Next up in my series on Beyond the Whiteboard‘s Fitness Level feature is the LIGHT category. Again, the site has been a huge tool in my CrossFit training since it was created by my little brother Jonathan Kinnick and his crew in 2009. It allows me to log and follow all of my results and numbers so I can really focus and dial in my programming. The Fitness Level is the next step in visualizing fitness and being able to clearly see weaknesses or strengths.

If you missed the first blog in the series, check it out HERE to get a better understanding of the feature and how simple it makes programming and training.

LIGHT

The light category factors in Metcon workouts that use some weighted element and are typically under 20 minutes. A lot of the most iconic and classic CrossFit workouts contribute to this and the category shows how well rounded you are in those benchmarks tests. Light workouts include many of the girl workouts: Fran, Helen, Grace, and Elizabeth along with other popular workouts in BTWB that have similar characteristics. I have always seen it as really important to test and retest the girl WODs because they are such excellent CrossFit programming and because they are simply amazing indicators of fitness. My abilities across all aspects of fitness have improved right alongside my times on benchmark workouts and that is definitely not a coincidence. The WODs are tried and true and because there are so many results for them in BTWB, your score for each inputs a very accurate data point into the Fitness Level. For example, Fran has over 60,000 posts on BTWB. That means that your score (down to the second) gives you a very clear picture of where you stack up in the CrossFit community for that workout. Many of the CrossFit Games Open workouts also factor into this category because they are similarly programmed, lighter weights mixed with bodyweight movements that deliver a serious dose of intensity. 

Because the Fitness Level pulls in results from 2009 and on, my history here shows that I have always kept these kinds of workouts as a big part of my training and I have performed well on them. My current times and scores puts me at a 97 in the category based off workouts that I have done in the past 6 months. My numbers have stayed in the high 80s and into the 90s almost constantly in that time period. However, I have been doing CrossFit for close to 7 years so there is a little more to my growth here. Here are some of my oldest scores for a few LIGHT benchmarks along with my all time best performances:

Fran

Dec, 2008-  17:22 Rx’d / Oct, 2013-  2:17 Rx’d

Helen

Dec, 2008-  10:33 Rx’d / Jan 2011-  7:30 Rx’d

Grace

Sep, 2008-  3:41 Rx’d / Oct, 2013- 1:22 Rx’d

Diane

Jan, 2008- 7:51 (185# Deadlift) / May 2012, 3:14 Rx’d

I love looking back at these benchmarks and seeing how far I have come! Having started CrossFit completely out of shape and overweight, the PRs I have accumulated over the years represent a lot to me and I will continue to revisit the classics in my training because they are amazing tests and always challenging.

Do yourself a favor and start using Beyond the Whiteboard right away, it is so crucial to see how far we have come in CrossFit, having a record of those accomplishments and top performances means a lot. For me the LIGHT category definitely reflects that. Being able to see this in the Fitness Level takes it to new heights. Stay tuned for more looks into this feature and my numbers!

Next up in my series on Beyond the Whiteboard‘s Fitness Level feature is the SPEED category. Again, the site has been a huge tool in my CrossFit training since it was created by my little brother Jonathan Kinnick and his crew in 2009. It allows me to log and follow all of my results and numbers so I can really focus and dial in my programming. The Fitness Level is the next step in visualizing fitness and being able to clearly see weaknesses or strengths.

If you missed the last blog, check it out HERE to get a better understanding of the feature and how simple it makes programming and training.

SPEED

The speed category definitely provides a different look into my development as an athlete than my power lifts. I have always had some good capacity when it comes to power lifts but speed was not something that came easily to me as I started out in CrossFit. I have had to work extremely hard and dedicate huge periods in my training to make it a strength. You can see with my numbers some major peaks and drops that correlate to my different times in shorter row and run intervals (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m runs and 100m, 250m, 500m, 1000m rows). The category is an average of my scores across all those distances.

After placing 29th at the 2009 CrossFit Games I went into the next year with a big emphasis on strength training and did not focus much on my speed or endurance. In 2010 I didn’t qualify for the games and I realized that it had become a hole in my fitness that I needed to address. I started incorporating it into my training more and in the following years even worked heavily with CrossFit Endurance founder Brian Mackenzie to build it into a strength. I regularly hit the track and would push myself hard to see gains in my times. Between late 2012 and 2013 there is a big dip in my speed level that were more from a lack of testing the run and row intervals but recently I have definitely picked these up again to systematically work them into my training and improve my speed on the track and the rower. This past weekend I ran a 0:04.6 40 yard dash at the OC Throwdown in an NFL combine style event. This isn’t something I have ever tested since starting CrossFit so it was an awesome surprise. The last time I had run one was in junior college during my baseball days and I ended up with a pulled hamstring.

My current times (some of which are all out efforts, others are part of metcons or at the end of a training session) are:

Run

100m- 0:13.5

200m- 0:28.7

400m- 1:06.5

800m- 2:31

Row

100m- 0:15.7

250m- 0:40.1

500m- 1:34

1000m- 3:23

I am putting an emphasis on building my speed as my training ramps up for the 2014 regionals and I can’t wait to see how that reflects on these numbers and my Fitness Level overall. Exciting times are ahead as I really turn up the heat and build some momentum heading into the 2014 games season!

Do yourself a favor and start using Beyond the Whiteboard right away, it is so crucial to see the progress we work for in CrossFit, especially with things that do not come easy to us. For me the speed category definitely reflects that. Being able to see this in the Fitness Level takes it to new heights. Stay tuned for more looks into this feature and my numbers!