires competency and training in each of these three pathways or engines. Balancing the effects of these three pathways largely determines the how and why of the metabolic condi- tioning or “cardio” that we do at CrossFit. Favoring one or two to the exclusion of the others and not recognizing the impact of excessive training in the oxidative pathway are arguably the two most common faults in fitness training. More on that later. CROSSFIT’S FOURTH FITNESS MODEL: SICKNESS-WELLNESS-FITNESS CONTINUUM There is another aspect to CrossFit’s fitness that is of great interest and immense value to us. We have observed that nearly every measurable value of health can be Level 1 Training Guide | 20 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide What Is Fitness? (Part 1), continued “Wellness” Based on measurements of: - Blood Pressure - Body Fat - Bone Density - Triglycerides - HDL Cholesterol - Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) “Sickness” “Fitness” - Muscle Mass - Etc. Figure 4. The Sickness-Wellness-Fitness Continuum. placed on a continuum that ranges from sickness to wellness to fitness (Figure 4). Though tougher to measure, we would even add mental health to this observation. Depression is clearly mitigated by proper diet and exercise. For example, a blood pressure of 160/95 is pathological, 120/70 is normal or healthy, and 105/55 is consistent with an athlete’s blood pressure; a body fat of 40 percent is pathological, 20 percent is normal or healthy, and 10 percent is fit. We observe a similar ordering for bone density, triglycerides, muscle mass, flexibility, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good cholesterol,” resting heart rate, and dozens of other com- mon measures of health (Table 2). Many authorities (e.g., Mel Siff, the NSCA) make a clear distinction between health and fitness. Frequently they cite studies that sug- gest that the fit may not be health protected. A close look at the supporting evidence invariably reveals the studied group is endurance athletes and, we suspect, endur- ance athletes on a dangerous fad diet (high carbohydrate, low fat, low protein). Done right, fitness provides a great margin of protection against the ravages of time and disease. Where you find otherwise, examine the fitness protocol, espe- cially diet. Fitness is and should be “super-wellness.” Sickness, wellness, and fitness are measures of the same entity. A fitness regimen that does not support health is not CrossFit. COMMON GROUND The motivation for the four models is simply to ensure the broadest and most gen- eral fitness possible. Our first model evaluates our efforts against a full range of general physical adaptations; in the second the focus is on breadth and depth of performance; with the third the measure is time, power and consequently energy systems; and the fourth is on health markers. It should be fairly clear that the fitness that CrossFit advocates and develops is deliberately broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist. Level 1 Training Guide | 21 of 255 Copyright © 2020 CrossFit, LLC. All Rights Reserved. METHODOLOGY Level 1 Training Guide What Is Fitness? (Part 1), continued TABLE 2. REPRESENTATIVE SICKNESS-WELLNESS-FITNESS VALUES FOR SELECTED PARAMETERS Parameter Sickness Wellness Fitness >25 (male) ~18 (male) ~6 (male) Body Fat (percent) >32 ~20 ~12 (female) (female) (female) Blood Pressure (mm/Hg) >140/90 120/80 105/60 Resting Heart Rate (bpm) >100 70 50 Triglycerides (mg/dL) >200