Posts Tagged ‘CrossFit WOD Tips’

CrossFit WOD Tips: 11/15/12

Posted: November 15, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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Hello Friends! There is a pretty big CrossFit Competition in Denver this weekend known as the “Turkey Challenge“. Personally, I consider it the second biggest “local” event of the year, and the turn-out will be AWESOME! (If you live in the area, you should come to MBS CrossFit Saturday and/or Sunday to check it out.)

With the event coming up, I thought I would share two different posts I’ve come across recently that will not only apply to athletes participating this weekend, but to athletes (especially CrossFitters) everywhere! The first is a list of useful stretches that we should probably all do this weekend.

This post comes from the crew at CrossFit Done Right in Rockville, Maryland, and it’s called “9 Stretches You Should Know“. It features a TON of links to videos and articles from Kelly Starrett’s Mobility WOD web-site. That site, if not already, should be bookmarked on ALL of your browsers. Hundreds of hours of stretching and mobility techniques for every part of your body!

This post features a link to info on stretches to help warm up 9 areas of the body in particular. Yeah, 9, so you can pick and choose what needs it the most!
1- Heal Cord & Calves
2- Front of Hips
3- Shoulders and Bands
4- High Groin/Hamstring
5- Hamstring
6- More Hips and Glutes
7- Feet
8- Shoulder Blade/Rib Cage
9- Neck and Traps

Please check out the page and learn at least one new stretch!

The second post is about SQUATTING. Yes. Squatting. There are a lot of people out there who argue and claim to know what is and isn’t the safe and appropriate depth to squat as an athlete. Before I share the link, let me share my own personal take. While this is highly influenced by my last 4 years following CrossFit, let me state that much of this stance has to do with my own personal experience with the movement. I feel that when performed safely and correctly, that the full depth squat (crease of the hip below the top of the knee) is one of the most effective strength and conditioning exercises known to humans.

So this post, which is called “3 Squatting Myths That Refuse To Die“, talks about…. three myths:
- Myth #1: Squatting below parallel is bad for your knees
- Myth #2: Your knees should never go past your toes
- Myth #3: Squats are bad for your back

My favorite part of the post, is that it HAPPENS to feature a picture of my good friend, Zach Krych (who had yet another INCREDIBLE video made about him and his story)!

So, do me a favor please, friends.

Check out the post above about mobility, and then read the post about squatting, and please share your thoughts with me on the two topics. I always welcome discussions about what you all think about those things, those two areas in particular.

Thank you in advance for checking out the post, the blog, and for your comments!

CrossFit WOD Tips: 6/26/12

Posted: June 26, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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Miranda Oldroyd, of CrossFit HQ, shares some super helpful tips on how to more efficiently complete the Clean.

She also utilizes my buddy, Zach Forrest (Owner of CrossFit Max Effort in Vegas), to show how it’s done right!

What do you think of this video? Any additional thoughts or questions?

CrossFit WOD Tips: 6/15/12

Posted: June 15, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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Today, we rarely see Handstand Walks in CrossFit Programming these days. That movement requires (at the very least) balance, coordination, and strength. The good news, however, is that even if freestanding handstands, or handstand walks, are out of your ability level for now (which I’d say they are for most people), some of the drills discussed below are still very relevant and helpful for a variety of the other movements we’re regularly asked to do in CrossFit.

Take a few minutes and watch some tips to improving overall balance and spatial awareness. If nothing else, this will teach you ways to safely “eject” from a Handstand-Gone-Bad! (I know I’ve been there on several dozen occasion…)

Thanks to Jon Gilson, and the Again Faster crew, for another great resource!

CrossFit WOD Tips: 5/30/12

Posted: May 30, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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Almost all of us who have been doing CrossFit for a while have had the moment (or moments) come where you’re in the middle of a workout, and then all of a sudden… RRRRIIIIIIPPPP. There goes a hand tear, and sometimes, your ability to continue working out. The tear itself might hurt, the care for it (washing and cleaning it) definitely hurts, but the worst pain of all is not being able to keep training because your hands are too messed up to grab the bar, or anything else! Not. Good.

The post I’m sharing today is one of the best resources I’ve come across in order to show effective methods on how to take care of your hands to try and prevent tears. The video below features legendary strength coach Mark Rippetoe on one method; how to grab the bar properly. I was lucky enough to take a seminar with him a few years ago, and have been using this method myself since he taught it to me. *knock on wood* but I’ve had a lot of success with not shredding up my hands over the years, and attribute a lot of that success to proper care.

I think one of my friends, Megan, said it best.
“In general i believe in tearing wrapping paper, not hands.”

I hope you guys like the link and the article (called CrossFit Hand Care from the website Fitbomb.com) and the video!

CrossFit Hand Care



CrossFit WOD Tips: 4/24/12

Posted: April 24, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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CrossFit claims to be a “Functional Fitness” program. That statement leads to a lot of people asking, “What does functional mean?” Today, we’ll talk about ONE of those movements, and why it’s functional. Today’s movement is squatting. To me, squatting is one of the most fundamental human movements!

Sit down. How do you get up the most efficiently? Squat. Pick anything up off of the ground, what’s the safest way to stand with it? Likely, some form of squat. In this short video from the CrossFitHQ YouTube channel, the squat is discussed at length, including how and why you should do the movement properly. I hope you guys find this as helpful as I did!

p.s.- Yes, the “Doublemint” is my favorite part of any CrossFit video… ever. Nicole and Annie are my sirens. :-)

CrossFit WOD Tips: 12/7/11

Posted: December 7, 2011 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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The folks at Again Faster constantly provide useful information to CrossFitters and athletes everywhere on their website. Today’s video that they reposted on RECOVERY and Foam Rolling is no exception.

Many of you have had a few lessons in the gym in regards to some helpful foam rolling techniques. This short video provides not only the HOW to do several exercises, but also some critical reasons as to WHY we want to spend time with this training tool. Check it out, and let me know if you have any additional questions.

Thanks for the great stuff, AF!

CrossFit WOD Tips: Getting in the Zone

Posted: April 18, 2011 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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I don’t even need to preface this. (Thanks, Aush!)

I know what you’re thinking, though… how is he that professional all the time. Practice my friends… practice.

2011 CrossFit Games: WOD 11.4 Advice

Posted: April 13, 2011 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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Hey everyone,

Many of you are familiar with Pat Barber, CrossFit Monster. He is the first person I had ever heard being called a Manimal (yes.. a man-animal) for his incredible feats of athleticism! He has been conducting this series on advice on how to hit the workouts for the 2011 CrossFit Games Open, and then feedback on how he thought they went after his first attempt. This one, appropriately enough, is his advice for Workout 11.4.
I like watching them, so I figured some of you might, too.

CrossFit WOD Tips: 3/24/11

Posted: March 24, 2011 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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Rope Climbs. The last time I had thought about climbing a rope was probably in middle school. I just knew I wasn’t very good at them, and quite frankly, the thought of falling from a height didn’t seem too appealing to me. In fact, the last gym where I worked actually had it’s own rope, and I still didn’t climb it once. Instead I let the “Fear” stop me.

Well, fast forward to November of last year and MBS CrossFit’s “Turkey Challenge”. We ran a 5k outside for the first event, did the CrossFit Total for the second and then they announced WOD #3.

Ground to Overheads, fine. Burpee Wall Jumps, fine. ROPE CLIMBS?!?! FIVE of them!?! Needless to say, it caught me off guard, but I just had to buckle down and do them.

Had I practiced them beforehand they would have been much easier, so I am hoping that this video (which also features an awesome performance by Chris Spealler) gives you some ideas on how to be a better rope climber.

The moral of the story:
Don’t let your “FEARS” determine what you stay away from. Find a weakness, or an “Area for Improvement” as I prefer to call it, and spend some time making yourself better at it! One CrossFit motto is “You’re only as strong as your weakest link”, right? Get stronger.

CrossFit WOD Tips: 3/22/11

Posted: March 22, 2011 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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GET OUT OF THE WAY!!

When it comes to trying to control your safety as much as possible while in the gym, there is a very simple, yet often overlooked, skill you need to practice. That skill is how to get out of the way of a missed rep.

We get so excited, so nervous, so focused on lifting the weight/doing the squat/snatching the bar, that it’s not uncommon for a person to forget to actually let go of the bar if they are about to miss a rep! Even when you ARE trained properly (National Champion, properly…), it can be hard to get out of the way of the weight, sometimes. Check out this post I did a few months ago sharing the amazing story of Zach Krych!

So, how do we start training our bodies to learn how to get out of the way and let go of the bar?
By doing exactly that!

Watch the video below from Coach Burgener, and over the next few days, your homework is to grab a PVC pipe while you’re warming up in the gym, make sure no one is in front of or behind you, drop the bar (both forwards AND backwards) and GET OUT OF THE WAY!

If you’ve never even tried it before, what makes you think your body will know to do it when you’ve got 250lbs on the bar and you’re trying to clean it off of the ground?

Make sure the space is clear around you, and do your homework! Seriously! Awesome video.

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