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.