Make Every Rep Count!

There are so many times when I look at the whiteboard and see my time or rounds and think I could have done so much better, but then I think about speed compared to really doing the workout correct.  Keeping my hips planked on pushups, truly breaking parallel on squats and following through at the top, full lockout on the elbows at the top AND the bottom of every muscle-up, full overhead on thrusters, following through on every movement. These are the important things.  Think of it as having a little judge in your head at every workout and make sure that you make every rep count!

When it comes to CrossFit as a competition, I can give you an edge over the other competitors. This is a simple tip. I won’t even charge you for it, even though you will start performing better. It doesn’t involve a super secret training regimen. It’s not a crazy concoction of supplements that will give you superhuman strength. It definitely does not involve you following a strict nutrition plan. I can assure you that it isn’t performing multiple workouts in a day.

You gain a competitive edge by simply training with integrity in your movement. It’s simple really. What does it matter if you “kill” a workout, but your range of motion within that workout was half ass? Think about what I am saying here. Do you have a Facebook account? Do you check the comments section on www.crossfit.com? Everyone and their mother posts these outrageous workout results. Where are they when competition time comes around? Most are wondering why they can murder “Fran”, but their judge keeps “no repping” them and they are at the bottom of the pack.

Here are some simple tips to be better at performing full range of motion movement within your workout:
1. Know what “full range of motion” means. Learn that first, then finish reading the rest of this post.

2. Concentrate more. Stop getting WOD drunk. Slow down a bit in your training and pay closer attention to your movement. Remember that you have to walk before you can run.

3. Have someone watch your movement and call you out on it when you suck. Make sure that you get someone who isn’t afraid to tell you that you suck. Make sure that you can handle being told that you suck. If you can’t handle being told you suck, you suck so please don’t compete.

4. Buy a cheap video camera and film your workouts. I train a lot by myself, so I do this all the time. It’s eye opening to watch your workout after you are done. I always armchair quarterback myself. It’s a great way to see your movement, and it’s an even better way to learn about what you are and are not capable of when you start to fatigue. This is one of the ways I learned how to more efficiently strategize my workouts.

5. Don’t try and PR every workout, and don’t treat every workout like it is a competition. I’m not saying that you should NEVER go balls to the wall, I am just saying don’t do it day in and day out. Not only will your movement get better, you’ll be less prone to injury. It’s also an easy way to avoid CrossFit burnout. Yes, there is such a thing as CrossFit burnout. If you haven’t experienced it yet, you haven’t been CrossFitting that long.

So there you have it. Five surefire tips to make you a more successful CrossFit competitor.

http://www.crossfittherack.com/

Training Tips From Katie Hogan (CrossFit Games Competitor and Finalist)


5 smallest tips (in Crossfit) that I was given which had the BIGGEST difference for me.

1)   hollow position in handstand
I found balance!  Before this I was constantly falling off the wall or not able to stay up long enough to walk farther than a few steps on my hands.

2)   not over-extending lumbar spine in squat
Years of bad posture and walking around with an overextended lumbar curve, this same broken position carried over to my squats.

3)   squatting straight down on front squats and OH squats 
I finally found the best position in my front and overhead squats and all it took was the slightest shift.  Instead of reaching my hips way back, my line of action is now much closer to my heels; almost straight down.  Here I can get in a much better upright position to hold the weight.

4)   fast elbows (like a clean) on muscle ups
The day that Kris Clever cued me in the middle of a muscle-up/pull-up/run workout to move my elbows fast, like a clean, changed my crossfit world.  Not only was I able to complete the exercise more efficiently, but I was then able to finish the entire workout while wearing a weight vest.

5)   feet straight ahead on box jump (take off and landing)
This has brought speed back to my box jumps.  By maintaining my feet straight/knees tracking over feet or slightly out throughout the move I’m both protecting my knees and staying in the best position to rebound quickly and efficiently.

CrossFit Got FOUND!

3D Street Mural Breaks The Guinness World Record

The Huffington Post 

The largest mural ever was completed Thursday, as part of the seventh annual Guinness World Records Day. British artists '3D Joe & Max,' with their incredible 3D street mural that measures a whopping 9,601 square feet, joined over 300,000 other people as they all attempted to break various records around the world.

Produced in collaboration with athletic brands Reebok and CrossFit, the massive optical illusion depicts a waterfall cascading into a deep gorge, making it look as though the members of the Reebok/CrossFit team are performing death-defying stunts. View the impressive mural below as well as a slideshow of behind-the-scenes footage and other cool 3D murals we found.

Reebok CrossFit and 3D Joe and Max have teamed up in an attempt to create the world’s largest 3D street artwork ever. The painting will be officially unveiled at London’s West India Quays, Canary Wharf, on Guinness World Records Day, Thursday 17th November. Here artist, Joe Hill, is captured marking up the image, which will measure a staggering 1000m”. Visit youtube.com/reebok for exclusive behind the scenes footage.

 

By: Reebok

 

http://www.crossfittherack.com/

 

Maintaining Physical, Social and Mental Fitness for Peak Performance

This article from the Harvard Business Review struck me as a great reflection on CrossFit.  For those new to the concept of CrossFit, maybe those who are intimidate but intrigued, the following excerpts might help you see CrossFit better through the eyes of "We Train to Not Suck At Life" vs. so much of a "gym training that's too difficult for me" scope.  That is our intent and goal.  We expect that the things you learn in here will not stay in the gym as you leave our door, but that you will apply them to your life - physically enabling you to do more, interacting and reacting to new and varied social and mental situations more comfortably and confidently, stretching you and your experiences to places you didn't know existed for you.  Welcome to being comfortable with uncomfortable.

Whatever we give energy to, we give life to. For example, if we (even unintentionally) infuse negative energy, the brain reacts a certain way that reinforces a more unconstructive environment. Another more positive example is that if we focus on positive reinforcement of effort, process, and learning, we can create a growth mindset.

The counter perspective is that without purpose, intent, and energy, we leave outcomes much more to chance....
...with effort, energy, and practice, there is possibility for peak performance.  Leveraging energy most effectively requires fitness. We need to think about fitness in new ways to include mental fitness, social fitness, and physical fitness. Together, they integrated to provide the source of adaptive functioning.

Physical fitness refers to the keeping the body fit and operating at peak. Although it is impacted primarily by nutrition and movement, it is not about dieting and a strict exercise regimen. It is about eating the right foods, in the right amounts, at the right times to sustain energy.

Social fitness refers to how we interact with others across situations. We are inherently social beings. In fact, the brain is wired to reinforce that social things motivate us in positive ways.  Social fitness refers to an individual's ability to speak and act on ones values in the face of situational pressure.

Without effort and energy directed toward understanding something that is unfamiliar or complex, the brain may substitute information when interpreting and acting on the information. The challenge is that we don't know when our interpretations are correct or wrong.

Social fitness creates stronger problem solving and collaboration capabilities. The "we" mindset also contributes to stronger collective intelligence which translated is the collective whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Ultimately this builds integration and contributes to resilience.

Mental fitness involves the following seven practices — some of which cross over into the physical and social domains: good night's sleep (7-8 hours is recommended), physical activity, focus, reflection, down time, connecting time, and play time.  These sources of energy build resiliency and drive peak performance.

http://www.crossfittherack.com/

Women Don't Get BIG Doing CrossFit, They Get FIT

8 Reasons Why Women (Should) CrossFit

 

With all that CrossFit has done for me, I feel it’s my duty to relay the vast benefits on to others, women especially, if only to educate and inform. Having said that, if you have an aversion to hard work, read no further.  But if you love the adrenaline rush of hitting new PBs (personal bests), constantly challenging yourself with new exercises and techniques, and always improving your fitness level, read on.

Here are 8 reasons why you (or a woman you love) should give CrossFit a shot:

1)      It’s always challenging you to learn new exercises, so it keeps workouts fresh and exciting. Walking at an incline on the “dreadmill” 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week? No, thank you. There are more fun (and productive) things to be done!

2)      It strengthens your core (WITHOUT doing 200 reps a day of ab-specific work). CrossFit includes so many compound exercises that whether or not it’s your goal, you will build core strength. So, once you inevitably peel away fat you’ll have some amazing abs to show for it.

3)      It burns calories like crazy. Try doing one of the WODs (Workout of the Day) with running + compound lifts (like deadlifts, weighted squats, or cleans). It is not only exhausting but also brings you into a whole other realm of calorie burning. Workouts like this will keep you lean and mean.

4)      You’ll get more muscular. And I’m talking about the lean, athletic, fat-burning, awesome kind of muscular. Don’t believe me? Check out this video and try to argue otherwise. “Skinny fat” is nowhere to be seen.



5)      You will feel like the energizer bunny. I know, weird that exercising actually gives you energy, right? CrossFit is no exception.

6)      It increases confidence in the gym. I have worked out with so many women who are deathly self-conscious about entering the “men’s area” of the gym. You know, where all the barbells and plates are (aka, the good stuff). After you bite the bullet and tackle a few of the heavier CrossFit workouts you’ll never harbor that fear again.

7)      It increases confidence OUTSIDE of the gym. After completing a killer WOD, I can tell that my sense of accomplishment carries over into everyday life. I can tell that it does this for men as well as women.

8)      It’s an investment in your future. Like you, I don’t want to suffer from age related issues when I’m 50. I want my fitness level to bounce back as quickly as possible after any challenege. I want to continue to feel strong and powerful into my 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond. If you do too, now is the time to make the investment.


PS…
Here are some more resources about Women & CrossFit:

http://games.crossfit.com/features/women-2011-reebok-crossfit-games

http://orangecoastcrossfit.com/crossfit-for-women/

http://blog.fitnesstown.ca/2010/07/01/why-women-need-crossfit/

http://www.crossfittherack.com/

Finding Your True Self
    
     As another Halloween ends, the costumes and masks put away, I am reminded of a book called "Presentation of Self in Everyday Life". Written in 1959 by sociologist Erving Goffman, he compares our everyday lives to stage craft. By using this metaphor he keenly describes the multiple ways in which we present ourselves to different people (other actors) in different places (stages) at different times. This can, and does for many people, create a sense of interpersonal superficiality and emotional tension. If we are always playing multiple roles - as father, son, brother, mother, daughter, sister, co-worker, friend, boss, civilian, officer, student, teacher and so on - then when do we find time to unravel all of this and discover our true self? Or, to put it another way, is our true self defined through an amalgamation of all these roles?

     Some people have no trouble switching from one role to another. For many others, however, the process can be stressful. For example, we often hear of people "taking their work home with them". I once knew someone who was a police officer for 20 years who had this very problem; he couldn't make the switch from cop mode to family mode. To cope with all this, he became more cold and distant around the people he was once closest to.
    
     Goffman came to believe that the various roles, overtime, can take their toll as the "individual [increasingly] maintains a show before others that he himself does not believe." Eventually, "he can come to experience a special kind of alienation from self and a special kind of wariness of others." To prevent this from happening, Goffman suggested that we all need a cloak room for our various roles - a place to temporarily hang up our roles and seek a deeper meaning lying far beneath the superficial face-to-face interaction that dominates day-to-day life. For some of you that place might be at home spending time with your kids; for others it might be spending time with whomever you are closest to in this world; some will find it in volunteer work, religion or, if you're lucky enough, your job; and yet for others it might be found in the simple quietude of spending time alone, listening to music or hiking. The main point being, find the place where you feel you can really be, well, you. For me (and I assume for many of you reading this) that place has been in the box. During the middle of a workout I often do find a quiet place in my head, and for a brief moment all external worries evaporate. It is often easiest to find our truest self when the mind is not reaching into the past or concerned with the future, but only focused on the exact moment. It is somewhat paradoxical to say, but when we are less focused on our selves, this is when we are most in touch with who we really are.

     I am happy to say, CrossFit is like my second home. It is like a sanctuary in many ways. It is a place where egos get left at the door and people can just be themselves - no stage craft or acting here. In a society that is dominated by hedonistic individualism, it is a place where we all share a common focus and a mutual goal: to become the fittest athletes possible - both physically and mentally. Sometimes the best things in life are indeed the simplest.

http://www.crossfittherack.com/

Approaches To A Successful Total

Because your attempts are limited for each movement, you want to maximize your potential without selling yourself short. Having a strategy for each lift starts with a thorough search of your logbook and notes taken after your last total. Knowing what you successfully lifted during your last total allows you an oportunity to develop a plan of attack for a new PR.

Theoretically, let's say your notes read: "Back squat - 300# (could have gone 10# heavier)". This gives you enough information to build your warm-up and initial attempts. Since we are shooting for a PR, let's build your warm-up sets/reps and initial attempts from our new PR down. When shooting for a 310# PR, build your warm-up and attempts like this:

3rd attempt: 310# (new PR!)
2nd attempt: 300# (old PR)
1st attempt: 290# (a guaranteed lift)
4th warm-up: 280#
3rd warm-up: 255#
2nd warm-up: 215#
1st warm-up: 155# x3

You can approach each movement with this method of building your warm-up reps and attempts from the top down. But let's say things aren't going as planned, you'll need to adapt your approach to be as successful as possible for the day. Suppose your 4th warm-up @ 280# felt heavier than it should, you'll need to modify your opening lift from 290# to something a bit lighter. You can modify as follows to still achieve a PR:

3rd attempt: 305# (new PR!)
2nd attempt: 295# (5# under PR)
1st attempt: 285# (modified opener)
4th warm-up: 280# (felt heavy, moved slow)
3rd warm-up: 255# (same)
2nd warm-up: 215# (same)
1st warm-up: 155# x3 (same)

What about if you miss a lift? Chances are, if you miss a lift it will be the 2nd or 3rd attempt. If you miss the 3rd, no big deal - you're only under your old PR by 5#. But if you miss 295#, your second attempt, don't be egotistical or greedy - drop a little weight and attempt to improve your lift even by a couple of pounds. Apply this method to each lift and maximize your Total for the day!

http://www.crossfittherack.com/