Motivate yourself daily

I am very excited to see the new Superman movie because I am a huge nerd, raised on comic books and peanut butter sandwiches. Also, because the actor playing superman, Henry Cavill,  got into shape to play the part by training with the guys at Gym Jones. Mark Twight and Robert MacDonald of Gym Jones also trained the actors for the movie "300," which is how I found CrossFit. After that cinematic, homoerotic masterpiece debuted I (and millions of other chubby white guys) asked, "How did those guys get so damn sexy?" A simple Google search alerted you to Gym Jones and CrossFit... bing bang boom, here I am 5 years later. 

Do you remember your original motivation to take your training seriously? What inspired you to tuck your Shape magazine away and pick up the barbell? If you dig deep, can you still harness that energy when you need it to get out of bed and come to the gym or pick up the kettlebell one more time? Maybe not... and that's okay. Regular exercise takes daily motivation. What do you need to kickstart your training? Here are some good articles on doing just that (these ideas work in and out of the gym.)

Inc. 

Mark's Daily Apple

ZenHabits (There are a few gems in here, and a lot of bad ones too.)

I encourage you to self prescribe a pick me up when you need it. Working out hard isn't easy, maybe that's why it's so good for you.

The importance of running for functional fitness

"I ran 3 miles last November and I have not run since." -My favorite student.

I'd like to re-emphasize a point I've made before by highlighting the importance of running. CrossFit calls itself a functional fitness program, and I ask, is anything more functional than moving your own fat ass, fast? The list of real world applications is infinite, for instance zombie apocalypse. Running from the undead and occasionally cutting their heads off sounds like a lot of fun. Another great thing about running is its ability to challenge and improve your cardiovascular system without ruining you with fatigue and soreness (like a mixed modal activity has the potential to do.)

I hope to see as many of you as possible for tomorrow's WOD. And I hope that some sunny weekend when you don't want to trek in to the gym you instead decide to go for a run to enjoy the outdoors.  

Peri-workout nutrition

We've talked about pre workout nutrition (be comfortable,) post workout nutrition (carbs and protein,) let's discuss peri-workout nutrition. During today's tabata, did you find yourself completely drained about six minutes in? You told your muscles to move and they screamed back, "The tank's empty, Boss!" It's possible this was local muscular fatigue (a result of lactic acid build up among other things,) but it may also be the case that your muscles ran out of their main fuel source during aerobic work- glycogen (blood sugar.) To do high intensity exercise, we have to consume carbohydrates as they produce the main fuel source- sugar. Drinking simple sugars during a workout can help fuel you through grinding WODs. I mix lemonade and sip at it, Christian (pictured) brought a Gatorade today, a well timed piece of fruit may do the trick. What will work best for you? There's only one way to find out- experiment. Try a couple different options and see what works best. Share your best practice with me later, too!

Snatch Day

Why should I come to class on snatch-only day?

1. I want to be better at CrossFit: 6 of the 7 workouts at Regionals this year are supported by or comprised of the Olympic lifts.
2. I want to be better at conditioning workouts: To improve at the Olympic lifts, we must practice them in a non-fatigued state.
3. I want to look better naked: Strength training as part of a balanced diet makes you look damn sexy out of workout clothes.
4. I want to get stronger: To improve in CrossFit conditioning workouts, you must get stronger. To do that, you must lift heavy things.
5. I need an active recovery day: While this workout is primarily a strength day, to come in and focus on technique at light weights is also legit.

I love lunges

Why do we use the lunge as a leg strengthening exercise?

1. It strengthens our butt. Our butt helps us keep our knees out when we squat and maximizes our comfort in the bottom position- voila!

2. It exposes muscular imbalances. Do a set of 10/side lunges and quickly you'll say, "Holy shit, I have a weak side!" (Your weak side is usually opposite the side you write with.) Once you know you have a weak side, keep training unilaterally (only using one side at a time) and make sure you don't bias your strong side during bilateral work.

3. It provides variety. 'Nuff said. 

4. Unilateral work challenges our midline stability uniquely, strengthening our core for bilateral work.

5. Unilateral work is very functional, as much in life (& sport) happens on one leg (walking up stairs, dodging a taxi, jumping in a basketball game, etc.)

Learning new things

Being a life long learner is difficult. Eventually you want to shut down and say, "No thank you, I know everything I need to know." Unfortunately, this is never the case. And if you decide to stop learning, you become a stubborn old man- to be loved and respected for his wisdom, but no longer followed. Many times, to learn something new, we first have to admit that what we believe to be true is wrong. Jack White III put it this way: 

"The only way that you will learn to think, is to admit that you know absolutely nothing."

Challenge yourself this week to learn something new. To cast away prejudices and absorb new information. Then apply that fresh knowledge by helping another human being. By learning new things regularly we are reminded that putting other people first is what matters. 

What does all this have to do with exercise? There is no magic spell, there is no perfect equation- there is only hard work and experimentation. You have not "made it" by practicing CrossFit, you have simply opened yourself up to endless horizons. Be brave enough to push further still. 

13.2, again.

 I hope to see as many of you as possible tomorrow morning to give 13.2 a/nother shot. What mindset should you adopt when attacking this WOD?

1. I've never seen it before! Work as hard as possible to get as many rounds as possible. Unless you are completely proficient at box jumps, I recommend performing step ups (this is what a large portion of athletes did in the Open.)

2. I did step ups last time. Perhaps you perform step ups again and try to best your score. Or, do box jumps and see how you do with that movement. Remember, if you switch to box jumps you are completing an entirely different WOD (with a different training stimulus, even.) 

3. I had a terrible strategy last time. Your time for redemption has come. An example of a terrible strategy, you did push press from the start when you should have been saving your arms by using split jerks. 

Whatever your strategy... have a strategy. Don't leave anything on the table. By going togames.crossfit.com you can compare this workout to CrossFitters all around the world (or by using Beyond the Whiteboard, any day.) 

Bad Habits

It's time to 'fess up, folks. What bad habits are you holding on to in the gym? Do you not warm up properly before you begin? Do you kip in your bands on the pull ups excessively? Do you pass on choosing a plan of attack when working on the olympic lifts and instead are sloppy and unorganized? Do you always do less than your best on conditioning workouts? Tell the truth... what are your bad habits?

Once the problem has been identified, it's time to figure out how to drop it. Here are a few ideas:

1. Establish an accountability partner- if someone else knows your bad habits they can inflict positive peer pressure to move you in the right direction. Could be a coach, could be a peer- it needs to be someone. 

2. Choose one thing to focus on- Having too much on your plate for any given session will overwhelm you and you're bound to leave feeling unsuccessful. Decide on one thing, and give it your all. 

3. Know how you're going to fix it- You've identified your issue but have no idea how to get rid of it. Consult a coach or experienced peer and plan some action steps to make your bad habit go away.

4. Take the easy way out- Wait, what? I mean what I said. Coming up with a daunting challenge to get rid of a bad habit in the gym will only make it more difficult to get rid of. Figure out the easy way to get better, and by easy I mean most efficient and productive, then get better. 

5. Constantly evaluate- Maybe you're bad habit-less today, but that may not be the case a month from now. Constantly push yourself to work better and harder, then CrossFit will never get boring because there will always be something to improve upon.

Double Unders

Question: How can I improve on double unders? And should I get a speed rope?

How to improve: practice, practice, practice. Every coach in the world can share their cues on double unders and at the end of the day... you just gotta practice the damn things. This practice can (should) be before and after workouts- before because you're fresh, after because you're fatigued which is how you'll be in conditioning workouts. Make sure to have a coach (or knowledgeable peer) watch you at least once to give you a few form fixes to focus on. Watch others do double unders poorly or well- both will give you ideas on how to improve. 

And as to the speed rope... yes, eventually. I recommend getting the hang of double unders on the thick gym ropes first then transitioning to the speed rope (it's a different technique entirely involving a more subtle wrist movement.) A speed rope should be everyone's goal as it is less taxing on the arms. What brand? Find one you like with adjustable length so you can fiddle (I don't really believe in any of the magical measurement guidelines.) 

Why does my squat clean suck?

Question: I am able to clean more from the hang than from the ground, both in the power clean and the full clean - is this unusual, and should I be doing something about it?

While I'm not sure if it's unusual, especially in the world of CrossFit, I would say it is not ideal. My first guess as to why it is more difficult- you're not starting in a good position in the full clean. Nearly universal starting position for a clean: "Bar over the balls of your feet --- hips as low as possible as long as your shoulders are slightly over the bar. (The bar doesn't have to be in contact with your body until it is at your knees.)" When getting comfortable in this starting position, you should address the bar instead of puling it in to you, this eliminates the most variables. If this position isn't perfect for your anatomy, tweak it, still make sure you do the exact same position, every time. 

My second guess as to the difficulty- you're jumping too early. If you jump with the bar at mid thigh instead of deep in your pockets it will be forward in the catch, and as a result more difficult to secure. Be patient. Also, make sure your starting position for a hang clean is exact each time so that the practice is transferring into your squat clean. 

Thirdly, it is not unusual that as a lifter your tend towards either pulling or squatting. Continue to perform the full lift, pulls and squats in balance so they all improve. 

Related, and for tomorrow: Deadlift: http://bit.ly/10l6Y57 vs Clean Deadlift: http://bit.ly/10l7boH

Lessons from the CrossFit Games Open

A few of our own share their Lessons from the CrossFit Games Open. 

Do you have any aspirations to compete? 

Most important CrossFit movements

James asks: What do you believe to be the #1 priority movement that athletes should get better at to be better at Crossfit?  Or even top 3? 

I love these sorts of questions. Every coach is going to have a different answer, and every answer is sorta right. So here goes.

1. CLEAN Out of all the olympic lifts, I'll select the clean as #1. The fundamentals of the olympic lifts (stand, jump and catch and all of the nuances that make this possible) are helpful across the board in so many of the movements we use in CrossFit (here's an article I wrote on the subject.) I chose the clean over the other oly lifts because you can move more weight which means you'll get stronger- awesome. 

2. BACK SQUAT Speaking of getting stronger, in my mind the back squat is the king of all lifts when it comes to full body strength gains (others would argue deadlift, for good reason.) Other movements can cycle in and out of a responsible CrossFit program, but the back squat should almost always be a part. Wanna get stronger? Back squat then sleep and eat like you mean it. 

3. YOUR GOAT Get better at the movement you currently suck at the most and you will get better at CrossFit. Period.

Also, 4. RUNNING I really wish we coud do a lot more running at CFNYC. When it comes to "functional fitness," nothing is more functional than being able to move your own fat ass, faster. 

Go enjoy the sunshine, and get some sleep tonight. 

Running

The weather's getting nice, some days you just want to go for a run... what should you do? Here is a really simple template to consider a  few weeks' worth of runs. Balance out these three formats, and you should continue to improve your general physical preparedness, just like CrossFit espouses.  

Sprint From 15 seconds to 2 minutes, sprints need plenty of rest in between (at minumum 3Xs rest) so you can go all out each time. Try to improve your splits each time.

"Mile" This doesn't have to be a literal mile, it's the middle distance from 6 to 15 minutes. At this distance, we are running at an uncomfortable, but sustainable pace and giving it all up at the end.

"5k" Again, not the literal distance, a "5k" or long slow distance is upwards of 20 minutes and is run at an even and semi-challenging pace. You could talk if you wanted to and will sing to yourself "just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."

Have fun, don't get hit by a taxi, and be sure to take care of those feet. 

Coach Avery answers: What's wrong with my hook grip?

Question: My hand goes numb when I use the hook grip, what's up with that?

Coach Avery says: 

No, this is not normal, generally speaking. When did you start using hook grip? Has this happened before in the past?

In general, when people complain about numbness there is something nerve related going on. If this is happening regularly after or during a WOD you should not ignore it (much like pain, a different feeling from soreness which you need to learn to identify and stop doing/fix whatever is causing said issue.)

It depends on where the numbness is and how far it goes down in the hand or forearm, as to which nerve(s) are involved. For some, the initial exposure to hook grip can cause some tingles and basically the hand needs to be desensitized to using the hook grip given the amount of nerves in the hand - they're sensitive! However, after the first few exposures, most people adapt to using the hook grip and learn to find a position that is comfortable given their finger length/hand size.

I would recommend to everyone learning (or perhaps relearning) the hook grip to start practicing with a PVC (even if it feels too large, but this will encourage you to wrap your fingers around and stretch them out) and the empty bar (alot, more than you think). Once that feels fairly comfortable, progress to lighter loads for volume, before progressing to heavier pulls and deadlifts with hook grip.

You need to adjust to the overstretching of the thumb and associated tendons and ligaments in that particular position. I also used to practice holding onto the subway rail with hook grip until it felt comfortable because I initially hated it. Now I can't imagine picking up a bar without using it.

Once you feel comfortable using the hook grip in and out of WODs with sub-maximal loads for at least a month (or a few!) then progress to heavy deadlifts. If you are also someone that tends to use an alternating grip for really light deadlifts, you should plan on cutting that out. You hands and forearms need to get used to pulling in an overhand position, and it makes the switch even more difficult for some people because their grip is weak. For people that complain about their grip being weak that is generally one thing I make them stop doing right off the bat.

You could start with some basic stretches for the hook grip. Before lifting (or right now) wrap your fingers around your thumb and tilt the wrist to the side away from the thumb. You could also play with tilting in the other direction. Self massage of tight forearm muscles and around the hand and thumb may be useful. If you feel any scar tissue or adhesions in the forearms this could be causing some major tension downstream or compression of a nerve.

Hope some of this helps!

Strength in General Physical Preparedness

Question: What is the thinking behind the maintaining the speed of the ascent on the back squat vs putting on a lil more weight and struggling more at the bottom?

Great question. In a day where you are doing strength immediately followed by conditioning, I think it is best to keep the speed on the strength sets because slow, grinding sets will be too taxing and leave you drained for the conditioning. I believe this approach to be the most sustainable and productive in a general physical preparedness program. If you were only doing strength, you could take the sets to a deeper, darker place. 

Creatine and putting on mass

Question: I was wondering what your opinion of creatine was?  I've heard a bunch about it, and i'm on the fence about trying it.  I have wanted to put on weight, though I eat healthily, and ALL THE TIME (basically), but still struggle to put on any mass.  What do you reckon?

A few thoughts on putting on mass:

1. Let's pretend for the next two months you eat two more meals a day than usual and drink a gallon of milk. You manage to hulk out and you fucking love it. Until you get sick of eating so damn much and your body goes back to its norm- skinny ol'me. Lesson here: whatever "bulking technique" you decide to use, make sure it's sustainable. Or schedule a photo shoot for the day you are the Hulkiest and at least have photo evidence of all your hard work.

2. Getting body fat levels in check is cool, adding a little muscle is awesome- just make sure your aesthetic aspirations actually fit your body type. Want to add on forty pounds of pure muscle and grow 6 inches? You're out of luck. This is one reason focusing on performance  goals is more beneficial than aesthetic, then your whole body and soul is along for the ride. 

3. Hey small guys, CrossFit has you tricked. Manliness is not determined by a 225 pound snatch or a sub 1:20, 500 meter row. The "sport of fitness" has become skewed into the "sport of exercise tasks" with a lean towards heavy and long. It no longer tests true individual fitness which must take into account so much more for instance bodyweight, age and a broader range of modalities. This conversation is too much to have in our number three here, instead I will just encourage the mighty mouses among us to move weights that make sense for you, to get stronger one day at a time with a smile on your face. 

4.. I have never read up on creatine, but here is one piece from a source I trust. Good luck!

Oly Shoes

Question: I'm worried that my oly shoes will become a crutch. How can I make sure that doesn't happen?

I recommend most people get oly shoes as it helps to optimize ankle mobility. Once you've worn them awhile, find a balance between wearing them and your regular shoes.

Do in oly shoes- all strength oly work, most slow strength movements, most conditioining wods with oly lifts

Out of oly shoes- mobilize everything, bodyweight strength and conditioning, monostructural modes (running, rowing, etc,) most conditioning work without a barbell

Preparing for a race

Question for you: I'm hoping to run my first 5K (non-obstacle) race by the end of this summer/early fall. I wouldn't be TOO concerned with the time, more so with completing it and keeping walking to a bare minimum... Any tips on how I should structure my WODs to better prepare myself? Or any other training I should address as I get closer to to the run? I have absolutely NO background in running (besides the occasional sprint work I do with Coach Heidi in CFE a few times a month). I wanted to make 2013 a Year of Many Firsts, but this one's causing me more anxiety than any of the others. HALP!

First things first, calm down. Don't worry about where you should be, and be where you are. Then build from there. 

Secondly, now that we can breath, training to complete a 5k race should be pretty easy for a regular CrossFitter. Here is a really basic format that should supplement your regular training with ease:

4 weeks out from the race: CrossFit 3-5Xs/week, 10 minute run 2-3Xs/week

3 weeks out from the race: CrossFit 3-5Xs/week, 15 minute run 2-3Xs/week

2 weeks out from the race: CrossFit 2-4Xs/week, 20 minute run 1-3Xs/week

Week before the race: CrossFit 1-3Xs/week, 20 minute run 1-2Xs/week

This is super simplistic, and not perfect for everyone. If you want to change it up a little bit- do! Then have fun on race day. 

From personal experience, I used to run, started running again last month. It feels awesome to run as a stronger athlete. Runs tend to be, dare I say, fun. 

Low Back Pain with Jonathan Coffey

After yesterday's email regarding low back pain, Jonathan Coffey had some great thoughts to share on his personal experience with the area. Take it away, J:  

As a long time lower back sufferer...a few things

1) Rest. Rest. Rest.
2) Hamstring and hip mobility, you need to work on it.
3) Is this muscular or spinal? Chiropractic goes a long way if you have a good one. Andrew Veech is the guy I've seen in the city and he's phenomenal.
4) in the future: more squats at heavier weights means better core strength means better stability means fewer injuries. A lot of people with a history of issues are afraid of squats, but these are exactly the people who most need to progress upward in weight (gradually, of course)

5) One more thing--I skipped the Open in part for the same reason. Of you're not 100% high rep thrusters at a decently heavy weight might not be the best idea. Know thyself, respect your limits and don't do something stupid. 

6) ANOTHER another thing: if it's joint related...hydration. It's weird and the guy who originally told me that was a bit of a quack but it does make a difference. 

Deadlifts and injury recovery

I had a question for you.  I tweaked my lower back doing Fran on Monday (I assume during the clean as it pains me to bend over/forward or do a hula hoop movement with my hips). I haven't been working out since Monday's workout and am scheduled to do the open tomorrow and the combine on Saturday.  I'm contemplating skipping tomorrow and Friday as well to focus on my back being up and running by Saturday. In the meantime, do you have any recommendations on how to expedite the healing of this pain? Any exercises I should be doing?

Sorry to hear you're not feeling well. I recently tweaked both my back and neck as a result of exercise. I found that coming into the gym then focusing on moving well but very carefully actually helped me to recover expediently. Now, this is an n=1 experiment, so I can't say it will necessarily work exactly the same way for you. Let your coach know what's bothering you so they can suggest scaling and don't be afraid to hold back. 

As to anything specific, I don't have much. I suggest taking it easy, partition a few specific times to focus on stretching and moving and otherwise let it be. 

One more thing, kudos for knowing what fucked you up. I say all the time while teaching deadlift and it's worth mentioning now:

1. When you're holding a barbell you are performing a lift which has an inherent risk of injury. Stay focused, don't get sloppy or distracted.

2. Keep the bar close (over your center of gravity), all the time. When a barbell gets away from you you introduce variables that will too often cause injury. 

Hang "squat" clean

Yesterday we did hang cleans, tomorrow we are doing power cleans. Let's discuss the terminology...

Everyone knows the basics: hang- start with the bar at the waist, power- catch the bar in a squat above parallel (we often say "in a partial squat.") This is new to many of us: when hang is prescribed and power is not mentioned, we are to assume it is the squat version of the lift. (hang squat clean = hang clean)

Here is where things get tricky... CrossFit invented the terminology "squat" clean/snatch. "Squat" (in this context) is only relevant in a competition where the range of motion must be standard. In training, the full lifts (snatch and clean) are most often performed; power versions of the lifts are often done to focus on a particular aspect or as a deload (as you cannot move as much weight.) 

When hang clean is prescribed, I often get the question, "Do I have to go all the way in my squat?" I usually say yes, as I understand that athlete to only be asking about the range of motion. But the more precise and nuanced answer is "you should go as low as you need to go to catch the weight." For instance, at 65% of 1RM you may be able to perform a power clean, at 95% you cannot (assuming technical proficiency.) 

(assuming technical proficiency) is a very important point. You should be able to clean more than you can power clean. Is this not the case? We have to figure out why- is the problem your stand, jump, catch or some combination of the three? 

If you need more one on one coaching in your Olympic lifts and want to sign up for a private session, let me know.

Structuring a week

Questions: Quick question on rest in general -- what do you think the ideal amount of days one should be doing a cross fit workout?  3 days in a row, 1 day off? 4 days on and 1 off? And on the day off do you think doing something like running is fine or should I completely take the day off?

For the general crossfitter 3-5xs per week is plenty. I prefer a split that follows the structure of your work week, like 3 on, 1 off, 2 on, 1 off. IF you want to come 4 or 5 times per week but you find the volume of work a bit much ,you are responsible for scaling (or asking for help on scaling) on your own. As programmer, I am responsible for considering folks who do 1 x per week and 7 xs per week- you can see how that may be tricky. If CrossFit is your only workout, just doing crossfit should be fine. If you are doing crossfit to supplement other goals, i.e. running an adventure race, you may need to do specific activities like running once or twice a week. 

Taking a rest week

The Open is over, prior to that we went through weeks of testing. Are you feeling spent, perhaps much less energetic during workouts or at work. Maybe it's time to take a rest week. Here are some thoughts on coming into the gym and treating it as a deload (rest) week simultaneously:

1. Come less often. If you usually come in 5 times/week, come in 2-3 and do the regularly scheduled workouts.

2. Come in a regular amount of days but only perform the strength work. Or only perform the conditioning work. Let your coach know what you're up to and get their input as well.

3. Hit lower strength numbers. Take it easy on the conditioning. This allows you to move well but not strenuously which I have found to help speed recovery.

4. Get extra sleep. Do more mobility work. Play a new sport instead of coming to the gym. 

5. Approach conditioning workouts as practice sessions. Take a workout with lots of hang power snatches and go light so you can truly focus on proper technique. 

6. Replace the time you usually spend working out with things that make you happy (like reading or playing guitar) or catch up on some work you've been putting off. (Have you done your taxes yet?)

Many deload techniques are specific to individual athlete, so talk to your coach for more ideas.

At the end of a deload week, you should be hungry to return to the gym, and happy you took the time off to rest mentally, physically and emotionally.

Private Training Sessions

A couple of weeks ago I met with MacKenzie Landers of 5:45 AM fame for a private training session. She had some kind words to share with the group:

I have actually talked about our session in person with a few classmates as I don't think many think about it - the need to take some time to really focus on their movements and evaluate their weaknesses. By weakness I simply mean areas of opportunity for improvement   You don't have to hate an exercise because you cannot do it - you can do it maybe you just need to better understand how YOU can do it. You don't have to be bad at something you just have to be a person who is committed to your well being and constant improvement. Being in CrossFit already makes you a specific type of person, one who wants to push themselves beyond their limits physically and the mental comes with it - most not realizing that is part of it initially.  

Our session was generated because I know I can do better but I also know I have some past injuries that impact me as well as simple movements that are more challenging for me based on my body construction.  I want to improve my strength and my overall results. To me, improving comes from constant training - smart, educated training. I am the type of person who needs structure - I need to see and hear how to do a movement, many times over and over again, and then I need to practice over and over again. Training with you helped me slow down and evaluate each movement as it relates to the overall exercise and how little tweaks make it easier and more efficient. The mental process and specific words/phrases we worked on I now use every time I walk up to a bar. How you go down is how you come up. Be patient, go straight up. We all want to make it easier and more efficient so we can continue to get stronger as in the end we never really want it to be too easy otherwise we wouldn't be CrossFitters. 

Your suggestion on the shoes was helpful as I had been considering them and although only a few classes in, I feel more comfortable and confident (physical and mental pieces again). 

Additionally, that one productive hour left me feeling motivated to continue improving not only strength but doing the exercises RIGHT! You must do them right before you can go up with weight. 

Lastly, now that you know some of the specific trouble areas or key phrases that help me - our regular class sessions allow you to instantly notice and communicate quick fixes (that I understand what you are talking about due to our private) that improve each workout. 

I would recommend a private to EVERYONE and I do plan to do more with you as I seek constant challenge and growth. 

Thank you and please edit freely and use what you want and don't want. 

I had a great time with you and feel it was rewarding on many levels.

Thank you, Mac, for this and for being awesome. If you would like to be as awesome as Mac, shoot me an email and we will set up a session.

You're fitter than you think you are

You're fitter than you think you are. Make sure you are unleashing the true beast within by following these guidelines.

Strength- Put more weight on the bar.

I walked around all day today adding weight to athletes' bars because they were scared to go heavy. Failing occasionally because the weight is too heavy is okay, now you know what to aim for (or just under) next time. Not being able to move a heavy weight is often not an issue of strength, it's a result of not being able to push mentally to work through the struggle. 

Watch this video of lifters at CrossFit Dynamo going for max front squats. Pay attention to what breaks down or what is holding them back as they lift near their maximums. Did their form breakdown? Is it a balance issue? Can you tell their head got in the way and they gave up? Push yourself. Get stronger. 

Conditioning- Plan better, rest less.

This is an issue of mental fortitude again. We've talked a lot about "designated cheerleaders" recently, when you don't have that luxury, you have to push yourself. Also make sure you rest smartly. Don't bend over, heave and whine. Stay focused, breathe and get back to work.

Tips for 13.5

Do you remember when I put a 5 minute time cap on Fran the other day? You had a case of "fuckarounditis" until the last minute, then you shoved the gun in your mouth and got to work. Welcome to four minutes of that hell. 

Holy shit...

This one is a beast. Let me reiterate a few previous tips quickly- no one can scale the Open WODs, never miss a rep, don't let your grip fail, use a designated cheerleader, move efficiently and have a strategy for the toughest 4 minutes of your life. Two more tips...

Work. Then when you don't want to work any more. Work. 

And know yourself. If you can do a set unbroken, cool, do it. If you need to rest, do it. Breathe. Then get back to work. The math is simple folks- 15 thrusters or pull ups every 40 seconds will get you to infinity and beyond. Are you mentally tough enough to get there?

This is the only post where I'll pass on saying have fun. There should never be anything fun about Fran. 

Rich Froning's theme song post 13.5.

Weightlifting belts

Help! I keep hurting my lower back at crossfit. A friend, and non-crossfiter, but former lifter suggested I wear a weight lifting belt. He was surprised we didnt already wear them. Why dont we wear them? Should I try it?

There's probably no harm in trying a weightlifting belt. One way to do it- during strength work, don't wear your belt as you're warming up. Then put it on when your working at 75%+ your 1RM. During conditioning work, make sure the belt isn't interfering with good movement patterns, and don't wear it all the time. We want to strengthen our core sans belt as much as possible.

More important than all of that though, make sure you're moving correctly all the time. We have this idea that all conditioning workouts should eventually look like shit, that's how we know we're working hard enough- WRONG. Quality comes first, always. CrossFit has been preaching for a long time- movement quality, then consistency, THEN intensity. If you need to back off (on weight or speed) to move better while you're learning a movement- do. That's how you'll protect and strengthen your back.

Training vs. Testing

We have seen a lot of testing recently. Six weeks of testing at the gym (SUBMIT YOUR SCORES HERE.) We're headed into the last week of the open. These tests have been a great opportunity to push yourself as hard as possible to learn where your true boundaries lie. Should you do that on every conditioning workout? In every strength set? NO. Pushing yourself to this level constantly will leave you burnt out, over trained or injured. Marathoners only periodically train at race pace. Football players very rarely perform plays at a game-level intensity. Baseball players scrimmage at sunflower seed spittin' levels. CrossFitters, good news- it's okay for you to do the same thing. Make sure you're maintaining the intended training stimulus, then train sub maximally and compete like a bad ass. 

Why Rich Froning is better than you

"Rich Froning will not beat you in a workout because he is stronger than you, or faster, or can breath better than you. He will beat you because he can move more efficiently, and as a result more productively than you can." -Kyle J Smith

I challenge everyone to focus on movement quality during their conditioning workouts. Strength and aerobic ability will follow if quality of movement is the primary concern, the opposite may not be true.

Tips for 13.2

Tips for Beginners on 13.2:

1. Have fun!
2. Start with push presses, switch to push jerks when fatigue is on the horizon (never fail, never miss a rep; there is no time to waste- ten minutes will fly by!)
3. Always do your shoulder to overhead unbroken. If this means you need to rest an extra second before starting your set, do. You do not want to clean the bar to your shoulders again.
4. When you transition from STO to deadlift, immediately complete at least three reps. If possible, don't break up the deadlifts at all. You will always rest longer than you should, so minimize rest.
5. During the deadlift, lower the bar efficiently. Keep the bar close by sending your hips back and keeping your back straight. If the bar gets away from you it will break your rhythm and increase the risk of injury.
6. Find a nice, even pace where you can keep moving on the box jumps. I highly recommend that you step down from every rep and find a rhythm that allows you to link them seamlessly.
7. Set a goal for the number of rounds you would like to complete and figure out what split you need to maintain to succeed (i.e., if your goal is 10 minutes, each round should take one minute.) Have your judge or a friend keep you aware of the clock and on pace. Surprisingly, in the early rounds this usually means you need to slow down. Adrenaline will make you work too fast and will sabotage your later sets.
8. Keep it pretty. Pretty reps, aka efficient, productive reps, are always better than ugly reps. You're not working hard if your movement goes to shit, you're working stupid.

As we notice more trends in the workout we'll post thoughts here. If you have anything to share- comment! Every thought is welcome and helpful.

Good luck! And again, have fun!

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AM athletes are having a lot of success performing step ups instead of box jumps. Try it during your warm up, see what you think.

Being a designated cheerleader

Here's the most important part of this post- how to be a great designated cheerleader.

First, can the judge be the designated cheerleader? At the games, no. At CFNYC, more often than not. If you are acting as both, remember your first priorities are standards of movement and count.

One more thing before I list, if you are not the designated cheerleader, just an encouraging spectator- yell, scream and curse, while respecting the athlete's plan. You are white noise, along with the Taylor Swift playing in the background. (Note: Julie Foucher listened to Mumford and Sons while doing 13.3.)

How to be the best designated cheerleader ever:

1. Know your athlete's strategy, help them stick to it.

2. Find out how your athlete likes to be encouraged. Some like just countdowns and time reminders, others need to be cursed out and spat on.

3. Learn your athlete's pace (fresh and fatigued) and help them push themselves as hard as they need to go. There is no such thing as 110%, you are only as strong as you are prepared.

4. Stay in the moment with your athlete. If you find out mid flight your plan is shit, be ready to call an audible. Your athlete is going to want to stop and pout, you can be composed enough to finish strong.

5. Encourage your athlete to breath and move well. Looking like shit in a workout is a symptom of screwing it up, not a necessary condition.

HAVE FUN.

Tips for 13.3

We have a few camps for this workout. Decide where you fall this year, then have fun!

I want to do as many wall balls as possible in 12 minutes... Great! Have a game plan. How many wallballs do you want to complete in each minute? Your judge can holler out 1/2 and full minutes at you to stay on pace. Focus on moving as well as possible (use your legs to get the ball overhead), and don't get sloppy when you get tired- that only makes things worse. Never miss a rep, never fail- it's too demoralizing and frustrating.

I want the chance to chew away at some double unders... Ditto to everything above. 15 wallballs/minute will give you 2 minutes to jump rope. If you know consecutive double unders are going to be a problem fatigued, try a strategy like three singles then a double. A rep is counted every time the rope passes beneath you twice, so don't waste energy, just do what it takes to get some points on the board and keep your head in the game.

I wanna try to get my first ever muscle up... Watching folks PR their snatch on 13.1 was pretty cool. The chances you'll get your first muscle up in this WOD are... slim. CrossFit loves a miracle and an inspirational video though, so maybe it'll happen. But for the love of god don't get hurt. Your next month of training is much more important than this WOD. PS- unfortunately we cant teach everyone how to do muscle ups seconds before the WOD starts, so don't ask your coach to instruct them.

Let me know of anything you learn by attacking 13.3. HAVE FUN!

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A few more thoughts. Our AM scientists have learned- WALLBALLS SUCK.

If you are not yet proficient at rx wallballs (bc of ball weight or target height,) make your strategy incredibly conservative. When I say don't fail a rep (slightly different than missing a rep bc of aim,) I mean it. If that means you need to do sets of 3 to post an rx score, do it. There is no shoulda coulda woulda when it comes to testing, you do what you can do today as best you can. Be honest with yourself,

If you are proficient at wallballs your first set should be AT LEAST 10 reps. 15-20-25 would be even better, as long as you know you have fuel in the tank. Some experimented with sets of 5 with minimal rest, it looks pretty off the bat, but oh how quickly that rest gets longer and longer.

Tips for 13.4

beginner's tips for 13.4:

this one looks pretty straight forward folks-

so you can't clean and jerk 95/135... this is not the WOD for you. scaling in the open WOD classes is not allowed. stick with your regular programming, get big and strong, and look forward to 14.4 being a fucking joke. 

pace yourself... seriously. while breathing-wise you may be fine. local muscular fatigue, especially in the grip and core are going to be a huge factor. you never want to fail on a rep, so make sure you are taking adequate rest in the beginning to stay on top of it and push in the end. 

push jerk from rep one. take a look at the video of graham and speal- if you can adopt the quick shoulder to overhead technique, do- otherwise just don't waste time in that position. kip your toes to bar- remember, it's the same as the swing for the kipping pull up.

did i mention yet how much this will suck for your grip? don't let that guy fail on you.

we cannot drop weight. period. you can tell your grandchildren someday that you would have scored at least 7 reps higher on 13.4 if you could have dropped, just don't get so crazy that you can't lower the bar under control. 

95/135 may feel light on the first few sets, but it's going to get heavy. make sure you are getting down into a proper clean starting position (as opposed to a dead lift position) so you are not unnecessarily taxing your lower back. 

check in with tips and lessons learned. and HAVE FUN!

Injury and exercise

I have a question about attending class with injuries - I dislocated my shoulder a week ago and have been told by the doc no crossfit for 3-4 weeks while i do shoulder rehab, so sadly no CF open for me this year. When i'm back on deck what's the best approach to return to class, should i try to pick and choose WODs based on what i think my shoulder can handle or can you modify any workout around an injury in the same way we scale weight?

A. Get very specific directions from your doctor on what's appropriate (meaning restorative) and what is not.

B. Take it sloooooowwww. You have the rest of your life to get back into CrossFit shape, your first priority is to avoid re-injuring the sucker. Err on the side of wussy until you are ready to head back into the game 100%.

C. Attending classes that are clearly shoulder-friendly is great. That may be difficult to swing sometimes. With precise instructions from your doctor, a coach (and you) should be able to scale most things to your needs.

      1. Seeing one coach regularly and attending less crowded classes makes this easier for everyone.

D. Don't forget that you can freeze your membership when you're out with an injury.

FEEL BETTER.

When a WOD gets you down

For those of you who were in class today, this will be a repeat. For those who stayed home, let me explain today's workout. It is subtle but brilliant. This is a post I shared with the other coaches to make sure nothing was lost in translation.

30 minute AMRAP

15 second chin up hold

15 unbroken double unders

15 unbroken push ups

Think of this workout as being two strength pieces and one skill practice, packaged into a mildly aerobic endeavor. The chin up hold can be broken up as necessary (no more than 3 slices of 5 seconds, ideally.) This allows athletes to strengthen the range of motion that sucks across the board- the last two inches. The chin up hold (supinated grip) prepares them for beach season- sun's out, gun's out. The 15 unbroken double unders is skill practice. If they fail to do them unbroken, begin back at the beginning of that set of double unders. If 15 is a ridiculously easy range, bump it up by 5s to no more than 30. Do no more than 3 failed sets. (If the athlete is performing single unders, it may involve minor skill development, but is mostly aerobic work.) The push ups are again, strength work. If the rep range of 15 is excessive, suggest 5 or 10 (whatever you choose, it should sound easy for one set.) Both unbroken exercises are purposefully written that way so that you have to rest prior to completing them in order to complete them. Rest is inherent, it is just not mandated.

Today's email is wordy, here are more.

A student texted me this AM: ...when you suck at a WOD and it bugs you all day (slow clap) (Read: a workout has me sad &/or pissed off.)

I gotz thotz...

CrossFit is a huge commercial success (and labelled a cult) because they incidentally figured out how to perfectly merge exercise and emotion: the WOD. We're addicted to the Sport of Fitness not because of the tangible physical results, but because of the huge emotional connection we have to exercise now, whether we realize it or not.

This emotional connection is very important on a person by person level. To get through many of the WODs you need to care on a level deeper than skin. To beat the shit out of yourself day to day and week to week CrossFit has to be more important to your psyche than a stroll in the park or a lifting session at the local gym.

When the emotional connection takes you over, instead of you using it to your advantage, you lose. Exercise should always supplement your real life, not detract.

Is it a bad thing that a workout got you down in the dumps for a bit? NOT AT ALL. It means you're at the perfect level of obsession. The emotional connection took you over, you said fuck you and conquered it. If you cared any less, you wouldn't care enough.

What do we do when the emotion of it all is drowning out the positives? When a workout has us all up in our head? Answer these questions:

1. Did you have fun?

2. Did you learn something from the experience that you can put to good use in the future? (This can mean learning from a mistake or knowing what you need to work on.)

3. Did you meet your goal?

      A. No? Did you set the right (quality or quantity) of goal?

4. Are you going to live to see another day?

In a lot of ways, you can re-read this email, replacing "emotional connection" with "competing against other athletes" and it's still true. Use competition to your advantage, when it beats you, you lose.

Slight digression- any given day's workout does not matter. It is one brick in a huge wall. It's the commitment to consistency and excellence that matters, everything else simply paints that picture. Are you troubled by the little picture? Look at the big picture. Usually it all starts to make sense again.

This email has turned out much heavier than I intended. Here's your moment of zen.

The Switch and The Spur

"The Switch and the Spur" The Racounteurs

In the heat of the desert sun,

on the blistering trail

An appaloosa and

a wanted man sprung from jail

Slow in motion and shadow-less

The switch and the spurs

Every living thing,

with a fatal sting

Bark and rattle this curse

The rider hallucinates

The snapping hooves on the sand

Spits a venom dream, recalls a stranger scream

And a broken hand.

The saddle spotted with sweat and blood

The poison pumps through his veins

There's no stopping this,

and now he's powerless

Still holding the reins.

Any pour souls who trespass against us

Whether it be beast or man

Will suffer the bite or be stung dead on sight

By those who inhabit this land

For there's is the power and this is the kingdom

As sure as the sun does burn

So enter this path, but heed these four words:

You shall never return.

Any pour souls who trespass against us

Whether it be beast or man

Will suffer the bite or be stung dead on sight

By those who inhabit this land

Programming Intent

How come the conditioning WODs have so much rest time? Today is 1 min of work and 4min of rest?!?! Yesterday had 4min of rest and Monday had 6 minutes. Seems very excessive relative to the work time for each WOD.

Let's simplify things and say their are three pathways we can train- instantaneous (strength work,) sprint and aerobic. This is a classic example of training the sprint pathway. If you want to sprint each time, you have to rest so that you can work at at least 90% of your total capacity. Don't feel like you're getting enough from your workout, work harder when you're working.

Maybe a better question is - why so many of the same WOD format back-to-back? We seem to be a lot less "constantly varied" than we used to be... Is this on purpose?

Yes, this is on purpose. Regular exposure to highly technical movements, heavy weights, and crafty conditioning allows you to get better at all of these things. All Lebron James does all day long is shoot basketballs and thank God for the genes he was blessed with. Remember, CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program, not a "random amalgamation of ass kickings that may accidentally result in a six pack if you don't hurt yourself first."