Walking turns into jogging. A tricycle becomes a bicycle. A ring row becomes a muscle up…maybe 😉 The natural order & progression of many activities is fairly commonplace & linear. But what happens when you implement a training program that takes CrossFit, a constantly varied plan performed at high intensity, & turn it into an aerobically based activity? Where is the progression in that? Let us explain.
The first step is to slow down.
A good way to do this is with a 30 minute baseline bike test. During that time we strive to keep your heart-rate down & aerobic. We measure the calories you burn & how many r.p.m’s you ride at. This establishes a recoverable pace you can then implement in training sessions. Months later, with practice you’ll be able to bike at a faster rate, keep your heart-rate lower & burn more calories with less stress. You could & should implement this new rpm into your daily training. CrossFit’s idea of test & re-test still stands, albeit aerobically in this case.
The second step, like all good CF plans, is to go light & work on your technique.
This not only keeps our heart-rate down but also encourages full range of motion. When our bodies are able to do this seamlessly we’ll add more weight & keep the hr down while doing so. A great training piece we often do is this:
4 Sets Of:
15 x 1 Power Clean & Jerk on :30
2:00 Rest After Round 15
Increase the load per set of 15
Keep HR under 80%
Volume? Certainly. Working on technique & strength? Certainly. And again, test this set piece months down the road & see how you do. Are your weights up? Is your hr the same or down? What does your coach say about your technique? Test & re-test.
Aside from weight you can work on aerobic progressions with double unders. We recently went through this progression at CFJ. Take a look:
Workout 1
2 Sets of 10 Rounds
100 Walk/Jog
10 High Slow Singles
10 Heavy KB Swings
HR: Yellow
Workout 2
5 Rounds Of:
500 Row
2 x 15 Double Unders/High Slow Single with :15 Rest Between
400 Walk/Jog
2:00 Rest
Workout 3
20:00 AMRAP
15 Aerobic Air Squats
20 Double Unders Unbroken
5 Cal Bike Easy To Recover
Now, this is a pretty quick progression & can take much longer to work on this skill aerobically, but the point remains. There is a method to the madness. If executed with purpose & the intent to be aerobic it can work.
