I know there have been at least a post or two in the past on handcare but I wanted to bring the topic back up since I have been seeing some hand tearing going on in the gym. Now here is my personal favorite video on handcare by USA weightlifting badass Donny Shankle. If you're not familiar with Donny look here. Now this is directed towards weightlifters but pretty much everything he talks about can be utilized by crossfitters. Hope this helps prevent some pain in the future.
Strength: Back Squat
WOD: 2 min AMRAP sit ups then, immediately into 10 min AMRAP x5 T2B x10 push ups w/r x15 box hops (24"/20")
Another great running workshop this morning from Coach Amy! We spend a lot of time running in CrossFit, and I think at some point we've all experienced Amy whizzing past us on one of those runs. So, for 4 more Sundays, you can join her at 9:00 a.m. at the LGHS track for some technique work that will help improve a movement that we all take for granted. I highly recommend it -- I learned a ton this morning.
And then, I was surprised to see no less than 6 people in the Cage this morning getting in some extra work! I love it!
Hope you had a great week of training, and we look forward to programming and blogs from Coach Devin next week.
Freddy Camacho wrote this on the One World blog back in late 2009. Thought it was worth a re-post:
TEN WAYS TO BLUNT YOUR ATHLETIC POTENTIAL
1) Not having goals, both short term and long term. A fitness regimen with no goals is like driving to a destination you have never been to before without a map or directions. Goals keep you on track. You seek out guidelines and information on how to achieve them. Make those goals!!!
2) Avoiding your weaknesses. Why is it everyone and their mother shows up on the days we do some crazy workout, but when weightlifting days or running days come up, people suddenly don’t feel so well??? Weaknesses stem from a series of issues. Suck at an Olympic lift? It is probably tied into deficiencies in the strength and flexibility department. Can’t get through that whole 5k run? You need to eat better and build up your cardio/respiratory endurance. Attack your weaknesses and your strengths will improve.
3) Poor nutrition. Food completely controls how your body functions throughout the day. It is the gasoline for your engine. An engine needs gas to run, and it runs better with good gas than it does with crappy gas. Start simple. Make changes in the quality of what you eat then fine tune it from there.
4) Alcohol consumption. Alcohol is good for only one thing: getting buzzed. Unfortunately, getting buzzed causes a bunch of bad things to happen, mostly lack of control. You don’t sleep well (despite possibly even passing out). It dehydrates you. You tend to succumb to eating crap. You are damaging brain cells and your liver. But did I mention that alcohol is really good for getting buzzed??
5) Lack of sleep. You can never get “too much” sleep. Our bodies are actually wired to go to sleep when it gets dark and wake up at the crack of dawn. Electricity has jacked up our internal clocks, so no matter who you are and how much you sleep, it is never enough. Sleep is a huge component in the body recovery system. Get more of it!!!
6) Not taking proper rest/recovery time. Rest is different from sleep. You need to let the body rest from your training regimen. Take a rest day every few days. I would even recommend that every few months you take at least a week off from high intensity training. Your body needs time to heal, along with your brain. You will come back rip roaring ready to go both physically and mentally. Recovery simply means listening to your body. Pain is different from the discomfort of training. Pain needs to be respected. Pain takes time to heal. Turn your ego off and let your body heal up proper. The dumbest thing I ever heard anyone say was, “It hurts to train, but I have to workout.” (That was me by the way....)
7) Poor hydration. Water is often an overlooked ingredient in a good training regimen. Water makes up about 60% of the human body. Lean muscle tissue is about 99% water. Bone is made up of about 22% water and even your skin contains water. There is not one system in the entire body that does not depend on water. You will be hard pressed to drink to much water in a day. Drink up!!!
8) Lack of consistency. It’s not easy to stick with a workout program. You can get very positive results working out only two to three days a week if you really work hard and follow a solid nutrition plan. Start small...commit yourself to two days a week and build up to three. Once you start training three or more days a week, you will make leaps and bounds in reaching your athletic potential.
9) Lack of a proper warm-up/cool down. Sure, argue all you want that when the shit hits the fan in life, you don’t get the chance to warm up. Very true, but a training session is not life. You are attempting to improve your athletic ability. You can’t do jack if you get hurt. Warm up those muscles, joints and connective tissues by doing active stretching in full range of motion. Take the time to do some good static stretching when you are done working out. Flexibility will increase. Injuries will decrease. Your workout performance will improve dramatically.
10) Not listening to your coach. An experienced coach knows what he is talking about. For the most part, I know I can judge a person's athletic ability watching them perform a few simple tasks just within a warm-up. Why is it when I tell someone they should scale a movement or a rep count or the load, they don’t want to listen to me? The road to better athletic performance is a path easier traveled when you listen to an experienced coach. Trust me.
On another note, Alex and Zach recently owed me 30 burpees after class. What started as "let's get this over with" quickly turned into a competition between these two. And it was something to watch -- 30 burpees, faster and faster, completely in sync the entire time!
Other hobbies: Yoga, Fishing, Running, Kayaking and pretty much any other physical activity or anything outdoors
How long been doing CF: 2 Months
How long at CFLG: 2 Months
How did you initially get into CF: John B had me try out a class, and I was hooked on the CrossFit practice ever since.
Favorite WOD: That’s an oxymoron, right? :). Just kidding. My favorite has to be Helen – I like running, pullups and KB swings – and this WOD encompasses them all.
Least favorite WOD: I’d have to say it was my first ever WOD (“The Chief”). Having never done a CrossFit workout before, that WOD put me out of commission for days (I could barely walk/move) and I still get nightmares from it. Thanks John B. for putting me through that one! :)
Favorite lift: Hand stand pushups have become my new favorite. I love the focus, balance and strength required to perform this lift.
Least favorite lift: Thrusters. I'm trying hard to improve on this lift, as it puts my body in a position that I haven’t been used to with my regular weight training. Hopefully as I improve my technique and get stronger, it'll move up to my "favorites lift" list.
Proudest CF moment: My proudest moment was also my most humbling. We did a 5-round WOD in early April, and on paper, the program didn't look too bad (x3 Deadlifts, x3 Hang Power Cleans, x3 Squat Cleans, x3 Thrusters and x3 Push Press). But as we began the WOD, my wrists began to tire and give out after the first round (I literally had a hard time just gripping the bar, much less lifting it). While everyone finished their WOD within 5 minutes, I was barely halfway through and continued to struggle with every rep. I ultimately finished the WOD in about 9 minutes, but it was the encouragement and camaraderie from my fellow Crossfitters that helped pull me through. They ALL STAYED AROUND and rooted me on until I finished my very last rep!
Had I done that WOD on my own, I probably would have packed up my bags after the first round and “maybe try this again” another time. It's somewhat difficult to describe, but the group energy, dynamism and camaraderie at CFLG adds an element to training that you just can't find anywhere else - period!
Other proud moments include:
- Increasing my Thrusters to 95lbs (from 65lbs when I first started). My longer term goal is to get to 135 lbs for reps
- Increasing my HSPU to ten uninterrupted full reps (from 0 reps when I first started – I could barely do a half rep at first!)
- Bodyweight Squat Snatches at 135 lbs
- Improvement in my Butterfly pullups
What does CF or CFLG mean to you: Where do I begin with this...There’s quite a bit to talk about, so I’ve broken this out in a few key points:
Strength and Functional Gains: The strength and functional gains I've made in the short amount of time here has been eye opening. After many years of going to the gym and emphasizing "isolation" type exercises and hitting plateau after plateau, the focus on compound movements and program variety have really kept me motivated and excited for each workout, and its been great to see (and feel) meaningful levels of improvement all around. In addition, the overall increase in strength and functional development have really complemented many of my other outside activities, especially running and yoga (my run times are faster and balancing postures (in yoga) have become a lot easier and I'm able to go much deeper into poses, which has interestingly increased my overall flexibility). So overall, there have been nice synergistic effects of including Crossfit in my weekly program/activities.
Better Quality of Life: I previously had some nagging lower back problems that restricted my movement in a variety of ways, and I was originally hesitant to try Crossfit because I thought it would further aggravate my lower back. I always assumed my lower back problems were due to flexibility issues (e.g. lack of flexibility). However, after doing Crossfit for a couple of months, my lower back has never felt better, which I attribute to the overall strength gains I’ve made (so perhaps my back pain wasn’t soley an issue of flexibility, but perhaps one of strength as well (or lack thereof)). (And sitting behind a desk at work all day doesn’t help either) The end result is that I’ve gotten a lot of my mobility back, which of course has made life a whole lot better.
Improved Body Composition: This has certainly been one of the nicer spillover effects of doing Crossfit. Though this was not an original objective of trying Crossfit, the changes that this program has had on body composition has been great. Lower body fat %, increased muscle mass, better cardiovascular conditioning. You won’t find me complaining about these side effects!
Excellent Staff and Coaching: The high quality training and insights from the CFLG trainers are invaluable. The trainers are very knowledgeable and are always available and ready to answer any questions I have about technique, programming and diet. The Elements classes (mine were taught by Chris Eagan and Devin Lopez) were really eye opening and led to huge improvements in my technique, resulting in much better form and efficiency with all of my lifts. All the coaches put an emphasis on getting form correct first and do a great job at breaking down each component of a lift (especially the more complicated ones). And once you get your form down, they then focus on progressive loading. You always get high quality advice from the trainers!
Great Group Environment: I mentioned this a bit earlier, but it’s worth mentioning again. The group training environment is awesome! The student body is wide ranging, both in age group and profession. But one thing that ties everyone together is the intensity mentality – the never give up attitude. No one gives up – even if it takes them longer to finish a WOD than everyone else – they WILL finish it! I really like that attitude and to immerse yourself in that environment only helps to increase your own intensity. It’s a pretty awesome family here!
Sorry for the long answer! I’ll just end by saying that CFLG has meant a lot to me (even though I’ve only been there a short time so far). My only regret thus far is not trying Crossfit sooner!
I met Tony at yoga, and he had an interest in CrossFit. So, for one of his very first WOD's he met Joe W. and I at the LGHS track to have a go at "Murph" -- and he promptly kicked our butts! I've seen his very strong yoga practice, and can't wait to see where CrossFit is going to take him. Welcome Tony.
Tony showing his hops in a burpee broad jump!
Tony's yoga connection -- now I see why you spend so much time doing yoga....
No, I’m not talking about the swingers scene in Mumbai!
You may have seen some of us in the Cage occasionally swinging these odd clubs around, looking like we are directing an incoming 747. Well, they are called Indian clubs, as they apparently originated centuries ago with Indian soldiers as a method of improving strength, mobility, balance and overall conditioning. From the Indian soldiers, it started being used by the British, then by the Germans and Czechs, and then they made their way to the U.S. in the mid-1800s. And as with a lot of things, what is old is new again.
Indian clubs are now being used again in a lot of therapeutic settings. Although they come in a variety of weights and sizes, most are quite light (1-2 pounds) as swinging heavy weights around is not the primary objective. Rather, they can be used in increasingly complex movement patterns to drive a high neural demand (see my previous posts this week for a little about why that is important). These movement patterns are outside of the normal range of motion in traditional linear resistance training. In other words, in the spirit of functional movements, these can be a good compliment to a CrossFit training program. The shoulder is a complex joint, and can be prone to injury. By increasing shoulder girdle mobility and the complexity of movement patterns, we develop coordination and can decrease that risk.
Check out the below video for examples of some of the exercise patterns, both from a modern example, and from some school kids in 1904.
Modern:
1904:
And if you are still not sold on the importance of the neurological aspect of training, let me leave you with the words of the old-time strongman Eugen Sandow: “The mind and conscious control of the body are pre-eminent in the quest for developing a beautiful physique.”
And if you haven’t already seen it, you may get a kick out of this website. One of my favorites:
Monday, June 4, 2012 at 04:00AM 
