Five rounds for time of:
15 Knees to elbows
15 Hip extensions
Handstand walk 15 meters
15 Box jumps, 24″ (20″)
Post time to comments and BTWB.
The Third Pull
The time has come. It’s time to commit. You now have to ask for this bar’s hand in matrimony, and own it. How did it come to this….
The second pull left us in a point of accelerated extension. We jumped, we shrugged, and, in doing so, created as much upward momentum on the bar as we are able to. Now we must stop trying to fight the weight, and work with it. This is the third pull. As the third pull begins, two things happen simultaneously: the arms bend, and the body descends. Just to re-iterate: the arms only bend when we travel underneath the bar. The transition between the second and third pull implies a distinct, and instant, change in direction. Whereas once you were traveling upwards, you are now (and I mean NOW) traveling downwards. How does this happen?
When we are first taught to lift, regardless of style, we are generally taught that the arms are to be treated like chains, or ropes. They are under tension, but stay taut, and straight. As soon as we shrug, however, our arms transition from simply being load-bearers under tension, to being vicious, greedy, attacking tentacles of awesomeness (note: next time an annoying coach tells you to be “aggressive” getting under the bar, imagine your arms as such. You’re welcome.). Your arms actively pull on the now weightless weight (weightless for a split second because of the inertia you created on the second pull), and your body reacts in kind by traveling downward. Just to be clear, this is not a passive fall. We aren’t at the the club dropping it like it’s hot. We are pulling ourselves down.
One other point about the third pull: Your face. Although I realize that we all want to be beautiful, the third pull is not the place. Bring out your inner ugly. You cannot be at 100% intensity without having a face that says: “Someone just gave me a purple-nurple,” or, “I just imagined my parents naked,” or, “I just ate some rotten chicken.” Just a thought. Bring out your inner ugly.
The goal is to pull ourselves down to the bottom of the overhead squat position. You will not reach your potential on the snatch until your OHS is locked in (not to mention the snatch balance), and you can effectively get your hips to the “bottom” position (hamstrings to calves). So the third pull also implies a change in foot position. We started in what we called the “jumping”, or “power” position. As we travel under the bar, our feet will reset to the “receiving”, or squatting position. This resetting is to be done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Therefore it is imperative that we keep our feet close to the ground, to make this transition as smooth as possible. The farther your feet get from the ground, the slower your third pull will become. I cannot overemphasize the need for speed and aggressiveness in the third pull.
Once we land underneath the bar, stop. Steady yourself. Drive your knees out, your heels down, and the bar up. Congratulations. You now own the bar. Now, add some weight, and get some more.
CrossFit Verve Swimming Workshop and WOD on Sunday at Curtis Park pool. Sign up here! Classes at 8am and 9am. Open swim and fun from 10-11am. Don’t miss out. Cost is $10 for Verve members, $20 for non-members.
