by John Planow on February 8, 2010
One of the definitions of fitness used by CrossFit relates to the development of 10 physical skills: endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, accuracy, agility, speed and power.
At the seminar I attended this past weekend, part of the discussion was about which of these physical skills is the most important. A compelling argument was made for strength. Part of the justification was that development of strength can lead to an improvement of all other nine skills. For instance, increased strength can allow you to effectively move your body through a greater range of motion (flexibility). The same cannot be said about any of the other nine skills.
What do you think? Can strength truly help improve the other nine skills? Is it the most important? Post thoughts to comments.
February 9, 2010 WOD
Overhead Squat
5-5-3-3-1-1-1
by Nehal Patel on February 7, 2010
We’ve all been there: in the middle of an intense workout, searing lungs, tired arms, burning quads; and it’s only round three of eight. Wait. Is it? Or am I on round four?
It happens more often than I’d like. With all the things going on in my head – “keep that core tight”, “don’t pull early with your arms”, “drive off your heels”, all my body parts screaming at me to stop, coaches telling me NOT to stop, and trying to keep track of how many reps and rounds I’ve done – something is bound to lose, especially as the volume of screaming body parts approaches eleven. And every now and then, to add to the chaos, little thoughts enter my head, “Almost done. Wait, how many do I have left? Oh crap, where was I? Did the Bears win yesterday? I’m hungry; I should’ve eaten a better lunch.” It then takes real effort and mental stamina to stay focused and drown out that noise.
But this is all just another part of our training. Sure, we show up at the gym for physical exercise. Our bodies get stronger and faster; we are able to push and pull harder and longer. But we also learn to quiet our minds and focus on the top priority of the moment, over longer periods of time. We learn to turn down the volume from those screaming body parts (and know difference between ‘just screaming’ and injury). With practice we build up our mental stamina so we won’t lose track of our rep counts and still be able to focus on all the other relevant mental notes. In the meantime, we have some strategies to help:
- Have someone count for you (also a good way to make sure you only count reps with proper form)
- Use a whiteboard or a stack of poker chips or coins to count rounds
- Vocalize the count (just a whisper) as you exhale through the exertion of the rep
The training here has applications beyond the gym. Once you are better equipped to quiet distractions, you can improve your performance at work and school, and even social situations. You can ignore those instant-messages and e-mails so you can get your work done by the deadline. You can ignore the loud-talker in the next cube or at the next table and continue your conversation. You can stop turning your head \when someone walks by your dinner table and pay attention to your date.
How do you keep going? How do you keep track of your rep and round numbers? Are you focused on your work, or are you letting other thoughts enter your mind? Or are you so focused on your current rep that you’ve lost track?
Post responses and thoughts to comments.
February 8, 2010 WOD
Tabata pullups
Tabata pushups
Tabata situps
Tabata sumo deadlift high-pulls (men: 45 lbs; women: 30 lbs)
Complete 8 rounds of 20 seconds of pullups, followed by 10 seconds of rest. Without any further rest, do the same for pushups, then situps, then sumo deadlift high-pulls.
