First, what you can expect from me:

1. Do no harm. My first goal as a coach is to avoid causing any physical harm to any of my athletes. An injury is detrimental to not only your performance, but your life, as it brings with it pain, frustration and lifelong changes. Doing no harm also includes working to heal past injuries, whether through rehab or mobility, in addition to smart programming and coaching to minimize future injuries.
2. Improve athletic performance. My second goal as a coach is to improve your athletic performance as quickly, safely, and easily as possible. This includes all ten of CrossFit’s general physical skills: cardiovascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, accuracy, agility, and balance.
3. Educate. My third goal as a coach is to educate my athletes on both what they believe is important, as well as what I believe is important. This includes nutrition, programming, mental health, etc.
4. Achieve goals. My final goal as a coach is to help my athletes achieve challenges they never thought possible. This is what fuels me when I wake up every morning. From your first push-up, to your first 5k, to your 500lb deadlift, to your CrossFit Games preparation, I want to help you guys achieve everything you are capable of.

1. Avoid injury. Just as my first goal is to do no harm to you, I expect that your first goal should be to do no harm to yourself. This often gets lost in striving for new ground on athletic improvement, but is important to your lifelong development as an athlete. This includes informing your coaches of pain, weakness, or general malady that we should be aware of.
2. Be coachable. Simply stated, the athletes most willing to learn and be coached will see the best improvements, from health, to body composition, to movements patterns, to injury prevention. Those that listen and learn will always come out a step ahead.
3. Show up. Don’t make excuses, make commitments.
4. Ask questions. It is what we are here for, to help you guys. Often, we have a huge amount of knowledge, but only give a little bit in a class setting due to time constraints. So, if you want to know something, ask. We will either have an answer, or find one out.
5. Use common sense. While often taken for granted, every single one of you is smart, so act like it. You know when something doesn’t feel right, or when you should take a second to figure something out on your own.
6. Respect others. This means cleaning off your sweat, picking up your bar, and cheering on your classmates. It’s the golden rule, enough said.

Finally, as both a coach and an athlete, I expect that you will never stop believing in yourself, that you will never stop dreaming of what is possible, and that you will never stop attempting to better yourself on a daily basis.

If you don’t know already, I am an advocate for Barbells for Boobs, and while I rarely campaign for things, this one is super easy for all you Facebook fanatics. For every “like” SicFit (think Facebook for CrossFitters) gets between January 18 and February 18, they will donate $1 to Barbells for Boobs. So go and like the page already.

Workout of the Day

A. Deadlift 5-5-5

B. 5 Rounds For Time (>365/225 DL: Use a Vest):
7 Deadlifts (225/155)
11 Burpees
(Josh Everett: 4:06 with 25lb vest)

Rest exactly 5 minutes, then run 1 mile. Score is total time.

* Compare to 9/19/11

Fundamentals

A. Pistols and Pull-ups (review scaling)
4 Rounds:
5 pistols each side
5 Pull-ups

B. 3 rounds
10 Pistols, left leg
10 Knees to elbows
10 Pistols, right leg
10 Push-ups
100m Run

New Year’s Resolutions… A great concept that, unfortunately, is simply an annual failure for most. 2 weeks of hard work on something, then a slight hiccup throws off their plan, and they give it up. Thus, let’s avoid the phrase “New Year’s Resolutions”. Instead, we are going to pursue new goals…

Hurts So Good...

The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.
~ Michelangelo

Often, we let our goals overwhelm us. Every one of us has a vague notion of what we want, yet we become paralyzed by the enormity of our vision. However, any progress is better than sitting on our hands hoping for change. Thus, my charge for the next week is to accomplish 1 thing that will help you progress toward your goal. This could be reading a book on leadership, stretching your hips every night, meeting a new person every day, or attempting to recruit a client that you thought was out of reach.

Almost There...

Workout of the Day

None Prescribed, Enjoy your Rest

(However, there is an open gym from 12-2 if you want to come in and re-test a benchmark, work on your skills, roll-out, etc)

Chest-to-Deck: Got It

If you haven’t noticed, we often have two pieces in a class, the strength, skill, or technique portion (Part A) and the metabolic-conditioning portion (Part B). Often, Part A is a barbell movement to build strength and get you comfortable with the general barbell movements we use on a regular basis.  If you want more info on why we do strength, look here at one of Forrest’s posts. We want you guys pushing hard on Part A, as this is where you will truly start to build some muscle and strength. Part B is where you get to push your lungs and muscles to see what you can accomplish in a short amount of time. Again, we want you guys pushing hard, as this is where you develop your endurance, stamina, and general “staying power”.

Now, how do Part A and Part B work together?? Well, they interact in a few ways. First, you will almost always push harder at one than the other. This is a function of the various systems in your body, primarily your nervous system, endocrine system and your muscles themselves.

First, the endocrine system: It is a struggle to get your hormones (think adrenaline) keyed up for a max effort attempt, and each max effort attempt drains these reserves. (So trying to PR on your back squat, and Helen, and that set of max HSPU you threw in after the workout all in the same day is going to be pretty tough). In addition, advanced athletes come to rely on this hormonal energy boost when going for their max effort, so it is now a necessary part of attempting their best effort.  Ever see someone going for a new record?? Depending on the person, they might yell, kick, punch, or go completely silent before walking up to the starting line or barbell. This is their way of getting into the proper mental state and tapping into their endocrine system for the necessary boost of energy.

In addition, if the different max effort attempts involve the same muscle groups (ie core, hamstrings and glutes for back squatting, running and kettlebell swings), your nervous system will become fatigued with each successive attempt and will not be capable of generating its true max due after the first attempt. This is true when attempting to PR on multiple workouts or movements on the same day. You will see better results when completely fresh (this isn’t always possible to do, but we are talking about ideal scenarios).

Thus, the idea is to push as hard as possible on both Part A and Part B, knowing that we really aren’t at our true 100% on either. That is OK. This is why we deload, to allow for that extra recovery from pushing yourself in 2 workouts every time you come in. However, for advanced athletes, if you are truly looking to increase both strength and conditioning at the fastest rate possible, it will be necessary to start breaking up strength and metabolic conditioning to see better results.

Finally, for those who PR’d on their 5RM Back Squat but didn’t on “Helen”, part of the clue might be that it was the first day after the Thanksgiving holiday break. Most of you had a bit more food than usual and weren’t training as hard the week before your attempt due to the holiday. While this was a good thing for your back squat, it is not as conducive to a workout with running and pull-ups.

So, in conclusion, if you didn’t PR on “Helen” last week, you have another chance this Monday to see where you are really at. This one will be without a draining, max effort Part A and without the extra food and time off that might have slowed you down last week. Also, for those of you that want to see how changing Part A and Part B around can affect your results, you can attempt a 5RM back squat after doing “Helen”.

Workout of the Day

A. “Helen”
3 Rounds for Time:
400m Run
21 Kettlebell Swings (1.5/1)
12 Pull-Ups

B. Back Squat 5RM or Stretch Hamstrings, Lats and Hips

Fundamentals

A. Rest for exact amount of time required to complete previous row interval
Row 250m
Rest
Row 500m
Rest
Row 750m
Rest

B. 10 rounds
20 sec Plank hold
5 Push-ups
10 Sit-ups
15 Squats

Day 1 – 3 Months

This is the portion of CrossFit/fitness where you are generally just figuring out the program.  In CrossFit, this is the time where you learn the lingo (AMRAP, KBS, HSPU) and the basic movements,what makes a “good” squat, pushup, etc.  Normally you will see some results during this time, but often, the gains are small.  Additionally, this is usually when going to the gym is simply “showing up”.  You are making fitness a habit and part of your routine. If you can endure the soreness and can keep coming to they gym during this period, you will start to see awesome results in the month ahead.

3 Months – 6 Months

Results time. The results seem to come faster now, you are lifting way more than when you first came in and are starting to feel comfortable with the basic lifts. You have now started to incorporate good diet and lifestyle habits into your daily life.  Maybe you experimented with Paleo, or are just trying to avoid that extra cupcake at work.  This is usually the time when you have started to notice changes in your body, you feel better-sleep better. Your clothes have started to fit better, and you are seeing muscle definition in areas that you didn’t before.

Karine has seen some great progress

6 Months – 1.5 Years

Depending on where you were when you started, sometime between the 6 month mark and the 18 month mark, you will likely start to plateau on your results.  You have now surpassed your “beginner gains”.  This is the stage where you will look up at the times on the board and think things like “I will never catch THAT guy”, or “how did she get SO fast”. Additionally, you will have likely achieved what you set out to (get in shape, lose some weight, keep up with your kids).  Thus, this is often where you will start to question why you continue to work so hard at the gym. Questioning things like “why am I doing CrossFit?”, “will I continue to get better?”, “should I try something different”.

This is the stage where you will need to start evaluating your fitness and your goals. Maybe your goal is now to have a “great” body, not just a “good” body.  Maybe you want to get back to more surfing or volleyball. Maybe you want to see what you are capable of in the gym. Maybe you want to compete at CrossFit, triathlons, etc. This is the time to use all the capabilities you have acquired and re-assess where you are at. One of the best ways to do this is by using a Skills Chart. We are currently in the process of creating our own, but one of my favorites is over at CrossFit Portland.  By using this skill chart, you can see where you need to spend more time.  Maybe you are strong, but your running and rowing are awful.

Depending on your goals, your fitness needs may change. Maybe you just need to do CrossFit a couple days a week to maintain your results while using the extra time to enjoy what you love. Maybe you want to specialize in something you found at CrossFit (more gymnastics, more Pilates, more weightlifting). Or, if you want to test yourself, try to move up a level with everything on the skill sheet.

Vinny is still seeing results years into doing CrossFit, and has chosen the competitive path

1.5 Years-Infinity

Often, your next few years will be spent bouncing around in the fields of fitness and sport, using your newfound abilities to enjoy life.  This is also when you try specializing in one thing that you like.  If you get tired of that one, try specializing in something else.  There are tons of things out there to try and take advantage of, from advanced gymnastics to specialized Olympic weightlifting to endurance training. Truly, there is no limit to what you can accomplish if you dedicate yourself to it. Also, CrossFit will always provide a new challenge when you need one… The original CrossFitters are still setting new PR’s on a regular basis… 10 years after starting!!

Workout of the Day

A. Back Squat 5-5-5
Use 2 kettlebells on each side of the bar

B. Bodyweight Skills Testing

2 Rounds:

Max Pushups (Chest-to-Deck, on toes if possible)
Max Situps in 2 minutes(anchored-elbows-to-knees or butterfly-hand-to-toes, your choice)
Max Strict Pullups (still on bands = do 4 sets of 5 hard pullups)
Max L-Sit (on parallettes or rings, scale to tuck as needed)
Max Box Jumps Unbroken (24/20)

FUNdamentals

A. 5 AMRAP
5 Burpees
10 Push-Ups
10 Squats

A. Handstand Progression

C. 4 Rounds
50x Single unders
10x Handstand push-ups
40x Single unders
8x Handstand push-ups
30x Single unders
6x Handstand push-ups
20x Single unders
4x Handstand push-ups
10x Single unders
2x Handstand push-ups

REMINDER

Don’t forget to sign up for your Functional Movement Screen! For more info read here.

Time slots are available on Mind Body for Friday November 18th and Sunday November 20th.

*The screen is most accurate when your body is cold, so please pick a time either 3-4 hours after your workout or before you plan on working out.

1. Click on the Private Training/Elements tab on the home page

2. Select mobility consultation and then search either date for available time slots

3. When you check out, make sure to select the functional movement screen under the “item” drop box

CF Fundamentals Update

Starting this week, the 5:30am class on Tuesday and Thursday will change from 5:30am to 5:45am.  Get 15min extra zzzzz’s.

______________________________________________________________________________

So, last week we discussed how movements requiring an all-out effort to coordinate your entire body put a high amount of stress on your nervous system.  Additionally, I mentioned that doing this often will result in central nervous system (CNS) fatigue, which can lead to decreased performance and poor results over time.

Micah can lift heavy one weekend and get hitched the next… Congratulations Micah!!

First, CNS fatigue, in layman’s terms, is when your nervous system (brain, nureons, nuerotransmitters, etc) has become sufficiently stressed to the point that it cannot produce the amount of force that it is capable of. This is a good thing in limited amounts, as it causes our nervous system to adapt and get stronger.  However, too much stimulation and stress to your nervous system without allowing enough time to recover will begin to burn you out, and it will be impossible to fully recover without taking a much longer rest period. While there is still a great deal of research being done in this area, some of the symptoms of chronic CNS fatigue are:

• Increased resting heart rate
• Decreased motivation to train
• Difficulty sleeping
• Mood changes
• Persistent fatigue
• Persistent muscle soreness
• Depressed rate of recovery (Increased chance of injury)
• Depressed immune function (Increased chance of sickness)

For those of you who are very aware of how your body feels on a regular basis, you can often prevent overtraining by backing off when you aren’t motivated to do hard training.  Often, you will notice that you don’t have as much of a bounce to your step this week, you may feel less motivated and more easily fatigued during workouts and generally just “don’t feel up to working out”.

Micah keeps sneaking into my pictures

For those of you who have been doing the last couple weeks of training with us, including the heavy back squats, you are likely closing in on being overtrained.  This will be obvious to the advanced athletes today/tomorrow when they attempt their old 5RM for as many reps as possible.  Theoretically, if you have been training hard over the past 5 weeks, this 5RM will likely feel impossible this week since your nervous system has been incredibly stressed by the past few weeks of workouts and hasn’t full recovered.

This is where a deload week becomes extremely important..  By employing a deload week, we insure that your body gets enough time to fully recover, thus preempting overtraining and chronic nervous system fatigue.  If you do not deload appropriately, chronic CNS fatigue can take over, leading to sickness and injury, and often requiring a month of rest or more to fully recover.  While every athlete is different in the amount of training necessary before they need a deload period, we use one every 5-6 weeks as a preventative measure. Even for those of you that claim you don’t “need” a deload week, I can guarantee that you will be fresher and capable of training harder (and thereby getting better results) after a deload week.  To prove this, we will again test your 5RM back squat and Helen after deload week to see if you recovered and improved from the past cycle.

Workout of the Day

A. Back Squat

<1yr of strength training: Back Squat 5-5-5 adding 5-10 over last week

Know 5RM: 5 @ 80%, 3 @ 90%, 1+ (to failure) @ 100%
(% is of 5RM)

B. Tabata Intervals
8 Rounds of 20s work, 10s rest. Your score is the lowest amount you were able to complete in one round.

Tabata Squats (if your normal score is over 15, your rest position is the active bottom of your squat)
then, immediately
Tabata Pushups (if your normal score is over 15, your rest position is the plank position)

FUNdamentals

A. Ladder Drills

B. For Time: 2 Rounds
300m Run
20 KB Swings
300m Run
20 Squats
300m Run
20 Push-ups

C. Death by Burpee & Dumbbell Thrusters
1 burpee, 1 thruster each min
2 burpees, 2 thrusters each min etc.
Continue until you reach your max, repeat max each round until 10 minutes is up.

We had a great Olift seminar with John Kaupp (kaupp58@hotmail.com) this weekend. Quite a few athletes and coaches attended to learn, fine-tune and get tips for coaching the Olifts. John is extremely knowledgeable, a great instructor and very patient. He has an extensive background as a 7-year collegiate lifting coach. He has worked with athletes in many sports, including football, baseball, basketball, softball, soccer, track & field, rowing, golf, tennis, wrestling and swimming. In addition to his strength and conditioning certifications, John is also holds a Level I cert in CrossFit. He assists CrossFit’s own Coach Burgener with CF Olift and USAW certs.

At noon on Sunday we got started with a group warmup, including some squat drills. We spent 3 hours on Sunday reviewing the snatch, clean and jerk. The Burgener warm-up was a key in learning the details of the snatch and the clean. John summed up the “what and why” of each part of the Burgener warm-up:
Movement/Drill….Reason
1. Down and Up or Jump and Shrug….Momentum and Elevation
2. Elbows High and Outside….Bar Path
3. Muscle Snatch….Turnover and Upper Body Strengthening
4. 2”, 4”, 6” Lands….Footwork/Receiving
5. Drops….Footwork/Receiving
6. Hang Snatch….Putting it All Together

The snatch is more difficult than the clean, so we attacked it first. Once you figure out the snatch, the clean comes relatively easy. I noticed that timing was a tough lesson, but just like anything else comes with practice. Catching the weight at the bottom of the squat was also difficult for many. The remedy is also a lot of practice, but strengthening the overhead squat is also a necessity. Shoulder and hip flexibility limited some as well. Time for mobility!!

The clean, while a bit easier than the snatch, had its own problems. Whipping the elbows around as fast as possible to catch the weight was very tough for some. Catching the weight at the bottom of the squat was a bit easier when cleaning, but still an occasional struggle. Its about catching the bar on your shoulders, getting your elbows up quickly, and being comfortable at the bottom of your front squat.

For both lifts athletes struggled with keeping their arms straight through the shrug. Also, deadlifting to the hang position instead of cleaning or snatching from the ground was a habit that was hard to break. All of these details add up to make or break your lift. Everyone who needed it left with homework to focus on their weaknesses, and develop stronger lifts. Turn your weaknesses into strengths!

The jerk was taught as both the push jerk and the split jerk. Some were catching the bar, but instead of nailing the catch they continued to descend into their split. Other had trouble with the pulling the front foot back out of the split before bringing the back foot up. It’s all just practice to correct and perfect.

All three lifts pose the challenge of driving the body under the bar. Once you reach heavier weights, you can only jump the bar up so high. After that it’s all about driving the body down – FAST!!! Another challenge for all three lifts was fully extending the hips. Open up those hips to get max power. Don’t shortchange yourself. In this case 2 inches makes a huge difference.

John also spent some time on the transition between the clean and jerk. He explained about resetting the feet from the squat back to the jump position. He also showed us how to reset our grip from catching the clean (fingertips) to the proper starting position for the jerk (bar back in the hand). You will notice your coaches spending a little more time teaching this transition to you during the technique portion of classes.

We all had a great time and learned a lot of great information. Everyone walked away Sunday with a better understanding and demonstration of the Olifts. I bet we’re going to see a few PRs in the very near future! Thanks, John!

Workout of the Day 11/8/2011

Fundamentals 11/08/2011

Alright, so last week, we had a little intro to how your central nervous system works and why it is important to our training.  Today, we are going to delve into this a bit more, specifically about how full-bodied exercises tax your nervous system more than isolated movements.

Full Sleeves make your Nervous System Stronger

CrossFit is defined as “constantly varied, FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENTS performed at high intensity across broad times and modal domains.” During On-Ramp (for those of you that did it), we defined functional movements as movements that you do in everyday life, standing up and sitting down (squatting), picking something up off the floor (deadlifting), jumping, running,etc.  What we didn’t tell you is that almost every “functional movement” can also be defined as a “compound movement”, meaning that you need to use multiple joints during the movement.  While this isn’t anything new to you guys, it does mean that a ton of muscle groups get worked in every movement you perform.

Apple-Bobbing is not Nervous System Intensive

This fact becomes very important when talking about our nervous system, as the more muscles recruited during a movement, the more our nervous system becomes involved. Simply stated, this means that the more that you need to coordinate multiple parts of your body to perform the movement, the harder your nervous system has to work, as it is your nervous system that is coordinating the minute firing of all the muscles stabilizing and driving your movement. Thus, a back squat that requires you to use every muscle from your head to your toes is going to require more from your nervous system than a machine-isolated bicep curl that uses only the muscles of your shoulders and arms. Same with running vs. a calf raise.

Although Goblet Squats do work it a bit more…

In addition, the higher the intensity, the more recruitment of your nervous system. In this case, intensity is defined as a percentage of your best possible effort. This can be related to your all-out sprint, heaviest back squat, highest box jump,etc.  At lower intensities, such as jogging or air squats, your body is simply going through the motions, and you aren’t having to focus on coordinating your movements.  However, during that all-out sprint or super-heavy squat, you are actively controlling the all-out, rapid-firing of hundreds of muscles on a split second basis. In addition, it works as a continuum, so the closer you get to your max effort, the harder your nervous system has to work.

Ponytails… Now your CNS is working!!

This is the reason we are doing back squats every week for 6 weeks; in order to truly stress the nervous system, we need to use a lift that requires you to use your nervous system as much as possible, and there aren’t too many movements as challenging on your nervous system as a loaded back squat.

In addition, the back squats may leave you feeling “sluggish” or drained, even though your muscles feel fine; this is your nervous system getting fatigued.  This is also why you don’t always need that “hard” part B to get a good workout.  If you truly go hard on the back squats, that is all you need. But that is the subject for next week’s post!!

Paleo Events

Nutrition 101 – Saturday
Be sure to take the opportunity to sign up for the paleo nutrition 101 seminar that’s this Saturday at CFSB and the paleo cooking 101 class that’s on Sunday!

• Sign up! Paleo Nutrition 101 Seminar Sat. 11/12 1-4p Read more!
• Sign up! Paleo Cooking 101 Seminar Sun. 11/13 12-4p Read more!
• Here’s the CFSB mailer we sent out for it that contains some other goodies, too.

Paleo Challenge 
Yesterday kicked off the Paleo Challenge. Remember to complete all the week 1 ‘before’ items. If you still want to sign up, you can do so as late as Friday.

 Workout of the Day

A. Back Squat

<1 yr strength training: 5-5-5 increasing 5-10 lbs over last week

Know 5RM: 3 @ 75%, 3 @ 85%, 3+ (to failure) @ 95%
(% is of 5RM)

B. At least 10 minutes after finishing your Back Squats:
100 Burpees for Time

Graham Holmberg: 4:26

 FUNdamentals

A. 3 Rounds
10 Tire Flip & Jump in/out (alt w/partner)

B. Tabata on Fire
(8x 20 sec on, 10 sec rest), start each Tabata as a team
Tabata Squats
400m Run
Tabata Pull-ups
400m Run
Tabata Push-ups
400m Run
Tabata Sit-ups
400m Run

Every time you voluntarily move your body, there are 3 pieces involved, your cognitive brain deciding to move, your nervous system telling your muscles to move, and finally, your muscles contracting to move your body through space.  Thus, in CrossFit, we train all three.  However, we often focus on the brain (motivation) and the result (muscle contraction), but miss the middle.  There always seems to be allusions to the central nervous system in conversations at the gym and in our posts, but we never seem to do a good job explaining why this system is so important to our training… well, that is about to change.

Your nervous system is a very important (and complicated) piece of your body necessary to lifting heavy weights, running fast, or jumping high.  Sean did a great job from the anatomy and physiological side giving an intro on how your nervous system works and gets stronger here, but for our purposes today, we aren’t going to delve into the science too much: we are going to focus on how your nervous system affects you getting better.  In addition, CrossFit is very, very good at challenging and improving your nervous system, so it is critical that we look at how the nervous system works and affects our bodies.

In plain language, your nervous system is what tells your muscles to fire, how much of your muscle to use and how fast the muscle should contract.  By challenging your nervous system (through jumping high, running fast, lifting heavy, etc), you fatigue it similarly as to how you fatigue a muscle.  Additionally, the closer you come to going 100% of what you are capable of (whether a box jump height, back squat weight, or all-out sprint pace), the more that your nervous system is stressed as opposed to your muscles. The difference is that as your muscle recovers, you feel sore, and as your nervous system recovers, you feel sluggish. And similarly to training muscles, as your nervous system gets more training, it becomes better at firing your muscles, resulting in jumping higher, running faster, and lifting heavier. I haven’t lost anyone yet, right??

Alright, so, when your nervous system is fatigued, it becomes harder to coordinate and fire all your muscles as you normally would.  For example:

• Have you ever had a day when even the bar bar felt really heavy?? Maybe you weren’t even sore, but for some reason, just picking up the barbell felt like 80 lbs??
• Or, you were able to deadlift 200 lbs easily last month, yet 180 lbs feels impossible this week??
• Or maybe, handstands are easy for you, but you can’t seem to hold one after a hard workout.

These are all examples of your nervous system being fatigued.  Often, failing a rep has nothing to do with your muscles not being able to support the load, it is your nervous system that is struggling to continue telling your muscle to contract fast enough.  Acute (read short-term) nervous system fatigue is why you cannot lift your 1 Rep Max (1RM) more than one time.  Depending on the training age of the trainee, to fully recover and pull another true 1RM could take a day, a week, or a month to achieve, as their nervous system would not be capable of achieving the same amount of force more than once without a significant amount of time for their body to rest.  On the other hand, chronic nervous system fatigue can occur when your training consists of a many high intensity efforts (read CrossFit).  The recovery time from either version of nervous system fatigue will be increased when your sleep, nutrition, stress levels, etc are poorly managed.

Alright, so there is (hopefully) a decent intro to how your nervous system gets worked through intensity, now, as you guys do you back squats over the next couple weeks, we will further delve into nervous system training and recovery.  Also, we will look into why back squats feel so damn heavy and why they will start to feel harder over the next couple weeks.

 Workout of the Day

A. Back Squat

5-5-5 last week: 5-5-5 adding 5-10 lbs over last week

If you found your 5RM: 5 @ 70%, 5 @ 80%, 5+ (to failure) @ 90%
(% is of 5RM)

B. For Time, From the Ground:

10 Back Squats (135)
160m Shuttle Run (to the gate and back 4 times)
10 Back Squats (135)
120m Shuttle Run (to the gate and back 3 times)
10 Back Squats (135)
80m Shuttle Run (to the gate and back 2 times)
10 Back Squats (135)
40m Shuttle Run (to the gate and back 1 time)

*Advanced athletes, Part A is your focus, make sure to complete it fully before attempting Part B

Possibly one of the most intimidating and scariest pieces of CrossFit for a beginner. Yet often, one of the most fun and exciting pieces of CrossFit for an advanced athlete.  This is because for advanced athletes, the crash of a barbell signifies the attempt of a heavy weight or a faster time, while for a beginner, the crash probably makes you nervous, and to an outsider, maybe even “dangerous”.

Thus, today is going to address why we bail, when to bail, how to bail, and some examples to insure that we stay safe in the gym. Also, the whole reason why we have the big rubber weights is to make the gym safer by using bailing when necessary.

Lutrell knows how to bail this weight and thus is comfortable with it

Why

The why on bailing is pretty simple.  It is physically easier to lift a heavy weight than to control its descent.  Thus, lowering a heavy weight can be more dangerous than lifting it up.  This is especially true with the Olympic lifts (Clean and Jerk/Snatch), as we use every ounce of our power, strength, and speed to get the weight overhead, and may not have enough left to lower it while maintaining good body position.  Also, this is true on a back squat, when we must stand up with a weight to finish the rep.

Losing torso tightness = a good time to bail

When

We should only be bailing a barbell when we don’t feel comfortable lowering it.  This could mean the barbell has gotten out of our control, or that we expended too much of our energy getting it overhead and do not feel safe bringing it down. Also, if you ever feel your torso relax, immediately drop the barbell: trying to control a weight with a relaxed torso invites trouble. Also, if you can lower the barbell under control, do it!!! You will actually build more strength this way, so don’t bail out of laziness!!  This means you shouldn’t be bailing every one of the 30 reps in a workout.  Also, you should never be “bailing” on a kettlebell or dumbbell movement by dropping them.

Jeff has got the KBS down, and knows not to “bail” it

How

Here is where we get to the important details.  Whether we are uncomfortable with lowering the barbell, it has gotten out of our control (likely during a failed rep), or our torso relaxed, there are a couple key steps in bailing a weight safely:

1. Never attempt a weight that you are not comfortable with!!! (Read more details below)
2. Ask a coach if you have any questions or concerns about bailing a barbell
3. If you still have a tight torso, keep it that way
4. Get out of the way of the barbell (by going the opposite way the barbell is going)
5. Watch the barbell to keep your fellow CF’ers safe
6. Practice bailing at a light weight so that you are comfortable bailing weight when it gets heavy

Pretty simple, right??  We could go into a ton of detail here, but I am not going to today.  These are the basics, and if we follow them, we should be fine.  See some of the examples below on good and bad bailing techniques.

Brittney is smiling because she knows what to do before she ever gets stuck

Examples

Alright, so now we actually get to discus bailing weights.

Overhead Lifts:

Your first choice in “bailing” from overhead is simply lowering the bar back to the ground under control.  This should be used in about 99% of met-con situations.  There is no “drop”, simply a controlled lower.  Notice in the examples below that good positioning and core tightness is still maintained during the bail.  See example below (courtesy of SFCF):

The “Standard“, or “I-think-I-need-a-breath-or-two-to-continue”

Now, when the weight has become too heavy to attempt a controlled lower, such as a max effort Olympic lift, or a heavy, Olympic-oriented met-con, we can use a controlled bail.  Luckily, bailing overhead lifts is one of the most common bails you will see and also one of the simplest.  To bail a weight, simply push the bar away from you while you step in the opposite direction.  Keep your hands on the barbell almost all the way down to ensure it does not bounce into yourself or a neighbor.  See example (courtesy of SFCF):

The “Max Effort”

We should NEVER leave a barbell when it is still moving (bouncing/rolling).  Also, control the barbell on the way down if you know that your bar bounces in funny directions.

Deadlift bail = drop the weight

Squatting:

The back squat is one of the most important to discuss for a very important reason: failing a rep means we must know what to do, as we now have a very heavy bar on our back without a way to stand up.  The front squat simply requires a dropping of the elbows to dump the weight.  An OHS bail is the same as the overhead lifts, only from the bottom of the squat, keep your arms straight and go the opposite way of the bar.

The process for attempting a max effort back squat:

1. Decide if you feel comfortable attempting the weight.  IF YOU DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE, DO NOT ATTEMPT IT!!
2. Before you ever get under a barbell, communicate clearly with your spotters/partners what your plan of action is: are you going to bail or do you want them to spot you. If you are going to be spotted, discuss how they are going to spot you.  Are they going to help you through your sticking point, or wait until you actually fail, etc.  This is a personal preference, I like to be spotted when attempting my absolute max, but will bail at lighter weights if something goes wrong.  Also, use 2-3 spotters if possible, one on each side of the barbell and one behind you.
3. Give the back squat your absolute best attempt
4. If you fail, either your spotters will help you, or you will bail.  You should already know which when you get here.
5. Follow the bailing process: stay tight, get out from under the bar (forward or backward depending on which way the bar is going), and watch it to make sure it doesn’t roll into someone else.

Notes: this is an advanced bail and one we recommend only under certain circumstances.  It is very important that you know exactly what you are doing in order to stay safe.  Thus, this one needs to be practiced at lighter weights before using it at your max.  Additionally, you should never let the bar “roll” down your back.

Example:

Summary

• Bailing a barbell allows us to be safer in the gym if done properly
• Learn how to bail before attempting it
• Never attempt a weight you are not comfortable with
• Don’t drop a barbell because you are lazy
• Always keep your torso tight
• Always control/watch your barbell when you drop it
• Always communicate with your spotters and have an exit strategy for a back squat

Workout of the Day

A. Deadlift 5-5-5
(Firebreathers: your focus is Part B, treat this as a warm-up)

B. 5 Rounds For Time (>365/225 DL: Use a Vest):
7 Deadlifts (225/155)
11 Burpees
(Josh Everett: 4:06 with 25lb vest)

Rest exactly 5 minutes, then run 1 mile (woodchip trail to purple boxes and back).

Separate times for DL+Burpee and Mile.

Fundamentals

400m Run
3 Rounds of Cindy

A. Med Ball Thrusters
10-10-10

C. AMRAP 8
30 sec on, 10 sec rest
Push Ups
Box Jumps
Med Ball Thrusters

Alright, so this is the final chapter: how failure is the true catalyst for change and growth (if our ego can handle it, that is).

If you missed the rest of the series, the first thing we examined was how even failing to achieve goals is better than not setting goals at all, as it pushes us to achieve all that we are capable of. Yet, we have to know how to set good goals; thus, we delved into the process for establishing good goals.  However, even if we have set good goals, which are achievable and realistic, we can still fail to achieve them if we fail to do the little things necessary to achieve them.

Now, this leads us to the end result, how failure, whether to achieve our physical goals or meet a deadline for a project at work, is one of the most important pieces to mental (and physical) growth.  How this ties into my story:

I had been working on increasing my back squat from 315 lbs to my goal of 335 lbs for over 8 months.  I was surrounded by guys in the gym much stronger than myself (have you seen Jon, Dane, Jeremiah, Moffett, Clint, Jesse, Eric, Brian, Adj, Jeff, Bryce, Aaron, Lutrell, Murph, etc.?!?!), and was busting my *ss to catch them.  It seemed that no matter how hard I worked, my goal remained out of my reach: I had stalled at 315. (For those still reading, stick around, there is a happy ending!!)

Next goal: Power Clean 315… with a bent bar!!

Ego

The biggest issue with failing is that our ego takes a huge hit.  Suddenly, we realize that we are fallible and that we may be unable to achieve something we were dedicated to, maybe even when we give it our all.  However, the way we react to this realization will determine whether our failure will drive growth or stagnation.  This is extremely important; if we let our ego get the best of us, then everything else is for naught.

The first thing to realize is that, yes, we are fallible and we are going to have failures.  It is part of life, and not something to get discouraged over.  This is the toughest part to accept, because you are going to be frustrated, especially if this goal was important to you and you have been working at it for a while (see how easy it could be to get down on yourself for this??).  Now, if we have accepted our failure, then we can progress to how to learn and grow from it, starting with a self-reflection on what our goals mean to us.

As for me, when I first failed my goal, I didn’t even realize that I got frustrated, as I simply ignored my failure and moved on to other goals.  It took me about a month or two after missing my goal to realize that my ego got in the way and get back on the bandwagon.  Thus, I had accepted my failure, and was ready to move forward.

Nice positioning, Chad!!

Self-Reflection

Just like we discussed in the first week, the first step after dealing with the frustration of failing is to reflect on our goals, as failure exposes our goals and motivations to light, allowing them to be examined.  This is the beginning of growth through failure, as we can begin to understand our motivations and why we were striving to achieve a specific goal.  Did we set our goals for us, or were they set because someone else told us to?? Failure also allows an investigation into the value we place on our goals, and if they were genuinely something we believe in.  Maybe your original reasons for achieving the goal weren’t as important as you thought.  This may also change the reason as to why we are trying to achieve our goal.

In my case, I determined that I truly did want to back squat 335, not for my original reason of “I want to go to the CrossFit Games”, but because I love a challenge and wanted to see what I was capable of, to push my limits and explore myself.  But to do this, I was going to have to change my approach.

This leads us to the next piece of growth through failure: learning and change.

Head Balance for Weight!!

Growth and Change

Every time you fail to achieve a goal, but decide to continue and persevere towards achieving it, you should look to improve your process.

First, we likely need to learn more about the goal we are trying to achieve.  Whether for career, personal, or physical goals, this is usually accomplished by going to a higher authority on the matter.  Often, this will mean reading books, articles, websites, or forum boards.  Even better, you can ask someone that has already achieved your goal how they did it.  The knowledge you acquire will often change your approach for the better.

Over the months of failing and researching, I learned a ton about squatting: torso tightening, foot/knee positioning, anterior pelvic tilt, glute engagement, adductor involvement, high bar vs. low bar squatting, quad tightness, hamstring flexibility,etc.  With each failure came a change/improvement to my squatting form and approach.  After 8 months, my back squat looked vastly different than what I started with, and I kept working on it.

This brings us to our last piece of the puzzle: perseverance.

Jeremy’s OHS is Looking Better Every Time

Perseverance

I say perseverance is the last piece, because without the internal reflection and learning, perseverance is simply banging your head against the wall instead of looking for the door.  However, it does tie the rest together, because without persevering in our desire to achieve our goal, there would be no growth or change.

In my case, perseverance paid off: the goal that I had originally allocated 1 month to complete resulted in 8 months of frustration, reflection, and growth.  For my efforts, I was rewarded with a 335 POUND BACK SQUAT on August 12, 2011.  A PR of 20 lbs!!  While this may not be a big deal to some, this was huge for me, as it made all my hard work worth it.

Brooke shows she can smile while working hard

Finally!!

Thus, it is only through failing, and overcoming, that we develop mentally.  It builds strength, character, resilience, and perseverance.  Without failing, you will miss out on developing as a person.  (Ever see “star” pro athletes struggle with failure early in their career, even though they have all the tools necessary to succeed??  It is often because success came easily, and without adversity during high school and college.  Thus, they never developed the tools necessary to cope with, and overcome, failure).  Thus, every time we fail, it is a block on which to build, both as a person and as an athlete.