Athletes who regularly follow the most popular and large-scale CrossFit Games tournaments will confirm that almost none of the competition facilities is complete without weightlifting exercises. This is not surprising, since grueling barbell exercises are the most effective way to test the endurance and strength of a CrossFit athlete.
We are sure that athletes who want to achieve good performance in the GrossFit Games will certainly be interested in our article, in which we will tell you which barbell complexes allow you to develop power and teach athletes to maintain agility even when tired.
The benefits of weightlifting exercise
Barbell sets are an effective way to hone technical skill, strength, physical stamina and endurance. They will teach you how to work and stay fit both when you are tired and when your heart rate is fast - two of the most important guidelines for functional fitness.
It is one thing to push or jerk when you are fresh and full of energy, but completely different when you do it after an 800m run or during your tenth round of training.
Before moving on to the complexes and tips that will help you improve your skills and get more benefit from your workouts, let us recall the special shoes for weightlifting - the so-called weightlifting shoes. They will provide you with support and stability so you can build explosive strength and keep your feet steady during any workout.
Effective barbell complexes
The three sets of barbell exercises we bring to your attention have specific goals:
- Complex number 1 – improves lifting skills during critical fatigue.
- Complex number 2 - develops the ability to lift the weight with all his might with an exceptionally high heart rate.
- Complex number 3 – develops the ability to do weightlifting exercises, being in a state of fatigue.
Each of these sets of CrossFit exercises is a test of your ability to maintain the proper pace of work when your strength is depleted. Remember to warm up properly and choose clothing appropriate for this workout.
Training complex number 1
At first glance, this program may seem too simple, but you will give up this thought when you are halfway through it. As you work on the exercises below, try to release the bar to the floor as few times as possible within 20 minutes. This will be an additional challenge that will tire your hands and affect your grip strength.
So your goal is to complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes, working with an empty bar. Each round should include the following exercises:
- 5 deadlifts
- 5 hanging barbells
- 5 pressing shvungs
- 5 Bar Squats
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Advice... Learning your preferred “resting” positions is critical. This helps when handling heavier weights.
As you begin the complex, take a comfortable position that will give you the stability and support you need to create explosive strength. Concentrate on each rep, pull up your glutes, grab the bar, and try to kick the floor with your feet while lifting.
Training complex number 2
The second training complex consists of only one exercise - this is a barbell jerk into a rack. The challenge for the athlete is to perform 75 standing jerks using a 35 kg barbell for men and 25 kg for women.
An important nuance of such training is that each movement (jerk) should be as effective as possible. Many athletes, when quickly lowering the barbell, fall into an unsuccessful start position for the next repetition. Typically, their hips are too high. This is because the bar is going down, and they lean with almost straight legs to bring the projectile down faster. Then they are at a disadvantage for the next repetition.
This inefficiency accelerates the onset of fatigue, and this is especially pronounced in areas where you are already at a disadvantage even downstairs on the deadlift. When you lower the barbell, tilt your hips back and bend your knees slightly. This will improve the starting position for the next dash. So you will make a starting movement not only by the extensors of the back, but also by the legs. You may slow down for a fraction of a second, but your efficiency will ultimately be significantly higher throughout your workout.
Training complex number 3
This complex will be a real challenge even for experienced and enduring athletes. It allows you to test your technique, stamina, strength and stamina.
The task is to complete 5 rounds. Each round consists of 7 continuous sets, including the following barbell exercises:
- 1 taking the barbell to the chest in a rack
- 1 front squat
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- 1 bench press
- 1 squat with a barbell on the shoulders
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- 1 barbell press from behind the head
Do all 5 exercises to complete one repetition of the set. Do 7 of these repetitions continuously without letting go of the barbell to the floor - this will be 1 round. Complete 5 rounds, adding weight and resting as needed between each round. The effectiveness score is the maximum weight with which you will take the 5th set.
Barbell Tips
Lifting the bar successfully while you're already tired is an essential skill for any CrossFiter. Even if an athlete came to CrossFit from Olympic weightlifting, this does not mean that he is able to work effectively with the barbell, being very tired.
In weightlifting competitions, athletes do not start the exercise after a kilometer run or several dozen pull-ups, as is the case in CrossFit. Typically, every barbell lift in other disciplines is done after appropriate rest periods, unlike CrossFit, where the athlete is given no more than a minute to rest between exercises.
Working with an empty neck
Unless you are a professional weightlifter with good prior training, you should not underestimate the importance of working with an empty bar. Play with lots of random complexes. Set yourself the time you will spend working with the bar, but do not set an exact bar of 5-10 minutes. Try different positions, vary the width of the grip. Do different exercise options, immerse yourself in the workout, discarding everything unnecessary.
Once you stop getting tired with an empty bar, add some weight. You will find that as you become more and more fit, turning the bar into a kind of extension of your body, you will be ready to launch an attack on heavy complexes.
Don't be afraid of high heart rate
Another important skill for CrossFitters is the ability to work effectively at a high heart rate. Don't be afraid to do this. Of course, if you've never trained in a regimen like this before, things can end up sadly, especially if you come across WODs that include exercises such as double jumping rope, rowing, skiing or burpees before weightlifting.
If you have never practiced lifting large weights when your heart rate is too high, you will definitely have difficulty with similar exercises in competition or training. Therefore, gradually practice performing these diverse exercises in a row.
The Importance of Proper Breathing
Do not forget about correct breathing during training. Focus on it the next time you do your weightlifting exercise. You will be surprised how much this helps to fulfill the complex and postpone the moment of complete fatigue.
Often, athletes can barely breathe or hold their breath while lifting the bar, especially on exercises such as thrusters. Inhale at the top of the traster as you squeeze and lock the barbell. This will help you establish the right rhythm and ensure optimal oxygen levels in your blood. The effort should be done on exhalation.
An effective breathing practice is to inhale only through the nose and exhale through the mouth. As soon as you breathe in through your mouth, you seem to be resting a little. This stabilizes breathing in critical situations.
When breathing is normal, you can only breathe through your nose again. It is undesirable to use such a breathing technique during the delivery of WODs in tournaments, but it is very worthwhile to use this method in practice during training. This will make you think more about your breathing and improve your breathing habits.
In exercises where the bar must be lifted off the floor, effective technique is essential. When pulling from the floor on straight legs, the back tilts and the chest collapses, which greatly complicates the expansion of the lungs. Bend your knees a little so you can stay more vertical and thus breathe better.
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Proprioception
Another advantage of such training is that it will teach you to better understand your body and move more efficiently. Proprioception is your personal perception or awareness of the position and movement of your own body. Compression garments can be a great way to improve your proprioceptive abilities. It also helps keep your muscles warm during long workouts, which is important to reduce the risk of injury.
Keeping warm is important during barbell exercises as it will help keep your joints flexible and reduce the risk of injury. Wearing a sweater or tracksuit, even if the room is warm, is ideal for such an occasion.
In a row or singles?
If you find yourself at the peak of your heart rate doing a lot of repetitions in a row without releasing the projectile, you will acidify and burn calories too quickly. In this case, slow down a little and switch to single repetitions of the barbell exercise for a while. This is a very useful technique, since doing, for example, the same 75 repetitions of the barbell snatch is much more difficult than it might initially seem.
