prax·is   [prak-sis]

noun, plural prax·is·es, prax·es  [prak-seez]

1. practice, as distinguished from theory; application or use, as of knowledge or skills.
2. convention, habit, or custom.
3. a set of examples for practice.

Praxis- Greek for “to do”: The exercise or practice of an art or skill. The work we embrace, wrestle, absorb into the cells of our bodies and contiually seek to define even while it more readily defines us — is our praxis

Joseph Lavy

2003

The Praxis Method was borne out of many years of experience with physical training.  CrossFit, for all of it’s eligance of “constantly varied functional movements, done at high intensity” can leave a mixed bag for long-term results when implemented group setting.  High level results are almost entirely based on natural ability, prior development, and recovery potential. What we see is a huge leap in fitness almost immediately with those that have a one or more of these traits and then a level off.  Those who are deconditioned, have joint mobility/stability/alignment issues, have under developed physicality, or are just “over the hill” make a similar progression, though not nearly as large, and then they too level off.  It isn’t necessarily what CrossFit is, so much as how it is generally implemented in a group environment.  It lacks deliberate practice in how most people understand and apply the concept, which leads to slower development.

So, what then?  Without deliberate practice, how do you develop? Many accounts of the development of expertise emphasize that it comes about through long periods of deliberate practice. In many domains of expertise estimates of 10 years experience deliberate practice are common.

Where is the “deliberate practice” in the CrossFit prescription?  This has been a consistent criticism of the CrossFit Philosophy for years across a wide spectrum of experts and, in our view, a valid one.  This does not mean CrossFit was intended to be this way. Check out this article from CrossFit founder Greg Glassman. Instead in the massive growth of the overall movement, it is largely implemented improperly by focusing first on intensity. This is particularly true in larger affiliates that focus on the competitive side of the CrossFit movement. Their normal answer is to “go harder”.

Enter the Praxis Method…

Our use of the term ‘Praxis’ is to define how we help the individual Athlete develop their body’s ability to coordinate chunks and movements to address a given task. What we are doing is making the events appear ‘varied’ for the Athlete, but they are very, very deliberate from our stand point.  To be sure, this is not meant to be an end run around CrossFit, rather a method of applying CrossFit.  We do this to ensure proper development through what are normally plateaus elsewhere.  Our steady progression ensure a sober response to long term training without the emotional ups and down of effort based performance indicators.

What we developed is merely a set of rules for progression, and a set of progressions in many cases, accompanied by a different mindset than seen in the bulk of CrossFit environments. We srive to meet the ‘varied’ component of CrossFit, however it appears in front of several ingenious “block periodization” models that run through what we call “offset concurrent” to each other.  These “blocks” are arranged daily and across longer terms (weeks/ months) to cause demands hormonally and neurologically in order to make best use of timing.

Here is how we generally arrange daily training in order to maximize the Endocrine Response to training and demands on the Central Nervous System as they relate to fatigue during a single workout:

In the longer terms, we take up to 2 main areas of focus and allow them to move through a natural course of muscle actions (eccentric, isometric, and concentric) or skill acquisition stages (chunks, variants, progressions, full) across the 4 phases of development that take a total of 12-36 weeks each:

Accumulation (3-9 weeks)- devoted to developing neurological mapping ( coordination, balance, accuracy) or physical structure (muscle hypertrophy and joint stabilization/mobilization) regarding particular movements/skills

Transformation(3-9 weeks)- devoted to specific abilities in order to prepare for the ‘realization’ such as top end speed, strength, agility and power by working complementary aspects for further developing.

Realization(3-9 weeks)- devoted to “realize” the inherent potential behind the very nature of the topic (the true test of that movement/skill). Speed for sprints…. Strength for powerlifts…. Stamina for Rowing….

Exploitation(1-3 weeks)- devoted to conditioning portions of training in a ‘small block’ (3 weeks) after each of the other phases where the movements/skills are often used to hone stamina and endurance.

Terms:

CHUNKING - stringing individual memory units together in order to create movement patterns

 

CHUNK - basic movement patterns used to develop and integrate key and secondary movements into full movements/competitive exercises through sequential and parallel means.

example: a ‘hip extension’ is a chunk of the movement/exercise ‘overhead squat’

 

MOVEMENT - foundational series of chunks that are cooordinated to cause displacement of the body, and external load, or for propulsion.

example: an ‘overhead squat’ is an element found in the full movement/competetive exercise called the ‘snatch’

 

ELEMENT - a movement or chunk that is a foundational piece of a movement or full movement/competitive exercise.

VARIENT - a movement that is missing a key element of the full movement.  This is done to either hasten the development of a particular attribute(s) of the full movement or to work around developmental/structural issues that hinder the full movement/competitive exercise.

 

example: a ‘The Power Snatch’ is a particular variant of ‘The Snatch’ that purposefully catches the bar in a very high squat. We do this for two reasons:
1. to develop more power from extending the bar upward to a higher catch position
2. To relieve particular individuals of the shoulder stress of catching in a lower position

 

PROGRESSION - an element or variant used for the purpose of developing the Athlete’s ability to execute a competent full movement/competition exercise

FULL MOVEMENT/COMPETITION EXERCISE - a movement that is an end upon itself from which to gage ability or compete.

 

In the above examples, it is CRITICAL to understand if the Overhead Squat is being done for itself or as a element of The Snatch.  This helps guide the Programmer/Coaches/Trainers in their assigning “keys” to the individual Athletes.  The Overhead Squat and The Snatch can be considered full/competition movements, even though The Overhead Squat is an element of the The Snatch.  The decision of whether the overhead squat is considered as an element of the full movement/competetive exercise or the actual full movement/competetive exercise itself, is based on end-state of that day’s training by the Programmer and the discretion Coach/Trainer as it applies to the Athlete

 

KEY ELEMENT (Movement or Chunk) - Critical peice of a task that deserves special focus from the Athlete generally based on his/her weaknesses

 

SECONDARY ELEMENTS (Movements or Chunks) - Assist the key element during the execution of a task.  Coach/Trainer will cue as necessary to remind Athlete, but not so as to distract from Key Element

 

KEY TASK (Exercise or Movement) - Workload concentration within the workout. One selected exercise or movement recieves special emphasis from the Coach/Trainer for the Athlete to focus on daily

 

KEY WORKOUT - The most important developmental workouts, which focus on the current, main training direction. One selected workout recieves special emphasis from the Programmer periodically in order to prepare for, or execute, a major Event or Benchmark.