Power is King

     Hey folks. Frosh back again, rambling back to my roots. That's right, no video today. Generally, I record my video rambles the day before. However, the day before I was dog sick. I believe it the crap diet, and even worse sleep schedule is catching up to me. I mean literally, my work shift changes EVERY DAY! Ok, enough complaining. I will adapt and overcome. It's kinda like working up to an Rx Fran... it takes a while.

     So, today's ramble is a discussion on power. This is one of CrossFit's 10 General Physical Skills. Again, this is not the general focus of CF, we need to be good at everything. However, there are programs out there with more of a Strength and Power bias. Say hello to CrossFit Football!

     CrossFit Football was a CF type strength/power biased program started by Pro Football player, and CF enthuesiest, John Wellbourn (ever seen Every Second Counts?). I've dabbled in some of these WODs, and they sure are fun!

     Now, CFFB still has the CrossFit element of constantly varied, functional movemnts at high intensity... well, maybe a little less varied than your average CF WOD. CFFB is comprised of a SWOD (Strength WOD) and a DWOD (Daily WOD). So let me break these down a little bit.

     The SWOD is usually run on a 2 on 2 off rotation. However, searching the site, you may find some 1 on 1 off rotation (which looks like it corresponds to the DWOD). The SWOD can range from Max attemps (ranging from 1RM to 5RM), Dynamic effort (ex: 12 x 2 @ 75% w/ 45 sec rest), same weight across multiple sets (like 5 sets of 3 rep Deadlift all w/ 315 lbs), or even max sets of weighted and unweighted pullups. Generally the exercises are Powerlifting movements (ie squat, deadlift, bench press) but also include all the overhead lifts, power clean, power snatch, and even some extra work on the GHD. The SWOD, of course, has no time limit (beside the dynamic effort). So this is unlike CrossFit Mainsite, where stength work pops up once in a while and is the entire WOD for the day. One last interesting aspect is the choice of SWOD.You have the amateur, collegiate and professional level. These correspond to your relative strength levels, and how long you have been using the program... so make your own choice on this one, or just consult the FAQ.

     The DWOD is run on a set schedule of 3 on 1 off 2 on 1 off. Most of the WODs are quick and heavy, obviously geared toward high power outputs. Of course, everything is scalable... cause I'm not about to do a 225 lb Push Press. Again, the DWOD is your metcon portion of the CFFB program... so get ready to put it into high gear, and be ready for going fast, hard... and no cuddling after.

     So there you have it folks, the CrossFit Football program in a nutshell. And if you're looking for a way to up your power output and strength numbers... this is the way to do it. This is something I'd really like to focus on back home. However, quite frankly, I don't have the equipment or space to accomplish it. But you should definitely give this a look, and maybe even a try. So get strong, be powerful... and do burpees!


"Training for a fight by running twenty minutes everyday makes perfect sense if you plan on running away from your opponent and know you will be getting a ten minute headstart."
     - Greg Glassman (CrossFit Founder/CEO)

3,2,1 GO!
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Day 57 Burpee Challenge / 1653 Burpees Total