Performance Standards - As Rx'd Class

Catalyst Games 2009 is a competitive event.  To keep things fair, we insist that every competitor perform at the same level of movement quality.  Every single repetition you do during an event will be judged.

This year, we're introducing the Card system for judges.

Yellow Card - Repeat the Rep

A judge will throw a Yellow card at your feat and say, "No rep.  Repeat."  You will have your repetition discounted and be required to repeat the rep before you move on.

Red Card - 3-Repetition Penalty

If, after receiving a Yellow card for doing a rep improperly, you perform another 'cheating' repetition, you'll be assessed a 3-rep penalty.  The 3-rep penalty will include the rep you missed (you don't have to do the rep over, and THEN do 3 more.) Once you've received a Yellow card for one movement, you're at risk of receiving a Red card for any movement thereafter.  You don't receive a clean slate when you move on to a new exercise.

For instance, using the example of "Cindy" (5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 squats for rounds,) an athlete who fails to touch his chest to the ground on a pushup would receive a Yellow card (repeat the rep.)  If they perform the rest of the pushups correctly, but then fail to achieve squat depth on one squat repetition, they're assessed a Red card (3 extra squats.)  

Exceptions: Very Technical Movements and 1RM attempts

If there should be a 1RM-based strength challenge, you'll be given a maximum number of attempts at a max lift.  Obviously, a missed attempt (failed lift) will not require you to perform 3 more reps.  Also, if muscle-ups are part of an event, a missed muscle-up (see below for movement standards) will require only a repeat of the repetition missed.

Standards of Movement - Individual Exercises

Note : inclusion in this list does not guarantee that the exercise will appear in Catalyst Games 2009.  To keep the mystery alive and encourage well-rounded fitness, we're keeping the actual exercises a secret until the week before the Games.

• CLEAN & JERK - The athlete pulls the loaded barbell from the ground and receives it in a full squat. Full squat is met when the crease of the hip falling below the knee or patella. From the squat, the athlete may receive the bar overhead in anyway – thruster, press, push press, jerk. Elbows and shoulders must lock out with bar overhead. Overhead defined as arms holding bar above the body whereas the ear is visible at the anterior of the bicep. Knees and hips must also be at full extension. When dropping the bar, the athlete will keep his/her hands on the barbell until it has passed the chest. There is no “dumping” the bar from overhead intentionally. BE SAFE!

• PULL-UP - All pull-ups must start from a dead hang (elbows completely extended) and end with chin above the bar. Any pull-up variation is acceptable as long as it meets the defined range of motion.
• DEADLIFT – The athlete pulls the loaded barbell from the ground and stands with knees and hips in full extension. The athlete may not “dump” the bar from the standing position, but may allowed it to drop with hands on the bar at all times for safety.
• BURPEES – The athlete will drop to his/her hands and toes, perform a push-up. Push-up defined as the hip and chest both touching the ground, followed by the arms pushing to full extension. The athlete then jumps with his/her knees, hips and shoulders in full “extension”. The hands clap overhead as the athlete jumps. Overhead defined as arms above the body whereas the ear is visible at the anterior of the bicep.
•   SQUAT - The athlete will descend until the crease of the hip is below the sweep of the quadriceps.  That means thighs parallel to the floor, at a minimum.
• ANYHOW - The athlete must move a weighted bar from the ground to full overhead extension.  The bar must touch the ground at both ends, and the lifter must be at full extension with elbows and knees locked each rep.
•   BENCH PRESS - The athlete will start with arms locked in full extension.  Feet must be on the floor or plates.  The bar is to be lowered to the chest, visibly touch the chest, and return to the full locked-out position for a repetition to count.  The athlete's butt may not leave the bench at any point, and the feet may not leave or move on the floor (lifting and lowering of the heel is allowed.)  If a spotter touches the bar, the rep does not count; an initial handout is permitted.
•   PUSHUP - The athlete must start from a full lockout (elbows and knees,) and lower until chest and thighs both strike the ground, before returning to full lockout.  Failure to touch the floor with both chest and thighs at the same time, or failure to completely extend the elbows will count as a missed rep.
•   WALL BALL - The athlete must carry the ball at the chest, sink into a full squat (crease of the hips below the sweep of the quadriceps, or below parallel to the floor) and rise to throw the ball in one motion.  The ball must travel higher than the green chalk line on the wall to count - that is, the line must be visible below the ball.  Striking the line with the ball is a missed rep.  The athlete does not have to catch the ball on the way down.
• THRUSTER - The athlete carries the bar in a front squat position, descends to the full squat depth, and stands, pressing the bar overhead to full extension.  Athletes may be required to sit to a medicine ball; alternately, this may not be permitted at all.  Failure to achieve depth in the squat or full extension (elbows and knees locked) in the press will count as a missed repetition.  Athletes may not 'dump' the bar from full overhead extension unless in an emergency, but may guide the bar down with open hands from lower than chest level (see Clean and Jerk.)
• KETTLEBELL SWING - The kettlebell must pass behind the athlete's knee on the downswing, and travel higher than the lifter's eyes on each repetition.
• SITUP - The athlete's shoulders must touch the ground on every repetition (or achieve a position parallel to the floor if using the GHR) and end in a vertical torso.
• MUSCLE-UP - The movement must commence from a full hang (elbows fully extended) and end in full extension (elbows locked.)  At no time may the athlete's feet touch the ground during the repetition, though they may rest as long as necessary between reps.  
• KNEES TO ELBOWS - From a full hang, with knees behind the hips, the athlete's knees must travel in one motion to the elbows or beyond.  Alternately, an athlete may choose to touch their toes to the pullup bar.
• BOX JUMP - Must be done with two feet leaving the floor at once, and two feet landing on the box at once.  At some point in the repetition, the athlete must achieve full extension of the hips and knees (body must form a perfect vertical line with hips over knees.)
• PUSH PRESS - Bar must travel from contact with the upper chest to full lockout of the elbows, with the bar travelling over the head.
• SANDBAG CARRY - Bag must be carried off the ground in any way preferred by the athlete.  Bag may be dropped at any time; athlete will assume a position behind the bag, lift it, and then resume movement.
• WALKING LUNGE - The athlete will not touch their legs during the movement; the crease of the hip of the front leg must travel lower than the front knee, though the knee of the rear leg doesn't have to touch the ground.  If it does touch the ground, that's fine.
• BCTs (BURPEE - CLEAN - THROW) - The athlete will begin in a pushup position over the ball (the chest may rest on the medicine ball.)  The athlete will perform a full burpee (see above) over the ball, dropping to grasp the ball for the clean only after completing the jump into the air.  The athlete will perform a full squat clean before transitioning fluidly into a wall ball throw from the bottom of the clean.  If the athlete stops between the clean and the wall ball throw, they must perform another full squat before the ball leaves their hands.  Otherwise, it's acceptable to move directly from the "catch" position of the clean (aka "the hole") to throwing the ball at the wall.  Failure to hit the wall above the green chalk line will require a repeat of the entire BCT, not just the wall ball portion. 
• DOUBLE-UNDER - The skipping rope must pass cleanly under the feet of the athlete twice during one jump into the air.  Both feet must strike the ground at once. Failed attempts do NOT qualify for a yellow or red card.
• RING DIP - From a fully-suspended position, the athlete will lower themself to a position where the bottom of the chest (nipple line) is below the thumbs, and then raise themselves to full extension of the elbows without touching the floor.  Kipping is permitted.
• BACK EXTENSION - The athlete's torso must achieve a vertical position (head down toward the ground) and then a horizontal position (parallel to the floor) on each repetition.  The shoulders must rise above the hips to count.
• HANDSTAND PUSHUP - From a vertical position on the wall, the athlete descends - using only their arms - to the point where their head makes contact with the floor.  The athlete may face the wall, or face away at their preference.  The arms must achieve full lockout of the elbows on every repetition.
• HANG CLEAN - The bar travels from the hip to just above the knee (it may not travel out over the knee) before being cleaned to the collarbone.  Unless a POWER CLEAN is prescribed, the athlete must drop into a full squat position before returning to a full standing position (hips over knees, back erect.)  It is acceptable to perform a power clean + full front squat each rep for the hang clean.
• TUCK JUMP - The athlete must jump from a 2-foot stance to at least 12" off the ground, drawing their knees to their chest.  The knees must travel higher than the bottom of the ribcage while in the air.  The athlete may squat (or not) on the ground before jumping or during landing.
• JERK - The athlete must begin with the bar in 'rack' position on their shoulders.  Unless dictated by the referee, they may choose either a Push Jerk or Split jerk, but must end the movement with the bar over the shoulders and hips, feet parallel, with the elbows, shoulders, hips, and knees in line and locked out.
• SUMO DEADLIFT HIGH PULL - The bar must travel from touching the floor at both ends to the athlete's chin.  Elbows should be above the bar at all times. 
• ROPE CLIMB - The athlete may not touch the ground after beginning their ascent, and must reach a target, touching it with one hand, before dropping back to the ground.  The coach may choose to have the athlete  start from a seated position; in that case, the athlete may not use their feet to support their bodyweight at any time during the climb, though their legs may drop under them once they're high enough to clear the floor.

If you are unable to meet any points of performance because of injury or any reason, you must make your judge aware before the event begins. It is the discretion of the judge, head judge or organizers to allow a competitor to compete in an event without being able to meet the required points of performance. Example: not able to lock out elbows out overhead due to past injury or otherwise.

Questions?  Post  below so everyone can benefit.

Comments

[celebrity oops]

Great standards.

[Belstaff Coats]

i went to the same school as patrick. i remeber those girls from my school who wrote in. they were white trash...i always felt so bad for them.