Why Deload? 4/3/15

What is the purpose of this week and next? Why are we “deloading” and what should you expect out of it?
In short, we just wrapped up 5 very tough weeks of the Open. Even if you didn’t participate officially, most everyone did the Open WODS.
The biggest reason is to give you a psychological and physiological break over the stresses that are placed upon you during those five weeks and the weeks leading up to it.
Who causes that pressure? Well you do of course! You expect to do well (which you all did!) and you push harder than normal. Nobody in the gym pushes their intensity the rest of the year to the same level that we see in the Open. No, not even YOU do!
But that intensity takes its toll over that five weeks. It’s tough to maintain the focus and drive to push that hard each week.
So first, it’s a psychological break.
Second, it’s a physiological break.
Not only have you pushed your mental capacity further than normal, you’ve also done so physically.
Some of you have voiced your concerns vocally, each week, about this effect in the amount of soreness you’ve felt.
However, there is another far more important type of phyiscal fatigue that can’t really be “felt” like soreness can – and that comes from your central nervous system, or CNS. You know the days when you feel ok physically, but still something seems off? Or maybe you’re missing lifts or numbers you’re used to hitting with ease? That’s CNS fatigue.
Apart from the psychological break that this week, and next, is designed to help you with, CNS recovery is perhaps the most important component.
And it should be taken seriously. We’ve got your best interests at heart, so stop going off the reservation and doing extra crap. Maybe just trust the program. Want to know what I programmed for Jay (the only one moving on to the next round) on Monday? – “Go have fun, play basketball or something.”

Lastly, these two weeks are the way we ready you guys for the next cycle we’ll be going into. What does that entail? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see.
(It also means that if you’re trying to “do more” right now, you won’t be ready to reap the full benefit of what’s coming. Kind of like when you try to do too many sets of, or not enough of, or change the weight of, what we have programmed in the middle of a squat cycle. But I digress.)
Moral of this post: Trust the program and enjoy these weeks! Don’t put pressure on yourself and don’t stress about your results.
 
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We’re less than 3 weeks away from Relay For Life! If you haven’t had a moment to sign up for our team, please take a quick moment and do so at this link: https://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?fr_id=63578&pg=team&team_id=1802510
(When it asks for donations, just skip that part)
Here is what we are asking for though – between now and Relay Day (April 18th) go out and get sponsorships/donations from any and EVERY one that you know! This is how it works – for every dollar that you raise, you will row 100m. That is – one hundred meters.
So, encourage them to make you row more!! Every single dollar that you raise will go straight to Relay, so don’t be bashful or shy in asking. Come on, if the girl scouts can sell Thin Mints (which are delicious), you can certainly sell someone on causing you lots of immense pain by making you row a bunch!
Also, we will be having an in-house fundraiser (open to anyone that wishes to attend) on Saturday April 11th. There will be NO 9 or 10am classes that day, just the Relay fundraiser. There will be a mandatory $10 buy-in to do the WOD. What is it you ask? You gotta show up!
 
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A. Skill/Fun:
There will be 3 stations set up to test you at:
1) 2min ME Burpees
2) ME Wall Balls (one set only. Once you stop cycling them, your set is finished)
3) ME KB Swings (one set only. Once your momentum stops, your set is finished)
One person (call them Partner A) from each team will go through all three stations. The coaches will have you on a timer so that all Partner A’s go together.
Then, after Partner A completes their tests, all Partner B’s will go together.
 
B. MWOD:
Athletes Choice – 2min
 
C. WOD:
Two Person Round Robin:
20min AMRAP –
10 Box Jumps
10 Wall Balls
10 KB Swings
 
In this AMRAP, you and your partner will alternate movements. For instance, rounds 1 & 2 will look like this:
Round 1:
Partner A – 10 Box Jumps
Partner B – 10 Wall Balls
Partner A – 10 KB Swings
Round 2:
Partner B – 10 Box Jumps
Partner A – 10 Wall Balls
Partner B – 10 KB Swings
YOU MUST STAY WITH YOUR PARTNER until their reps are finished. No hovering over the next movement.
 
D. Post-WOD Recovery:
20 Cartwheels