The 4 C's of Metabolic Conditioning

Carl Hardwick explains how to use the 4 C's framework to progress metabolic conditioning.

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[myotherusername]

Thanks for a good explanation, coach.
One question: what role do vital signs ( heart rate monitor, pulse oximeter, BP, respiration rate, etc) play in evaluating progress  and guiding programming decisions? My big problem in MetCon in my CF Box was knowing how often to do MetCons. I  could never know how often to push, and wound up overtraining and quitting. That sucked because I really liked CF  (until I crashed and burned). 


I need a rule of thumb to know how often it's safe to do MetCon. It is hugely important to me and I never have found anyone who could tell me how to know that.


I'd appreciate some feedback on my notes. Here's what I understood from (and what I guessed based on) your talk: 
4 Cs: cyclical, circuit, chipper and CV (constant variation)

exercises increase in complexity 


client must be assigned the task appropriate to their level of development


the levels are more like blocks stacked one on another; the earlier ones are necessary foundation for the later ones,


moving from one C to the next simply adds new demands to the skills which are already learned and kept. 


all skills  learned in the previous Cs are integral and necessary foundation  for success in later Cs.


all exercises are either task dependent (500 M row) or time dependent (x minutes)


CYCLICAL exercise: exercise with low tension, low contraction, low complexity of movement (e.g., rowing, running, cycling).


client objective: learn to sustain a constant steady output. this forms a stable base for the next 3 Cs  when complexity increases.
One exercise per workout in Cyclical, the first step in the progression of conditioning exercises. client  must be proficient at body mechanics of the given exercise and have enough practice  to meter their energy output to a stable consistent value over the course of the entire exercise period before practicing a new exercise. In cyclical, client must learn new exercises so eventually client has a group of skills to stack in a circuit.



CIRCUIT: added complexity here is multiple exercises. Once the client can meter their activity level consistently in a variety of movements they stack movements in one workout and keep their output in the target zone during all the different  exercises that day.
Client objective: practice movement and energy management skills from Cyclical and add cognitive /motor flexibility  as they change exercises, to sustain a steady workload in each exercise of the new varied environment
trainer objective: adjust the workload of each exercise in the circuit as necessary to maintain intra-set repeatability. If all circuits are not complete in the same time frame while client maintains correct pace, or if reps decrease in the same time frame, then the workload is too high for the level of conditioning.   the client's skill and power determine the routine.


CHIPPER: Added complexity in this phase; chip away at larger workload. client objective: coping with increased workload.
Trainer objective: monitor client progress and  add power/endurance  demand by increasing goals incrementally to keep client progressing


CONSTANT VARIATION (CV)  Added complexity in this phase: randomly change the order of the exercises in the circuit. Increasing variance will increase muscular endurance and make further neurological demands on the client to manage energy, adapt to change, continue to practice skills
Trainer objective: teach client to identify  for himself exercises where he is capable of more output.
Client objective: self management, relying on trainer for expert oversight. 




Over view of the 4C progression:
1) Cyclical: client learns a variety of exercises and sustains stable output in them, one  exercise used in each workout
2) Circuit: a stable output during a variety of exercises used in each workout
3) Chipper: client steadily increases power production/muscular endurance  by performing  set tasks in shorter time, or more tasks  in a set time. 
4) Constant Variation: client randomly orders circuits and learns to self manage training

[corrinebell]

so in cyclical you are saying that they row 500m. However long it takes them to row 500 meter is the same amount of time they should rest before they do the next round

[Altonbrown]

Are there any of these categories that EMOM style metcons wouldn't work well in?