This week I decided to combine my Weekly Throwdown and Tip of the Week posts. Here’s why:
Most of the time, I think when people start a working out, they put their brain on cruise control and don’t really think. The difference between muddling through a workout and moving with purpose can be powerful, however.
As I demonstrate in the video, crashing down into every air squat versus being deliberate about core tension, breath control, and foot placement, can lead to vastly different results over time.
As they say:
Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes progress.
I think we should do our best to get the most out of all of the time we spend in the gym.
Check out the video below, and let me know what you think, please!
Instead of talking about a way to improve how you do a single movement, this week I talk about some of the best ways to move our most expensive pieces of equipment in the gym: Rowers and Bikes.
Athletes can sometimes be careless when it comes to moving them, but when a brand new rower costs nearly $1,000, it’s a really good idea to take care of these things that we use almost every day in the gym.
Check out the video below, and please pass it along to someone who you think could benefit from it!
There is so much discussion and debate out in internet land about the proper way to do a kettlebell swing. Is Russian (eye level) the proper end range of motion for a rep, or should one go overhead (American) each time? Good news, I don’t care!
This episode is instead going to address my favorite way of setting up for the first rep of every set; regardless of the height you plan to take your kettlebell.
Take a look, let me know if you like this strategy, and have a great weekend!
The next week of Smashby’s Tip of the Week is live, and it’s the final of my four week handstand push-up progression!
Although the video is a bit long, I cover a lot of information.
The first three weeks focused on my process for teaching athletes how to safely get upside down and support their own body weight. This final week moves through progressions I use to continue to build confidence in athletes, along with timelines for when I think the next step should be t
Here’s a snapshot summarizing my 4-week series:
Learn and progress through the steps to safely learn Wall Climbs/Wall Walks
Learn and progress through the steps to safely learn a Headstand
Learn and progress through the steps to safely learn a Handstand
Build strength and control through the use of Negatives
Learn and progress through steps to safely apply Kipping to Handstand Push-Ups
What did you think of this series? Did you find it helpful? If not for yourself, do you think it’s a good way to teach other athletes?
Let me know in the comments, and let’s talk about this. If it’s good, I would love to share it with others. If it sucks, help me improve my content so it can help others.
The third week of Smashby’s Tip of the Week is live, and we’re continuing on to week three of my four week handstand push-up progression!
Today we’ll discuss another safe dismount from the Wall Climb position and then go from transitioning from headstands into the safe way of becoming confident progressing into a handstand. I’m always very cautious teaching athletes how to get into this position from the standing position, so please follow along with my steps in order to build confidence first before trying to make it a more dynamic movement. Plant those hands first, then get faster.
Once you can accumulate 90-seconds to two minutes in that handstand position, then you’ll be ready for next week’s session where we’ll discuss strategies for building strength, and improving your kipping for handstand push-ups!
I hope you find this information beneficial.
If you do, please share it with someone else you think it could help!
The second week of Smashby’s Tip of the Week is live, and we’re continuing on to week two of my four week handstand push-up progression!
Today we’ll discuss longer holds in the Wall Climb position and then move into my favorite way of teaching headstands. I’ve always found that improving one’s comfort in a headstand leads to more stable handstand push-ups. By the end of the four week series, we’ll be discussing kipping options and accessory work to improve being inverted.
I hope you find this information beneficial.
If you do, please share it with someone else you think it could help!
CrossFit athletes are often required to perform fairly advanced exercises and high repetitions of movements during their training. By simply improving one’s technique, it can lead to movement patterns that are safer, faster, and more efficient. I’ve heard a lot of different cues as a trainer and athlete, and sometimes it just takes a slightly different way of explaining the same thing for something to click. My goal with the “Smashby’s Tip of the Week” series is to offer my own two cents on ways to move better, and provide a new cue that helps some of you!
Since the thought of going upside down can be scary for a lot of people, handstand push-ups are one of the most intimidating movements for athletes. When I teach them, I tend to follow a fairly basic progression:
Can the athlete support their own body weight with their arms?
If no, there are a number of exercises and modifications I prescribe (which I can explain in more detail if my readers are interested) to get to that point.
If yes, how can we build strength and confidence in that inverted position?
Once they’re confident upside down, the work can begin to teach the actual handstand push-up.
Today’s video will focus on my preferred method of getting upside down safely, and increase stability in that position. In my next video I’ll talk more about proper positioning (such as being in a hollow body, active shoulders, etc), but for today we’ll just talk about how to get inverted!
I hope you find this information beneficial.
If you do, please share it with someone else you think it could help!
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