Week 10: Bench Press 3, 3, 3+ @70%, 80%, 90%
Followed by as many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of;
12 Box jumps, 24" (20")
9 Push Press, 105# (70#)
6 Pull-ups
Post loads and time to comments.
Jimmy enjoying a little warm up of pulling!
Why is this stuff so difficult? Here's one reason to ponder.
Neuromuscular Facilitation, also called muscle memory, is one of the most important factors in the adaptation of strength as an athlete, but more importantly as a novice. When we try new movements or activities, our brain sends a electrical impulse to activate the muscles needed. When this movement or pathway is unfamiliar, it is like driving with grandma in a big city and she has no idea where she is going (think pre-smart phones, people). You end up taking seventeen different streets to go five blocks. As grandma lives in the city, she learns the quickest pathway from point A to point B. The body reacts in a similar way. As your mind works to find the best pathway to move your body it starts finding short cuts and movements become more efficient. With the strength movements at CrossFit, novice people can see strength gains from 20-40 percent in little time with small gain in muscle mass. The gains are attributed to the neuromuscular connection. Now that grandma spent some time in the city (going through repetition after repetition) and finding the most efficient path, she can start pouring on the gas! Make sure you're teaching the body the short cuts, you don't want to be driving around an extra 5 minutes for the rest of your life.
We use a lot of fine motor control in our daily lives like typing, brushing our hair, and using a pen. It took a lot of training to make these movements efficient if you don't believe me go brush your teeth with the opposite hand tonight and see how easy it is.
What movements in CrossFit (or life), have you felt this process in action?
