It's common to see all sorts of odd things during a WOD. Some athletes get a little melodramatic, others get angry; some swear while others go deep into the Pain Cave. It's also common to see an athlete pause during a set and try to recover.
Your posture during this brief recovery period is very, very important. It's usually the last thing on our minds as we struggle to breath, but it has a direct affect on our performance.
Improper Recovery Positions
Consider Lee Gibson, who was gracious enough to let me use this photo of him from the 06:30 WOD. This was taken halfway through a set 21 Thrusters. He's backed off from the bar, kneeling down in front of it with a fairly "defeated" posture. Doesn't it look like the bar's kicking his ass?
The point is that the position your body takes during recovery sends a message to everyone, including you. A defeated posture saps energy from your body, but the toll it takes mentally is worse. You don't give the same effort during the next reps if you start off on the wrong foot.
Here's another example of poor posture during recovery. Make no mistake, Lee's a workhorse- the guy's in better shape than most of our other athletes- but imagine what his body is telling his mind? Another defeated posture, another signal to his brain that he's toast.
Proper Recovery Positions
Stand up tall, weight on both feet. Don't lean on your knees or anything else. Keep your eyes open and your head up. If needed, take a step back from the bar, but don't just walk around. Engage other CrossFitters somehow, even eye contact with a coach can help. Above all, stay aggressive and don't appear to have "given up", no matter how tired you are.
Try this during your next WOD, the results should be noticeable immediately.
[Friday | 07 November 2008] Open Challenge for all CrossFitters
Kevin Aillaud was helpful enough to let our CrossFit Games Team use his Recovery Log he developed for the Boot Camp program. There is a Word doc explanation of the numbering system. It works great, but we can always improve.
A Simple Challenge
I need your help in developing a Recovery Log/System/whatever that blows everything else out of the water. As highly educated and competitive people, I am challenging you all to come up with a better system for quantifying, tracking and evaluating our recovery. Use Kevin's system as a framework, or just make your own. Submit your ideas to me via email, and I'll post them here on the Recovery Challenge page for everyone else to see. This will be a completely Open Source project (think Wikipedia), feel free to expand or improve your teammate's ideas. This means...
You can steal other people's ideas.
That's right. Take another system, add 1 thing, resubmit the plan, and it's yours! We will vote on the most effective Recovery Plan/System/whatever starting November 28th, 2008.
Rules
This is an open challenge to anyone willing to try, and all submissions will be listed under each person's name, available for viewing and download. Your latest submission will be posted under your name on the Recovery Challenge page. The votes submitted after the 28th will determine the winning system, and it will be available for anyone to use or modify after that.
The Bribe
Of course, you get a healthy dose of notoriety, and satisfaction from helping the Team out. Since most of us are probably overworked (and under-recovered!), I'll give the winner a copy of the book that has forever changed the way I approach my work, "The Four Hour Workweek" by Tim Ferriss. I will also include a years subscription to the CrossFit Journal (OR) The Performance Menu, your choice.
The more people we can get involved, the better the finished product will be, so let's get as many people involved as possible!
249 Days
[Monday | 03 November 2008]
Thanks again to all 16 athletes who expressed interest in training with us for the CrossFit Games. Here's a quick rundown of the process we're using.
1) All athletes will be required to undergo a 3-week Hard Routine in order to start training with the team.
2) Before finishing their Hard Routine, all athletes are also required to be at either Basic or Advanced Level to join the team.
3) Every athlete who meets the above conditions will be allowed to train with the Team. We will train together until the May 2009 qualifying events. Athletes who qualify to compete in the Games will continue training together until July 2009.
In keeping with my original purpose for forming the Team, there will be no extra charges for training with the Team. If athletes want extra private coaching, our standard rates will apply. Athletes will be expected to help with fundraisers as the year goes on, but the money goes toward plane tickets, not the coach.
Forging the Team
Wednesday | 22 October 2008 | 261 days until the CrossFit Games]
The first general information meeting for the CrossFit Games team will be held onSaturday, November 1st at 5:00pm at CrossFit HEL. The meeting will last 30-45 minutes, and will cover the team selection process, expectations of team members, expectations of coaches and questions from attendees. (UPDATE: We're scheduling a second meeting on Sunday, November 2nd at 5:00pm at CrossFit HEL.)
This is a chance for our athletes to become a part of history- we will be the largest organized team of CrossFitters in Oregon to train specifically for a national-level CrossFit challenge. This will also be the first time the CrossFit Games have created barriers to entry- there will be a series of qualification events around the world in May 2009.
The selection process will be extremely difficult. We will only be coaching a team of 7 athletes for the Games, regardless of how many athletes attempt to pass through the selection process.
Forging the Team
[Monday | 20 October 2008 | 263 days until the CrossFit Games]
After having essentially taken the past 12 months off from coaching, I am ready to rededicate my efforts toward becoming an elite CrossFit Coach. Coaches are measured by the results they are able to produce in athletes- an excellent Coach produces excellent athletes. I don't believe any other unit of measure is important when evaluating the effectiveness of a Coach.
I am a CrossFit Coach; and my athletes are CrossFitters. We have chosen to train as "general specialists"; believing the demands of life, survival and warfare are general and all inclusive, punishing the specialist and rewarding the generalist.
CrossFit's Fitness Standards dictate that one of the best ways to judge the fitness of athletes is to pit them against each other. CrossFitters are judged against each other daily during our WODs, and each year at the annual CrossFit Games. Until now the CrossFit Games were all inclusive, but the third annual Games will be merit based: limited entry based on performance qualifications.
My #1 goal as a Coach for the next 9 months is to send a team of 7 athletes to the CrossFit Games. I developed this goal to challenge myself as a Coach; the only way we can achieve this is because I am aggressively challenging my weaknesses as a Coach. I can't continue being a mediocre Coach and achieve this goal.
Contact me if you're interested in trying out for the Team. I will accept anyone who is willing to try.
Keep in mind- Team members will have to pass through an Indoc period to earn their spot.
Bulletproof Coaches
[Sunday | 05 October 2008]
Bulletproofcoaches.com is a website I'm developing for other CrossFit Coaches. My goal is to help serious coaches become successful business owners. If you're a CrossFit Coach who is serious about doing the work you love full time, take the online Business Development Survey, then visit www.bulletproofcoaches.com to check out the new Business WOD.
Starting Positions for the Clean and Snatch
[Friday | 03 October 2008]
Our standard deadlift position doesn't always work well for the Olympic lifts, particularly the snatch. The back angle is so severe that most of the torque for the first pull is placed on the lower back. It's great for building a strong back, but that's not why we snatch.
The snatch is a "jump", and we jump from a certain position. If we're unable to get into that position, there will be missed lifts, especially in the upper weight ranges.
Below: Positioning the hips above the knee in while using the snatch grip width results in a back angle that is almost parallel with the ground.
Think of the first pull as bringing the weight from the ground to the jumping position- Barbell above the knee, hips below shoulders, and chest up. Since the athlete's hips in the above photo are so far from an effective jumping position, the athlete will have to bring their hips forward to get them into an effective position. Jumping from the above position often results in the weight swinging forward as the hips move forward.
Below: A modified back angle. Hips are lower, chest is held higher.
In the photo above, the athlete is positioned with hips slightly lower, but still above the knee. This is a position many athletes use to deadlift- but keep in mind that the Clean and Snatch are not deadlifts!
When I first heard this, it didn't make sense for the first day, and all I could think was, "Of course it's a freaking deadlift- it looks and feels just like a deadlift!"
Greg Everett had the patience to correct me during an Olympic Weightlifting Seminar this year. He taught me about the importance of leading with the chest through the first pull from the floor, and the value of keeping my back as upright as possible during the entire lift.
When the back is held as upright as possible through the entire lift, less torque is placed on the lower back, resulting in less back fatigue. More importantly, the athlete appears to be able to execute the "Scoop" or Double Knee Bend without thinking about it.
Below: Snatch starting position: Hips below knees, shoulders are directly above the bar. As the athlete rises from the floor, the knees move to the side and back to allow the bar to rise past them. The athlete's only thought is to keep the chest up and get back into a jumping position for the second pull.
By keeping the back angle this way, the athlete will be able to get into a "jumping position" easier after the first pull. Once the bar hits the top of the kneecap, the athlete should already be positioned with hips below shoulders and chest up.
The first photo above (flat back angle) requires the athlete to bring the hips forward and consciously raise the chest, often resulting in a Kettlebell Swing effect where the bar is thrown forward by the hip movement.
Handstand Pushups on the Rings
[Tuesday | 16 November 2008]
For most of us, a true handstand pushup on the rings is somewhere in the far distant future. Few movements can serve as good functional analogs to the HSPU, so we need a good way to modify the intensity and make it more accessible.
Equipment Needed: 2-3 thick Stretch bands, pullup bar, Elite Rings
Setup: Loop the thickest band over the pullup bars and back through itself, creating a large loop that hangs down from the bar. Lay 1-2 other bands over the first loop, creating 2 smaller loops- your arms will be supported by these 2 loops. Rings should be setup just outside shoulder width, and at least 3 inches above the ground.
End result: 2 loops to support the shoulders from the back. Click for larger image
Inverting: To enter the band system, put your arms through the smaller loops get down into the pushup position on the rings. The bands should be pulling straight up behind you.
Have a partner pick up one leg and guide it up to the larger band. It's usually easier to wrap your feet around this band than around the ring straps. Your feet don't have to slide up and down with you, the band will stretch.
Click for larger image
Partners: It's a good idea to keep a partner close by for when you get off balance and start to fall over. Falling back into the pushup position is easy to deal with, but falling the other direction means the band becomes a tiny hammock. Not very comfortable, and fairly preventable with a good assistant.
Range of Motion: The bands stretch as you lower yourself towards the ground, giving you more support at the most difficult part of the range: when your hands are close to your head and shoulders. Extend fully on the way up, and keep your head inline with your body. Since your body usually follows your head while you're moving, if you keep falling over in the same direction, fixing your gaze in a different spot can help correct that.
Paralletes: This particular setup does not seem to work well on the paralletes- it looks like the athlete is able to push backward off of the paralletes, ending up with a partially closed shoulder at the top of the move. It changed completely once we switched to the rings, possibly because the rings are a frictionless system, and the athlete cannot push themselves forward or back and still stay balanced.
July's Hard Routine
[Wednesday | 02 July 2008]
Here's the breakdown for this month's HR.
Duration: 01 July - 31 July 2008
(1) Strict 3:1 (Workout:Recovery) ratio. On my days at work I'll either ride my bike 12 miles to work or do a Kettlebell/Oly ring workout when I drive.
(2) No Caffeine, Alcohol or Sugar.
(3) I have a few goals to reach by the end of July too.
- Sub 5:00 "Fran"
- Sub 2:50 800 meter run
- Bodyweight Overhead Squat (175#)
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Check out these shirts from Forged Clothing. I just ordered 3...
Reach The Bridge!
[Sunday | 29 June 2008]
This morning Nick Temple and I ran the Reach the Bridge race through downtown. It's a reverse race; you start whenever you want, and everybody has to cross the Burnside Bridge before it raises at 0900 sharp. If you misjudge your timing, you're left on the wrong side.
I was only supposed to do one thing this morning- get to the Zoo for the start of the race.
But no, this morning I had to sleep past my alarm.
So I threw some cereal down my neck, put on some shoes and sprinted for the max train that was pulling up outside.
20 minutes later I get off the Washington Park elevator to see Nick standing there with phone in hand, calling me.
"Sorry dude, let's go!"
We took off running about 10 minutes later.
8K later we hit the finish line, with only 12 minutes to spare.
_______________________
Being a CrossFitter is all about taking on random athletic challenges. I don't really like running 8K (5 miles), but I'm always up for a challenge. If Nick hadn't called me last night about this race, I wouldn't have done it. Turns out it was a lot of fun! As a community of athletes we should be seeking out random challenges to compete in, especially ones outside of our comfortable range of activities.
2nd Hard Routine
[Wednesday | 11 June 2008]
I've had a lot of positive responses from my first Hard Routine attempt, so here are some things I've learned from it. You can download the original Hard Routine article written by Jason Dougherty here: The Hard Routine.pdf.
(1) It was tough to eat well at work, I have very little choice over what I eat. The healthiest dinner we've had in the past couple weeks was the wild rice ("Hey Fullerton- why are you feeding us birdseed?") and grilled chicken that I cooked.
(2) I had caffeine headaches for the first 4-5 days, which is a normal reaction to cutting out caffeine. Decaf let me keep studying at coffeeshops without craving real coffee.
(3) It's hard to force yourself to workout with any real intensity while on probation. The first day off is spent recovering from my shift (a.k.a. the Shift Hangover), and the second day I spend trying to relax, study and spend as much time with Jill as I can before heading back to work on the third day.
(4) I felt great once I cut out all the extra sugar. I was sleeping better and the "shift hangover" we usually get wasn't quite as bad.
_______________________
My next Hard Routine will be a little more specific in the areas of workouts and nutrition. I think I can go for longer too, maybe until the end of my time in training at Station 2.
Ties
[Saturday | 07 June 2008]
I'm headed to the Olympic lifting class at the new CrossFit Portland spot this weekend. Greg Everett and Aimee Anaya are putting on a great course, I'll teach you guys what I can next week!
On a completely unrelated note, I heart ties. That's right, I'm bringing the necktie back to Portland. And the CyberOptix Tie Lab is going to help.
Outsourced
[Friday | 06 June 2008]
Americans with high-tech careers have spent the last couple years wondering which parts of our jobs could be done cheaper by someone across the world with a broadband connection. Our economy has now expanded to include India's, and until recently I only saw our side of the game.
