Movement patterns carry over from one exercise to another.  Even if you think they have nothing to do with one another, if the basic mechanics of one movement is constantly performed incorrectly, it is very likely that those same mistakes will also happen when performing other exercises that involve similar mechanics.  Aside, from giving you painful shin splints, as well as being an inefficient and EXHAUSTING way to perform double unders, butt kicking or tucking your knees up during double unders is a great way to ingrain poor movement mechanics that adversely affect your olympic lifting, as well as other exercises.

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Monday’s WOD:

403m Run
15-12-9-6 Front Squat 155/105
25-20-15-10 Pushups w/ release

results:

I’m going to keep this simple.  If you are having shoulder pain and/or limited range of motion, you have 4 options:

1.) Go and get some type of tissue work (deep tissue, ART, etc.), at the very least, on a weekly basis.

2.) Try doing the mobility exercises in this video, DAILY.

3.) Stop excersing.

4.) Take no action to treat the issue, and simply accept that you will always have shoulder pain.

If you don’t have the funds to do #1, I would strongly suggest #2.  Even if you can do #1 occasionally, or even weekly, I would still suggest also doing #2.  While often times pain is felt in the shoulder, the cause can actually be tightness in the lats, pecs, and biceps.  Loosening these muscles can be very beneficial.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

A.) Front Squat
5-4-3-2-1

B.) “Elizabeth”
21-15-9
Clean 135/95
Ring Dip

results:

Ryan K. going deep.

I’m sure you all at some point have gotten tired of Nabil or I telling you to go down in weight. We don’t do it to make you feel bad, we don’t do it because we are holding you back, we truly want you to grasp the movement of the lift. Often times during strength days, many of you base your success on lifting the heaviest 1-rep possible. Although a 1-rep max is valid measure of strength at that moment, lifting something heavy one time does not necessarily mean you have completely grasped the movement or have attained the strength to repeat it on multiple occasions. This is why we like to incorporate days with reps of 3, 5, and sometimes 7-rep max attempts. Although we admire your eagerness to want to push big weight, we’d rather see you actually grasp and be comfortable with a lift. Here’s another awesome post from CrossFit South Brooklyn on why shooting for the heaviest 1 rep is a little over-hyped.

From the post.

Think of a 1RM not so much as a measure of strength capacity but as an act of strength performance.  Veteran lifters will speak of owning a weight versus hitting a weight.  Owning a weight means that you can get under a bar just about anytime you want and move that weight (assuming a proper warm-up and having not done back-to-back hero WOD’s that week). Hitting a weight is a much less reproducible feat.  It means that on a day where you felt good, were well rested, timed your eating properly, had your weight belt sitting just right, heavenly bodies were aligned properly, and you managed not to mess anything up,  you were able to squeeze out a higher weight than ever before. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a weight that you have only hit once isn’t something that you can just do on command.  It’s an act of strength and will; repeating it doesn’t just happen.  No sprinter expects to hit a PR every time they run a given distance, not in competition and especially not in training.  There is no reason to just assume that every time you get under a barbell you’re going to PR.

We should also consider that not every one’s best event in lifting is the 1RM.  Consider again, sprinting.  All sprinters are fast, that’s why they are sprinters.  However sprinters have different specialties, some are better in a 60m dash, others are better at the quarter mile.  If we took a random group of sprinters and tested their best times at a series of distances, say 60m, 100m, 200m, and 400m, we would probably find that the rankings would look very similar across the events: the faster runners would tend to do well at all of them.  However, you would also expect to see some shuffling of rankings based upon the individual strengths of the sprinters.  Some are better at accelerating, some run the turns well, some finish well, etc. To bring this back to lifting, imagine a group of powerlifters from the same weight class.  If you tested their 1RM, 3RM, and 5RM squat you would see something very similar:  The strongest lifters would tend to be at the the top of each ranking, however you would also see some move up or down the leader board as the reps changed based upon their individual characteristics. This is relevant to us because the better you are at an event, the 3RM versus the 1RM for instance, the more likely you are able to reproduce your best effort.  We should test our strength at 3RM’s and 5RM’s for precisely the same reason that Track and Field tests more than just the 100m dash as a measure of speed.

Read full post here.
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Wednesday’s WOD:

A.) Front Squat
5-4-3-2-1

*Score is sum of total weight for each set.
*Only allowed 1 attempt per set.
*Failed set results in a “0″.

B.) 7 Minute clock

50 Pullups
*Start with 5 burpees and perform 5 burpees every minute until finished with pullups.

results:

Notice the speed at which this guy gets under the bar. Next time you work on the snatch, think about speed under the bar, rather than lifting the bar overhead.

Holiday Schedule
Saturday Dec. 24th – Regular Schedule 9am & 10
Monday Dec. 26th 8:30am, 9:30am, 10:30am – ONLY
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Tuesday’s WOD:

“Nate”
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
2 Muscle Ups
4 Handstand Pushups
8 KB Swings 70/44

results:

In lifts like snatches, every little movement must be dialed in to get a successful rep. Here’s a video of Nabil showing us that with legit form,  flipping 125% of your bodyweight from the ground to overhead is a piece of cake.

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Monday’s WOD:

“Barbara”

5 Rounds
20 Pullups
30 Pushups
40 Situps
50 Air Squats

*Rest 3 minutes between rounds*

results:

I’m sure most of you have found the snatch to be the most difficult lift we do at the Sweat Shop. Far above any lift, the snatch requires the athlete to perform most, if not all attributes of athleticism (coordination, speed, balance, timing ect.), coupled with a ton of concentration, in order to perform a successful rep. To me, the most difficult part about the snatch is that your mental focus has to shift quickly at the middle of the movement. During the movement, the athlete must first focus on pulling the bar upward with good posture, a ton of force and speed, then completely reverse the mental focus to explode downward under the bar that is still in motion. In addition the bar must be stable overhead. Only focusing on one or the other leads to an unsuccessful or inefficient lift. Here is a good clip of Pat Barber going through some snatches.

When watching, try to notice these important parts:

1.) The speed of his hips.
2.) His hips, knees, and ankles fully extend BEFORE moving downward.
3.) At the bottom of the catch, he ensures he stays tight before standing.
4.) The bar still moves upward as he descends under the bar.

Thanks to Patrick, the Guru of all CrossFit media for the heads up on the video.

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Wednesday’s WOD:

A.) Snatch Skill Development

B.) 5 Rounds
403m Run
20 KB Swings (53#35)

results:

Lones, FemmeFit 2011 Summer Edition- Photo courtesy of Tom Campitelli

For those of you who are new to the Mobility Project (WOD), Kelly Starrett, DPT and CrossFit coach, has developed a giant collection of instructional videos on joint mobility exercises you can do at home. When Nabil or I see one that stands out, we usually post it here on the blog. Recently, the website competitor.com compiled a list of Kelly Starret’s ” Top 10 Best Mobility WOD’s for runners”. I challenge all of you that run, (this means ALL of you) to do one of these this weekend as you recover for next week. You can view the top 10 here.

After training and coaching in the CrossFit realm for some time now, it has dawned on me that mobility and stretching are not just accessories to training; they are a necessity. When starting CrossFit , it’s easy to be caught up into the new exciting workouts and exercises you have never done before, that you neglect the time and effort into your recovery. Don’t wait until your back, hip, or knees hurt to start appreciating mobility.

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Legitness of the Week

Back Squat x 5 PR’s
Patrick 275
Bill G.R. 185

Strict Press x 3 PR’s
Charlie 135
Jim D. 145
Melia 60 Rob K. 110

- Tammy continues to chop down the Sweat Shop 500m row record with a time of 1:43.1!
- With riveting war cries that startle the pool workers next door, Bill G.R. also bests his 500m row time!
- Sweat Shop’s newest member, Admir, performs Monday’s brutal WOD in black warm-up pants and a black shirt… in the scorching heat! Legit!

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Friday’s WOD

3 Rounds

With a 1 minute constantly running clock at each exercise, perform
5 Burpees
Power Cleans for REPS

5 Burpees
Wall Balls for REPS

5 Burpees
Pull-ups for REPS

5 Burpees
Box Jumps for REPS

*2-minute rest between rounds.*

results

Thursday’s WOD:

A.) Max Effort 500m Row

B.) Strict Press
3-3-3-3-3

C.) 403m Run then,
*3 Rounds of:
12 Thrusters (95#/65#)
6 Bar-Facing Burpees

results:

Mike S. on the 200m “Mufasa Carry” (2 Igloo coolers stuffed with 8 lbs of Elk jerky).

Recently, you may have noticed that Nabil and I have been placing a heavier emphasis on group warm-ups before the classes. We want all of you to get the most out of your warm-up, and although we like letting you have the freedom to do some of the warm-up on your own, we’ve noticed that the group format is much more effective. Remember, a good warm-up prepares all of our “exercise” systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromuscular) to be able to handle the demands of a more strenuous activity. Therefore, if the workout is intended to be intense, as all CrossFit WODs are, the warm-up should also be a little intense. The same goes for specificity. Shoulder dislocates for 15 minutes doesn’t quite get you ready for 1RM Back Squats. Try to be on time so you don’t miss out on the movement-specific exercises we go over in the group warmup. Getting to class early to roll out the kinks, and doing your traditional “pre-workout” routine you have before hand is fine, but once the group warm up starts, jump right into it.

For more, read this post from our archives on why it is important to get the “Systemic Juices” flowing before the WOD.
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Monday’s WOD

A.) Snatch Balance Practice

B.) “Nasty Girls”
3 Rounds
50 Air Squats
7 Muscle Ups
10 Hang Power Cleans

results

Photo by Carlos of 3/GO Magazine

CrossFit was recently featured in 3/GO Magazine, and CrossFit Sweat Shop, along with our very own, Helen, were used for the photo shoot.  And while the article illustrates how CrossFit is growing in popularity with mainstream exercsie and fitness, it also shows how there is still a misconception that CrossFit can only be an “extreme” form of exercise.  This is really unfortunate because while many of the popular CrossFit videos show challenging workouts performed by extremely fit individuals, the very foundation of CrossFit is that it can, and as it often is at the Sweat Shop, scaled to ANY, fitness, experience level, age or gender.  It’s a little disappointing to see fitness experts recommending a progression that starts with machine chest press, and works up to dumbbell press on a Bosu ball in order to get you fit and ready for CrossFit, or anything for that matter.  Also, rather than a recommendation of light weight and high reps for beginners, I would recommend light weight and low reps for beginners, adding more weight as their neuromuscular efficiency improves.

All in all I guess it’s nice to see that triathletes may be considering the idea that increases in training intensity, decreases in training volume, strength training, and intervals, like those found in CrossFit, can be of benefit to them.  Or maybe they just like the idea of putting in countless hours of slow endurance work.

Excerpt:

“Start now, but start slow:’ he says. “To execute ‘anatomical adaptation’ safely, begin with light weight, high reps, moving slowly for the first thee weeks. It’s the antithesis of CrossFit:’ After three weeks, Murray has his athletes speed up, add weight, and play with imbalances, such as exercises atop a Bosu ball. A typical progression: weeks 1,2, and 3 do a machine chest press; weeks 4,5, and 6 do a bench-press with a barbell (for less stability); weeks 7, 8, and 9 switch to dumbbells; and weeks 10, 11, and 12 do dumbbell benches with your back on a Bosu ball.  “This way, you get a safe, progressive challenge that you r body can safely adapt to;’ he says. “Only then are you ready for CrossFit. Remember, CrossFit is extreme. So is triathlon. Put two extreme things together and it might not be good.”

Read full article here.

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Saturday’s WOD:

9am

5 Rounds

7 Overhead Squats (135/95)
9 Burpees
12 Knees to Elbow
200m Run

________

10am

A.) 2 minutes Max Reps Double Unders

B.) Deadlift w/ pause
2-2-2-2-2

C.) 400m Run (flat)
20 Pushups w/ release
60 KB Swings (70/44)
403m Run (hill)

*3 Burpee penalty each time the KB is put down

results:

Although this video is obviously making fun of the ever growing trend of exercise gimmicks and “core” exercises, it’s by no means exaggerating the extremes that some people take against foundational strength training movements such as the press, squat and deadlift.

Read related article Train Like a Man part 2 here.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

5 Thrusters (135/95)
7 Bar Facing Burpees
9 Power Cleans (135/95
403m Run
5 Thrusters
7 Bar Facing Burpees
9 Power Cleans

REST 2 minutes.  REPEAT

results:

You’ve all probably heard Nabil and I give you the cue of “Active Hips” in our movements that involve squatting. In Olympic lifts, having “active” hips is crucial. When performing cleans and snatches, catching the weight, for most of us, is the hardest part. What makes them extra tough is that while you are concentrating so hard on giving a maximal effort upwards with the weight, you have to give the same, if not more, on the way down for the catch. In this process, it’s really easy to just drop under the weight without being “active” at our most important muscles: the glutes, hamstring, and low back. This limits us when we try to go heavy and it can also cause injury to the hip and low back. When we say active we mean actively pushing your knees out, firing the glutes and hamstrings, and maintaining a strong arch in your low back.

Check out this short video clip which gives an example of what we mean by “active hips” at the bottom of a clean.

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Legitness of the Week

Clean PR’s
Tammy 150×1 (Sweat Shop Record)
Sarah 85×1
Bryan K. 165×1
Patrick 243×1

Snatch PR’s
Josh 183×1
Melaney 60×1
Jessica 85×1
Criselda 45×1

Overhead Squat PR’s
Nancy 55×1
Katie 80×1
Valerie 60×1

-Helen dropkicks “Fran” in the face and takes 18 seconds of her best time (4:41 Sweat Shop Record).
-Patrick goes double day on “Fran” with chest to bar pullups both times.
-Joe W. decides to use the 80# Cannonball for Thursday’s finisher with 40 KB swings… and gets the fastest time.
-Josh turns the “Dirty” 30 years old.
-Jeff surpasses consecutive pullup goal!
-Despite separating his shoulder while taking a heroic fall on his heated cycle race through the treacherous roads of the Napa Wine Valley, Joe S. makes it back to the Sweat Shop for a workout.
-After weeks of being away for work in Bolivia, Ron P. returns to the Sweat Shop wearing the freshest new pair of Nike Free Run+2 shoes!

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Friday’s WOD:

4 Rounds

7 Squat Clean to Overheads (135#/95#)
18 KB Swings
200m Run

results

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Thursday’s WOD:

A.) Push Jerk or Press Press
3-2-2-1-1
* Score is total work across 5 sets*

B.)
200m Double Medball/Sandbag Carry
30 Box Jumps
40 KB Swings
50 Double Unders
200m Double Medball/Sandbag Carry

results

James and I believe that the squat is hands down the best exercise for developing lower body strength and power, as well as the absolute foundation for building an overall strong and fit individual.  When training our teams of young athletes, the squat is the first movement that we teach, and for many teams, back squats are the only movement they perform for strength, and they perform them EVERY TIME they attend the Sweat Shop.  With the squat being such an important part of our program (as it should be for anyone trying to improve functional strength) it is important that you perform your squats correctly, even if this means using far less weight than others in the class.  With our youth athletes we rarely have issues with poor squat depth.  This is due in part, because we have trained them that the only correct way to do a squat is to full depth.  But mainly because our youth athletes respect us, listen to us, use the feedback we give them, and trust that what we tell them, will in fact help them to improve their strength and on-the-field performance….even though what we are telling them makes their squats MORE difficult! It also helps that our youth athletes rarely have their results written on the whiteboard, never get their name highlighted for best performance of the day, don’t care about the Legitness of the Week, and aren’t comparing their squat numbers to their peers from other CrossFit gyms in the area or around the country.

The excerpt below is from an article written by Mark Rippetoe, I highly recommend everyone read the full article.

Squatting high is easier, but easier doesn’t work. You actually know this already, even if you keep the secret buried down below your brain stem. Easier has never worked, and you figured this out in about the fifth grade, provided you weren’t in some remedial program mandated by your state.

Read full article here.

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Monday’s WOD:

9 Overhead Squats (135/95)
12 Pullups
800m Run

9 Thrusters (135/95)
12 Pullups
403m Run

9 Power Cleans (135/95)
12 Pullups
200m Run

results:

CJ at the top of a clean.

For those who competed in the Open Sectionals, I want to congratulate you all as you gave a valiant effort over the past 6 weeks. Staying motivated for the 6-week long competition got pretty darn tough physically and mentally, but you all stayed determined and put forth awesome performances. Be proud of yourselves.

Now that the stress of the sectionals is over, it’s time to get back into the regular swing of things. For many of us, the sectionals taught us many things about our strengths and weaknesses. One that stood out to Nabil and I, was how much more work we need on our olympic Lifts (Clean & Jerk and Snatch). Because of their complexity, working on olympic lifts need to be a weekly routine, whether at the Sweat Shop or elsewhere. Once every month or so just isn’t enough to hone in the movements. So, given that we had a great turnout of Sweat Shoppers joining us in the sectional workouts with us every week, we are planning on holding weekly olympic lifting drop-in sessions.

Here’s how it will go down:
- Each session will be scheduled on a week by week basis upon availability.
- Each session will be around mid-day and will be one-hour long.
- The open gym will be for working on olympic Lifting ONLY.
- Nabil and I will also be working out during this time
- Each session will be announced on the Sweat Shop FACEBOOK profile. We strongly encourage those who want to make each session to add CrossFit Sweat Shop as a “Friend” on facebook.

This is a great opportunity for those who want to improve their olympic lifts to practice the lifts, get some feedback, as well as watch others perform them. Keep your eyes peeled on our facebook page for the first session.

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Legitness of the Week

Clean PR’s
Dustin 150×1
Jin 215×1
Joel 195×1
Nik 225

Back Squat PR’s
Dustin 150×3
Katherine 115×3
Joe S. 215×3
Rob K. 185×3
Donna D. 140X3
Kasi 150×3
Ron 193×3
Scott 173×3
Colt 203×3
Steve 235×3

- Jessica (13:18) and JB (12:29) have their way with “Nancy”. *Sweat Shop Records*
- Looking “so fresh and so clean” Joe W. finally gets a haircut.
- Mufasa Mike S. refuses to engage in an “extremely easy” snatch WOD and performs “The Custom WOD” with fat bar deadlifts, bench press, tire flips, and wall balls (all things a lion needs to maintain his pack).
- Rather than sleep in, bathe in the spring break vacation sun, or sip virgin margaritas by the pool, Dustin, our lone high school Sweat Shopper, decides to spend his spring break in the Sweat Shop at 6am!
- Josh gets a lesson from the “Beast” to not leave his log book out!
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Friday’s WOD:

A.) Clean

1-1-1-1-1

B.) CrossFit Games Open WOD #6
As many reps as possible in 7 minutes following the rep scheme of:

3 Thrusters
3 Chest to bar pullups
6 Thrusters
6 Chest to bar pullups
9 Thrusters
9 Chest to bar pullups
12 Thrusters
12 Chest to bar pullups
ect.

*Continue on until time is up.

results

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Thursday’s WOD:

“Nancy”

5 Rounds
403m Run
15 Overhead Squats (95#/65#)

results