top of page

How Rocket Defines Fitness

We don't measure progress in terms of weight and size. In fact, we never talk about those things because they are not a good indicator of health, fitness or strength. Instead, we focus on the 10 core principles of CrossFit that Greg Glassman outlined when he developed CrossFit. We're not an affiliated CrossFit gym anymore, but, credit were credit is due. These are what we use to gauge progress, set goals and pursue fitness. Even more than that, we set goals based on you being able to do the things that you enjoy in life, and how you feel. We're far more interested in your being able to take that hike with your friends, or play with your kids, or carry your groceries than we are in what you look like. (Of course, we don't care at all what you look like, so there's that.)

​

The 10 core principles of are:

  1. Cardiovascular / respiratory endurance – The ability of body systems to gather, process, and deliver oxygen.

  2. Stamina – The ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy.

  3. Strength – The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force.

  4. Flexibility – The ability to maximize the range of motion at a given joint.

  5. Power – The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply maximum force in minimum time.

  6. Speed – The ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement.

  7. Coordination – The ability to combine several distinct movement patterns into a singular distinct movement.

  8. Agility – The ability to minimize transition time from one movement pattern to another.

  9. Balance – The ability to control the placement of the body’s center of gravity in relation to its support base.

  10. Accuracy – The ability to control movement in a given direction or at a given intensity.

Do You Do Cardio?

Yes. It just looks like working out. We lift weights faster, we run and jump. You'll get your heart racing, if that's what you mean. But it's also important to understand that you have 3 distinct metabolic pathways, and our programming is designed to make sure you use all of them over time, regularly, at the right intensity to keep them strong, because you need all of them. They are broken into two sorts: aerobic and anaerobic. Many people train EITHER aerobic (think distance running or cycling) OR anaerobic strength (pure strength sports like Weightlifting.) We expressly train both. 

​

The 3 metabolic pathways are:

  1. Oxidative (aerobic) – This is what people think of as "endurance" and "stamina." Efforts that are sustianed for more than 3 minutes. We do a lot of work in the 10 - 30 minute range, what people think of as "cardio."

  2. Phosphagen (anaerobic)– Short bursts of power, like Weightlifting, Jumping etc...  Things that take 0 - 60 seconds.

  3. Glycolitic (anaerobic) – Medium bursts of high exertion, like a 400 M run, or segments in a HIIT class. Things that take up to 3 minutes. 

Terms and Lingo

​

  • WOD: Workout Of The Day

  • BENCHMARK WOD: A workout that we repeat periodically to see your changes. Maybe you’ll go faster or use more weight or do a harder move or….. It’s how you check back in to gauge your progress.

  • TIMECAP: Some workouts are written to last a certain number of minutes and you do as much as you can in that time.

  • REP: One single instance of doing a thing, like a single squat is a rep.

  • ROUNDS: A collection of reps and moves.

  • ROUNDS + REPS: If you’re counting your rounds plus reps, it’s the total number of rounds you completed + however many reps are leftover at the timecap.

  • METCON: Metabolic Conditioning

  • RFT: Rounds For Time

  • AMRAP: As Many Reps As Possible

  • REP SCHEME: How a workout is organized. It’s written rounds first, then reps. So, in lifting, 5 rounds of 10 reps would be 5 x 10.  It could also be something like Fran (a Benchmark WOD) which is 21-15-9 Thrusters and Pull ups. In that case, you do 21 Thrusters then 21 Pull ups, then 15 of each, then 9 of each.

  • EMOM: Every Minute On The Minute

  • RX: Sometimes a WOD has a “prescribed” weight because it is a benchmark WOD. You’ll also see RX in competitions, because really, in order to figure out who “wins” in a competition, you have to be doing the same thing.

  • SCALING: This is the default at Rocket. Finding a version of the workout – the right moves and right weight – that is appropriate for your body to get the workout that you need today.

  • DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It’s real. So real. Soreness is usually the worst 2 days after the exertion.

  • OH: Overhead

  • DB: Dumbbell

  • BB: Barbell

  • KB: Kettlebell

 

And then there are lots of specific moves that get abbreviated, and we won’t list them all here, because you’ll get to know them and there are just too many to get into here……..

bottom of page