On the Floor
by Mary E. Sanders, Ph.D., FACSM, RCEP and James A. Fitzsimmons, Ed.D.
EXTREME CONDITIONING ON CAMPUS
Cracking Open a University Box
‘‘H
igh intensity,’’ ‘‘short
bouts,’’ ‘‘going for time,’’
‘‘rounds,’’ ‘‘reps,’’ ‘‘functional,’’ ‘‘loaded,’’ ‘‘full-body integrated
workouts,’’ ‘‘workout of the day’’ (WOD),
and ‘‘varied challenges’’ are terms describing a popular trend in fitness.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
and extreme conditioning programs
(ECPs) are growing in popularity at
gyms, schools, and at home via Web
sites, YouTube clips, video games, and
of periodization schedules, but people
repetitions and short rest periods beneed to remember that the aim of Crosstween sets. Programs are generally deFit is broad, general, inclusive fitness
scribed as metabolically and physically
and that is not achieved with a narrow
demanding. Typically, they include mulor routine approach.
tifaceted circuit-like training workouts
using various forms of resistance and bodyweight plyometrics. Examples of ECPs
cited in the report include
CrossFit, P90XAInsanityA, Gym
Jones, PT Pyramid, and others.
At the University of Nevada,
Reno, HIIT and extreme
Photos courtesy of WaterFit.
conditioning exercises
gained popularity in CrossFit class works its way through a ‘‘time priority’’ WOD.
the University Wellness Center.
‘‘High intensity’’ refers to the intrinOur university wanted to offer a
sic nature of the program to challenge instructured program that would
dividuals. However, the intensity level
provide coaching for safety and
that is performed is relative to, and
progression under the umbrella
determined by, the individual’s work
of Campus Recreation and
capacity.
Wellness. We chose CrossFit.
‘‘Functional movements’’ are natural,
Since 2009, CrossFit particifull-body, and essential movements that
pation in our campus at UNR
are unique to moving a large load, a
has, for lack of a better word,
long distance, quickly. The squat, dead
exploded. Jim Fitzsimmons,
lifts, and clean are examples of funcEd.D., director of Campus Rectional movements that equip individuals
University of Nevada, Reno, CrossFit class warms up and
reviews front squat technique with PVC pipe.
reation and Wellness and a 2012
with the capacity to perform functional
CrossFit Games athlete, disactivities at the speed of living.
cusses the program and how it’s done at
television. HIIT programs combine
The foundational movements are
our university.
quick bouts of high-energy exercise lastnothing new. They include movements
ing from 30 seconds to 8 minutes, with
that are human living in motion. What’s
WHAT IS CROSSFIT?
low-effort rest intervals (2). Work to rest
new is what’s described commonly as the
intervals may vary depending on the
The six-word description of CrossFit is
‘‘sport of fitness’’ and the sense of comtraining objective, but typically, workouts
constantly varied, high intensity, and
munity that surrounds this program. Havare based on ratios such as 1:1 (30-second
functional movements.
ing been involved in the health and
work: 30-second recovery) or 1:2 (30-second
‘‘Constantly varied’’ means that the
fitness profession for 25 years, my opinwork: 1-minute recovery).
movement, duration, and intensity will
ion is that it’s the most profoundly motiECPs are defined in the CHAMP/
vary from day to day. In the words of
vating fitness trend I have witnessed.
Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit,
ACSM Executive Summary (1) as highAll ECPs incorporate exercises or movevolume aggressive exercise workouts
‘‘the death of fitness is a routine.’’ I
ments that are unique to each program, and
with a variety of high-intensity exercise
don’t want to discount the effectiveness
CrossFit is no different. It uses exercises
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On the Floor
that begin with primary fundamental
movements, such as the following:
1. Air squat
Front Squat B
Overhead B
Squat A
3. Overhead squat
Overhead A
4. Press
Press A
Squat B
Overhead B
Press B
2. Front squat
Front Squat A
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ACSM’s HEALTH & FITNESS JOURNALA | www.acsm-healthfitness.org
Overhead A
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5. Push press
6. Push or power jerk
7. Dead lift
Push Press A
Push Jerk A
Dead Lift A
Push Press B
Push Jerk B
Dead Lift B
Push Press C
Push Jerk C
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Dead Lift C
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On the Floor
8. The clean
9. The snatch
Clean A
Snatch E
Snatch A
Clean B
Snatch B
These primary movements are often
then mixed in with running, rowing,
box jumps, pull-ups, kettle bell swings,
lunges, sit-ups, and muscle ups to yield
a dizzying array of combinations. These
combinations are programmed as single
element, time priority, or task priority
workouts.
Clean C
Snatch C
Clean D
Steve Rock, Ph.D., works rowing in with kettle bell
swings and pull-ups.
Snatch D
Clean E
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A ‘‘single element’’ might be to go
run 10 km, 5 repetitions 3 sets of a
front squat, or something along the
lines of ‘‘Karen,’’ which is 150 wall
balls for time. A wall ball consists of
going from standing upright with a medicine ball in the rack position, descending into a full squat (seam of the
hip below the seam knee), driving up
to full extension, and throwing the medicine ball to a designated target height.
The single element is the workout for
this day.
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Karen A
goal of the workout is to complete as
many rounds as you can of these three
movements in 20 minutes.
Alex and Robert on the pull-up portion of ‘‘Cindy.’’
Sheena and Alvie complete the WOD
‘‘Karen.’’
Karen B
A ‘‘task priority’’ workout is generally three to five rounds of two or more
movements performed for time or as
quickly as the participant can safely
move. An example of this is a workout
called ‘‘Nancy’’ that consists of five
rounds of running 400-m and performing
15 overhead squats.
Campus Wellness and Recreation
members, with about 500 (10%) participating in our ECP. This is by far our
most popular group fitness program,
with more than 200 people a day attending one of six classes that are filled to capacity. To ensure safety, two to three
coaches are scheduled for each class
to accommodate the large numbers.
The ratio of coaches to participants is
1:10. Recently, we invested $250,000
to expand our fitness center to provide
additional space, which included an additional 2,500 sq ft to accommodate 25
participants.
We have a diverse cohort of participants, from ages 18 to mid-60s, including
CrossFit classes work on hip mobility before a
WOD under the watchful eye of coaches.
A ‘‘time priority’’ workout will ask
that the participant completes as many
rounds as possible (AMRAP) (see sidebar 1: Talking CrossFit), in a set period,
of three generally moderately difficult
movements. The workout ‘‘Cindy’’ is
an excellent example. ‘‘Cindy’’ consists
of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air
squats, repeated for 20 minutes. The
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CrossFit class knocks out a 400-m run
around the recreation building.
I recently caught up with Jim to ask
him some questions about our campus
program at University of Nevada, Reno.
HOW POPULAR IS THE PROGRAM?
Our student population is about 18,000.
Each semester, about 5,000 students are
men, women, elite athletes, and complete novices. It is truly amazing to
watch these groups come together with a
common goal and to see them support
each other. Such support can be described
as ‘‘ferocious,’’ which truly is inspiring
and unique to the program. I took a camera onto the floor and talked to participants. You can view the video at the
l i n k : h t t p : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m /
watch?v=oAS6EoeNBsY&feature=
youtube.
WHAT KINDS OF PROGRAMS
ARE OFFERED?
Our ‘‘CrossFit Pink’’ class is designed
for women only, is coached by women,
and runs at capacity each day. Again, it
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On the Floor
is truly inspiring to see young and mature women come together with a unifying fitness paradigm of ‘‘strong is the
new skinny’’ and ‘‘what you can do
with your body is vastly more important
than what it looks like.’’
HOW ARE COACHES TRAINED?
First, all of our coaches are experienced
CrossFitters, so they have a personal understanding of the program and know
how it feels to train.
CrossFit athlete gets a gentle reminder from Coach
Nora to maintain her lumbar curve by lifting her
elbows.
The ‘‘on-ramp’’ or ‘‘Cub Corps’’ program focuses on progressive skill development and safe technique.
Leo demonstrates box jumps.
They apply and, if selected, they
spend several months preparing for the
level 1 certification by helping an experienced coach teach classes. After they
complete their certification, they are required to team-teach for a full semester
while we evaluate their performance.
After which they are either assigned a
class or required to do more team teaching depending on their progress.
SOME CRITICS CLAIM THAT
EXTREME CONDITIONING
PROGRAMS LACK PERIODIZATION
AND THAT EXERCISES ARE RANDOM
AND ILLOGICALLY SEQUENCED.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND?
Because much of CrossFit doesn’t fit
neatly into the conventional framework,
people assume that it’s random. There is
a method to the program, and in our
campus, we methodically and intentionally move our people through training
formats that are designed to target
strength, power, and endurance, as well
as skill development. Our goal-based
program is organized in multiweek
blocks. The program design is constantly
evaluated and, yes, there is some experimentation with formatting, but that’s
how we learn and grow.
The real movement situations that the
world throws at us are not logically
sequenced and orderly. I can’t even go
clean my garage without an unplanned
event taking place that I need to react to
physically. We train for unexpected ‘‘violent actions’’ on the athletic field, during
police and fire duties, military physical tasks,
playing with your kids, or snow skiing.
HOW DO PARTICIPANTS
GET STARTED?
We use an ‘‘on-ramp’’ program, also called
the ‘‘Cub Corps,’’ that focuses on teaching
the foundational movements and then
slowly increasing the individual’s work capacity to the point that he or she is ready to
join a group WOD or work independently.
Coach Rebeca instructs Cub Corps
students on how to ‘‘roll out’’ triceps to
achieve higher elbow position in the front
squat through increased mobility.
Every semester, we hold a CrossFit
Challenge, which is a 3-week series, and
literally hundreds of students sign up
to compete. In addition, every year, we
form an affiliate team to compete in
regional events and in the CrossFit Open
Sectionals, which is the first step on the
road to the World-wide Games. This year,
we had 68 students and faculty who registered and trained for months to compete.
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Coach Alex works with Dr. Rock on his front squat
set-up.
As program director, I strongly support continuing education for certified
coaches, and, therefore, host certifications
so our coaches can attend; we also send
our coaches to other certifications.
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Group learning the front squat basics with PVC pipes.
Not only do we spend considerable
time teaching the squat, front squat,
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overhead squat, press, push press, push
jerk, dead lift, and clean, we also instruct
the individual in gymnastic movements,
such as pull-ups, box jumps, toes to bar,
dips, push-ups, hand stands, jump roping, and rope climbs. We get his or her
rowing and running technique up to
speed, as well as his or her work capacity
in these modalities. There are a variety of
accessory movements, such as kettle bell
swings, wall ball shots, and burpees that
the participant also receives instruction
in. Mobility skill building is a part of
every session. Coaches teach participants
to recognize mobility restrictions and
teach them how to address them.
CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THE
FIRST COUPLE OF SESSIONS?
Day 1
Coaches demonstrate the starting and
ending position of toes to bar.
The participant will learn the air squat,
front squat, and overhead squat with a
PVC pipe (see photos previously mentioned). Once we are satisfied with the
technical execution of the movements,
we will have the individual or class do a
very basic WOD that introduces the participant to how CrossFit workouts are structured. It also allows them to see a very
small glimpse of various intensities that
participants may choose. This ‘‘task priority’’ WOD may include three rounds of
running 100-m, followed by completing
20 perfect air squats. The participants are
instructed to do this as quickly as possible
with consideration for proper technique
and their individual work capacity using
their own rating of perceived exertion.
Amazingly, people know when to rest and
when they can work. There are WODs that
have mandatory rest periods built into
them, but most rely on the participant’s
own work capacity and personal motivation to set the pace or work. It’s working
with our natural rhythm, in tune with how
the human body is designed to work.
Coaches Jim and Eric provide instruction to
students learning the front squat.
Coaches demonstrate the starting and ending
position of the kettle bell swing.
Coaches demonstrate the starting and ending
position of the pull-up.
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At the end of every instructional period, there is a WOD that incorporates
the day’s skills. Nothing builds competence like correct repetition. Initially,
we are establishing baselines for work
capacities in specific workouts. These
workouts ramp up over time, and at the
end of the 4- to 6-week cycle, we return
to and retest the skills, so we can compare with baseline scores and determine
the improvement.
Coach Sheena cues student in air squat.
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On the Floor
Day 2
TAKE THE CHALLENGE
We’ll begin by reviewing proper squat
technique with the participant and
one progresses to the press series (see
photo). When the participant or group
can competently perform presses, push
presses, and push jerks with a PVC
pipe (see photo), we will again build a
WOD using the movements. But this
time, the coaches will incorporate the
squat movement, which they can perform. This new ‘‘time priority’’ WOD
may include 10 minutes of exercises,
completing AMRAP of 10 air squats,
15 presses with a PVC pipe, and running
150-m.
Coaches then may lead a WOD to
develop new skills or sequentially build
a progression by introducing new skills
and, when ready, by increasing intensities. It’s been my experience that the
participants are highly motivated by
using this structure, and our adherence
is high perhaps because of the focus
on personal skill development, followed
by the variety of training WODs, coupled with daily measurable personal
challenges.
HIIT and ECPs are changing fitness.
Reebok’s partnership with CrossFit
will strengthen its appeal to mainstream fitness. Research conducted on modifications
of these types of programs with various
populations (e.g., patients in a cardiac rehabilitation program) will help shape and
define safe and effective programs. Campus directors who want to start a program
are advised to commit to excellence and
be sure the coaches are properly trained.
Be ready for it to blow up! I’ll bet that
your students are already doing it, so
you probably have a ready-made population and don’t even know it. In my opinion, this is the future of the fitness scene.
You can embrace it or miss an opportunity.
Special thanks to the University of
Nevada, Reno, Coaches.
The University of Nevada, Reno is the
nation’s first CrossFit university affiliate.
AMRAP = as many rounds as possible
Box = gym
Gymnastic = pull-ups, muscle ups,
and so on
GYM-WOD = gymnastic workout of
the day
Met-Con = metabolic conditioning
(rowing/running/swimming)
MOB = mobility
Scaling = altering the movement, load,
etc. to accommodate individual work
capacities, skill level, limitations, etc.
10 Domains of Fitness
1. Cardiovascular and respiratory
endurance
2. Stamina
3. Strength
4. Flexibility
5. Power
6. Speed
7. Coordination
8. Agility
Sidebar 1: Talking CrossFit
9. Balance
10. Accuracy
Affiliate = box that is legitimately
affiliated with CrossFit
Weightlifting = dead lift, clean, snatch
AFAP = as fast as possible
WOD = workout of the day
HOW IS THIS EXTREME
CONDITIONING PROGRAM
MARKETED ON CAMPUS?
We have a blog and use social media. But
to be honest, it markets itself. Word of mouth
is the best marketing on campus. You can
visit our blog at: http://unrcrossfit.typepad.
com/university_of_nevada_cros/.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA ABOUT
PROGRAM START-UP COSTS?
With an initial investment of $10,000
to $15,000, you can purchase enough
equipment to get started, provided you
already have a space to hold class.
The investment in all the CrossFit
equipment is comparable to the cost of
a couple of WoodWay A treadmills,
which can accommodate only one person per session. For the same cost, I
can accommodate 10 to 15 people in
a CrossFit WOD.
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Jim Fitzsimmons, Ed.D., Johnny Berriochoa , Eric James, Alvie Hafen, Julian Castro, Alex Baker, Leo
Fontana, Tyler Riponi, Danny Schott, Rebeca Marchand, Kalea Sebesta, Brooke Rockefeller, Nora
Constantino, Ph.D., Sheena Harvey, Robert Forrest, and Jill Karlin.
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VOL. 16/ NO. 6
Sidebar 2: Standards of
fitness that drive much of
the programming.
CrossFit offers three fitness standards that guide programming.
Because you are only as fit as you
are capable in the 10 domains, the
objective is to have participants
work on areas of weakness.
• You are as fit as you are competent in each of the 10 domains.
• Performing well at any task imagin-
able, even unfamiliar tasks and
tasks combined in varying combinations (train for the unknowable
and untrainable).
• Total fitness requires competency
and training in each of the metabolic pathways.
References
1. Bergeron MF, Nindl BC, Deuster PA, et al.
CHAMP/ACSM Executive Summary:
High-Intensity Training Workshop [Internet]
[cited 2012 July 13]. Available from:
http://www.navyfitness.org/news/25.
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2. Zuhl M, Kravitz L. HIIT vs continuous
endurance training: Battle of the aerobic
titans. IDEA Fitness J. 2012;9(2):35Y40.
Resources
CrossFit.com
http://gymnasticswod.com/
www.crossfitfootball.com/
www.crossfitendurance.com/
www.mobilitywod.com/
icine and adjunct professor of the School
of Public Health, University of Nevada,
Reno. She is an associate editor of
ACSM’s Health & Fitness JournalA and
editor of the YMCA Water Fitness for
Health training manual. Dr. Sanders is
ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise
Specialist SM and ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist A. Her Web site is
www.waterfit.com.
UNR CrossFit blog
http://unrcrossfit.typepad.com/university_of_nevada_cros/
Kids CrossFit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAS6EoeNBsY&
feature=youtube
Disclosure: The author declares no conflict of interest and does not have any
financial disclosures.
Mary E. Sanders, Ph.D.,
FACSM, RCEP, is a
clinical exercise physiologist at the Division of Wellness and
Weight Management
in the School of Med-
Jim Fitzsimmons,
Ed.D., currently is
the director of Campus Recreation and
Wellness at the University of Nevada,
Reno. He has more
than 20 years of experience in the fitness
and coaching profession and has worked
in a host of settings and with a wide variety of clients. Dr. Fitzsimmons recently
placed sixth in the 2012 CrossFit Games.
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