Do You Squat Crooked? 2 Drills to Help Fix Your Hip Shift

Has anyone ever told you that you squat crooked? Have you ever taken a video of yourself squatting and noticed that you tend to shift to one side as you stand up? This is called a hip shift and can occur for several different reasons, such as mobility imbalances, strength deficiencies, and motor control issues. Fixing a hip shift takes time and repetition, but using the following drills to help retrain your brain and change your movement patterns can be the key to building a stronger squat.

One possible cause for a hip shift is that an athlete’s pelvis is rotated more forward on one side than the other, which can cause the athlete to naturally shift to one side more than the other. To help correct this, the athlete is going to have to rely on some of their smaller muscles, their adductors, to help stabilize and reposition their pelvis so that they are more centered when they squat. Using the smaller muscles that are close to the pelvis to help correct the hip shift issue then frees up the bigger muscles, such as the hamstrings and glutes, to create the power needed for a strong squat. In the following drill, the goal is to restore the pelvis’ ability to stabilize in the sagittal plane (movement front to back). 

  1. Lie on your back with your feet up on a wall and your legs at ninety degrees. Place a foam roller between your knees.
  1. Start by taking a big breath in through your nose, and then slowly let it out through your mouth. As you exhale, feel your front ribs fold down towards your belly button, which pulls your pelvis back underneath you.
  2. From here, lift your tailbone off the ground slightly (just an inch or so), while maintaining a braced core. Lightly squeeze the foam roller with your knees (this will recruit the adductors on both sides). 
  3. From here, shift one side down so that one knee is lower than the other. (If you start by shifting your left knee down, then the roller should spin counter-clockwise. You will then bring your left side back up, and shift the right side down. You can shift back and forth from side to side several times). This restores the body’s ability to shift forward/backward, one side at a time, as you are squatting. 
  4. Finally, you can practice stabilizing your pelvis by pressing one side down (so one knee is lower than the other) and then taking the opposite foot off the wall. Hold this position for two breath cycles. Remember, your tailbone should still be lifted slightly off the ground. It is best to practice this on the side that you tend to shift to when you squat. (If you shift to the left, then practice keeping the left knee down, which teaches you to stabilize the left side of the pelvis, and teaches you to recruit the left hamstring.)   

A second method that can aid in fixing a hip shift is called RNT, or Reactive Neuromuscular Training. This is the idea that you use resistance to actually increase the dysfunction that is occurring when you squat. For example: if you tend to shift to the left when you squat, then you are going to increase the resistance towards the left so that you have to over-exaggerate squatting to the right. In order to do this, tie a band around a post (or have someone hold it for you) and then step both feet into the band. You want the band to lay right around your right hip so that it is shifting you towards the left. You want just enough resistance so that you push reflexively towards the right, but not enough so that it pulls you off balance. You can practice doing air squats, goblet squats, even light barbell squats with this band around your waist to train your body to push away from the side that you normally shift to. 

Sources:

http://www.andrewheming.com/2016/07/how-to-fix-hip-shift-in-squat.html

Fixing Your Squat: The Knee Cave

How many times have you heard a coach yell, “Knees out!” while you are on your last rep of a heavy set of back squats? Or, have you ever glanced over at your buddy as he’s standing up a heavy clean and cringed because his knee caps are almost touching? If you’re a competitive athlete, you will probably do just about anything to get those extra few pounds on your lifts, but this mindset to push your body to its max capacity can often lead you to develop bad habits, such as letting your knees cave when you squat. It is important to reinforce good movement patterns – from the warm-up phase to the heaviest sets or lifts – in order to reduce the likelihood of injury and increase your overall efficiency. 

The main reason athletes allow their knees to cave during a heavy squat is actually due to a timing issue. Athletes are unable to turn on their lateral glute muscles (gluteus medius – see image below) at the right time, and keep them engaged, in order to maintain proper knee alignment and keep them pressed out over their toes. In order to learn how to properly engage these muscles, the coach may cue the athlete to press their knees out. Sometimes an athlete can turn their knees out too much, causing their feet to roll to the outside and putting them off balance. To avoid this, the athlete should keep their feet firmly planted on the ground maintaining three points of contact: the big toe, the pinky toe, and the heel. 

    In order to get the most out of your glutes when you squat, it is important to warm them up properly. Here are a couple of exercises that you can use in your warm-up routine to help you learn how to activate your glute muscles properly:

Monster Walks

Place a mini band around your ankles and stand about shoulder-width apart in an athletic stance (quarter squat, toes forward, knees pressed out). Start taking steps sideways, maintaining this athletic stance and keeping the tension on the band. Focus on forcing the hips back and initiating each step with your hip/glutes, and then control each following step by pushing weight into the hips.

Banded Squats

Place a mini band right above your knees. Initiate the squat by setting your hips back slightly and then descend straight down, keeping your knees pressed out so that tension remains on the band. As you stand back up, continue to press your knees out, with feet planted firmly on the ground, keeping tension in the band.

Sources:

https://barbend.com/activate-glutes-warmup/

Running Mechanics 101: The 5 Basic Stages of Proper Running Form

As the weather is turning colder, gyms are opening their bay doors to let in the sunlight and let out athletes to run before winter. The increased volume of running can lead to various aches and pains such as shin splints, sore calves and hamstrings, etc., that weren’t prevalent during the colder months. As more and more running is programmed, it is important to return to the basics and practice proper technique to prevent injuries. 

Most of us probably assume that running is a natural movement pattern and there is no need to practice proper form. However, all running-related injuries can be pinpointed to poor running mechanics. Therefore, it is important to understand the five basic stages of proper running form, which are posture, lean, pull, shift, support, and land, and how to integrate them into your running. 

Having the correct running posture is imperative to being an efficient runner. A compromised posture can result in an overload or misuse of the muscles and joints that are in action while running. In order to avoid these problems, it is necessary to establish a neutral posture (flat back) and then stabilize this position by engaging your core (similar to what you would do before starting a deadlift). In order to run with the most efficiency and handle the force placed on your body each time you land, you have to turn on the muscles in your trunk to lengthen and flatten your back; you will need to set your hips and ribcage in a stable position as well. In order to feel what a good position is, you can practice holding the hollow body position and focus on engaging your glutes and contracting your core by drawing your rib cage down towards your belly button and then bringing your belly button in towards your spine.

The second stage of running is called the ‘lean’, and this is the idea of using gravity to actually pull your body forward and let it do as much work as possible. Most of the time when athletes run, they push off the ground with one foot while also stepping forward with the other one. This starts putting the body into motion, but is actually counter-productive because every time they push their foot away from the ground, they are using their own energy to propel their body, therefore, working against gravity. 

However, a much better approach is to actually shift your general center of mass over your base of support so that the power of gravity will take over and actually force you forward. To prevent falling to the ground and keep your momentum moving forward, you have to alternate your feet and put your supporting foot underneath your general center of mass to keep up with your forward fall. The farther you fall forward, the quicker you have to move your feet to keep up with your general center of mass, and ultimately, the faster you will run. The degree of your fall determines how fast you will have to move your legs to keep up.

In order to correctly execute the foot pull, draw your heel toward your butt using the power of your hamstrings while maintaining a neutral foot position. Some things to be aware of and avoid when performing this component: dorsiflexion of the foot (pulling your toes up), lifting your knee up (instead of simply letting it shift forward), and extending your leg back behind your body. All of these faults can cause you to put forth more energy than necessary and increase your susceptibility to injury. 

When you shift supports (move from one foot to the other) there is a brief moment when both of your feet leave the ground and you are completely suspended in midair. This is what distinguishes running from walking. If you are falling forward and pulling your feet correctly, then your feet should cross paths and your legs should remain under your body. A common fault during this stage of running is pushing off with a forward leg swing. One leg trails behind your body and you are then landing on the heel of your forward foot. This slows down your momentum, restricts the efficiency of your stride and increases your chances of injury.

The final stage of running is the ‘land’. There are several different points of the foot that you can land on – the heel, the heel and ball of the foot, or the ball of the foot. The best and most effective foot position to land on is the ball of the foot for several reasons: you will be able to use your arch as it was designed, you will be able to absorb the shock of your bodyweight, and you will engage the muscular-tendon elastic system that helps reduce impact and preserve energy. 

Keep in mind, landing on the ball of your foot does not mean that your heel never makes contact with the ground. When performed correctly, your foot should be relaxed and your heel should touch the ground for a split second before you go back to being on the ball of your foot before you shift supports. This will reduce the load placed on your calves, Achilles, and ankles during the striking phase of running, which will in turn minimize the injuries that can occur with a ball-of-the-foot landing. 

Source:

Power, Speed, Endurance: A Skill-Based Approach to Endurance Training by Brian Mackenzie

Kipping it Real with Bruce!

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. September’s Athlete of the Month is Bruce Still. Bruce was chosen because of his dedication to attend every Bootcamp class, his willingness to work super hard, his ability to complete most of the movements with very few modifications, and he always has a positive attitude! His hard work is paying off and we love having Bruce as a part of our OPCF community! Learn more about Bruce below.

How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit? I started bootcamp in April 2018.

What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout? Do you remember what it was? I don’t remember the workout but I thought it seemed like a well-structured approach to fitness.

What has been your favorite workout so far? Any workout WITHOUT burpees.

What is your favorite cheat meal? Beef tips and noodles at RC’s in Martin City.

What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? From age 13 I wanted to be an orchestral horn player. I’m now retired from chiropractic practice.

What do you like to do outside of work? Road trips with my wife to visit our kids, working on cars, swimming, and symphony concerts.

What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF? “Scale it” and keep going.

What is your favorite/least favorite movement? Well, of the 9 foundational CF movements, my favorite is deadlift. Old injuries/surgeries left me with ‘kinks’ in my kinetic chain so I usually have to modify the other 8 movements.

What’s one Crossfit goal you have set for yourself to accomplish this next year? I want to get a pull-up.

What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF? It’s easier going up and down stairs, old clothes fit better, and I have lower blood pressure.

What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far? I did 2 toes-to-bar last week.

How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule? CrossFit first, then other stuff.

What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet? Snorkeling in St Croix or Maui.

Core Stability v. Core Strength

How do you become one of the strongest squatters in the world? If you ask people this question, you will probably get several different answers, but how many people will give an answer that has to do with developing an athlete’s core muscles? If you are familiar with world champion powerlifter Blaine Sumner, then you know that he didn’t become one of the strongest squatters in the world by focusing his training on just squatting heavy every day. In fact, accessory work has played a huge role in his success as a powerlifter.

In order to squat heavy safely, you have to develop more muscles than just those in your legs. Your core plays an important role in being a successful squatter because these muscles help stabilize an athlete’s spine. This is important because your spine is extremely mobile, but as soon as you place a heavy load on your back, you want your spine to stay in one place and it can’t do that on its own. It needs all of the surrounding muscles to turn on and create stiffness, which keeps the spine resilient to injury and allows you to unlock the strength potential in your legs.

So, how does stability improve performance? Think about it this way: which will you be able to jump further from and create more power? Jumping from flat ground or a wobbly canoe on water? When you do ‘core’ movements like sit-ups or v-ups, you are strengthening your core by moving your spine, but these exercises do not improve stability. See, stability is the emphasis on limiting excessive or unwanted motion at your spine so that you can have awesome carryover to the exercises that you perform in the gym (like the squat, deadlift, bench, clean, and snatch). Therefore, when you perform the typical ‘core’ exercise like a sit-up and you are moving your spine, then you are not practicing keeping your core braced and spine locked into place, which is the purpose of stability exercises. 

The following 3 core stability exercises train the front (curl up), the sides (side plank) and back of the spine (bird dog). These 3 exercises are called the McGill Big 3 and are based off of years of research from renowned back expert Dr. Stuart McGill. If you want to improve your power and strength in your lifts, then give these 3 exercises a go.

Curl Up 

  1. Lie on your back with one leg straight and the other with the foot flat on the ground and pulled in towards your butt so that your knee is pointed up.
  2. Place both hands underneath your low back (they are there to act as pressure sensors; their job is to feel if you start to round or flex your back). 
  3. Start by bracing your core (your lower back should be pressed into your hands and your ribs should be pulled down towards your belly button so that they’re not flaring out).
  4. Next, slowly pick your head up off the floor (just slightly; 1-2 inches) and hold for 10 seconds. As you left your head, your spine should not move because your core muscles should be locking it into place.
  5. Hold your head up for 10 seconds and then return it back to the floor. Perform this exercise for 6 reps. Note: if you feel that your neck is straining during this exercise, tuck your chin to your chest before you lift your head. 

Side Plank

  • Modified Version
  1. Start by lying on your side with your elbow directly under your shoulder. 
  2. Keep your legs together and knees bent so that your legs are about at a 90 degree angle with your feet behind you.
  3. Drive your hips up so that they are off the floor and only your bottom leg (from the knee down) and elbow are making contact with the floor. 
  4. Hold for 10 seconds at the top of the plank. Note: if you have weak hips and glutes, then you should feel it working these as well as your core. Repeat 6 reps on each side.
  • Full Plank
  1. Start by lying on your side with your elbow directly under your shoulder.
  2. Your legs should be straight with the foot of your top leg slightly in front of the foot of the bottom leg. Your top arm can rest across your chest and touching the opposite shoulder, or place your hand on your top hip.
  3. Drive your hips up and hold at the top of the plank for 10 seconds (think about turning on the muscles of the spine and limiting excessive unwanted motion – your chest should not be facing the ground and there should be no twist in your torso). 

Bird Dog

  1. Start by getting on the ground on all fours with your spine in a neutral position (back should not be rounded or over-arched). Think about bracing your core so that your spine does not move.
  2. Next, extend one arm (keeping your hand in a tight fist; this will engage some of the muscles in your upper back as well) straight out in front of you and kick back the opposite leg directly behind you and hold for 10 seconds. You want to keep your extended foot only a couple of inches off the ground (if you kick it out too high, then this causes the back to over-arch).
  3. Slowly bring your arm and leg back in towards your body, touch your fist to your knee in the middle, and then slowly extend them back out. Concentrate on keeping your back flat throughout the entire movement. Complete 6 reps on each side. 

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Sources:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-kLc8qgqkJ/

Lower Back Pain in the Deadlift? Try These 4 Drills!

Picture this: the ‘workout of the day’ is 21-15-9 deadlifts (225/155), box jumps, and bar over burpees. You cruise through the first round of 21 without any problems and then you start in on your set of 15 deadlifts. Immediately, your lower back starts to get tight and you have to drop to singles. What happened? A common result of doing deadlifts, whether it be fewer reps at heavier weight for strength building or more reps in a workout with lighter weight, is pain or soreness in the lower back. Many people just accept this fact as an unfortunate casualty of doing deadlifts, but in reality, this should not be the case. How often is your core sore the day after you’ve done deadlifts? If the answer is no, and the soreness is in your lower back, then you are probably pulling with your lower back instead of keeping your core engaged and letting your hips do the work. So, here are 4 drills to help you fix this:

Hip Bridge

  1. Start by lying on your back with your feet pulled in close to your glutes. You want to flex your feet (keeping your toes off the floor). Make sure your lower back is touching the floor (exhale all of your air in order to feel this) and your core is engaged (but not crunched).
  2. As you start to bridge up, you want to think about driving through your heels (this helps recruit the posterior chain) and keep a braced position throughout the entire movement (your hips up to mid-back should be working together as one unit). 
  3. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the bridge and then press your hips down as you return to the starting position, maintaining an engaged core and keeping a neutral spine.

Tall Kneeling Hip Bridge

  1. Start by kneeling on the floor with your toes directly underneath you, knees hip-width apart and heels pinched together (this turns on your glutes). Hold your arms straight out in front of you or across your chest. 
  2. Blow all your air out so that your rib cage is pulled down towards your belly button and keep your core braced throughout the entire movement.
  3. Initiate the movement by sending your hips back towards your heels (this should be a very small hip hinge). You want to think about stabilizing your spine (this part of your body should not move) and only pushing your hips back (this is not a squat!). 

Kickstand Deadlift

  1. Start by standing with one foot flat on the floor and the other about one foot behind with the toe pointed on the ground to stabilize. Hold a light weight dumbbell or kettlebell in a suitcase carry position on the same side as the foot that is flat on the floor. The other arm should mimic the arm that is holding the weight throughout the entire movement.
  2. Initiate the movement by sending your hips straight back(arms will stay pointing towards the ground with shoulders over your hands), keeping your balance centered and maintaining a braced core (don’t let your torso twist or lean to the side that has the weight on it). 
  3. To stand back up, drive through the heel of the front foot (there shouldn’t be any weight on the back foot). You should feel the hip of your front foot working throughout the movement. 

Wall Deadlift

  1. Start by standing about one shoe-length away from a wall with feet hip-width apart. 
  • Lay a foam roller across your quads and actively press your arms (with thumbs pointing forward) into the foam roller. OR –
  • Hold an object (medball, backpack, plate, etc.) in front of you and think about flexing your core against the object.
  1. Send your hips back towards the wall until your glutes make contact with the wall. Then, drive your hips forward, keeping your ribs pulled down toward your belly button.

Meal Prep Hack: Blanch Your Vegetables Before Freezing Them!

CrossFit is popular for many different reasons, with one of them being the variety of movements and workouts it employs to develop fitness. However, CrossFit’s fitness is not just created inside the box, but actually encompasses several different components, with the most important being nutrition. CrossFit methodology has developed its own definition of nutrition based on a “diet of meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar”. The concept of only eating clean and nutritious foods can be somewhat daunting and many people don’t know where to start, especially when it comes to meal prep. However, this is where the concept of blanching your vegetables can be extremely valuable in regards to saving time and increasing your meal’s nutritious content.

If you’ve ever tried to freeze vegetables without blanching them first, you may have noticed that when you pulled them out of the freezer they changed color, and when you cooked them, the texture was off and they tasted different. These are all common effects of freezing vegetables without any kind of pre-treatment and can often be a major turn-off for people who may want to buy their vegetables in bulk but are worried that they will go bad before they eat them all. 

This is where blanching comes in. Blanching is a process where you boil or steam vegetables briefly until they are partially cooked. Blanching stops the enzymatic activity from decaying the vegetables. These enzymes can survive the cold temperatures of a freezer and therefore continue the decaying process even though the food is frozen. However, pre-treating the vegetables in boiling water or steam kills these enzymes and prolongs the decaying process for much longer. Some common vegetables that should be blanched before being frozen are green beans, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and leafy greens. 

The blanching process can be divided into two basic stages: the boiling/steam stage and the ice bath stage. During the boiling/steaming stage, bring water to a boil as you wash and cut your vegetables (there should just be enough water to completely submerge the vegetables in the pot). Once the water is boiling, place the vegetables in the pot of water and wait until it returns to a boil. When the water returns to a boil, start the timer for several minutes (the exact ‘cook’ time depends on the size of the vegetable; a list of suggested cooking times can be found towards the end of this article: https://www.thespruceeats.com/blanching-vegetables-before-freezing-1327660). 

Once the vegetable has been blanched for the recommended time, immediately drain it with a strainer and then plunge the strainer into a bowl of ice cold water. You want to cool the vegetable pieces down as quickly as possible so that they don’t continue to cook from the residual heat. After they have been cooled down, drain the remaining water and then place the vegetable pieces on a cookie sheet. You want to make sure that they are spread out on the sheet so that they aren’t touching each other. Then, place the sheet in the freezer for about an hour (this pre-freezes the vegetables so that when they are then frozen all together in a bag or container, they won’t stick together). After about an hour, transfer the vegetables to a freezer-safe bag or container and then put them back in the freezer until you are ready to cook them.  

Sources:

http://journal.crossfit.com/2012/03/nutrition.tpl
https://www.thespruceeats.com/blanching-vegetables-before-freezing-1327660

Kipping it Real with Anna!

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. August’s Athlete of the Month is Anna Mollman. Anna was chosen because of her commitment to attending the majority of classes every single week, her willingness to learn new skills and accept feedback, her dedication during open gym periods to work on weaknesses, and the fact that she is a positive and joyful person to be around! Her hard work is paying off and we love having Anna as a part of our OPCF community! Learn more about Anna below.

How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit?  I started working out at OPCF in July of last year.

What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout? Do you remember what it was? I don’t remember what my first CrossFit workout was, but I knew from that moment that CrossFit was something I really liked and would continue doing my whole life!

What has been your favorite workout so far? It’s hard to pick just one workout that has been my favorite, but I really enjoy the long chipper workouts that challenge me. One of my favorites was last year when I did murph unpartitioned.

What is your favorite cheat meal? Favorite cheat meal: cheesecake. If you eat enough in one sitting it’s definitely a meal.

What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? I always wanted to work in healthcare so I could help people! I currently am a nurse at Shawnee Mission Medical Center. I spend my nights saving NICU babies!

What do you like to do outside of work? Outside of work I love being at the CrossFit gym, staying active, and going to breweries with my friends!

What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF? The advice I’d give to a newbie starting at OPCF is to focus on small steps towards improvement and just have fun.

What is your favorite/least favorite movement? Favorite movement: FRONT SQUATS. Least favorite movement: strict anything.

What’s one Crossfit goal you have set for yourself to accomplish this next year? A CrossFit goal I’d like to accomplish this next year is ring muscle ups.

What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF? Since starting at OPCF I’ve noticed I’ve made a lot of progress in my technique in various CrossFit movements.

What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far? My biggest improvement is definitely my gymnastics. It’s still a work in progress, but before starting CrossFit I couldn’t do anything that required any gymnastics ability.

How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule? Fitting working out into my weekly schedule is easy because I make it a priority. I often plan my day around making it to the gym because it’s honestly the best part of the day!

What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet? Something that I’ve always wanted to do is skydiving. I plan to do that by the end of the summer!

Shin Splints Beware: What Are They and How to Prevent Them

As the weather gets warmer and gyms are being forced to shut their doors for the time being, members are taking to the trails (or sidewalks) as a way to keep up their fitness. However, after months of being stuck inside a gym due to the colder weather, most athletes are not prepared to jump right back in to running several miles at a time; and without the proper form and training, many athletes often develop the common condition of shin splints. So, before you hit the road to PR your 5k time, here are some things you need to know about shin splints and some steps to take in preventing them.

The most common indicator of shin splints is aching or throbbing pain in your shins after sprints or a daily run. The term ‘shin splints’ actually refers to bone-related shin pain and muscular shin pain. Bone-related shin pain can be a stress injury (irritation of the bone) or more severely, a stress fracture (an actual crack in the bone). Bone-related shin pain can be the result of three variables: body mechanics, amount of activity, and bone density. The less common muscular shin pain, often known as Exertional Compartment Syndrome (ECS), is characterized by a tightening in the shins that increases only during exercise. 

The different methods of treating shin splints are related to whether they are bone or muscular-related. If you think your shin splints are bone-related, it’s important to see a doctor for the correct diagnosis. Also, letting your legs rest by finding other activities, such as swimming or stationary biking, is important for the healing process. If your shin splints are muscle-related, try foam-rolling your shins and calves. Part of the problem with ECS is tight fascia, which is the tough tissue that encircles most of our muscles. Using a foam roller for several minutes, several times a day, can help to loosen up this tissue and therefore relieve any discomfort. 

However, there are ways that you can be proactive to prevent shin splints in the first place. Here are just a few: 

  • Use a shoe that limits pronation (limits the roll of the foot as it strikes the ground) or invest in a pair of arch supports.
  • Strengthen your hips and core muscles. Improving these two areas can make you a better runner by improving your foot strike and overall body mechanics. 
  • Be cautious when increasing your total weekly running mileage. You shouldn’t increase it by more than 10% each week.
  • You may need to shorten your running stride while simultaneously increasing your running cadence. This can help you achieve better running mechanics because you will be putting less load on your feet, shins, knees, and up the kinetic chain. As a reference: count your foot strikes on one side for 1 minute. A good number to shoot for is 85 to 90 strikes of one foot per minute. 
  • Try stretching out your calf muscles using the seven stretches described in this article: https://www.healthline.com/health/shin-splint-stretches

Sources:

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/shin-splints#1
https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a20857494/how-to-treat-shin-splints/
https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a20077003/pronation/

Bodybuilding and Crossfit: Do They Go Hand in Hand?

Picture this: you’re walking through the store wearing your new workout tank from Lululemon and someone comes up beside you and asks the question: “Are you a bodybuilder?” You try to stifle a laugh so as not to offend them, but inwardly you can’t help but giggle with amusement. Secretly, it’s flattering to hear that your arms must look that jacked, but you quickly set the record straight and let them know that you actually do CrossFit (there’s a big difference between staring at yourself in the mirror while doing dumbbell curls and laying on the floor in a pool of your own sweat after you’ve finished your one-hundredth burpee). The misconception that having muscles means you are a bodybuilder may seem a little ridiculous, but the reality is that the sport of CrossFit and the sport of bodybuilding are often seen as the same. This may not necessarily be a bad thing considering that there are several different aspects of bodybuilding that can actually benefit your CrossFit performance. 

When you hear the term ‘bodybuilding’, the image that most likely comes to mind is that of a guy in a cut-off t-shirt doing bicep curls in front of a mirror. This imaginary picture actually brings up an important point: bodybuilding uses movements that train smaller muscle groups in isolation. This type of training can actually benefit CrossFit athletes because oftentimes when they perform compound lifts (squat, deadlift, clean, snatch, etc.), their body will find the most effective way to move the weight, favoring the stronger muscles and protecting the weaker ones. 

Let’s use the back squat as an example. Many athletes, especially females, are quad-dominant, which means they rely on their quad muscles to squat, rather than also engaging their hamstrings and glutes to optimize their strength. One way to reverse this deficiency is to perform movements that isolate the hamstrings (such as glute-ham raises) and/or the glutes (such as barbell glute bridges). These muscle-specific movements teach you how to engage these individual muscles properly and help you strengthen them on their own. 

A bodybuilding-style of training can improve your overall strength because of its tendency to incorporate unilateral (single-sided) movements. Oftentimes, individuals have a weaker side, which can be hidden when they only train with a barbell (the stronger side usually picks up the slack for the weaker side). Therefore, in order to smooth out any imbalances that you might have, it is important to train one side at a time. Movements like single-arm dumbbell press, single-arm dumbbell bench press, or single leg RDLs are an excellent way to build strength and correct imbalances at the same time.

Finally, most bodybuilding programs are known for the volume of sets and reps (example: 8 sets of 8 reps) used for each movement. Some programs also include tempo work (or negatives) where the athlete quickly pushes or pulls the weight from its starting position and then slowly returns the weight back, increasing the time under tension. Not only is this format a sure way to build muscle, but it also works to increase the athlete’s muscle endurance. Lots of sets, lots of reps and increased time under tension will all work together to improve an athlete’s ability to work through muscle fatigue.  

Sources:

https://barbend.com/crossfitters-can-learn-bodybuilding/
https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/5-ways-unilateral-training-can-transform-your-body.html