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.