CrossFit New Zealand

Thursday 1 March

That's it folks.  That's officially the end of our awesome kiwi summer.......

Lucky for us it tends to stick around for another month or two, so do your best to get the heck outside and enjoy it!  Go for a trail run, swim in the ocean, learn to stand up paddle board, dust off your old 10-speed (but look out for Auckland drivers, they hate us cyclists.......). There are still a few cool off road events like The Dual happening, and HERE's something different to train for.

Don't forget we have an impromtu pullup workshop tonight at 630pm, all welcome, no charge.

Workout

Clusters 3-3-3 Touch and go reps

Litvinov style Complexes
8 Thrusters @ 60-80% of 3RM cluster
100m sled drags 20/10kg.
Rest 3mins
3 rounds

Wednesday 29 February

A big welcome to Hilary Riordan and Brendan Walsh all the "long way from Tipperary", Ireland.  NZ is their home now, and as an extension, so is CFNZ.  They are both great athletes and will be a welcome addition to the team score each week of the Open competition.  Be sure (to be sure.....) to say hello when you see them around the gym.

Workout - Leap Day

Max height box jump (standing)
Max height box jump (3 steps)
Max height box jump (single leg)
Then,
10 burpee box jumps 60/50cm
10 Wallballs 9/6kg
1 rope climb
AMRAP in 12 mins

Tuesday 28 February

An amazing gang of newbies graduated from the Intro Program last week.  You'll be seeing them around the gym this week.

Next Tuesday at 630pm you'll also see a bunch of people sprinting into the gym, and then not actually picking up any heavy stuff.  Our Endurance Club - Team Faster, kicks off another 8 week block, meeting Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings for interval training, tempo and technique work, time trials and the odd hill, track and trail run.  If you're keen to join, we have around 6 spots left, email Darren to register.

And who's coming to our pullup workshop on Thursday?  630pm for some serious chin over bar action.

Workout

Build quickly to a heavy power clean in 12 mins,

Then,

4 Handstand Push-Up
8 Kettlebell Swing 32/24kg
12 Toes 2 Bar
AMRAP in 15mins

Monday 27 February

So last week we talked about the pushup, now it's the pullup's turn......

In CrossFit, we do a few different types of pullups. 

The deadhang, standard pullup.

The gymnastic style L-pullup.

The strength building weighted pullup.

The increased range of motion chest to bar pullup.

And of course, let's not forget, the classic upperbody conditioning movement, the kipping pullup.

But I've been seeing a couple of other types around the gym lately............

The Spitting Cobra.

 Firstly, absolutely no offense meant to any of the people in these pictures (I just found them on the interweb to serve as examples, I don't know the situation behind the photos).

The above pic shows a classic hyperextended spinal position often seen from people who are new to kipping and don't have a good foundation of strength training or sport behind them.  Or if they are female.......

Sorry but it's true, it's mostly ladies who pull out the Spitting Cobra come pullup time, and it's mostly because they aren't strong enough, and have to rely on excessive elastic recoil via this jacked up, bent backwards position.  You know the hollow and arch rocks we do in warmups? That's what your body should look like at the bottom.  Check out THIS video at about 5:35 (but watch the whole thing, it's gold) to learn more about correct body positioning.

The Horizontal Mamba, aka The (Unintentional) Hand Release Pullup.

Now this pic is actually of a front lever, I couldn't find what I wanted in Google, and didn't want to stalk you guys in the gym, but what I'm talking about is a pullup with a really high hip drive and the shoulders kicked back, while simultaneously using a 'suicide grip' which is where the thumbs aren't around the bar.

It's a recipe for disaster.

The Karate Kid

We see this one with people who are completely dependant on bands to generate their pull up power.  One big front kick to lighten the load on the band and allow it to propel you to the bar.  This one is often combined with the Horizontal Mamba.....  Daniel-san, if you have slipped through the coaches clutches, you need to give up the band kip, and get back to deadhangs with a larger band, negative pullups, and ring rows.  Mr Miyagi says, "before learn punch, must learn block"

 

The Surgeons New Audi

Friends don't teach friends how to Butterfly!! Firstly, it is not your job, and you are potentially going to lead them to injury.  We (that is the coaches, not you) DO NOT allow people to butterfly kip until they have at least 6 months of conventional kipping under their belt.  And that's 6 months of powerful, controlled kipping with a strong midline, not any of the horrors talked about above. And some people we don't encourage the butterfly at all, ever, due to their particular biomechanical issues.  The butterfly should mostly only be only used in competitions, stick to a strong conventional kip in training.

Some of you may not be aware that we actually don't teach our newbies how to kip at all.  They are fed a steady diet of ring rows, negative pullups and dead hang pullups, along with a few turkish get ups to ensure that their shoulders can eventually handle the high loads that kipping produces. 

If you possess good timing and coordination, it is possible that you can get kipping kipping pullups, before you can achieve a deahang pullups.  But it is likely also before the structures of your shoulder are conditioned to handle it.

Have you noticed that on our Fitness Levels we demand a dead hang BEFORE a kip?  There's a reason for that.  To encourage you to work on strength first.  Trust us, it will only pay off for you in the long run.  Refer back to the Mr Miyagi quote again......

So todays workout is:

Deadhang Nicole

Run 400m

Max reps deadhang pullups

AMRAP in 20 mins

AND, it's been far too long since we've had a movement workshop, so to make up for it, and just in case there is pullups in The Open 12.2, there will be a Pullup Workshop this Thursday 630pm, and it's free to all CFNZ members. 

Way to go Atalay and Ginny for completing the Coastal Challenge on Saturday - 33km of running and swimming the coastline from Whangaparoa down to Devonport.

Saturday 25 Saturday

Workout

Reebok CrossFit Open 12.1

AMRAP in 7 mins of burpees with jump to a 6 inch target.

Finisher

100m sled drag 20/10kg

200m sandbag run 25/12.5kg

400m run

If you're unsure of strategy, and it's driving you nuts, there's plenty of opinions and ideas out there.  Have a listen to Carl Paoli's thoughts HERE, and you can watch Pat B HERE.

Friday 24 February

Pete giving his all during a max effort day.  Rowing, weight pullups, presses, deadlifts, back squats, one thing they all have in common is their ability to bring about an awesome grimace........  think we might have to start a photo wall......

Workout

Clean tech
- 3 position clean on the minute for 10mins @60%
Then 1 rep at 70%, 80%, 90%, 90%
Front Squat 1-1-1 @ 90%+
Then,
12 DB Hang Squat Clean (20/15kg)
12 Toes to bar
3 Rounds

If you are competing in the Reebok CrossFit Open, feel free to come on in today and play around with the burpee standard, and perhaps bang out a minutes worth to see how the pace feels.  At the very least, mobilise your pecs, thoracic spine, hips and calves.

Thursday 23 February

We've written a few posts on shoes before, but after I was inspired to write another one after a) getting a couple of new pairs to try out, and b) seeing an average movie on the plane to San Diego, that had a couple of above average comedy moments.  I don't know if it was just me, but the clip below had me rolling in the aisles under the flight attendants feet......

Hilarious?  Or do I need to find a new sense of humour?  Either way, there is a good lesson there. 

The shoes of yesterday are being rapidly replaced by the shoes of today.

Yesterdays shoes are large, bulky pieces of foam with anti-pronating wedges, contoured arch supports and hyperdrive energy saving/producing/enhancing heels.

Todays's shoes are minimalist, light, low heel, barefoot style pieces of equipment that allow us to move faster, and more naturally.

Heel striking is out.

Midfoot landing is in.  Pose running, Chi running, Natural running, whatever you call it, running is being recognised as a skill, and like any skill it can be improved with practice, and better equipment.

Reese at High Beam in Manukau is our main man for Inov8 shoes.  And he recently brought in stock of the latest and greatest CrossFit specific shoe - the Bare XF 210.

This is a true minimalist, barefoot style shoe, so I would only recommend it to those of you who have spent time in 195's, 155's, New Balance Minimus (yes they do actually make SOME good shoes!!) and Vibram Five Fingers.  The rest of you might find you get too much impact on the soles of your feet when running and jumping.  Note the rope guard on the side!!  That's a major plus and will stop you destroying your treasured shoes on rope climb days.

Workout

Deadlift 3-3-3-3

10 Deads 100/70kg
10 burpees
AMRAP in 6 mins

The Open Workout 12.1 is announced at around 2pm today.   Try not to hit refresh too many times, and let's see if the servers can handle the demand this year........ :)  I'll be emailing my thoughts on workout strategy and gaming to all entrants on Friday, and happy to discuss it in person as well Friday night/Saturday morning.

Wednesday 22 February

The Pushup

We need to talk about this movement.  Why is it one of the simplest exercises we do at CrossFit, yet it is one of the most incorrectly performed and unfortunately, the most cheated?

For someone starting out with exercise, they tend to think of the pushup as a challenge to their upper body strength, namely the shoulders, chest and arms.  But it is also a major test of midline stability.  Being able to hold decent tension in your midline is crucial to getting your first pushups, and even more crucial to maintaining good form during multiple reps and sets. When I see people making love to the ground with sagging hips, or waving their arse around in the air like they're in a yoga class, that is a sign of a weak midline.

You don't just need strength in your pushing muscles, you need to keep your midline tight as well.  If your thighs or stomach are touching the ground before your chest, or are not leaving the floor before your chest, you are lacking midline strength, and are not maximising the potential of the pushup.

Have a listen to the dynamic duo of Carl Paoli and Kelly Starrett getting you set up for a perfect pushup.

We often work on the hollow body position during warmups.  Get some extra work in on it, to improve your pushup.  Here's another great vid from Carl P.

Now, I know that some of you have no problem with midline control.  Despite repeated cues, curses, and my foot pressed into your spine, you seem unable to perform the simple task of getting your chest to the ground.  That is why we employed a new coach at CFNZ.  Some of you have met her, her name is Chelsea.

Coach Chelsea the rubber chicken goes beyond the call of duty, lying belly up on the floor directly under your sternum.  The same sternum that seems unable to make contact with the floor, is now required to produce a squeak out of Chelsea on every single rep for it to count.

But she can't be everywhere.  And let's face it, 20 people squeaking a chicken would drive us all crazy.

So we've been playing around with some ways to help you all get better.  Here's a great version of the pushup used at the competition in Brisbane I attended a couple of weeks ago.  (watch the first minute).

Movement Demos Hardnup 2012 from CrossFit Brisbane on Vimeo.

Now we're not going to go to that extreme for every workout, but after seeing it in action, I couldn't deny how effective it was.  We're going to stick with a simple version today.  Feet on a 20kg bumper plate.  It's not going to ensure you get your chest to the ground, but it's going to put you at a more favourable angle to achieve it, while keeping your thighs and hips away from the ground.  If they do touch the ground, you will have had to have made an extra effort to do so, ie. cheat, and the 'no rep' call will fly thick and fast......

As Michael Jackson says after he's given his backing dancers a rev up, "with love people, with love....."

Workout

AMRAP in 15 mins of:
10 Pull-Ups
15 pushups
20 Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
25 Situps
40 Double-Unders

Tuesday 21 February

Tasi and Andrew have just joined the main classes out of their private Intro.  Please say hi when you see them around the gym!

Workout

Find your 1-RM Weighted Pull-Up in 15mins

As many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:
12 One-Arm Dumbbell Snatch  (6 each arm, 20/15kg)
200m run

Happy Birthday Robbie Tan!

A note on recovery and Injury from CFNZ coach Amanda Bunn.

 

99% of the injuries I see in this gym are preventable!! It makes no difference wether you are someone that has just started crossfit, someone doing it just for fun or a competitive athlete - everyone needs to have recovery (and pre-habilitation) protocols in place to prevent injury. Yes it takes time - but in the long term it allows you to train consistently for longer periods of time.

Some of the things I do....

 

Pre-habilitation - Nutrition, Sleep. Then - Dynamic stretching, Ring rows, Turkish Get Ups, Russian KB Swings - I’m not injured, I do these things because I spend most of my day doing everything in front of my body (I also play a lot of tennis, single handed) the muscles in the front of my body get short/tight and the ones on the back weak and loose - and if I left it I'd be at risk of injury. 

 

Work-out - I push my limits but not to breaking point. Breaking point is when your technique starts to fail, increasing the likelihood of injury. I stop (in training) at any sign of physical pain in/around a muscle or joint, they are not meant to be in pain, its a warning sign, listen to it. Shooting nerve pain, numb arms when you go overhead is not okay. Ever!

 

Recovery - stretching/foam rolling for 40+ mins on the days I work out, about 15min on the days I don’t, hot/cold showers/baths, massage, chiro; and then any niggles I do have (if its not 80% better in 3 days) I see my physio.

 

It may seem like a lot, but consistent training in a sport a love is the key to setting myself up to succeed.

 

Take responsibility for yourself! - ask me (or any of the trainers) if you don’t know what your doing or where to start.

 

Workout

Press 3-3-3

Then,

400 Meter run
10 Push Jerks 60/40kg
5 rounds