In one of my previous posts, maybe more than one of them, I mentioned that I’m going to be taking on some additional roles at Pure Austin in 2010. I wanted to spend some time on this post to talk about them.
First up: Pure Intense Training, or The PIT.
The PIT is Pure’s answer to providing an environment where people can do intense workouts in a group setting. We use both indoor and outdoor elements, weightlifting, gymnastics, and monostructural movements to create some workouts that many of our clients have never seen. At the moment, the programming is centered around a few movements every month… so each month, clients will see a focus on a few different movements. That’s not to say that every workout will contain only those movements, but instead they will be used in combination to create different workouts.
We have a number of instructors for PIT classes, at a number of different times. Initially, I’m taking on two PIT classes — Wednesdays at 6:15am, and Sundays and 12:30pm. Those who attend my normal Sunday lineup will notice the time conflict. More on that later.
The PIT is NOT CrossFit
I think it’s important to note that this is not a response from Pure to counter CrossFit. It’s a way for us to allow our athletes to work in a more intense setting with a Trainer, in smaller classes, with the ability to do some movements clients can’t do in the gym. For example, I can program med ball slams into a PIT workout, but we can’t do those in the gym because of the noise it generates.
Sure, there are similarities to CrossFit in the movements. But CrossFit is so inclusive across broad domains that it’s hard not to be considered similar. Pure is not a licensed CrossFit affiliate, so we will not be limiting ourselves to CrossFit-only, or CrossFit purist, programming. However, as a CrossFit certified trainer, I can train clients using CrossFit methods, so you can expect to see some of that when I have the chance.
How is PIT different from X-Factor?
They’re very similar. The difference is that in X-Factor, we’re limited to the movements we can perform because of the venue and the equipment available. At the PIT, we can provide a more rounded experience — there’s a proper pull-up bar, med balls that we can throw around, barbells, etc. Also, look forward to cool stuff that we’re not going to release into the gym for all clients, like tires to flip and sandbags to run with (we already have slosh pipes down there).
The PIT also allows us to up the intensity based on what the group wants to do. In X-Factor, we have vastly different skill and strength levels, which makes it difficult to program and still watch everyone. This increased intensity does not mean that new athletes should not go; quite the opposite. The PIT is a much more controlled environment that allows me to effectively be a personal trainer for a group of people. It’ll be a much different, more intense experience. Still scalable for all levels, but I can pay better attention to everyone.
So, what’s happening with the schedule?
Starting January 3, there are some changes to the 2010 schedule. My cycle schedule remains pretty much the same, although both my Thursday morning and Sunday classes are turning into Core Cycle, meaning there’s a core class right after spin. The PIT classes are the additions, and sadly, X-Factor is being cut in favor of the PIT.
Here’s my schedule:
Quarry Lake
- Pure Cycle: Tuesdays, 6:15 – 7:00pm
- Core Cycle: Thursdays, 6:00 – 7:15am
Town Lake
- PIT: Wednesdays, 6:15-7:15am
- Core Cycle: Sundays, 11:00am – 12:15pm
- PIT: Sundays, 12:30 – 1:30pm
While I’m sad to see X-Factor go, I’m excited to train people in the PIT setting. I really think that attending the PIT classes, combined with proper nutrition, will help clients meet their goals.
See you in the PIT!
Summer’s almost over, and we’re all about to see the articles in our favorite sports magazines about what you have to do during the offseason to get better for next year. Are you kidding me? I already know I suck at swimming and my run needs to be about 30 seconds faster to have a shot at top 3-5 in my age group. What is the magazine going to tell me that I don’t already know? Nothing!
I can tell you what they will say. They will say you need to hit the gym and get stronger. There’s a concept. Here’s the problem:
Bullshit.
You may hit the gym in the offseason, but the moment you need to start training for the season again, you stop the weight training… something about dropping muscle because those big arms and legs aren’t going to make you aero on the bike.
Those big muscles are the ones that propel you… and they don’t have to be huge. (aside: if your legs and arms are growing out of control, check out your diet… I bet you’re eating stuff that promotes packing on muscle… like lots of milk… or maybe that protein shake (again, with more dairy) you get after every workout, I mean, really, do you not get enough protein through your regular diet?)
The notion of an offseason is garbage. Like you’re really going to stop running, biking, swimming, because you need to lift weights. If anything you’ll stop because it’s too damn cold out to bear it. But you’ll replace it with an indoor pool, a treadmill, a spin class, maybe even a rower. You’re still putting on those miles, maybe a few less. But you still neglect to hit the gym… and here’s the kicker.
You’re an athlete that’s not training like one.
Sure, the concept of getting stronger is useful and worthwhile. So is the concept of focusing and improving your skill at a certain sport. But you should be doing all of these things, all the time, anyway. We’re athletes — we’re always trying to get better, we’re always trying to improve our skill. It’s not like the season begins and you’re stuck at that 8-minute mile or 19mph bike split (or whatever gain you made during the offseason). You can always improve!
This “offseason,” try something else… change your perspective…. be always on… train like an athlete. Train like you’re racing at any time. Instead of piling on long miles during the season, cut those miles down into quality miles, executed at high intensity across broad time and modal domains. Doing more of the same crap isn’t going to make you faster, it’s just going to solidify the fact that you can run 10 miles at that 8-minute pace, but damn, you can’t break through!
What about recovery, you say? Take time off as you need to, always listen to your body. But to be honest, you should be actively focused on recovery anyway. Fix your diet! Go find that TriggerPoint kit! Hit the Yoga class you’ve been meaning to! And please, one more time, fix your diet!
Then, you won’t need an offseason.
warm-up
- 3 suicides
- glide across the room
- lunge outside
- 5 KTE
- 10 wall balls
- 20 squats
- 20 situps
- lunge inside
- glide across the room
- 3 suicides
skill work
- squats, rowing, rope climb
WOD
- 5 rounds for time:
- 20 kb swings (m: 50#, w: 35#)
- 20 pushups
I love this shirt.
I’ve been traveling a bit lately for work, vacations, Level 1 certifications… and whenever I travel, I always visit a local CrossFit affiliate. I usually just shoot an email off to someone who coaches there, and then I just show up. Here’s the summation of my experience:
- Every time I go, the coaches and athletes are super nice.
- The movements are exactly the same, the standards vary a little, but it’s remarkably consistent.
- Warm up and cool down are always different, and that’s ok. This stuff isn’t boilerplate.
And just to back it up, I’ve been to a bunch of affiliates (in no particular order):
It makes sense that the experience is always good and the workouts are always tough. I read Seth Godin’s Tribes a while back, and CrossFit is actually mentioned in there as an example of a tribe. We work out together, and that’s just the beginning. We eat and drink (too much) together, we travel together; the community is so much more than working out and getting your ass kicked.
It truly is open source fitness.
Signing out from Salt Lake City (where I visited CF Park City three times this week — thanks to Chris and Eric for the awesome classes!)…
There are days I walk into CrossFit and I think “oh I’ve got this.” And then I realize about 30 seconds after “3, 2, 1, go!” that not only do I not have this one, I’m going to fuck it up somehow. What’s funny about this is that one of my coaches is constantly trying to tell me that if I’m thinking I’m gonna screw it up, that I’m really gonna screw it up. ”It’s all up here,” he says, pointing at his head. The engineer in me wants to laugh and explain that this is a skill, not a wish. But today, I think I’ve decided he’s right.
Two things happened today that led me to this conclusion:
I watched a video from Tim Ferriss on TED. Now ignore most of the video… there’s a bunch of controversy around it, especially if you read the comments. There was one thing he said that really stood out, about “deconstructing things that scare the living hell out of me.”
“fear is an indicator. sometimes it shows you what you shouldn’t do; more often than not it shows you exactly what you should do.”
Good call. When I get into a WOD, and 30 seconds later I “realize” how screwed I am, I need to embrace that fear and my training needs to kick in. I’m surrounded by awesome coaches and great athletes to compete with. We push each other. I need to be open to being pushed, and I need to trust my training.
The second thing that led me to believe that most of my trouble is in my head is a quiz I took on Facebook today. “How CrossFit are you?” it asks. It tells me that I’m “Awesome”… which may or may not be true (but is certainly fun to read). The best part is two of the questions asking about your reaction to the WOD, and how you compete when you’re in there.
How do you feel when you walk into a CrossFit gym? A little scared to find out what the workout is, but I’m going to beat everyone else
Who would you compare yourself to in terms of overall performance? I keep setting new personal bests for myself, that’s all that matters
Next time, when I walk into the gym, I’m going to beat everyone else — AND it’s going to be a new personal best.
So, John, just keep telling me “it’s all up here” — and know that I believe you now. I just have to follow through.
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