Crossfit for the strong

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Mark,
I use alot of Crossfit training principles and WODs as part of my own training and those that I train, but I have never exclusively used just CF to train anyone or myself....by exclusively I mean doing the WODs as RX'd on the mainpage with nothing else added or taken away. I am a fairly strong guy with a background in Powerlifting. I don't compete that much anymore but I still train basically the same as when I did.

Basically, I am getting tired of my body hurting all the time as I get older, from the pounding of heavy weights and I am contemplating calling it quits on the pure strength training mode of training that I have been doing for many years. I know I would enjoy doing the CF WODs as they are RX'd on the board, but I guess I am having a hard time mentally dealing with the fact that I know my lifts may drop significantly. Its not an ego thing, just that I put in alot of work to get to where I am now, and I actually feel I have some room left in me for even bigger totals.

My question is this: Do you have any experience with strong guys like me swtiching to a pure CF routine (i.e. following the website WODs)...what types of drop off in strength might they see in their squat and deadlift and bench if any? Are there alot of guys out there that are able to maintain their strength even with the drop in frequency? If it helps, I hit my PR's at a bodyweight of 215: Squat - 455, Bench - 375, Deadlift - 515. All lifts are Raw/unequipped. sorry for the pyschology session.

Thanks

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have a lot of experience with it, because that's what I did. First, you have to be ready to let go of your PRs, but it sounds like you're there. Accumulated injuries do tend to beat a guy down after years of training heavy all the time, and although we tend to judge our self-worth by our squat numbers, the lack of sleep because tylenol/advil/aspirin doesn't work anymore may soften your resolve. You'll know when you're ready. Some guys can successfully lift heavy into their 60s; they have better genetics than I do.

The good news is that you won't lose it all. I did straight CrossFit for a year and PRed my press, probably due to all the chins that had addressed an ignored area or two. You'll squat, deadlift, press, and bench enough to keep your lifts within shooting distance anyway. And you'll have fun with your training again, learning new stuff and meeting a bunch of good, enthusiastic people.

The bad news is that you'll be pretty sore lots of the time in a different way. Old powerlifter sore is joint sore, old CrossFitter sore is muscle belly sore in a rather extreme way that you'll just have to experience to believe. But if you can eat enough and rest enough to get recovered, you're physique will be quite a bit better than it's been in a while, assuming that means anything to you at all.

Give it a try for several months. You'll enjoy the experience. I have.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Thanks Mark,

I guess that kinda makes the transition a little easier. I think my body and my mind are telling me that its time to move on to something new. But its kinda like what Dave Tate said recently...even though he's retired from lifting, he still hasn't made the mental transition from training to "working out." I guess another thing that is getting harder is the fact that once you get to a certain point and your programming becomes more advanced and detailed it makes missing workouts more detrimental to your programming. I basically run pretty intense accumulation/intensification cycles so missed workouts during those times kinda screw the whole cycle up.....problem is that now my life revolves around running my business and raising a kid so I don't always have time for the 90-120 minute workout on the scheduled day (it takes me about 20 minutes to warm up now before I can comfortably lift anything of note).

Anyways, I know you have lots of mail to read, but I just paid my affiliation dues and will be attending the CF Level One Cert in Alvin TX on May 3-4. Do you come to those or do you just do the Barbell Certs? Sorry I missed the CF Total meet in Houston the other day....I had said I would be there but I wound up having to train some of my clients that morning. Hope to see you around...thanks for your advice.

[Tiburon]

That's a great answer Coach.

If one were to alternate between Crossfit-only and StartingStrength-only, what would be a good cycle to do this?

I ask because, living in New England, strength training lends itself to winter (staying indoors, eating a lot, bulking up, sleeping more, etc) and Crossfit lends itself to the warmer months (exercising outside, traveling, getting beach muscles [ha], etc). Would you have any suggestions for a "meso-cycle" (can't remember exact word) that is 6 months strength and 6 months crossfit?

ps - Looking forward to meeting you at the Boston cert!

[Mark Rippetoe]

KSC: I was about to berate you for missing the CFT in Houston, but I am just too fundamentally polite. I am in sympathy with your warmup situation. Takes me about 30 minutes to get ready to scratch my butt these days. I don't usually go to the Level 1 certs, just our BB certs. Let me know what you think when you get back.

Tiburon: If I were going to alternate between the two, I'd probably use a 3-month interval. Any shorter on either would be not enough time to make much progress after getting back that particular set of conditioning, and any longer would be making at least me approach staleness.