Strength
Box squat
10 x 2 @ 55% 1 RM
WOD
Snatch 1 rep on the minute for 15 minutes. You pick the load, make it one that challenges you while still allows for good form.
Nick with a big front squat: knees are out, elbow are high, midline is upright and engaged!
You'll notice that we're back to the Westside method of strength training as part of our daily WODs. Max effort days for both upper and lower body coupled with dynamic effort days for upper and lower body. Why are we doing this again?
If you remember we tested you guys with the powerlift total (squat, bench, and deadlift) prior to starting 8 weeks of Westside method strength work. We gave you a week off of strength work and tested the total again. You know by now we record everything: reps, loads, times, benchmark WODs, lifts. We do this because we have to be able to show you that you're getting faster, stronger, and fitter. If we can't do this, we're not doing our job. It also helps us evaluate our programming. So back to the question, why are we following the Westside method again?
Here are the results of the 8 week strength focus:
75% increased their 1RM back squat (70# increase was the largest jump)
83% increased their 1RM bench press (50# increase was the largest jump)
81% increased their 1RM dead lift (3 people had 70# increases)
85% increased their overall total (one was a 150# increase, two 110#, one 100#)
Damn! Some folks only made it to the first total, or the final total, so we didn't use their numbers. Another point to mention is that when people are in their first year of consistent strength training, large jumps are not uncommon. The largest increases we saw crossed all levels of experience. Some are within that first year, some were veteran folks who have been at Evolve for a while, and prior to that had experience lifting. The PRs came for almost everyone.
Overall, we were really happy with how things went, and judging from the data and the PR board, you guys should be happy too! We'll continue following this strength component to keep getting stronger. Have fun with it and remember to go hard during those strength sessions so you get all you can out of them!
