Milo of Croton

25
Jun

Milo of Croton

Milo of Croton
Many CrossFitters are interested in getting stronger.  All over the world, information pills athletes are looking to improve their 1RMs over the lifts in the hopes that bigger lifts will produce faster times.  For some, discount this helps.  For others, like me, it doesn’t.
To achieve true balance fitness, most of us will have to continually improve all things at once.  Pulling away from conditioning and focusing on improving lifts may improve a few of the 10 general physical skills, but others are sitting idle.
For those who need a quick reminder, the 10 general physical skills, as defined by CrossFit are: strength, speed, agility, balance, coordination, power, endurance, accuracy, stamina and flexibility.  (That was from memory.  Boss)
With that in mind, I want to try something new with strength training.  Like Milo of Croton, who carried a baby calf up a hill every day, and as it grew he got stronger, I want to improve across as many of the 10 general physical skills as possible.
Here’s my plan:
Once a week, in a session, we will perform 3 Power Cleans on the minute for 10 minutes.  My recommendation is to start at 55-60% of your 1RM.  Every week, you will make a small jump – 5# only.
Each week, you will jump 5#, which doesn’t seem like much.  But over time, like the baby calf grew on Milo’s shoulders, the bar will grow – and you will have to grow with it.
So, if you start tomorrow with 175, in a month you will be at 195.  In 2 months, 215.  In 3 months, you should be doing 30 reps at 235.  Is this possible?  We’ll see.
Oh, and Milo was killed by a pack of wolves as he was trying to rip a tree apart with his bare hands.  I guess the moral of the story is be careful what you do with your fitness.
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Workout of the Day
“Milo”
3 Cleans OTM for 10
You pick the weight – it should a moderate lift for you – 55-60% of 1RM.
Then
Split Jerk
Max Effort – from the rack