Cross Fit

[H.I.S.]

I suppose this could be considered a new work out fad, but after using the program for several weeks I am seeing huge results.

Crossfit training has increased my speed and strength dramatically. I moving up to bigger poles and higher grips faster than I ever have.

You can find samples of these workouts at www.crossfit.com and many more on youtube.

here are a couple links

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_0kTZ0quGs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHH9E-Zxi50

what are your thoughts

[rainbowgirl28]

Cross fit has a lot of stuff that is great for vaulters

[decanuck]

I've been looking at crossfit for quite a while now. I've decided that the concept is either total genius, complete insanity, or both (somehow) but I'm not sure which yet.

On a macro level, athletes of any sport with predefined competitive periods would do better with season-long progression of training the energy systems (periodization). However, crossfit workouts could be selected and performed in this way for some pretty phenomenal results. Some elite athletes use crossfit for base/GPP (general physical preparation).

At any rate, anything that makes the fitness of the elite accessible to the masses--for free, and without marketing/BS clogging up the message--is doing a huge service to the athletic community. Crossfit instruction, though I have never done a CF workout, has helped me learn muscleups, master olympic lifting, and rebuild my power lifts properly. The CF community contains a handful of truly respected experts in their own fields. To name a few: Roger Harrel, gymnastics coach and creator of www.drillsandskills.com; Mark Rippetoe, powerlifting coach and author of Starting Strength; and Mike Burgener, a renound O-lifting coach.

Remember, though, that pole vaulting is highly, highly technical and the training you do to facilitate this should NOT get in the way of this--ever. CF seems to ignore the affects of its program on the nervous system, and blasting your body all the time with these insane workouts would leave your nervous system in too much disarray to learn to PV effectively.

On the whole, I would say proceed with caution...at the very least, CF is a great resource to learn unfamiliar movements.

[JMP8928]

I must agree with decanuck

Cross Fit seems great for conditioning (to an extent) but absolutely ignores the CNS and PNS responses to training.

For example:
TUESDAY 090728

With a continuously running clock do one 135 pound Clean and Jerk the first minute, two 135 pound Clean and Jerks the second minute, three 135 pound Clean and Jerks the third minute... continuing as long as you are able.

Use as many sets each minute as needed.




The clean and jerk is a phenomenal movement for pole vaulters. However, completing more than 4 or 5 reps per set is not very smart. After that point (even with the 1 minute rest) the PNS is most likely shot.

The movement is designed to train athletic hip extension. If you are no longer able to hold form and extend your hips properly, you are destroying valuable neural connections, which are much better saved for 1-5 rep explosions to complete the movement properly.

In pole vault, we work our GD hardest for 10 seconds, and it does not make much sense to beat your brains out for minutes on end with little improvement of force output or ground contact time.


Crossfit has great stuff if you want to expend reduculous amounts of energy and do not care about the purpose of periodization, maximum nervous system efficiency and maximum muscle fiber recruitment.

So, not bad for conditioning, as long as the movements and exercises are done with proper joint motion, at proper percentages of 1 rep max, during the proper time of the year. Stress on all 3 of those conditions.

So, overall the purpose of these workouts seems to be lactic acid threshold testing, which is an energy system that polevaulters rarely seem to use. I feel like we are better off spending the majority of out time (especially in season) training the ATP/CP cycle, and only a small portion with the lactic acid system.


overall I think Decanuck has it right when he says 'proceed with caution'

[JMP8928]

And i just watched one of those videos and have this to say.

The video asks: "why train anywhere else?"

this is why:

a lot of those pepole in the video had HORRIBLE joint mechanics. i almost vomited. if you cannot move your joints properly, you are not training the appropriate muscles and are furthering these bad joint mechanics. These bad joint mechanics use smaller "synergist" muscles to compete the action. Using these small groups to provide high force output overloads the tissue. This opens you up to INJURY. please, pole vaulters. proceed with EXTREME caution.

If you have ANY questions on how to execute some of these exercises properly, please let me know, i'd love to help you understand your body and how it moves most efficiently.

Justin Purcell
NASM: CPT/CES/PES

[gymnastsrock]

Our strength teacher at school is really into it. We'd do crossfit whenever it fit into our schedule...usually only once every 3 weeks. But he was always talking about it.

[Andy_C]

For general fitness or anybody looking to lose some weight cross fit seems to be quite good - as long as everything is taught properly.

Building strength and speed for pole vault however requires special attention, which I don't think fits very well with cross fit's 'environment' as I see it. Cross fit seems to focus on general fitness, which can be good depending on your level. An amateur vaulter who could definitely use some overall strength and conditioning will benefit. Though keep in mind most of a vaulter's "gains" is easiest made through technical advancements - you'd be better off investing time at the track working on pole drills rather than building strength in the case of beginner vaulters. Nonetheless, a bit of strength, especially something like cross fit (done properly) can go a long way especially if you're a novice.

I think more advanced vaulters however will not see too many benefits of doing cross fit and will require more specialized strength training. I don't have the link but I think there's a video floating around this forum of Alex Parnov doing different kinds of highly unorthodox strength building exercises. At the advanced level you need to know which muscle groups will be most useful to you. You also need to keep in mind that every pound you put on you will need to take over the bar. Basically it becomes a question of "what do I need?" and "what will help me the most?" You also have to worry about proportion: for every ounce of strength you build in the lower body, you will need to build in the upper body/core (and vice versa). I've seen way too many vaulters who do a lot of leg work, but do not develop their upper body and core. They end up being faster on the runway but unable to do any really good aerial work on the pole. There really is not "secret exercise" that is the answer to pole vault strength, instead it's a lot of logistics. Most of the solutions to pole vault strength come from coordinated dynamic body-weight based strength building (ie. gymnastics). You benefit from practicing dynamic movements which closely relate to the actual vault. Doing so will build strength in all the right places in a self-correcting manner. At the same time, you're not going to bulk up and add unnecessary pounds like you would doing heavy weights. Weights do have a role in PV training, they're just highly specialized.

In terms of cross fit, many elements of it do not seem very appropriate for an advanced vaulter. Distance running isn't very helpful in most cases, agility cone/ladder stuff isn't really relevant and doing push-ups/sit-ups till you puke won't help your cause. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that a lot of cross fit stuff simply has you try and do more and more things until you're tired. It seems to be a part of the "fitness fad" that's more designed for gym junkies. It will build general fitness, particularly endurance and cardio and it will burn a lot of fat - just don't expect to build optimal speed and strength by doing more and more stuff that will make you tired! There's an entire science behind building this optimal condition for events like pole vault and I don't really think crossfit fills in that specialized gap very well. The only time I could see cross fit being put into an advanced vaulter's regiment is in a very early general preparation phase. This would be more to "wake up" the body for a new season rather than to train for pole vault.

P.S.This is just the way I see it from my meager experience with crossfit from local fitness centers. If I'm wrong about my perception of crossfit, please let me know. I would be more than happy to learn something new.

[H.I.S.]

this might solidfy your comment that crossfit works really well for noive vaulters, so I am by no means an expert, but since I have started cross fit my speed and strength have dramatically increased, and my wieght hasnt changed at all.

i am much more explosive on my take-off
my approach speed has increased
and my upper bpdy never gets tired while vaulting

now i do not think cross fit is the only work out a vaulter should do, and there are a plethora of cross fit work outs you can pick and choose from and even modify.

many times i will replace muscle ups with kips etc etc

the reps can also be adjusted to ensure that once you're too tired to perform an exercise properly you are done, to prevent bad habits.

Many crossfit works out feel like a gymnast work out, once you get to a certain level, planche, muslce ups, windshield wipers, etc great core and strength moves for vaulters, but I wouldn't recommend doing the 300 workout everyday

[PVyeah]

I have also just started doing Crossfit a bit this summer ... just to stay in shape and improve basic conditioning and strength. I have to say I have also seen a difference. My weight is around the same, but I feel more explosive and like my turnover has improved as of late. Also, I feel like my strength/weight ratio is much better than in previous years (more like I felt in gymnastics than in college PVing). However, I admit I don't follow Crossfit religiously. I'll do probably 3 of their workouts a week, while still vaulting twice a week (short runs, short poles - working on form) and doing some sprint workouts (repeat 200's or something like that). I also take 1-2 days of rest during the week - something I feel is essential in the summer to get ready for a long fall conditioning/PV season. I guess I would recommend it in this form - not following it to a T, whether it be doing less reps, a different but similar exercise, or taking a break on days I feel I need one (but the website doesn't grant it). Overall, I think it's a very beneficial program if only for the huge database of exercises to change up training routines or to see what exercises work well together for a total body workout.