As everyone already knows, a big aspect of CrossFit is finishing a workout quickly, getting as many rounds as possible, and so on. Over the years this has been responsible for both the exponential growth and constant criticisms of CrossFit. Unfortunately, I find that one of the most important aspects of exercise/fitness/life in general gets lost in the shuffle: movement quality.
This obsession with speed and finishing your workout as fast as humanly possible leads to a plethora of horseshit: poor form, bad technique, shortened range-of-motion, and an increased risk of potential injury. The simple truth is that speed is nothing without control. If you're moving so fast that your form goes right to shit, slow the fuck down.
This is why many Balance coaches will force you to decrease the weight during your workouts. Even if it feels too light, it's better to reinforce solid mechanics and technique than to let you run the risk of hurting yourself. It's better your movements be fluid and smooth than to look like some asshole flailing about. How fast you finish the workout should ALWAYS be secondary to how well you perform each individual movement.
Listen to this man; he's smarter than all of us...
Bottom Line:
QUALITY OF MOVEMENT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN JUST MOVING FAST.
Bottom Line:
QUALITY OF MOVEMENT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN JUST MOVING FAST.
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No kidding. I hurt my back on those stupid DB squat snatches we did Monday and couldn't squat on Tuesday as a result. Intensity can help your progress, but if you push too hard and your form slips it can slow you down.
ReplyDeleteAmen brother, and glad to see you're coming around to my method. I've been slowing it down to a snail's pace for 26 years, extremely limiting the quantity of my movements to no more than 3-5 per day. That includes getting out of bed (1) and going to bed (2). That leaves me around 2-3 additional movements for the day. I usually choose "sitting on the couch" and "getting a snack". But the important thing is to focus on the quality of the sitting and the snacking. If you need any pointers just hit me up.
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