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Helpful strength and fitness tips
A drop set is a training method where you perform a set at one weight, briefly rest, reduce the weight, and continue lifting. Most people know drop sets from bodybuilding, where someone does an exercise to failure, strips weight off the bar, and keeps going until they can barely move. In our classes, we're using the same basic idea, but for a different purpose. Instead of trying to exhaust a muscle, we're trying to accumulate more high-quality reps, reinforce good technique, and get stronger without letting form deteriorate. Take today's Front Squat session as an example: Every 3 minutes for 4 sets 3 Front Squats @ 85% Rest 15sec 2 Front Squats @ 80% Rest 15sec 1 Front Squat @ 75% The three reps at 85% are the main strength work. They're heavy enough that they demand concentration and good positioning. After 15sec, you've recovered just enough to perform two more reps at 80%. Even though you're still fatigued, that slightly lighter weight now feels more manageable because your body has already handled something heavier. Another 15sec later, you finish with a single rep at 75%, which should move quickly and reinforce excellent technique. Those short rest periods are what make the workout effective. Fifteen seconds isn't enough time to fully recover, but it is enough to reset your breathing, tighten your brace, and prepare for another quality rep. You're never completely fresh, which teaches you to maintain good movement even when you're tired, but you're also never so fatigued that your technique falls apart. By the end of the workout, you've accumulated 24 quality Front Squats: 12 at 85%, 8 at 80%, and 4 at 75%. That's a significant amount of productive work without asking you to grind through endless heavy sets. The heavier reps build strength, while the lighter reps reinforce the movement pattern and allow you to move the bar with more speed and confidence. This is one of the biggest differences between strength & conditioning and traditional bodybuilding. Bodybuilding drop sets are designed to maximize muscular fatigue and create a big "burn." Our goal is different. We want every rep to look good. We want to practice producing force, maintaining positions, and building strength under "manageable" fatigue. The drop in weight isn't there because you can't lift the heavier load anymore. It's there because the slightly lighter weight lets you continue practicing high-quality movement after the hardest work has already been done. Over the course of our strength cycle, this approach builds stronger, more technically sound athletes who don't just lift heavier weights... they move those weights better.
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Fitness trends tend to swing back and forth. Years ago, people avoided heavy weights because they thought they’d get bulky or injured. Then the pendulum swung the other direction, and now it feels like every fitness podcast is telling people they need to lift as heavy as possible. The reality is a little less dramatic. Research is pretty clear that muscle and strength adaptations can happen across a wide range of loads. Heavy weights work. Moderate weights work. Even lighter weights can work... if the effort is high enough and the set is taken close enough to fatigue. That last part matters. In a group strength & conditioning setting like ours, most people aren’t training for a one-rep max powerlifting meet. They’re trying to get stronger, build muscle, improve conditioning, and stay athletic while fitting training into a normal life. That changes how we approach loading. Some days should absolutely feel heavy and controlled. Other days should move faster, involve more reps, or challenge your ability to repeat effort under fatigue. That blend is important because strength and conditioning influence each other more than people think. Heavy work builds force production. Lighter repeated work builds muscular endurance and work capacity. Both matter. Here’s where things get interesting... Most people naturally stop sets too early when weights are light. The discomfort from higher reps usually shows up before the muscles are truly challenged. On the other hand, moderate or heavier loads tend to make it easier to reach meaningful training intensity in fewer reps. That doesn’t mean every day should be maximal. It just means the weight should probably be challenging enough that focus, effort, and good movement are required. The goal isn’t to lift the heaviest weight possible all the time. The goal is to use the right load for the adaptation we’re after that day... strength, speed, positioning, muscular endurance, pacing, or recovery. That’s part of why our classes include both a strength piece and a conditioning piece within the same hour. They develop different qualities, and together they tend to build more complete fitness than either one alone. And in a class setting like ours, it's easier to talk yourself into trying to lift that heavier weight. 😀 💪
One thing I try to bring to every conversation in the gym is a real respect for everyone's individual effort. Weights on the bar. Times on the clock. Where someone is right now in their training. All of it deserves context. A few months back, a drop-in athlete squatted 495lbs for smooth, fast reps... it was a sight to see. And yes, it’s impressive. Everyone noticed. And they should... that kind of strength doesn’t happen by accident. (He was an Olympic shotputter, by the way) But I try to bring the same sense of respect when someone new loads 95lbs on the bar and works through it with focus and intention. The numbers are different, but the work is not. And I think that's a cool feature of our little group gym. Something you just don't get in a Planet Fitness. It’s easy to celebrate the biggest lifts or fastest times because they stand out, but effort looks different for different people. A heavy bar for one person might be light for another, and vice versa. A newer athlete grinding through their first months of consistency is often working just as hard (mentally and physically) as someone lifting double the weight. They’re learning movements, figuring our their abilities & weaknesses, managing nerves on heavy lifts, figuring out pacing, and showing up without the comfort of experience. That deserves the respect. There’s also something else that matters: a little healthy competitiveness . Not the kind that puts people down; just the kind that reminds you that you’re part of a group that respects effort. Some light trash talk. Some glances at the leaderboard. Some internal “okay, guess I’m not backing off today.” When that balance is right, it pushes people forward without crossing into comparison or shame. If you're attending class consistently, the next thing you need probably isn't motivation. It's an environment where effort is respected, improvement is encouraged, and nobody feels invisible because their numbers are smaller. We respect the work. We bring the energy. And we have a little fun competing. That combination makes training stick and makes everyone better over time. Not because anyone is special, but because everyone is trying; and that’s worth something. If you're looking for a gym that respects the effort, you know where to find us: https://www.derbycityfitclub.com/get-started-at-our-louisville-gym
There’s a new kid on the fitness competition block - and you’ve probably heard the name. Seems to me that some CrossFitters don't like talking about it, but hey - Hyrox owes a debt of gratitude to CrossFit. It's taken the fun elements of the Individual & Team CrossFit Games and made them attainable for all. It looks kinda fun (although maybe a little monotonous, imo). What is it? It’s a race of functional fitness, the same thing every time: eight 1K runs, each followed by a station of work. Sleds, wallballs, lunges, burpee broad jumps, rowing, skiing... It’s gritty & grindy, and has a lot of the things OG CrossFitters like. And here’s the good news: If you’re already doing CrossFit, you’re already close to tackling a Hyrox event (just like you are with tackling a Spartan Race or any other specialty endurance event). How to Be Successful in a Hyrox Event via CrossFit 1. Prioritize Running Volume Hyrox is over five miles of running. Most of us CrossFitters simply don’t run enough. So, if you want to try out a race, you should integrate weekly runs - both slow/steady and faster intervals. I have a recipe for ya below. Hang tight. 2. Focus on Muscular Endurance Over Max Strength 1-rep max days are important, but make sure you show up for the days with high-rep lunges, lots of wallballs, air squats, burpees, long-distance rowing, really any high-rep days so you can improve your muscular endurance. And, be sure to focus on performing those movements well after you're gassed. 3. Develop a 'Max Sustainable Pace' Make sure you're working on "consistent pacing" in WODs. Learn to operate in that uncomfortable-but-sustainable Zone 3/4 effort. Zone 3 is a moderate intensity effort where you can still maintain a very brief conversation, while Zone 4 is a hard effort where communication is more difficult and you experience a greater level of fatigue. Basically, don't go Redline and kill yourself every time (but do try to hit that level once a week!). 4. Train for 'Compromised Running' In Hyrox, you never run fresh. You run right after lifting or lunging or burpee-ing. So, pick the Run option in any WODs to practice running immediately after fatigue-heavy efforts to simulate race conditions. 5. Use the Skier Yes, there's lot of running and other movements you're familiar with, but many folks never touch the Skier during class. Don't! A Hyrox race has 1k of Skiing, so make sure you pick the Skier once a week to get comfortable with the technique. Ask a Coach about "using gravity" to get the most out of each pull. How a Regular Class-Going CrossFitter Can Get Ready In my opinion, you don't need to overhaul your training or quit on your favorite classmates to start training alone. You just need to be intentional with how you supplement. Here’s how: 1. Add 1-2 Running Sessions/Week One easy effort (zone 2 - EASY!) and/or one interval day (e.g. 6x400m). Plus, pick the Run option in a WOD once each week. 2. Practice Hyrox-Specific Movements Add Wallballs, Sleds, Burpee Broad Jumps, and Farmer Carries to your warmups or finishers. 3. Train Compromised Running Finish a class WOD, then immediately hit a 800m run. 4. Work on Pacing, Not Maxing When on a machine (Echo bike, rower, ski) learn how to sustain at an uncomfortable pace. Ask a Coach for specific technique feedback, if you need it. The goal is not to die here. 5. Don't Skip the Strength Hyrox doesn’t mean giving up barbell work. You still want strength. An athlete with a strong Back Squat can perform more Wallballs for longer, just as an athlete with a strong Clean can more easily perform Sled Pulls. Plus, strength is what future-proofs our bodies as we age. Why CrossFit + a Little Extra = The Best Hyrox Prep Hyrox is one of the few competitions that sits right in the middle between CrossFit and pure endurance racing. It demands: *Strength (but not elite) *Endurance (but not marathons) *Mental grit (lots of it) *Movement efficiency *And a dash of strategy CrossFit already checks most of these boxes. You’ve built: *Total-body coordination *Power and explosiveness *Experience under fatigue *The grit to stay in it when it hurts Now, just layer in some specific running and pacing work, and you’re becoming a well-rounded, resilient Hyrox participant. One who can lift, run, push, carry, breathe, and repeat. That makes you pretty dangerous. 😉
