I Have to 'Get In-Shape' Before I Start CrossFit

If I had a nickel for every time someone told me this, I would be a rich (ok maybe quasi rich) man.

At first, I try to put myself in the other person's shoes to understand where they are coming from. And then I realize that this statement doesn't even make sense.

Can you 'get in' CrossFit shape by doing the treadmill, bench press, bicep curls, etc...???

Can you 'get in' basketball shape by swimming?  Can 'get in' a size 4 jeans by eating McDonalds hamburger and fries everyday for lunch?

Let's break this down logically and show you the truth so you will have some ammo the next time one of your friends or acquaintances tries to give you this B.S.

Look in the Mirror: If they are currently working out, apparently what they are doing now is not working, because if they are not in regular shape then how are they going to get in 'CrossFit Shape'? And if they are not working out then obviously the good ole' regular gym is not working either. And you know the old saying, "If you do the same thing over and over and expect a different result that is the definition of insanity. So it sounds like they are the insane one's.

All Levels: It doesn't matter what kind of shape you are in when you start CrossFit. Everyday, every movement, every workout is 100% scalable. And what we mean by scalable is you can adjust the weight, the movement, time, reps, anything according to your current level of FITness. Our goal is to have you complete each workout successfully (safety 1st and effective 2nd).

You will always try to get in 'CrossFit' shape:  COMPARED to what?!?! Truth is, you cannot get in shape for CrossFit at any gym on your own. In fact, even if you go to CrossFit for a very long time, you may not be 'in-shape' for CrossFit as it takes tremendous dedication, diet, skill and time. Yet, you will find success in CrossFit workouts as you can do things you have never done before in your life, physically. Frankly, some of the people at CrossFit are in freakin' unreal shape with strong muscles, massive lung capacity and big hearts…I do not know how you get that from a few sets of bench press with 4 minute rest in between, a set of 12 curls, some flashy mirrors to watch my form, and a cushy mat in the corner to work my abs.

What's your story: Look, the only way your friends are going to really come is if you walk the walk. That alone will weed out the winners from the people that are just all talk. So if you want your friends to come to CF and believe what you say, then you better be right on par with how great you are explaining CrossFit to your friends.

In the end, they really need a reason, not an excuse: CrossFit is the truth. It will test you physically, emotionally and mentally. There is no easy way to the top. And that applies to CrossFit. CrossFit provides the structure, progressive setup, commardie, challenge and fun that is missing with these kind of people's lives. Understand that it is hard for someone to look at you with all this success you have had and then they look in the mirror and see all the flaws they currently have. Level with them. Tell them how hard it was for you to get started and enlighten them how great it is to be in this place you are today. Talk about how motivated, excited, confident you are. What was your reason for starting CrossFit? Is it still the same?

http://www.crossfittherack.com/

 

What determines your ultimate success in CrossFit is this:

1. Consistency in your training. Come 3-4 times per week, every week, and you will make improvements.

2. Practicing the skills. Spend more time under a jump rope, and you’ll get your double unders. Spend more time on the rings and you’ll get strong enough for ring dips. Spend more time upside down and you’ll eventually be able to walk across the gym on your hands. Master the ‘hip pop’ and get under the bar faster, and your Olympic lift numbers will skyrocket.

3. Demonstrating perfect form in practice. If you can consistently hit depth on your squat,  show a perfect overhead position on every rep, do pullups without craning your neck, and hit the wall ball target every time, then performing to the CrossFit standards on game day will be effortless. The only thing you’ll have to worry about is how much work you can get done in the allotted time – not how high your kettlebell is flying, or if your chest is hitting the bar for pullups.

Yes, you could have done 1 more burpee during those 7 minutes. But that wouldn’t have made you a better athlete.

The next time you find yourself saying "I could have done more" after a workout, take a step back and evaluate your training, consistency, comfort using good form, and the amount of time you spend in and out of the gym working on high skill movements. Find the real source of your weaknesses, and start making improvements today.

http://www.crossfittherack.com/

Six Truths of Weightlifting Technique

Greg Everett |Catalyst Athletics

When it comes to weightlifting technique, there are disagreements. Some are legitimate, some are questionable, and a few are downright silly. But when you sift through it all, there are a few universal Truths when it comes to the snatch and clean. If you can make these following six things happen with a given technical style, you can probably make it work for you.

 

Truth 1: The lifter and barbell system must remain balanced over the feet.

This is pretty simple. If the balance of the system doesn’t remain over the feet, the combined weight of the bar and lifter will not be supported by the base and it will fall over. This is basically an average measure—the actual balance over the foot isn’t exactly the same throughout a given lift, but it must end up being essentially balanced on average. If it diverges too much at any given point, it will be more than the lifter can compensate for, and the result will be the entire system being pulled forward or backward out of balance. There is actually a bit of latitude here. It’s possible to perform a snatch or clean with a backward or even forward jump as long as you can re-establish the balance over the newly positioned base. However, there is a limit to how much this can be done, and any degree of horizontal movement, in particular in a forward direction, makes the stabilization of the bar more difficult.

Truth 2: The barbell and lifter must remain in close proximity to each other.
This seems pretty obvious like Truth One, but this Truth is violated so commonly that it warrants emphasis. I like to illustrate this point by asking people what they would do if I asked them to pick up a barbell and then rolled it away from them. Everyone either answers that they would walk up to the bar or roll the bar back to themselves—in this extreme example, no one fails to recognize that the closer the bar is, the easier it is to lift. When we’re talking about a more complex movement like the snatch or clean, the effect of distance between the bar and body is magnified; that is, extremely small distances can create big problems. I prefer to have the barbell as close to the lifter as possible without making contact until the appropriate point of contact during the final explosion effort (hips for the snatch, high upper thigh for the clean), but would rather have it in light contact earlier than be considerably distant.

Truth 3: There must be no time wasted at the top of the pull.
You can argue about either the elevation of the bar or the pull under the bar being more important than the other, but you can’t deny that any time spent in an extended position following the point of producing maximal acceleration is limiting the lifter’s ability to relocate under the bar. That is, whether you want to focus on lifting the bar or getting under it (or, a novel idea, both…), you have to transition between accelerating the bar upward and accelerating the body downward as quickly as possible.

Truth 4: The relocation under the bar is an active movement
The pull or push under the bar must be as aggressive as the attempt to accelerate it upward. In effective lifting, there is no falling, dropping or catching. There is pulling, pushing, squatting and splitting—the relocation of the lifter under the bar is just as active as the rest of the lift, and a lack of aggression in this phase of the lift will ensure a lifter fails to maximize his or her potential.

Truth 5: The receiving position must be stable and strong.
You can argue with regard to the snatch or jerk about how many degrees of internal or external rotation of the humerus is correct, what the shoulder blades should be doing, and how the hands should be holding the bar, but all that matters is that you establish the position that best allows you to support the weight and stand up with it. This position will vary somewhat among lifters based on anatomical peculiarities, flexibility, etc. The rack position of the clean similarly will look different among lifters, but in any case, the bar must be supported securely on the trunk, not in the hands and arms, and the position must allow optimal posture in the squat position.

Truth 6: Consistency is more important than the actual technical style.
No two athletes lift exactly the same way. Some use the same basic style, but every lifter has his or her own technical idiosyncrasies for better or worse. In the long term, it’s more important that a lifter perform the lifts as consistently as possible relative to him- or herself than it is to perform the lifts with a certain technical style (assuming the style is within the range of acceptable). If a lifter is much better with an emphasis on hip extension, his snatch or clean will look different than a lifter who is better at producing a powerful downward punch of the legs along with the hip explosion. If those styles are truly what works best for each lifter, each lifter is maximizing his ability and attempts to mimic another technical style will limit that ability to lift as much as possible. Each lifter should strive to optimize the technique that proves to be most effective, and then make that optimized technique second nature through high volumes of practice and training over time.

http://www.crossfittherack.com/

Who Needs Situps When You Can Do Front Squats

A primary benefit of front squats is that they increase your core strength. Most of the time when you’re talking about increasing core strength you tend to think about crunches, hanging knee raises and planks. With front squats however, the load to the front of your body forces your abs and core to stay activated to stabilize your body throughout the movement. If your midsection isn’t activated and your torso isn’t erect during the movement, the lift is likely to fail as the body is unable to support the load.

Front Squat Setup

1. Your shoulders support the weight, not your hands. Always keep your chest big & elbows up.
2. Your foot stance should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes must always follow your knees. Point your toes out to about 30 degrees.
3. Utilize a big chest by putting your chest forward & lift it up. This gives the bar a solid base to sit on & makes it impossible to round your upper-back. Tighten your upper-back.
4. Look forward, not up! Looking up is bad for your neck and looking down will make your lower back round. So look forward at a fixed point in front of you.
5. Grip the bar at about shoulder width, or at a position in which the hands will not be trapped by the shoulders when the bar is “racked”. A narrow grip pushes the bar against your throat, making breathing difficult. A wide grip makes it harder to keep your elbows up.
6. The bar should be placed on top of your front shoulders. Behind your clavicles & close to your throat. Open your hands, relax them. Your upper-arms should be parallel to the floor – so the weight doesn’t end on your hands and the elbows should be squeezed toward each other. Admittedly, it takes a little flexibility. The best way to get this flexibility is… wait for it… do more front squats!

http://www.crossfittherack.com/