Oly Cow!

Wednesday, March 4, 2012

CrossFit 201-Nutrition Discussion, tonight at 8:30!  Nutrition is the Foundation wmv/mov!  Open Gym will be cancelled.

Mobility:
10 Wall Extensions
10 PVC Dislocates
Hip Mobility with Band, 2 minute each
10 PVC Dislocates
10 Wall Extensions

Warmup:
Practice Jumping and Landing (video below)
Burgener Warmup
Snatch Skill Transfer Series

Check out the new video breakdowns of the Burgener Warmup and the introduction of a new skill series for the snatch!

Workout of the Day:
Row 2k

Cool Down:
Jog 200 meters
10 Overhead Squats with PVC
Jog 200 meters
Sampson Stretch, 30 seconds each
Hip Mobility on Box, 2 minutes each

“Olympic Lifting has two movements:  The Snatch and the Clean and Jerk.  They are both explosive movements that both go over the head.  So for starters when weights go over the head, you’ve gotta have good posture and basically be put together correctly.  You need timing and to be able to think…and be explosive.  The amount of training that goes into improving the Olympic lifts, to get strong, is a huge strength base that you keep right up into your thirties and top level sport and you can basically maintain that.”

The above quote is from a CF Journal preview video wmv/mov I saw of Owen Franks, a badass rugby player from the New Zealand team All Blacks.  Since I don’t know much about rugby or Owen Franks for that matter, I did a little research.  At 6’1″ and 260lbs, wikipedia referred to him as, “Relatively small in stature, he is known for his great scrummaging technique and mobility around the field. He is also very strong, with the ability to squat 240kg.”  I would hate to see know what they consider my stature!  With our new late night Olympic Lifting Club that started last week, I thought the above quote was timely.

You’ve gotta have good posture and basically be put together correctly – Without proper positioning and mobility, an athlete will simply never be able to maximize their potential for power and strength.  We see many individuals that have a kind of brute strength, but the Olympic lifts require something much greater.  We must develop a framework for what the movement should look like and address our limitations before we think about how much we are lifting.

You need timing and to be able to think – Again, this is not so much about just being strong, but understanding and visualizing the movement.  When we are training the movement with a PVC pipe, people often wish they had some weight to make it easier, but if you can’t do it with a PVC why do you think it will be easier with weight?  The problem is often having an understanding of what is happening with the movement.  Understanding how the hips move the bar and that we are not pulling or pushing the weight with our arms.  When performing the Burgener Warmup and Skill Transfer exercises, we must understand their purpose and design.

The amount of training that goes into improving the Olympic lifts, to get strong, is a huge strength base –  This is the big lesson here:  Improving on the Olympic lifts will take time!  Our prescription for CrossFit and by extension, the Olympic lifts is proper mechanics first, then consistency of those mechanics and last is intensity.  Intensity in this case would be the weight.  Follow this advice and you will improve more in the long run.  Perform the warmups and skill exercises with diligence.  Develop consistent footwork and strength and mobility in the hips, ankles, wrists and shoulders.  Focus on long term success and put in the training.

Great positioning Caitlin!