New cycle begins Monday
As we progress into the next cycle, I want to take a minute to give everyone an idea of what to expect in the next 9 weeks. During the last cycle, our focus was on developing strength in the squat, deadlift, and push press, as well as honing our skill in the clean. We saw an incredible number of PRs in all four lifts, and now, over the next 9 weeks, we’ll take the strength and power we’ve developed and channel it into higher-skill movements.
Mondays will still be back squat (of course), and we will also be front squatting on Fridays, following a modified Hatch squat cycle. The cycle was developed by Olympic lifting coach Gayle Hatch and will have you squatting twice a week at varying rep schemes and percentages. The program starts with higher volume at lower percentages, and gradually increases to lower volume at heavier weights. It’s a high-volume, high-intensity cycle, so make sure to maximize recovery (i.e. EAT and SLEEP).
On Thursdays, we’ll take what we learned about power transfer from our legs in the push press and put it to use in a more complex lift: the split jerk or the push jerk. Learning to jerk properly will allow us to not only put more weight overhead, but to cycle reps more quickly and move more efficiently in a conditioning workout. We’ll utilize a number of different rep schemes and techniques, including split presses and pause jerks.
Finally, on Wednesdays we snatch. No matter what your level of experience, we’ll be building the snatch from the top down, progressing to a different position each week. Starting with the high-hang, the goal is to learn and understand each pull (third, second, and first) before connecting them and pulling from the floor. You will ideally be adding weight each week, as long as the mechanics are sound.
Conditioning will continue to be constantly varied, challenging, and fun. Remember, everything in CrossFit is scalable (movement, reps, rounds, weight), so leave your ego at the door. Rx isn’t everything. We’re here to get strong, have fun, and maybe learn a few things along the way. Trust the process. Happy lifting!
— Coach Jenna
2016 06 09