CrossFit Foundations

CrossFit Foundations is the strength and skill complement to your box classes. It is for the athlete who has done CF for a few months, can RX most workouts, but knows there is a gap: most CrossFit programming in classes is metcon-heavy, and you do not progress on back squat or strict pull-ups by just hitting Fran twice a year. Eight weeks, two sessions per week. You run it alongside your box classes, typically on open gym days, taking 60 to 90 minutes per session. It does not replace your CF programming. It sits next to it and fills the holes. The structure leans into the gaps that most box programming leaves open. A back squat, front squat and deadlift periodisation with linear weekly progression and a built-in deload in week 5. Strict gymnastics work: strict pull-ups, ring rows, push-ups, ring dips, HSPU progressions. Olympic accessory work: snatch balance, OHS holds, hang power clean drilling. And a finisher metcon at the end of each session because you are a CrossFitter and you would hate me if I cut metcons. What this program is not: a beginner introduction to CrossFit. If you cannot complete a basic workout RX and you do not know what an air squat looks like, this is not for you. The level is intermediate, designed for someone who shows up to class regularly and wants to fix the same weaknesses that show up in every Open. Loadings are based on your 1RM. The first week is a max test for back squat, front squat, deadlift and strict press. After that the program assigns percentages from what you logged. If you do not know your 1RM yet, the Evox 1RM calculator estimates it from a 3-rep or 5-rep working set. Not as accurate as testing, but enough to start. Each session is structured around three blocks: a strength piece (15-25 min), a gymnastics or accessory piece (10-15 min), and a metcon (8-12 min). The metcon is short and intense, designed to leave you tired but not so wrecked that you cannot show up to your regular box class the next day. That is the whole tradeoff with adding a complement program: do not blow up the weekly volume. The program is free. It is built for athletes who already pay for box membership and do not have €150/month to add a remote coach on top. Run it for 8 weeks, see if your back squat moved, see if your strict pull-ups feel better, and decide what is next. Equipment: dumbbells, a pull-up bar or rings, bands, a barbell. Most boxes have everything during open gym. If you train at home in a garage gym, this still works as long as you have the gear. The strength pieces do not need a coach watching you, just discipline on the percentages.

8-week strength accessory program, 2 sessions/week of 45 min. Builds the foundations often underdeveloped: posterior chain, unilateral work, deep core, scapular stability. An excellent CrossFit complement, also usable on its own. ⚙️ What you'll work on • Clean hip hinge (single-leg RDL, hip thrust) • Unilateral squat (Bulgarian split squat, step-up) • Scapular stability (face pulls, Y-T-W) • Unilateral push/pull • Deep core (anti-extension, anti-rotation, anti-lateral flexion) 🎯 Test before you start (W0) • Max single-leg RDL with comfortable DBs (weakest leg) — log reps before tempo breaks • Max strict push-ups unbroken • Max side plank per side (timed) You'll retest in W8 to measure your progress. 💡 Loads This program isn't about going heavy. Progression comes from tempo, range of motion and stability. If you know how to lift, pick a load that lets you finish clean sets with 2-3 reps in reserve (RPE 7-8). 💡 Tempo: the key to the program On slow exercises (RDL, hip thrust, single-arm row), respect the prescribed tempos (3-1-1 = 3 sec down, 1 sec pause, 1 sec up). Tempo > load. 💡 CrossFit compatibility If you're doing CrossFit alongside this: • Place Session A and Session B on 2 non-consecutive days • Ideally rest days or before a light WOD • Avoid after a heavy WOD (deadlift, snatch, heavy clean & jerk) ⚠️ Warning signal Joint pain (knee, shoulder, lower back) that persists >48h after a session = too much load or bad form. Drop the load 30%, film yourself to check technique.