Programming Philosophy

Train. Play. Thrive.

Life Long, Sustainable Fitness Training
The main goal of any strength and conditioning program should be to enhance movement capabilities, reduce your chance of injury, increase your range of motion, increase your functional strength and allow you to become more athletic, all in a way in which you can withstand the training and reap the benefits for many years. That is the foundation for the programming at CrossFit Providence. There is much research, thought and planning given to the program.

Constantly Updated With Scientific Research
As current research is reported in the field of strength and conditioning, we do our best to implement these best practices and advances in our program. The basis of our program can be broken down even more so into the various components of what you will find emphasized in the program. While occasionally you may find exceptions to our basic premises, these are the general norms you will find in our program(s). No matter if you are coming for group training, or individualized team or competitor programming, all training programs are based off these tenets.

The following are the major components of our programming:

Functional Strength – the basis for all athletics.
Life is easier, the more strength you have. Walking five miles, climbing stairs, doing “Fran”, all have their basis in strength. What you will find in our programming is an emphasis on functional strength, squats, lifting things overhead, lifting things up off the floor, pulling things toward you, pushing things away from you, and being able to do these movements within the full range of motion of the movement to the best of your ability.

Constantly Varied Training
To prevent adaptation from occurring, we will use different strength techniques, rep ranges, etc. to constantly stimulate the muscles and add variety to the program to optimize your strength gains.

Increased Spatial Awareness Through Gymnastics
Gymnastic movements are an important component of our program. Knowing, feeling, and understanding how your body moves through space, and having the strength to move your body-weight in all planes is a major focus of the programming.

Flexibility and Mobility – for maximal efficient movement and injury prevention.
Along with spatial awareness comes the ability to perform movements through the full range of motion for all of your major joints. To ensure that each joint is able to move throughout its full range of capabilities, flexibility and mobility drills will also be focused on.

More Power!
Olympic lifting involves the engagement of your hips and core into moving heavy objects, in a coordinated fashion that involves your whole body and prepares you for the time when you may need to perform a quick explosive movement in regular life, like jump out of the way of an oncoming car, or bust open the door to a bathroom stall. Olympic lifting will also enhance your performance in any athletic event, whether it be tennis, basketball, or golf. Proper technique is important with these movements, however, whether you can properly perform a full movement (squat clean or squat snatch), or partial movement (Hang power clean, or hang power snatch), the benefits of force development, flexibility and mobility, and coordination is unparalleled to any exercise. Another benefit is that the Central Nervous System fatigue or soreness from performing these lifts, since they are quick movements, is less significant. Olympic lifting also is the only type of weightlifting shown to affect improvements in Maximal Oxygen Consumption (VO2 Max).

High intensity, for less than 15 minutes, yields optimum Metabolic Conditioning. 
We employ “CrossFit” methodology in our programming. Occasionally, you will see slightly longer workouts (greater than 15 minutes), to test your endurance, and work a different energy domain. However, this will not be the norm of the program. Our metabolic conditioning focuses on intensity of movements, not duration of time. There is a positive correlation between intensity and positive adaptation. There also is a negative correlation between intensity and time. After 8-10 minutes, intensity decreases dramatically. We like to keep the majority of conditioning workouts 15 minutes and below. It is at these time points where we can make sure you are working at the fullest intensity levels you can sustain, and optimize your performance gains. Also, the number of repetitions that you will perform will be within a range where you will have positive outcomes, and have reduced soreness and break down.

Why does our program differ from the Crossfit Main Site?
CrossFit.com makes a disclaimer on their website that the program is designed for the elite athlete. The elite athlete is not us. The elite athlete is essentially a professional. They have minimal stress, outside of their training regimen, get plenty of sleep, have impeccable nutrition, and have the means and capability to properly recover after each workout. Along with being a professional athlete comes the knowledge that sacrifices to their long term health may be necessary to perform at their optimal in the present.

99% of us do not have the ability to afford the luxury of the lifestyle of a professional athlete, nor the desire to sacrifice long term health for current fitness levels. It is foolish to think our bodies would be able to withstand the punishment of long workouts day in and day out, unless we have the ability to treat ourselves like an elite athlete.

Why don’t we do more Hero WODs?
In the eye of the beginner, long, grueling workouts, some of which are named in memory of girls or soldiers are enticing, look cool, look fun and intense (since longer time domains are mistaken for intensity), will get you sore, burn calories, may get you looking good naked in the short term, but will also get you injured in the long term. The average person will need days to properly recover from some of the recent hero workouts posted on the CrossFit main site, never mind doing two or three heroes in consecutive days.

What if I want to compete in CrossFit, the sport, some other athletic endeavor, or simply just want more?
If you wish to compete in CrossFit, or some other athletic endeavor, we do offer individualized programming for these purposes. Please make an appointment with Judah Boulet to discuss your goals, and an individualized program or adjunct program to the main class, can be designed for you or your team.