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If you have ever been on a team, you probably learned along the way that for the team to function at its best, a valued personality characteristic is to be a low-maintenance teammate.

The same is true of being part of our group classes.

This doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to act like a student. You are a student, and you certainly don’t need to be an expert. After all, you pay good money to receive coaching, and it’s our responsibility to provide you with excellent coaching every day. That being said, the more you understand the concepts of what we’re trying to do, and the more prepared you come to class, the higher level of coaching the coach will be able to deliver, which benefits everyone.

So, I decided to create a little test—a theory test, so to speak. The answers are at the bottom of the page, but don’t cheat. Take the test. See how you do. If you’re not scoring 80 percent or more (24/30 or higher), then you might just be that high-maintenance person on the team…(said with love).

IQ and Etiquette Test

Part 1: TRUE OR FALSE

1. The traditional “women’s” barbell weighs 25 lb.

2. The Clean and Jerk and the Snatch make up the sport of Olympic weightlifting, while the deadlift, back squat and bench press make up the sport of powerlifting.

3. A 2131 tempo on a back squat means you take 2 seconds to pause at the bottom, 1 second to pause at the top, 3 seconds to lower back into the squat, and 1 second to stand back up.

4. It’s OK to leave my foam roller out for the coaches to clean up after I leave.

5. A 2121 on a pull-up means you take two seconds to pull your chin over the bar, 1 second to pause at the top, 2 seconds to lower back down, and 1 second at the bottom in the deadhang position.

6. You must sign in to our system (i.e. Wodify) every time you come to the gym.

7. 5 x 3 means 3 sets of 5 reps

8. Holding an average of a 1:58/500m speed on the rowing machine for 2 km means your 2 km row time will be 7:52

9. Deadlift + Power Clean + Hang Power Clean (5 sets of 3 + 2 + 3) means: 5 sets of 3 deadlifts, then 2 power cleans, then 3 hang power cleans

10. When it comes to loading a 35 lb barbell to 115 lb, it’s better to put one set of 25 lb. plates along with 1 set of 15 lb. plates on the barbell than it is to load the bar with 4 sets of 10 lb. plates

Part 2: MULTIPLE CHOICE

  1. When is it appropriate to get sloppy with my technique:

a). When Jenny is lifting more than me and I have to get grunty to match her

b). When I’m doing more than 10 reps in a row

c). When the coach is on the other side of the room

d). When I don’t like the music that’s playing

e). None of the above

2. A hang power clean means:

a). The movement starts just below the knee

b). The movement starts on the ground

c). The movement starts above the knee

d). The movement starts with the barbell overhead

3. The first number of a tempo prescription always refers to the:

a). concentric portion of the movement

b). eccentric portion of the movement

c). top of the movement

d). bottom of the movement

4. A muscle clean means:

a). You land in a squat

b). You do not re-bend at the hips at the end of the movement

c). You don’t need to reach full hip extension as you clean

d). None of the above

5. How would you go about working through the following training session:

A1. 3 x 5 Back Squat

A2. 3 x 5 Strict Pull-ups

B. 3 x 500 meter row with 2 minutes rest between pieces

C. 5 x 20 Hollow Rocks

a). Complete 3 x 5 back squats, then complete 3 x 5 pull-ups, then complete 3 x 500 meter row and finish with 5 x 20 hollow rocks

b). Superset the back squats and pull-ups in A1 and A2, then complete all of B, then complete all of C

c). Superset the back squats and pull-ups in A1 and A2 and then superset the 500 m rows with the hollow rocks

d). Work your way through at your leisure in whatever order you choose

6. It’s OK to avoid adhering to the back squat percentage of the day when:

a). It is really light

b). I’m taking a rest day tomorrow

c). I took a pre-workout supplement and am feeling strong 

d). None of the above

7. During a shoulder press, you should:

a). Keep your rib cage down to stop your spine from extending

b). Keep the bar moving in a straight line overhead

c). Squeeze your butt cheeks together 

d). All of the above

8. If you scaled the following workout properly—21-15-9 of Thrusters and Pull-ups—you should strive to complete the workout in:

a). 90 seconds

b). 12-15 minutes

c).  2-7 minutes

d). I don’t scale workouts

e). Any of the above

9. A KB swing is a:

a). Squat

b). Squat and snatch

c). Pull then press

d). Hinge

e). None of the above

10. You’re allowed to drop the following from overhead:

a). KBs

b). DBs

c). Empty barbells

d). Rowing machines

e). None of the above

11. When working up to a 3RM back squat, you should log at least _______  reps of increasingly heavy warm-up reps before attempting a max set of 3:

a). 10

b). 30

c). 100

d). I was born ready to attempt a 3RM

12. Tabata means:

a). 10 seconds on, 10 seconds rest

b). 10 seconds on, 20 seconds rest

c). 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest

d). 20 seconds on, 20 seconds rest

13. It might be safe to think about doing kipping pull-ups when:

a). I can do a strict pull-up and pass a shoulder flexion test

b). I can do a strict pull-up

c). I can do 10 ring rows in a row

d). I can see my lat muscles in the mirror

Part 3: In the context of the gym, what do the following acronyms stand for:

1. EMOM

2. AMRAP

3. 1RM

4. RPE

5. @ 70% BW

6. HSPU

7. PR

BONUS QUESTION:

What’s your 1 RM deadlift, your 3 RM back squat and your best 2 km row time?

Answers:

Part 1: 

  1. False 2. True 3. False 4. False 5. True 6. True 7. False 8. True 9. True 10. True

Part 2:

  1. e 2. c 3. b 4. b 5. b 6. d 7. d 8. c 9. d 10. e 11. b 12. c 13. a

Part 3:

  1. Every minute on the minute
  2. As many rounds/reps as possible
  3. 1 rep max
  4. Rate of perceived exertion
  5. 70% of bodyweight
  6. Handstand push-up
  7. Personal Record

Bonus Question:

If you know all three of your answers for this question, add one point to your score!