Weightlifting and Math. And Hips, always Hips.

Wednesday 11/7/12

Mobility:
Elbows to Knees, 1 minute
10 Squats
10 Goblet Squats w/ Kettlebell
10 Lungles
Reverse Plank, 1 minute
Side to Side Push Ups, 5 each side
10 Hanging Lat Activation 

Gymnastics Warmup:
3 rounds or 15 minutes to perform:
3x the complex: pistol right, pistol left, inverted burpee (candlestick into handstand), 2 handstand pushups.
3 strict pull-ups
20 double unders

Notes: If you can, do one HSPU strict and the second one kipping. Focus on good range of motion and a good lock out at the top.

Conditioning:
2 min Amrap Kettlebell snatch (24kg/16kg)

8 min Amrap:
8 Lateral box jumps (20”)
16 OH Walking Lunges (45/25 plate)
25 Hand Release pushups

2min Amrap KB snatch

 Note; This WOD will be performed with a running clock. There is no rest time between the 2 min and the 8min amrap. If you have trouble with the KB swings, you can substitute a one armed swing or a dumbbell snatch. Focus on a tight midline for the pushups, use a band if necessary!

Cool Down:
German Hang, 1 minute
Quad on Wall, 1 minute each side
10 Wall Extensions
Seated Pike, 1 Minute 

Frank in an easy pause front squat.

This weekend, while the Triathlon ensued and Zeb and Lara dominated, I attended a USA Weightlifting Level 1 Certification. It was a two day affair and was both enlightening and redundant.  I certainly gained some new tools for the coaching tool bag and the information on programming for Olympic Weightlifters was fascinating.   In terms of technique drills and overall approach to the lifts, the USAW doctrine is one of a lot of “jumping” and a lot of “shrugging”. Now, I am not saying this is completely wrong but this two day process shed light on the critique from many international and high level American coaches that feel USAW teaches a dated learning progression and lifting technique that limits max power output and ultimately stunts the development of a weightlifter to elite levels. This brings up the nerdy “catapult vs. shrug” debate that rages among weightlifting and even CrossFit circles. If you have no idea what I am talking about, you are probably better off. 

As a gym, we are more of a hip conscious group as this IS the technique that allows the most power. The instructor of the course admitted this to me after a number of discussions regarding my technique, but he strongly cautioned against teaching beginners to use their hips to be the crux of the lift. I thanked him for the advice but had to laugh to myself as I thought about our growing army of members who, as a whole, move incredibly well with the lifts, with the vast majority of them being taught with an advanced learning progression and an emphasis on hips and body to bar contact. Yes, there is a tendency with this technique to miss forward, but as those errors are reigned in, the max power potential for a given  athlete can be found, which many of you are now discovering.

I can not tell you how many drop-ins are astounded by the breadth of our programming and the movement of our general population. We hear the same from those members that travel to other CrossFit gyms. So good job on that front. 

I will continue to nerd out and put forth some percentages that exist with Olympic weightlifting in the balanced or advanced lifter.  These are numbers for you guys to shoot for as you progress. If you do not care about these numbers and just want to get in shape, more power to you. 

– Your Snatch should equal 80% of your Clean and Jerk.
– Your Clean and Jerk should equal 80% of your Back Squat (High Bar).
– Your Power Snatch should equal 80% of you Snatch
– Your Power Clean should equal 80% of your Clean
– Your Front Squat should equal 90% of you Back Squat.
– Your best 3 rep Front Squat should be close to your best Clean and Jerk.  

These numbers are used to find deficiencies in a lifter and give a rubric to shoot for. Obviously, none of these numbers will be exact but if a lifters percentages are significantly higher than these baselines, they need to squat more (increase strength). If the percentages are lower, the lifter’s technical efficiency needs work. There is no need to get caught up in these numbers for a beginning lifter but many of you are progressing beyond this stage and might actually have something to gain from working to align these percentages.

Without a doubt, being a balanced weightlifter will make you better at CrossFit. 

Again guys, let me know if you sign up for the Legendary Competitor Olympic Lifting Meet in the Upcoming Events tab. I am hoping to stage a mock meet this week, possibly Friday open gym.

If that does not work, I at least want to work with everyone signed up before the meet at some point.