THE

JOURNAL
The P-Word
Constant variation does not mean random. Chris Moore proposes some ideas on
CrossFit-style periodization.
January 2011

Mindy Bush

By Chris Moore CrossFit Memphis

To see things in the seed, that is genius.

Lao Tzu
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Have you ever heard of a kluge?

Periodization: Planned Variation?

Its a computing term for an inelegant, inefficient and

clumsy solution to a problem.

The power behind CrossFit is community.

In his book Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the

Human Mind, Gary Marcus uses our own brains as an
example. Think of an old house. It grows with the needs of
the homeowner. With time, new additions are stacked on
top of the old. Wood, wiring and pipe are added as needed,
tying the structure together. If you could look behind
those walls, youd see a tangled mess. But a little fresh paint
hides all that. The end result is something functional but
rarely optimal.

Every day, hundreds of gyms and thousands of athletes are

communicating and experimenting. Theyre combining
old training methods with new and raw ideas. Weak
athletes are learning to incorporate powerlifting, weightlifting and strongman methods. Those with relatively poor
endurance may look to the Olympic sports for guidance.
But with every new addition, as more methods are wired
end to end, it gets harder and harder to program.

Staff/CrossFit Journal

Symptoms of the training kluge are insidious. Progress and

recovery slow as fatigue accumulates. Training objectives
Your mind works the same way. Primordial, impulsive struc- become muddled. Theres a growing dread each time
tures are surrounded by late additions enabling language, you approach a barbell. It happens to us all from time to
planning, reason and restraint. Fresh wiring allows each time. We train to be great, so we try to incorporate all the
part of the brain to communicate, but its not a perfect greatest ideas. But sometimes we bite off more than we
solution. Despite our intelligence, we remain susceptible can chew. We rush. We fail to plan.
to compulsion, obsession, delusionall consequence of So whats the solution? I want you to go back and think of
a confederate mind. As you can imagine, this metaphor how you would build the perfect house. You might start
applies to more than just computers and brains.
small, with only the rooms you need. But that wont stop

Many CrossFitters have fallen in love with Oly lifting, and most have found themselves
wondering how to fit it into a packed training plan.

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you from thinking ahead. You may eventually want a family,

so you plan and budget for those necessary additions. The
foundation will always come first, then youll frame and
finish. Wood and concrete are most important. Later on
you can worry about the details, like whether or not you
really need that granite backsplash. Programming should
follow the same exact logic.
CrossFit is effective because it exposes athletes to scalable,
constantly varied and intense training. But how much
variation is necessary? When should more be added? As
performance improves, how often can we train with high
intensity? How can we train optimally?
As we get better and better, I think we must learn to
plan beyond the WOD. We must carefully manage the
cumulative demands of competing and increasingly varied
fitness domains. We must master the basic movements,
only adding additional variety as needed. We must learn
when to push and when to back off. In other words, we
need to start thinking about periodization in CrossFit.

First, What Periodization Is Not

I was a copycat for years. I would look up workouts in
magazines and websites, mimicking the training of my
favorite athletes. I was nave to think it could be that simple,
but come to think of it, I was nave about everything back
then.
I wasnt exposed to the idea of periodization until college.
During my first strength-and-conditioning class ever, the
instructor gave us a brief course summary. We would be
learning about sets, reps, volume load, frequency, exercise
selection, nutrition, supplementation, microcycles,
mesocycles, macrocycles . By the end of class everyones head was spinning.
Wasnt it enough to just work hard?
Well, apparently not.
I did the math. If you multiplied all the variables together,
there were literally millions of theoretical programs to
choose from. Thats pretty damn intimidating, but I took it
as a challenge. I thought there must be a best way to train.
I spend the next five years trying to find it.
I studied every book, document and so-called secret Soviet
training program I could find. I familiarized myself with linear,
undulating, conjugate and concurrent training models. I
went to every seminar, trained at every gym, and pestered
every lifter I could find with a barrage of questions. It didnt
take long for me to feel confident in my knowledge. With
20/20 hindsight, I can laugh about that now.
Do you want to know the great secret behind periodization?
Well, here it is: Despite the technical nature of the word
itself, despite all the variables at play, all the self-proclaimed
gurus and trainers pushing groundbreaking e-book
programs and cutting-edge equipment, there is no secret.
Have you ever seen Kung Fu Panda? At the end of that
movie, the main characters all discover there is no secret
scroll. The key to becoming a true master actually comes
from the journey itself. Isnt it fitting to find such an elegant
answer in a childrens movie?

Mindy Bush

With time, toil and great training partners, youll eventually

become your own master. In the meantime, here are four
simple periodization ideas to help guide you as you put
together your plan.
Brita Foti puts variation to the test at the Stone Fran
2010 Faction Games.

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The Golden Rule

The only thing that matters is progress. If you cannot
adapt and improve, then you need to make a change. On
the other hand, if you are improving, then you shouldnt
change a damn thing.
Lets use the squat as an example. When you first learn the
exercise, you are nowhere near your strength potential.
Every single time you touch the bar, you should be able to
lift more weight. So why shouldnt that be your goal? Also,
because youre not nearly as strong as you could be, each
session will result in very little cumulative stress. This will
allow you to squat frequently. So do it! The gains will come
fast and easy, so take advantage.

Keep this up for long enough and youre going to have to

get very creative to get stronger. Now would be the time
to try pause squats, box squats, specialty barbells, bands,
chains, etc. Just keep in mind that these are advanced
methods for advanced athletes. Is that you? Or, is there still
more fruit within your reach?
So far this is a pretty simple progression. But theres a twist.
You can be an advanced squatter but be absolutely terrible
at running, rowing, double-unders, pull-ups, etc. So how
should you program? Even though the nature of the
movements may vary, the same progression rule applies.
Program the squat like you are advanced, and everything
else as a beginner. That means starting over at the bottom
branch. Work on reducing your times, getting more reps
and rowing more meters each session.
Just remember, patience really is a virtue. Dont sacrifice
long-term success for quick, fleeting gains.

Mindy Bush

Slowly, month by month, youll reach a point where you

can no longer keep up that pace. Youre much stronger
now, so it gets harder to recover from each session. The
only thing you need is a little more rest. Thats it. Instead
of increasing the intensity every session, try every week,
then every two weeks, then every three. Just make sure
you pick all the fruit within arms reach before you go get
your ladder, understand?
Kevin Lowe competes at the Stone Fran 2010 Faction Games.

Four-week blocks seem to work the best. But to be honest,

Im not exactly sure why. My best explanation would be
from the field of chronobiology. All animals, humans
included, live according to various biological rhythms,
many of which are measured in days, weeks and months.
It seems that four weeks, give or take a few, is just the right
amount of time for your body to accumulate and recover
from training fatigue.
There are a few ways to incorporate blocks into CrossFit.
First, use them to manage variation. Build the intensity of
your WODs across weeks, hopefully matching or beating
your records by Week 3. Week 4 can be reserved for a
much-needed rest. As you get stronger and stronger, fitter
and fitter, try going hard only on the first and third week.

Building Blocks

The overall pattern remains. As you get better and better,

spread out the intensity just a little bit, session to session
and week to week.

As you advance, planning WOD to WOD is just not good

enough. But at the same time, thinking way into the future
has limited practical value. Its good to know where you
want to be in one, two or three years, but that leaves a
whole lot of programming that needs to be done in
between. So, how far ahead should you plan?

The second way to utilize training blocks is to alternate

training focus. Whenever I have discussed CrossFit with
coaches outside the community, theres always the same
critique: how can you train everything hard all the time?
Well, the answer is that you dont have to. You can rotate
the focus.
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Lets use the conjugate Westside system as an example.

As you maintain your strength, start increasing the amount

of speed training. Also, utilize your new strength to ramp
up the intensity of your WODs. As the competition
approaches, the WOD gains more and more focus.

The basic idea is that lifters need to be conditioned,

explosive and strong year round. However, those domains
are not trained maximally all at once. Early in the training
year, a lifter may choose to focus on conditioning. This The end effect is similar to spinning plates. Spin the first
usually means adding assistance exercises and increasing plate hard, then move on to the next, then the next. This is
the frequency of sled dragging. Dynamic and max-effort the only way to keep any one plate from falling.
training are still performed, but the intensity is controlled.
The next block of training may be devoted to explosive
strength. As conditioning work is dialed back a bit, the
intensity of dynamic work increases. In addition, the lifter
may push for more record attempts on max-effort day.
Finally, as the meet approaches, the lifter enters a very
intense phase of training. The loads on dynamic effort day
become much heavier, while max-effort work is largely
eliminated to support recovery. After a brief unloading
period, the lifter is prepared for the platform.

Learning to Experiment

Simple progression can take you all the way from on-ramp
neophyte to certified firebreather. But what about when
training doesnt go as planned? A reasonable, wellthought-out approach can still leave you feeling stale. In
this case, its the time to reach into your bag of tricks.
At Faction Strength and Conditioning, Mike McGoldrick
is our best competitive CrossFit athlete. In October 2010,
Mike competed in the first annual Crossfit/USAW Open
in Colorado Springs, Colo. Leading up to the meet, he
put together a very good six-week weightlifting block.
Everything seemed to be going just as planned. His jerk
increased from 145 kg to 155 kg, his front squat from 152
kg to 162 kg. Those gains would surely transfer to PRs on
the platform, right?

Mindy Bush

He did do very well at the meet, hitting a 108-kg snatch

and a 139-kg clean and jerk. This set him up for an eventual
third-place finish in the 94-kg weight class. However, these
were not PRs. In the end, he felt drained and stale from too
much specialized programming. It was time for a change,
something completely different.
Mike McGoldrick was frustrated with his weightlifting
progress until he began experimenting with his training.

Once the meet is done and new PRs are set, the cycle repeats.
The same approach can be used to prepare for a CrossFit
competition. A good CrossFit athlete needs to be fit, strong
and capable on a wide array of movements. But you dont
have to try and improve everything at the same time.
The first several blocks may be devoted to increasing
maximal strength. All other domains are maintained
during that time, but records are not pursued (remember,
sub-maximal doesnt mean easy). Once youve given
yourself the chance to truly get stronger, you can change
the focus.

Mike decided to train with my strength crew for a few

weeks. We introduced him to some new lifts, many of them
a bit odd. These included box squats, axle fat-bar clean
and jerks, and one-arm circus dumbbell jerks. However, I
think the greatest addition was heavy atlas-stone training.
Starting at a max of just 250 lb., Mike has since loaded
a 340-lb. stone to a 50-inch platform. As I write this, he
probably has his sights set on my 380-lb. stone.
So what were the results?
After one three-week block of training, which included
no serious weightlifting, Mike power-snatched 112 kg
and squat-cleaned 143 kg, both of which were 5-kg PRs.
Not too bad. He had quickly learned how to fight and
be aggressive and confident, no matter the implement.
Perhaps lifting barbells began to feel easy in comparison.
Like Patches OHoulihan once said, If you can dodge a
wrench, you can dodge a ball!

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Thats not the advice a good weightlifting coach would The last idea is this: if money cannot buy happiness, neither
have provided. But hey, it was damn effective. What experi- will PR after PR. The joy is in the doing.
ments should you try?
If you plan well, youll look back to the beginning and be
amazed at how far youve come. Youll cherish the journey,
The Last PR
How long can you keep making progress? How much can the lessons learned, the friends youve gained. Youll share
your knowledge with younger athletes, hopefully allowing
you achieve?
them to be better than you ever were. Of course, that
There is a limit. In the end, we cannot master all the variables. doesnt mean you wont still kick their asses from time to time!
No matter how much we train, study and experiment, we
will eventually run out of time. Some records will always Yeah, I think thats something worth planning for.
remain just outside our reach. Its inevitable. Well look back
and see what we could have done differently. Well cringe
F
at the thought of lost opportunity of what we could
have been. But ultimately, thats just an illusion.

The lottery winner enjoys an intenseyet briefchange

in circumstance. With time, no matter the riches, winners
start to see their lives as boring again. If youve ever bought
a new car, you know the feeling. For the first few weeks,
you cant wait to get up and drive to work. But before you
know it, youre back to cursing your way through the slow
morning traffic. Worse yet, once you get that first bill, you
start to reconsider that 72-month payment plan. Welcome
to the clich.
So, what about the quadriplegic? Without a doubt, the
days and weeks following catastrophic injury can be filled
with despair. But, as always, the pain eventually passes;
the paralyzed show extraordinary resilience in the face of
injury. Whats more, they are forced to focus on the small
things in life. With every therapy session, as simple skills are
relearned and eventually mastered, patients are filled with
incredible joy.

Mindy Bush

In the book The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth

in Ancient Wisdom, Jonathan Haidt discusses the psychological principles of progress and adaptation. Consider a
few questions. First, if winning the lottery is so great, why
are winners no happier than the rest of us? Second, if
being a quadriplegic is so bad, why are the paralyzed just
as happy, or happier, than the rest of us? Jon answers with
the words of Shakespeare, who said, Things won are done;
joys soul lies in the doing.

About the Author

Chris Moore is a writer and powerlifting Coach at CrossFit
Memphis. Prior to his lifting career, Chris played Division 1
football at the University of Memphis. During this time, he
began his study of human performance, eventually obtaining
a masters degree in exercise and sport science. In 2007, Chris
joined Mike Bledsoe, Doug Larson and Rob Conner to found
Memphis first CrossFit gym. Today, CrossFit Memphis has
grown to include powerlifters, weightlifters, strongmen and
mixed martial artists, all training and competing under the
banner of Faction Strength & Conditioning. As a drug-free
powerlifter, Chris best competitive lifts include a 975-lb.
squat, a 675-lb. bench press and 675-lb. deadlift. He has
also competed in submission wrestling and strongman. You
can reach him at [email protected], or visit
FactionSC.com.

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