Why I Believe CrossFit Works

Mark G getting some extra work done... 

Every so often, I take time to really analyze what the hell I am doing in the gym.  Not so much for myself (I will always see myself as a guinea pig experimenting to find new and / or better ways to program for my gym) but more for those who come to my gym.  I view it as a great honor that anyone would have faith and trust in me to take care of their bodies and provide for them the best training experience possible.  I do not take that responsibility lightly and I am well aware how great of an impact my influence can have on people... both positive AND negative.

You see, training is not hard to get right... but boy is it sure easy to get wrong.  One bad rep, one missed cue, one ill-timed workout and suddenly we go from healthy to injured.  Sometimes its unavoidable and truly no one's fault, but more often than not there is someone culpable... and that someone is usually the trainer or coach or whatever word you like to use.

Therefore I am always vigilant over my programming and my coaching; always making sure I am giving my members the best of the best.  As the world of fitness continues to evolve I make sure to evolve with it, reading articles, speaking with trusted colleagues, seeking the advice of those more experienced than myself, and as mentioned earlier, using myself as a testing ground to see what works and what doesn't.

And each time I reflect on what I have done in the past, analyze what I am currently doing, and visualize what I will do in the future, I ask myself: is CrossFit really working?  This usually leads to an internal debate on what the hell CrossFit even is anymore as it has come to vary so greatly from gym to gym.  That is a whole other discussion...

As for the question, my answer is always the same: yes.  CrossFit really is working.  Not because Greg Glassman is some genius or Dave Castro is a wizard or "constantly varied functional movement performed at high intensity" is some magical recipe unique to CrossFit...

... the reason CrossFit works is because 7 years ago when I first started CrossFit it taught me the most valuable lesson of my coaching career: never become complacent, never stop evolving.  I started doing CrossFit because it was different, it challenged everything I thought I knew.  And as a result, I truly did find something better.

Till this very day I do the same thing... I challenge myself and what CrossFit is and how I apply it to my gym.  I am constantly questioning and seeking out better ways to help my members reach their goals.  Sometimes my beliefs do not align with popular CrossFit methodology, and sometimes I even find myself vehemently disagreeing with fellow CrossFit coaches.  The end result is I learn, I grow, I get better... and I bring that vastly improved product to my gym.

Whether it is OPT, Charles Poliquin, Martin Rooney, or the college intern who is sharing with me what he learned in class, I am always seeking out the best practices and training models for my members.  I learned that from CrossFit and for that I am grateful because I truly believe it has played a significant role in my success as a coach.

CrossFit works.  It works because its model has allowed room for evolution and continued improvement.  It is up to us as coaches and trainers to ensure this evolution and improvement never ceases, and as a result, our members remain happy and satisfied with the inevitable positive results they will enjoy.

A Better Wheel

 

When reinventing the wheel is a good thing.... 

“Let’s not try and reinvent the wheel.”

I am pretty sure I have used this expression many times throughout my life.  And honestly, I would very much like to punch myself in the face for every time I have said it.

 

I have been thinking:  how STUPID is this phrase? 

While there is a valid point in there somewhere (I think), the truth is it is a used as damn cop out.  Let me translate it for you:

“Don’t try to be unique.  Don’t rock the boat.  Do what everyone else is doing and has done and you will be fine.  Baaaaaaa baaaaaaa baaaaaaaaa”

-          The White Sheep

   CrossFit was CREATED with the notion of “reinventing the wheel”.  While the sports they used and the movements they preached were anything but new, the idea of a community based upon a training program of constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity  was certainly unique.  The bonds created with complete strangers when walking into a brand new gym for the first time was new.  Giving a meaning behind your training that far surpassed pounds on the scale and inches around your waist was new.  The sport of fitness… well hell that is just crazy. 

   But the point is CrossFit has set out to be unique and be different and “reinvent the wheel” from the moment it started.  And for the most of us, that is exactly how we found CrossFit.  Sick and tired of the same ol’ bulls**t wheel going round and round… we wanted – no we NEEDED – something different.  Enter CrossFit. 

   We did high rep Olympic lifts.  We did kipping pull ups.  We went as hard and as fast as we could all in the name of faster times and higher scores.  We busted our shins on boxes and we tore our hands on barbells.  We climbed ropes we couldn’t climb in high school and we ran races we never dreamed of attempting even as kids.  We wanted a different wheel dammit. 

   And isn’t all training just people reinventing the wheel?  I mean, at SOME POINT didn’t some person have to say, “Hey… I mean picking up rocks is cool and stuff.  And the logs are sweet and all but… what if we made a bar that we could actually grab?”  And then didn’t ANOTHER PERSON have to say, “That’s a sweet bar… hey here is a crazy idea!  Now hear me out… why don’t we take that bar and LAUNCH it over our head with as much weight on it as we can possibly lift?? Sounds awesome right?  Let’s try it!” How about the first person to run 100 miles?  Or climb K2? 

   I didn’t get into CrossFit to be a follower.  I didn’t get into CrossFit to be a white sheep and just follow what all the “cool” kids are doing.  I started doing CrossFit to get outside of my comfort zone and never accept the status quo.  And as a coach that will never change. 

   So if you are a part of the CrossFit ECC family or you are wondering what my vision is for CrossFit ECC, here it is:

   I will never just sit back and wait for other people to do awesome stuff for their gym and their members and then copy them.  I am not going to do things just because other people are doing it.  I will continually strive to find the best ways to train and I will push the limits so that my members and my athletes are always getting my 10000000% best effort.  My passion is for our community and our members and I will never stop working my ass for you all. 

   It is going to be an amazing year.  For those already with us at CrossFit ECC you already know what I am talking about.  For those about to join and for those of you will join but just don’t know it yet, BE EXCITED FOR THE BEST YEAR EVER. 

  

How to Approach Programming

Daniela redefines HARD WORK #lovethestruggle

    Programming for CrossFit has always been tricky.  Less so for the elite athlete, as these individuals generally have a high level of competency in all the movements and have fewer weaknesses.  They also have very clear and defined goals that focus primarily on performance and improvement in the sport of CrossFit.  Success and failure is easily defined by numbers and repetitions, PRs and podium finishes. 

   But programming for the “other” 99% can be quite challenging.  Goals are not so easily defined for most of us.  Even the goal of “losing weight” is an ambiguous notion because what happens when we reach a target weight or size?  Do we stop?  Do we lose our passion because we have hit our goals?  An athlete’s mission is NEVER fulfilled because they are always chasing one more kilo, on more rep, one more second faster.  But we can’t lose weight forever… we can’t decrease our waist size forever, right?

   And still others have psychological / emotional goals.  They want to build confidence through their accomplishments in the gym.  They want to develop their courage outside the gym by constantly facing and conquering their fears INSIDE the gym. 

   In addition, this group possesses an extremely wide variety of strengths and weaknesses.  Some will love to lift weights, while others prefer to run for miles and miles.  Some have relatively no problem mastering bodyweight movements, while others struggle to perform an air squat and a push up. 

   So how do we, the coaches, ensure that our programming is meeting the demands of every one of our members?  Here are some things that I believe are absolutely essential to consider:

-          Get experience.  Tons of experience.  Programming is not rocket science but there is absolutely an art to it.  And understanding how to properly apply your programming to your gym will take lots of time and lots of work.  While there are obvious guidelines we all follow to ensure attention is paid to energy systems and applied anatomy, there are also some aspects that a coach / programmer can only develop over time.  The best programs in the world all vary tremendously, many being forged through trials of time and application.  Science should never be ignored, but experience is invaluable.

-          Program for YOUR gym.  Take a real good look at your members and what weaknesses seem to be reoccurring most frequently.  Address the weaknesses repeatedly, as even those who do not have this same weakness can still benefit from this work.  For instance pull ups.  Many people have fallen victim to the banded kipping pull up as their de facto method of pull ups.  As a result they never develop the strength necessary in obtaining the all-important strict pull up.  Therefore, addressing strict pull ups with the gym on a weekly basis for at least 2-3 microcycles can have great value.  Ring rows, strict banded pull ups, KB rows, and negatives can work for your beginner and intermediate athletes while inverted rows, heavy KB rows, and weighted pull ups can improve even your most advanced athlete. 

-          Be constantly varied but do not be random.  How on earth can anyone improve at anything if you are constantly throwing random exercises that change drastically day in and day out?  Like I said, keep your programming varied but repeat the basics enough that people are given adequate time to master these movements.  This will allow them to progress to more advanced exercises and improve their fitness even more. 

-          If you cannot coach it properly, DO NOT PROGRAM IT.  You went to a weekend seminar?  You watched a YouTube video?  That is awesome… now go seek out a hundred more coaches to work with you, go through the movements on your own for a few years, find your own flaws and fix them, spend time training with people better than you, THEN you can coach the movement. 

   These are just a few points that I believe need to be considered before you take the reins to program for your gym.  Like I said, it is a challenge but one owners and coaches like me absolutely love.  To me, programming for my members is a huge part of the connection I feel with each and every one of my members.  It is part of the bond we develop, and why my members know their interests and reaching their goals – no matter who they are – are my number one priority.  

CrossFit ECC

When they were a pair.... #imissmyrightshoe

As some of you may know, I used to write a weekly blog while working at my previous two gyms, CrossFit Koa and the Attitude Nation Gym.  I went on a brief hiatus as my career underwent some changes.  Nothing big really, just became an OWNER OF A CROSSFIT GYM!!!!!!!!!

Along with an old friend Bryan Healy, I am now building an affiliate within his sports complex in Edison, NJ.  I hate using this expression because I fear that it gets used too much but truly this is a dream come true.  Not because of money or status or anything like that… but because now I have a chance to guide a gym and a group of people in what I believe is the absolute best direction possible.  I have a chance to build a CrossFit gym the way I have always believed it should be done. 

As we are in our infant stages, I want to share with the world a glimpse of my vision.  I am not trying to reinvent the wheel (another phrase I hate using because of overuse) but instead make the best damn wheel ever seen.  Here are some points:

-          Thanks to Jon and Jessica North as well as THE Travis Mash, I learned what it truly means to be a black sheep.  And that is what my gym will be.  What do I mean by that?  Well as the Owner / Head Coach / Head Decision Maker I will not just follow a course of action “just because” its what every other gym or owner does.  I will not watch a video online then blindly try to apply it to our programming and instruction because the person in the video competed in the Games.   I will not teach what I don’t know and I will not guess at what is the best for my members.  I will not follow another program not designed with my members best interests in mind.  I will work tirelessly to make sure that my members are receiving the absolute BEST not just in the gym but as a coach, mentor and friend outside the gym as well. 

-          I have been fortunate enough to meet and learn from some of the most amazing coaches and athletes in the world during my career.  This network has only grown during recent years and I am lucky to now have a great number of colleagues to speak with, exchange ideas with, debate with and rely on for support and guidance when needed.  I am smart enough to know what I don’t know and many of these men and women have already forgotten more than most of us will EVER know.  With my existing knowledge and experience and this kind of network to assist me, CrossFit ECC is going to be one heck of a place to train. 

-          The word “box” became commonly used for CrossFit gyms because most gyms resembled exactly that… a box.  They vary in size and shape but most CrossFit gyms fit this mold.  At CrossFit ECC we are NOT your typical “box”.  We have batting cages.  We have open turf fields.  We have a full court basketball court.  We have trails right outside our back door.  We have a real chance at providing a unique and fun atmosphere for our members.  Training should never be monotonous and something you dread, and we will constantly be finding ways to make sure your workouts are never either of those things.  Greg Glassman stressed that we should always try new sports… believe me that will be happening at CrossFit ECC!!!!

       These are just a few quick points… there is much more in store and when you come down and join us at CrossFit ECC you will see!

        Next week I am going to recap my thoughts on the CrossFit Open workouts thus far.  Lots to talk about! 

            TIP OF THE WEEK:

        If you are doing the CrossFit Open and are looking to improve your score by repeating workouts, understand what your capabilities are and are not.  There are plenty of great coaches out there posting informative videos on developing strategies and how to attack each workout.  However, most of these instructions are for top level athletes with little to no real weaknesses.  It is important you rely on the advice of your own coach and what they tell you.  Even if you are participating in these workouts for fun, remember it is much more fun to do your best rather than be left frustrated feeling that you could have done better.  Have a strategy that is realistic and applicable to YOU as an athlete.  While they dont always work out as planned, it is much better to go in prepared than to not. 

The CrossFit Open

Probably cant do 14.1 at this gym.....

A Note About the CrossFit Open

** This is a blog I wrote for my previous gym - CrossFit Koa - during last years Open.  Certainly just as applicable today.  The Open is just as much about the guy and girl who finish LAST as it is about the ones who make it to Regionals... that is the truth.  

   Here is what is fascinating about the CrossFit Games and more importantly the Open: as coaches we are always pushing and motivating all of you to throw your hat in the ring and enjoy what we believe is a unique, challenging and rewarding experience.

   But what sometimes unfortunately happens is we look at the workout and think, “Oh man I can’t do that I’m no good.” Or after completing a workout the thought process almost immediately goes to “I totally could have done better” and instead of pride and excitement some of us feel dejected and frustrated.

   That should NEVER be the case!!!

   I want to share what I believe the CrossFit Open is supposed to mean to all of us.  These 5 individual workouts are NOT any indication of whether you are “fit” or not.  That probably sounds crazy but it’s true.  We all know many people we would consider “fit” that have not yet developed the skill to perform a muscle up; therefore if muscle ups come up in one of the five workouts, they may not post a great score.  Is that an indication of their level of their fitness?  Are they not fit because they post a relatively low score? 

   Absolutely NOT.

   Well then if it is not a measurement of how fit we are, then what the hell did I go around pushing all of you to sign up for then?!?!?  Glad you asked…

   The CrossFit Open is a test.  It is a test that reveals the truth about what you have been doing the previous 6-9 months. The Open reveals fitness that was created in the days and weeks and months leading up to this event.   Have you been getting to the gym and hitting every workout with the requisite amount of intensity to create change and progress?  Or have you been skipping those days that look “too tough”?  Have you been listening to our cues and instructions and trying to improve your skills?  Or have you been ignoring us and taking the “I’ll just do it my way” approach?  Have you been attempting to clean up your nutrition and fuel your body with what it needs?  Or have you made ice cream and pizza a staple of your weekly diet?

   Also, where has your focus been?  Has it been on strength?  Endurance?  Running?  Gymnastics?  Have you favored one particular area over another?  Have you truly worked on your weaknesses? 

   This is what the Open is about.  It is a chance to look back at your training and see how it has prepared you for the sport of fitness that CrossFit has become.  It can be a reality check, telling you that you have not been working as hard as you thought you were.  Or maybe a wakeup call to stop focusing on your strengths and start getting better at some of your weaknesses.   Remember: the Open isn’t just about where you are at this moment; it’s also about where you want to be in the future. 

   Example: Bill Lord.  Last year in the Snatch ladder – with NO burpees – I believe he got a handful of snatches at 165 lbs. 

   This year – ONE YEAR LATER – with 90 burpees mixed in between, Bill snatched 165 lbs. twenty times.  That ladies and gentlemen, is what we call progress. 

   So do not waste one second wondering if you should have or could have done better.  Instead look back at your last 6-9 months of training and see how that has or has not prepared you for these workouts.  Are you disappointed in your results?  Then map out your next 6-9 months to assure you are exactly where you want to be.  Are you content with your performance?  Then maintain the positive attributes you have established in the months leading up to this Open and make sure you continue them in the future. 

   You do not become “fit” or “unfit” from one workout.  It takes a long time to get to that point.  Use the Open not as a competition against 140,000 people, but instead as a personal test to determine if you are where you want to be and if you have done what you needed to get there.

   And then, after all this analyzing crap is over, sit back and smile and realize just how bad ass you are for even attempting the Open.  Most people will go a lifetime without EVER snatching a barbell over their head once, let alone 30 plus times!!!  In the end, ALWAYS be proud of your effort and your dedication to your goals to improve.  See yourself like I see each and every one of you: as the best damn CrossFitters any gym could ever possibly ask for!!

Programming for ECC Fitness January 6th through February 9th

EAST COAST CONDITIONIONG PROGRAM

Program for developing general physical preparedness through CrossFit

Four Week Cycle  #1 (+ One intro week)

January 6^th -  February 9^th

Focus:

                During this cycle we will focus on the following areas:

-          Squat technique / strength

-          Pulling technique / strength

-          Perfecting bodyweight movements / gymnastics skills

o   Primarily focusing on push up and pull up

SQUATS

                Too many people struggle with performing an air squat with no resistance.  Unfortunately these same people are encouraged to push through these poor movement patterns to lift more and more weight.  We will spend time with some assistance work, mobility work, and we will manage the weight to assure that acceptable technique is displayed consistently before increasing resistance. 

PULLING

                I am a huge fan of weightlifting (snatch / clean and jerk) and I also have a great amount of respect for the complexity of these extremely athletic and skilled movements.  I believe strongly that these two exercises are extremely valuable but require a great deal of time, attention and practice to be able to be accurately and safely executed. 

                We will continually review the snatch and clean and jerk by performing various exercises that will allow us to progress our skills in the lifts.  However during this time we will focus on the strength required to pull the weight from the floor with proper form and focusing on bar path and positions.  We will also perform assistance work to specifically strengthen the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, lower back).

BODYWEIGHT / PUSHUPS and PULLUPS

                I am always amazed at how there are entire gyms full of people who are proud of their latest lift personal record and “Filthy Fifty” time but cant perform one single push up correctly.  The push up is a basic movement that should be mastered by anyone, but especially by those who desire to train utilizing higher-intensity workouts.  If your shoulders cannot properly load and stabilize during a simple push from the ground to a fully extended position, then how can you snatch a heavy object overhead and not be at risk for serious injury? 

                Pull ups are in this same category.  Too many people have attended a gym for too long and still cant perform a pull up.  This, in my opinion, is not right.  Perfecting the pushup and pull up and developing strength and power with these two basic movements will lead to a more capable and prepared body when it is time to perform the snatch and clean and jerk. 

                In order to accurately identify improvement  we will begin with a one week intro where we establish various benchmarks.  For this particular cycle we will test the following:

-          3 Rep Max Back Squat

o   Your MAX will be determined by which weight forces you to compromise a healthy and safe position to move the weight.

-          Max effort set of Unbroken Pull ups

-          Max pushups in 90 seconds

-          Benchmark WOD

For Time:

21-15-9

Thrusters 45#

Burpees

*50 sit up buy in 

Informative Q & A

 

While working at the Attitude Nation Gym in Charlotte, NC I was asked to answer a few interview questions concerning CrossFit and my thoughts on a variety of topics.  Really interesting stuff... but of course I am biased.  Take a read and see what you think...

How and why did you get into CrossFit? 

My brother in law Frank, an Army Ranger and absolute workout LEGEND, started telling me about CrossFit in 2007.  He was doing SealFit workouts, and when I saw them and thought, “Dude that shit looks IMPOSSIBLE!” I instantly become intrigued.  I started researching CrossFit and after a few YouTube videos and a trip to the nearest box (which at the time was 30 minutes away) I was totally hooked. 

I fell in love with it because CrossFit filled a void in my life.  Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.  I was depressed and unhappy with the way my life was going and my confidence was dwindling with each passing day.  CrossFit reminded me that nothing or no one had control over me or my happiness… that happiness was a choice and all I had to do was make that choice every day.  Just like the workouts, it was up to me to move the weight, do another pull up, and run one more sprint.  No one was going to do that for me and I loved knowing I had that control over my mind and my body. 

What do you think CrossFit has done for the sport of Weightlifting, if anything at all?

The knee jerk response here is that CrossFit has done wonders for weightlifting.  While I do believe that to be true, it has not come without some growing pains.  In the beginning, there was a lot of really bad weightlifting performed in CrossFit boxes all over the world.  Videos were surfacing of people doing the most God awful snatches and clean and jerks… all in the name of a faster “Grace” or “Isabel’ time.  Trainers didn’t know how to teach the movements but still had no problem programming them in workouts.  I think this hurt weightlifting and turned both CrossFitters away from weightlifting and weightlifters away from CrossFit in the early years.

But things have changed for the better in recent years.  With guys like Jon North going to CrossFit gyms literally every single weekend to teach his style of weightlifting and educate the masses, with the popularity of guys like Donny Shankle and Kendrick Farris, with social media now being flooded with videos from the Attitude Nation, Catalyst Athletics, Cal Strength, and MDUSA, there is so much more accessible and quality information out there.  CrossFitters have taken advantage of all of this and have made leaps and bounds across the board in weightlifting.  Now, you have countless CrossFitters hanging up their board shorts and Nanos for a singlet and some Romaleos.  CrossFit, as a result, has helped bring the great sport of weightlifting into the spotlight and will hopefully help grow the support. 

There are those in the Strength and Conditioning field that do not agree with Crossfit, for a multitude of reasons.  They believe that the body's CNS was not designed for high repetition Olympic Lifts paired with other heavy compound movements as well as CrossFit's lack of assessments on its members which leads to a high number of injuries, What are your thoughts on this?

I think when asking these types of questions, you have to specify who the athlete is.  Am I training Rich Froning or Jason Khalipa?  Or am I training Bob the local CPA who is trying to lose a few pounds before his 15 year high school reunion?  With the former, I do not believe there is anything these guys can’t do or shouldn’t do.  They are athletes who are competing in what is now a sport (like it or not) to win lots of money.  In order to win they will have to be able to do everything from triathlons to max effort clean and jerk attempts (all during the same weekend mind you) and countless other tests in between.  These guys train hard to be able to withstand the rigors of high rep movements and as we have seen, they have done so very, very well.

However in the case of the latter, there is no need for him to perform 30 snatches as fast as he can.  I can obtain high levels of fitness and help our friend Bob achieve his goals with a much smaller risk of injury utilizing other movements.  Would I still teach this individual how to snatch?  Absolutely.  And I would progress him in resistance (weight) as his ability improved. 

It is like training a kid for JV high school football compared to an NFL athlete.  Both are playing football.  But I do not need my JV kid duplicating some of the drills and techniques used during training for the NFL. 

I would also like to add that people need to chill out.  It’s funny, I would have people make this whole argument about high reps being dangerous and then tell me how they love to go skiing and surfing and play rugby in a men’s league and pickup basketball… I am sorry, but is there not a risk of injury doing those things? “Yea but I enjoy them…” Well guess what: some people enjoy lifting as much weight as they can as fast as they can.  To each their own.  

As far as the assessment process, I believe CrossFit gyms assess their members every single day, starting from day one at Foundations / On Ramp.  During this time trainers are able to observe athletes move through every range of motion in a controlled environment.  They can see missing range of motion in a squat, they can see poor thoracic mobility in a press, and they can see things like glute activation and proper bracing mechanisms.  In CrossFit we use the athletes movement to tell us what will need to be focused on and we can then share that with the athlete, bringing awareness to him /her and allowing him to work on these things each day in the gym. 

When speaking about CrossFit people say, "If you train for everything, you become great at nothing."  What are your feelings about this?  Do you find this statement to be true?

When you train for everything, you become great at doing everything.  In other words, training for CrossFit will make you better at CrossFit. 

If you want to be a better football player… play football.

If you want to be a better tennis player… play tennis.

With that being said, there are so many aspects of CrossFit that have tremendous carry over to other sports and can assist in you becoming great at that specific sport. 

CrossFit will not, by itself, make you great at anything specific.  But as a part of a program it can ABSOLUTELY help.

For instance, the mental aspect of getting through a CrossFit workout can help train an athlete to be mentally tough in the fourth quarter of a game or the third period in a match.  When you continually train your body to push through your limitations and train outside your comfort zones – something CrossFit workouts regularly ask you to do – you will see benefits on any kind of playing field. 

Also, the emphasis CrossFit puts on weightlifting and strength development.  Long gone are the days where CrossFit only means running around for 45 plus minutes every day.  Heavy squats and cleans are a part of most programming.  This type of training can and will certainly help any athlete become great at their sport. 

You recently left New Jersey to become the Head ANP Coach at the Attitude Nation.  What are your experiences like at the gym?  What have you learned from Jon and Donny, as well as Jessica and Travis mash?  How have they developed you as a coach?

There are NO WORDS to describe the experience I have been blessed with working alongside people like Jon, Jess, Donny and Travis.  Their knowledge, their experience, their insight… it’s just remarkable.  I do not think there is a seminar or certification in the world that could have taught me more in such a short time.  Whether it was about technique or life lessons, everyone here has shared with me so much knowledge. 

I always strive to become a better coach, to always try and learn and grow to be able to better serve my athletes.  Being around everyone here has taken that learning and growth to an entirely new level.  Every day I am improving leaps and bounds because of the people I am surrounded by and I am just so grateful and fortunate for the opportunity. 

What do you think is the best thing about CrossFit?  The worst thing?

I believe CrossFit has gotten so many things right.  What they have done to help change the face of fitness is nothing short of miraculous.  The best thing CrossFit has done in my opinion is take people away from isolation movements and machines and shown them the value and efficacy of compound, functional movements such as squats and deadlifts.  It opened the mass public’s eyes to sports like weightlifting, powerlifting and gymnastics and allowed them to become involved in these sports. 

It’s hard to say a business as successful as CrossFit has done much wrong, but I do have some issues with what it has evolved into.  My biggest concern is the lack of quality control in the various affiliates opening up all over.  I believe that CrossFit is safe and applicable to anyone but only if you have the proper coaching and instruction.  That doesn’t just mean teaching air squats, but knowing how to program and how to control a large class.  It means knowing how to keep people safe while helping them continually improve.  This is no easy task and too often it is put in the hands of ill-equipped and unprepared “coaches”.

Why do you think that CrossFit has such a bad reputation among college professors as well at physical therapists? 

With all due respect, I do not automatically defer to the opinions of professors or therapists.  I have spoken to plenty of professors and therapists that were (for lack of a better phrase) fools and disagreed with their opinions vehemently.  I guess we can just add these people to the list.

CrossFit does not warrant a “bad reputation” because of its methodology and its application. 

Where CrossFit does unfortunately find itself in some hot water, is when an unqualified instructor attempts to teach / coach movements and workouts he / she is not prepared to lead.  This leads to poor instruction and ultimately will cause injuries, in the worst case scenario.  But this does not give the right for someone to make a blanket statement that CrossFit is bad. 

After all, CrossFit is weightlifting.  Powerlifting.  Endurance.   Gymnastics.  Are all of these things “bad”? 

And if a few videos of someone with bad snatch technique means an entire movement is “bad”, then where is the same outcry about the COUNTLESS videos of people destroying themselves in globo gyms all over the world on a DAILY basis?

What do you think is the most important thing Donny Shankle has taught you?  

Wow.  How do I limit this to just one thing?  Donny has shared so much with me during my time here and literally every bit of it has been pure GOLD.  Even his secret to making the best pot of gumbo ever…

The biggest thing I have learned from Donny is what true dedication looks like.  So many people and athletes claim to be 100% dedicated to their goals.  Well people, dedication has a completely new meaning once you meet Donny Shankle. 

Donny has one thing and ONE THING only on his mind:  Rio 2016.  His focus is like nothing I have ever seen.  He sees nothing as a sacrifice yet only what must be done to put him in the best possible situation to make it to Rio and represent our country at the Olympics.  Weightlifting is not a part of his life… it is his life.  His entire life. 

I cannot even begin to explain the amount of respect I have for someone who can be so dedicated to a goal.  Especially one that requires him to DAY IN and DAY OUT get back on the platform and fight that bar.  Throw the weight overhead.  Squat it on your back.  Pull it.  Push it.  Heavier.  Always heavier.  Every… single… day. 

I thought I knew what dedication meant… until I met Donny. 

Now I know for sure.  

High Thigh

When I think of snatching I think of a phrase I have heard used amongst weightlifters: ballet with a bar.  The technical aspects of the lift, along with the fluidity required to propel an extremely heavy object above one’s head while catching it in a rock bottom position with locked out arms is nothing short of majestic every single time I see it.  When executed efficiently and correctly I dare say there is no movement in all of sports more captivating than the snatch. 

The clean?  Eh.  No finesse there.  Just brute strength.  Ugly.  Blah. 

I kid, I kid.  Kind of.

 

Unlike the snatch, in my opinion, the clean is less about technique and more about strength and determination.  The weights are always heavier, which already indicates a need for more strength and power to be produced.  A mistimed snatch or poorly executed first pull in the snatch often times means a missed lift, whereas the clean can sometimes be saved by sheer grit and determination.  As a result I believe many lifters fail to hit arguably the most important of all positions in the clean: the power position. 

The power position in the clean – which I refer to as Attitude Nation Step 1 as taught to me by Jon and Jessica North, but also commonly used by many weightlifting coaches – is where the bar and body meet upon the athlete completing the double knee bend and beginning the “finish”.  The "finish" is the point which the hips will extend and the lifter will apply as much force to the bar as possible to allow the bar to have maximum float time.  This float time then allows the lifter to use the bar for leverage, where he/she may then VIOLENTLY pull him/herself underneath the bar.  In a clean, this point of contact occurs ideally at the high thigh (whereas in a snatch it would be in the hips… there are people who are hip cleaners as well, such as Donny Shankle, but they are a rare breed.  I agree with Jon North that hip cleaners are generally born not made and if you are one of them, God bless you).

Finding that high thigh area in the clean requires patience, and avoiding the urge to begin to extend the hips too early and therefore contact the bar just above the knee or in the low thigh area.  This lack of patience or poorly executed power position will inevitably result in the bar looping away from the body and forcing the athlete to chase the bar forward. 

However being patient and allowing the bar to travel further up the body before extending your hips through the bar (or vertically depending on your style I suppose) will allow for optimal contact on the high thigh.  Now the lifter can keep the bar close and once fully extended may begin VIOLENTLY pulling their body under the bar.  Assuming the lifter is accurately continuing to pull (what Donny Shankle calls ‘pulling through the middle’ http://donnyshankle.blogspot.com/2013/07/keep-pulling.html) it will be much easier to receive the bar with a vertical torso and properly balanced feet.

Here are some photos from the one and only Nat Arem (check him out at hookgrip.com).  Take a look at the power position in each sequence and where the bar is contacting the body.  

Note the power position in frame #4

Note the power position in frame #5

Note the power position in frames #5 and #6

Note the power position in frame #5 ... and also keep in mind that is 519.2 lbs. 

The Huddle

"Hey isnt it weird that I have more Super Bowl rings than Tony Romo has playoff wins...?"

Back in 2008 when I really started to get into CrossFit I remember how I would literally attack people with annoying never ending diatribes against “globo gyms” and everything that wasn’t CrossFit.  I was foolish and although most of what I said was well-intentioned, it was still dripping with ignorance and naiveté. 

Fortunately I have grown a LOT in the past five plus years and have learned quite a bit.  I am nowhere near the coach/trainer/mentor/life-changer I want to be, but I am certainly leaps and bounds better than I was years past. 

But I did have some good points back then...

I was reminded of one of these points (which I will eventually get to I promise) while listening to “Mike and Mike” – a sports radio talk show on ESPN radio - one morning on my way to the gym.  The topic was the relationship and bonds between players on an NFL team.  Mike Golic, former Notre Dame and NFL football player, spoke about how unique a football huddle was.  I believe he was quoting someone else but unfortunately I cannot remember the person at this time.  Anyway, he went on to say that inside that huddle there were no longer any differences between the eleven men.  Skin color didn’t matter, how much you made didn’t matter, what kind of car you drove didn’t matter, your experience didn’t matter… the only thing that mattered was that every single man in that huddle was ready to do his absolute best for every other man standing in that huddle.  

The huddle transcends the outside world.  For that brief moment reality as most of us know it is suspended and in its place is left a unique opportunity to do something amazing, to be something great, and to accomplish things many can’t even begin to imagine. 

Outside that huddle you are judged.  You are told what you should and shouldn’t do and how you should and shouldn’t do it.  Outside that huddle failure is expected and success is greeted with delightful surprise.  Boundaries are set and comfort zones are never broken.  Dreams are replaced with expectations and hopes are dashed by someone else’s definition of “reality”…

… But not in that huddle. 

And not in my CrossFit box.  And not during the hour (or in my case hour and 5 minutes!) you are in my class. 

That hour is our huddle.  The people who show up are your team.  Once class starts, nothing else matters.  Color, income, political, religious, social beliefs… none of it matters, just like in that huddle.  We are in it together, working to accomplish a goal.  THE SAME goal. 

“But Ryan… the guy/girl next to me is, like, Joe/Jane Competitor Badass Superman/woman… I’m not on his/her level!”

ENOUGH WITH THAT CRAP!!!! Stop with the excuses and stop focusing on the WRONG things.  You have goals.  The person next to you has goals.  It doesn’t matter what those goals are… what does matter is that the both of you are giving 100% effort to ACCOMPLISH THOSE GOALS!!! 

The unified goal, therefore, in every single class from every single person is to put forth the greatest effort you possibly can to reach your goals.  And that is something we do as a team, in our little version of the huddle. 

Next time you come into the gym look around and see who is in there with you.  Those are your teammates.  They are there to give 100% right alongside of you… and they are counting on you to give that same effort.  Poor work ethic is contagious and you wouldn’t dare ruin their workout by infecting them with your shitty attitude.  Man up… or woman up.  Get tough and walk over to the person next to you and hi five them and tell them “Let’s kick the shit out of this workout.”   Work hard because you realize you are not an individual but an integral part of a team that relies on you and counts on you to give your all each and every time you step into that gym. 

This was true back in 2008, and it is even truer now in 2013 as CrossFit continues to grow each and every day.  It is why this CrossFit “fad” is anything but a “fad”… and it’s going to be around for quite a while… 

Move Your Feet

Nothing angers Sho Nuff more than not moving your feet.... 

Two of the biggest problems I have seen with CrossFit / weightlifter hybrids is lack of speed and instability in the bottom position.  While each individual is different, I have seen a common reoccurring mistake among these lifters that if corrected could immediately help fix a lot of these types of problems. 

You have to move your feet. 

Moving your feet will allow you to move your hips and receive the bar – either in the clean or snatch – in the absolute lowest position possible.  Moving your feet will also prevent something that my mentor Jon North always referred to as “rocking chair feet”.  This unstable position is when you don’t move your feet and you rock from your heels (during the the second pull) to your toes (after hips come through the bar and hips are fully extended) and then back onto the toes (in the catch).  You may be able to survive this at lighter weights but certainly not at maximum efforts. 

Spend time utilizing drills that reinforce moving your feet.  Remember that moving your feet does not mean jumping way up in the air and performing a “donkey kick”.  This is extreme and will result in the exact opposite of our desired effect by forcing you to be slower getting under the bar. 

Need some examples?  I gotcha.

Here is Evgeny Chigishev.  That is OVER 460 lbs.  Crowd being disrespectful and still he smokes the lift.  Listen to those feet.  

Here is Andrei Aramnau hitting 190 kg for a double.  A FRIGGIN DOUBLE.  The quality is poor but watch those feet