Headquarters

As some of you may or may not know, Jonathan recently got a level 1 certification at Crossfit Camp Pendleton. The following is his first write up of the experience:

I recently attended the Level 1 Cert at Camp Pendleton. Here’s a brief review of the cert for those of you who have been toying with the notion of dropping $1,000 on two days of training. I will follow this short post up with a longer meditation on CF programming theory as it compares with the approach that Mark Twight is using at GymJones. Stay tuned.

Was it worth a thousand bucks? Yes – and here’s why:

Prior to the cert, CrossFit sends you a ton of pdf. files to read; they literally send you a link to every CF journal issue ever published online. If you do all of the assigned readings (if you’re like me, you’ll do far more reading than is assigned), you go into the cert with a fantastic background in CF theory, movement-mechanics, and philosophy.

The classroom sessions during the cert thoroughly reinforce, and expand upon, the online study materials. A two hour long Q&A with Coach Glassman gives you plenty of time to ask skeptical questions (e.g. “What about cardio?”; “Why don’t workouts incorporate the Turkish getup?”) and to probe the boundaries of CrossFit’s empirical fitness paradigm.

Coach Glassman is the egghead’s meathead. He speaks authoritatively, with the diction of one who is versed, not only in sports-medicine and kinesiology, but also in basic philosophy of science. He defends only those parts of his program that have been empirically verified as successful (you may or may not have realized that the CF message boards are part of an open-source, exercise-data bonanza that Coach has been using to test theories about the relationship between training stimulus and adaptive response). When presented with new ideas about programming, his reaction was almost always: “Try it, and let me know how it goes.” If it increases performance without negative externalities – do it. That is precisely how the current CF program has evolved – scientific, verificationist trial and error.

The physical training sessions provide an opportunity to practice every fundamental WOD movement under the expert supervision of some of the best CF athletes/trainers (for me, this included Adrian Bozman and Jenevive Jolie). These sessions allow you to perfect your own movement, and to try your hand at spotting and correcting errors in other people’s movements. You may think (as I once did) that your deadlift technique leaves nothing to be desired, but the experienced trainers can spot subtle mechanical errors that your gym-buddies simply don’t notice. You will receive valuable corrections and you will improve.

Finally, performing the daily workout with 50+ people grunting and cheering you on (and Rage Against the Machine playing in the background) is a memorable adrenaline rush.

With maximum respect,
-Forney

P.S. I tried this very simple, deadly workout the other day: 120 Burpee-Pull-Ups, for time. (The jump from the burpee should carry you into a kipping pull-up in one continuous motion). At 16:22, this was a grinding workout that I would highly recommend.

Stay tuned for more...