Saturday, February 20, 2010

Fear and Loathing in Metcon Land

What is a Metcon?

I took this from one of the CF Forums, Eugene Allen does a great job of explaining it.

The meta part of the word is for metabolic and that has to do with your energy systems. You have certainly heard and used the word metabolism and have a sense for slow and fast metabolisms. Some people walk by a bakery and gain two pounds and others shove everything they can get their hands on down their pie hole and never gain a pound. Metabolic - energy systems.

The con is easy, that's just conditioning and the contraction metcon is shorthand for the CrossFit methodology for improvement of the cardio vascular and cardio respiratory systems through a variety of functional exercises executed at high intensity.


Another person described a metcon as:
The metcons are the ones where you want to puke, and lay around for a while on the floor afterward.

While initially, one would think "Okay, but this type of training is totally contrary when training for a 100 mile race" (especially when I am up against "The Fastest Matt".

Well, check out this article. Again, I don't know if it will work for me, but more of the reasoning why I am trying this "scheme".

The drawback to these is.... well.... they just kill you. Not just the pukie feeling, but you start to get dizzy and loose grip on reality. They are also workouts you have to be 100% prepared for when going in.

I write this as I am putting off doing one right now
"Tabata this!"

"Tabata This!"

Tabata Row (substitute Sumo Dead Lift High Pull ups - google it)
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Squat
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Pull-up
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Push-up
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Sit-up

The Tabata interval is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 intervals.
Tabata score is the least number of reps performed in any of the eight intervals. Unit for the row is "calories".

Post Tabata score for each exercise to comments and total for final score.
E.G., 10, 22, 9, 15, 15 = 71

It is a little confusing, but the scaled forum does a good job explaining it.

The fun thing about these, is you can easily compare yourself to others (not that I do it a lot, but it is interesting to see how I match up).

So if you are interested, do "Tabata This!" this weekend and let me know what your points are.

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My 2k run will be on Tuesday due to the indoor track having an event today.

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Weird work schedule for the coming week. I will be at the MSP Home and Garden show all Wed-Sun. If anybody is going, come by the Premium Waters booth and ask for Matt the coffee guy. I will make you a cup of joe.

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Update "Tabata This!"

My Score = 45 (fewest # in 8 sets)
SDHP - 10
Squats - 14
Pull ups - 4
Push ups - 7
Sit Ups - 10

4 comments:

SteveQ said...

I've been studying the Tabata system for a while now and I have to say that I feel a little vindicated now after people have criticized my sprinting as part of endurance training, but there's some real holes in the methodology. I say sprinting has a role, but it should not be the main focus, unless one's a sprinter.

Matthew Patten said...

Steve,

I have never criticized your sprint work. I have only been critical of your overtraining & lack of recovery work.

Joe said...

what weight did you use for the SDHP?

Matthew Patten said...

Joe,

the SDHP was a 45lb bar.

That is the standard rowing sub for men. 500 meter row = 45lb 50 times.

Those kill me after 2 rounds. I have yet to be able to do 5 rounds