Ch-ch-ch-changes

When I look back over my workout logs over the past year, I realize that I've been stagnating. I've had ups and downs and vacations and injuries that leave me pretty much exactly where I was a year ago in terms of loads on the major lifts. My running is certainly no better, and I feel like my metcon ability may even be worse. I continue to TALK about all of the lifts and movements I need to learn and work on, but I don't do them. I'm not making any progress at all. It's time to do something different.

I've been reluctant to take the complete plunge into Crossfit, for fear that I will give up strength gains. I want both strength and metcon ability. I've been poking around a number of the Crossfit affiliate sites, and I think I found the one that fits the bill for me: http://centralbuckscrossfit.typepad.com/central_bucks_crossfit/.

Their workouts generally have a strength portion followed by a metcon portion. This is exactly what I was looking for. They wrote on their blog:

M.E = Max Effort; you will start seeing this format routinely throughout our programming. You’ll notice rep schemes of 5,5,5,3,3,3 one week and 3,3,3,1,1,1 the following week. This programming, mixed with essential and smart metcons and skill work, will ensure optimum strength and power gains along with progress in all the other parameters of fitness.

My plan is to follow these workouts on Monday thru Wednesday, take Thursday off, and do my own Strength workout on Friday, and my own metcon on Saturday. The following Monday, I'll pick up on their workouts where I left off. Because I'll be able to see what's coming ahead of time, I can add something to the strength workouts if I feel like something is being neglected without it conflicting with an upcoming workout. If the workout calls for a movement I can't do, I'll substitute and make sure I set aside time to work on the movement, so I can begin using it in the future.

I really think this will take my fitness to the next level. My first workout was today.