Programming Corner: Fitness Phase
Writeup provided by DekaComp
COMPETITION READY
Duration: 14 Weeks
Includes Prep for the CrossFit Games Open & Quarter Finals
Welcome to the Deka Comp Fitness Training Phase, a phase where we will build off of our Base Strength, Weightlifting, Gymnastics, & Power Endurance Phases with a focus on blending everything we’ve done this past year with progressively natured, functional movement, executed at varied intensities. This cycle is where you will notice the least amount of distinction between sections.
At the core of this phase is the CrossFit method with a competition bias. We will specialize in being as broad and competent as possible across the 10 physical skills and the components that represent them. In the power endurance phase, we merged a lot of fitness components but maintained a training separation (for the most part) in the three major areas of: Intensity, Volume, and Speed. Now we focus on blending everything but in a gradual manner. Since we spent a long time building a strong and capable foundation by separating the components of fitness, then increasing the ceiling of your work capacity via the power endurance phase, we can now transition nicely into the broader focused fitness phase. We will work towards increasing our ability to maintain efforts over broad time and modal domains. Essentially we are improving the sustaining of rep cycle speed and duration.
Progression
This is an intensity progression from a load and metabolic standpoint. So overall you will notice a linear progression in the weightlifting reps and percentages week to week but you will also notice that we will ask you to increase your metabolic intensity week to week systematically. To do this we will begin the phase with 80% of the weekly training session as high volume / 20 % of the sessions as low intensity sessions, we will gradually focus on reducing the volume and increasing the overall intensity to a 50/50 weekly split during the open. We do this in order to prepare specifically for the Quarter finals. Before the Quarter Finals we will have the final week of the Open dedicated to completing 23.3 on the Friday, followed by a Mock QF’s week-end on that same week-end. We will use 23.3 as one of the training pieces for this week-end. You will then enter the two week taper period, which will feel like a deload and a prep, in order to allow for the maximum supercompensation of the year to occur for you. It’s important to note that all athletes are different and respond to different tapering methods differently. That said, this will be a general taper in order to allow for the benefit of the majority.
Testing
Our testing will be unlike the rest of the year, due to the nature of this phase. We will use actual CrossFit competition tests, rather than testing for specific physical skills and they will appear in a different format than we normally use. We generally book end the phase with a week of testing, the fitness phase includes multiple cycles within the phase and we will simply conclude each cycle with one test based on the cycle focus. (see ‘cycle focus’ below)
CYCLE FOCUS OVERVIEW
General
Week 1-4: 80/20: Chipper Focus
Week 5-8: 60/40: Triplet Focus
Quarter Finals Preparation
Week 1-4 50/50: Couplet- Weekly Open Focus + Mock QF
Week 5: Taper week
Week 6: Taper Week + QF
Specific Goals and Focus Breakdown
*Keep in mind these are biases and focuses not periodization excluding the squat and bench press cycles.
Weightlifting: Increase max output work capacity
Snatch & Clean & Jerk: High percentage lifts under fatigue paired with low percentage cycling
Strength:
Squats: Progressive overload back squat cycle
Pressing: Progressive overload bench press cycle
Pulling off the ground: Weightlifting will be very demanding so we will reduce the frequency of heavy loads here but will maintain this integrity via metcons and accessories.
Accessory: Post Chain + Core focus on strength and stability
Gymnastics: Increase work capacity and stamina
High skill movements under fatigue paired with low skill, high rep cycling
Metcon: Progressive over intensity
Chippers: 80/20 - Volume/Intensity format
Triplets: 60/40 - Volume/Intensity format
Couplets: 50/50 - Volume/Intensity format
Open Weakness: 1x/week In order to specifically hone in on your weakness.
EMOM 10
Amrap 30 sec
Choose a weak movement. This movement must be light (below 50% of your max rep if it's a barbell).
Movement Conditioning: 1-2x/week in order to specifically address regular occurrences in online competition.
Accessories: Free Volume and maintenance
Posterior chain 3x/week
Core 2x/week
Shoulder Health 1x/week
Upper back 1x/week