The Catalyst Athletics 8 week General Cycle for CrossFit Thermal

Start Date: Monday, April 6, 2015

As CrossFit athletes, we are constantly trying to raise our fitness levels to new heights.  Over the past 5 weeks many of us have participated in the CrossFit Games Open, and tried to quantify where exactly we land on the scale of fitness around the world.   I’ve lobbied for years that the key to improvement is measuring your progress and keeping tabs on your training.  This philosophy says that if your numbers are improving, your times are getting faster, and you’re achieving more reps in workouts, then, you’re achieving your goals. As a result you will look, feel and perform better. It’s simpler to follow these metrics than it is to go around day to day measuring every inch of your body, and having blood work done on a weekly basis.  You won’t find someone with a sub 3 minute Fran time or who can complete 50 push-ups unbroken who doesn’t look and feel the part.  So I say to you, improve your numbers to improve yourself.

Day after day we try to improve as CrossFitters by increasing our work capacity in three major domains; strength, endurance, and skill set.  Each day we sprinkle some of our energy into these 3 categories of fitness and we try to improve them.  Sometimes it’s a good idea to mix up how we work on those domains by focusing more on one particular element at a time.  At first this sounds like it isn’t Crossfit, it is still Crossfit, but just with a focus, in this case, a focus that will last 8 weeks.  Enter, CrossFit Thermal’s first Barbell Club program.

CrossFit Thermal is looking for about 6 people (men and women) to participate in its first Barbell Club offering.  This group of individuals will follow the Catalyst Athletics 8 week general cycle, from Greg Everett and the Catalyst Athletics Training Program.  The program itself is an Olympic Weightlifting cycle designed to improve the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk, while adding overall strength.  In addition, these athletes will still be able to tackle their conditioning workouts, as detailed below.  These classes will function like a club and be coached by the class itself, athletes will rotate in and out of movements and be queued, recorded and assisted by fellow athletes.  In addition a large percentage of these meetings will have a dedicated coach.

Individuals interested should know how to warm-up on their own and have a basic understanding of the Oly lifts.  It will help to have an idea of your max lifts coming into the program, but it doesn’t have to be exact.  The program is written for 5 days of work per week and 2 rest days.  For our version, we are looking for a 4 day commitment to training from everyone involved.  This means that you could skip one of the Catalyst workouts, and still participate.  This would also mean that if you have the capacity, you could still dedicate 2 days to CrossFit class and keep a rest day as well.

This program will meet officially at several times during the week in the main gym, and in the Forge:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday – In the “Forge”, during any regular class times

Tuesday / Thursday at 1:00pm in the main gym (reservations needed) and in the “Forge” during regular class times.

Saturday / Sunday 9-11am in the “Forge” or 11am in the main gym.

Participants are encouraged to meet together based on individual availability.   In addition and with the permission of the coach, members following the program may enter regular Crossfit Classes for conditioning under the following circumstances.

“Lisa” arrives in the Forge at 6:00 pm and works through her Catalyst training until 7:00pm.  She may leave the Forge and take the conditioning portion of the daily WOD with the 6:30 class, as long as she checks with the coach and there is availability.  This should be a seamless transition, not to disrupt the flow of the class in progress, and the athlete making that transition should need only minimal assistance in preparing for the WOD, as many elements have already been discussed by the main coach.

CrossFit Thermal is happy to offer this program free with your Thermal membership.  Dates and times are subject to change as the group takes shape and adjusts to meet individual needs.  Coaches, Vinny and Plentus are both certified Level One Sports Performance Coaches by USA Weightlifting and CrossFit Weightlifting certificate holders.  Coach Plentus is also certified by Catalyst Athletics as a Level One Weightlifting Coach.  These coaches, as well as the full resources of CrossFit Thermal will be available for coaching assistance and program interpretation throughout the course of this program.

Please contact Coach Vin, if you are interested…