Listen to your Body for Signs of Trouble

Written by Einar Leon

Every time there is a workout involving deadlifts I am shocked to hear comments from athletes about the back pain they expect to endure days after the workout. Now, I understand having some soreness of the muscles used for a deadlift (hamstrings, glutes, and spine erectors) which may bring some discomfort within the following days, however in my opinion pain is unacceptable, specifically right after a workout (as noted from an athlete yesterday after completing a WOD of high DL reps at a moderate weight).

The human body is an incredibly well designed and very durable machine, it can be subjected to millions of movement cycles with little or no repercussions if proper movement patters are used. But if the body is exposed to movement with poor or bad form, then the expected life cycle of the joints or muscles affected can be drastically reduced. Athletes with incorrect movement patterns are still capable of accomplishing superhuman feats of fitness because their bodies can adapt to those deficiencies by recruiting alternative joints and muscles, however this process only accelerates the deterioration process.

Unfortunately, our body is also designed to mute pain signals during movement, in others words, you are less likely to notice an injury while moving because our nervous system evolved millions of years ago to ignore pain in order for us to keep on chasing our prey. Muscle and/ or joint pain are reliable indicators of poor form or mechanics, so if you experience pain during or after a workout, make sure to point it out to your coach immediately. Coaches are trained to identify incorrect movement patterns while in motion, but sometimes it may be difficult to assess movement due to class size or by the way an athlete moves naturally. If you expect to experience pain after a workout make sure to talk about it with your coach before class, so that possible faults within your movement mechanics can be addressed immediately. As coaches, it is within our main interests to ensure proper movement and extend the longevity and quality of life of our athletes. A good coach will go out of his/her way to make sure you avoid pain at any cost.

NEVER QUIT, take care of your body, you are not alone!

April 7, 2017April 7, 2017 by Project Never Quit

Notes on 17.3

Written by Einar Leon

Here are the lessons learned after attempting 17.3 this morning:

Watch your transition time: The hardest part of 17.3 was transitioning from the C2B to the snatches. If the pull ups are completed rather quickly, then the snatches become more challenging, especially after the first weigh increase. On the other hand, if you rest too much between transitions, then you may run out of time.

The C2B were surprisingly taxing: After the first set of pull-ups, it was startling how much more difficult it was to complete the snatches. Try to be as efficient as possible during the C2B in an effort to conserve more energy. Don’t be afraid to break the pull ups into smaller subsets, especially on the rounds requiring higher repetitions.

Rely on your snatch technique: Concentrate more on good technique rather than strength during the snatches, it will help you conserve more energy.

Don’t be afraid of scaling: Since the snatch weights increase rather quickly seriously consider scaling, particularly if your goal is to complete all movements before the 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 minute time caps.

Do not get frustrated: If you get to a point in which you are spending most of the time attempting snatches, do not panic. Take time to think about your technique, breathe and make it a goal just to complete one more rep, then another one, and so on. Remember the Games are about challenging yourself while having fun.

NEVER QUIT, have fun!

March 10, 2017 by Project Never Quit

Scaling your Workouts

Written by Einar Leon

Being able to complete WODs as prescribed or Rx is a great confidence booster and an indicator that you are getting stronger, faster and better, however having an Rx by your name on the whiteboard should not be your main goal for training, otherwise you may be missing the whole point of CrossFit.

The stated purpose of CrossFit is to “increase work capacity across broad modal and time domains.” In simple terms, CrossFit is to give you the capacity to perform almost any physical activity safely, quickly and efficiently. For the sake of the argument let’s say that an athlete is able to complete Fran Rx in 7 minutes, but this athlete did not perform a full squat (below parallel) on each thruster repetition, moreover this athlete’s form was compromised by not keeping a neutral spine during the workout. In other words, this athlete completed the WOD quickly, but certainly not efficiently or safely. Due to the lack in technique, this athlete’s work capacity was not optimal, and therefore we can conclude that he/ she did not get the full benefit of the workout, and perhaps even increased his/her risk of injury by not following proper form and technique.

Now consider an athlete who completed a scaled version of Fran (at less weight) in 7 minutes as well. This athlete instead, performed each movement with perfect technique and form. Despite the fact that the power output for the second athlete was less than the first one, athlete number 2 successfully completed the workout just as quickly, but more efficiently and safely than the other one. Consequently we can conclude that the work capacity of athlete 2 was significantly higher, and therefore this athlete received the full benefit of the workout.

The act of focusing on technique more than weight allows athletes to incrementally increase speed and strength, resulting in better mechanics and efficiency. Being more aware of the efficiency of our movements is definitely more beneficial than having an Rx next to our name on the whiteboard.

 

NEVER QUIT thinking about technique.

February 17, 2017February 17, 2017 by Project Never Quit