On Sundays, starting at 11.45 and often overrunning into 13.30 (and sometimes beyond!) is a peculiar beast called Strong Sundays (formerly Strongman). It is inspired by the sport of Strongman which, despite its name, includes a number of profoundly strong female athletes as well. Like CrossFit, it is all about intense performance in the face of largely unknown challenges. But unlike CrossFit, a bout is unlikely to last more than 2 minutes at a time and there isn’t ever a ‘light’ workout.
Strongman focuses on lifting weight, with a number of lifts and objects you would recognise from any gym, as well as some more specialist equipment and unusual movements.
What will we be playing with?
Because Strongman focuses on the external load, it considers shifting the weight in different categories: push, pull, drag, press, lift, hold and carry. And, because it often works in a 90 seconds or less time frame, it creates intensity by using much heavier or weirder items.
Let’s talk about examples. The squat racks in the Strength Shed/Open Gym area are actually yokes, and they can be loaded up with increasing weight and carried. Strong Sundays had a several week program on getting the heaviest load on a yoke and carrying it 10 metres. The D-balls in the racks by the plates rarely come out for CrossFit, but are a staple of our Strong Sundays classes, whether they be carried or loaded to a platform. And if the d-balls aren’t heavy enough, there are concrete balls (The Stones!) at the back of the Strength Shed. We’ve also had a program just for these: how many lifts can you make in 90 seconds? There are a few other Strongman implements about the Box: Axel bars (or fat bars), The Logs, The Worm, and the hex-bar (or trap bar) to name a few. But, with a bit of imagination, nearly anything in the Box can be used in one way or another to create constantly varied Strongman-inspired workouts.
Like Strongman, but spicier
We’re not just creating Strongman workouts, though. We are still a CrossFit box, and CrossFit runs in our veins! Although we rare put the high-skill work in, some CrossFit elements are incorporated. A heavy drag hits differently after sprinting out 12 cals on the Assault Bike and throwing a D-ball over boxes is a different workout if you put a burpee between each rep.
Come along!
If all this seems a bit scary, remember that at least one (and often 3) experienced coaches will be available to help you scale and adapt the workout to be right for you, and with lots of rest periods, there will be plenty of time to recover, ask a coach and adapt as necessary.
And we’re open to everyone! Members, these classes are included in your membership. Non-members, it’s £10 per class.