TRAINING BLOCK OVERVIEW

This training block is the first of our three blocks leading up all the way to the 2022 CrossFit Games Open (starting on 24th Feb 2022). As a slight change from our usual 12-week format, this one will be 8-weeks long (split into smaller 4-week cycles as usual) and the next two blocks will be 7-weeks each:

8-weeks: Open base block (Starts September 20th 2021)
7-weeks: Open build block (Starts November 15th 2021)
7-weeks: Open “training camp” (Start January 3rd 2022)

Even if you’re not planning on competing in the Open, these three training blocks give you a logical progression to help level up your performance for the upcoming season.

As always, you can choose your focus for each block based on your needs:

Engine

If you’re looking to improve your work capacity/recovery ability and build a bigger engine before the Open (improve your monostructural and sport-specific conditioning) then this is the best choice for you. You will do enough strength and skill work to be ready for competitions/qualifiers but if you have a major event coming up within the next 8-weeks, you might want to choose the SPP stream instead (for more competition style workout practice).

Strength

If you’re looking to get significantly stronger before the Open (improve your squats, deadlift, upper body strength and weightlifting numbers) then this is the best choice for you. You will do enough conditioning to be ready for smaller competitions/qualifiers but if you have a major event coming up within the next 8-weeks, you might want to choose the SPP stream instead.

SPP (Sport-Specific Physical Preparation)

If you’re getting ready for a competition in the next 8-weeks, SPP plan is the best choice for you. It is also a good choice if you simply enjoy more varied training and doing competition style workouts more often. Note that training on Engine and SPP streams is very similar with the main difference being the types of conditioning sessions.

The main priority for this stream is building you a bigger, more efficient engine.

The next 8-weeks are focused on developing foundations and much of the conditioning will be done on machines/running. This helps keep the priority on excellent execution/proper intensity on the different intervals in the plan.

You’ll do five (5) conditioning sessions each week (3 intervals, 1 low intensity, 1 competition workout). Mondays will be run/row intervals, Tuesdays longer sports specific intervals, Thursdays short high intensity intervals on machines, Fridays longer aerobic base conditioning and Saturdays are for competition workouts. Make the interval sessions your main priority each week (make sure you show up ready to work).

The Friday skill sessions are focused on gymnastics and barbell cycling to not only build your capacity but most importantly in this stage, to get enough repetitions in for effective practice to improve your mechanics. We’ll also touch on movement challenges outside the typical stuff (such as tumbling etc.) and work on gymnastics holds (handstand, L-sit etc.).

Strength work in this block is focused on developing your weightlifting. You’ll build on the strength gains from the previous block by refining your weightlifting technique and building to heavier lifts weekly (Saturday’s). Our main technique focus on these 4-weeks is improving your positions on both the snatch and the clean and jerk. This includes assistance exercises such as Pendlay row to build a stronger upper back as well as weightlifting complexes and drills. We will also continue to squat 2x/wk and deadlift in our usual Tuesday slot.

Overall these next 8-weeks will help you lay a solid conditioning foundation for the upcoming training blocks and the 2022 Open.

What will the training look like?

Monday
​Run/Row intervals (most weeks you’ll choose one or the other, with some weeks having mixed intervals). Most of these sessions are at progressively faster paces = controlled efforts that’ll develop your pacing.

Snatch session with a primer and main lift complex. Paused back squats and assistance work will be variations of sled drag/GH raise/carry circuit.

Tuesday
​Long sports specific intervals. One of the main conditioning pieces of the week, push yourself.

Push press linear progression, jerk dip assistance drills and deadlifts (alternating weeks heavier/more sets). Strict dips and Chin ups for upper body push/pull.

Wednesday
​Active recovery / Rest day

Thursday
​Short high intensity intervals with 2:1 work:rest ratios. These will be challenging sets so come prepared to put in the work.

Alternating weeks of full clean & jerk and power clean + hang clean complex, followed by behind the neck jerks w/ pause to break the movement down a bit more. Our classic (read HARD) front squat + back squat complex. Midline circuit to finish.

Friday
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A longer, low intensity aerobic base conditioning session.

Weekly skill session focused on barbell cycling, gymnastics capacity and movement fundamentals.

Saturday
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Heavy lift of the week (Clean and jerk, Snatch, Clean). Floating snatch pulls to build strength/positions off the floor. Assistance circuit to finish.

Competition workout of the week in the 2nd session.

Sunday
​Rest day

The main focus of this stream is to improve your capacity in competition workouts and prepare for upcoming events. It has a more varied structure than the strength and engine streams.

The next 8-weeks look very similar to the engine stream with the focus on developing a solid base but with more competition style workouts.

You’ll do 4 – 5 conditioning sessions each week (2 intervals, 2 competition workouts and an optional lower intensity aerobic base session) spread evenly across the week. While the competition style workouts are fun and important, make the interval sessions your main priority each week (make sure you show up ready to work).

The Friday skill sessions are focused on gymnastics and barbell cycling to not only build your capacity but most importantly in this stage, to get enough repetitions in for effective practice to improve your mechanics. We’ll also touch on movement challenges outside the typical stuff (such as tumbling etc.) and work on gymnastics holds (handstand, L-sit etc.).

Strength work in this block is focused on developing your weightlifting. You’ll build on the strength gains from the previous block by refining your weightlifting technique and building to heavier lifts weekly (Saturday’s). Our main technique focus on these 4-weeks is improving your positions on both the snatch and the clean and jerk. This includes assistance exercises such as Pendlay row to build a stronger upper back as well as weightlifting complexes and drills. We will also continue to squat 2x/wk and deadlift in our usual Tuesday slot.

Overall these next 8-weeks will help you lay a solid foundation for the upcoming training blocks, prep for upcoming competitions and the 2022 Open.

What will the training look like?

Monday
​Run/Row intervals (most weeks you’ll choose one or the other, with some weeks having mixed intervals). Most of these sessions are at progressively faster paces = controlled efforts that’ll develop your pacing.

Snatch session with a primer and main lift complex. Paused back squats and assistance work will be variations of sled drag/GH raise/carry circuit.

Tuesday
​First competition workout of the week.

Push press linear progression, jerk dip assistance drills and deadlifts (alternating weeks heavier/more sets). Strict dips and Chin ups for upper body push/pull.

Wednesday
​Active recovery / Rest day

Thursday
​Long sports specific intervals. One of the main conditioning pieces of the week, push yourself.

Alternating weeks of full clean & jerk and power clean + hang clean complex, followed by behind the neck jerks w/ pause to break the movement down a bit more. Our classic (read HARD) front squat + back squat complex. Midline circuit to finish.

Friday
​A longer, optional, low intensity aerobic base conditioning session.

Weekly skill session focused on barbell cycling, gymnastics capacity and movement fundamentals.

Saturday
​Heavy lift of the week (Clean and jerk, Snatch, Clean). Floating snatch pulls to build strength/positions off the floor. Assistance circuit to finish.

The second competition workout of the week in the 2nd session.

Sunday
​Rest day

The main priority for this stream is long-term strength development.

The next 8-weeks are focused on developing your weightlifting. You’ll build on the strength gains from the previous block by refining your weightlifting technique and building to heavier lifts weekly (Saturday’s). Our main technique focus on these 4-weeks is improving your positions on both the snatch and the clean and jerk. This includes assistance exercises such as Pendlay row to build a stronger upper back as well as weightlifting complexes and drills.

While the squats are not the main priority in this block, you’ll have a progression of 2x/wk sessions. We will also continue to deadlift in our usual Tuesday slot.

The skill sessions are focused on gymnastics and barbell cycling to not only build your capacity but most importantly in this stage, to get enough repetitions in for effective practice to improve your mechanics. We’ll also touch on movement challenges outside the typical stuff (such as tumbling etc.) and work on gymnastics holds (handstand, L-sit etc.).

You’ll have an option of doing up to four (4) conditioning sessions each week (2 intervals, 1 low intensity, 1 competition workout). We suggest you do at least one on 1st half of the week (Tuesday intervals) and one on the 2nd half of the week (Thursday intervals or Saturday competition workout). Only add more sessions if you can still recover well for the lifting and are making progress.

What will the training look like?

Monday
​Snatch primer with main focus on 3rd pull (getting under the bar) positions and transition. The main snatch will be a hang or segment snatch complex with a paused snatch to further reinforce those same mechanics and solid positions through the lift.

After building to a heavy triple back squat on the 1st week, you’ll get to work on paused back squats for more positional strength and explosive drive from the bottom. Assistance work will be variations of sled drag/GH raise/carry circuit.

The skill session is focused on barbell cycling, gymnastics capacity and movement fundamentals.

Tuesday
​Push press linear progression, jerk dip assistance drills and deadlifts (alternating weeks heavier/more sets). Strict dips and Meadows row (single arm landmine row) for upper body push/pull.

Short, 2:1 work:rest ratio high intensity intervals in the 2nd session.

Wednesday
​Active recovery / Rest day

Thursday
​Alternating weeks of full clean & jerk and power clean + hang clean complex, followed by behind the neck jerks w/ pause to break the movement down a bit more. Our classic (read HARD) front squat + back squat complex. Midline circuit to finish.

Optional, longer sports specific intervals in the 2nd session.

Friday
​Floor press (improve lockout strength/save shoulders with weightlifting volume) and Pendlay rows (strengthen upper back specific to snatch/clean. Banded DB bench press and heavier chin ups for upper body push/pull strength. Body building circuit for gainz.

Optional, longer aerobic base conditioning in the 2nd session.

Saturday
​Heavy lift of the week (Clean and jerk, Snatch, Clean). Floating snatch pulls to build strength/positions off the floor. Back rack walking lunges to support the squat progression and an assistance circuit to finish.

Competition workout of the week in the 2nd session.

Sunday
​Rest day