Here you are diving into another one of our blog posts at PowerAthleteHQ.com. What we have come to realize is, a lot of our followers landed on this site one of two ways. Most of you migrated into Power Athlete Nation via our free online training system, CrossFit Football. Others may have found us through a friend, through google searches, through our podcast, or what I’ll refer to as “the other way.”

Regardless, I am here to clear up any confusion on a pretty interesting subject that hit our desk recently; what is the difference between this “Power Athlete” thing and that “CrossFit Football” thing? I mean, it’s the same people seemingly running both, they talk about each other ALL THE TIME, what gives?

This is actually a very simple answer.  Power Athlete is a training methodology focused on developing the physiological and psychological traits of athleticism.  CrossFit Football is simply one implementation and template of this methodology.

In a material analysis, Power Athlete employs me and my co-workers featured on this blog.  It’s the company that was contracted by CrossFit, Inc. to develop a training system and specialty seminar called the CrossFit Football Trainer’s Seminar to educate CrossFit Coaches, and other individuals, on how to utilize CrossFit to train sport specific athletes.  That specific application of the Power Athlete methodology took form in 2009 as a website, www.crossfitfootball.com, where daily workouts are published via CrossFit Football, and it’s mascot the “Slickster” generously provided by Starlingear.

Still don’t get it?  Let me resort to my bread and butter for an analogy; mathematics.  I promise not to bore you or muddy the waters, just play along.  Before I dive into that, lets look at what exactly I mean by “methodology”.  The Google machine tells us that methodology is a set of rules for any given discipline that can be applied to a given case to derive a solution.  What’s important to note here is, methodology at it’s heart isn’t trying to provide any sort of solution.  The “best practices” within that methodology, which are powered by a set of laws, rules and operators, are what are applied to each case to find the optimal solution.

On to the Math!  I graduated with a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science, and it was through the use of “methodology” that I made my marks.  One of the earliest abstract applications of methodology that I can still recall is the FOIL method. FOIL stands for First, Outer, Inner, Last, and it is a method that is used to multiply two linear binomials in algebra:

This law behind this methodology is something called the Distributive Property of Binary Operations.  Don’t worry we won’t get into that, all you need to know is that the FOIL method was is proven true universally under that law, meaning it can be applied to all cases that fit within a set of certain criteria (multiplication of two linear binomials).  As is such, It can be applied to an infinite combination of cases within those parameters because the method is universal for a given context.

Okay, off the boring stuff.  Just as the FOIL method has the Distributive Property of Binary Operations, the Power Athlete method utilizes the SAID principle, 3P model, primal movement patterns, and energy systems to determine the optimal application of accessible training practices to develop an athlete.  Just like mathematics relies on its operators to apply it’s methods, Power Athlete relies on our 7 primal movement patterns to drive physiological adaptation:

1) Vertical Push
2) Horizontal Push
3) Vertical Pull
4) Horizontal Pull
5) Squatting
6) Lunging
7) Stepping

Mathematical operators, like addition and subtraction, are useless without universe of numbers to work with.  So too are the primal movement patterns if we haven’t defined and prioritized our energy systems as well as our planes and axis of motion:

Just like a student of math needs a competency of the aforementioned methods, operators, and number sets of mathematics, so does our athlete in movement.  If our athlete cannot safely and effortlessly move through the full range of motion of the primal movement patterns, then we must first develop that competency (barring any permanent mechanical limitations from catastrophic injury or birth defect) before we introduce stress.  It is an evaluation of the limiting factor hierarchy that allows to assess competency in these movement patterns.  In general, we find this hierarchy to be:

1) Mobility
2) Stability
3) Strength
4) Power
5) Speed
6) Replication of Speed
7) Competitive Application

Through application of the SAID principle and analysis of an athlete’s limiting factors, we ultimately prioritize which energy systems, planes of motion and primal movement patterns to train in our program.  We determine a volume and intensity distribution to drive optimal, and accelerated adaptation specific to the athlete’s sport.  For example, let’s evaluate a common mistake we see in the industry today.

Worldwide there are thousands of field sport athletes participating daily in a common training program.  In these programs we see the utilization of common compound exercises like kettle bell swings, jumping, and squatting that require the athlete to only move sub-maximal loads in the frontal plane utilizing pelvic rotation only around the frontal horizontal axis.  These programs commonly utilize sprinting mechanics in a sub-maximal state, in efforts to “condition” the participant (build aerobic-alactic capacity).

A program like this will not optimally prepare an sport specific athlete for the demands of field sports like football, soccer, rugby, baseball, etc.  While it will drive key physiological adaptations, it will not drive a specific adaptation that is required/demanded by sport!

Enter CrossFit Football.

CrossFit Football is an application of the Power Athlete methodology.  This program utilizes the functional movements found in CrossFit, apply volume and intensity balance, and safely balance primal movement pattern loading to replicate the demands of field sports.  The program has athletes moving in multiple planes of motion.  It has athletes utilizing sprinting mechanics to develop speed.  The program is intended to build bigger, stronger, faster athletes.

However, what the program lacks is specific application.  It’s a general “shell” of the method put together to drive adaptation for thousands of potentially unique athletes.  The limiting factor of the Power Athlete method via CrossFit Football is we have the opportunity to evaluate the demands of each athlete individually. Limiting factors are unique to each athlete, and a one size fits all approach has limitations.

We don’t get to ask the 20,000+ followers of CrossFit Football, What are You Training For?  Because it’s through that inquiry that we collect that data, both qualitative and quantitative, to apply the Power Athlete methodology.

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