When I first wrote in these pages of a way to increase athletic fitness via maximal effort (ME) training within the framework of the CrossFit technology I had no idea that the popularity of the template would reach this level. Since writing that in April 2005, I have received at minimum of one e-mail correspondence per week with questions about the template.

Since that article, I have watched others take this 3-on 1-off configuration of focus lifting and calling it the “XYZ” Black box. Coaches I respect who had previously focused on a more myopic approach to conditioning are seeing the value of dropping in the ME work into their training cycles. They are combining the potency of CrossFit mixed mode with lifting big. As a result, the athletic monsters they were already creating are now monsters to the second power.


Historical Roots

The birth of the ME Black Box came as the result of a contract I received from a local basketball coach. The coach was looking for a complete program. His team lacked in several areas. Their relative strength was very poor. He wanted a team that could run the floor all night but muscle up when needed underneath the rim and in the paint.

Prior to my installation, the team’s conditioning program consisted of alternating days of three sets of ten rep lifting and 400 meter track repeats.

Looking at their lack of conditioning, I took to implementing the power of the CrossFit training template and adding the focus of either a total body (T), lower body (L) or upper body (U) movement and rotating these throughout the process. A successful formula was conceived.

I had my own case study of twelve high school aged athletes. The results were spectacular: quantum improvements in strength resulted. The added strength allowed them to push these CrossFit medleys to levels they were not able to achieve during earlier workouts. The team narrowly missed the state playoffs that year. This year the team finished second in the state in the largest class following this template.

If you are unfamiliar with what I have discussed so far, I would suggest you go to the Performance Menu store and download the original issue.


Field Application-Template Variation 1

The boy scientist in me wanted to see more. I put some other athletes in a variation of this in my own practice with similar positive results. Since I did not keep copious notes, I am uncertain if this template variation is superior to the original template. My practice is geared as a service rather than a research environment. My guess is that there is no statistical difference between the two. However, I do believe that this template is easier to administrate and execute.

The template that they followed was and is an easy variation: metabolic conditioning (CrossFit) mixed mode training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and ME work on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays.

Monday
XFIT

Tuesday
TB

Wednesday
XFIT

Thursday
LB

Friday
XFIT

Saturday
UB

Sunday
REST

XFIT=CrossFit Mixed Mode training
TB= Total Body
LB= Lower Body
UB = Upper Body

I shall list the movement pool rotations.

TB: Clean Deadlift, High Hang Clean, Clean from the Deck
LB: Front Squats, Back Squats (high bar position), Back Squats (low bar position)
UP: Floor Press, Bench Press, Bench Press

I’m not a big fan of bench pressing. I believe it to have limited positive transfer to sport. Unfortunately, the athletes I placed in this template needed specific work on this movement for testing purposes. Their schools, as with most schools, require this movement either as a 1 rep max or as a percentage of 1 RM for max reps.

One could easily substitute overhead work, weighted pull-ups and or weighted dips in the UP movement pool.

We stayed with each ME movement for three weeks before transitioning to another. Our rep rotation for each week went as follows:

Week 1 5 x 5
Week 2 5 x 3
Week 3 5 x 1

A couple of reoccurring questions have arisen from the initial writing. The first question centered on reaching max loads. The idea is to increase the weight of each work set until the best effort for that day is achieved. The second question pertained to other exercises that day. The original plan did not include any additional movements. I’ve since included assisting movements in certain cases. I like reverse hypers and glute-ham raise on the glute-ham bench. I like these movements for shoring up weaknesses in the posterior chain and in serving a pre-habilitative role.

The Monday, Wednesday, Friday sessions did not select for sport specific metabolic training. We drilled the football kids with the same movements as the wrestlers. We worked the entire continuum of metabolic possibilities. I am, however, looking at ‘cherry picking’ the WOD for more sport-specific stimulus. This will be explored in future articles.

When we meet again, I will roll out another template variation.