One of the great things about CrossFit is the competition. Yesterday we had the CrossFit total up and today is a benchmark workout: "Angie". These workouts let you measure yourself against your best competition, yourself. Keep track of the numbers and make sure to look them up next time you perform these workouts. With the Total the truth is right in front of your eyes, higher numbers = measurable progress. With Angie, you can progess in many ways: if you can't do full push-ups this time and do knee pushups then next time go for full. Same with pull-ups: if you are using a band now maybe in a couple of months you'll be using a different band, less bands or none at all. If you can do full push-ups and full pull-ups then look at the clock and try to get that time faster and faster. Never forget though, you are only as good as you form is, so 100 push-ups with messy form and an arched back means nothing.
When you look around the gym and see others performing at their best don't fall into the temptation of sacrificing form or risk getting hurt in order to keep up. Everyone has events they are better or worse at and everyone has good and bad days. The most important way to maitain progress is to stay true to yourself. Use those around as motivation and inspiration and indirect competition but keep the real competition between you and....youself.
For many people, learning more about fitness, and maybe CrossFit especially, is similar to learning a new language.
To begin with, there are is a whole new vocabulary to deal with. Words like "kipping", "WOD", "Fran", "Pukie" and "Rx'd". Then there are new phrases or expressions: "false grip", "snatch balance", "hollow hold", "mid-line stabilization".
Another set of vocabulary emerges when it comes to learning about our body and the way to train it. We learn about our "hamstrings" and "glutes". We learn what "met-cons" do for us and how important it is to know our "one rep max".
These words and expressions are useful when navigating Crossfit and our workouts, however, we would like to help you think of language in another context when it comes to fitness. We suggest that you learn the vocabulary of your body and its mechanics and apply it everywhere. When you are working with the coaches at the gym they are helping you develop the tools, or the "vocabulary", for you to express yourself in terms of body mechanics and good form. We invite you to take that "language" and apply it to your everyday life:
- When you are skiing or snowboarding this weekend think of your center of gravity and the muscles you use to maintain you balance.
- When you help a family member move furniture keep a straight back and lift with your legs.
- Next time you carryout a jump shot in a friendly basketball game think of opening your hip.
- On an airplane keep you trunk straight when you put your luggage in the overhead compartment.
- When you are carrying heavy shopping for your mother think of your mid-line stability and your grip.
- We you are riding your bike engage your hip flexors to pedal more efficiently.
As you can see, once you start looking, there are endless ways in which you can use your new language to "speak" to or interact with the world with better body awareness in order to become a more complete athlete and be more prepared for physical tasks day-to-day. That is the value of functional fitness.
Hey Folks, check out the great Mobility WOD 3-day cycle to improve your flexibility and range of motion for the squat
Track your WOD results! After signing up, you can request CrossFit Zürich as your gym.
Navigation
Monthly archive
- August 2010 (2)
- September 2010 (25)
- October 2010 (37)
- November 2010 (38)
- December 2010 (35)
- January 2011 (36)
- February 2011 (35)
- March 2011 (34)
- April 2011 (38)
- May 2011 (36)