Black Horse Origin

Black Horse Origin
        My wife has competed in the South Central and North Central Regions. Last spring (2013)was her fifth games season. I have programmed for her for almost 5 years. In 2012 and 2013 she took fourth in the North Central Region. in 2014 she was 24ish weeks pregnant and we live streamed NC Regional coverage from home.
        I am a fourth year orthopedic surgery resident which means I went to 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school and I am finishing my fourth year of surgical training. I am basically like an indentured servant. If I was not such a Crossfit Nerd, I would not have time for this. For some reason, I am that nerd so I make time.
        This started as a way for my wife to work on her weaknesses, to get stronger in the Oly lifts, and have a step-wise and periodized program that would allow her to "see" as many movements and combinations of movements that she could as she prepared for The Games season. As I began programming for more and more people, it turned into something much more than that.
         In October of 2012, 2 more Regional athletes from my gym asked me to put together a program for them. I was programming for about 4 other athletes at that time and knew I needed to change the delivery method of my programming. That is when I decided to write this training blog
        The Black Horse name did not exist until the Nov 2nd 2012 weekend. On the road to a team competition, one of the athletes was trying to say that we were going to be the "dark horses" of the weekend. Instead she said "We are going to be like the Black Horses". The name stuck.
 At some point in the 2012/2013 season, a few the gym athletes began referring to me as BHT, the name stuck again.
        These are some of the coaches that I would call "Inspirations to The BHT  Programming":
        I love the book Block Periodization by Vladimir Issurin. This book is one of the best training books I have read. It is broken down in a way that is easy to follow and it has helped form a lot (basically all) of my methods of periodization.
       I love Louie Simmons. Not everything about him. I love the way he takes already elite athletes and makes them more elite. His methods are undeniable. The way he trains his football athletes to avoid soreness is the impetus to a lot of what we do.
        I love Breck Berry...a lot. My wife and I started our Crossfit Journey in his original Crossfit Jenks gym. Most of my opinions about an elite community of athletes comes from my experience at Jenks.  Breck fosters an environment that spits out elite athletes at an alarming rate. His Crossfit classes are run better than any I have seen, it is as if he is simultaneously a drill sergeant and an artist. His phenomenal programming, his ability to motivate, and his competitive drive make him a hero of mine. I realized he was not human the first time I watched him do "Helen". If he had not avulsed his bicep at The Games this year (they were in 7th when it tore), I have no doubt Crossfit Jenks would have been on The Games podium.
       I love Ben Bergeron. His history with games athletes is unparalleled. He breeds them. Much of what he talks about ends up regurgitated on this site. He is a great programmer and much of my games prep is right out of his philosophy.
        I love Rudy Nielson...well...I love his programming and most of his outlook on the sport. I love what Outlaw has done for the sport. I stumbled upon "The Way" about a month after he started and thought I had struck gold. I think his training methodology is genius. I don't like how being "an outlaw" means alienation from one's gym and I try to steer clear of that. In fact, my views on programming were shaped by that fact. I was sick of seeing so many high level athletes be present in one gym but never WOD together. I was sick of seeing so many CF athletes searching for a program. Following programming from hundreds or thousands of miles away.
        Rudy and Breck are the only ones on this list I have shared a beer or two or three or four with. He, Breck, and Rippetoe are the only people on this list that I have met personally...fun times.
        I read, read about, and follow Dan John, Mark Rippetoe, Mike Burgener, Greg Everett, Doug Chapman, Skip Miller, Gayle Hatch, John North, Justin Thacker, Chris Sommers, Diane Fu and a whole lot more. Each of these coaches have books, programs, and training sites that have also contributed to the BHT madness.
         I have recently become a podcast addict and I listen to Barbell Shrugged, Attitude Nation, and School of Greatness regularly.
        All of the aforementioned programs and programmers have helped shape BHT's methodology.
        I am a surgeon specializing in the musculoskeletal system.
        I have coached/programmed for my wife for close to 5 years.
        I am Crossfit Level 1 certified (pre and post level 1 cert test).
        I have programmed for upwards of 10 Regional athletes.
        In 2012 we had 5 individuals go to the NC Regional and post a 4th, 7th, 13th, 18th, and 20th.
        I have coached 4 Regional teams at 2 different gyms. I have written programming for a few different competitions... and I have written all of that so you will know that I COMPLETELY NERD OUT ON CROSSFIT PROGRAMMING.
        In between cutting people and studying the human machine, I research programming. I plan it and I obsess about it. I think about it when I wake up, while I drive, eat, shower, and sometimes I think about it while I work.