Training for Infantry Officer School and Crossfit Cert

[cav8705]

My goal for Gymnastic Strength Training™ is to have the necessary strength to do all crossfit WODs as prescribed. I am just now starting to do crossfit WODs regularly, because I am trying to get ready for Infantry Officer School in June and I am attending a Crossfit Level 1 certification in mid-February. I eventually wish to be able to utilize the more difficult fundamental bodyweight exercises that Coach Sommer’s has in his book (which I have bought, one of the best books on fitness around, right up there with Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength), but as of now, developing the work capacity required for intense crossfit benchmark WODs is my primary goal. Thus I need a way to train gymnastics strength in minimal time and without causing much fatigue. My idea is to just do Static Strength Training with a couple bodyweight exercise additions. The exercises would be the following:

-Back Lever progressions which would aid in my ability to do a straight leg front lever, planche progressions, curl variations and all other pulling variations.

-Front Lever progressions which would improve pull-ups (and muscle-ups because of the pull-up portion of it), L-sit holds (and hanging leg lifts based on their connection), Front Lever Rows, and Curls.

-Planche progressions which would improve Ring Dips, high-rep Push-ups, Straddle Planche Push-ups, the dip portion of Muscle-ups, and somewhat handstands and handstand push-ups

-Single Leg Squat progressions which would improve Back and Front Squat loads, strength for Olympic lifts, high-rep pistols and Air Squats for WODs

-Handstand Push-up progressions to work up to handstand push-ups for WODs

The Back Lever seems to be the most important because it would help with the Front Lever and Planche progressions, but I think it would be beneficial to work all 3 holds at once. I believe Core Static holds (L-sit, Straddle L, and Manna) could be minimized because the other three holds should improve them somewhat. Single Leg Squat progressions will need to be worked on their own, possibly in grease the groove fashion. Finally, Handstand Push-up progressions would need to be worked on their own as well because all of the other holds would only aid in handstands, not develop my balance to hold a freestanding handstand (which I am unable to do as of now).

My plan is to do crossfit WODs 3 days on, 1 day off, scaling them down so I have the ability to do them. I also chose just 6 benchmark WODs which I will cycle through. I chose them because they are short and I have the equipment available to do them. The WODs are Fran, Claudia, Jackie, Helen, Karen, and Lucy.

I am assuming that training with the Static Holds (simple) method under the Program Design chapter, on page 171 in Coach Sommer’s book, would be the easiest way to do this. Today I used the method to train Tuck Back Levers and did 8 sets of 8 sec holds which took only 7:30 minutes. My question is how do incorporate the Back Lever, Front Lever, Planche, Single Leg Squat, and Handstand Push-up progressions without overtraining.

My diet has been pretty good as of late, since I am adhering to the Zone. The only other activity I have is the old fashioned and antiquated Army PT Mon-Wed-Fri (push-ups, sit-ups, and run) which I must go to and participate in. Other than that I am going to start ruck marching soon 1-2 days per week. I know I am trying to a lot, but please give ideas on how to incorporate all of this into a program, or tell me if you think this is too ambitious. I appreciate anyone and everyone’s input.

[Blairbob]

Watch your energy levels if you intend to do you a 3-1 CF WOD + SST. Zone may not give you enough energy and you may have to up your fat blocks to increase calories. It depends on how much gymnastics you are doing. If it's just the SST, you can probably get on by since it could almost be considered skill work. If doing them together, do the static strength before the WOD's as you may not have enough glycogen stores replenished before tackling them on depending on how much time has past.

Developing a wall HS for time is more important than HSPU progressions. Well, at least just the head to ground CF variety. Handstand to headstand is a lot easier when called a HSPU, CF style-elbows and arms wide and splayed out than doing other HSPU progressions correctly.

During the wall HS, I am training the 3 gymnasts I have to bounce to hit free HS as long as possible before coming back to the wall rather than just staying on the wall as they can do just that for a reasonable amount of time. Once form is good with the base wall HS, I want them to get the sensation of the free HS from wall, besides their free HS being poor in general. It will still take some time for them to be able to kick up to HS and be in the right spot to hold it.

A HeS to HSPU only requires about 60% of the ROM of a full ROM parallette HSPU or what Tuck calls the ExtremeROM ( to basically shoulderstand ). They are nothing even to doing compared to doing a parallette HSPU to ear level. 2 or 3 to 1. For CF Wod's, training them to become a work capacity exercise is more of the goal. I cannot say I'm thoroughly impressed by lots of HSPU to just headstand off a wall. Maybe when my boys do them or lower levels but not anything past that.