WOD - 2/5

November 25, 2007 by jleeger.

Today’s workout is a goal-setting workout.  Let’s start getting more specific about structuring a good on-going program for yourself.  If you’ve done the self-test and found weak points in any of the movements, you want to prioritize those movements in your workouts - i.e., do those movements first, when you have the most energy.

Pick two opposing movements that you really want to focus on developing, and write them down.

For most people, the most important priority is lower back/abs.  Doing the stabilization exercises first (Cat/Dog Stretch, 4-Point TVA with Reach, Child Pose + Crunch Hold) won’t detract from your core stability during your workout, and will help to make sure you have enough time and energy to get those done every day.  So write the core stabilization routine of your choice above your two movements.

The next thing to consider is recovery.  For most major muscle groups, allow 48-72 hours for complete recovery from a workout session, depending on the intensity.  You can pile less-intense workouts on top of each other, day after day, but at some point you’ll need a full day or two of rest.  If you do a really intense, focused workout on one muscle group, don’t work on that group for at least one day, but probably two.

It’s a fine line between recovery and loss of  skills/strength, so listen to your body.  It knows when you’re ready to continue.

Most important of all - have your plan and follow it.  You can follow the WOD’s, but you should really start to formulate your own goals and priorities at some point.  Figure out your goal or  priority, then set out your workouts (including rest days) for about 2-3 months in advance.  Make sure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound (i.e., there’s a deadline).  I always like to use Excel or another spreadsheet program for this.
The goal can be anything, but do try to focus on balance throughout your body.  For example, most folks are weak in the Pullup area.  Not surprisingly, they’re also weak in the Handstand Pushup area.  But a lot of people will pick just one of the two (usu Pullups, bc Handstand Pushups are awkward at first).  Eventually, you’ll become imbalanced this way.

Another great example of this are the people who like to do nothing but pushups.  There’s nothing wrong with having a pushup goal, but you have to balance that with bodyweight rows, or some type of pulling movement.  And in actuality, balancing that way will help you achieve your pushup goal faster.  This post is already too long to get into the reasons, but take my word for it.

Hopefully, we’ve made a start today at generating a personalized workout program for you.  We’ll go through step two tomorrow.  And I’ll throw a workout in to boot.

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