Look at you: member of the honor roll, assistant to the assistant manager of the movie theater. I’m tellin’ ya, Rat, if this girl can’t smell your qualifications, then who needs her, right?
(Justin is on a 2-day road trip. Sorry for the mid-morning post).
A couple months ago, Brent wrote how I recommended Kroc Rows to Brent to help his grip work. That recommendation was based on his training and his goals at the time. When he posted up, the comments came alive with questions about Kroc Rows.
Last Friday I wrote about curls. So before everybody runs over Skinny Guy to go do some Preacher Curls, we should talk about assistance exercises.
First off, this is ASSISTANCE. Don’t overthink this stuff. The point of assistance work is to compliment your overall program. You can use it for strengthening a portion of the movement of a major lift (rack pulls), strengthening one or more muscles to support a compound lift (good mornings to squats), reinforcing a major lift by adding volume (and hypertrophy) with a similar movement (bar dips for bench press), balancing symmetry via hypertrophy (shrugs), strengthening the muscle and connective tissue around a single joint (curls), etc. Yes, there is some overlap here.
Generally, you want to do one or two movements of assistance work for each lift (I like one). And you’ll typically do 3-5 sets of 8-15 reps (20 if it’s bodyweight stuff). Remember, volume is your friend here. Do not go to failure, and do not let this become so taxing that you have to miss a day. Beyond this, don’t give any more thought to set and rep ranges.
The Kurgan made good use of unilateral work after doing his basic lifts.
Don’t ever confuse assistance exercises for the main lifts. A semi-good (Mike Tyson word) program of foundational lifts trumps the best assistance program. Focus on what’s important. If you are still on linear progression, don’t bother with assistance work (unless you’re doing it to build a miniscule of amount of weight room GPP, e.g. supersetting chins with GHRs or hanging leg raises).
For you recovering CrossFitters, assistance work is where you get your variety. A well-thought out program is NOT constantly varied (note the distinction). But I’ll make this deal with you: do your pressing like a normal person (with some progression in mind), and you can trick up your assistance to your heart’s content. Ideally, you would keep an assistance movement in the rotation for a 4-6 weeks, but I’ll take what I can get from you guys. You can get creative with this in terms of conditioning, and I will cover this later. But, and this is a big but, never ever ever never do something stupid like the crossfit.com workout that had high rep good mornings. You will be banned from this site for life and hopefully murdered by Sleestaks.
Good use of assistance exercises will bring balance to your program and your body. Use them appropriately and reap the benefits.
Nice clarification, and good reminder about the role of assistance exercises.
Kurgan is badass. I love original Highlander.
A “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” and a “Highlander” reference in the same post? Damn, you guys are good.
For assistance work the Kurgan grabs 90s small guys and pulls their heads off.
@Hatmanll, I thought I’d go for the trifecta with a Tyson quote, but I figured y’all would need help with it, as it is from a random press conference (where he threatened to put a bullet in Lennox Lewis’s head).
“I am many things. I am an animal. I am a convicted rapist, a hell-raiser, a loving father, a semi-good husband. You don’t really know me.”
-Mike Tyson
so for guys still on starting strength no assistance work? ok.
once I finish my linear progression and move to 5×5/texas method can i add assistance exercises?
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The point of linear progression is to keep going until you can no longer recover (make the appropriate strength adaptation) before the next workout. Your recovery should be focused on the major lifts. If you have to recover from good mornings in addition to squats, you might stall at 360 instead of 380.
Remember, in linear progression, you are adding weight to the bar EVERY SINGLE WORKOUT. What could be better than that?
I didn’t answer the other part of your question. You’ll have to decide that for yourself. I’d say get acclimated to the Texas Method and see if there’s anything that needs shoring up.
-Gant
I have chose to ignore your (Gant) blatant bashing of Crossfit in the past for I realize it is not for everyone and you obviously look at Crossfitters like I look at bodybuilders. However, whether you want to admit it or not, probably the majority of this sites patrons heard about 70’s BIG through Crossfit. In fact, I owe the extreme dedication that I now have to training to Crossfit. The program taught me discipline, will power, and focus among other things. Without Crossfit I would not be the athlete I am today. Also, Crossfit got me into competing. Ever since my first Crossfit competition a year ago I have since competed 3 more times in Crossfit, once in Olympic Weightlifting and I am currently training for a Powerlifting meet in the Fall. I think the advice and enthusiasm on this site is advanced and I have learned how to maximize my training results through the addition of more strength training. I am however a bit offended every time you (Gant) writes, for you can’t go a post without wishing death upon Crossfit. Correct me if I am wrong but you guys encourage competing and whether it through Oly lifting, growing a mustache or Crossfit, competition is competition.
—–
I need to write a sticky post about CrossFit because this comes up every 3 months or so. My biggest problem with CF is the cult-mentality and the incessant whining of its practitioners at any statement that isn’t unqualified praise.
I did CF for a year. I wrote a program (google “Gant Grimes hybrid”) that was used by a number of CFers before it was repacked, renamed, and published in the CFJournal. Justin did CF before this. Hell, he even ran an affiliate. He also wrote the CFWF program, which has also helped a lot of CFers. And, by God, if you don’t know who Rippetoe is and understand his contributions to CF, you have your head in the sand.
It would probably surprise you to hear that I have written programs for a couple affiliates (one of them is one of your CF heroes) who won’t mention because they don’t want the negative attention from HQ.
For this article, I specifically referenced the CF main page WOD on May 26, 2010.
Three rounds for time of:
60 seconds L-sit
45 pound barbell Good mornings, 30 reps
60 Abmat sit-ups
25 pound plate Back Extensions, 30 reps
This–135 good mornings done FOR TIME–is the height of programming stupidity. In fact, that whole workout sucks. It does nothing to make you stronger or better at anything other than getting dizzy, pulling a muscle, and being sore.
Do you disagree with me on this point, or are you just upset?
If you didn’t have discipline, will power, and focus before CF, well…good, I’m glad you found it. But you need to get over yourself and learn to 1) think critically when you see a posted workout and 2) learn to laugh at yourself (collective group of CFers) when people poke fun at the stereotypes.
My second comment was directed at getting variety from assistance exercises, rather than haphazardly program your foundational lifts. “Constantly varied” is a bedrock of CrossFit’s philosophy, and it is at odds with any coach or athlete who has ever gotten truly strong or accomplished something truly great at sports.
Do you disagree with me on this point, or are you just upset?
This is not a GPP site. We have a lot of friends in CrossFit (and other activities), but our purpose is to discuss strength training, athletics, and anything associated with it.
To answer your question, yes, we encourage competition. I don’t consider CF a sport, and I don’t think random fitness challenges present an opportunity to go back to the drawing board and plan for your next event (because you don’t know what it will be). However, CF challenges are an excellent test of physical ability, stamina, determination, and planning, and it certainly lets you discover a few things about yourself.
-Gant
Gant was very patient with this. No need to get pissy when you’re taking things out of context or don’t know the whole story. We’ll do a joint post on CF or something to clear this up for everyone.
–Justin
“wishing death upon Crossfit”. Haha oh gosh.
Gant, does that mean you want to take a Great Sword to crossfit?
—–
No, just the occasional backhand.
-Gant
Thanks for the reference to sleestaks, whenever I hear about them I smile and it makes me laugh for the rest of the day.
gant do you think that everyone should reach a certain load in squats before moving ahead of starting strength or is it a matter of how heavy you started?
some people start squatting with 225 and some with the bar. both should have finish starting strength at the same rate?(assuming recovery is adequate)
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Some people will finish higher depending on bodyweight, genetics, eating, and recovery. Starting weight is somewhat irrelevant since some people come in with a training background and others come in untrained, with muscle imbalances, mobility problems, etc.
-Gant
Gant, thanks for taking the time to respond to my comment. I am not upset and I can’t guarantee that I will EVER get over myself. I know of the contributions Justin, A.C. and of course Rippetoe have given to Crossfit. I am extremely grateful for all Rippetoe has done for weight training. I guess, to me, it seems like you write Crossfit off as an effective training program. I see it otherwise although I will agree with you that some of the WOD’s are absurd. I train myself and my clients with goals other then “the unknown and the unknowable”. We use about a 60/40 split of strength training and conditioning all programed by me. I have personally been involved in the achievement of physical goals by friends and acquaintances through dedication to Crossfit. Although it may not be an effective way to become “advanced” or do I dare say “elite” at whatever sport one plays, it certainly can be effective. Finally, its hard to become an adult male through Crossfit, so another point to you sir, now, if you don’t mind I am going to finish my ice cream.
—–
Read the old Journal articles, starting with “What is Fitness?” Then read some of the WODs posted for the first couple years. Now read the archives from the last two years. The ship changed course. Now they gobble up anything that’s popular, leaving the trainers without any clue as to how to implement it (e.g. Westside and CF).
There are a lot of good people involved who know what they’re doing. It’s just hard to ignore the public face of CF.
-Gant
One quick question to Gant or whoever can answer it…why is it that bodyweight exercises should be trained in the 20 rep range, whereas other assistance work generally falls in the 8-15 rep range? When I incorporate BW assistance (such as Dips, Pull-Ups, Chins, etc.), I just add weight by holding a DB between my legs so that I fall around 8 reps. Why should bodyweight-based exercises be trained any differently than other lifts?
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You’re changing the game. Weighted pullups are not bodyweight pullups. Those would follow a different progression. Unless you change some angles, bodyweight movements are not subject to progressive loading. So you perform them until you can get about 15-20 per set. Beyond that, you add volume by adding sets, not reps.
-Gant
@domjo54: By adding the weight, you are no longer just doing a BW exercise. You’ve loaded it with the DB, or dip belt, or whatever. Obviously, if you are doing just BW chins, you will be able to do a lot more than if you strap on a belt with 100# hanging off it.
Gant-
I have recently decided to take some time away from lifts which incorporate articulation about the knee due to a particularly annoying case of tendinitis. I plan on taking at least a month off and then I will reasses the situation to see how things are healing up; however, I’m not sure whY I can/should d so that I don’t completly loose the strength in my legs and lower back.
-thanks
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I have a bit of jumper’s knee myself. Cut out the Olympic lifts and plyometrics. You can do deadlifts, rack pulls, SLDLs, RDLs, good mornings, GHRs, and reverse hypers to keep yourself busy.
Work in some air squats while you recover.
-Gant
There is potentially some bad form causing that knee problem too. Also, we’ll do a post on keeping the knee warm during a workout. Maybe we can alleviate it, maybe not.
–Justin
Gant,
What do you think about throwing in tabata front squats or 8X8 with 10sec rest front squats like Dan John rreccomends for some conditioning?
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Go for it. You’ve been doing this long enough. All of my “assistance” work at the beginning of the year is conditioning. In judo season, I do 5/3/1 without any assistance work. Instead, I follow it with prowler work, complexes, sprints, or something like what you mentioned (check out Litvinovs for real craziness).
-Gant
Gant,
How about I throw in a 15-12-9 of box jumps in between my 455 squat sets on volume day? Do you think this will get my legs more toned in between sets.
I’m also down to only eating 4 apples cores a day. Trying to work on tightening up the ol’ glutes.
Thoughts?
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Substitute almonds for the apple seeds and superset box jumps with leg extensions. That will get you close.
Gant-
Thanks for the reply. Ill add in the things you listed that im not already doing. About the air squats, do you think it would be prudent to wait a few weeks until i throw those in? Take into consideration that the tendinitis has been around since about November and after a lacrosse tournament last weekend I decided it was time to take it easy b/c my damn knees hurt so bad (and im only 25…)
-Thanks again
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I don’t know the cause of your tendonitis. It could be from sport, from shoes, from jumping, from squatting incorrectly, whatever. Just add squats back in and see. Many people see their knee pain go away when learning to squat correctly. Your knees should not be hurting at 25, though.
-Gant
I agree. You are either doing something wrong or not doing something else. See your last comment for more.
–Justin
I do heroin in between sets, is this good for muscle stimulation?
@Stonewall I too suffer from “jumpers knee” I got an MRI, stopped leg exercise for a month and went to 2 months of physical therapy. Nothing got it to go away although I learned a really good technique to stretch out the knee and get rid of the pain. Before and after I train or even when it starts to throb I do 3 sets of 10 flexions. Basically I grab my ankle and bend my leg to get my heel to my ass. It hurts a little at first but as the knee stretches out it feels better immediately. You can also hold it bent for a minute or two, I do both.
My little brother was a Sleestak in the new Will Ferrel Land of the Lost. Watch all the way to the end of the credits and it will say “Background Sleestaks” and a few people down on the list you’ll see my bro, Shane Huseman.
I have been a member of a local CF box for about a year. Love the oly lifting and strength focus that this box has. I have learned the hard way to say to hell with a specific workout because it looks ridiculous and will wreck me for a week, negating my strength work. CF.com is a great resource for me brings together some pretty cool information that would otherwise not get as much exposure ie 5-3-1 Wendler, this site, CF football etc. Keep up the posts. My wife won’t let me have a sword.
To be honest I had no clue that this site was mentioned on cf.com. Probably in the comments right?
–A.C.
Thought everyone should know where to head for lunch:
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/worst-burgers-america-2010
Oh snap!
I overlooked the Tyson quote.
I am fail.
like mike said:
praise be to allah!
Man… after doing nothing but the core 4 lifts and the occasional pullup/chin set for two months of constant gains… I can’t imagine doing loads of assistance work. I tend to collapse after deadlifts anyway and call it good there.
so you’re saying the three sets of 10 i do on barbell shrugs should NOT be the first thing i do in my workout ??????????
I love to hate you, Brent,
–Justin
cowlifter: If you can’t get a sword, get an “axe” for cutting wood and mount a spear for boar hunting. Stick them in the garage somewhere no one will find it or the appropriate man-cave of yours or your friend that you can mount it on the wall.
When it comes to assistance work, I fall very much into the Jim Wendler camp. Think of training economy. Get the most you can out of your time. You’ve got a life outside the gym. Get your stuff done and go bang so barely legal college coeds.
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