WOD programming

hi guys,

I posted this question on 110228 WOD but only TANSTAAFL did replyied me. So I try to post it here as well.

I'm doing my best to read previous posts and analyze WOD, but still I can't figure out yesterday and today WOD:

LEG STRENGTH

HANDSTAND

what quality do they work? I mean, maximal strength, explosive strength, strength endurance, etc?

in what modality? kinetic, isometric, reactive, etc?

please, I'd like to keep improving my understanding, which has grown far quicker since I've joined this forum.

I can't speak for everyone else, but I speculate that the reason people have been slow to respond to this is that Coach distributes that information at his seminars and prefers that it not be freely distributed on the board.

You say that you're wanting to improve your understanding. What is motivating that? If it is just curiosity or for intellectual discussion, you probably will not find much help here. But if there's a specific problem or issue that you'd like to bring to the table, I encourage that you do so...perhaps someone can lend some assistance, that's been my experience.

JM

thanks Jman, that's very kind of you.

yea, that's even clearer now.

I've read few things in the past on complex training and I'd like to reinforce my understanding of it, there are so many gymnastic specific exercises in WOD's that I'm not clear on how far the GPP (General Physical Preparedness) concepts are expressed within his programming. I've always looked at complex training as an advanced form of power development, something potentially dangerous even to intermediate athlets like I used to be. I don't know, I don't feel 100% confident in starting WOD's without proper scaling, guidance, tailored programming and a true understanding of it, everyone is different, Given my age I have to err on the safe side with my pretty beaten up body.

There's only way one way to answer your concern, and unfortunately, it's not to provide you with more understanding. If you are worried about a lack of conditioning or your age, the recipe is as follows:

(1) Start slow. Instead of doing 3-4 rounds of the WOD, do 1 round of the WOD. Do that for a month, and then increase rounds slowly.

(2) Scale down. Each exercise falls into a category: horizontal push, inverted push (handstands), upright push (dips), vertical pulls, horizontal pulls, dynamic push, etc. Your goal is to identify the category of each exercise and scale down to the appropriate level. I recognize that it may be difficult because you don't know the appropriate level. So then start at the bottom, with your goal to be to pick an exercise that allows you to finish the appropriate number of prescribed repetitions.

This where you'll get lots of help from members of the board. If you can't do a L-Pullup, just do a pullup. If you can't do a pullup, do a negative pull-up or a jumping pullup. If you can't do the px'd number of those, you can just do a hang. If you guess a little too hard or too easy, it's not that big a deal. Just adjust next time.

Can't do planche pushups on the rings? Neither can I. Do a planche pushup on the ground. If you can't do that, do a pushup on the rings, or a pushup on the ground. Or a pushup on you knees. Or a pushup against the wall. Etc.

You don't need true understanding of the program. You need gradual, incremental experience. I suggest you pick a WOD from a week ago, see how others have scaled it, try it, erring on the conservative side, and then gradually increase to your level!

Good luck - J

jman, what can I say? thank you very much for taking the time to write such interested reply, it's very nice of you.

I will give it a try soon, my elbow seems improving and I should be able to start working intensively shortly.

Scaling progressions that are in the book it's pretty straight forward, exercise like embedded or dynamic wall run, senders and so on, unfortunately seems to me that becames something completely different when scaled.

As you say, probably, given the selfcoaching modality, the best way to go it's a simple trial and error.

JmanDetroit said:

You don't need true understanding of the program. You need gradual, incremental experience.

Very, very well said.