It’s test week at Accelerate Seattle and today was day 1. Before we kicked it off, a quarter of our athletes were excited, a quarter of them didn’t know what to expect and the last half were dreading it.
“This isn’t about winning or getting a PR,” said Brandon. “This is about creating a baseline so all of your numbers while training make more sense. From here on out, you will have very specific, measurable goals. And I’ll have a much better idea how to push you.”
Today’s testing included pull-ups, dips and a 2K row on the erg.
So now what? Let’s break down how we can use these numbers in a real class after test day. Alanna Santini (pictured) finished her 2K row in 7:57.5 or a 1:58 500m split. Next time 250m erg sprints are programmed in class, athletes will hear a very specific cue. Something like, “15 seconds faster than your 2K 500m split.” Now Alanna knows for a 250m sprint, she should be aiming for 1:42 on the clock.
How about pull-ups? Today, many of our women hit 9,10,12 even 15 body weight pull-ups in a row. Next time pull-ups are in a workout, guess who will get coached to add a few negatives, remove the band or something else?
Testing enables focused coaching. Focus coaching enables massive improvement in performance.
Tomorrow’s challenge? 1 rep max squat, 500m ski and a 2 minute sled push (how many times can you make it down and back)? And as you read this and ask yourself whether you want to attend, just remember. This gives your coaches focus, which makes you better.