12/06/11 by Derek | Blog, WOD | 3 Comments »
Deadlift, work to a heavy triple
-Between each set do 10 alternating knees to elbows (lefts knee, right elbow, etc) followed by 1 minute of shoulder mobility
“Pull Push!”
10!
Deadlift @ 65% of your heaviest triple
Ring Dip
Coach’s note: Check your ego on the deads, don’t worry about the clock and end up looking like a candy cane. If you don’t have dips, use the following progression, from easiest to hardest:
-Parralette shoots
-Support on bars (2 second hold in place of every dip)
-Negative on bars
-Bar dip
-Support on rings (2 second hold in place of every dip)
-Negative on rings
-Ring dips
12/04/11 by Derek | Advice, Blog, Prehab | 6 Comments »
Freeze! Right now. How is your posture? Are you hunched forward, with your shoulders slouching toward the computer screen? If you are, keep reading…
Hunching forward like that is termed Kyphosis, from the Greek word kyphos, meaning hump. More commonly known at CF CDA as FBBS (Facebook Back Syndrome) those confined to desks for 8+ hours a day are especially susceptible.
I know this post is titled “shoulder health,” so why are we talking about your posture? Because posture is where a good shoulder position starts.
There are several reasons why FBBS is bad. First of all, we are CrossFitters, and we carry ourselves with pride. Lions are the king of the savannah, you don’t see them slouched over, do you? No way- chest out, shoulders back, mane blowing in the breeze…that’s how a CrossFitter should carry themselves!
More importantly, you are setting yourself up for failure in the gym, both from a performance and injury prevention standpoint. Check out that x-ray picture, and put that dude in an overhead squat position- it just doesn’t happen, does it? His degree of thoracic flexion won’t allow him to get his shoulders in a stable overhead position. And if he somehow manages to get full depth with that 45 pound bar overhead, he is in a dangerous, shoulder impinged position. Think about this for a minute- those firebreather athletes that can OHS well over their body weight, what is their posture like? Probably not like x-ray guy. Look at how Coach Camille carries herself, and take into account her OHS at upwards of 125% of her body weight… this is not a coincidence. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her slouch- she is already in a good position before she’s even picked up the bar.
Good posture = healthy shoulders. Courtesy of www.crossfit.com
This phenomenon isn’t restricted to the overhead squat. If someone lacks the ability to fully open the shoulders they tend to compensate with other joints, usually the lumbar spine. The classic example is a strict press lockout with the ‘dirty stripper butt.” This is obviously not good.
Bottom line, if you’re slouched and doing CrossFit, you are putting your shoulders in a dangerous, compromised position. The good news is, with a little bit of body awareness you can fix it!
How do I fix this you ask? Most would say to “sit up straight.” While this sounds like it should work, it usually doesn’t. It’s hard to retrain something your body has learned over the years. I am a firm believer that the best way to retrain your body is through good movement. Here’s what you need to do:
When the WOD calls for movements that require a neutral spine position under load- KB swings, deadlifts and such- consciously pack your shoulders back and down. Think about pinching an egg between you shoulder blades (scapular retraction, see photo below) throughout the entire movement. When you feel the slouch creep in with fatigue, stop, take a few breaths, and reset. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of training yourself to “feel” when you’re in a good position. Think of “pinch the egg” or “shoulder pack” to upper body movements as “weight on your heels” is to the squat. This applies to presses and overhead squats as well.
Shoulder Pack - do it!
Know the difference between scapular retraction (shoulder pack), and scapular elevation (shrugging). There are few cases when shrugging is helpful in CrossFit (the pull under in the snatch and clean is one). The picture to the left is a good example of scapular retraction.
Here are a few passive things you can do to improve your posture:
Foam roll. Start on your thoracic spine with your arms straight over head. Breathe deeply and get about 10 slow passes while opening your shoulders as much as you can. Now, give yourself a bear hug and do 10 more passes. This is the first thing I do in the gym, every day.
Place a rolled up towel under your T-spine and lay on it, relaxed, for 5 minutes, twice a day. This is also a good way to de-stress.
Make a conscious effort to ALWAYS be in a good position. If you catch yourself slouching at work, fix it. Sit up straight and pull your shoulders back and down (pinch the egg!) If you catch yourself slouching again get up and walk around/stretch for a bit. This applies not just to sitting, but driving/walking, etc. Remember, you’re a Lion!
As always, if you have questions or need help with any of this stuff, ask a coach! This is only one aspect of what is required for a healthy shoulder position. Click here for part II.
12/04/11 by Derek | Blog, WOD | 9 Comments »
“Helen”
3 Rounds for Time
400 m Run
21 KB Swings 53/35#
12 Kipping Pullups
Buy Out
30 second front plank, 15 second rest, 30 second side plank, 15 second rest, 30 second side plank, 15 second rest. Repeat 3 times.
11/25/11 by Derek | Blog, WOD | No Comments »
“Monkeying Around”
10 KB Swings 53/35#
10 Hollow Rocks
10 Burpees
Partner A completes 1 round. During this time, partner B is on the pullup bar¡Ä feet cannot touch the ground. You can hang anyhow. Switch until each person does 7 rounds.
11/24/11 by Derek | Blog, WOD | 7 Comments »
“Turkey Chipper” aka “Sweat the Stuffing”
1k Row
30 KB Swings @ 53/35#
40 KB Cleans (20L, 20 R)
30 Clap Pushups
40 Jumping Pullups (rings)
30 Deck Squats
40 Star Jumpers
30 Groiners
40 Double Unders
30 Burpees
40 Shin to Wrist (L+R=1)
30 Walking Lunges with KB
40 Baby Cals
11/22/11 by Derek | Blog, WOD | 5 Comments »
Deadlift 5-5-3-3-3
Between each set, do 1 length on the ab disc
“Baby Squatch”
For time:
18-15-12-9-6-3
Back Squat @ 95/65# (from the ground)
Toes thru Rings
*Each back squat starts from the ground, get it on your shoulders anyhow. Place the bar back in front of your body when finishing each set (no dumping behind).
11/21/11 by Derek | Blog, WOD | 3 Comments »
Partner up and do 5 rounds of:
10 deadhang pull-ups
8 weighted pushups.
Ascending weight on the pushups, make it legit.
Then, AMRAP 12 minutes
“The Pump”
5 Kipping Pullups
10 Pushups
10 Muscle Snatch 45/35#:
11/20/11 by Derek | Blog, WOD | 15 Comments »
TESTER:
“Front/Jump”
5 Front Squat @ 205/155#
30 toe to bar
50 box jumps
10 FS @ 185/135
20 toe to bar
30 box jumps
15 FS @ 155/115
10 toe to bar
20 box jumps
compare to 7/27/11
11/14/11 by Derek | Advice, Blog | 2 Comments »
Anybody check the weather lately? Not a whole lotta’ sun ’round these parts this time of year.
Vitamin D deficiencies are very common in northern climates during the darker months. Low blood levels of vitamin D can lead to:
SAD (seasonal affective disorder and moodiness)
Heaviness in the legs
Chronic musculoskeletal pain
Fatigue
Hypersensitivity of the skin
Increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease
Cognitive impairment in older adults
Severe asthma in children
Cancer
The list goes on, just Google it…
So how can you get your dose o’ D? Well it’s pretty easy in CdA during the summer; our bodies produce the stuff when the sun’s UV rays hit our skin. Winter is the tough one. Time to supplement.
Research shows you can safely supplement 4000 I.U. of vitamin D per day. Costco has a good brand packing 2000 I.U. per pill at a reasonable price, be sure to check it out.
Check out vitamin Vitamin D3 World for more info, and as always, ask the trainers!
11/11/11 by Derek | Blog, WOD | 6 Comments »
“Karen”
150 Wallballs for time.
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