tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47582118857188551822024-02-19T06:44:24.290-05:00Becoming The BullThere is no such thing as tough. There is trained and untrained. Now which are you?Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-84355142793834231042012-04-19T11:11:00.000-04:002012-04-19T11:11:01.460-04:002012 Capital City OpenAlright, I wrote the following copy (yeah, I'm fucking journalist now) to be posted on all of Balance Gym's various blogs. It's basically a request for people to come out to support a bunch of Balance athletes/lifters/coaches this Saturday. Here goes...<br /><br />Come out to Balance Gym Kalorama (CrossFit Dupont) to support and cheer on your fellow members and coaches as they compete in the 2nd annual Capital City Open, an Olympic weightlifting meet where athletes will snatch and clean & jerk. Each lifter gets three attempts at each lift. The combined total of their two best/successful lifts determines their place. Balance will be represented by both members and trainers. Of the 52 total participants, Balance alone accounts for 16 total lifters! That's 30%. It is -- I used a calculator.<br /><br />Let's be honest, you and I both know you don't have anything better to do this Saturday. Swing by Kalorama and watch some weight get thrown around. You may even catch a few of your favorite (or least favorite) trainers rocking some singlets. How can you resist now?<br /><br />What: 2012 Capital City Open<br />Where: Balance Gym Kalorama<br />When: Saturday, April 21st from 10AM to ~6PM<br />Who: 12 Balance gym members and 4 Balance gym trainers<br />Why: To support your fellow members and coaches as they lift heavy-ass weight over their heads.<br /><br /><div align="center"><u>Schedule:</u><br /><br /><strong>Session 1: 10AM-11:15AM<br />Novice Female (all weight classes)</strong><br /><em>Sarah Shyr<br />Morgan Reynolds<br />Emily Baskin<br />Ilda Bajraktari</em><br /><br /><strong>Session 2: 11:30AM-1PM<br />Senior Female (all weight classes)</strong><br /><em>Leah Cochran<br />Cali Hinzman</em><br /><br /><strong>Session 3: 1:15PM-3:30PM<br />All Men (69kg - 77kg)</strong><br /><em>Ross Paolino<br />Sergio Schwimmer<br />Jeff Jenkins<br />JP Goshco</em><br /><br /><strong>Session 4: 3:45PM-6PM<br />All Men (85kg-105+kg)</strong><br /><em>Aaron Bolton (Bolt)<br />Eric Peterson<br />Ken Greenfield<br />Robin Habberly<br />Jim Bathurst<br />Chris "Tex" McQuilkin</em></div> <br />All of the athletes listed above are Balance folks. Yeah, folks. Many have been training hard for months preparing for this competition. Some have been competing in Olympic weightlifting since 2010, while others learned the lifts only a few months ago. Regardless, they've all worked their asses off to lift some serious weights on Saturday. Want proof? I got proof for days, son!<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5FG4eOhInjA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Vytx_AuBm9s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uCSgj99nGyg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-71464430344964133822012-04-18T09:25:00.000-04:002012-04-18T09:26:19.838-04:00Paleo Challenge 2012: Day 30Well, today is Day 30 of my Paleo Challenge, but due to a few circumstances, I am forced to extend the entire experiment until next Monday. So, all told, it will technically be a 35-day challenge. Will this break me? I think not. I hope not. I don't know. Shit.<br /><br />The earliest Kari can check my bodyfat and lean mass is next Monday, hence the extra days. After measurements and photos are completed, I will begin the process of reintroducing some non-Paleo foods. This is where a lot of people screw up. Think about it: you've just spent 30 days eating healthy, relatively natural foods, essentially detoxifying from all the crap you've been consuming since that first beautiful bowl of Apple Jacks, and then what do you want to do? Shovel a bunch of bullshit down your throat. The problem here is if you experience any reactions (gastrointestinal, energy level, etc), you have no idea <em>which</em> food caused it during your <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtMXTsfZRJA#t=6m28s">White Goodman metldown</a>.<br /><br />One of the best but oft overlooked aspects of Paleo is the opportunity to find out how certain foods affect you. So it's crucial to slowly reintroduce the things you've been weened off and observe/feel the results. Someone who is extremely gluten intolerant will react badly to breads and grains when they first try them after 30 days of Paleo. Some people will have poor reactions to dairy, legumes, and or sugary foods. You <em>have to</em> take advantage of this opportunity to see what foods may be affecting your health, digestion, and performance.<br /><br />I've conferred with <a href="http://games2010.crossfit.com/blog/2010/05/athlete-profile-mike-molloy,362/index.html">Dr. Mike Molloy</a>, our resident coach/immunologist/athlete/smart person, and he gave me the following prescription for the reintroduction of non-Paleo foods:<br /><br /><span style="color:#00FFFF;"><strong>1) Dairy first - least likely to be a problem. Cheese. You could be fine with milk and you'd still shit your pants just because you've stopped making lactase.</strong></span> This is good to know. That would make for an awkward staff meeting.<br /><br /><span style="color:#00FFFF;"><strong>2) Legumes second... peanuts, beans or corn tortilla chips.</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#00FFFF;"><strong>3) Grains third. Try a sandwich... sushi or some rice dish second. All the other grains suck anyway.</strong></span> Mike clearly doesn't respect my sugary love-bitch, Little Debbie...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtb1MIsaSirCqicA4XRsngIRbApLh8qu3FNM5CDb2W6YdlioU2Q9ypmWG3UvRAfP3uceQV-1L3yUGrvROp8fr5naPIM8j0zPS3f0MYfBWKUsp9vYnoEKyBdNQOpjLFgFe-Ow7WfIFBTpc/s1600/debx-large.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtb1MIsaSirCqicA4XRsngIRbApLh8qu3FNM5CDb2W6YdlioU2Q9ypmWG3UvRAfP3uceQV-1L3yUGrvROp8fr5naPIM8j0zPS3f0MYfBWKUsp9vYnoEKyBdNQOpjLFgFe-Ow7WfIFBTpc/s320/debx-large.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732709095347063730" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:82%;">You demon woman!</span></div><span style="font-size:82%;"></span><br />Now, don't be dumb -- I'm not going to reintroduce these foods by eating a piece of cheese and then some peanuts and then a slice of Wonderbread. Each group will be separated by some hours and possibly days to gauge my body's tolerance of each one. Do I have a gluten or lactose intolerance? No idea. I hope not because chocolate milk is like kissing Jesus. But we shall see.<br /><br />The most important takeaway here is that everyone is different. Some people are allergic or intolerant to certain foods, while others are not. I have a suspicion people in China are more receptive to eating rice. Why? Because it's been a staple of their diet for over 10,000 years. Does this mean it's <em>good</em> for them? I can't say for sure, but they're probably better adapted to it than people of European descent. Check <a href="http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2008/07/grains-and-human-evolution.html">this</a> out, if you're interested in the relationship between grains and human evolution.<br /><br />So, for those of you participating in this latest go'round of the Paleo Challenge, be sure to slowly/intelligently reintroduce non-Paleo foods and see how your body responds. This is Biohacking 101, people. Don't slouch. Sit up straight and get your shit right.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GxEkKLoi3ywJYXlZiNpAgXf4fiXfIUtbr98IyxNRtez1wxgR7_VLAL1knM4a5LMxLFKa-rAALieF9jqtBFUHsVKKP-jO4QOwOEHPYAxiVEf7B3z4oLZsLjx1L1-TV935x5yUBO10jB8/s1600/biohacking.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GxEkKLoi3ywJYXlZiNpAgXf4fiXfIUtbr98IyxNRtez1wxgR7_VLAL1knM4a5LMxLFKa-rAALieF9jqtBFUHsVKKP-jO4QOwOEHPYAxiVEf7B3z4oLZsLjx1L1-TV935x5yUBO10jB8/s400/biohacking.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732728564484198338" /></a>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-34585963569143294032012-04-11T12:16:00.000-04:002012-04-11T12:25:51.673-04:00Paleo Challenge 2012: Day 17Supplements have been a part of my everyday life for a while now. I'm not talking about muscle milk and power bars, though. I'm referring to essential vitamins and minerals that improve overall health and performance. I've added a few things to my regimen for the Paleo Challenge. Here's a quick rundown of what I'm taking...<br /><br />1) <strong>Vitamin D3.</strong> This has been a staple of my supplementation for the past 2+ years. This is one of the most recommended vitamins from doctors, nutritionists, coaches, and, well, everyone. It has an absurd range of health benefits regarding bone heath, asthma, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, and so on. I take 5000 IU before bed every night. If I feel sickness coming on, I will sometimes take upwards of 20,000 IU. <a href="http://www.iherb.com/Healthy-Origins-Vitamin-D3-5-000-IU-360-Softgels/18335">Healthy Origins</a> -- about year's supply for $15.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgbldfFMHM9rTcBb70GN0vWH_j7THoqsfBCTmhIe0kpcfubhPZ-BwLaq1PaGaUh1K97iiC1Upeb77E_9OqLOM62T0qXcD4yBjW2sYRFhpyH912xG_IUdrCHzLa1p52rEDHUWCCB-7cN4/s1600/vitamin-d-capsules-250x250.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgbldfFMHM9rTcBb70GN0vWH_j7THoqsfBCTmhIe0kpcfubhPZ-BwLaq1PaGaUh1K97iiC1Upeb77E_9OqLOM62T0qXcD4yBjW2sYRFhpyH912xG_IUdrCHzLa1p52rEDHUWCCB-7cN4/s400/vitamin-d-capsules-250x250.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730178343044134354" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:82%;">Looks like leperchaun gold. Works just as well, too.</span></div><span style="font-size:82%;"></span><br />2) <strong>Fish Oil.</strong> I've been on and off fish oil for the past few years. For this 30-day span, I will be taking it regularly. Not really doing a specific dosage, but taking two spoonfuls per day of <a href="http://www.iherb.com/Carlson-Labs-The-Very-Finest-Fish-Oil-Lemon-Flavor-16-8-fl-oz-500-ml/2796">Carlson Labs</a>. Some high quality shit, son!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiel9SVMWae_4SSGwdoV2wrANMLrsO1ciMZVLhc10pwTphEipsyJfnIzxV84KlA0ZzKkza0_1wF2AdbuegQINSGakZ3Dyx6yzQVNZYiXbQ5oJsX0IWUIgPH3iBX8W3eo0yXwt2J8atbSBo/s1600/stomach.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 152px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiel9SVMWae_4SSGwdoV2wrANMLrsO1ciMZVLhc10pwTphEipsyJfnIzxV84KlA0ZzKkza0_1wF2AdbuegQINSGakZ3Dyx6yzQVNZYiXbQ5oJsX0IWUIgPH3iBX8W3eo0yXwt2J8atbSBo/s200/stomach.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730179802320124626" /></a>3) <strong>Digestive Enzymes.</strong> Robb Wolf recommends these in his book, The Paleo Solution. Many people are deficient of the proper acid levels in their stomach to proficiently break down food and ensure sufficient absorption of essential nutrients. Digestive enzymes are supposed to help this process and make sure you're getting the most out of what you eat. I could list the ingredients, but I'm just going to tell you it has ox bile in it. This can only be a good thing. <a href="http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Super-Enzymes-180-Tablets/856">Now Foods Super Enzymes</a>.<br /><br /><br />4) <strong>Goku Kola.</strong> This is an herb that has been used in ayurvedic medicine for centuries (apparently). I'm not much of hippie herbalist, but I've read that it helps improve collagen production, which in turn, helps tendon health. And when you've got some bullshit knee issues, you will try anything.<br /><br />5) <strong>MCT Oil.</strong> I wouldn't really call this a supplement per se, but I've been putting it in my morning coffee with some Kerrygold unsalted grass-fed butter. What sorcery is this, you ask? It's called <a href="http://www.bulletproofexec.com/how-to-make-your-coffee-bulletproof-and-your-morning-too/">Bulletproof Coffee</a>. MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides and they are "considered a good biologically inert source of energy that the human body finds reasonably easy to metabolize" (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15544546">Wantan GJ</a>).<br /><br />Please keep in mind that supplements aren't a free pass to good body composition and performance. That's how fat and lazy people think. It's not magic. You still need to eat well and exercise intelligently. Quality supplementation does exactly what it says... it <em>supplements</em> everything else. Get after it.Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-15337051084116026972012-04-06T07:05:00.001-04:002012-04-06T07:08:22.026-04:00Paleo Challenge 2012: Day 18This is some of the realest shit ever. If you or any relatives are suffering from an autoimmunity or something as awful as multiple sclerosis, why not at least try altering your diet? What do you have to lose? Think about what you may stand to gain...<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:122%;"><strong>Minding Your Mitochondria</strong> </span><span style="font-size:122%;"></span><br /><br /><iframe width="410" height="308" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KLjgBLwH3Wc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-72803389525505954992012-04-03T11:09:00.002-04:002012-04-03T11:09:00.623-04:00Paleo Challenge 2012: Day 15So I thought it would be good to explain the type of training I'm doing while in the midst of this Paleo nonsense. As noted, my knee is in rough shape, so the exercises I love most (snatch, clean & jerk, squats) are out of the question. Even the power variants are somewhat off limits because of the impact and force the knees absorb. It's a major bitch.<br /><br />There's a classic expression that rings true for many gym-goers: You cannot out train a bad diet. And this very true for the most part. For me, I realized early on with enough consistency and heavy resistance training -- in my case, Olympic weightlifting -- I could still keep an acceptable physique without having to watch my diet or do any conditioning whatsoever.<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pKXc2HQNYWk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:82%;">Shirtless lifting in Puerto Rico is mandatory.</span></div><span style="font-size:82%;"></span><br />I mean, I'm no <a href="http://besser.tsoa.nyu.edu/T-Shirts/aljames/bigboy.jpg">Devin Maier</a>, but this video was taken during a time when Taco Bell and KFC's <a href="http://www.theawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/kfcsandwich.jpg">Double Down</a> were staples in my diet. Food quality was unimportant to me. And hey, I still looked alright. A little too skinny if you ask me. Now, I'm getting older, my knee is messed up, I have ongoing shoulder issues due to poor mobility and inactive lower traps. I can't currently do the O-lifts and my genetics may finally be saying, "Fuck you, dude, stop eating like an asshole."<br /><br />This past January, I visited <a href="http://www.cresseyperformance.com/">Cressey Performance</a> in Hudson, Massachusetts. Eric Cressey is a very popular strength & conditioning coach, lecturer, author, and major dude who is smart as shit. He works primarily with baseball players and is known as "the shoulder guy" but he has an array of athletes that go to him for help, including my cousin <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqSUvy1NF50">Murphy Smith</a>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzIoz2t8curh1fRLylnHy5Tf9UICDxAq-TgqcvSEQ1XFHcLEfUz9IqdNMMAegPcPQpnzQPvhueWEodog_g0hEqoGDMUWcQM5FVtCdO3egdx7datkZ2jmeTa0qU_Ds6neUock-ypd2e_k/s1600/murphy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzIoz2t8curh1fRLylnHy5Tf9UICDxAq-TgqcvSEQ1XFHcLEfUz9IqdNMMAegPcPQpnzQPvhueWEodog_g0hEqoGDMUWcQM5FVtCdO3egdx7datkZ2jmeTa0qU_Ds6neUock-ypd2e_k/s400/murphy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727165150219236210" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:82%;">This turned into a 624' homerun.</span></div><span style="font-size:82%;"></span><br />Eric did an initial assessment on me and then developed a program to address my problem areas. It's a four day split that includes some big lifts (trap bar deadlifts, sumo deadlifts, push jerks, chin-ups), an array of corrective exercises, a lot of very innovative core work, and a very thorough warm-up & mobility routine. The program incorporates a lot of supersets, focusing on hip/glute work, horizontal pulling, unilateral work, and basically getting the correct muscles to work properly. Here's a sample from Day 1:<br /><br />A1. Push Jerk; 4 sets; 4 reps<br />A2. Prone Depression to Extension; 3 sets; 6 reps/side<br />B1. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zBPknRjJGU">Standing 1-arm Cable Rows</a>; 3 sets; 10 reps/side<br />B2. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBMUW-PlGIY">1-foot Leg-elevated Push-ups</a>; 3 sets; 4 reps/side<br />C1. Crossover Reverse Fly; 3 sets; 10 reps<br />C2. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkafd6GkaPo">Reverse Crunches</a>; 3 sets; 8 reps<br /><br />Eric knew that my goal was to eventually get back to Olympic lifting, so he included exercises like push jerks and high pulls. One thing Eric does to ensure people don't skip their corrective work is to superset it with their major lifts. So rather than sit around and rest, you're actively working on muscle imbalances/weaknesses.<br /><br />It's a very interesting program and far different from what I'm generally used to. Only one heavy barbell per session, despite normally doing 2-3 with Olympic weightlifting. Most people who partake in the Paleo Challenge are usually doing CrossFit sessions of heavy lifting and high intensity metcons -- not this dude. This program has minimal conditioning, which I prefer. And with the detailed warm-up routine and corrective exercises, I'm hoping this program improves my mobility, posture, and positioning in the O-lifts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47i_b7BCjw8Ho-rGv2AR078SMtbFzXz7skLUKMzONZS1TzZYKWoyZeWD508RgSgcH4npM4UKh4jhxNlEHJNnys8nV207zF0aghI_tz7vTJadHoT6mWLNmZQ4p2Fn5B5cgNUD3_4Qb7eU/s1600/xiaojun.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 376px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47i_b7BCjw8Ho-rGv2AR078SMtbFzXz7skLUKMzONZS1TzZYKWoyZeWD508RgSgcH4npM4UKh4jhxNlEHJNnys8nV207zF0aghI_tz7vTJadHoT6mWLNmZQ4p2Fn5B5cgNUD3_4Qb7eU/s400/xiaojun.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727174293268212114" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:82%;">This would be nice.</span></div><span style="font-size:82%;"></span>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-36066593706571541562012-03-31T08:45:00.007-04:002012-03-31T08:55:21.806-04:00Unnecessary CensorshipThe title of this post has nothing to do with Jimmy Kimmel's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or1Xg4NXRws">unnecessary censorship</a>. I wish it did, actually. But alas, we're swimming in a sea of stupid bullshit and I had to bring something to light.<br /><br />Back in late January, I was filmed alongside Christy Phillips and Danielle Dionne in a video for the 2012 CrossFit Games...<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pggonAAAP_g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><br />Let me first say that I was very grateful that Christy and Danielle allowed me to be part of this experience. They let me design the entire workout, take them through each portion, and be a part of the final product. The three of us go way back to the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uKpYU0DcqE">2009 CrossFit Games</a>, so it was fun to do it again. I also appreciate the media guy (sorry, can't remember his name) from CrossFit HQ filming me and, more importantly, <em>keeping</em> me in the video. It would have been easy to say, "Ya know what, let's just blur out that bearded weirdo." <br /><br />Now, let's get down to what irks me. I designed the workout with some quick skill testing and then a short metcon. It went like this:<br /><br />1) Max Broad Jump - 3 attempts<br />2) Fastest across Strength Grid - 2 attempts<br />3) Max Calories on Airdyne in 30 seconds - 1 attempt<br />4) Six minute metcon<br /><br />The above video included everything overlaid with voiceovers from Christy and Danielle about their preparation for this Games' season. All in all, it was a great workout and a cool video. There was one glaring omission, though, that both surprised and angered me. This was their six minute metcon:<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:110%;"><u>amrap in 6 minutes:</u><br />3 hang clean, 135lbs<br />7 kettlebell swing, 70lbs<br />25 unbroken double-unders</span><span style="font-size:110%;"></span></div><br />Upon watching the above video, do you notice what's missing? That's right, not a single repetition of their kettlebell swings. For a while now I've been trying to understand why and the reason is almost too ridiculous to fathom. It's not because their swings were performed poorly or in a dangerous fashion. It's not because their kettlebells were made by Nike or anything. No, it's because their swings were to chest/eye level and not completely overhead.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNa0bfkIHj4jn7GF84g4PuOLc9IoFdO7ebbEn7fNoaRG6vFLwX_4nw-a2lHQ8EOfoUrp-5ZxstLXayKrUJzPwqOglHVuDDnjwU7SS2cJ2EWFuFyhkuyrqo7coGtM1KuCu3UU78IjIcWs/s1600/wtf.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNa0bfkIHj4jn7GF84g4PuOLc9IoFdO7ebbEn7fNoaRG6vFLwX_4nw-a2lHQ8EOfoUrp-5ZxstLXayKrUJzPwqOglHVuDDnjwU7SS2cJ2EWFuFyhkuyrqo7coGtM1KuCu3UU78IjIcWs/s320/wtf.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726043820386488178" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">"WTF?" indeed, funny monkey-face.</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br />Going overhead has been called the "American" swing and swinging to chest level is often referred to as the "Russian" swing. Generally speaking, swinging a kettlebell to chest level is normal; swinging a kettlebell overhead is the CrossFit standard. Just ask <a href="http://smashbytraining.com/2011/06/08/2011-crossfit-games-aj-moore-controversy/">AJ Moore</a>. But this really confuses the trifling fuck out of me. I mean, the video even included footage of them carrying kettlebells over to the main gym for the metcon. And yet, they're essentially censored. <br /><br />Isn't CrossFit all about variance and trying new/different/innovative shit? Hell, the Russian swing isn't even innovative since it was around BEFORE people started swinging shit overhead. Movement standards with CrossFit workouts change on a daily basis, so why is it so unthinkable to do kettlebell swings to chest/eye level? The Games don't <em>always</em> use chest-to-bar pull-ups. In 2009, kipping wasn't allowed during handstand push-ups; in 2011, kipping was encouraged.<br /><br />Now, I'm not sure if this was HQ's doing or the camera guy, but the whole thing is stupid (and therefore, probably HQ's decision). I shouldn't even be worked up over it because in the end, it's just exercise anyways. But that's exactly it. It's <em>just</em> exercise. So why is the height of a kettlebell swing so offensive to these prissy, uptight douche-canoes?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMvlKOueTm8UmBgfkMVI4lgbFCqTcx_ISBOVTsh-dbDRJx9JBxKCXUQ4g3MfFK3W3xro6pvNOQEhycRphFSGtNPH3B4splH7zLfmfBbo6mPHbdUX_Vl478aFwr_nmdpdf6hMLHxZ2VBw/s1600/asstro.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMvlKOueTm8UmBgfkMVI4lgbFCqTcx_ISBOVTsh-dbDRJx9JBxKCXUQ4g3MfFK3W3xro6pvNOQEhycRphFSGtNPH3B4splH7zLfmfBbo6mPHbdUX_Vl478aFwr_nmdpdf6hMLHxZ2VBw/s400/asstro.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726037283891344546" /></a>The point is... there's more than one way to do something. If you don't have a climbing rope at your gym, then you can do towel pull-ups. It's not a perfect substitute, but it provides a similar stimulus. If you don't want your clients doing overhead "American" kettlebell swings because you believe the heavier weight causes a potential danger, then you can have them do Russian swings to chest/eye level. It's not a ridiculous notion. Meanwhile, CrossFit is fine with this...<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zJ3HOY27_10" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />But this is just unacceptable...<br /><br /><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4Ng3_TNsCR8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Well... I guess I understand Tex being unacceptable.</div>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-50138536275455342902012-03-29T10:05:00.004-04:002012-03-29T10:42:03.398-04:00Paleo Challenge 2012: Day 10Alright, I suppose I should offer some stats here. First off, a big thanks to my good friend Kari of <a href="http://nutritionfigures.com/">Nutrition Figures</a> for taking my body measurements. It's no easy task, to be sure. It took us roughly 15 minutes to awake her after she fainted from seeing me shirtless. A common side-effect of my physique. A gift and a curse, I'm afraid.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><div align="center"><span style="font-size:110%;">Bodyweight: 170.5lbs<br />Bodyfat: 11.9%<br />Lean mass: 150.1lbs <br />Fat mass: 20.4lbs </span></div><span style="font-size:110%;"></span></span><br />So I'm already beginning this challenge relatively lean. Personally, I think 12% is pretty good considering that I generally eat at Bobby's Burger 3-4 times per week. Not to mention, my training has be derailed to shit as of late. Kari projects I could drop down to possibly 6% on strict Paleo. I still can't decide if this is a good thing.<br /><br />I had my blood taken over a month ago and I'm still awaiting the results. They won't be very reliable, though, because I wasn't fasted. Medical degree or not, some doctors are fucking morons. Regardless, I'll post those when they come in -- if they come in at all.<br /><br />And finally, the moment you've all been salivating for...<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtsKZAzZ-lhgEcPBvvuZizGhpj1rywmQzPBA4WM3EX-jBBYev9qm-YVRdB48XxSFCGkiqXDiuykbJy16z8iFzay5SVpTr_TzlKZhZavWbh19pZr99B6Pw0FrrQ53Qv8IwNGhW5wnvt9o/s1600/Paleo+-+day8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtsKZAzZ-lhgEcPBvvuZizGhpj1rywmQzPBA4WM3EX-jBBYev9qm-YVRdB48XxSFCGkiqXDiuykbJy16z8iFzay5SVpTr_TzlKZhZavWbh19pZr99B6Pw0FrrQ53Qv8IwNGhW5wnvt9o/s400/Paleo+-+day8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725007118031691570" /></a></div> I'll give you a moment to let your collective boners subside.<br /><br />All good? Okay, on with it then. These pictures were taken on Day 8 of this challenge. I assure you, not much difference since Day 1, so the discrepancy shouldn't matter. Two things come to mind looking at these pictures: 1) My posture is fucking terrible and 2) My hair is fucking amazing. In any event, I'm interested to see any significant body composition changes.<br /><br />We're 10 days in right now and everything is going smoothly. I'm cooking a lot. It's annoying, but I just pretend I'm a contestant on <em><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yYVTu2aoKI">Chopped</a></em> and it gets easier.Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-46548541751269810172012-03-27T16:10:00.001-04:002012-03-27T16:23:09.353-04:00Paleo Challenge 2012: IntroductionI've done it this time. As some of you have probably heard from either me or Danielle, I will be committing to Paleo for 30 days. Thirty stupid days. In case you didn't know, the last time I tried the Paleo Challenge I lasted about 8 hours. It was a miserable 8 hours, too. Most people were amazed I lasted that long.<br /><br />Truth be told, I've avoided Paleo mostly because I've been blessed with the genetics and metabolism to maintain decent body composition and strength without giving a fuck about what I eat. Perfect examples of my nonchalant eating habits can be seen <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2ODfT7Pjxk">here</a> and below:<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_6hh1J1A7Us" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> <br />Unfortunately, as I approach age 28 (kill me now) I feel those days of shoving all manner of food into my face are eventually coming to an end. And from the perspective of a coach/trainer, it wouldn't hurt to actually practice what I preach as far as nutrition goes. Nevertheless, there are other factors at play here...<br /><br />1) <span style="font-weight:bold;">Health. </span> My father has high cholesterol and he takes statins for it, which I don't agree with for <a href="http://www.robbwolf.com/2009/10/29/cholesterol-we-are-dumb/">many reasons</a>. I had my cholesterol checked roughly four years ago and my results came back high -- roughly 216. I saw a nutritionist, altered my diet a bit (whole grain bread - hooray!), went back, exact same result. For the past month I've been trying to get blood work done on a variety of biomarkers of health (HDL, LDL, TAG, LDL particle size, c-reactive protein, glucose, etc), but for some reason the entire universe is conspiring to prevent that from happening. Doctors are dickheads and labs are useless. If I have insurance that will pay for the process, why can't I get blood work done whenever the fuck I want? Why does a doctor need to recommend it? Fuck a doctor. Suck my white ass, American medicine. Anwyays, this was part of the reason it's taken so long to start this stupid challenge.<br /><br />2) <span style="font-weight:bold;">Injury/Inflammation.</span> As some of you may already know, I've been dealing with a knee injury for the past six months. Official diagnosis: an ossicle (bone fragment) from Osgood Schlatter's disease causing patellar tendonitis at the tibial tuberosity. Basically, there's a tiny bone embedded in my patellar tendon causing pain/discomfort during deep squatting and lunging. I've been working around it as best I can. I've seen three physical therapists, two orthopedic surgeons, and one chiropractor. I've been icing, heating, stretching, and strengthening. Not much has improved. Surgery may still be on the table, but I'd prefer to avoid it. Since tendonitis is an inflammatory response to injury, why not try an anti-inflammatory diet like Paleo? Booyah.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJ5ZKH2t_w52TJexWs7Ae7nkuGSGn6y-Mpu54B8vcY_EJaFr3-nM-puhj0CTQWkKw-QyRHX2jMDfcTGHfbOR_op_G-CW11pUrE3lL5D54Oigs582F0FA4uNUeY4a0kKVszdH_QagegYM/s1600/IMAG0074a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJ5ZKH2t_w52TJexWs7Ae7nkuGSGn6y-Mpu54B8vcY_EJaFr3-nM-puhj0CTQWkKw-QyRHX2jMDfcTGHfbOR_op_G-CW11pUrE3lL5D54Oigs582F0FA4uNUeY4a0kKVszdH_QagegYM/s400/IMAG0074a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724671199495325346" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:82%;">There's that little fucker.</span><span style="font-size:82%;"></span></div><br />3) <span style="font-weight:bold;">Discipline.</span> Lasting only 8 hours on your most recent attempt at Paleo is pretty goddamn pathetic. I consider this an exercise in self-control. I fucking love food, especially every kind that is bad for you. I'm well aware of the effectiveness of Paleo, but I've never fully committed to it. No time like the present.<br /><br />So here we are. On the cusp of something annoying. No more bread, grains, shitty sugars, or dairy (except for grass-fed butter, which I'll discuss later). In the next installment, I will post some onset information i.e. body fat percentage, before pictures, and possibly cholesterol (if I ever hear from any of these ass-wipe doctors). Over the next month, I will be talking about meal plans, sleep/stress/cortisol control, energy levels, training on Paleo while injured, and so on. Stay tuned.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">NOTE:</span> I actually began one week ago, but it took me this long to write this goddamn blog post.</span>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-72560970377769299772012-03-10T11:17:00.002-05:002012-03-10T11:53:54.953-05:00Announcement: Olympic Lifting ClassThis should be a very quick post regarding my Saturday Olympic lifting class. I say <em>should be</em> because I have a tendency to ramble on far longer than necessary. Much like politicians, talk show hosts, and you telling me how "super wasted" you got over the weekend. Don't care.<br /><br />Here's the deal: the <a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3064978433/efblike">2012 Capital City Open</a> is fast approaching. It will be a one-day event held on Saturday, April 21st at Balance Gym Kalorama. So far, I've convinced, persuaded, and downright coerced close to a dozen people to compete in it. Why? Because I think they have the potential to be good lifters and I think they'll have fun.<br /><br />Now, with that in mind, many of these people are still relatively new to Olympic weightlifting and will likely need all the instruction they can get. So I have decided to reserve my Saturday time specifically for these individuals to prepare them for the meet. I do apologize to everyone else who simply wants to refine and improve their technique, but I have a handful of people who are committed to competing and I owe it to them to ensure that they're aptly prepared. I hope you understand.<br /><br />For those competing in the Capital City Open, here are some important details:<br /><br />1) This opportunity will only be available for three consecutive Saturdays i.e. 3/24/2012; 3/31/2012; 4/7/2012.<br /><br />2) You must be a Balance Gym member and obviously someone I know. No stranger danger.<br /><br />3) You must be registered for the Capital City Open in order to participate. No empty promises. Demonstrate commitment and you'll be rewarded.<br /><br />4) Each Saturday will be considered an open session from 4:15PM until 6:15PM. What this means is that you can show up whenever during this time frame to work on your lifts. Obviously, the entire two-hour period is recommended.<br /><br />5) You can work on the snatch, clean & jerk, or both. I will not be helping with kipping pull-ups, muscle-ups, high rep box jumps, or anything else that has absolutely nothing to do with an Olympic weightlifting competition.<br /><br />6) It will be free of cost. I only ask that you take advantage of it, especially if this is your first meet. The only thing more important than lifting well and having fun is not embarrassing me. That's simply unacceptable.<br /><br />As far as meet preparation goes, below is the best I can do for credentials...<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QiZiPD8csRE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9D_adH60gAQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-2399814648090491012012-02-29T14:32:00.005-05:002012-02-29T14:40:15.397-05:00Good Vertebrations At The Lumbar YardFirst off, if you caught the Seinfeld reference, well done. Anyways, a few weeks back I stumbled upon <a href="http://www.strengthcoach.com/public/1107.cfm?sd=51">an article</a> by renowned strength coach Mike Boyle. The premise revolved around certain warm-up routines that are aimed at improving rotation of the lumbar spine and why these kinds of exercises can actually do more harm than good. Read the article -- it's interesting and though-provoking.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKfo4XNyzPPjFExrfW4qt3b5edAlaIf4sOoGHxkrtR5IxD0af2nwO_Qg6BBlP2sEjDN_ADNqNYUgbIaJYxgz1WcLmEAQJ11Bp689bxUDfKSsOWpwbcJ6KFzww7A2RTr_NBUdqUHVUjCU/s1600/prone-scorpion.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKfo4XNyzPPjFExrfW4qt3b5edAlaIf4sOoGHxkrtR5IxD0af2nwO_Qg6BBlP2sEjDN_ADNqNYUgbIaJYxgz1WcLmEAQJ11Bp689bxUDfKSsOWpwbcJ6KFzww7A2RTr_NBUdqUHVUjCU/s400/prone-scorpion.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714611515987433746" /></a>One of the exercises mentioned was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOaZXOCEfrg">the scorpion</a>. Since this is an exercise Jeff and I both use in our warm-ups for classes, I decided to forward the article along to him. Jeff's a great coach, very enthusiastic, takes dodgeball way too seriously, and used to <a href="http://www.break.com/usercontent/2008/1/Tae-Kwon-Do-435716">kick people in the face</a>. Naturally, a nice dialogue emerged. We'll start with Jeff's reply to the email...<br /><br /><em>Solid article, i think the gist of it is saying if you do not have the strength at your full capable domain in range of motion (in this case the lumbar) you will be susceptible to injuries(?) <br /><br />Now, if you were to practice minor resistance training at extended(not extreme) range of motion around any joint (in this case rotational lumbar).. would this negate this theory(?)<br /> <br />In a sense, you must be realistic that your body may experience, through voluntary or involuntary measures, a more extreme range of motion than the 3-5 degrees prescribed. Having a trained and strong "core", that alone will not "protect" you from not experiencing the extended range of motion at all times, so wouldn't it seem logical to still practice a somewhat extended range of motion movement, but instead all some resistance, so instead of a strict mobilization exercise, it now becomes an extended ROM strengthening exercise?<br /> <br />Definitely not applicable for a class size of 20, but maybe as far as giving preventative strength and mobility measures to private clients... JUST my brain running loose on thought, would love feedback, i'm gonna shoot this to Issa also, i know he does many of these in his rehab PT.<br /><br />- J WEEEEZY</em><br />____________________________________________<br /><br />Firstly, since I found these videos, I figured I'd start with them:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8N-N4FEoMY">Tiger Woods</a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4PfHpKbJSI&feature=fvst">Roger Federer</a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVZNFaFOQU4&feature=related">Albert Pujols</a><br /> <br />Three athletes, each arguably the greatest from his respective sport. Three sports that involve a lot of trunk rotation. Amazingly though, if you watch each video and simply stare at their lumbar spine, it's always in neutral. They rotate from the hips and shoulders and keep the low back stays neutral. This is the optimal way to exert force.<br /><br />Now, regarding injuries, you said, <em>"In a sense, you must be realistic that your body may experience, through voluntary or involuntary measures, a more extreme range of motion." </em>This is true, but I think the best approach is to develop the necessary means to prevent these ranges, not to get the joint accustomed to them, even if in a passive manner.<br /><br />Having a strong/stable core may not necessarily protect you from the potential occurrence of excessive rotation, but since the goal of the core is to stabilize the spine, it's likely the best preventative measure. Pushing your lumbar spine into a range-of-motion it's not designed or intended to achieve won't do you many favors. From an injury prevention standpoint, I think it'd be more beneficial to develop and improve stability in a joint's neutral position.<br /><br />Look at it this way: to prevent a neck injury, you don't load up a neck harness and put your neck into an extended ROM. Instead, you strengthen the neck itself (and the traps and upper back muscles) at its appropriate range-of-motion. Same goes for any joint that requires stability. Hell, look at the knee. For instance: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_wPOfTGegA">Willis McGahee</a>. To prevent that injury, he wouldn't have put his knee into hyper-extension while training for the Fiesta Bowl. The best he could do would be to strengthen the muscles around the knee accordingly to ensure it was a stable joint. That's a tough example because there's really nothing that could've prevented that injury. Shit was gnarly. See what I mean, though?<br /><br />If going by the joint-by-joint approach to training (which people should pay more attention to), I look at it like this:<br /><br />1) Develop range of motion in the joints that require mobility, then ensure the muscles are strong at those ranges (this is why gymnasts are so goddamn awesome, they're as flexible as yogis but strong at every range).<br /><br />2) Develop stability and strength at joints that require stability.<br /><br />Now, don't get me wrong, some people need a LITTLE added range to stable joints i.e. if someone is missing knee extension by a few degrees, but generally speaking, this isn't the case. How often do you see a K-Starr video where he's trying to improve mobility at the elbow?<br /> <br />I'm liking this back and forth we're having, brother. Good speak.<br />____________________________________________<br /><br /><em>Beautiful email. Thank you kind educated sir ;)</em><br />____________________________________________<br /><br />Thus concluded our email exchange. Good stuff. Since this electronic conversation, Jeff and I have removed scorpions from our warm-ups. This isn't to say that mobility work throughout the body is awful. To quote brilliant physical therapist Charlie Weingroff: "Every joints needs mobility AND stability. Some need more mobility, while some need more stability."<br /><br />This is even further exhibited/explained by Ido Portal, a master of human movement, below: <br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HHn-Hk8OBSo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> <br />Obviously, what Charlie and Ido are saying makes a lot of sense and I think this is what Jeff had in mind. I certainly see the benefit of this concept, but in the population I see in typical CrossFit gyms most clientele exhibit classic movement dysfunction. This includes things like poor posture, tight hamstrings, short hip flexors, <a href="http://www.ericcressey.com/strength-training-programs-pull-ups-essential">gross extension</a> at the lumbar spine, and so on. I think for the general fitness enthusiast (CrossFit, especially) it's more important to fix these problems and strengthen the individual accordingly <em>before</em> worrying about things like improper alignment training. Ido commented on his philosphy expressed in that video and I will post that below.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7t90T7iAyl0CMXJR9zpyn2fndo0wGqWBCaUXlKfiAb30clroCb2TnX4SFeZZ9m8Qvi6TXZ5fsRkw3UPLD61fEwjkUdF-MrRR35B-BlejReBKOV_tyCbJjJCnAldZTFBxHZAmcO6XLtY/s1600/poor-postures.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7t90T7iAyl0CMXJR9zpyn2fndo0wGqWBCaUXlKfiAb30clroCb2TnX4SFeZZ9m8Qvi6TXZ5fsRkw3UPLD61fEwjkUdF-MrRR35B-BlejReBKOV_tyCbJjJCnAldZTFBxHZAmcO6XLtY/s400/poor-postures.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714641687179597426" /></a>Before this devolves into even more rambling, I will cut myself off. The purpose of this post was to give you some insight into the balance between mobility/stability and to let you know that your coaches are always focused on learning, adapting, researching, and adjusting to ensure your performance improves.Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-39765950580609869692012-02-25T12:22:00.000-05:002012-02-25T12:51:12.354-05:00Control, Pt. 2I briefly touched on the topic of <a href="http://becomethebull.blogspot.com/2011/11/control-pt-1.html">control</a> back in December. Despite my efforts, some of you still insist on working out like the goddamn <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VudJpH-ytH4&feature=related">Techno Viking</a>. <em>Note:</em> That's not a good thing.<br /><br />Some CrossFit trainers will argue the "20% slop rule" i.e. technique can break down about 20% so long as the intensity of the movement stays high. A direct quote from famed CF instructor, Pat Sherwood: <em>"Technique only has to be good enough to increase the intensity. The goal is never perfect form. Remember, it's the speed of the set that is the goal."</em> Now, Pat was the head coach at my Level 1 certification back in 2008 and he's a really nice and funny-ass dude, but I whole-heartedly disagree with this concept. Bryan Krahn from T-Nation offered this <a href="http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_investigative/crossed_up_by_crossfit">counter-point</a>: <br /><br /><em>"To my mind, lifting is a learned endeavor. You practice perfect form over and over until it becomes second nature. That's especially true for Olympic lifting. How can you get good at an exercise if you force yourself to keep a set going past the point of technical breakdown? Aren't you just creating poor muscle-recruitment patterns that compete with the correct patterns?"</em><br /><br />Speed is important; safety is more important. Intensity enhances progress, but without control, intensity is useless. The bottom line: <strong>20% slop is a bullshit excuse to convince one's self that it's okay to move around like an idiot.</strong><br /><br />If you watch anyone who is truly elite in his or her chosen endeavor, there is one thing you will always notice: their movement is flawless.<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="308" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1ZujQtxerSM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="410" height="308" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/X5xazOFJ4G0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mlWRPDNZ9c0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="410" height="308" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GElYi8i3IxQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/r0bJLBa4SWo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/b_XamJSLzq0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><br />Are you seeing a pattern here? It's called perfection. There is no wasted effort in any of their movements. Everything is fluid and smooth and relaxed and perfect. Very few people ever get to that level, but we should all always be striving for it. Everyday.Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-61723773014458273432012-02-22T09:12:00.001-05:002012-02-22T09:27:46.473-05:00Get Some Fucking PerspectiveAnnoyed. And it starts here...<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7NIGKpzbZQA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><br />That's Noah. He's one of the coaches from District CrossFit, formerly of Potomac CrossFit. I've met Noah, he's a nice guy and a legit athlete/CrossFitter. He did a workout, jumped really high, and then whoever recorded it, uploaded it to youtube and labeled it a "world record." No big deal. So it goes. Normally, I avoid youtube comments like I avoid donating to charity, but I couldn't avoid this:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6gZQAIt1QdAkWF4GI9_OYxT7ktO8xvgKEG9O-3wr0fBBG3zaMT5noj8IN_ZwfIT-bubOvu5cIJy-KEPNDXnGnmUqkWblmO-u8duBF1TQ82Yhv2NUaRKB-UURiqyeWE7pNpbNejJuWm4/s1600/moody.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6gZQAIt1QdAkWF4GI9_OYxT7ktO8xvgKEG9O-3wr0fBBG3zaMT5noj8IN_ZwfIT-bubOvu5cIJy-KEPNDXnGnmUqkWblmO-u8duBF1TQ82Yhv2NUaRKB-UURiqyeWE7pNpbNejJuWm4/s400/moody.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711959893753414018" /></a><br />Those comments are courtesy of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ldQ6mCnz9A">Ryan Moody</a>, the self-proclaimed World Record holder for jumping on top of boxes. Or something. Basically, Ryan contacted Guiness, sent them video of his jumps, they looked into it, and he got a new world record. It was new because... ya know, no one had ever tried it before.<br /><br />Look, if this guy wants to achieve a world record and go through the process of training, filming, contacting the Guiness Book of World Records, etc, then fine. That's his right. More power to him, since that all seems like a real pain in the ass. My problem with the entire endeavor is taking to youtube like an 8-year-old with a skinned knee.<br /><br /><em>"NO! That's not the world record. <strong>I</strong> have the world record!!"</em> Dude, you're arguing over a record that NO ONE BUT YOU is trying to obtain. This isn't like the 100m dash or the fastest marathon or the long jump or whatever. This kid went to Guiness himself to be put into the record books. Meanwhile, you have this: <br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wFxgGihTHBE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Steve Langton, USA bobsledder</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br />An Olympic bobsledder hit a 62" box jump with no running start, no fan fare, no comments about him being the best box jumper, no stupid fucking celebration afterwards, and he wore a shirt the whole time. You know why? Because a max effort box jump like this is a parlor trick for him. You do it for fun just to see what you can do. You know what Langton does with the rest of his time? He devotes his life to an actual sport with real accomplishments!<br /><br />This is classic CrossFit-moving-the-goalposts shit. This kid will never be an Olympian, realized he'll never win the CrossFit Games, so instead of just accepting that he'll never achieve true greatness, he decides to pursue a new world record... of jumping on stuff. Should he be proud of his jumping ability? Absolutely -- I'm assuming he's worked real hard to achieve it and that's commendable. But should he be scouring youtube trying to refute all claims of "world record" box jumps? I mean, yeah, he can, I guess... if he's a fucking loser.Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-21597919101940758002012-01-05T17:00:00.002-05:002012-01-06T08:06:53.105-05:00I Guess I Have To...When I first saw the following video, I wrote a series of rants and diatribes and saved them in my drafts. Some days passed, my anger subsided, followed by apathy and acceptance. But I figured, fuck it, hate's no fun if you keep it to yourself. <br /><br />If you haven't seen it yet, watch <a href="http://www.thedoctorstv.com/videolib/init/5302">here</a>. It's Bob Harper's CrossFit Challenge on some asinine doctor show. In it, Bob puts Jillian Michaels and Dr. Handsome through a brief CrossFit-style workout. Bob and Jillian are both famous for yelling at fat people on The Biggest Loser. I yell at fat people on the streets of DC and I'm still waiting for Hollywood to call. But let's focus on this video.<br /><br />First off, I would like to take some time to dissect Jillian Michael's performance in the workout. Considering she's lauded as one of the best trainers in the country, I expected her to man-handle Dr. High-Cheekbones. Instead, I saw the following:<br /><br />1) Box jumps. Look at how caved in her knees are on her landings. This isn't good, especially considering women are highly prone to ACL injuries (<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fijahsp.nova.edu%2Farticles%2Fvol5num1%2Fhirst.pdf&ei=c0bRTuyHIcfY0QHW5IEI&usg=AFQjCNHRKgSRWncXruBph7UCq6VdEgsmnw&sig2=txo_1vA5TTAy22GSK-yBSQ">JAHSP</a>).<br /><br />2) Sumo deadlift high pull. Where do I begin? This movement is dumb enough already as I discussed <a href="http://becomethebull.blogspot.com/2011/12/sdhp-stupid-dangerous-hazardous-to.html">here</a>, but Jillian manages to make it worse. She has no hip extension and is primarily letting her back and arms do the work. Also, a very slow eccentric portion. Basically, if you're gonna do something stupid, at least do it right.<br /><br />3) Push press. She makes no use of <a href="http://becomethebull.blogspot.com/2011/07/shelf.html">the shelf</a>, which limits efficiency of the movement and will further fatigue her shoulders. She's pretty much just holding the bar in her goddamn hands which is a perfect way to do it completely wrong. If you watch her last rep, check out those knees again. Bad news bears. They should be pushed <em>out</em> over the toes. Hard to say if she was driving through her heels as I only saw her legs during one rep, but I imagine she was creeping onto her fore-foot during the dip and drive.<br /><br />4) Ball slams. These should be a powerful, hip/abdominal driven movement. Again, she seems to mainly be using her arms. The real issue here is how absurdly winded she appears to be by the conclusion of this two-minute workout.<br /><br />Perhaps this isn't how Jillian typically trains. Maybe she goes running, does some light weight training, follows an absurdly caloric restrictive diet, and takes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jillian_Michaels_(personal_trainer)#Lawsuits">supplements</a>. Maybe CrossFit is not her preferred method of training. But when I see how she performs during this workout, it's kinda... pathetic? To her credit, it <em>appears</em> that bar was loaded with 65lbs, so I can forgive that. Nevertheless, I could name roughly 10 women just from CrossFit Balance that would annihilate her in that workout. The workout lasted two minutes and she looked visibly destroyed. I just expected a little more.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMbQlomd8c2hMg8xMGfkENflxyTKtBZ2teHc1va3Mm7Q61o8iUm09GfNRfHmonjEyTFxPKx3D0vV4rZVlcmyZt9hqBB1Blu9rfRi_98mGlkSL1ALfiFoA8G4TKv-xYGGPp7VPe3DJcaE/s1600/jillina-yelling-wk1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 384px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMbQlomd8c2hMg8xMGfkENflxyTKtBZ2teHc1va3Mm7Q61o8iUm09GfNRfHmonjEyTFxPKx3D0vV4rZVlcmyZt9hqBB1Blu9rfRi_98mGlkSL1ALfiFoA8G4TKv-xYGGPp7VPe3DJcaE/s400/jillina-yelling-wk1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679372761270035538" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:82%;">A little more rabid wildebeest, for instance.</span></div><span style="font-size:82%;"></span><br />Two different, but viable claims can be made here: 1) A trainer doesn't necessarily have to be in great shape to get his or her clients great results, or 2) Jillian Michaels fucking sucks. Either one is applicable, both are obviously true. The bottom line is this: the general public thinks Jillian Michaels is an awesome trainer, while the knowledgeable people in the strength and conditioning community know she's a fraud. But really, enough about this disaster. Let's move onto Bob Harper's CrossFit Challenge...<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/erN5-dz4Jxg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><span style="font-size:82%;">Epic grunt 10 seconds in.</span></div><span style="font-size:82%;"></span><br />The problem with this whole stupid segment is that it highlights almost every bad aspect of CrossFit. You'd have figured CFHQ had done enough of this already. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne5FGRvP5Is#t=4m40s">Exhibit A</a>. Instead, this mincing vegan pussy gets on national television and shows the fat daytime viewers of America everything that's wrong about CrossFit.<br /><br /><strong>1) No Instruction.</strong> Bob spends about 0.003 nanoseconds explaining to Jillian and Dr. Hairgel each movement. One could assume this wouldn't be a big deal since it's Jillian Michaels who is, presumably, competent at simple exercises she makes her clients do on a daily basis. Unfortunately, this isn't the case and we're left seeing some pretty poorly executed everything.<br /><br /><strong>2) No Correction.</strong> Going hand in hand with the above, Bob offers no further instruction or correction to either subject. Instead, he yells about going faster and harder. When he does correct something, it's a cue that's relatively worthless i.e. "make sure that weight touches the ground every time." Yeah, that'll help them do it better.<br /><br /><strong>3) Poor movement selection.</strong> Look at that... sumo deadlift high pulls and box jumps. Two exercises I've already criticized. Aces, Bob! Top fucking notch. High rep box jumps and a movement essentially designed to fuck up your shoulders. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyX6XA2jmsw">Bully!</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcGuc0Lz46x-oyzVZP8tu0SnIb4opk-f58yZ5KBDmvhyjh62YzSEcRO3UZsFhgQ83NEHDFZJb68Q25YsDIwmTYMVqShItg7QPaWf_PQTIjhcqprYHfD7RCFC-jmDOe9ObgixFe3Dq-Q4/s1600/bob.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcGuc0Lz46x-oyzVZP8tu0SnIb4opk-f58yZ5KBDmvhyjh62YzSEcRO3UZsFhgQ83NEHDFZJb68Q25YsDIwmTYMVqShItg7QPaWf_PQTIjhcqprYHfD7RCFC-jmDOe9ObgixFe3Dq-Q4/s400/bob.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694271046251932914" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:82%;">Dude, you're a personal trainer; not David fucking Beckham.</span></div><span style="font-size:82%;"></span><br />Now, for the most part, this whole thing isn't a big deal. But to trainers like myself that actually want to make you stronger, fitter, hotter, awesomer, it is kind of a big deal. For the worst reasons. <br /><br />While the general public may not be aware enough to see the flaws I've outlined, it lets Jillian and Bob off the hook. Meanwhile, any real athlete who has heard of CrossFit will continue to laugh at it. But the average person sees this and they see a workout that crushed Jillian Michaels (because she sucks) and they think it will make them look just like her.<br /><br />So, this kind of exposure will bring clients into the door, but when their form is taught, corrected, and reinforced with light weights, people may not think they're getting what they came for. "But Jillian and Dr. Jawline just jumped right into <em>their</em> workout!" Well, that's not how it works. Plus that workout was stupid. So these ass clowns from The Biggest Loser, who've proven to be more cheerleader than trainer, have given some exposure to CrossFit, but in doing so, they've unknowingly emphasized many of its faults. This, in turn, makes the job of actually decent trainers more difficult.<br /><br />Essentially, getting people in shape shouldn't be approached in such a willy-nilly* fashion. Therefore, the responsibility lies on us, the trainers, to let you know that safety and movement quality are far more important than intensity, speed, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hhzEBSGvtU&feature=related">acting like a bitch</a>. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:80%;">*I'm so mad that I used the phrase "willy-nilly." Surprised I haven't been censored yet.</span><span style="font-size:80%;"></span>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-14709886060627668122011-12-02T11:23:00.000-05:002011-12-02T11:23:00.276-05:00SDHP: Stupid, Dangerous, Hazardous to PerformanceAs some of you may have noticed, there is one movement we do not teach or perform at CrossFit Balance: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qruUYEGNlUM">the sumo deadlift high pull</a>. There is a very simple reason for this: it's dumb.<br /><br />The first and most important priority of any coach is the safety of his or her clients -- at least it <em>should</em> be. Through firsthand experience, knowledge of basic anatomy, and seeing the movement in action, we believe the SDHP is not safe and therefore not worth doing. Instead, we'll resort to more useful exercises such as kettlebell swings and cleans.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8E-GbRFDx6hbrRluQMQItkbEgrsWfY5GL1dha_CLJH_4Aab7zoKxT_N5RoaEGg-IkaEMSudoBeguVjQ4d4y1nJog_2-EPFzAhzrltYYXLP_n2ELMNwzARQ8ym7yHrLdfo2rYjjHLT5w/s1600/fgb6-2011-5549-Edit.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8E-GbRFDx6hbrRluQMQItkbEgrsWfY5GL1dha_CLJH_4Aab7zoKxT_N5RoaEGg-IkaEMSudoBeguVjQ4d4y1nJog_2-EPFzAhzrltYYXLP_n2ELMNwzARQ8ym7yHrLdfo2rYjjHLT5w/s400/fgb6-2011-5549-Edit.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678272281914200050" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:82%;">But wait, everything is in black & white, except for his shirt. <br />So SDHP's have to be cool, right?</span></div><span style="font-size:82%;"></span><br />Now, rather than have you listen to me rant on about this subject, some experts far more intelligent than myself have weighed in already. We'll start with the following quote from <a href="http://www.ericcressey.com/">Eric Cressey</a> regarding the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&cp=11&gs_id=t&xhr=t&q=upright+row&tok=tvT9XDPDf8cxb8wO5XpNsQ&biw=1270&bih=599&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&wrapid=tljp1322326462412010&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi">upright row</a>, a movement nearly identical in its finishing position to the SDHP:<br /><br /><em>"I don't believe in contraindicated exercises, only contraindicated individuals. But if there's one exercise that'll ever push me over the line, it's going to be the upright row. This is as internally rotated as the humerus will get, and you're elevating the humerus right into the impingement zone on every rep. For that reason, I'll never write upright rows into a program. The dumbbell version is a slightly safer alternative, although I feel that there are still much safer ways to challenge the upper traps and deltoids. To summarize, if you've ever had a shoulder problem or are at risk, you'd be wise to omit upright rows altogether."</em> -Eric Cressey, on <a href="http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/tips/no_mo_upright_row_052606">T-Nation</a><br /><br />Cressey is known in the strength & conditioning world as "the shoulder guy" and rightfully so. He, along with associate physical therapist <a href="http://www.mikereinold.com/">Mike Reinold</a>, have managed over $1 billion in shoulders. How is that possible? They've worked with countless professional baseball players, particularly pitchers.<br /><br />Next is this excerpt from a <a href="http://www.performancemenu.com/">Performance Menu</a> Journal article written by renowned weightlifting coach, Greg Everett:<br /><br /><em>"I lumped this exercise in with medicine ball cleans as 'silliness' I ostensibly wouldn't allow with my own clients. This is a minor objection, but my view is simply this: Why not just perform a deadlift high-pull? What advantage does a sumo stance provide for this exercise other than making it easier, and why would we want to make it easier? If, for conditioning, we're interested in moving large loads long distances quickly, why would we shorten the distance we can possibly move the weight, and particularly in a manner that reduces the work of the legs and hips but maintains the work of the shoulders and arms?<br /><br />I actually use kettlebell deadlift high-pulls in our On-Ramp program, but following those few exposures, it never comes up again. Once out of the beginning stages of learning, our clients no longer need such an exercise - they can deadlift, clean, snatch and the like with various implements. I'm not completely averse to ever doing high-pulls, as I do feel they have their place in certain situations, but the reality is that in large and frequent doses, they encourage habits that interfere with clean and snatch technique, which is already difficult enough to teach to generalists. The SDHP is absolutely not an acceptable substitute for the clean, and it should not be considered a part of a teaching progression for the clean. It is strictly a metabolic workout exercise, and, in my opinion, is not one of the better options available."</em> -Greg Everett, <a href="http://www.cathletics.com/zen/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=243&zenid=e655c10bd2f7a36e9067de400fcfff56">PM Journal Issue 75</a><br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="308" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vXZt4PhdUns" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-size:82%;">This = more powerful than a SDHP.</span><span style="font-size:82%;"></span></div><br />And lastly, we have this awesome post from Dallas Hartwig, physical therapist and co-owner/operator of <a href="http://whole9life.com/">Whole9</a> - check it out, it's a great resource. I don't want to repost his entire article, so instead, it can be read <a href="http://whole9life.com/2010/09/i-heart-my-supraspinatus/">here</a>. Give it a read. It's short, informative, and has pictures!<br /><br />So, mostly for the reasons mentioned above, you will not see sumo deadlift high pulls in our programming. And also, because it's dumb. Whatever this movement is trying to accomplish, can be done much safer and more effectively through other means. It's not worth the risk.<br /><br />In any event, in your travels to another CrossFit gym, you may encounter a workout that employs the SDHP. Luckily, Kelly Starrett offered <a href="http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/09/episode-32-fgb-ready-sumo-shoulder-ant.html">this mobility prescription</a> to make it - at least - mildly safer. Regardless, you should try to avoid this movement and, by default, avoid gyms that program it for high-reps. It's dumb and you're not (I hope).Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-33384840471203546312011-11-28T08:12:00.002-05:002011-11-28T08:36:09.685-05:00Scaling Shouldn't Be Stupid, Part 2<div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">As said in my last installment, the views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author. They may or may not reflect the same ideals espoused by other trainers or coaches you have worked with. This is totally fine, but they might suck, so take that into consideration as well.</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br />I'm going to be honest: I don't like high-rep box jumps. I'm sorry. I just am not a fan. I think if risk vs. reward comes into play, the former far outweighs the latter. Now, this isn't to say that box jumps have no place whatsoever in a fitness program, but it all depends on context and appropriate application. The unfortunate truth is that box jumps will always be a utilized aspect of CrossFit's conditioning movements, so the best I can do is try to convey why I don't like them and how you can best avoid injury when doing them.<br /><br />I know what you're thinking: what <span style="font-style:italic;">risk</span> is there when it comes to jumping on a box a bunch of times? I'm kidding, of course, because if you're actually thinking that, then you're stupid. The obvious answer is combining the fatigue from other movements with the accuracy and coordination box jumps require. Which is why we often see things like this sprinkled across the blogs of many a CrossFit gym...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8K2BZ4dXI5mj6l-3eAMWi_jR4Rl_oLjufhQi3Es02UDP3F0Mmnayw5ATsHh6_i9O-bCxRh5TlhdUJZfEzPyhY4OMFD6HtVAc_bEamwEJm7GfNO76xT39IgvO6cGe7cyhDp23LuA6DdS0/s1600/nates+shins.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8K2BZ4dXI5mj6l-3eAMWi_jR4Rl_oLjufhQi3Es02UDP3F0Mmnayw5ATsHh6_i9O-bCxRh5TlhdUJZfEzPyhY4OMFD6HtVAc_bEamwEJm7GfNO76xT39IgvO6cGe7cyhDp23LuA6DdS0/s400/nates+shins.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641119388100407362" /></a><br />While many people wear these injuries as badges of honor, they're completely unnecessary and avoidable with a little common sense. Now, the smashed up shin is the more common and known box jump related injury. The one many overlook or maybe choose to ignore is the dreaded and far-too-frequent Achilles rupture. These are occurring more and more and they take months to fully recover from. Performing high-rep box jumps, particularly under the stress of fatigue, is the culprit.<br /><br />The potential for a ruptured Achilles lies in the execution of the box jump. In the pursuit of speed, people do <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyc3SDQRrvY">this</a>. It looks harmless enough, but the shock absorption of the landing to immedate switch to concentric contraction puts an enormous amount of strain on the Achilles. Remember <a href="http://games.crossfit.com/compete/workouts/deadlift-push-box-jump">Workout 2</a> from the 2011 CrossFit Open? <a href="http://journal.crossfit.com/2011/05/beyond-the-crossfit-games-part-1.tpl">Sure, you do</a>.<br /><br />Unfortunately, this kind of injury is far too familiar to me because it happened to one of my clients. This is Eric and he is fabulous:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUz6Vj03XAMv2wRYhtJjCx7N1ZcIaUXKBoGriiWOnDixdXj_55rIo6P-pah0ixYU_pdhpgCUPSMqtwwMC063flUHqzB58ZEYLH9vk0wSCKk7QAaK3Q71k5VC8lWb1kpnK5Uehrp9Qk-Ew/s1600/23980_408435253085_721063085_5177682_5354825_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 253px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUz6Vj03XAMv2wRYhtJjCx7N1ZcIaUXKBoGriiWOnDixdXj_55rIo6P-pah0ixYU_pdhpgCUPSMqtwwMC063flUHqzB58ZEYLH9vk0wSCKk7QAaK3Q71k5VC8lWb1kpnK5Uehrp9Qk-Ew/s400/23980_408435253085_721063085_5177682_5354825_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678235685060910354" /></a><br />During a workout I designed, Eric ruptured his Achilles tendon. Luckily, since he's a baller, it didn't completely derail his training. He spent a lot of time doing handstand work, Airdyne intervals, and a ton of single-leg training. Nevertheless, it took him roughly a year until he was back to top form. His words: <span style="font-style:italic;">"After surgery I had two weeks of not being able to put my foot on the ground. From there I was in a walking boot for six weeks. Physical therapy started soon after. I went twice a week for four months. So six months after the actual surgery, I was done with therapy but I was probably at 65/70% in terms of what I could do physically since I had to rebuild my calf. It was probably a full year before I felt comfortable enough to add some serious weight to squats, but even now if I do 'Annie' my right calf takes much longer to recover."</span> The moral of the story is that the recovery process is a long and arduous one.<br /><br />If you find yourself facing a workout with high-rep box jumps, it's incredibly simple to avoid injury, be it torn up shins or ruptured tendons. These scaling options are especially important for beginners, mainly women. Why? Because a lot of women have a mental block about jumping on a box. It's very common and I get it. Here are some potential options:<br /><br /><em>1) Step-ups</em><br /><br /><em>2) Less height</em><br /><br /><em>3) Less reps</em><br /><br /><em>4) Step down</em><br /><br />Number 4 is particularly important for the more seasoned CrossFitters as well. This relates back to my <a href="http://becomethebull.blogspot.com/2011/11/control-pt-1.html">previous post</a> about control. <strong>Stop focusing so goddamn much on how FAST you do a workout. How much time will you really lose stepping down rather than jumping? Twenty seconds total? I'd rather give up twenty seconds now instead of seven months for an Achilles rupture. Use your brain.</strong><br /> <br />In the long run, box jumps are better used for explosive max effort training. Joe DeFranco uses them for power development for his higher level athletes: <br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="308" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/46veN24X6bk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><br />As I stated, unfortunately box jumps are a part of CrossFit and here to stay. So if you have a workout with a lot of reps, please approach them responsibly and try to control your ascent and descent to avoid unnecessary injury.Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-5631993660561011472011-11-25T10:14:00.000-05:002011-11-25T10:14:00.121-05:00Cancellation List!In lieu of my popularity, or rather, the popularity of my Saturday Olympic weightlifting class, I have decided to institute an official cancellation list. Oftentimes, people pre-register for my class months in advance (likely because of my handsomeness) and understandably, things come up and people have to cancel. It happens and I don't fault anyone for it, provided they contact me beforehand rather than pulling a no-show, which would be fucking rude.<br /><br />So, when you look to the right of this page and see a full class, you have the option to email me to be put on the cancellation list for that particular class. If a spot opens up, you will be emailed to see if you're available to attend. If you cannot, I will simply move onto the next person on the list.<br /><br />Like normal Oly class registration, the same rules still apply:<br /><br />1) First come, first served basis. <br /><br />2) Don't email me asking to be put on every single cancellation list. It'd be unfair to other potential participants and I probably don't want to see you on consecutive Saturdays anyways.<br /><br />3) Reserve spots via email only. DO NOT SIGN UP THROUGH MINDBODY. We may eventually switch registration to MindBody, but as of right now, I don't trust it enough. Plus, I have a lot of travel coming up and this current system allows me to set the dates in advance on my own terms.<br /><br />If you've never attended my Oly class and are wondering if it's for you, just ask <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ3w9aio4WA">this guy</a> -- he's my prized student! Other than that, we have this...<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="238" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CMrpiCHIgB8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-71861179088588631472011-11-23T10:01:00.000-05:002011-11-23T10:05:56.962-05:00Control, Pt. 1Let me start with something simple: Slow the fuck down. Bear with me, I have a point here. Look, nothing and no one is perfect. There are problems with CrossFit and even more with people. Sometimes both CrossFit and the people doing it focus too much on the wrong things.<br /><br />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: <strong>movement quality</strong>.<br /><br />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 <strong>speed is nothing without control</strong>. If you're moving so fast that your form goes right to shit, slow the fuck down.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><div align="center">Listen to this man; he's smarter than all of us...<br /><br /><object width="410" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fmGRH4eSSAs?version=3&hl=en_US&start=212"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fmGRH4eSSAs?version=3&hl=en_US&start=212" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="410" height="308" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><u>Bottom Line:</u><br /><strong>QUALITY OF MOVEMENT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN JUST MOVING FAST.</strong></div>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-62067266002419606552011-08-31T09:02:00.001-04:002011-08-31T11:03:25.735-04:00Chalk TalkYou don't have to tell me - I already know that's the best blog post title ever. Seriously though, we need to have a discussion about chalk, it's usage, and more importantly, it's absurd misuse I see on a daily basis.
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<br />At CrossFit Balance, there are two kinds of chalk available. First is the kind that helps improve grip by absorbing the moisture in one's hands. This is the chalk used by powerlifters, weightlifters, gymnasts, and rock climbers. It's made from magnesium carbonate.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimb0BbpzW3LWxEXqHplbflE8s2MD2_pp3tUXz-45cB_6BLI7bDXPaYGU5eTKbDvq6VJHLRjsHIukeBP3V5Sp2_ml5f6maUQKVXiPv1_w9tEME-nbt0QbTtYLSxiegWj6Ysmau95izQR-0/s1600/Gymnastic_Chalk_Magnesium_Carbonate_in_Block_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimb0BbpzW3LWxEXqHplbflE8s2MD2_pp3tUXz-45cB_6BLI7bDXPaYGU5eTKbDvq6VJHLRjsHIukeBP3V5Sp2_ml5f6maUQKVXiPv1_w9tEME-nbt0QbTtYLSxiegWj6Ysmau95izQR-0/s400/Gymnastic_Chalk_Magnesium_Carbonate_in_Block_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646681815157323202" /></a>
<br />The second type of chalk is what we use to write on the floor to record our weights, rounds, times, whatever. This is standard sidewalk chalk used by children and adults who still play hop-scotch. It's made from the ground-up, powdered remains of Barney.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpzhanMxe4X9o3cSFheOF1j64JvZovAqCSnl4YTjY20bwRBsBrl3yz1PIRSGaCyZJJ9ubsZPbntQw5pWGIrWDg53DntrfSCGFsC68JwpKu956CIU1ZSVEsH9vo3ODLW9F_4zj5GFoRGQ/s1600/tumblr_ky39vi4t481qag4poo1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpzhanMxe4X9o3cSFheOF1j64JvZovAqCSnl4YTjY20bwRBsBrl3yz1PIRSGaCyZJJ9ubsZPbntQw5pWGIrWDg53DntrfSCGFsC68JwpKu956CIU1ZSVEsH9vo3ODLW9F_4zj5GFoRGQ/s400/tumblr_ky39vi4t481qag4poo1_500.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646682627853359618" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is why it's called sidewalk chalk.</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span>
<br />Let's start with standard gym chalk. This stuff is excellent, especially in the midst of DC's sweltering humidity. Excessive sweating can really inhibit one's grip on a bar, kettlebell, or pull-up bar. Gym chalk is incredibly help, but far too often, I see it used inappropriately. For instance...
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<br />1) Gym chalk should <span style="font-weight:bold;">never</span> be used to write on the floor or wall. Why? Because it causes a big goddamn mess. This is <span style="font-style:italic;">why</span> we have sidewalk chalk at your disposal. If there's no sidewalk chalk available, write in your notebooks. If you don't have your notebook, promptly kick yourself in the face.
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<br />2) Stop over-chalking. Before metcons, I see a lot of people chalk their hands beforehand (ha! get it?). Then they chalk up roughly 37 more times during the workout. You don't need that much. As much as you <span style="font-style:italic;">think</span> you do, you don't. In a 5-12 minute workout, you don't need to apply chalk to your hands more than twice - <em>maybe</em> three times if it's long and you sweat like Dan Samarov. Really, you're just using it as an excuse to rest when you should be doing the damn workout. Which brings me to my next point...
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<br />3) Gym chalk should NEVER be removed from its designated bucket. For some reason, people think they need it right next to them during their workout. Guess what? You don't. When a gymnast or weightlifter chalks up, they don't bring the block with them to the apparatus or platform. And no offense, but what they do is far more impressive. Besides, those extra five to ten steps you'll take to walk to the bucket will not RUIN your workout. When chalk is taken out of the bucket, it breaks or gets stepped on or left out and causes a really shitty mess.
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdLNmhGKauevW9h8FLlVy6hy49WTGbsDMtE5OMYxKFlcxvr8c73l_2yyAoNzZ1r7iHsViP8uBydm31F_JUIuY5lcmKa6LxgQ1PCzQkq4bcuZznR_2KYz16U02xugZVcnARUYyXXWyMX0/s1600/IMAG0006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdLNmhGKauevW9h8FLlVy6hy49WTGbsDMtE5OMYxKFlcxvr8c73l_2yyAoNzZ1r7iHsViP8uBydm31F_JUIuY5lcmKa6LxgQ1PCzQkq4bcuZznR_2KYz16U02xugZVcnARUYyXXWyMX0/s400/IMAG0006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647023819379930674" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Un-fucking-accetable.
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<br />As far as sidewalk chalk goes, it's generally used in our gym to keep track of rounds or reps during a hard workout. For the most part, it's not necessary to have, but it's generously provided to you for ease. Nevertheless, everyone ruins everything...
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<br />1) Do not use sidewalk chalk to help your grip. It doesn't work. It's made of calcium sulfate. And no one wants a gym full of neon barbells.
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<br />2) Unless you're actually talented, do not use sidewalk chalk to draw dragons, unicorns, and bullshit on the floor. If you're unsure if you're talented or not, just ask me. FYI: I'm going to say you're not.
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<br />3) When your workout is over, PUT SIDEWALK CHALK AWAY. Every day it's left sprinkled about the gym as though <a href="http://smartboydesigns.com/wp-content/wonka1.jpg">Oompa-Loompas</a> are shitting all over the place. Like gym chalk, this also breaks, gets stepped on, and causes a mess. I'm not asking you to mop the floor afterwards; just put the chalk back in a bucket or on the window sill or anywhere that isn't a box or the floor.
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<br />I apologize if my tone here is one of frustration, but this shit is frustrating. In the end, this is really simple stuff. Stop over-chalking and using it as an excuse to rest. Keep gym chalk in the bucket at all times and put sidewalk chalk away when you're done with it. In the end, you're all adults. I know you're often disoriented and tired after your workouts; regardless, be respectful and clean up after yourselves.Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-15361150282422255432011-08-06T13:55:00.001-04:002011-08-06T14:33:53.134-04:00Becoming BulletproofI got an email the other day from my friend and fellow trainer, Mike McNiff, asking if I'd be be kind enough to write a review of his new book, <a href="http://becomingbulletproof.net/"><em>Becoming Bulletproof</em></a>. The email went something like this...<br /><br /><em>"Hey Quint, even though I learned everything I know from you and you're way better looking than me, would you please write a review of my book? I promise to never squat more than you again."</em><br /><br />While I appreciate the gesture, Mike, I actually already planned on writing this review. Squat away, my friend! So let's get down to business and talk about <em>Becoming Bulletproof</em>...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLTIIJsL8tmHmWYvIUEFGl24F63GxF8Ofab8kmfwP9fEPWnz1R1ewJzfbGRK8026Sw7m51t2CGNdP0CRA8QmTqJRedtZZYYPF5cWtI1cRut4bFbF3IV1EHrpqGJH4lqKKTON0AFqXqh0/s1600/bb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLTIIJsL8tmHmWYvIUEFGl24F63GxF8Ofab8kmfwP9fEPWnz1R1ewJzfbGRK8026Sw7m51t2CGNdP0CRA8QmTqJRedtZZYYPF5cWtI1cRut4bFbF3IV1EHrpqGJH4lqKKTON0AFqXqh0/s400/bb.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637805433314365202" /></a><br />Now, despite the title, which McNiff obviously plagiarized directly from this blog, the book is legit. And at only $8 you get more than your money's worth. It is chock full of useful information ranging from warm-up protocols, workout tips/suggestions, and just generally great all-around advice. It is clear through reading it that Mike and his co-author <a href="http://www.tasfitness.blogspot.com/">Tim Anderson</a> put a lot of time, energy and thought into it. <br /><br /><em>Becoming Bulletproof</em> delves into orders of thinking that I had actually not considered regarding the evolution of human movement, from how we develop as babies and how our bodies learn and adapt. As I've mentioned in earlier posts, we've actually devolved thanks to incessant sitting. Nowadays, the world is rampant with terrible postures and movement dysfunctions, which limits one's potential and eventually results in injury. Mike and Tim have developed steps to "reset" one's body to move and perform the way it should. And what's more is that it's easy to read, even easier to understand, and it works. Want proof?<br /><br />One need look no further than McNiff himself to see that he knows what he's talking about. Just over six months ago, Mike blew out both of his knees in a back squat accident. It was a catastrofuck. Now, after the doctors told him he'd never walk properly again and that his lifting would be minimal at best, he's squatting in the mid-200's and rapidly working his way back to over 400lbs. By utilizing his own philosophies, he's literally rebuilding himself. Although, I will say he was pretty useless when I needed help moving into my new place last month. <br /><br />And this is just my opinion, which might not hold a lot of weight to some. But when top-level coaches and strength gurus like <a href="http://danjohn.net/">Dan John</a>, <a href="http://www.samsonscroll.com/">John Brookfield</a>, and <a href="http://www.functionalmovement.com/">Gray Cook</a> are endorsing your product, you know you have something special. It's cheap, informative, and most importantly, effective. So go buy the damn thing!<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:110%;"><a href="http://becomingbulletproof.net/">BECOMING BULLETPROOF</a></span></div><span style="font-size:110%;"></span>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-33026618830061907962011-07-21T05:40:00.002-04:002011-07-21T12:15:05.969-04:00Revisioned Olympic Weightlifting ClassExciting news, folks! Yes, exciting enough to warrant an exclamation point, as stupid as they are. After discussing some things with the higher-ups at Balance, my Saturday Olympic weightlifting class is now FREE to all CrossFit Balance members. Prior to this, it cost $25 per attendee regardless of membership type. Considering the cost of a CrossFit membership (at any gym), it's only logical that programs like this be made available to the client free of any additional cost.<br /><br />Despite this fine news, there is a catch: the class will be strictly limited to <strong>4</strong> students. Due to the complexity of the lifts and the variannce of skill levels among attendees, the smaller class size will prove more beneficial to the client and much more manageable for me. In order to secure your spot in the class, you must pre-register by emailing me here: <strong>qniversal(at)gmail(dot)com</strong>. Attendees are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. In other words, the first four people I get emails from will be the final four in the class. <br /><br /><em>Please note:</em> If you email me, reserve a spot, then pull a no-show and effectively screw someone else out of a potential spot, you may get dicked over next time you try reserving a spot. In short, don't be an inconsiderate douche, if you can avoid it.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:110%;"><u>The Basics</u><br /><em>What:</em> Olympic lifting class - were you not paying attention?<br /><em>Where:</em> Balance Gym - Thomas Circle, 1111 14th Street NW, Washington DC<br /><em>When:</em> Every Saturday from 4:30PM-6:00PM<br /><em>Why:</em> Because you're probably not very good at O-lifting</span><span style="font-size:110%;"></span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">You say, "Credentials?" and I say, "Booyah!"<br /><br /><iframe width="410" height="263" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jDjaB0N0Q00" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="410" height="263" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XgXZI9DfGpc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-87779630000971830832011-07-02T15:50:00.001-04:002011-11-28T10:47:26.854-05:00The ShelfToday I'd like to talk some more about bar positioning on the shoulders in relation to a few barbell movements. I've discussed improving the rack position for the front squat already <a href="http://becomethebull.blogspot.com/2010/08/check-out-that-rack.html">here</a>, but today I'd like to focus more on upper body exercises like push presses and jerks. Why? Because you're doing them wrong.<br /><br />Broad, scathing generalization aside, I see a lot of people selling themselves short on push presses and jerks because they're not properly utilizing what I like to call "the shelf." The shelf is comprised of the deltoids and upper pectorals - and yes, unfortunately at times, your clavicle as well. This is where the bar <em>should</em> sit until the very last moment in which the bar separates from the body as a result of the lower body's upward force.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ozEZqKkXW3vYTCj7QHlnjHiqbBfcgTLQNQq_NH6UW9rkHeexyH9D_wtD5rb_wJPzADEDa4KysR5hkivWuLiXjCieSn-NkMqrV9sVPSTVrOFc31aeEKiSOHEWrb4FI44MqCwaQZUPbvI/s1600/HR.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ozEZqKkXW3vYTCj7QHlnjHiqbBfcgTLQNQq_NH6UW9rkHeexyH9D_wtD5rb_wJPzADEDa4KysR5hkivWuLiXjCieSn-NkMqrV9sVPSTVrOFc31aeEKiSOHEWrb4FI44MqCwaQZUPbvI/s400/HR.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624790342854058290" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:82%;">Hossein Rezazadeh had a substantial shelf</span></div><span style="font-size:82%;"></span><br />The position itself requires a degree of flexibility and, obviously, more musculature will give the bar a bigger shelf to rest on. I always recommend that one's forearms be in a vertical position for the shoulder press with the elbows pointing to the floor, just slightly in front of the bar at the start. This ensures a more vertical drive up on the bar. I encourage this for push presses and jerks as well, but in most cases people don't have the requisite flexibility to maintain vertical elbows while resting the bar on the shoulders.<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="308" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KRvHCTlK3XI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-size:82%;">In other cases, you're French weightlifter Vencelas Dabaya</span></div><span style="font-size:82%;"></span></div align="center"><br />For this reason, I encourage most people to keep their elbows up and relax their hands -- similar, if not identical, to the rack position of a front squat. In either situation, it is absolutely vital that the bar rests on one's shoulders and not in the hands. Too often do I see people performing push presses and bearing all of the weight of the bar in their hands. Ever wonder why you have wrist pain? We lose so much power from our legs when the bar is separated from the shelf position. This will limit efficiency of the movement, which will limit how much weight we can lift, which will limit our chances of getting stronger, which will limit our ability to get more awesome. And everyone wants to be more awesome. Aimee Anaya-Everett teaches people how to be awesome everyday:<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="337" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kZdWd6XYicg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><br />Where one's elbows go depends on the individual's preference, level of flexibility, and what proves most comfortable and effective. Two quick examples from two of the greatest weightlifters ever:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtf4tFFtj7h6ItyF1mj8ZtU_VV0cZjj9Mr2UAArE-laAXf1VWZHqm1dkvnK59cVFcCZQG-v_b8FV5S89k9TfnHi3dF3awTyMAXefDBdvFugEs-6cKT3rMt9jZvTEzzym4mCCfRCZYwejc/s1600/5650470995_90abdbd292_z.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 351px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtf4tFFtj7h6ItyF1mj8ZtU_VV0cZjj9Mr2UAArE-laAXf1VWZHqm1dkvnK59cVFcCZQG-v_b8FV5S89k9TfnHi3dF3awTyMAXefDBdvFugEs-6cKT3rMt9jZvTEzzym4mCCfRCZYwejc/s400/5650470995_90abdbd292_z.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624845902289921634" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:82%;">Yuri Zakharevich, 225kg @ 110kg BW</span></div><span style="font-size:82%;"></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOp1po7KoxVH64iJhzmHGwUZAov56shatEmHVzOWn3w7DzCdemzWz3ubUseqUvp7r1iRAjKAjynfQjNryWRMeiKd6o8NyZaaVAlDV-mD5vsHsG0oo1MfZW01lbS10SoPIPmCezQ4g_xgA/s1600/5632251665_b40d03d462_z.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOp1po7KoxVH64iJhzmHGwUZAov56shatEmHVzOWn3w7DzCdemzWz3ubUseqUvp7r1iRAjKAjynfQjNryWRMeiKd6o8NyZaaVAlDV-mD5vsHsG0oo1MfZW01lbS10SoPIPmCezQ4g_xgA/s400/5632251665_b40d03d462_z.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624846773058299874" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:82%;">Halil Mutlu, 160kg @ 54kg BW</span></div><span style="font-size:82%;"></span><br />While vertical elbows are likely preferred, they are by no means necessary, especially in the jerk. The point is that regardless of elbow/forearm placement, one facet remains identical in each example: the bar rests high on the shoulders to ensure an optimal upward drive from the legs through the body and into the bar.<br /> <br />An additional factor of utmost importance is keeping the bar on the shoulders throughout the dip and drive portion of the lift. If the bar slips or sinks forward on your chest during the dip portion, the drive will be much less effective. Koklyaev demonstrates this quite well:<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="337" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rXXszjlqxhI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><br />So, in closing, improve your front rack position, build your shelf, keep the bar on it, and get the most out of your hips and legs. It's a recipe for success. Like anything <a href="http://californiarumor.com/files/images/import/giada%20de%20laurentis%20baby.jpg">Giada De Laurentiis</a> has ever cooked. And with that, we'll finish up with some more Aimee...<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="337" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1F76RIFEcDc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-87718910327518970492011-06-15T06:47:00.000-04:002011-06-15T11:44:52.340-04:00Scaling Shouldn't Be Stupid, Part 1I know, I know... absolutely shameful how long it's taken me to post something. I could argue I've been very busy, but it's more than likely I've just been very lazy. Fret not; I'll feed you, baby birds...<br /><br />First off, the views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author. They may or may not reflect the same ideals espoused by other trainers or coaches you have worked with. This is totally fine, but they might suck, so take that into consideration as well. Either way, this issue has been chapping my ass for a while now, so out with it, I suppose.<br /><br />Let's get one thing straight: scaling is important and necessary for most everyone. If a workout is designed to take someone less than 10 minutes, then it should be scaled to achieve this end. This isn't to say that if it takes you 10:35 or 12:01 to finish the workout, that all is lost and you should quit exercising forever. There may just be some minor adjustments needed in the future. But if a 10 minute workout takes you 27 minutes, you fucked up and - more importantly - missed the point. This is why it's important to confer with your coach before your workout, log all of your numbers/times/loads, and be aware of your own abilities and limitations. <br /><br />The fact of the matter is that a good amount of people out there can't do everything prescribed. If you choose to do "Diane" prescribed and your best deadlift is 250lbs, then I hate you. Put your ego away, tighten up, and take some weight off the bar. Workouts like "Diane" and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05fOQeL8LDo">"Fran"</a> are supposed to take less than 5 minutes. If you slog through it for 12 minutes, then it's not the same workout. Any intensity or power is lost and subsequently converted to movement for the sake of motion. You're better served scaling the workout and finishing it faster.<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe width="410" height="337" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YARXjYqC8mU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-size:80%;">This guy has every right to do "Diane" prescribed</span><span style="font-size:80%;"></span></div> <br />Alright, enough lecturing, let's get down the nitty-gritty and talk about which scaling options piss me right the shit off... <br /><br /><span style="font-size:115%;"><u>Double-unders</u></span><span style="font-size:115%;"></span><br />As far as a "functional movement" goes, double-unders aren't terribly high on the list. Their main purpose as I see it is to maintain coordination and rhythm when you're tired. While I doubt this would carry over to coitus, it's nice to think it might since rhythm and coordination are crucial in that arena.<br /><br />CrossFit.com suggests doing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOKfd7ZIFZI">tuck jumps</a> if double-unders are not developed yet. Their reasoning is that "multiple single-unders in no way compensate for the exertion required for double-unders." My main issue with this is that substituting a double-under with a tuck jump takes the rope entirely out of the equation. If people need to improve or develop their double-unders, what use does eliminating the jump rope do? <br /><br />With this problem in mind, a compromise I find most effective is to split the reps between single-unders and tuck jumps. This offers several benefits:<br /><br />1) The exertion of tuck jumps<br />2) The development of jumping rope technique (while fatigued as well)<br />3) Decreased chance of injury with reduced repetitions i.e. people shouldn't be doing 400 fucking tuck jumps in a workout<br /><br />Obviously, this approach needs to be adjusted on a case by case basis. Some quick examples...<br /><br /><em>"Annie"<br />50-40-30-20-10<br />Double-unders<br />Sit-ups</em><br /><br />For someone with no double-unders at all, this workout would be excellent for tuck jumps and single-unders. It would look like this...<br /><br />25 single-unders<br />25 tuck jumps<br />50 sit-ups<br />20 single-unders<br />20 tuck jumps<br />40 sit-ups<br />etc...<br /><br />This would allow the person to still complete the workout quickly, become highly "exerted" from tuck jumps, and work on jumping rope while tired. Also, this workout is best whenever <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXHFmKBK2r8&feature=channel_video_title">this girl</a> does it.<br /><br />If a workout calls for 100 double-unders at some point, rather than doing 50/50, it'd likely be better to do 25/25/25/25. This way you're not doing too many tuck jumps at a time.<br /><br />The most important takeaway from this discussion, especially in relation to double-unders, is that you have to practice. Your skills don't improve during metcons. They improve when you devote time to skill development.<br /><br />More movement scaling to come - Stay tuned!Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-47666606622326242232011-04-21T13:14:00.000-04:002011-04-21T13:43:03.477-04:00The Gunfight Update!So we're only a few days out from <strong><em>The Gunfight: Honor Every Second</em></strong>. This Saturday, April 23rd, will mark the one year anniversary of Amanda Miller's departure from this life. Amanda was tough competitor, a friend to many, and an inspiration to all. This event is our tribute to her. Any and all donations received will go to the <a href="http://www.melanoma.org/">Melanoma Research Foundation</a> to assist in their endeavor to combat this awful disease.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ50d87PLtIajPvtkkVjp20C-H_bARQ5BG6vbOTq3_Kv1YUfK8w1ZgiFrylQPpRu6bKxD0kBjfZr6TcZKz0ME88o5-1O9YIjRlxpTAsgPTuk4RVoW1ldMtLWtsIDb_BBFGO4unMlN0l5U/s1600/am.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ50d87PLtIajPvtkkVjp20C-H_bARQ5BG6vbOTq3_Kv1YUfK8w1ZgiFrylQPpRu6bKxD0kBjfZr6TcZKz0ME88o5-1O9YIjRlxpTAsgPTuk4RVoW1ldMtLWtsIDb_BBFGO4unMlN0l5U/s400/am.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598089650071846418" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Amanda Rose Miller: July 16, 1985 - April 23, 2010</em></span></div><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:115%;"><u>Schedule</u></span><span style="font-size:115%;"></span><br />The event kicks off at 10AM with workout heats going until 2PM. Heats will consist of 4-5 people and will run every 15 minutes. Afterwards, there will be grilling and drinking. Classic Balance Gym style. <br /> <br /><br /><span style="font-size:115%;"><u>The Workout</u></span><span style="font-size:115%;"></span><br />At the 2010 CrossFit Games, the first event was <a href="http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/GAMES2010_FridayLastHeatWomen.wmv">named after Amanda</a> to memoralize her in the annals of CrossFit. We felt there'd be no better way to remember her than to do that very same workout.<br /><br /><em>"Amanda"</em><br />9-7-5<br />Muscle-up<br />Snatch <span style="font-size:80%;">(135/95)<br /></span><span style="font-size:80%;"></span><br />As this workout will be extremely tough - if not downright impossible - for some people, we have provided the following scaled versions so anyone of any skill, strength, or fitness level can participate.<br /><br /><em>Scaling Options:</em><br />21-15-9<br />C2B Pull-up<br />Power snatch + OHS <span style="font-size:80%;">(Load options: 135/115/95/75/65)<br /></span><span style="font-size:80%;"></span><br />21-15-9<br />Pull-up<br />Power snatch <span style="font-size:80%;">(95/65)</span><span style="font-size:80%;"></span><br /><br />21-15-9<br />Pull-up <span style="font-size:80%;">(band-assisted)<br /></span><span style="font-size:80%;"></span>OHS <span style="font-size:80%;">(Load options: 95/75/65/55/45)<br /></span><span style="font-size:80%;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:115%;"><u>Donations</u></span><span style="font-size:115%;"></span><br />People are encouraged to donate on site either via cash or check. All proceeds will go directly to the Melanoma Research Foundation. If you're unable to attend, you're still encouraged to donate online <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/crossfitbalance/amanda"><strong>HERE</strong></a>. Anyone who donates $100 or more online or on the day of the event will have his or her name put into a drawing for a free, one-hour Olympic lifting training session with yours truly. Singlet will be worn if so requested.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:115%;"><u>Other Info</u></span><span style="font-size:115%;"></span><br />I've been contacted by John Weiss of <a href="http://www.crossfit757.com/">CrossFit 757</a> in Norfolk and they will be holding a similar event this Saturday. They will also be raising money for the MRF. Big thanks to him, his gym, and his clients for their support.<br /><br />As I've mentioned before, Dave Lipson of <a href="http://365daysofsquatting.blogspot.com/">365 Days of Squatting</a> is also in the midst of a brutal tribute to Amanda. He squats at least 450lbs. Every day. For an entire year. Dave has teamed up with AgainFaster to sell <a href="http://www.againfaster.com/amanda-miller-apparel/">Amanda Miller t-shirts</a> to also benefit the MRF. I highly recommend them. The material is great and the design is awesome - two pistols on the hips, just like Amanda's.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:115%;"><u>About Amanda</u></span><span style="font-size:115%;"></span><br />For more information about Amanda and her struggle with melanoma, please refer to her blog <a href="http://amandaredmiller.blogspot.com/">here</a>. Her friend Emily posted the following in the comments after Amanda's passing...<br /><br /><span style="color:#00FFFF;"><div align="center"><em>"In this legacy you have left for all of us to ponder and reread whenever we struggle, you have touched countless lives, probably more than you could comprehend in life. Your short time on this earth and epic battle with an aggressive disease will be talked about and used as an example of the way to live life. Never let anything stop you and never give up. I love you to pieces, girl. I will carry you with me in my heart through every competition, struggle, and challenge in life."</em></div></span><br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="410" height="261" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hoPDECUwuRk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-83380170072531193162011-04-10T22:07:00.001-04:002011-04-11T11:54:48.362-04:00Competing Yet?Okay, I admit it - these blog post titles are getting ri-goddamn-diculous, but bear with me, as this should be my last installment on competition (for now, at least). This past Sunday was the first-ever Capital City Open at Balance Gym Kalorama right here in Washington, DC. Personally, I think it was a huge success. Over 55 lifters competed, male and female, ranging from a bright-eyed 16 year-old kid to a 40 year-old former Lebanese National Team member.<br /><br />Two weeks ago, to prepare mentally and physically, a group of us organized a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN3LfMjYhpI">mock meet</a>. It was an opportunity to find out what our openers would likely be, how a weightlifting meet works, and most importantly, lifting in a singlet (one of the greatest privileges in sport). Two weeks later, the Capital City Open was upon us...<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="410" height="261" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QiZiPD8csRE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><br />Here's a breakdown of each lifter's performance...<br /><br />Sai hit her first snatch easily - something many people struggle with in their first meet due to nerves and all. On her second snatch, she lost tightness in the bottom, and regrouped like a badass to recover and stand. Unfortunately, her arm bent at the bottom and the judges red-lighted her lift. Her third attempt also got a bit wobbly, so the bar went back and fell forward after she tried to correct. Later, she annihilated all of her clean & jerks. In retrospect, I should have forced/tricked/persuaded her into going higher on them, but I'm happy she went 3 for 3 on them.<br /><br />Lauren missed our mock meet because of a trip to Vegas. She hit her first two snatches quite handily with power snatches. Her hesitance to get under the bar was evident on her third attempt, though, as she couldn't quite finish her third attempt. The fact that the bar was elevated enough to nick her forehead means she has a lot more in her. For her clean & jerks, Lauren also went 3 for 3, again opting for the power versions. She finished with a PR of 59kg.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Quick note:</span> The difference between Sai and Lauren is very interesting. Sai has excellent technique, but needs to get a lot stronger. Lauren, on the other hand, is very strong, but needs to further develop her technique. These differences aside, they both performed great at their first meet.<br /><br />After an amazing women's session (one 58kg girl clean & jerked 87kg!) it was onto Nick's and my session. Nick (69kg Master Division) went pretty conservative with his openers as it was only his second meet. He is still have some bar path issues with his snatch because of an early hip rise, but he ended up hitting 71kg on his final attempt. Some other issues arose with his clean & jerks. He opened solidly with 90kg, missed 96kg because of a press out, and then hit 101kg like a champ. Short as a mouse, but strong as an ox. As we continue to iron out his technique, his numbers will only go up.<br /><br />Personally, I (77kg Senior Division) hit several meet PRs. I hit 76kg on my second snatch and missed 80kg because I'm a pansy. Still need to strengthen my overhead position, but looking at the video, 80kg shouldn't be giving me problems... ya know... if I man up already. At my last meet, my final clean & jerk was 94kg. At this meet, 94kg was my opener. I then hit 100kg to match my PR, and then finished with 103kg to set a new personal best. All in all, a damn solid day.<br /><br />And lastly, there was Chris (85kg Senior Division). Chris was very quiet before his session, but I couldn't tell if it was nervousness or focus. I think it was a little of both. He decided to open with 90kg, a weight he has routinely hit in training. He put a huge amount of velocity into the bar, let his hips rise early, and <span style="font-style:italic;">just</span> missed it behind. We only jumped a kilo to give him a little rest and to ensure he got on the board. He hit it with ease. From there, we went for a PR attempt of 96kg, which he couldn't finish. On his clean & jerks, he hit his opener and missed his second attempt of 118kg because of an incomplete pull. Since we were only 3kg away from a potential PR, we said screw it, and loaded it up to 121kg. Unfortunately, his drive was a bit sluggish. In the end, he only hit 2 out of 6... but because his openers were so high, he finished in 2nd Place in the 85kg Senior Division, arguably always the most competitive division at a local meet.<br /><br />So in the end, five lifters went in - three with absolutely no meet experience at all (Sai, Lauren, and Chris) - and everyone did amazing. Sai finished 1st in her weight class, while Lauren took 1st in hers as well. Nick took 1st in the 69kg Masters. I finished in 2nd for 77kg Seniors and Chris took 2nd in the 85's.<br /><br />All in all, it was an exhausting but incredible experience for all. Everyone was almost anxious and eager for another meet. The truth is, there's no real reason not to compete in something. Hell, I actually <span style="font-style:italic;">knew</span> I would finish in 2nd Place because Tyler Miller competed and I don't live as much as he does... yet. But that's the beauty of it. You come, compete, meet new friends, test yourself, and just have fun.<br /><br />So with that in mind, be sure to come out to <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Gunfight: Honor Every Second</span></span>, our Amanda Miller fundraiser for the Melanoma Research Foundation, on April 23rd! Donations can be made <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/crossfitbalance/amanda">HERE</a>!<br /><br />Thanks to everyone who attended to show their support for all of the Balance Gym athletes, thanks to all of the judges, volunteers, and Kalorama staff, and thanks to John Filippini of South Baltimore CrossFit for setting up the whole damn thing!Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4758211885718855182.post-55658904127722339422011-03-24T14:20:00.007-04:002011-03-30T15:44:43.939-04:00Compete For Fun, Compete To Train... Don't Compete To Win?Bin is back, folks! In this installment, my favorite Asian chef from Texas who's name is Bin dicusses the usefulness of competition in a different light. Thrusting himself into DC's Most Primal, a competition that he had little preparation for, gave him some personal insight into the benefits of competing. Read on for some goodness...<br /><br /><span style="color:#00FFFF;"><span style="font-style:italic;">If anyone who read the last post and thought that it was a bit extreme, well, I'd certainly agree. While it's certainly helpful to be able to pull up that deep emotional state for an extra edge, how healthy can it be all the time? Chef's can't always be creative, writers can't always produce, and athletes can't always keep themselves that high-strung. We need rest, rejuvenation, and to simply get away from time to time. There's no reason you can't stay competitive within your sport and without, but sometimes it's important just to compete for fun, for training.....but not necessarily to win.<br /><br />I've had the opportunity to train with a couple high level teams in the past, where pressure was a constant - to beat the other guy, to beat yourself, in competition and in training every day. The sport itself was individual, which meant that although there was teamwork and camaraderie in training, ultimately you had to beat everyone around you. One team happened to be one of, if not the best in the nation for several years running: The atmosphere was militaristic, high-stress, and emotionally grueling, but it produced like few others could. It has and continues to create top-tier MMA fighters and repeat world champions in grappling, but that wasn't without a price. For every individual that made it to the top there were others that had fallen out as a symptom of the environment. Many were injured, many dropped out from overtraining (which as a concept didn't exist; everyone just cursed their bad health and hobbled along until it "went away"), and sometimes people just lost it altogether. One national champion walked away for several months, becoming a competitive salsa dancer for a while, and another internationally-ranked grappler disappeared to live the expat life in Guam. Both of these guys, though, are extreme examples and have since returned to the sport as instructors.<br /><br />In any case, though I was never faced with the same pressures as these top-tier guys, training with them and being in that same environment meant that I picked up that same viewpoint - competition and training had that same gravity, and if I couldn't give everything to every moment there simply wasn't a point to me trying at all. While on the one hand this meant that I was incredibly motivated whenever I did train or compete, over time I learned to dread everything, even as a concept. In my mind going to a competition meant weeks of dedicated training time, controlled meals, and a complete and utter mental focus at the cost of everything else in my life. There was no option to compete casually or on a lark; it was either all or nothing. Eventually it got to the point where I could only compete a few times a year, needing at least a month or two to decompress afterwards. Suffice to say, I started enjoying it less and less to the point where, unless I knew I could show significant improvement, I didn't want to go at all.<br /><br />This attitude stayed with me until I took my first intentional "off-season." After my most recent Olympic Weightlifting meet I decided my next big competition would be the American Open in 2012, and knew that I had to seriously plan my training if I were serious about even qualifying, and my first decision was to take real time off from O-lifting before embarking on a 2 year training plan. I decided to pick up another sport during this time, and my choice ended up being, of all things, Crossfit. It certainly wasn't new to me; Crossfit had introduced me to Olympic Weightlifting, but doing the actual competitions was never something I had considered; Crossfit had always been a training supplement for other sports, and to me it was simply another tool in the toolbox, never a thing in and of itself.<br /><br />Entering my first Crossfit competition was quite the experience. Suddenly the same emotions were welling up again - those same feelings of urgency, panic, desire, and fear from before, except this time, there was no pressure. There was no team resting on me, no name on my arm nor patch on my back, no posse ready to take down any judge that gave me a faulty ruling. I was just there for me and no one else. No particular outcome meant that I won or lost, that my training had succeeded or failed me - I was just there to see what I could do. Suddenly, competition was a test that I was posing to myself, rather than an expected outcome, where winning was a given unless I found out a way to screw it up. <br /><br />I found this to be marvelously freeing. It was still a competition, of course, and though I wanted to place as high as I could I understood that my results were simply a reflection of the training I had done up to that point - nothing more. They had no bearing on me as a person, on whether or not I was good or bad, lazy or hard-working - these may sound obvious, but mindsets that are ground in for years are hard to get away from. If my performance lacked here or there, it was because my training was missing this or that. It was a learning experience, something that would improve my training in the future, something that would only benefit me regardless of how well or how poorly I performed. I could still channel those same corners of my head from before, but this time I was using those feelings as I pleased, rather than as a slave to them. Losing no longer meant that I had colossally screwed up something that was already in the bag. <br /><br />Being out of my element and competing in a new sport brought on the understanding that our results are a reflection of the total sum of our training up to the moment of competition. Regardless of judging, the particulars of that day, or freak accidents, our performance will always only be a marker for where we are in our journey. If we're suddenly sick or injured, then the results will just show how prepared we are to deal with adverse conditions. If our training has made us the a champion, it'll reflect that, and if our training has made us stagnant, well, it'll show that too. In training we pick our cards and get them in order, but once the day comes it's too late to change what we've already got - we can only play the hand we've given ourselves, and really there's no point in worrying much on the mat, the field, or wherever. In a way, this might even mean that our competitions are really won or lost in the training we do; our performance in the actual events are only really meaningful for the purpose of officiation. In any case, that pressure that we place on ourselves on gameday must be kept in perspective with what we can actually control at that point, and not be allowed to run our lives. Perhaps it's helpful, even healthy sometimes, to compete with a solid dose of pressure to win in your veins, but it wasn't until I competed without it that I realized that it is simply a motivator, nothing more. Just another tool in my toolbox to get me where I want to go.</span></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8Iyg3Qn4r9GAvizUPtZdFU4R1hRGN1KCLqnADaRmxbGHQCq34AcSQQSLVykDkROD2J2Gd64cQCrTWPSScw6OrguUPKhDhs-3O8N9I-OTRiDenTec030eVWQ_DPd1QfmYdp8CDfci2XU/s1600/5488018584_2a935c5cb2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8Iyg3Qn4r9GAvizUPtZdFU4R1hRGN1KCLqnADaRmxbGHQCq34AcSQQSLVykDkROD2J2Gd64cQCrTWPSScw6OrguUPKhDhs-3O8N9I-OTRiDenTec030eVWQ_DPd1QfmYdp8CDfci2XU/s400/5488018584_2a935c5cb2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587715308270393842" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Bin focusing just before Event 2 at DC's Most Primal... in a V-neck</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span>Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790500713833579759noreply@blogger.com0