CrossFit Open 2014 is Over! So What?

By Leah Hosburgh
Many of you have wrapped up 14.5, or soon will. After 5 brutal workouts, your non-CrossFit friends might be scratching their heads, wondering why you paid $20 to do that. Or maybe you are, too. Well, here's a few ideas about how to wrap this up properly: 

1. Celebrate! Congratulations! You did it! No matter what transpired, you saw it through, and you are better because of it. So grab that cheat meal and beverage, and enjoy a night of treating yourself right! 

2. Reflect. Every week at the gym has its highs and lows. Heck, every WOD has its highs and lows. The Open serves up 5 weeks of opportunity to smash it! Aaaand also to feel itty bitty. So what did you kill? Where do you need to improve? What did these workouts expose? The most fun is reflecting on how you surprised yourself. Which workouts were you convinced you weren't going to get very far or lift a particular weight--and then you DID! 

3. Find Gratitude. In my opinion, this is the greatest aspect of community. Without the push of the community, you may not have shown up, gotten that extra rep, or hit that weight. Find gratitude for the people that motivate you and make you better. It's hard to be thankful in isolation. Look around your gym next time. There are so many faces to be grateful for. You may have put in your own score every week, but you hardly did this alone.

4. Attack. It probably happened. You probably hit a wall in one of the WODs. Or just couldn't get a better score no matter how many times you repeated it. This year, Castro didn't leave a whole lot out of the hopper. We saw double unders, muscle ups, heavy deads, and a row. Maybe it wasn't any of those movements, but at some point, just like that, plain as day, there is your weakness. Now you know. So attack it. Find every opportunity to do that thing that got you this year. Before WODs, after WODs, get excited to do that thing when it shows up on the whiteboard. Ask your coach how to attack that thing. Just. do. that. thing. A lot. 

Next year: no problem. 

You: better. 

Congrats, CrossFitters! 

6 Week Core Program at NoCoast

By Mary Finck, PT, DPT NoCoast has created a 6 week core mobility and stabilization program to focus on abdominal activation, supporting the lumbar spine, and mobilization the thoracic spine.  Proper core activation and spinal stabilization will prevent injury and allow for activation of the proper supporting mucles in everyday functional movements.  Here is a summary of Mary’s clinic, there are also handouts printed at the gym.  The clinic was recorded and can be watched on youtube if you type in Mary’s Core Clinic, Part 1-9. 

Information & Research 

• 80% of the Population has 1 disc bulg & 39% has 2 disc bulges
• Pain is a liar! 
• Regional Interdependence – “Everything is attached to everything and anything can cause anything”

Anatomy & CORE Foundations

• Joint by Joint approach – Some joints/areas of the body are designed to have increased mobility, others stability – Gray Cook & Mike Boyle Creation
• Stable Joints – Knee, L-spine, C3-7 &, elbow
• Mobile Joints – Ankle, Hip, T-spine, shoulder, wrist, & C1
  
• Mobility vs. Stability
• Mobility will ALWAYS be consistent and come first before stability
• Never put load on top of a mobility or motor control (brain message to body) issue
• Anatomy Inner vs. Outer Core
• Inner core – Your hoop, corset, anatomical weight belt! 
• Pelvic floor, Diaphram, Transverse Abdominals & Multifidus
• Outer core - Has propensity for working and compensating for weak inner core
• Rectus abdominas, internal & external obliques (more superficial) 
• Thoracodorsal Fascia – when correct muscles contract tightens, decreased disc pressure

Core Activation Progression & Exercises

1st Diaphragmatic Breathing – 5 cycles of proper breathing into lower hand 

2nd Transverse Abdominas Activation – belly button to spine

3rd Pelvic Floor Contraction – sphincter to spine/elevator

Bridging Progression

                                                    Planks – Front & Side

                     

Bird Dog

Thoracic spine mobilizing

                                   T-Spine Extension on Foam                                           

                                                Self-Seated Thoracic Extension

Bretzel