Barbell Training + Met-con

[JLascek]

Justin,

Once the novice stage has ended (you cannot add more weight each time you lift and have done more than 2 resets), would a viable intermediate approach be to keep the same occurrences of the lifts and alternate between 5x5 and determine a max with 5 reps or less?

Well, 5x5 and 1-5 RM for the presses and squats, maybe pullups too. for cleans 8x3 and 1-3 rm and 3x5 and 1-5 rm for the deadlift.

Jamie, are you essentially asking me that when they plateau on the strength portion of this, would I implement something like the Texas method?

If that is what you're asking me, then yes, that is what I have considered. I'm probably going to have to implement this fairly soon, so I'll let everyone now how it goes.

As for the second portion of your post, you don't increase the number of sets for the clean on the Texas method, so it wouldn't go to 8 sets. You also would NEVER do more than one work set of deadlifts, regardless of the program.

[JLascek]

Excellent article. I really like this program. Simple and logical. Will there be a version (possibly with an appropriate diet) on your "other" site for those of us looking to grow out our staches, sideburns, and willing to sport tall socks?
On a more serious note, how would you program for a more intermediate athlete that has milked their linear progression on, say, squats? How about some sample WODs for the metcons? Great stuff, thanks for posting it.

Hey Jacob. I won't be posting the CFWF Program on http://70sbig.com because it isn't conducive to being 70s Big. The novice linear progression and subsequent programs outlined in Practical Programming would be. But, I sure do like your enthusiasm.

I'd probably take them to something that resembles the Texas Method without the light day in the middle. I'll be experimenting with this soon, so I'll let you know how it goes.

[JLascek]

The program looks strangely similar to the 4-day split routine on page 190 of PP only put within Monday to Friday instead of Monday to Saturday.

CFWF: MON Squats Presses, TUE Pulls Metcon, THU Squats Presses, FRI Pulls Metcon.

PP 4-day split: MON Squats Presses, WED Pulls, FRI Squats Presses, SAT Pulls.

It's a nice program: as simple as it can be made, which is difficult to do.

Actually, your referenced program from PP wasn't my inspiration. It was the novice linear progression, since most of the people doing this are novices in strength (especially if all they've done is CrossFit).

The program is quite simple. However, programming the met-cons is a task, and I'll get into that soon, because people don't really do a good job of this.

[LaHabra]

I'm very interested in switching up from starting strength to this program because of the decrease in total time in the gym and inclusion of metcons to shut up some of my crossfit buddies. You mentioned that you were going to describe some ways to program useful metcons, what are they? I'm assuming you exclude pressing exercises and those that require too much pulling but I'm not qualified to trust my own assumptions.

I'm also interested to see what coach Rip thinks about this program. You miss 4 squat workouts and 2 deadlift,power clean,bench,press workouts per month but are increasing other areas of your fitness while still adding strength.

Would I be better served finishing up my novice progression outlined in BBT and switching up to something like this when I'm ready for the Texas Method type training? Or switch up to this immediately and finish my novice progression while also keeping up with my metcons.

Being completely ignorant was much easier than finding out I didn't know shit.

[josephjung]

Do you guys follow the crossfit standard warmups on this program?

[jgrube]

Great looking routine. I've been looking for a proven lifting routine that i can use during my basketball season.

[JLascek]

I'm very interested in switching up from starting strength to this program because of the decrease in total time in the gym and inclusion of metcons to shut up some of my crossfit buddies. You mentioned that you were going to describe some ways to program useful metcons, what are they? I'm assuming you exclude pressing exercises and those that require too much pulling but I'm not qualified to trust my own assumptions.

I'm also interested to see what coach Rip thinks about this program. You miss 4 squat workouts and 2 deadlift,power clean,bench,press workouts per month but are increasing other areas of your fitness while still adding strength.

Would I be better served finishing up my novice progression outlined in BBT and switching up to something like this when I'm ready for the Texas Method type training? Or switch up to this immediately and finish my novice progression while also keeping up with my metcons.

Being completely ignorant was much easier than finding out I didn't know shit.

1. I hope you really aren't just switching the program because your friends think you should.

2. Programming met-cons is a (near) future article.

3. Yes, you add strength, albeit slower.

4. Would I be better served finishing up my novice progression outlined in BBT and switching up to something like this when I'm ready for the Texas Method type training? Or switch up to this immediately and finish my novice progression while also keeping up with my metcons.

I can't answer this for you, mainly because you haven't shared any goals you might have. Only you can prevent forest fires.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

As for the second portion of your post, you don't increase the number of sets for the clean on the Texas method, so it wouldn't go to 8 sets. You also would NEVER do more than one work set of deadlifts, regardless of the program.

I would slightly disagree about the use of sets across for deadlifts regardless of the program. In the instance you guys are talking about where strength work is coupled with lots of metcon, then I would say that you are right. In almost all other programs including those of a novice or intermediate I would never program deadlifts for sets across either.

I do think however that sets across for an advanced trainee can be used for very short blocks of time in order to force the body to over reach so that a more pronounced supercompensation effect can occur down the line.

I will go so far as to say that once my DL got to about 455 lbs, the ONLY thing that got it moving was short blocks of training where deads were done for sets across. In fact, my biggest DLing gains ever, came after hitting the deadlift for 5x5 for 4 weeks. 14 days later I PR'd the lift at 500 lbs, up from 455. I only put about 25 lbs on my DL since then hitting a 525 pull back in January of this year after experiemtation with lots of other training methods that didn't work.

I am currently in the finishing stages of a program that had me DLing for 6 sets across for 4 weeks at the beginning of the training cycle. By my fourth week I was DLing 80% 1rm for 6 x 6. Just last week, I pulled a very very easy triple with 490 and feel like I am on track to break my old PR's by the end of this training cycle.

[msingh]

is this program appropriate for maintaining strength while reducing bodyfat?

[nisora33]

Justin, will this program help my erectile dysfunction? Also, my uncle lost his job about a month ago: will this program help him get his job back?

I'm thinking of adding sommersaults and pinkie toe curls to the squat days, but I'm worried that it might effect recovery. Thoughts?