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| Pretty movement is not just pretty. It's safe, efficient, and the opposite of foolish. |
By Leah Hosburgh
I was tempted to entitle this blog, "How not to be a CrossFit Fool." Let me help you out. I've already been the kid in the globo gym, trying to clean a rusty 45 pound bar with 25 pound iron plates on the ends, and only ending up with a 5 inch in height bruise directly across both my thighs. CrossFitters tend to walk that fine line of awesome, and just plain dumb. Don't get me wrong, I think taking risks is awesome. You want to attempt a bar muscle up without even accomplishing a chest to bar pull up? You want to snatch half your bodyweight when you can't even hold the barbell overhead correctly? Well, you have some drive. And that is great. But, let's get frank. Besides getting a high five from another ill-informed gym mate, you are losing the game of life, that we'll call: Longevity. In both the CrossFit realm, and the regular life realm.
So here is guide to keeping it up in the gym, and not in a nursing home, for the long haul:
Step 1: Mobility aka Get to Ground Zero. It seems that people have a hard time remaining mobile as years pass. Muscles atrophy. Joints get inflamed. The spine gets compacted. Maybe at some point you played sports regularly—high school, college, even the occasional league team post college, and have acquired a nagging injury. Whatever it is, we can slow, prevent, or even reverse some breakdown of our physical bodies by first recognizing where we’ve lost movement. Then we have to treat it! If athletes don’t focus on this FIRST, poor mobility will, in the long run, only be aggravated by more technical and strength biased work. Get those shoulders, hips, knees, ankles moving to full range of motion asap!
Step 2: Technique. Now that you can get into the position necessary for good movement, we can work on technique. Technique is defined as, “the manner in which technical details are treated (as by a writer) or basic physical movements are used (as by a dancer); also : ability to treat such details or use such movements <good piano technique>” I like the example of writing. If one can’t read the alphabet, one can’t write a sentence, a paragraph, etc. Same goes for CrossFit. We've been focused on the pull up at NoCoast. Why? Because so many of you want that muscle up! If we take that example, we can work backwards. Muscle up, bar muscle up, chest to bar pull up, ring dip, kipping pull up, strict pull up, strict dip. Someone can always work their way around one or all of these steps. But technique will suffer. And what else will suffer? Your maximum potential as an athlete! If you are working 100 times harder because you move inefficiently, you are losing seconds, reps, and the general freedom to go all out. Also, you are risking injury. Master movements in steps.
Step 3: Strength. What happens when an athlete repeatedly push jerks 135 pounds and does kipping pull ups with poor mobility and technique? INJURY! We’ve also found that the temptation to add load is all too pervasive. We love the competitive nature of the CrossFit community. But, being pushed can turn into a battle with ego. Some of you really are able to lift a lot of weight. However, ability is not synonymous with should. Increased strength is necessary for growth as an athlete. If you never graduate from the trainer bar, we’d be failing at our jobs as coaches. But let’s do it soundly and with respect for ourselves, each other, and the movement you are practicing.
Step 4: Intensity. This is the fun part. Burn it up, go all out, see how far you can take your body, mind, spirit.
Athletes, NoCoaster or not, take advantage or our clinics! This is a great tool for staying on top of your game! Shoulder Mobility Clinic this Saturday at 11:30!
