4 Tips to Master the Wall Ball

Wall balls: you either love them or you hate them. Ask most CrossFitters and they will probably tell you that they hate them. However, the wall ball is an excellent exercise that tests your upper and lower body capacity, making your muscles scream and lungs burn. Whether you are in the ‘love ‘em’ or ‘hate ‘em’ category, here are 4 tips to help you get better at wall balls.

Master the Catch Position

How you catch and throw the wall ball can make or break your workout. As with any CrossFit movement involving a weighted object, the closer the object stays to your body the lighter it will feel. The same goes for the wall ball. When catching the ball, position your hands to the sides and slightly towards the bottom of the ball. You want to tuck the ball right under your chin and keep your elbows high as you squat. Dropping your elbows or moving them back behind you will cause your torso to dip forward and you will lose all driving power from the bottom of your squat into the next rep.

Watch the Depth of Your Squat

When performing a wall ball, your hip crease must break parallel. However, oftentimes this standard can be exaggerated and you often end up in the notorious “ass to grass” position where your butt touches your heels. This ensures that you meet the standard, but it can also lead to greater fatigue in the legs and loss of control at the bottom of the squat which results in a reduction of power into the next rep. In order to train your body for how deep it should go, practice squatting to a wall ball. This ensures that you break parallel but also that you don’t squat deeper than you have to.

When to Catch the Ball

When performing a wall ball you want the movement to look like one fluid motion. Oftentimes athletes struggle with the catching portion of the movement because they segment the catch and squat into two separate movements. Instead, keep your arms outstretched to receive the ball overhead and then absorb the weight of the ball as you begin to squat (essentially riding the momentum of the wall ball down into the squat). These movements should be connected together and will allow for greater control of the wall ball in the catch position and as you come out of the squat to throw it for the next rep.

Stand the Correct Distance from the Wall

Finally, knowing where to position your body in relation to the wall is an important part of mastering the wall ball. Standing too far away from the wall results in wasted energy because you will lose upward momentum as your body begins to tilt forward to correct poor positioning. In order to measure the correct distance from the wall, hold the ball in both hands with arms outstretched until the ball touches the wall; this is then where you should stand. Keep in mind that this is a general method for measuring distance and may need to be adjusted based on each individual’s body mechanics. It is important to remember that you don’t want to be so far from the wall that you’re falling forward to compensate for distance and you don’t want to be so close that your ball bounces violently off the wall and you have to move around to catch it.

Sources:

https://www.boxrox.com/5-tips-to-destroy-wall-balls/

Mastering The Rope Climb

If you’ve been around the sport of CrossFit for a while, then you’ve probably been exposed to the infamous YouTube video of Rich Froning during the 2010 CrossFit Games falling from a rope during one of his last workouts. This unfortunate occurrence actually led to his taking second place at the Games for the first and last time. If you re-watch the clip on YouTube, you will see that the main reason why Froning ended up falling off the rope was because he didn’t know how to properly wrap his feet.

The rope climb has become a staple gymnastics movement programmed in most CrossFit gyms. It has been seen numerous times in local competitions, at the regional level, and at the CrossFit Games. Because of the ever-evolving nature of the sport, it is important to develop the skill of climbing a rope.

First of all, how do you know if you have the strength to actually do a rope climb? Well, if done correctly, the rope climb is actually more of a squatting exercise than a pulling exercise (unless, of course, you are doing legless). Even with this in mind, you do have to have a certain amount of upper body and grip strength to safely perform a rope climb. 

One way to determine if you’re ready to tackle a rope climb is by performing the following drill: set up a box under a bar on the pull-up rig. To start, set your feet on the box and hang from the rig with your arms. Your hips should be closed (almost like you’re sitting at the bottom of a squat). See image below.

Then, by opening your hips, you are just going to stand yourself up on the box. See image below.

Finally, once you are in this standing position, you are going to use one arm to reach up as high as you can. This drill mimics the motion of using your legs and hips to stand up and move yourself up the rope. Once you have mastered the technique of opening your hips and then reaching with your arm, you are ready to start practicing your feet positioning.

Learning how to wrap your feet is essential for being able to perform a rope climb. If you can’t get a good clamp with your feet, then you will lose the power that comes from your legs and hips and have to revert to using mostly your arms to pull yourself up the rope. This is what you want to avoid. 

There are two different types of feet-wrapping techniques that are commonly taught in CrossFit gyms. The first is the Spanish Wrap, which is the most secure method of climbing a rope. For this technique, the rope goes through your legs and then you wrap one leg around the rope. See image below.

Once you have wrapped your leg around the rope, you will then take your opposite foot (using the example of the image above, the left foot) and stand on top of the rope that’s wrapped around the ankle. This locks the rope in close to your leg so that it stays secure. However, with this particular technique, it takes more pulls to get to the top of the rope and is more taxing on your grip. 

The second method of climbing a rope is called the J-Hook. This technique is much quicker and more efficient than the Spanish Wrap. With this method, the rope sits on the outside of your foot; you feed it on top of your foot and then use your other foot to squeeze the rope. See image below.

This method takes a little time to practice the correct positioning of the feet, but once you’ve mastered it, you’ll be able to climb the rope like a pro.

Watch this video for a tutorial on different drills to practice before attempting your first rope climb:

Watch this video for a full tutorial on how to do the Spanish Wrap and J-Hook techniques:

Kipping it Real with Laura!

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words.  November’s Athlete of the Month is Laura Loeffert.  Laura was chosen because of her energy and hard work she puts in each class! Laura is also so supportive of other OPCF athletes which we love! Learn more about Laura below.

1. How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit?

I started in March of 2019.

2. What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout?

I started with boot camp classes. They were a great way to get to know people and get a feel for the movements. One day I was the only bootcamper and so I was lucky enough to do a Crossfit class. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it but once it was over I wanted to do it again!

3. What is your favorite cheat meal?

BBQ and French fries

4. What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now?  

Growing up I thought I wanted to be an interior designer. In my previous life before kids, I was an elementary school teacher. Now I’m a stay at home mom with three kids. 

5. What do you like to do outside of work?

In my free time I love to hang out with my sisters and working out.

6. What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF?

You have to go in with an open mind and know that the coaches are there to help you. The boot camp classes are an amazing way to get started so you have the confidence when moving into a CrossFit class. Any movement can be changed to work for you! OPCF is a welcoming community and everyone wants you to succeed. 

7. What is your favorite lift?

 I love to deadlift. It makes me feel invincible! 

8. What’s your biggest “GOAT”?

My biggest GOAT is a muscle up. I will get there someday!!! 

9. What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far?

My biggest improvement is my kipping. I can string together a few kipping pull-ups and I can do toes to bar which I couldn’t do when I started. My proudest accomplishment would be completing the open and RXing every workout.

10. How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule?

I usually plan my week around my workouts. I get in 3-4 workouts a week.  Thankfully the 9:30am crew is amazing and so helpful with my 2 1/2 yr old son. I am able to get my workouts in while the big kids are at school. Which is great because our evenings are full of activities. 

11. What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet?

I would love to do more traveling. Italy, France, Greece, are all on the bucket list. 

Why Should I Hook Grip?

Hook Grip v. Traditional Overhand Grip

You’ve probably been there countless times: warming up for snatch day and your coach is yelling at you, ‘hook grip!’ You start to roll your eyes because every time you try to hook grip the bar you feel like your thumbs are being pulled out of their sockets. If this is the type of reaction you have when your coach tells you to hook grip, then you probably are not doing it correctly and don’t understand the importance of it. Knowing how to hook grip correctly and understanding its importance is crucial to improving your olympic lifts.

How do you make a hook grip?

This is a type of pronated grip where the palms face toward the lifter and the thumb is wrapped around the bar inside the fingers. A common mistake that new lifters make is to smash the thumb against the bar with their fingers, which is actually very uncomfortable and does not feel secure. As a result, new lifters tend to question the importance and functionality of the hook grip. 

When the hook grip is done correctly, the fingers grab onto the thumb and pull it farther around the bar which then creates a ridge for the fingers to dig into. This makes gripping the barbell easier and naturally reinforces the strength of your grip.

Why use the hook grip?

Using a hook grip creates a system that balances the tendency of the bar to roll. In a traditional overhand grip, the barbell is supported by the fingers which all open in the same direction. This increases the chance that the barbell will roll backwards out of the hand. Using a hook grip stabilizes the bar so that it can’t roll backwards while also allowing for correct positioning of the hands and arms.

Having a more secure grip on the bar actually allows you to grip with less tension during a lift. This is important because the more relaxed an athlete keeps their hands during a lift, the more relaxed their arms will be, and the better the transmission of force from the legs to the bar will be. 

Finally, Using a hook grip allows the bar to travel in the direction you want it to – in a straight line close to the body. When you use a traditional overhand grip there is more of a tendency for the barbell to travel out away from your body.

When do you use the hook grip?

The hook grip is used during lifts where the barbell is being pulled from the ground, such as the snatch, clean, or deadlift. Oftentimes athletes make the mistake of using a hook grip during presses or squats. The hook grip should not be used during these movements because it can actually limit mobility and/or stability in those positions and make the movements more difficult.

Sources:

https://www.catalystathletics.com/article/2167/The-Hook-Grip-Why-How-to-Do-It-Correctly/

https://www.crossfitfargo.com/single-post/2015/10/30/When-and-Why-to-use-the-Hook-Grip

5 Tips to Keep Your Passion for CrossFit Alive

We’ve all been there – that funk, that slump – where you feel like you’ve hit a wall; you can’t get any better and you’re just ready to throw in the towel. It’s normal to hit a plateau or feel like you’re burnt out in this sport of fitness that is undoubtedly getting harder and harder. With that being said, here are 5 tips to help you keep your head in the game and retain the same passion for the sport you had when you first started.

Keep a Journal 

You can use this to record workouts that you really liked and/or want to retest in the future; positive thoughts about your workout performance; or a simple evaluation of your workout performance by answering questions like ‘Did you break too many times on the set of a pull-ups?’ ‘Could you have pushed a little harder on the rower?’ Etc. These may seem like trivial thoughts, but evaluating your performance (whether good or bad) on a daily basis can help get you excited about the good things and motivate you to work harder to improve the bad things.

Get Out of the Gym

Sometimes CrossFit can lose its appeal because we feel like we are doing the same thing every day. We come to the gym, we warm-up, we do a strength piece, we do a wod, we feel like we’re dying, and then we come back and do it again the next day. CrossFit boasts about being “constantly varied”, and if programmed correctly, it usually is, but going to the gym multiple days a week can still get boring after a while. One way to combat this is to actually get out of the gym. Spend some time outside going biking, hiking, running sprints at the track, doing a 5k trail run, signing up for a Spartan Race or a Tough Mudder. It’s ok to use your inside fitness to get fit outside.

Work Out with Friends 

Most class workouts are programmed for members to complete by themselves. If you’re feeling in a workout slump, recruit your friends to do a partner or team wod with you. It’s always more fun to share the workload and to have someone (or multiple people) to suffer right along side of you. Added bonus: doing a wod with other people pushes you to go harder than you normally would in class because you don’t want to let your team or partner down.

Celebrate the Little Victories

As you progress further and further along as an athlete, you will eventually reach a point where you start to plateau. Your snatch will stay at 135# for a year or two and you’ll lose hope that it will ever go up. You’ve built up the capacity to complete 30 butterfly pull-ups in a row when fresh, but when you do them in a workout you have to immediately drop down to doing sets of 5. When you feel like you’ve reached the best that you can be, it’s important to take a step back and celebrate the little victories. For example, push yourself to complete 8 butterfly pull-ups unbroken for two rounds of a workout before dropping back down to sets of 5 for the last few rounds. This may not seem like that big of a deal, but for your mental game it’s actually a huge deal. You’ve just proved to yourself that you can do more than 5 reps unbroken in a workout so next time pull-ups show up, you’ll have the confidence to attempt bigger sets (which is, in fact, a pr). 

Sign Up For a Local Competition

There’s nothing like a little friendly competition to help you rediscover your passion for CrossFit. Competitions are not only a great way to show off all the hard work you’ve been putting in at the gym, but they are also a great way to connect with people who share the same passion for fitness as you do.

What’s in Your Gym Bag?

Just like any other sport, CrossFit comes with its own list of equipment that is commonly seen in members’ gym bags. Whether you’re new to CrossFit or you’ve been in the game for a while, it can sometimes be difficult to decide which “accessories” you should spend your money on. Here is a list of essential (and non-essential) items you should carry in your gym bag. 

Gym Bag Essentials

  1. Workout shoes – The CrossFit shoe industry has exploded since the sport has gained popularity from the CrossFit Games. Now, major brands like Nike, Reebok, Nobull, and Inov8 all boast an impressive collection of workout shoes specific to CrossFit, such as the everyday wod shoe, running shoes, and weightlifting shoes. Oftentimes, with all of these choices, deciding which shoe is the best fit can be overwhelming. As a general rule, you want to invest in a shoe that is relatively light and has a flat bottom. 
  2. Jump rope – The importance of having your own personal jump rope cannot be emphasized enough. Oftentimes, CrossFit boxes will have a stash of jump ropes on hand that you can use, but it can be difficult to find one that is sized appropriately, and if you’ve been in the jumping game at all, you know just how important it is to have a rope that fits your personal dimensions.  If you are just starting out, it is best to get a jump rope that has a thicker rope and is more on the heavier side. This will make it easier to learn how to do double-unders. As your jump roping skills advance, start looking for rope that has a thinner rope and lighter handle, such as a Rogue speed rope or an RPM rope.
  3. Gymnastics Grips – We CrossFitters love to brag about our numerous calluses and bloody hands. But even though these wounds attest to our hard work and no quit mentality, they can often result in missed days and modified workouts because our hands are too raw to touch, let alone grip a barbell or pull-up rig. One way to prevent these annoying “injuries” is to wear hand protection (aka gymnastics grips) during your workouts. Here is a short list of the most popular brands used by CrossFitters: BearCompleX, Victory Grips, Wodfitters, and Jerkfit Wodies. This is not an all-inclusive list by any means, but it’s at least enough to get you started. 

Gym Bag Non-Essentials

  1. Wrist straps – Certain movements (such as the overhead squat, any shoulder to overhead movement, and the front rack position) can often put extra strain on one’s wrists. To combat this, athletes wear wrist straps to provide extra support and reduce pain. 
  2. Weightlifting Shoes – These are predominantly used for squatting and the olympic lifts. Weightlifting shoes differ from regular workout shoes in several different ways: they are generally heavier than your average workout shoe; they have a flat sole; they usually have midfoot straps for a secure fit; and they have a raised heel made out of a hard, non-compressible material. Why wear weightlifting shoes? The raised heel reduces the amount of dorsiflexion that your ankle needs to reach the bottom of a squat. Furthermore, the shoe’s weight, density, and flatness increases stability which makes you feel more locked in and cemented to the ground.
  3. Knee Sleeves – You have probably seen athletes around your gym wearing neon-colored knee sleeves and you might think to yourself, ‘Do I need some of those?’ Knee sleeves do not fix knee pain, tendonitis, bad movement, etc., so if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms then you need to consider a more permanent method of fixing them. However, knee sleeves do provide warmth and compression which can help reduce knee discomfort. One of the most popular brands for knee sleeves is Rehband. 

Kipping it Real with Nag!

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words.  October’s Athlete of the Month is Nag Arjuna.  Nag was chosen because of his work ethic and drive in the gym. Nag has seen big changes since starting at OPCF and his hard work does not go unnoticed by us! Learn more about Nag below.

1. How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit?

14 months

2. What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout?

Exhausted , but I understood these workouts gonna help me achieve my goals

3. What is your favorite cheat meal?

Ice cream and cookies

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4. What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now?  

During my childhood, I used to think of becoming a police officer or some sought of investigation officer, LoL. Now I’m working as a software employee at a Bank.

5. What do you like to do outside of work?

Hanging out with friends. Playing board games like Catan,Risk.

6. What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF?

Be sincere and just listen to our coaches. You will get what you want.

7. What is your favorite lift?

  I love squat clean and Thruster 

8. What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far?

Hmm.. I improved my fitness levels. I ran 2001 meters (our 9/11 memorial workout) just under 10 mins. I’m so happy about that. 

9. What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF?  

Improved fitness levels, lost around 25 pounds of weight and last but not the least I improved my confidence levels.

10. How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule?

I try to attend atleast 5 days a week. I come to home from work at around 6PM and I don’t think of taking rest. I just burn out my stress in CrossFit workouts.

11. What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet?

Handstand walks 



Does Hard Work Really Pay Off?

Mat Fraser is not only famous for winning the CrossFit Games 3 years in a row, but the community has come to recognize him by his mantra: hard work pays off. Now, looking at an athlete like Mat Fraser who’s had a very successful career as a CrossFit Games athlete and who seems to only be getting better with each passing year, most of us probably roll our eyes and think, ‘Yeah, right.’ The guy was a weightlifter for 10 years and not just on the recreational level; he trained at the Olympic Education Center from 2010-2011. Not only that, but his incredible genes seem to give him a distinct advantage as well. Standing at 5’7” and weighing 195#, Fraser was built for the sport of CrossFit. So, is it his body composition and weightlifting background that have elevated him to this level of success, or does hard work really pay off?

Jacob Heppner, another multi-year Games athlete, seems to think so. In a 2016 Road to the Games episode, Heppner said this about his appearance at the 2015 CrossFit Games: “A hard work ethic will get you there. People always talk about ‘What kind of programming do you do?’ and ‘What’s your macros like?’ and yeah, it’s great, and yeah, I appreciate the program that’s given to me, but man…it’s the work you put into your program that really matters.” Ok yeah, the guy is a phenomenal athlete, but he didn’t start out that way. If you follow any of his programming or watch his videos on YouTube, there is no mistaking that the guy puts in a lot of work.

So, is it genetics, sport background, God-given talent, etc. that these elite athletes have to thank for their incredible abilities? Or, is it really hard work? In reality, it’s a combination of all of the above, but hard work definitely plays a significant role. Think about it: if you want to squat 300# by the end of the year but rarely squat over 70-75%, how achievable is that goal? If you want to get down to 20% body fat, but don’t have the willpower to refrain from eating ice cream and pizza multiple times a week, is it actually going to happen? Anybody can set a goal, but only a few decide to put in the work to achieve it.

Furthermore, when it comes to accomplishing performance-based goals, many athletes question what kind of “specialized” program they should be on. Comptrain? Invictus Athlete? Icon Athlete? As Heppner stated in the quote above, it’s not about what program you’re on; it’s more about the effort that you put into the program you’re on. There is nothing wrong with following any of these professionally-written programs just like there’s nothing wrong with following the programming at your local gym. Both will make you a better athlete if, and only if, you put the work in every single day. When it’s a heavy squat day, do you add that extra 10 pounds and go for another set? When the workout has 50 wall balls (which you absolutely hate!) do you push yourself to do the set unbroken or to you rest every 10 reps when you start to feel tired? Hard work does pay off. You just have to make the decision to get started and then not let up.

5 Ways to Get Better Sleep

Getting the right amount of sleep is one of the most important habits you can develop as an athlete. Oftentimes, we can get caught up in getting the right pre-workout or protein powder, wearing the right workout gear, adhering to the best mobility program, etc. and we overlook one of the simplest, yet most effective methods of optimizing our body’s potential: sleep. Here are 5 easy ways you can help improve your sleep:

  1. Don’t eat a huge meal before you go to bed. Try to plan your last meal of the day at least 1-2 hours before going to bed. Eating a large meal close to the time you plan on falling asleep will cause your metabolism to fire up, which makes it difficult to fall asleep and sleep soundly.
  2. Take supplements to help you sleep better. Magnesium helps relax muscles and has been shown to reduce cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Having a protein shake before bed has been shown to positively impact sleep because it immediately starts rebuilding muscle and can take some of this stress off of your body while it’s trying to fall asleep. Finally, melatonin and Vitamin D have been shown to lead to better sleep.
  3. Establish a morning and evening ritual. We are creatures of habit and our bodies crave routine. Wake up at the same time every day (yes, even on weekends!). Oversleeping or undersleeping, even just by 1-2 hours for a couple of days, can throw off our sleep patterns and make it difficult for our bodies to get good sleep. Also, establishing a routine in the evening will train your body when it is time to start winding down and make it easier to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
  4. Don’t look at any kind of screen an hour before bed. With the advent of technology, we are constantly glued to our phones, tablets, laptops, etc. It’s so easy for us to climb in bed and mindlessly scroll through Facebook or Instagram, or check our email before work the next day. Oftentimes, we quickly lose track of time and before we know it, at least half an hour has gone by of us staring at some kind of screen. Research has shown that the blue light from phones, computers, and tablets actually stimulates the mind, making falling asleep very difficult. Instead, try reading a chapter of a book before you fall asleep.
  5. Finally, make sure you have complete darkness in your room. As we are deep into the summer months, it takes longer for it to get darker outside. Therefore, if you are trying to go to bed at an earlier time (as you should be) then you might find it difficult to fall asleep if your room is light. To counteract this, invest in some blackout curtains (you can find these on Amazon, Walmart – really any home goods store).

The Best Kind of Recovery? SLEEP

“When in competition or heavy training, sleep is the most important factor in achieving my optimal athletic performance.” – Rebecca Johnston  

If you’ve been an athlete or been around athletes then you are probably aware that recovery is extremely important when it comes to maximizing your time spent at the gym. There are several different methods of recovery such as regularly going to a masseuse, cryotherapy, dry needling, using a device like Compex or a Theragun, and several others. However, oftentimes these methods can be expensive and not accessible for a lot of people. So, what is one of the best (and cheapest) methods of recovery? Getting adequate sleep.

There are many positive results of getting the right amount of sleep, such as increased alertness, better decision making, the ability to focus better, etc. As an athlete, getting the proper amount of sleep is one of the most important factors in improving performance. So, how much sleep should you be getting? The answer can vary based on age and activity level, but generally speaking, individuals 18+ should be getting approximately 7-9 hours of sleep each night. 

Getting the proper amount of sleep is extremely important because of the role sleep plays in recovery. While you are grinding it out in the gym, your central nervous system is working double time to send messages to the proper muscles, formulate an appropriate response to pain, react to different variables, etc. Therefore, it is during sleep that your CNS is able to recuperate so it can do its job again the next day. Without enough sleep and a rejuvenated CNS, you will be slower, weaker, and less coordinated during your next workout.

Another reason why sleep is important is that it can positively impact your body composition. If you’re trying to increase lean body mass, lose body fat, or a combination of the two, then getting enough sleep is a great place to start. There are two anabolic (muscle-growing) hormones that need sleep to do their jobs. The first is Growth Hormone which helps increase skeletal muscle and research has shown that 70% of GH is released during our sleep cycles. 

The second hormone is testosterone which is increased during exercise and helps in muscle development and recovery. Similar to the growth hormone, testosterone production is linked to deep sleep and research has shown that sleeping less than 5 hours can decrease testosterone production by 10-15%. If you want to increase your lean body mass by increasing your skeletal muscle, then getting enough sleep is one of the factors that will help you achieve that goal.

In conclusion, if you’ve been feeling sluggish during metcons, struggling to hit heavy weights, or having to take more rest days than normal to let your body recover, then maybe it’s time to re-evaluate your recovery habits. Sleep is one of the best ways your body can recover so getting enough of it needs to be a top priority. When in doubt, get more sleep!

Resources: