Workout of the day:

Clean 5x5

AMRAP in 15 minutes:

5- Any way over head- 135/95lbs.
10- Ring Dips
15- Ball slams, 20lbs.

Note: Any way over head can be a strict press, push press, jerk, any movement that can be safely executed at a high intensity.

Last post, I confused you on body types and how they effect our training. Today's goal is to confuse you on what energy pathways are used for certain exercises and how that ties into proper programming.
There are three main energy systems that our body uses when we execute any type of physical activity. These systems, or "metabolic engines", are phosphagen, glycolytic, and oxidative. Phosphagen and glycolytic energy systems are anaerobic, meaning we do not use oxygen for energy. Oxidative system is aerobic so it requires oxygen for energy production. We use the phosphaghen energy system for movements that are extremely powerful, quick, and explosive. Typically, any powerful movement that lasts for a duration of <30 seconds uses this pathway. The more you get closer to and further away from that 30 seconds of duration moves on to the glycolytic system, which categorizes work from 30-90 seconds in duration. Movements that use the glycolytic energy pathway are largely anaerobic, and have moderate power. Moving towards the end of the glycolytic work limits, your body will be forced to use oxygen for energy. The oxidative pathway is primarily dominate for work duration that lasts longer than 120 seconds or 2 minutes. Anything between that 60-120 seconds range, will use a combination of anaerobic and aerobic energy systems. Depending on the individual's body type, diet, and genes the energy system that is more dominant will vary among each individual.
If you are confused here are some easy examples of what energy systems are used for certain events. 100m, 200m sprints are primarily dominated by the phosphagen system, 400m-800m are glycolytic and 1500m, 2000m are largely oxidative. 1 rep max and low rep max efforts are largely phosphgen, weightlifting in general is anaerobic. The oxidative system is only really demanded in aerobic activities like jogging, biking, rowing, and those boring long metabolic conditioning workouts. Now to tie on what I discussed in the last post concerning body types, can you guess what a mesomorphs primary energy system might be? How about an ectomorph? Think about what their natural strengths are, the sport they most likely may participate in, and the dominate muscles fibers that can be found in their body type.

Me and my buddy, Andrew Davie @ CrossFit Ignite. Andrew is in the process of opening up a CrossFit in Rockland County, so stay tuned!