The CrossFit Pyramid

Hey Vic City,

I wrote a blog a few weeks back regarding food journaling. If you thought that was worth your time and you started becoming more aware of the foods you ingest, I hope it’s going well. If it has been at least a couple of weeks you should probably start to notice some of the effects that different foods have on your day to day function and your workouts.

The CrossFit methodology includes a foundational pyramid that is designed to increase your health and fitness. The pyramid has five levels, each building off the level below. The base of the pyramid is nutrition. This is something that needs to be addressed multiple times a day if you are serious about your overall health and performance. Since eating happens throughout the whole day, the responsibility in almost entirely on you to make smart decisions. If you can accept responsibility for your nutrition, the base of our pyramid, the Vic City programming and coaching will help you with the next four levels.

Following nutrition on the pyramid is metabolic conditioning or ‘metcons’. Some people think of this level as the “cardio”. This level is addressed less frequently than nutrition but still very often. You’ll notice all our WODs have metabolic conditioning components to them, and WODs like Nurwor or Team 36 are almost entirely demanding on our cardiovascular system.

As we move up the pyramid we start to cover categories that we see slightly less often in our everyday workouts, these levels also require more skill. The middle of the pyramid is gymnastics and 4th from the bottom is weightlifting. Gymnastics movements like pull-ups, dips, and handstands are seen in many or our group classes, and they require higher skills and mobility than our metabolic conditioning workouts. Weightlifting takes years and years to perfect, and as we become more skilled, gains seem harder and harder to come by. As we build up the first three foundational levels, weightlifting skills will become more important.

The top of the pyramid is something that is rarely seen in classes, that level is sport. This level requires the most specific skill, but skills that are often well transferred from proper development of the first four levels.

For the purpose of health and wellness, something that I believe we are all trying to achieve, we must build the pyramid from the bottom up. Focus on sport, weightlifting, and gymnastics, but never neglect metabolic conditions or nutrition. The two base levels take next to no skill just will power, and they are the building blocks to a well-rounded person.

Here is an old but good video from CrossFit titled "The Foundation is Nutrition"

Training Monday - Tuesday

Warm-up: Dowel Game 5-7 minutes

Skill: Back Squat 8 x 1 @ ~80% OTM

Same weight throughout, reps should be tough but technically perfect!

WOD: Skillints

In this workout, you will work for 20 seconds, rest for 40s, and then move on to the next exercise, again performing 20 seconds of work and resting 40s. No score for today's workout, just focus on smooth, quality repetitions!

Rx: 5 rounds of 20s work, 40s rest of the following exercises:

- Airbike or Row

- Push Press (weight is athlete's choice)

- Pull ups (strict or kip)

TG - ring rows

Comp - CTB or ring MU