Skill vs. Strength vs. Conditioning

Hi folks,
Have you ever given much thought to the differences between skill, strength and conditioning in your training? For instance, what does each mean and how do you fit it all into your training program?

Let's begin with SKILLS.
Skills - to develop a movement skill is to develop COMPETENCE in that movement.

How you discern what is a skill versus a strength movement versus conditioning is entirely based on an individual's ability. Take double unders for instance. For individual A, the double under might be used primarily as a CONDITIONING tool. The skill has been mastered so there is very little need to spend time working it on its own.  Person A can simply add it to a conditioning wod and go hard.

For person B however, who doesn't have a double under, then the emphasis is on skill and it is highly unlikely that person B will get much out of using the double under as a conditioning tool. This person just needs to spend time developing the skill. In other words, the clock needs to be thrown out.

 There a couple of avenues open to the person who can do some double unders but perhaps not many. This person should spend time without the pressure of the clock but should also, at times, be using the clock to ensure he or she is working on the skill while fatigued.

MAXIMAL STRENGTH  TRAINING
-this type of training requires that you tap into the nervous system of your body.  Maximal strength training isn't for beginners for a couple of reasons. First of all, a beginner does not have the muscular structure to support the intensity necessary for max efforts. Second of all, a beginner needs PRACTICE and should thus be focusing on VOLUME over MAX EFFORTS.  These principles apply to both Olympic Weightlifting as well as Gymnastics. In the discipline of gymnastics for instance, if you dive into complex movements before your tendons, ligaments and nervous system are prepared, you are setting yourself up for injury. Take the muscle up for instance. A powerful athlete might very well come in off the street and kip through a muscle up, only to find him or herself doing involuntary shoulder disclocates through the rings at the top of the movement.

Another example would be the protracted push ups we have been working on in gymnastics and wods. There are very few of us that are ready for low volume and high intensity on this nasty little movement. We are much better off building a solid foundation of sets of 10 where we have many opportunities to perfect that protraction through the full range of motion.

CONDITIONING
CrossFit does an excellent job of conditioning the body through the use of high volume practices.  CrossFitters excel in that 80% zone of intensity. Think of such infamous benchmarks as Cindy (20 minute AMRAP of 5 kipping pull ups, 10 push ups and 15 air squats). HOLY VOLUME!!! It is very impressive to watch a seasoned CrossFitter do 20 plus rounds of Cindy. Heck, 15 plus rounds is impressive. And for folks new to CrossFit, the high volume of a workout such as Cindy can be a beautiful way to build up muscle endurance in a movement such as the push up.

In the last several years, CrossFit has gotten much better at focusing on STRENGTH and SKILL with olympic lifting. Some of you may have witnessed the 190 lb snatches by the Canadian women at the CrossFit invitational. Unbelievable! But CrossFit has not done the same with the gymnastics movements. Kipping muscle ups and handstand walking seem to be as complex as it gets. At this point in time, CrossFit has primarily used gymnastics movements as a CONDITIONING tool. I do think this will change in the near future.

The impressive volume of a gymnastics based workout such as Cindy won't make an athlete stronger unless STRENGTH and SKILL become a FOCUS after that base has been built. If the focus continues to be about push ups solely as a CONDITIONING tool, the body will adapt and then PLATEAU.  14 rounds of Cindy will only get you 14 rounds of Cindy. There will be very little transfer to the complexity of a muscle up or a press to handstand for instance. 

I recently suffered through 12 weeks of wall assisted press to handstands and 15 sec straddle L. I had to do 8 sets of 5 reps on each movement. It was extremetly tiring and at week 8 this bias on conditioning started to get very boring. And then the magic happened, a press to hanstand into an eccentric straddle L. I got to PLAY after 12 weeks of grueling work. 

Enjoy your training and suffer through the high volume that is required to build a strong foundation.  Take away the clock and focus on the skills necessary to perform a wod.  If you put the time in you will be rewarded with the ability to PLAY!!!

- Darci