New Advanced Physical Fitness course offered.

[Chilme]

The PSP Training Centre is now offering an advanced fitness qualification course known as the Advanced Fitness Training Assistant (AFTA) course. (http://canadianmilitaryandefence.blogspot.com/2011/01/advanced-fitness-training-assistant.html)

The course builds off of the Basic Fitness Training Assistant (BFTA) course that has been running since 1997 and previously the UPTA course before that. (http://canadianmilitaryandefence.blogspot.com/2011/01/basic-fitness-training-assistant-bfta.html)

 

[Chilme]

If you are interest in Crossfit, and Olympic lifting, you will like the AFTA course.

 

[Hambo]

If you are interest in Crossfit, and Olympic lifting, you will like the AFTA course.

Why is everyone moving towards CrossFit? Olympic lifting, when done properly, is awesome. CrossFit is not.

The guy that spearheads it is an idiot and the whole thing is flawed.

There was recently a bunch of cases of rhabdo due to a trainer having players do 100 squats with 50% of their 1RM as quickly as possible.

What the [Iowa football] rhabdo outbreak teaches us is that CrossFitters are trained to perform more work, more effective work, and more work more safely over any given time period than any other athletes. I think we can, have, and will continue to prove this to all who would care to look, listen, and think.

- Greg Glassman, CrossFit Founder

It's funny that they've put rules in place because athletes that once competed in other sports or Olympic weightlifting/powerlifting were coming in and winning the CrossFit games, along with all the money. The guy that won last year said he didn't follow any WOD's and just trained for specific events he was weak in.

Here's a post from another board that basically shatters and blows apart the idea of the "CrossFit method":

http://www.performancemenu.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5888

I wish people would stop drinking the Kool-Aid.

/rant

 

[Journeyman]

Olympic lifting, when done properly, is awesome. CrossFit is not.

Did anyone else just have a Kratos flashback? 

 

[Hambo]

Did anyone else just have a Kratos flashback? 

I honestly don't know who you are referring to, but I do not lift weights myself.

I do enjoy watching the Olympic weightlifting, though I'm not sure what that has to do with it.

I always hear a lot of students in my classes talking about CrossFit like it's absolutely amazing and that sentiment seems to spread throughout the internet, as well.

I made my post arguing (strongly, I feel), the contrary.

 

[Journeyman]

I guess my point is.....you don't like CrossFit, don't do it.

I have no idea what the stats are, but I suspect there are several people who would argue your "...CrossFit? The guy that spearheads it is an idiot and the whole thing is flawed."

As long as people are exercising, giddy-up.

I wish people would stop drinking the Kool-Aid.
/rant

This is what sounded like a Kratos' "my fitness program is the best and everyone else sucks" post -- kind of a 'born-again' approach that may put people off.


ps - for someone who doesn't lift weights, you had a fair bit of advice for CDN Aviator on how he needed to do weighted crunches in order to do his job. 

 

[Hambo]

I guess my point is.....you don't like CrossFit, don't do it.

I have no idea what the stats are, but I suspect there are several people who would argue your "...CrossFit? The guy that spearheads it is an idiot and the whole thing is flawed."

As long as people are exercising, giddy-up.
This is what sounded like a Kratos' "my fitness program is the best and everyone else sucks" post -- kind of a 'born-again' approach that may put people off.


ps - for someone who doesn't lift weights, you had a fair bit of advice for CDN Aviator on how he needed to do weighted crunches in order to do his job. 

I don't think there are many people that will defend Greg Glassman.

I hope people would take time to read the open post of that thread I linked.

People exercising to the point of rhabdo, which has been documented on numerous occasions, is not a cause for "giddy up". It's a serious condition.

I made the suggestion and it was my thought that weighted crunches would be more in line with his job than endlessly high rep BW crunches.

I'm not trying to go off topic. Moderators can feel free to look into my account. Please refrain from accusations.

 

[Journeyman]

I didn't actually mean anything in the form of "an accusation."

I suggest only that the overwhelming majority of Crossfit users, in this site and elsewhere, are not likely at risk of rhabdomyolysis, and an associated hatred of Glassman. As such, I'm more prone to encourage any sort of exercise motivation that works for the average troop.

Clearly you have more intense issues with this than I, so I'll leave you to it.

 

[Chilme]

Hambo,

Let me be very clear.  The AFTA course is NOT Crossfit.  It is a course that is designed for the military with military fitness in mind.  It is based off of Tactical Athlete training (which is similar to crossfit), but emphasizes the safety aspects.  It includes olympic weight lifting with a strong focus on developing safe and proper technique, it involves obstacle course training, and orienteering.  It is a fitness course developed by the military for the military's needs.

It is not a brain child of Greg Glassman.  Look into it a bit more and you will know what i am talking about.

 

[ArmyRick]

I have also read of several cases of rhabdo in crossfit workouts. I hope the CF approach is more intelligent than Crossfits (I know we had something going with crossfit 4-5 years ago).

here are my points (from powerlifting and dabbled in training for olympic weightlifting)

1. I have watched several crossfit people crank out poor formed olympic lifts (This is dangerous and usually results in muscle-tendon-ligament trauma)
2. What professional strength and conditioning coaches endorse or even use anything remote to a crossfit workout? Poliquin, Staley, Thibaudeau, Ian King, Cressey, etc, etc. Seriously, there is not one top end S and C coach that uses this approach.
3. What was wrong with old school circuit training? I am talking about running 1-2 laps and mixing it with 30-60 seconds of plyometrics?

This is my opinion, good luck changing it. 

 

[ArmyRick]

Chilme,

I have a few questions regarding AFTA. In regards to how they teach olympic lifts (or there assistance exercise since Oly lifts ARE extrememly technical).

1. Do they keep the reps down to 5 or less? Preferably 3 or less?
2. Do they break the movements down first for new students? Similar to breaking down drill movement to squads
3. Do they allow adequate rest time at heavier loads?
4. Are the new students taught how to SAFELY bail out of a failed snatch or jerk? We teach safety precautions, I Hope AFTA teaches this, a errant snatch (The lift I am talking about for you smart alecs out there) can kill or maim you.


I am going to take some time and try to read on the web site what is taught, but if you have inside info, please do tell us, thanks.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

I'm not trying to go off topic. Moderators can feel free to look into my account. Please refrain from accusations.

I did [name removed because even though he lied to all of us he did ask semi-nicely] and we are deciding what to do about you right now...............

 

[MJP]

I have also read of several cases of rhabdo in crossfit workouts. I hope the CF approach is more intelligent than Crossfits (I know we had something going with crossfit 4-5 years ago).
1. I have watched several crossfit people crank out poor formed olympic lifts (This is dangerous and usually results in muscle-tendon-ligament trauma)

Rhabo is a serious issue although rare can happen in any physical training environment, crossfit certainly doesn't have a lock on it.  It boils down to either poor trainer or individuals not knowing and realizing their limits in most cases.  Likewise with poor technique, no one fitness domain is better or worse than another for having poor form.  I think we have all seen the dude in the gym doing bicep curls that involve more back than bicep or the guy squatting 5 plates with a 4 inch range of motion on his toes.  Inherently it comes down to the individual to check their ego at the door and lift within their means or for a trainer to stay within proper thresholds for his/her athletes.

3. What was wrong with old school circuit training? I am talking about running 1-2 laps and mixing it with 30-60 seconds of plyometrics?
 

I smile a bit when someone runs PT and does a really good circuit and then tells everyone it was crossfit.  Circuit training was around long before crossfit came onto the scene.  I (like Journeyman) am just happy that they are; a) exercising b) not doing MWF run TTH Ruck.  If they want to call it the flavour of the day I could care less.  P90X me for PT if it makes 'em feel good and we get a sweat outta it.

1. Do they keep the reps down to 5 or less? Preferably 3 or less?
3. Do they allow adequate rest time at heavier loads?
4. Are the new students taught how to SAFELY bail out of a failed snatch or jerk? We teach safety precautions, I Hope AFTA teaches this, a errant snatch (The lift I am talking about for you smart alecs out there) can kill or maim you.

AR,

As not to derail the thread further PM sent.

Chilme,

I am curious what the course entails as well so any info would be golden.

 

[muffin]

Rhabdo  ???
I was unfamiliar with the medical term "rhabdo" so I looked it up - thought I would post the article I found in case anyone else was wondering what it was ...

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/rhabdomyolysis.html

As with any "internet medical advice"  if anyone with more knowledge on the condition finds the article to be in error in it's description, please comment

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

... and as most of you already figured out 'Hambo' is 'Kratos' reincarnated and even though he perjured himself in almost every post, he became indigent that I used his real first name even though he made the open invitation for the Mods to investigate his profile.
I guess that has just about all the bases on integrity covered so let us move on to the topic proper, shall we.

 

[Chilme]

First off I would like to address ArmyRick,

1) In 2006 Dr. Howard A. Wenger, PhD, did a full analysis on the whole Crossfit(tm) system of training and determined a number of things.  First there were many aspects of the Crossfit(tm) system that are beneficial soldiers across many different trades, some of which includes: variable training, time and task oriented workout, competition, etc.

However, there were a number of issues that were related to the systems that are being address by CF fitness personnel as we speak.  Some of the shortfalls are: improper development of technique before full implementation, lack of recovery within the training schedule, unloading time, periodization based on deployment cycles, long low intensity training (ruck marches, running), etc.

The methods in the AFTA course were designed to remedy all these short falls.

2)  Those who take the AFTA course almost exclusively focus on exercise safety.  A significant portion of the 10 day course is focused on safe and proper warm up and cool downs; a progressive approach to developing Olympic lifting technique as well as other exercises; trouble shooting improper technique and determining how to fix it,  safe spotting (when applicable), and how to bail on bad lifts.  As I mentioned before, it also covers orienteering and safe Obstacle Course fitness.

3) It is important to note that at no point on the course we try to figure out how heavy people can lift or how fast one can finish a workout.  Our goal is to master skills before tempo increases.


On a side note, there is also a PSP staff course where instructors will be trained to hold user clinics to CF personnel in order to develop these elite lifting techniques.  It is only a matter of time before this is available across the CF

 

[Chilme]

I forgot to mention before that AFTA's will be subject matter experts within their unit in conjunction with local PSP staff.  Those who do not have the BFTA/AFTA designation should, without a doubt, take the 3 day long user clinic to properly introduce/develop the dynamic movements within the Tactical Athlete Training Program (Also termed Combat Fitness).

The approach that is being taken here is that many soldiers across various trades experience similar (if not more) physical demands to professional athletes (OHL, NHL, MLS, Olympic athletes, etc), therefore, they must be trained like pro athletes.

 

[Tyriel]

Interesting Program. I should check it out.