If you’re new around here, you may have heard words floating around like mesocycle, periodization, programming, and general physical preparedness. There are tons and tons of articles out there about all of the above, and we’ve written/shared some great articles about each as well. In fact, whenever you have some free time, I encourage you to read up on mesocycles here and programming and periodization here, here, or here.
At CFP, we tend to program in mesocycles, programming for 9 weeks at a time – testing a few measures (usually a weight lift or 2 and a metcon or 2), biasing our training towards those metrics, deloading, and retesting those same measures to look for increased performance. It tends to help keep people engaged and focused.
However, when we program in mesocycles, we must bias our programming toward those metrics, meaning other skills are getting less attention. Starting next week, we’re saying goodbye to mesocycles (for now at least) and we’ll begin several months of GPP training!
We haven’t really covered GPP, or general physical preparedness, on the blog. The definition of CrossFit is “constantly varied, functional movements performed at high intensity. [CrossFit] delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general and inclusive. Our speciality is not specializing.” The CrossFit Journal has a great GPP article here.
One definition of virtuosity is doing the common uncommonly well. You’ll often hear people say of top level CrossFit athletes that they are a “Jack of all trades, but master of none.” This is basically what CrossFit strives for – to be a well rounded athlete.
To know that if a bear was chasing you in the woods, you could out run it; that if you had to lift a heavy box onto a high shelf in your garage, you could do so without injury; or that you could go on a bike ride with your kids without being left in the dust.
With GPP programming, you can expect to gain strength, speed, stamina, cardio-respiratory endurance, balance, coordination, flexibility, power, accuracy and agility. We will train our anaerobic, glycolytic, and aerobic pathways.
In Tony Leyland’s article in the CrossFit Journal, he lays it out like this…
Sport calls for specialization. Meaning a marathoner couldn’t deadlift something heavy and a power lifter might have trouble running the length of a football field. But most of us don’t have a need for specialization. By all means, work on your weaknesses, work towards your goals. Know that bias isn’t inherently good or bad. But we’ll be looking more broad, general and inclusive in our programming in the days ahead!
As always, if you have questions, specific goals, etc, ask one of your coaches! We’re here to help! Happy training & here’s to a happy, healthier & more fit 2016!
