CrossFit Pre-Season Cycle
Written by Holden Rethwill
Invictus Athlete
Introducing the 2024 pre-season cycle. This cycle will begin on January 1st and will take us through the CrossFit Games semi-finals in late May / early June.
Pre-Open/Quarterfinals Phase
Our next training cycle is going to consist of multiple phases that will allow us to take advantage of how the 2024 season is laid out. We’ll start out focused on pre-open/quarterfinals prep to kick off the pre-season:
- Specific movements that are staples to the open and quarterfinals will make regular appearances during this phase, along with test and repeat workouts that we consider our “Invictus Standards”.
- As the cycle continues, we will shift focus to some of the different skill movements that have been more prevalent in the quarterfinals stages (i.e. rope climbs, GHD sit-ups, etc.).
Semi-Final Phase
Once we have finished that phase of the cycle we will begin the semi-final phase. In this phase we will:
- Consistently add higher skill pieces as well as volume and specific semi-final style workouts.
- Outside of the sports specific training, we will progress through both strength and conditioning pieces and build upon those throughout the course of season.
- Continue the theme of going heavy on Monday, gymnastics/skill emphasis on Tuesday, heavy on Wednesday, then more dynamic on Friday and Saturday.
- We want to use this phase to apply our conventional strength to help us improve at the sport, improve aerobic capacity, and increase gymnastics volume after all the skill work we’ve put in over the previous cycles.
How to get the most out of the CrossFit Pre-Season Cycle
We’ve stated over the last two cycles that in order to get the absolute most out of this cycle we recommend adding on the additional sessions bundle. If you’re someone who has the time to train twice a day and has specific gaps in your game that need fixing, then we highly recommend that route for you.
If that’s not you, or you’re someone who just wants to build some strength, enhance your gymnastics abilities, and out breathe the people at your local competitions, you’re still going to get everything you need to build strength, improve your gymnastics, and create an aerobic base that will boost your performance to the next level. The olympic lifting progressions, powerlifting fundamentals, raw strength, accessories, gymnastics breakdowns, and carefully crafted metcons that you’re going to get in this cycle are built to enhance you in all facets of the sport.
Invictus Standards
Wednesdays during this cycle are going to be all about performing workouts we’ve deemed useful for determining where athletes are at in comparison to the field. These workouts are part of our “Invictus Standards”. Each of these workouts fit in with other data points and help us determine the level that an athlete is at in relation to where they want to be. Strength numbers, gymnastics numbers, mono-structural numbers, and benchmark style workouts that will be completed on Wednesdays during this cycle all fall into these data points. The goal is that you will take these workouts as an opportunity to evaluate yourself and see where you may be excelling and lacking. Every Wednesday we will post what we believe a Games Level, Semi-Final Level, and Quarterfinal Level athlete should score in that workout in the coaches notes. That said, not every Games Level athlete is going to fall into that Games Level score for every single workout. As previously stated, these are simply data points that give people realistic information on where they currently stack up and where they are currently lacking or excelling.
General Athlete Primary Session Daily Outline:
All primary sessions can be completed in 75-120 minutes depending on the day. If you’re someone that struggles staying on a timeline and cannot complete all the work in this time, or are someone that trains on a shorter clock, we’ll be happy to help you determine what to prioritize with your time.
- Monday – Max Effort Lower Day (emphasis on the snatch and squatting) + 1-2 Accessory Pieces + High Volume Pulling Metcon
- Tuesday – Gymnastics Skill Work (emphasis on handstand walks and push-ups) + Double Under Volume Accumulation (shorter sprint-style skill workout) + 20-40 Minute Skill and Volume Accumulation EMOM
- Wednesday – Max Effort Upper Body Day (emphasis on clean and jerks as well as vertical pressing) + 1-2 Accessories + “Invictus Standards Metcon”
- Thursday – Swimming + Zone 2 Work
- Friday – Dynamic Effort Lower Body Day (emphasis on hang snatches) + Front Squat and Pulling Complimentary Lifts + 1-2 Accessories + Open/Quarterfinal Based Metcon (emphasis on gymnastics pulling)
- Saturday – Dynamic Effort Upper Body Day (emphasis on jerks) + Horizontal Pressing + 1-2 Accessories + Partner Based Metcon
Additional Session General Outline:
All additional sessions should be completed in 75-120 minutes as well. We do not recommend hitting every option every day – instead, pick one to three of them and prioritize those. If you struggle to determine which is the best option for you then reach out and we’ll be glad to point you in the right direction.
- Monday – Two additional cardio pieces (mixed modal), one strength accessory option, one sled option.
- Tuesday – One cardio option (mixed modal), one partner metcon option, one plyometric/power output option, one strongman option.
- Wednesday – Two additional cardio options (mixed modal), one strength accessory option, one grip strength option, one gymnastics accessory option.
- Friday – Two additional cardio options (mixed modal), one running option, one sled/carry option, one gymnastics accessory option.
- Saturday – Two additional cardio options (mixed modal), one running option, one grip strength option.
Invictus Masters
Masters Cycle
The Masters cycle will follow the same focus with phases leading up to the Open, Quarterfinals and Semi-Finals. The Masters program will include more positional work for the olympic lifts, new mobility and activation protocols, and focused skill work on gymnastics movements, like strict handstand push-ups. Some lifting sessions will differentiate sets and volume based on the age group and all conditioning pieces will be appropriately adjusted for age divisions. The Saturday sessions will provide two conditioning options to give our Masters athletes the option to work on more aerobic capacity or Open style conditioning.
General Masters Primary Session Daily Outline:
All primary sessions can be completed in 75-120 minutes depending on the day. If you’re someone that struggles staying on a timeline and cannot complete all the work in this time, or are someone that trains on a shorter clock, we’ll be happy to help you determine what to prioritize with your time.
- Monday – Upper & Lower Body Mobility Focus + Snatch (heavy) + Knee or Hip Hinge Lift with additional gymnastic volume + Gymnastics + Barbell Conditioning
- Tuesday – Upper Body Mobility Focus + Core Activation + Gymnastics Skill Work (emphasis on handstand walks and push-ups) + + 20-40 Minute Skill and Volume Accumulation EMOM
- Wednesday – General Activation + Vertical Pressing + Open/Quarterfinal Based Metcon
- Thursday – Swimming or Zone 2 Work
- Friday – Lower Body Mobility + Clean + Front Squat + Open/Quarterfinal Based Metcon (emphasis on gymnastics pulling)
- Saturday – Upper Body Mobility Focus + Dynamic Effort Upper Body Day (emphasis on jerks) + Horizontal Pressing + Longer Conditioning OR Zone 2 Aerobic Conditioning
We will have a dedicated cool down option for most sessions as well.
Join the 2024 CrossFit Open Pre-Season Cycle
Don’t miss out on the 2024 cycle! Whether you have competitive CrossFit goals, or simply want to perform your best in the gym every day, Invictus has a program for you. Get started today and kick off 2024 with us.
