Blog

It’s the dawn of a new age for the CrossFit Open. No longer will it take place in the spring months of February and March. Instead, the 2019 Open (gateway for qualifying for the 2020 CrossFit Games) will take place in the ever-approaching month of October. Even though the  timing of the Open has changed, it hasn’t lost its ability to bring the CrossFit community together to test their fitness worldwide. With this in mind, many athletes will do their best to predict what movements will be seen in the Open in order to begin some sort of “open prep” work. 

The 2019 CrossFit Games revealed several new movements that have the potential to make their appearance in the October Open. On Saturday of the CrossFit Games, individual athletes took on a workout called “Split Triplet” which involved peg board ascents, double-unders, dumbbell hang split snatches, and dumbbell hang clean and split jerks. Not only did this workout challenge athletes’ strength and muscle endurance, but it also tested their coordination and mental awareness. 

For the dumbbell hang split snatches and jerks, athletes were required to alternate which foot landed in the front depending on which arm they carried the dumbbell in (if the dumbbell was in their left arm then their right foot came forward). Most often, split jerks are practiced in relation to the olympic lift of the clean and jerk. In this instance, most athletes have a dominant stance (right or left foot forward) and they only practice this one stance. It is very rare that athletes constantly alternate their split stance.

Another set of movements formally introduced to the CrossFit community appeared in the pair of workouts titled “Ringer 1” and “Ringer 2”. Individuals were exposed to toes-to-rings (similar to the common gymnastic movement of toes-to-bar) and burpees to rings. From the outside looking in, these two movements do not seem all that difficult, but it quickly became evident that they are quite taxing. 

The toes-to-ring are a slower movement – meaning that there is little athletes can do to make the reps go faster. They simply have to hang on to the rings and then swing their legs up to touch them for the rep to count. Not only does this movement tax an individual’s core, but it also takes a negative toll on their grip.

In past Open workouts, competitors have seen burpees to a target (usually a bar or a mark 6 inches above their head). In this case, an athlete’s height does not bring them any advantage. However, for burpees to rings, all of the rings are set to the same height so shorter athletes are at a disadvantage because they have to jump higher to touch the rings. 

There is no guarantee that these movements will appear in the Open, but if you’re unfamiliar with any of them, it might be in your best interest to practice them a few times in the next month. Before you know it, the Open will only be a day away and you want to be as prepared as possible. For more clues on other possible Open movements, head over to CrossFit.com and check out their daily workouts.

If you are a person who travels often for their job, it can be difficult to stay on track when it comes to working out and eating healthy. However, going on a trip doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your fitness and/or eating habits. Here are several ideas on how to work out while traveling.

Find a Local CrossFit Gym

We CrossFitters love our workouts and missing one or two a week is often more devastating than suffering through the workout itself. Thankfully, with the rise in popularity of CrossFit all over the globe, it is rare that you will travel to a different city that doesn’t have at least one CrossFit box. You can use the CrossFit.com affiliate map (located here: https://map.crossfit.com/) to find a local gym. Additionally, you can often just google ‘CrossFit gyms in name of city” and that will often pop up with several results.

Once you have found the box you want to drop in at, there are several steps you need to take before you show up for a class:

1. Contact the gym. Most CrossFit boxes have their own website where you can find the contact information for the head coach, owner, or simply send an email via the ‘Contact Us’ page. Let them know that you would like to drop in for a class and ask if there is anything you need to fill out beforehand.
2. Sign a waiver. This step depends on the gym; sometimes they will ask you to sign a waiver beforehand via their website or they might tell you to sign it when you come in for class.
3. Sign up for a class. Once again, this will depend on the gym, but check the website for the box you have selected to see if they require members to reserve a class. This will also let the coach know that you are dropping in. 
4. Arrive to class early. This is especially important if you have to sign a waiver before you hop in on a class. Show up to class at least 15 minutes early so you can get a feel for the gym, meet the coach, etc.
5. Drop-in fee. Nowadays, most CrossFit boxes will charge you some sort of drop-in fee, which can range anywhere from $15-$30+. If there is an option to pay this beforehand via the gym’s website, make sure you do this before you arrive for class so you don’t have to worry about it when you get to the gym.

Workout on Your Own

If finding a local CrossFit gym seems a bit overwhelming, don’t lose heart. There are many different resources out there that help you maintain your fitness while traveling. If you simply Google ‘travel wods’ you will be bombarded with several different CrossFit affiliate websites that list different workout options. Most of these require little to no equipment and can be done in your hotel room, the hotel gym, or your AirBnB. 

If you don’t want to scroll through numerous websites, the WOD – Travel Wod Generator for HIIT Workouts app is a good option. This app contains several cool features, including: new workouts being added all the time, instructional videos on how to do the movements, a timing feature, a database to save all of your workout information, and much more.

Finally, if you have always dreamed of creating your own programming but are not sure where to begin, there are a couple of wod formats that are easy to use. The first is tabata: 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. Essentially, pick 4 different movements (Ex: burpees, air squats, v-ups, jumping lunges) and complete 8 rounds of tabata for each. Secondly, you can use the emom format: every minute on the minute. Once again, pick several different movements that you want to include in your workout (Ex: mountain climbers, push-ups, sit-ups, flutter kicks) and then decide on how many rounds you want to complete. 

Get Outside

Sometimes the best kind of workout is getting out of the gym and enjoying nature. If you don’t want to mess with finding a local affiliate or finding the motivation to work out on your own, then your best option might be to go on a hike and enjoy the scenery. When looking for the best hiking in each state, there are several websites that boast impressive lists: outsideonline.com; thrillist.com; and travelpulse.com. If the hikes from the above lists aren’t near where you will be staying, you can always check out the state’s website for information on state and national parks and outdoor activities.

So…you’ve been doing CrossFit for almost two years now and you’ve caught the “bug”. You know what I’m talking about. You just did your first RX competition last month and you’re hooked. Spending an hour at the box everyday isn’t enough anymore. You want to do more. So what’s next? How do you ramp up your intensity without committing the serious crime of overtraining? Here are 5 steps to help take you to the next level:

#1 Identify and Work on Your Weaknesses

CrossFit is defined as “increased work capacity over broad time and modal domains”. In layman’s terms: be well-rounded. CrossFit asks its athletes to be good at short distances, long distances, in-between distances, as well as gymnastics movements, weightlifting movements, and monostructural movements. Therefore, it is important to identify the movements that you struggle with and then dedicate extra time each week to focus on them. 

One great way to get started is to review past Open workouts and write down the movements you struggled with. If you didn’t do the Open, then look at the workouts that were posted the past couple of weeks at your local gym. This will give you an idea of what type of movement (gymnastics, monostructural, or weightlifting) that you need to focus more time on. If you’re unsure of what kind of accessory or skill work you should do, here are some resources to help get you started: 

• Gymnastics movements – CrossFit Jaakarhu’s YouTube channel
• Rowing and ski erg – Darkhorse Rowing’s YouTube channel
• Weightlifting – Starting Strength’s YouTube channel; TrainHeroic website/blog

#2 Track Your Progress

Tracking your progress is an important component of becoming a successful athlete because it allows you to see where you’ve improved and what areas you still need to work on. Some ideas of things you should keep track of:

• Daily class programming (the wod and your time; any strength work)
• Accessory work (type of movement and number of sets/reps)
• Rest times between sets
• Weights for strength sets
• Whether you made or failed a lift or rep(s)

Some of these examples may seem a little extreme, but it is important to keep note of even the smallest variables in order to accurately track your progress. 

#3 Focus on Nutrition

There’s a quote commonly posted on various social media fitness pages that says, “Abs are made in the kitchen.” This might not be entirely accurate, but the main idea behind it is: what you eat is important. There are all sorts of diets, nutrition trends, and products out there that boast about being the best. In the CrossFit world specifically, many athletes work with personal nutrition coaches, follow dieting templates like RP, or meticulously weighing and measuring their food to accurately count macros. None of these methods are bad. In fact, they have all been proven to positively impact an athlete’s performance and help them feel good. However, oftentimes these approaches to nutrition can be intimidating and overwhelming. 

If you don’t have the money to spend on a nutrition coach and counting your macros seems like a daunting task, what should your approach be? The easiest way to change your nutrition habits is to change the way you shop for food. An easy rule to follow when you are buying groceries is to only shop around the outside of the store. Here you will find the ingredients for CrossFit’s recommended nutrition recipe as stated by founder Greg Glassman: “Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar.” Eating a ‘clean’ diet full of whole foods is the best nutritional approach when it comes to improving your performance.

#4 Interval Work

Becoming a more competitive athlete often means that you have to include pieces in your training that aren’t showy or even fun, but extremely important nonetheless. Interval work is one of those ‘pieces’. Many times, athletes neglect endurance training for fear that they will lose strength, speed, and power. However, with the regular implementation of interval work into one’s training, an athlete will successfully increase their cardiovascular endurance while maintaining the strength, speed, and power that they were fearful of losing. Here are some suggestions for different types of interval work:

• Tabata (20 sec work, 10 sec rest)
• Sprint for 30 sec, jog for 90 sec
• 4x500m row, rest 2 minutes between each set

These are just a few examples of different types of interval training. The important thing to remember is to mix it up. Don’t do the same type of interval work every week. CrossFit asks it’s athletes to be good at everything and the same goes for intervals. If your body is used to working for shorter periods of time and resting for longer, then it won’t respond well if it’s asked to do the opposite. For more information on the benefits of interval training, check out the research conducted by Dr. Stephen Seiler.

#5 Mobility

This is a term that is commonly used in many CrossFit gyms, but its importance is often overlooked. Mobility is important for several different reasons: it leads to increased strength and overall performance, it reduces the risk of injury, and it also aids in a quicker recovery. Mobility can often be intimidating if you’re unsure where to start, so here are a few resources to help you out: 

• Dr. Kelly Starrett’s book Becoming a Supple Leopard 
• mobilitymovement.com 
• romwod.com (or the app version). 

There are two types of people in the CrossFit world: those who wear gymnastics grips, and those who don’t. One group is not more right or wrong than the other; they just have different preferences. Whether you wear grips or not, the most important thing to keep in mind is that protecting your hands should be a top priority. We’ve all been there, whether it’s been an ungodly amount of toes-to-bar, pull-ups, or bar muscle-ups, we’ve all experienced bloody hands. Rips are a common result of many CrossFit workouts, but there are several things you can do in advance to prevent them.

The most obvious solution to avoid ripped hands is to wear some sort of gymnastics grips. However, oftentimes these can also get in the way when doing other movements, such as barbell cycling or kettlebell swings. To avoid this, some athletes simply turn their grips around so they flap on the back side of their wrists, leaving their hands free. The real debate is over what brand of gymnastics grips is best. There are tons of different kinds on the market and it can often be overwhelming to choose which is the right one for you. If you need a comical, yet accurate review of different brands of grips, check out Jacob Heppner’s YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI2_C_0yfTM

If you are the type of athlete who likes to feel the cold steel of the rig on your skin and turns up your nose at the thought of wearing any sort of hand protection (which is not wrong by the way), then there are a couple of different things you can do to prevent the build up of calluses. First of all, you may need to adjust the way you grip the bar. If you currently grip the bar with your palm, try gripping it at the base of your fingers. As a result, less skin is squished between the bar and your fingers and you will be able to move with the bar a lot easier. Secondly, avoid having a death grip on the bar when you are stringing multiple reps of pull-ups or toes-to-bar together. Instead, try regripping at the top of each rep.

Unfortunately, calluses are inevitable. However, there are a couple of different things you can do to help prevent them from turning into agonizing rips mid-workout. First, as they start to form hardened ridges on your hands it is imperative to file or shave these down. The best time to do this is right after you get out of the shower when your calluses are a bit swollen and soft. You can use a pumice stone or a regular razor and you want to file them until you no longer feel any hard edges. Your hand should feel like it’s one consistent layer. The second thing you can do is apply moisturizer every night before you go to bed. This keeps the calluses from hardening and puts moisture back into your hands after chalk (if you use it) has dried them out.

The glute-ham developer is a staple piece of equipment in most CrossFit boxes. It can be used for several different movements, but probably the most common being the GHD sit-up. This is an exercise that requires individuals to lower their torso past the point of extension (resulting in hyperextension) and then primarily use their hip flexors to return to a sitting position. The CrossFit community has received criticism from the fitness world for many of their ideologies, and CrossFit’s take on the sit-up is no different.

Critics of the GHD sit-up have conjured up many different arguments as to why this type of sit-up should not be performed. First of all, many have argued that the target muscles for a GHD sit-up are actually the hip flexors and therefore the movement does not recruit the use of the abdominal muscles whatsoever. However, this is not the case. Ask any athlete who has done a set of twenty plus GHD sit-ups in a workout and they will tell you that they could barely sit up to get out of bed the following morning. In fact, the GHD sit-up actually recruits the abdominal muscles in two different ways. First of all, this movement takes the trunk from hyperextension to full flexion, which recruits the use of the upper, middle and lower abdominal muscles. No other sit-up movement does that. Secondly, the abdominal muscles’ role in this exercise is to stabilize the torso from unnecessary extension, therefore playing the important role of protecting the spine from serious injury.

Many fitness professionals have also argued that the amount of hip flexor work induced by the GHD sit-up can lead to problems in the lower back. Dr. Stuart McGill, a world-renowned spinal expert and a professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo (Ontario), argues, “You can’t perform exercises with high spine power and expect it to stay healthy. When you repeat high force and velocity through collagenous disks, they will delaminate and bulge.” Dr. McGill argues that the repeated motion of moving the spine from flexion to hyperextension is causing repeated damage to one’s disks. However, CrossFit founder Greg Glassman argues that when the GHD sit-up is performed correctly – employing the full use of the hip flexors – then the lumbar spine is preserved throughout the movement, reducing the likelihood of it being injured.

Finally, those opposed to the GHD sit-up argue that the anatomical damage caused by the GHD sit-up puts the spine in a precarious position when performing the Olympic lifts, which are common movements in the CrossFit regimen. Spinal expert Dr. McGill stated in an article published by Stack.com, “Programming of the GHD sit-up is problematic when combined with other exercises that require stiff and tough collagen fibers, such as Olympic lifts.” However, this argument does not have a lot of merit because GHD sit-ups paired with heavy Olympic lifts is a rare combination in WODs (workout of the day). Furthermore, CrossFit preaches the concept of “core to extremity”, claiming that every movement starts from an individual’s core, and then extends out to the appropriate limb and musculature needed to perform that movement. CrossFit argues that by strengthening the abdominal muscles, athletes are actually improving their success in the Olympic lifts because their strong core helps them generate power throughout the movement and stabilize the barbell on the shoulders (front rack position) or overhead.

In conclusion, both parties employ convincing arguments for and against the use of the GHD sit-up. However, it is important to remember that each individual’s anatomical makeup is different, so there is no right or wrong answer as to whether GHD sit-ups should be included in a regular exercise regimen. They might be beneficial for some individuals and harmful for others. Furthermore, it is important to understand the muscles that are targeted by this movement so that when it is performed, it is done correctly. Most injuries occur when a movement is done incorrectly. Therefore, before performing an excessive amount of GHD sit-ups in a workout, ask a coach to observe your movement to determine if the correct muscles are being engaged properly.

Movement standards in CrossFit are changing constantly. A skill or a weight that was once considered difficult a few years ago is now something that almost every average CrossFitter is expected to have the ability to do. Take handstand push-ups for example: this is an advanced gymnastics skill that has been a staple in the CrossFit Open the past few years. Up until this year, individuals who were completing the Open workouts were allowed to kip their handstand push-ups – essentially use their hips to help them press from the bottom position. However, in Open workout 19.3 of this year, members of the CrossFit community saw the introduction of strict handstand push-ups as a new Open movement. Athletes were no longer allowed to use the assistance of their hips to press themselves off the ground; instead, they had to rely solely on their upper body pushing power to get themselves off the ground. 

In order to keep up with these ever-changing standards, we have to embrace the process of evolving as athletes – our mindset, our skill set, and our training methodology. In keeping with this theme, the following drills are an excellent way to build upper body strength capacity for strict handstand push-ups. The Open is just around the corner (coming October 2019!) and you want to be ready for it!

Top Half Strict Press

This movement starts when the barbell is overhead. Therefore, the first “rep” is essentially a push press to get the barbell in the overhead position. From there, you lower the barbell to about nose/forehead height (creating a tripod position with your head and elbows) and then strict press the barbell straight overhead. Ideally, you will be able to use more weight in this press than you would in the traditional strict press because your range of motion has been reduced. In the handstand push-up, the range of motion ends at the head, so this movement is mimicked by only bringing the barbell down to your forehead. 

Handstand Push-Up Negatives

Kick up to the wall so that you are in a handstand hold position. You want to create a tripod shape with your head as the point and your hands as the two facing corners. Also, make sure that your core is tightly engaged with the rib cage pulled down so that your back is not in a hyperextended position. From here, slowly lower your body to the bottom of the handstand push-up position (almost like a tempo push-up; descending with a 3-second or 5-second count). Once you’ve reached the bottom position, don’t try to push back up; instead, come down off the wall. Perform 5 sets of 5 reps with a 60-90 second rest in between each set.

Seated Dumbbell Strict Press

Sit on the ground with your feet straight out in front of you and your dumbbells resting on your shoulders. Before you press the dumbbells overhead, you want to engage your core (in other words, clench your stomach like someone is about to punch you; you can also sit with your back against the wall to help you maintain a straight back). You are then going to press the dumbbells straight over your head and then actively pull them back down to your shoulders. You want to mimic the movement of a handstand push-up as you complete each rep. Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

It’s that time of year again: the sun is out, the humidity is high, the gym is stifling, and you’re just trying to make it through the wod without passing out. Summer is a wonderful time of year for a number of reasons, but when it comes to training with intensity at the box, the heat and humidity often play a devastating role. Here are some tips to help you survive the summer without sacrificing those gainz.

Tip #1: HYDRATE

Staying hydrated is probably the best thing you can do for your body when it comes to battling those rising summer temperatures. Hydration is important for a number of different reasons, such as regulating your body temperature, transporting nutrients throughout your body, and energizing your body so that it can perform at its highest level. 

One question that is often asked is this: how much water should I be drinking every day? This answer varies depending on the individual, their fitness level, etc., but a good rule to follow is to divide your bodyweight in half and that is the number of ounces of water you should consume daily. For example, an individual who weighs 160 lbs should drink approximately 80 ounces of water per day. Keep in mind that this number is not absolute. Longer exercise periods and higher temperatures require more water intake to prevent dehydration. 

Tip #2: Fuel Your Body

As the temperature increases, your body starts working overtime to keep up. This means it burns more calories and your metabolism speeds up. As a result, it is extremely important that you are feeding your body the nutrients it needs to perform at a high level and recover quickly. Having a pre-workout snack such as a banana or a scoop of greek yogurt with berries an hour or so before the wod is important for increasing energy output. Along those same lines, eating enough food throughout the day to keep up with the increased calorie burn is essential for a faster recovery and better performance in the gym. 

Tip #3: Listen to Your Body

Rising temperatures means there is greater risk for heat exhaustion and dehydration. It is important to keep in mind that your body might not be accustomed to working out in this kind of heat so it needs a few weeks to adjust. If you’re feeling more fatigued than normal, extra sore, or on the verge of passing out, then your body is telling you to tone it down a little bit. This is ok. If you’re not feeling up to the task of doing the workout RX, it’s perfectly acceptable to scale it back to something your body can handle. Like the saying goes, “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Tip #4: Dress for the Weathe

This may seem like a no-brainer, but you might be surprised at how many people opt for style over sensibility. Wearing light, breathable clothing for your workouts is the first (and easiest!) step to keeping your body temperature down. Save those thicker leggings with the cute pattern for cooler temperatures. Your body will thank you.