M.E. JERK 013009

A view from the 18th tee at Old Head, Kinsale Ireland

M.E. Jerk 3-3-3-1-1-1

Rest 5:00 Minutes

Record lowest number of reps perform for the following moves performed 8 x :20 wi/:10 ri. The proper application of Dr. Tabata's protocol is to complete all 8 intervals prior to moving to the next exercise.

High Hang Barbell Snatch (loading 65lbs males/45lbs females)
1:00 Rest
Overhead Snatch Squat (loading 65lbs males/45lbs females)
1:00 Rest
ABMAT Sit ups

M.E. BACK SQUAT 012809

Golf ball hunting Ballybunion Golf Club Kerry Ireland

M.E. Back Squat 3-3-3-1-1-1

Rest 5:00 Minutes

Record reps completed for each interval:

3:00-Burpee Pull-up
--Rest 90 seconds
2:00-Burpee Pull-up
--Rest 90 seconds
1:30-Burpee Pull-up
--Rest 90 seconds
1:00 Burpee Pull-up

MAX EFFORT BLACK BOX TRAINING TEMPLATE TRACKER

When you order the Secrets of the Max Effort Black Box you will have your pick of three different training template trackers. This information will help you keep your workout data organized and allow you and/or your coach to evaluate your progress objectively.

M.E. DECK CLEANS 012609

Ashlynn snags the blue ribbon.

DECK CLEAN 3-3-3-1-1-1

Rest 5 Minutes

Three Rounds for Time:

Pull-ups 25 Reps
Back Squat Push Press (BSPP) 25 Reps
Lateral Barbell Hop* 25 Reps

Load assignment: Male athletes 65lbs/Female athletes 35lbs.

* Executed as follows:

Place loaded bar on the deck at the completion of the BBPP.
Stand to one side of the bar
Hop laterally to the other side with ankles together
Hop back immediately in rapid fire succession

If you are counting correctly, you will finish the hops on the opposite of where you started.

PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS

I found PLEDGEHAMMER through Gretchen over at the HAPPINESS PROJECT. Your public proclamation will hold you accountable for those resolutions which are about four weeks old. Something to think about if your will is weakening.

M.E.B.B. PRE-ORDERS BEGIN TODAY!

I'm really excited about the SECRETS OF THE MAX EFFORT BLACK BOX (M.E.B.B.) DVD production. PreOrder your copy today on the GEAR PAGE.

Those who have used this template have had this to say about their improvements.

Going from an out of shape 205 to a lean 180 was cause enough to hail your program, but the knowledge gained during it proved to be just a valuable.

After being an avid member of your Boot Camp Program I went to the University of Kansas where I joined the rowing team. I have maintained the top spot since I joined over a year ago and I credit it entirely to your program.

While others on the team spend their off season doing long steady state pieces, and banging their heads against the wall because they can’t seem to get much faster, I incorporated things taught by you into my training. Save for the warm up or cool down, the longest amount of time I spend on the Concept2 is five minutes. I train almost solely with intervals of rowing and movements I learned during you program, never doing the same workout twice in a week.

While everyone else on the team continued training like a marathon runner and did unreasonably long pieces that destroyed their bodies, I stuck with interval work. Now, with a 6k pace of 1:42, I am looking to possibly make the national team next year. I owe all of my success to your program and what it has taught me.

—Kyle Tushaus - Lawrence, Kansas
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Your ME template (w/ accessory lifts) has been working wonders. I have been running a Total/WOD/Lower/Rest/Upper/WOD/Rest schedule and, while I am no strongman, have reached a 1X bodyweight Power Clean (at 210) and am at about a .75 bodyweight standing press. The only thing lagging is my squat. I think the workout challenges I do on my non-ME days are sucking the life out of my legs. Nonetheless, this is very encouraging considering I lifted no weights over the last 7 years as I sucked all of my strength out by focusing on Endurance running. I look forward to your next installment in the Performance Menu regarding ME work. Thanks!

-Richard Hester

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Hi Coach Rut,

I just thought I'd drop you a quick note about a variant of your ME Black Box template I've been using, with I might add, great success. However, I came towards this approach from a slightly different angle than perhaps you did, that of recovery. I follow a 5/2 schedule and I had noticed that depending on the WODs that came up for the week I either felt great or basically lousy and it dawned on me that when there was a relatively simple pattern - when there was 1 or 0 strength WODs I felt awful by Friday (especially when there was 0!) and when there was 2 I would be feeling great.

So I had been toying with the idea of not just taking the WOD straight from the site but adjusting things so I could do two strength WODs per week but didn't really have any idea how to organise myself. I also wanted to do more KB and sandbag work as I had been doing that before I started CrossFit and really enjoyed it. Then by chance I came across a mention of your black box template on the forum and I saw immediately it was what I had been looking for.

So basically what I do now is this:

5 Days on 2 Days off.
WOD - chipper/gymnastic/monostructural etc.
ME
KBs/Sandbags
ME
WOD - killer (Linda), short & sweet (Diane/Fran) etc.

I rotate the ME days as per your plan, Tf, Lf, Uf etc. using more or less the exercises you outlined in the Performance Menu article, so it takes me three weeks to get round one set and I have three sets of exercises per area to make a nine week total cycle.

The results have been great, most importantly I feel full of energy again and I've made steady gains in both strength and conditioning, regularly setting new PRs in lifts and in the benchmark WODs.

I've been blogging my efforts for the past 11 weeks at crossfitlondon.com if you're interested.

Regards,
David

—David Wray - London, England
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I have had great success with the ME program. I am following mine almost exactly like Coach Rut described in the Performance Menu. I do CF, ME, CF, rest, repeat. The three exercises I do are Cleans, Push Press, Deadlifts. I rotate the 5x3, 3x3 workout and then the 3x3, 1x3 workout as instructed.

I am about 5'9" and weigh 175-180. I am getting pretty close to 400 DL. When I hit it, I am switching to Back Squats. My cleans and pp are going up as well. I did 195 PP the other day, and almost cleaned 205. Saturday I did the Clean 5x3, 3x3 workout and used 170 for every set. This is huge progress for me. I continue to see gains almost every time. The only negative is that I think I probably avoid some of the harder WODs when plugging in the CF days. I have noticed the WOD programming following this ME pattern more often, and make switch back at some point just for variety.

Great stuff Coach Rut...thanks.

......BTW, my Fran time has improved about 2 mins. The last time I did Fran my time was a little over 7 mins, before that my best time was around 9:20. This is using 95#

—Theron Mathis - Louisville, Kentucky

Order yours today!

M.E. JERK

One method for discovering the individuals preference for the split jerk.

M.E. JERK 5-5-5-3-3-3

REST 5 Minutes

How many rounds can you complete in 12:00?

5 Pull-ups
10 (5/side) get-ups
10 (5/side) single DB dead lift (the dumbbell should hang from the arm in front and between the legs. Each rep taken from the deck to full extension of the knee and hip)

Dumbbell Loading at 10-25% of body weight. Scale to your current level of strength fitness.

EXERCISE EMPHASIS

DUMBBELL MOVES VOL. 1

A basic exercise can be varied by simply changing the position in which the load is carried. This clip from DUMBBELL MOVES VOL 1 discusses three base positions.

M.E. BACK SQUAT

Got another crew through their first section of camp. NEW 9:00 am class forming now.

M.E. Back Squat 5-5-5-3-3-3

REST 5:00 minutes

5 rounds for Time:
10 Single DB Supine Bench Press (5/side)
10 Single DB Deck Snatch (5/side)
10 Overhead Hammer Reverse Alt Hammer Lunge (5/side)

M.E. DECK CLEANS 011909

I worked with this group on the life lifts and the skill transfer exercises associated with the snatch and jerk. Great people.

DECK CLEAN 3-3-3-1-1-1

REST 5 Minutes

3 Rounds for Time:
10 Dumbbell Hang Power Clean 25% of body weight
10 Flag Push-ups (aka T-Push up) 5/side
10 Box Jumps

M.E. PUSH PRESS 011609

Enough power generated to light a village.

M.E. PUSH PRESS 3-3-3-1-1-1

Rest 2-5 Minutes

Time yourself to complete?

Push-ups 20
Knees to Elbows (KTE) 2
Push-ups 18
KTE 4
Push-ups 16
KTE 6
...continue reducing by 2 on push-ups and increasing by 2 on KTE

M.E.B.B. AND CROSSFIT FOR THE FOUR DAY / WEEK HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE

Great Site Coach Rutherford. I am a high school pe teacher/football coach/track coach in Western Kansas. CrossFit has changed the way I work out and it has changed the way I train my athletes. I love your blog and check it daily. I had been looking for a model to implement with my kids and I love the M.E.B.B. model. One question, when doing the max effort lifts would you recommend doing as many reps as possible on the last set or adding weight and doing another set? Thanks and keep the great stuff coming.

On the Effort lifts you are going for a best effort for that particular move and that particular ending set. Adding weight each set you want to get a best for five,three or one. On the 5's or 3's you may fall a rep or so short of the prescription for that move.

Thanks, its challenging working around a 4-day school week and basketball games on most Tuesday’s and Friday’s.

You can still get it done.
Days M T W R
WK 1 ME T/CrossFit/ME L/CrossFit
WK 2 ME U/CrossFit/ME T/CrossFit
WK 3 ME L/CrossFit/ME U/CrossFit

In the first quarter of this year we will have a MEBB DVD and MEBB Training Tracker available. Stay up to date by signing up for our mailing list.

M.E. FRONT SQUAT 011409

Yammit!

M.E. FRONT SQUAT 3-3-3-1-1-1

Rest 2-5 Minutes

How Many Rounds can you perform in 10 minutes?

Dumbbell Burpee 10 rep (suggested loading equals 25% of body weight)
Run/Row 250M

M.E. DECK POWER CLEAN 011209

Top secret training assignment.

DECK POWER CLEAN 3-3-3-1-1-1

REST 2-5 Minutes

How Many Dumbbell Get-ups Can you perform in 10 minutes?
Alternate Right and then Left on each. Suggested loading equals 25% of body weight. Adjust the loading to your current level of strength fitness.

FASTER ROWING TIMES VIA M.E.B.B. TRAINING

Going from an out of shape 205 to a lean 180 was cause enough to hail your program, but the knowledge gained during it proved to be just a valuable.

After being an avid member of your Boot Camp Program I went to the University of Kansas where I joined the rowing team. I have maintained the top spot since I joined over a year ago and I credit it entirely to your program.

While others on the team spend their off season doing long steady state pieces, and banging their heads against the wall because they can’t seem to get much faster, I incorporated things taught by you into my training. Save for the warm up or cool down, the longest amount of time I spend on the Concept2 is five minutes. I train almost solely with intervals of rowing and movements I learned during you program, never doing the same workout twice in a week.

While everyone else on the team continued training like a marathon runner and did unreasonably long pieces that destroyed their bodies, I stuck with interval work. Now, with a 6k pace of 1:42, I am looking to possibly make the national team next year. I owe all of my success to your program and what it has taught me.

Thanks Coach,
Kyle Tushaus

SUPERSTARS ONLY

We are planning to triple our business in 2009. As a result there is a rare opportunity for a few coaches and trainers looking to join our operation.

We are the only authorized CrossFit affiliate in Johnson County and offer the oldest and largest fitness Boot Camp concept in the Kansas City Metro. Contact Coach Rut ONLY if you are a superstar in this field for additional information.

M.E. PUSH PRESS 010909

Here is an all to common problem with back position when going overhead.

M.E. PUSH PRESS 3-3-3-1-1-1

Rest 2-5 Minutes

How Many Rounds can you complete in 10 minutes?

Single Arm Overhead Hammer Lunge 25 ft
Single Arm Hang Power Snatch 7 / Side
return to the other side 25 ft and repeat snatch move
loading of dumbbell between 15 - 25% of bodyweight.

M.E. FRONT SQUAT 010709

Checked out Mark Johnson's garage gym last Tuesday and worked with him on Weightlifting technique.

M.E. FRONT SQUAT 3-3-3-1-1-1

Rest 2-5 Minutes

Record your time to complete 3 Rounds (21,15,9):
21 Alternating DB Supine Bench (use 40% of bodyweight for all db moves)
21 DB Hang Power Clean
21 Jump Rope Double Unders
..reduce each move to 15 reps.
..reduce each move to 9 reps.

M.E. DECK POWER CLEAN 010509

After two weekends off, we are back at it again this weekend.

DECK POWER CLEAN 3-3-3-1-1-1

Rest 2-5 Minutes

Record reps completed for each interval:

3:00-Burpee Pull-up
--Rest 90 seconds
2:00-Burpee Pull-up
--Rest 90 seconds
1:30-Burpee Pull-up
--Rest 90 seconds
1:00 Burpee Pull-up

M.E. PUSH PRESS 010209

R.P. recruits two more for his foursome.

M.E. PUSH PRESS 5-5-5-3-3-3

Rest 2- Minutes

How Many rounds can you complete in 15:00?

10 DB Hang Clean Split Jerk (5 splits per side. alternate split to right then left)
8 Pull-ups
6 KTE

Suggested db loading of 25-45% of body weight.


THOSE WHO ARE USING HORIZONTAL PRESSING ON THIS DAY NEED TO CHANGE THE EXERCISE. IF YOU WERE ON SUPINE BENCH PRESS SWITCH TO INCLINE.

A 30 DAY PLEDGE

I had a lengthy discussion with a client this week. This particular client is smart, wealthy, engaging, entertaining...attractive in every way. There is this one thing however. She's overweight and has been this way for far too long.

It's a frustrating thing for me. I get irritated when I take on clients and they don't make improvements. It's a guilt thing of getting their money with little to show. Then there is the pissed off part of me that has them waltzing around with my brand on their back talking about my great works. No doubt their friends snicker about the virtues of my work.

At the conclusion of the conversation we decided that we would take the next 30 days and work on one lifestyle behavior. No need to open the whole bag of crap. Let's just focus on one nasty lifestyle practice.

In her particular case, we are going to give up the alcohol at night routine. While initially a self confessed 2 glasses of wine per night, I learned this week that "several" times per week the 2 glasses drift upwards to consuming one bottle. Shazam! This obviously leads to other dietary indiscretions.

Now I'm not a counselor for AA and I realize that this could be a more complex issue than what I'm trained to handle, but I'm going to test the waters before I call in the crew from Intervention.

As I thought about it, I like the singular focus on fixing an issue at a time. There is really no way to complicate it. "Lilly" is not going to be drinking for the next 30 days-Cold turkey!

No tip toeing around it and no nice guy. Curse words will be used if necessary. Who knows she might even like herself more after the 30 day pledge.