12 Days Of Christmas
For time:
1 Deadlift, 275#(185#)
2 Handstand push-ups
3 Toes to bars
4 Burpees
5 Power cleans, 115#(75#)
6 Box jumps, 24″(20″)
7 Walking lunges
8 Dumbbell snatches, 40#(25#)
9 Shoulder to overheads, 115#(75#)
10 Double unders
11 Pull-ups
12 Thrusters, 115#(75#)
Post times to comments and BTWB
The 8 Most Common CrossFit Mistakes By Livestrong.com and brought to your viewing pleasure by Courtney Shepherd
Hey, I make mistakes, you make mistakes, we all make mistakes. That’s just life. But unfortunately some of us are making the same mistakes over and over and not learning from them. This really only becomes a big deal if we are hoping to make progress in life, because unfortunately repeating a problem over and over does not make for progress in anything, including in the gym. Which is really the kind of mistakes I’m referencing here. . . I can’t control what you do on your own time. Over the years I’ve had athletes come to me and ask why they haven’t improved in a certain area, why their weights haven’t gone up, or their times haven’t gotten faster. Unfortunately for most, the answer to those questions is not always something we may want to hear, because it may include pointing out one of the 8 most common CrossFit mistakes. But folks, now is the time. Now is the time to look at ourselves in the mirror, identify the fault, and decide to make a change. The new year is around the corner. Let’s ditch our bad ways and jump on the train of forward progress.
MISTAKE #1: Not Building a Base
Just like the construction of a building, a solid base must be laid down before participating in any heavy lifting. It’s important to start with the foundations of each movement, the air squat, the shoulder press, and the deadlift. Then we build on these movements by adding complexity with the front squat, push press, and sumo deadlift high pull. If we struggle with the overhead squat, could it be because we have yet to master the squat? It’s easy to want to jump right to lifting big weights or doing five WODs a week, but it’s not smart or safe. Be consistent in the fundamentals.
If you want to improve your fitness level, train smarter, not harder. Slow and steady is the best way to build an athlete. If power is at the top of the pyramid, then stability is the base. Fitness is a constant process. Build your foundation of fitness first and then begin to increase the intensity, whether it’s weight, reps or variations of an exercise. Trust in the process.
MISTAKE #2: Neglecting to Warm Up
Warming up is one of the most important things any athlete can do. Olympic track athletes warm up for more than an hour just to run a sub-10-second 100-meter race. If the muscles are warm, they will perform properly; if they’re cold, they will not perform as well and increase the risk of injury. We want to make sure we have properly stretched the joints and sufficiently established the ranges of motion that will be used in each exercise. This is not only increasing blood flow to the muscle and preparing it to perform at peak potential, but it is also mimicking the neurological movement patterns.
We get that life happens, accidents occur, lanes are blocked, snow is falling, etc. But it’s important not to make a habit of being late to class and missing the all important warm-up.
MISTAKE #3: Overtraining
Many will agree, CrossFit can be addicting. From pushing past self-imposed limits to setting personal records to the new friends you make, CrossFit always leaves you coming back for more. While CrossFit does wonders for your mind, body and spirit, it needs to be done in individual moderation. For some people, such as competitors, this can mean two workouts per day four or more times a week. For others, this can mean three WODs in a week. Signs of overtraining include irritability, change in appetite, change in sleep patterns, a plateau in performance and loss of motivation.
Overtraining leads to burning out and even injury. Recovery is just as important as training. So remember to schedule “off” days for your body to fully recover. But recovery isn’t just rest, recovery involves hydration, diet, sleep, soft-tissue work and corrective exercises. Athletes who want to compete should assign a mandatory two days off. When we first decide on a goal, we are full of hope and ambition. What we may not realize is even when we physically feel good, we still need to mentally get away from our training.
MISTAKE #4: Skipping Mobility
When listing the reasons why one does CrossFit, we usually see losing weight and building muscle at the top of the list. Unfortunately, flexibility and mobility usually don’t even crack the top 10. However, mobility is crucial when it comes to long-term performance and general well-being.
Having better mobility is going to make us better CrossFitters by increasing our range of motion, allowing for better and faster recovery and preventing injury. It’s time to become best friends with the foam roller.
MISTAKE #5: Constant Competition in Training
Competition is an important aspect of all sports, and it’s human nature to try to constantly improve. The unique thing about CrossFit is that it is “the sport of fitness,” so things get very muddy. Naturally, injury can be a risk in CrossFit precisely because of this. If we don’t have stable, competent movement patterns and we push both volume and intensity, it’s a recipe for disaster. Since CrossFit is in a group environment, it is akin to a pitcher throwing every pitch as hard as he can. Pacing and recovery are crucial components of training. Even in a professional soccer game, during which there may be 30 all-out short sprints, 90 percent of the game is slow-paced recovery.
MISTAKE #6: Sacrificing Form for Reps
Focusing on form is in line with the first step – building a base. When we really want something, we’ll often do anything to get it. CrossFit is no different. This frequently comes in the shape of sacrificing form for repetitions.
For instance, if we round our back just to pick up a deadlift, we are sacrificing form for reps. If we don’t touch our chest to the ground when doing pushups, we are sacrificing form for reps. If our knees bend in instead of out while we squat, we are sacrificing form for reps. All of these sacrifices put us in danger of injuring ourself. Nothing is as important as proper form. Most of the movements in CrossFit require a high power output with heavy weight. If done properly, we will benefit exponentially. If movements are done in an incorrect manner, we will only suffer.
MISTAKE #7: Neglecting Proper Post-WOD Nutrition
One of the biggest mistakes we can make is waiting too long to replenish glycogen post-WOD. After an intense WOD, our body is depleted of its glycogen stores and it’s imperative to replenish them for optimum muscle recovery and performance. What does this mean in layman’s terms? Refuel your body with protein and carbohydrates within an hour of your workout and you will recover faster and more efficiently.
Carbs are needed, but the timing is critical. There is an anabolic window of opportunity. The anabolic window is generally considered to be within 30 minutes from the end of our workout. A study out of the University of Texas showed that a protein and carbohydrate mixture from 1:1 to 1:4 is “anabolic as well as anti-catabolic. Anabolic builds while anti-catabolic prevents and reduces breakdown.”
MISTAKE #8: Skimping on Sleep
Sleep is just as important as diet and exercise. If you’re not getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night, it’s like putting sugar in the gas tank of your car. Over time, it will chip away at you and eventually cause your performance to deteriorate. Lack of sleep increases the production of the hormone cortisol, which causes the body to accumulate and hold on to fat. Let’s not be our own worst enemies or undo all the hard work we’ve put in at the gym.
To perform well in future workouts, we need to be able to recover from previous workout. A good night’s sleep will allow us to perform at our peak. Remember, results are not seen in training; results are seen in recovery.
*Click here for full article.
Tomorrow is an abbreviated schedule. Please see MBO for times and to get signed up. The 9am class is pretty full, several people will be doing the workout during open gym at 10am if anyone wants to join.
Christmas Day we have only one class. Saturday it’s back to business as usual.
