Crossfit is often about legs and core. These WODs are not. Not at all.
Check them and get ready to wear your tight shirts:
5-10-15-20-15-10-5
Push-press
Ring dips
Push-ups
The post 8 Tough Crossfit WODs to Build Solid Upper Body Strength appeared first on BOXROX.
Before performing any movement, you first need to evaluate to see if the dip is even appropriate for your body.
The biggest mistake with dips is letting the shoulder move forward as you go down. It protrudes out of its socket. This puts a tremendous amount of stress on the shoulder joint and its muscles.
If you want to make dips safer for the shoulders, make sure to lower yourself while keeping the shoulder joint in its socket. Do that by contracting the upper back as you go down. Pinch your shoulder blades together so that you could clamp something in between.
It might make the dips tougher at first because you’re using the proper muscles to do the job instead of leveraging your way up. But as you become familiar with that technique you automatically become much stronger.
You can control the quality of you dip by the swing of your body. If you aren’t doing the dip properly you tend to move the torso and legs during the exercise. Those who are good at dips seem to keep their torso and legs fixed on a sliding rail.
Ring dips are quite a bit more challenging than bar dips because rings are extremely unstable, therefore demanding the use of numerous stabilizer muscles in your core and shoulders. Though they are the first step to the Muscle up.
Loop each end of a resistance band around each dip bar handle. Assume the starting dip position, with arms extended, and put your knees against the band. Lower your body against the resistance band until your elbows are at 90°. Dip up to the starting position until your elbows are straight. This dip variation makes the movement easier at the bottom, with minimal assistance at the top. Use weaker bands as you become stronger to smoothly transition to full body weight dips.
Grasp the dip bars, with your feet on the floor. Then jump up to give your body just enough momentum so that you can complete the positive rep. Focus on the negative by slowly lowering yourself down.
Position your body perpendicular to a bench, with your palms on the edge of the bench and elbows extended, supporting your body. Plant your heels on the floor, with your knees slightly bent. Lower your body until your elbows are at 90°. Then dip up by extending your arms until your elbows are straight.
You’ll need a parallel bars setup so you have enough room to move your body back and forth. Grasp the bars and extend your arms to get into the starting position. Then push backwards to lower yourself down and back, onto your forearms. Pull yourself forward into the bottom position of a regular dip. Then push yourself up by extending your arms to return to the start. Repeat.
Bulgarian dips are a variation of ring dips. The difference is that, on Bulgarian dips, you rotate your wrist as you go back and forth between the top and the bottom of the motion. Specifically, you use an underhand grip at the top, and an overhand grip at the bottom.
The post Crossfit Training Tips to Help You Master Dips appeared first on BOXROX.
Crossfit WODs are your bread and butter! They are thought out and programmed in advance with every member in mind! Ways to make the exercises safe for beginners and ways to make the exercises even harder for the more experienced!
There is nothing I love more than someone coming in with a “come at me bro” attitude, it literally doesn’t matter what is on that whiteboard, you’re going to destroy it!
It’s one of the things that sets the tone of the entire class! I really feed off energy and the more energy I see the more I can give. It doesn’t matter if it’s a light technique day or murph, if every one of your weaknesses is on that whiteboard your attitude can be the determining factor of you having an awesome session or you having a hard ass WOD and feeling down about your performance! Athlete mindset is – be ready for anything!
Your coach lives and breathes exercise and fitness, they know everything there is to know about everything… But it is completely irrelevant if they can’t transfer that knowledge to their athletes. One of the best ways for you to progress is to ask questions. You don’t know what questions to ask? Good! Now you have to THINK! Nothing makes me happier than someone asking about a specific part of a movement, that’s when you know the person is REALLY starting to take an interest! And that’s when gains start to happen! You’re now on the road to becoming self sufficient, coach isn’t going to be there forever. If you honestly don’t understand something and ESPECIALLY at the start of the class then just say!
The only stupid question is one that was never asked!
Crossfit is NOT a circuit class, it is a program, you can get better at it and the only way to get better and to know if you’re getting better is to keep a log of what you’re doing.
As a beginner, it is quite daunting to look at heavier weights and it’s hard to know when to step it up a little. Generally the same weights are used for certain movements in WOD’s so around 40kg for guys and 30kg for girls, if you’ve been using a 20kg bar for push presses and thrusters etc, your technique is solid and you’re finishing well within the time cap of the workouts then try going up to 25kg for a WOD and see how you go!
If you still finish within the time cap then it was the right thing to do! If you’re standing looking at the barbell for 2 minutes between reps then yes it’s too soon, you don’t know if you don’t try and you’ll usually surprise yourself! When someone knows exactly what weights they’re using for workouts and strength movements, results will happen and if they aren’t then we can actually look at your training log and hopefully see what could be improved!
After the WOD is when you can set yourself up for your next success! Make friends! See someone new? Introduce yourself! Arrange when you’re next going to be there with someone and you’ll have more chance of sticking to it and so will they!
I don’t think people really realise the power they have. If you hang around with motivated people you will more likely be motivated and vice versa, be more motivated and you WILL influence those around you and they in turn will motivate you! And you know what? Be one of those people that posts about their workouts! You’ve no idea how much a mum in her 40’s can inspire someone just by uploading a picture on social media of themselves being active! Breed positivism by being positive!
If there are penalties for leaving water bottles, not putting equipment away and even the dreaded BIRTHDAY BURPEES! Do all that stuff! It’s good stuff that keeps the box in order and encourages people to be more respectful! If you have been there longer it’s up to you to lead by example and pull other members too! There’s nothing worse than having to clean up after a messy class when it takes seconds to put a barbell or a kettlebell away! Your box should be like your second home and you should treat it as such!
Be the change you want to see! Be positive and inspire others!
The post 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Crossfit WODs appeared first on BOXROX.
We have all been there, excited after trying Crossfit for the first time. This new sport we discovered, this thing were we push ourselves to our very limit and feel as good afterwards as we’ve ever felt before, we tell our friends and family about it. Maybe they are a bit overweight, living an unhealthy lifestyle, and could really profit from doing Crossfit twice a week or even more often – at least that’s what you think. They on the other hand don’t. They fob you off with excuses about why they can’t and probably never will even try your new favourite activity, Crossfit.
This article contains the five excuses that I have heard the most from people – and the arguments against those excuses.
You got some of your own I didn’t mention below? Let me and the Boxrox community know in the comment section.
I’ve heard this one quite a lot from people and under certain circumstances I can relate to that. If you are a single mother of three and live on a waiter’s salary, it sure is much more difficult to come up with money for Crossfit than if you are a bank manager. But the problem here is that most people actually could afford Crossfit if they’d just put their priorities straight.
Once a guy, who was slightly overweight and smoked a pack of cigarettes per day, told me he couldn’t afford Crossfit. Well, you can’t afford caring for your own health but you spend money on cigs? Sorry dude, I totally can’t relate to that. So, next time when somebody is telling you they can’t afford Crossfit, ask them why – and also ask them what price they are willing to put on their health. Maybe you’ve got friends who smoke or spend money on things they don’t really need. Tell them to prioritize their health. Also, if you got a friend who’s skeptical about Crossfit overall and doesn’t want to spent money on it until they see results, consider gifting them with a trial month (for his or her birthday for example).
This excuse kind of falls into the same category as the first one, people not wanting to spend their ressources on their health. But they got time binge-watching their favourite TV-show and hanging around on the couch with a beer in their hand, don’t they?
Yeah, I get it – I like watching TV for hours, too, especially after a stressful workday. We all need some kind of alone-relaxing-time and also time with friends and family. Managing your work and social life is often pretty exhausting.
But this is where Crossfit can step in as it will be right what you need to de-stress yourself. In your own experience, doesn’t it feel so much better to hit a WoD after a really bad day at work when you just want to scream at everybody? To blow some steam off before you get home to your family and before you throw yourself on the couch? Tell people they may have to get up a bit earlier if they want to squeeze in Crossfit into their busy schedule. But also tell them, that it will be totally worth it – and also might keep them from getting a psychotic break.
Maybe this is one of the most worst excuses one can make – and I for my part can probably relate to it the most out of all excuses. When people see other athletes doing Crossfit, one of the first reactions one will get is: „Oh my gosh are those guys strong. I will never be able to do that, therefore I won’t even try.“
The main problem you have to address when it comes to this excuse is the fact that these people already feel uncomfortable with their own body. Maybe they are a little or much overweight, maybe they are skinny-fat or maybe they look normal but their body image has been ruined by fitness magazines and top model shows. Also, maybe they remember how everybody picked on them at school because they were the nerdy one who was bad at sports.
Getting people who feel like this to try Crossfit can be tough. But if you can get them to at least come to a box with you and do one WoD, they will probably realize, that Crossfit isn’t about comparing yourself to the other people working out with you. Be very eager to show them what kind of community Crossfit is and that they will earn the respect of everybody around them not by lifting the most weight but by trying the hardest and not giving up. Show them videos on Youtube of people older, bigger or otherwise in worth shape than they are to emphasize that Crossfit really is for everybody – and that everybody can learn and do everything.
Many people, even individuals within the fitness industry, tend to argue that Crossfit is dangerous. Well, why is that so?
People are afraid of things they don’t know and because Crossfit is a pretty young sport, the normal population doesn’t know it very well. If you got a friend who really doesn’t want to try Crossfit because he is afraid of hurting him-/herself, ask them to specify their fears. Going on from there, tell them about the fact that there is always a coach with them watching like a hawk if they do the excercises correct. Also, do tell them how long you by yourself have been injury free and compare it to a favourite sports of theirs (football for example) to show them that they won’t get hurt more in any way than in other sports activity they might prefer.
Why does everything have to be fun? Ok, I get it – people will be more motivated to do a certain activity if it feels like fun to them. But this excuse combines certain aspects of the other ones, like prioritizing health and having a wrong conception of what Crossfit is.
Either way there are a few questions you have ask here, if you got a friend who doesn’t think Crossfit is fun. Why don’t they think it’s fun? What would make it fun for them? Does becoming healthy and more active really need to be fun in the first place? Attempt to get them to at least try Crossfit for more than one time. Motivate them. And be careful not to push them.
Show them, that Crossfit can be fun in a lot of ways regarding their specific needs for it to be a fun activity. It can be fun because of the interaction with other people you get there. It can be fun because the WoD changes and you’ll never workout the same way – therefore it’s diversified. It can be fun because due to the many different exercises you will make progress with every WoD, since there is always at least one activity you get better at. And, last but not least, it can be fun because of how great you feel about what you have accomplished.
All these excuses above cater to one very deep-rooted problem, and that is people prioritizing the wrong things in their life. They want to go down the easiest road possible without realizing that real fulfillment in life comes from dedication and hard work – that is why we feel so good after each WoD.
People just don’t realize that they are in charge of their life and their health – and it’s (mostly) nobody else’s fault but their own when they fail living a healthy lifestyle. Of course certain people having a much harder time than others – but by prioritizing the right things, like quitting smoking so you can afford that box membership, anyone can see these excuses as what they are: excuses and nothing more.
I am not saying that Crossfit solves everything that is wrong in our lives. But it certainly will make things a lot better and will be a step in the right direction – tell that to everyone who gives you one of the above mentioned or other excuses about why they can’t do Crossfit. And then carefully drag them to your favourite Box!
The post 5 Excuses Why People Avoid Trying Crossfit (& How to Counter Them) appeared first on BOXROX.
Five Weeks | Feb. 23 – March 27
17.1: Feb. 23 – 27
17.2: March 2 – 6
17.3: March 9 – 13
17.4: March 16 – 20
17.5: March 23 – 27
“Anyone aged 14 or older can compete in the Open. All you have to do is sign up at Games.CrossFit.com and log your score each week. Workouts are released on Thursdays at 5 p.m. PT, and athletes have four days to complete the workout for the week and submit their score. Scores are due before 5 p.m. PT the following Monday. Complete the workouts at a CrossFit affiliate with a judge, or film your effort from anywhere in the world and submit a link as proof.”
“Since 2015, the Open has offered a scaled option in addition to the prescribed workout. This option makes the all-inclusive event even more accessible to the masses.”
Thursday to Monday: April 20 – 24
“New this year, teenage athletes will join the masters in The Online Qualifier following the Open. The top 200 masters and teenagers from each division will be invited to compete in the four-day, online competition.”
“The qualifier will decide the 20 fittest masters and teenagers from every division who will each receive a ticket to the Games.”
All athletes from 35 – 39 will have now their own division.
Three Weekends | May 19 – June 4
The fittest men, women and teams from 17 worldwide areas will head to one of eight regional events over three weekends starting in May for their chance to compete at the Games:
August 1 – 6
“The 2017 Reebok CrossFit Games will be held at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. After seven years at the StubHubCenter in Carson, California, the Games will move to a new location for at least the next three years.”
Regional Tickets: Monday, March 27
Games Tickets: Thursday, April 27
The post 2017 Open, Regionals and CrossFit Games Schedule appeared first on BOXROX.
When setting up a Crossfit box, there are a lot of things to be excited about: Designing that remarkable logo, painting the walls in a stunning shade, purchasing all the amazing equipment that will give your members their best hour of the day for hundreds of days in the future. But getting the right gym floor might feel more like a chore with little to no prestige.
However, the flooring is of great importance for the quality that your box will offer. It directly influences the lifts and WOD’s of every member. Ever experienced the struggle from a plyo box dangling with each jump? Or the search for an even, hole-free spot when doing a squat, with a (potential) PR on you back? Or a barbell bouncing through the whole class after dropping it from a S2O? Grant your fellow Crossfitter a hassle-free environment – staring from the ground!
Daily Metcon’s in a group setting including heavy weights and jumping movements will put great demand on your gym floor. Consider the following requirements before purchasing:
With that in mind, many box owner make the choice for gummi granulate. The material is recycled and therefore environmentally friendly and affordable. It spreads like a soft cushion all over your surface, greatly reducing the noise and protecting your ground flooring from cracks. Due to its high elasticity, it absorbs kinetic energy effectively and minimizes the bounce of dropped weights. One certified manufacturer for gym flooring is HOLD STRONG Fitness.
To ensure these functions, we recommend a thickness of at least 20mm. If facing a slightly uneven concrete, and for gyms located on a higher storey, 25mm or more are highly reccomended.
Gym flooring sold in single pieces is a popular choice. Squared segments of the standard measurement 1000 x 1000mm are convenient; they can be easily laid and cut without special tools to fit small rooms, narrow spots, corners and areas around object such as rigs and racks. These are also very handy for home gym owners.
Having a few spare pieces in stock is a great way to build temporary “lifting platforms” for outdoor usage on sunny days, training or for competitions.
The purchase of flooring in puzzle pieces comes with the advantage of a tape and glue free installation. High quality puzzles interlock effectively and eliminate any sliding.
In case you have a large area to cover, flooring on a roll enables you to lay it quickly with the minimum number of gaps – a very smooth and safe surface is created. Perfect for double unders and everything dynamic.
Flooring doesn’t need to be boring at all! It can contribute to your unique box design and colour concept. By adding EPDM particles of your preferred colour to the gummy granulate, you can go beyond the usual grey and black. Also, the marking of specific areas (lifting, sprinting, sled push etc.) is possible and will help to take WODs to the next level. Be creative and make your box a feel good place!
Improve your Box or home gym now!
Get it right and build the perfect gym flooring © Holdstrong
Push your limits! © Squats and Pixels
Puzzle pieces for a perfectly smooth finish © Squats and Pixels
The post Starting from the Ground – How to Find Your Perfect Gym Flooring appeared first on BOXROX.
Merry Fitness to all of you. Are you still struggling with the Christmas gift for your beloved training partner? Don’t know how to achieve the goals you set or looking for some appeal to get even better next year? Here are our suggestions for great gifts that we don’t know how we survived without!
Sore knees from opening all the gifts, or perhaps you want to improve performance?
With the patented Rehband Black Knee Sleeves, you can assist and support the natural movements of your body, protect your joints and keep them warm between sets and during WODs. Worn by top athletes such as Josh Bridges, Annie Thorisdottir and Camille LeBlanc-Bazinet, these are designed for optimal performance in the toughest of conditions.
With the classic styling and minimal design, these eye-catching pieces of kit are bound to invoke every Crossfitters inner Froning. As our partner for 2 years now it is the go-to brand for all active people looking to maintain, protect and improve their results.
This Gift will make you jump!
These XOOM ropes bring high quality gear for the hardest professional competitions.
With the 360° rotating ball bearing and the ultra-light, strong unibody aluminium stick, these XOOM jump ropes will allow you to become more than ready for any challenge.
Go hard-core by choosing the cable made of a durable nylon-coated steel, making this rope suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. If you know a Crossfitter that has been working hard on cracking their double under technique, then trust in the experience of the XOOM team that have been involved in sport for more than 25 years and pride themselves with the philosophy of ensuring the athletes’ well being is number one priority.
100 % Delicious by Nature
With carefully chosen ingredients from perfectly ripe coconuts, Real Coconut Water is the most delicious coconut water offered by Mother Nature. The coconut water comes from Nakorn Pathom, Ban Preaw and Ampawa – Thailand´s famous region, noted for having the best and sweetest coconuts in the world. They enjoy close relationships to the best farmers and crops. One bottle of their coconut water has more potassium than a banana, and far less calories than a standard soft drink or juice.
Enjoy it pure or with pulp (coconut bits) but also give their new varieties a go: Coco Passion, Coco Matcha, Coco Aloe and Coco Coffee – for the extra push before training!
Following in the Footsteps of Sarah Sigmundsdottir and Mat Fraser
Every workout is a unique challenge with the most diverse requirements, so it is absolutely necessary to have a shoe that supports you in every situation. The Nike Metcon 2, worn by many professional athletes is so versatile, it lets you lift, run, jump and even climb ropes without any losses in performance.
The midsole is firmer in the heel to handle the high demands of weightlifting, and softer and much more flexible in the forefoot to provide cushioned comfort as you run. Linked with the sticky rubber this gives you maximised traction and makes you ready to tackle your next WOD. A perfect Christmas gift for all the Swoosh-lovers out there!
Christmas plans are tight? ZeroPoints is even tighter!
Founded in 2009 the Finish company’s goal is to provide a unique experience and help athletes reach their true potential with true compression.
This scientifically proven ZeroPoint Intense Socks 2S are perfect for high-intensity sport and recovery. Tested and worn by Games athletes such an Jonne Koski, the Zeropoint products give you the strongest medical-grade graduated Compression. We all know how legs can feel heavy and swell up during and after exercise. This is the result of the excess load on venous valves that carry blood to the heart. When using compression products, the valves remain closed and allow better blood flow to the heart.
So take the opportunity and dress up for your winter training!
The FEAST to-go
This little Berlin Start-Up is on a mission to bring you a healthy and conscious meat snack that is perfect as an on the go meal or a valuable post workout protein source. With 15,2g protein per 25g pack, this Wild Jerky from Paleo Jerky will be welcomed (then wolfed down) by the Crossfitters who train hard whatever time of year it is. A decent gamy taste of this 100% wild shot deer gives you an inimitable taste adventure. It is also 100% Paleo: That means no sugar, no gluten, no lactose, no allergenic substances and no soy.
In short, it doesn’t get much healthier than this for a Christmas gift.
Keep the cold outside with the Reebok CrossFit Fleece Pant
Before you’re training, you need to let your body warm up. And since it’s cold outside and winter is coming, it’s time to get cozy. Move through your early routines with fitted comfort from the cuffed hems and waistband draw cord.
Coming to you in Coal Grey or a Collegiate Navy the Reebok CrossFit Fleece Pants will become your best friend in and outside the box. The slit fit of the pants will make sure to move alongside your exercise or if nobody looks, just have a classic rest day on the couch.
So get comfy and warm up in style!
Protect your hands and enhance your performances.
The 3 part w.o.d. welder handcare kit prevents and repairs hand rips and callus tears caused by intensive workouts and repeated grinding on hands and palms.
Made of all natural ingredients Hands as Rx Cream contains lanolin, which holds moisture to the skin, food grade olive oil, and beeswax All three ingredients, plus aloe and shea butter, act in synergy as anti-inflammatories, providing cell regeneration, and speeding healing. Hands as Rx Cream is a daily-use, quickly absorbed skin cream that keeps athletes’ hands and palms supple and hydrated to help prevent skin injuries.
Hand rips and tears slow you down and hinder Crossfit progress. Be smart and maximise your results.
From Athletes, for Athletes
This dedicated company always use 5 athletes to check every product, like the RPM 3.o. SpeedRope before they stock it. In a way that only Crossfitters can, every item is put through rigorous WODs, strength sessions and used in exactly the way that you would. Because of this, you can be sure that the RPM 3.0 SpeedRope is of the highest quality and will last and perform when you need it most.
”Still the toughest, fastest, most efficient speed rope ever made, the session is the foundation of their rope line up. So whether it’s getting someone their first ever double-under or propelling a games athlete to a win, this rope is ready for whatever you can throw at it, and could be the last rope you ever need to buy.”
Browse through their shop for more cool Christmas gift ideas.
German “Wurst” Quality meets BCAA drink and training snacks
The Sports Box includes Grillido, the reinvention of one of the most traditional German products – the “Wurst”(sausage) – but counteracts conventional sausages with high-quality meat (made in germany) and extraordinary nutritional values (high-protein (50% Protein)/low-fat (<5%)). They are 100% Natural & Paleo with no additives, no artificial flavor enhancers, lactose and gluten free.
As an addition, The Focus Drink is a refreshing combination of natural fructose for energy, 4 Gm of BCAA to supply protein for muscle support and recovery, vitamins, and natural caffeine for mental focus. Help out a friend this Christmas with this refreshment that supports health-conscious athletes both during the workout, and in everyday life. It tastes fresh like natural lemonade, but is much more than this.
The box is topped off with a high-potassium flapjack from hafervoll (almond + raisin) as well as with a protein-muesli from famous myMuesli and is the ideal Christmas gift between training buddies and the perfect way to get 2017 started.
Big quads are not a problem for these jeans!
Training hard, growing fitter and stronger and finding jeans that fit is practically impossible! Accompanying your new quads of steel is the fact that you need jeans are specially designed for athletes. Welcome to Aesparel – apparel for athletes!
Aesparel Jeans are as tough and flexible as you are, and come with a power stretch, shape support and a lotus effect. The jeans gives you the maximum ROM in a traditional Blue Jeans, and will allow you to stop worrying about clothes that actually fit your athletic body.
And the best thing about it – they not only offer jeans for athletes!
Getting in shape was never this tasty
Help that special Crossfitter in your life to succeed with the Functional Training Package from Foodspring. This starter package includes Whey Protein (for muscle support after training), Zink, Magnesium and malic acid (for a smooth muscle function and fast absorption by the body), and vegan BCAA (preventing muscle loss) and will bring you everything you need to crush the next WOD. The company also work with the Who-is-Who of national athletes to help developing these products further to improve performance on a every day basis.
Head over to Foodspring and check out their product range from Arginin to Zink.
Developed by the man himself – Dmitry Klokov
The fact that these Team Winner Knee Wraps were designed, tested and constantly used by Dmitry Klokov, one of the best weightlifter of our time, makes it a must for your Christmas List. Made out of 44% cotton, 28% acrylic, 21% polyester and 7% lycra, the elasticity and the seamless thickness of the wraps allows a more fitted wrapping solution to address specific needs of an athlete, such as stronger knee support, patella tendonitis, achy knees etc.
Although you might still be a few kg short of an iconic Klokov 200kg Snatch, these will help you to improve your lifts! So if you know a loved one that is secretly begging Santa for a few new PRs, then these could help them achieve that dream.
All I want for Christmas is #GAINZ!!
Inspired by the lifestyles of athletes all around the world, Northern Spirit combine striking designs, epic functionality and the hardy Viking ethos. They understand the bond of community that binds us together. For Christmas they put together a range of apparel like this great t-shirt from a high comfort NS-Blend, especially developed together with their suppliers to offer you maximum comfort during training.
They get support from ambassadors like Anna Hulda Olafsdottir. 2nd place at the German and Icelandic Throwdown. A CrossFit Games® Athlete that encapsulates the philosophy behind the brand, to push yourself to your limits, all with a huge smile on your face! Start today, be more Viking!
GO HARD RECOVER FASTER
The guys from TRUETAPE have been searching for a proper tape offering quality, practicability and style. Unsatisfied from the search, the team consisting of a doctor and a physiotherapist, launched just recently their own product.
This high quality tape is designed in Germany with innovative material and excellent craftsmanship, offering up to 50% wider and more regular stretch than other products. The Pre-cuts of the Athlete edition, made out of synthetic fibre, make the tape even easier to use when you need help with rehabilitation after sports injuries or the regeneration after sports-related exertion.
Check out their 30 instructions how to apply their tape to be prepared for your next WOD!
Travel the World – Crossfit Style!
Never miss your daily workout when on Holidays! At BellMondo we combine both: daily training sessions with professional coaches and living in style in an exclusive villa.
Starting 2017 on Ibiza, the BellMondo Team will bring you to the most beautiful places in Europe and the World. Spend 7 nights in our BellMondo villa, train at established Boxes, enjoy the unique community, learn about nutrition, and have a blast at the Boat Party and more.
This is the perfect Christmas gift for every Crossfitter!
It’s time to check your calendar!
We hope you found some new ideas for potential Christmas gift or just a suggestion how to make a loved one happy during Advent season. Enjoy this time and we are sure you find some creative gift ideas for everyone on your list.
© Rehband
© XOOM Project
© Paleo Jerky
© CrossBerlin
© ZeroPoint
© Real Coconut Water Europe
© w.o.d. welder
© BellMondo
© Grillido
© Northern Spirit
© TrueTape
© KlokovD
© Aesparel
© Foodspring
© Reebok
© Nike
The post The 2016 Christmas Gift Guide for Crossfitters appeared first on BOXROX.
Mindfulness and Crossfit have been a big part of my life for the past couple of years. It started with trying to improve my Crossfit performance and my relationship with my children. As I dove deeper into peak performance, I discovered ways to help myself and others. I have found Mindfulness to be a large contributing factor to top performance in all aspects of life, professionally, athletically and personally.
Following is a quick overview of “Mindfulness”, and the popular version I practice and promote. Jon Kabat Zinn is the creator of the research backed stress reduction program “Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction” (MBSR).
The definition of Mindfulness, according to mindful.org is “the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what is going on around us”.
1. Understand your pain. Pain is a fact of life, but it doesn’t have to rule you. Mindfulness can help you reshape your reactions to mental and physical pain.
2. Connect better. Ever find yourself staring blankly at a child, friend, significant other, and you have no idea what they’re saying? Mindfulness helps you give them your full attention.
3. Lower stress. There is a great deal of evidence that excess stress is the root cause of many illnesses and even can make other diseases worse. Mindfulness decreases stress.
4. Focus your mind. It can be frustrating to have our mind stray and be pulled in six directions. Meditation hones our innate ability to focus.
5. Reduce brain chatter. The nattering, chattering voice in our head seems never to leave us alone. Isn’t it time we gave it a little break?
I use Mindfulness to improve my Crossfit, athletic and mental performance. Like many athletes, we live very busy lives, and tend to be pulled in many different directions at the same time. I am now better able to focus during a session or when planning for an event or competition.
Once I started practicing Mindfulness, I became present during every lift and every rep of each WOD. This has helped me focus my attention on my breath and increase my work capacity. I am more aware of what I need to accomplish, and now find it easier to push distractions or negative thoughts out of my mind. Sometimes, If I wonder into dream-land, I take a few deep breathes and return to the present and take charge of the workout before me. This helps me to perform at a higher level.
By being completely present during an athletic activity like Crossfit, one is able to focus on the task at hand, whether going for a PR on a squat or crushing a WOD. Mindfulness also allows any athlete to be fully focused in the current moment, without worrying about the future or any past mistakes. By being fully present, an athlete is able to perform at their highest level and minimise the obstacles in front of them.
According to Mindful.org, Mindfulness puts space between ourselves and our reactions, breaking down our conditioned responses. Here’s how to tune to mindfulness throughout the day:
You don’t need a meditation cushion or bench, or any sort of special equipment to access your mindfulness skills—but you do need to set aside time and space.
The aim of mindfulness is not quieting the mind, or attempting to achieve a state of eternal calm. The goal is simple: we’re aiming to pay attention to the present moment, without judgement. Easier said than done, we know.
When we notice any judgmental thoughts during our practice, we can make a mental note of them, and let them pass.
Our minds often get carried away in thought. That’s why mindfulness includes the practice of returning, again and again, to the present moment.
Don’t judge yourself for whatever thoughts crop up, just practice recognizing when your mind has wandered off, and gently bring it back.
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There have been many cases where addicts coming off drugs such as crack cocaine, heroin, alcohol, or other substances have used physical activity to recover from addiction. Physical activity has so many benefits for substance abusers. Exercise, whether it is playing a sport, weightlifting, or CrossFit training, can make you stronger, give you a sense of accomplishment, and improve your overall health. Most importantly, it can help an addict have confidence in staying clean and sober.
There were more than 47,000 drug-overdose related deaths in the United States in 2014, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). This number was a record high. Even more alarmingly, the CDC reported that deaths from overdoses from opioids (heroin and opioid painkillers), jumped 200% from 2000 to 2014. Other drugs also pose a problem, as you can see crack addiction signs and symptoms of other drug abuse in all areas of the country.
The United States is battling a drug epidemic, to say the least. As researchers conduct more studies, they are finding more effective treatments for substance abuse. One of these is exercise, and Crossfit in particluar.
Crossfit training, playing a sport, weightlifting, and running all give you a natural high. This high may even be strong enough to replace the phony one an addict receives from drugs. In early sobriety, addicts are likely to experience a lot of pain. They have been using drugs or alcohol as a crutch to get through stressful situations. Without drugs or alcohol, they no longer have a vice. These people are trying to start a new life without their best friends.
While in active addiction, it is very hard not only to set goals, but to also achieve goals. The only feeling of accomplishment addicts might feel while they are using is by drinking or copping their favorite drugs. But when addicts are recovering, they might set new goals for themselves, such as working out every day. Even though it may be difficult for them to see the benefits of exercising, it is a proven fact that regular exercise boosts overall self-esteem.
As recovering drug addicts learn to live different lives, their time is valuable. It used to be wasted away drinking, doing drugs, or searching for their next fix, but without these activities to fill their time, they might become bored. A great, productive way to combat boredom is joining a CrossFit program or joining a rec-sports team.
People in early addiction often have a very difficult time falling or staying asleep. People in recovery might be more tired and have better quality sleep if they are more active throughout the day.
Let’s face it, nobody likes dealing with their own emotions. Many addicts use because they are numbing themselves from pain. Heroin, cocaine, and crack addiction signs might include anger, frustration, sadness, or even denial. In recovery, it is easy to snap and get angry. Working out can be a physical outlet for your frustrations. What better way to rid your rage than picking up some iron?
Not only does exercise help you live a healthier and longer life, but it also does wonders for your brain. Endorphins are a crazy thing. They are chemicals in your brain that make you feel good naturally. When you release these endorphins after a long sweat, it is inevitable that you will feel a natural high and an overall sense of wellbeing.
Alcohol and drug abuse are deadly diseases that take the lives many each year. Since many families are in denial over the abusers’ habits, it is important to know the warning signs of drug abuse. Whether it is crack addition signs or alcohol addiction signs, it is important to know the dangers these substances can cause, but also to know that once an individual is on the road to recovery, there are many ways to support this process, and Crossfit is one of them.
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This technique guide will help you master the most common gymnastic exercises that you are likely to encounter in Crossfit.
For many Crossfitters, this gymnastic exercise is one of the most desired goals within the long-term training process.
Not only do muscle ups look impressive, but they are also an amazing way to build great upper body strength and explosive power from the hip drive. This article will explain what you need to do in order to complete your first few muscle ups.
How to achieve your first bar muscle up
The bar muscle up is clearly not a suitable exercise for someone who is totally new to gymnastics. The exercise combines a strong Pull Up with a stable Dip, a dynamic kip and perfect timing.
The following numbers for body weight exercises provide a good guide of what level you should aim for before you begin to learn the technique for Muscle Ups:
These numbers should only serve as a rough guide.
Check out the next page to learn how to master the other kind of muscle ups…
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Developing explosive leg power will have huge benefits on your athletic performances. It will improve your strength numbers, sprinting, rowing, assault bike work, movements like muscle ups and Olympic lifts, so it’s clear to see why this element of your fitness should never be underestimated. The following 5 exercises are all good for increasing your leg drive and power.
Single leg work is often overlooked, but it plays an important role in adding structural balance and identifying asymmetries and weaknesses in an athlete’s movements. Bulgarian split squats are an effective way to develop power, coordination and resolve the above problems.
Both the front and back versions of this exercise are excellent ways to develop explosive leg power. All the force is generated without momentum, so there is no way to make things any easier. They will also increase mental toughness.
More dead stop exercises to develop power and strength
Simple and deadly, this exercise will augment your explosive leg power in a raw and highly functional way. To build power, try to move the sled as fast as possible, as this will work on power development.
Percent Body Weight: 75-100
On days you are feeling good, use 90 to 100 percent of your body weight. On days where you feel like you’re dragging a little, drop the weight down to 75 to 85 percent.
Distance: 10-25 yards
Just like with speed, the shorter distance is good for developing short explosive power. As you increase the distance, you will work on increasing power-endurance.
Sets: 4-6
Rest: 60-90 seconds between sets
Just strap on a weighted vest and you’re good to go. Alternatively, a kettlebell or bumper plate can be used instead.
Grip a kettlebell with both hands and then perform the pistol. If you are still having trouble, check out this video for helpful transitions.
The post 5 Exercises and 5 WODs to Build Explosive Leg Power appeared first on BOXROX.
1. Deep lunge with rotation
2. Standing Hip CAR’s (Controlled Articular Rotations)
3. Tabletop bridge
4. Goblet squat curls/heartbeats
5. Active/passive hangs with rotation
In the world of mobility there are a crazy amount of thoughts and opinions, there is also the standard “best marketer has the best knowledge” which is always good fun! The smart way for you as the athlete or coach, is to “self doctor”. If something feels good then it’s good, if something hurts then it is not good. Especially for any coach, if you have not tried it yourself I would not recommend teaching it.
When it comes to mobility, common sense is the most important thing.
In my opinion, the rubber bands and lacrosse balls are a step too late. It’s not that I don’t teach those things and I am not disregarding that they have a place, but my argument is, how do you know you’re not creating more instability within a joint? If something is “tight” what is it trying to protect? Wouldn’t taking a joint through its end ranges be enough to “activate” and “mobilise” if that’s what you’re really doing? Plus, how do you know that the lasting effects of 15 minutes on a foam roller will actually transfer when you are put under load again? If you’re needing to beat yourself up every time before training then maybe it’s time to see a good physiotherapist that can tell you your imbalances without the use of doctor internet.
These are some of my favourite exercises that promote a good range of motion and strength, they are actual “training” but the benefit is mobility!
I would probably hit this stretch every day and it’s a great test for feedback from your hips, if you struggle with this stretch in the morning then it would be a good idea to spend a bit more time warming up before any ass to grass squats. If you notice one side that is a lot tighter than the other then spend more time on that side, getting your elbow down to the floor with a vertical shin is optimal to get a good range of flexion and extension throughout the hips. As most of the movements in Crossfit are bilateral, lunges should be a part of your day every day otherwise you are only half the athlete you could be!
These techniques really are a game changer, if you have been following the works of FRC, you cannot disagree with their principles. I love the couch stretch, pigeon stretch and many hamstring stretches but I have found with myself and my athletes that a lot of “tightness” can be avoided just by taking your joints through their full ranges, the best part about the drills too is that EVERYONE can do them. Your mobility is completely relevant to you and because you attained the position yourself it is more likely to stay. Try these as a warm up before your next squat session and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how strong and even you feel. Tight hips are weak hips!
With the obsession of attaining a good overhead position, shoulder extension does seem to get left out by a lot of people, but ultimately for healthy shoulders, you do want both. The great thing about the tabletop bridge is that it hits the glutes at the same time so it’s a “big bang for your buck” movement, not overly complicated and if you wanted to walk around in this position too it is a good conditioning exercise which can be called the crab.
Goblet squats are where most people should start before hitting the barbell, dead safe and user friendly! Use the kettlebell to get to the deepest squat position you can then to keep you down there do curls and heartbeats. Challenging in their own right but what is great about them is that they cause automatic stabilisation through your trunk, if you do them wrong you’ll fall over. They are great to open your hips, improve your ankle dorsiflexion and help improve your torso angle for your Olympic lifts, they make a regular appearance in my Olympic lifting classes.
Hanging should be a part of everyone’s day. To build strength and awareness, active and passive hangs are awesome, not only do they teach you how to engage your lats but they also help you to learn how to use your shoulders independently without bending at the elbow which is a big compensation for people (even people that think they don’t do that). If you’re wanting to compete in Crossfit or just generally do cool stuff you cannot miss out on these movements, they are too important! I would even go as far as to say if you can’t do the single arm variation then you have no business learning the kipping pull up. Strong foundations lay a path of success.
If you would like to see more or have any questions or feedback then please follow my coach page on Facebook.
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Why do you work out? What motivated you to get up off the couch and take that first step into a place that probably made you feel a little uncomfortable? Everything we do has a reasoning behind it whether we recognize it or not, and for the most part that reasoning is what keeps us going. Whenever I ask someone why they work out, or why they want to get stronger, or why they want to lose that 15lbs – their rationale behind it is rarely the actual reason why they want to achieve that goal.
Okay so you want to get stronger? Why? So you can squat and push more weight? Okay, but why? Because your numbers haven’t really moved lately and you’re feeling a little stuck? Yeah, so how does that make you feel when you’re not in the gym? You question your confidence a lot which then ultimately holds you back because you always have the negative thoughts floating around in your head instead of the positive ones? So yeah, getting stronger would be the ideal outcome – but it stems from so much more.
If you can peel back the layers and actually do some searching as to why you are trying to achieve your set of goals, that drive and motivation might come back tenfold.
With knowing your “Why” you can better focus in on what is truly important and how you plan on getting there, but most importantly, how you can enjoy the ride along the way.
When we enjoy doing something, and it makes us happy, we are much more likely to continue that action. Over time, this will become a habit, and happiness becomes a reinforcing factor that helps to establish that habit. When we know why we want to achieve a particular goal, and we understand the steps that we will need to take in order to get there, then it is easier to put up with the inevitable bumps and distractions that stand in the way of any worthwhile achievement. In Crossfit this could be an injury for example. But by focusing on doing the little things well, making every rep count, always giving 100% etc, you can start to make quality a habit, and get even more enjoyment out of the whole journey.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Ben Bergeron
Self awareness is a hard thing to come by now-a-days because most people are convinced very early as to why they might be doing something. It’s extremely easy to be tossed on autopilot and look for the easiest route in every situation. If you’re having issues in finding your “Why” when it comes to training, working out etc etc, then I implore you to ask yourself one question – what would you have to do to make yourself happy?
Happiness is one of the most common driving factors with people trying to improve themselves in the gym! People finish a workout and they love the way they feel afterwards, full of energy and a sense of accomplishment that they went in there and gave it all they got and made some progress. In turn that makes them pretty happy. So where did we lose it? We forgot why.
Check in with yourself and look back at what made you happy when you started. Now look at your current goal and ask yourself if it’s currently making you happy doing what you’re doing. The last piece to our puzzle is the consistency.
Do you think you’d be more consistent and continue going to the Box day in and day out when you were happy with yourself and enjoying it? The level of your happiness within your routine will dictate your consistency. Your level of consistency will then dictate your level of progress. Find out what makes you happy and stick with it.
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Core strength is an absolutely vital component of your overall fitness and general well being. By testing it in different ways, you will continually improve and develop this aspect of your fitness. In an athletic context, think about a heavy Snatch or the movement required to bring your toes-to-bar during a single rep of the exercise – these movements both require powerful core strength, but manifested in slightly different ways. If you can test and train your core in various ways, then you will be able to build solid overall core strength.
Nordic skiing is world renowned for being challenging, mentally tough and building great muscular and cardiovascular fitness as well as strong core strength. At the recent Oresund Games Competition in Malmo, Sweden, it was brought indoors and used in the WODs. It destroyed the athletes!
They used the ThoraxTrainer, a realistic and highly developed Skiing machine to push the athletes to their very limits during the workouts. Take a look at one of the events:
With a workout like this you can see how this new element was brought into the metcon, and understand how each athlete’s core strength, physical fitness and capacity for endurance was tested as a result.
Your core consists of the multifidus, transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis, oblique’s (external abdominal, internal abdominal, and transverse) intercostal and serratus muscles.
The system of multifidus muscles control and support the movement of the spine on all four quadrants (left and right on the rear, left and right on the front) They are responsible for rotating, flexing and extending the spine.
Also, the Ileo-Psoas, and all the muscles of the pelvic floor as well as the diaphragm and the pelvic internal muscles (obturatorius int & ext) should be considered part of the core. Some even count the latissimus dorsi as important corpuscles, as it has fibres that cross the pelvic crest in the gluts. Additionally, it always automatically engages the abd. transversus. Generally, people tend to have weak control over most of these muscles. That is why they are difficult to exercise – especially the profound ones.
The advantage of the ThoraxTrainer is that it automatically engages all your core muscles during each range of motion – without you even thinking about it. Both superficial and profound corpuscles are engaged, even the pelvic floor.
A strong core is a vital necessity for long term health. Think about almost every movement you make, from everyday tasks such as unloading a barbell to building a shelf, your core will help you to control and support the necessary movements. A weak core can lead to poor posture and an increased chance of injury. From Crossfit to swimming, hill walking to Nordic Skiing, any activity will be made easier with good core strength.
With a weak core, you will not be able to recognise or achieve your full potential as a Crossfitter, and again, you will increase your chances of injury.
Your core stabilises your body, controls the force that you generate and allows you to move barbells, kettlebells and other objects through their full range of motion during exercises. Think about how involved the trunk of your body is when you perform exercises such as Front Squats or kettlebell swings, it is the foundation that allows you to move well.
As with developing any muscle group, you must subject it to enough stress so that it is forced to adapt and grow. Coupled with the proper rest, recovery and nutrition, it will become stronger.
You core responds well to being tested in many different ways. Exercises such as Squats, Deadlifts, L Sits, Hollow Rocks and Toes-to-Bar are all excellent ways to strengthen this part of your body. This is however one problem with all of these exercises, and with the vast majority of movements in Crossfit, which is that they neglect a vital movement Plane. The ThoraxTrainer allows you to easily and effectively train this neglected plane of motion.
There are three Planes of motion and each one characterises a different form of movement. Your core provides allows you to generate and control force across all three planes of motion:
The Coronal Plane – Here the plane divides the body into front and back and includes all sideways movements. Lateral lunges are a good example of this.
The Sagittal Plane – This divides the body into two halves and weight and movement are transferred up and down along a straight line. Think Thrusters, Squats and Cleans
Transverse Plane – Movements along this plane split the body into a top and bottom half. Russian Twists are an exercise that moves along the Transverse Plain.
Most Crossfit exercises work along the Coronal and Sagittal Plane, so it is necessary to include other full body movements to work your body in the Transverse Plane as well. The ThoraxTrainer is a perfect example of this.
The ThoraxTrainer is incredibly versatile, allowing for over 50 different variations of exercises. A multitude of these involve twisting motions that move the body through the Transverse Plane.
This versatility makes it fun to program into your workouts because you can use the ThoraxTrainer to hit a specific target each round (say 10 calories or increasing / decreasing intervals), but you can also use the variations to create grueling workouts that will hit your core in ways that you have never experienced before. Ultimately, this is exactly what needs to happen in order to improve core strength. It also works the deeper core muscles that are often neglected by other exercises.
For time
10 x 1 minute intervals with 30 sec break. (15minutes)
Interval no.
The ThoraxTrainer is also a great way to burn unwanted fat from your body. Intensive workouts such as those used in the Oresund Games or interval WODs are incredibly effective at doing this.
Antagonistic and agonist muscles work together as antagonistic pairs. When one contracts, the other relaxes, and the end result is movement. A clear example of an antagonistic pair is how the bicep and tricep work together to raise and move the arms. Functional movements generally move the full body so work many different antagonistic pairs. Isolated exercise such as bicep curls do not. The ThoraxTrainer brings the toughness and functionality of Nordic skiing indoors, developing your body, core and conditioning through antagonistic movements.
The ThoraxTrainer offers a great deal of resistance when you use it. Nordic Skiing is an endurance sport, but it is also an incredibly functional exercise that builds and strengthens muscle. Because it emulates Nordic Skiing so effectively, you will also build muscular endurance when you train with it and include it into your workouts. You will also activate your quads and glutes when you train, helping to build muscular endurance for other exercises such as high rep Wall Balls or Thrusters.
Developing a strong core is an absolute necessity for anyone serious about their long term health, posture and movement. For athletes, neglecting your core strength will result in an inability to reach what you are truly capable of and increase your chances of injury when you are lifting heavier weight or performing tougher metcons.
A strong core is vital for training and performance © Sels Photography
A strong core will set you up for success ©
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The one thing Christmas and Crossfit most definitely have in common is music. Everywhere you go during the pre-Christmas weeks, you will probably hear some form of Christmas songs, most likely Jingle-Bells or Last Christmas. During your Crossfit-WODs you will listen to music also, but quite different in style.
While ripping your heart out during a WOD you need music with rhythm that get’s you into the right mood. Again, that’s a thing Christmas and Crossfit music have in common. If you are planning a Christmas WOD, the right music will be crucial for success. Think of it like a big Christmas-party – with a lot of sports! Therefore, you should get music for the party that is christmassy and Crossfit-friendly also. The easiest way to do this is to look for Dubstep or similar versions of Christmas-Songs on Youtube – things people will recognise, and that will put a big grin on their face. Get together a nice, heavy playlist and you’re on your way to a great Christmas-WOD.
Every good party requires a twist – so why not let people attend your Christmas WOD dressed in season-themed costumes? The costumes don’t necessarily need to be fancy – a little makeup and a santa-hat or elf ears will do the trick. Ask people to be creative and maybe even put up a little costume contest (prize could be a personal training session with your coach or something similar).
People doing your Christmas WOD in costumes will be loads of fun and most definitely be the source of many happy box-memories. Something like „Do you remember, when Tom came with that Grinch-Costume to our Christmas WOD?“ will be a perfect opportunity to bring people in your box closer together.
Every good party also needs food, right? So why not ask people to bring some christmas (and also crossfit) themed food to the Christmas WOD Party? Things like kettebell-shaped-cookies (you can even buy cookie-cutters for that) or other yummy baked goods in Crossfit forms will work, but also savory foods like meatballs formed like dumbells can do the trick. Just consider if there are people at your box doing Paleo or similar diets – and maybe even ask them to bring paleo-friendly food themselves. There are so many cookie- and baking-recipes on the Internet which are incorporating the idea of paleo-eating, therefore that shouldn’t be a problem.
Same goes with drinks: Punch or hot spiced wine or even the german Feuerzangenbowle (mulled wine with a rum-soaked sugarloaf lit above it) are awesome for bringing loads of christmas scent and atmosphere into your Crossfit Box – just ask about fire-regulations before trying out Feuerzangenbowle…
Your WOD is the main star of your Christmas WOD Party. Overall, you have got two options on how to design your Christmas WOD: make an existing WOD all christmassy, or write your own.
The trick for making your Christmas WOD a success is writing a little story around it. If you want to take an existing WOD, there are three which qualify best for this quest: Hollywood, Daniel and Fight gone Bad. You can pretty easily implement these into a little story about how you have to help Santa to deliver his presents on time
Hollywood:
This is a nice christmas WOD because you can tell your fellow Crossfitters, they gotta run to catch Santa’s sledge. But Santa lost a couple of presents because he was riding off to fiercely and now you have to throw the presents back onto the sledge. But now, Santa doesn’t care waiting for you – you’re only able to manage grabbing one of the sledges skids and pull yourself back up. The next rounds of Wall-Balls and Power Cleans can be thought of as helping Santa delivering the presents by throwing them up to him on top of the roof. After that, you need to run again, because the children at one house woke up and you have to get out of there before they see you.
Daniel consists of:
Just use the segments of the story above for tinkering your X-mas-WOD.
The same goes for Fight gone bad:
You move from each station to another after one minute and take another minute as a break after each round. Wall-Balls are delivering presents, Deadlift-High-Pulls can be helping pull the sledge out of a ditch, Box jumps are you getting from one roof to another or avoiding obstacles on the way and rowing suits as „fuelling“ the sledge because the reindeer are too exhausted.
If you want to design your own Christmas WOD, you should also think of a little Christmas story surrounding it. If you don’t want to do that Santa-thing, but you’re not that creative, you can always look up Christmas stories on the internet. The best exercises to implement into a Christmas WOD are sledge-pull, rope-climb, thrusters, wall-balls, running or other cardio, clean+jerk, snatch, pull-ups and planks.
If you are really having a hard time thinking off some Christmas versions of these exercises, here’s a little help: everything that involves pushes can be used for things like „throwing presents“, while climbing and hanging is best for getting up on the roof and stuff. Also, you can do challenges like sledge-races (different santas in competition with each other) or putting a chocolate santa at the top of a rope and having people who want the chocolate treat to climb up the rope. Possibilities are almost endless – but with a little creativity you are bound to make that Christmas WOD Party a huge success.
Merry WODmas everyone!
We all know this feeling! © someecards
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Olie Pellet from CrossFit Clitheroe recently entered his first ever Crossfit competition. In the run-up to the event he asked for advice from the UK CrossFit community and received a great response to help him out! From nutrition tips and psychological strategies through to simple pieces of kit that should never be forgotten, we’ve collected all the information below, so that hopefully it can help you out as well.
Tick each item off as you pack it to be 100% sure that you have it. When 100 toes to bar are announced in the first workout, you want to be totally confident that you know exactly where your hand wraps are!
You don’t want to sweat right through the only one you have in the first WOD if you then have to walk around in it all day.
You may have to workout at different times from your normal schedule, and you will need the energy to perform, and the fuel to recover quickly after every tough workout.
This seems to be a no brainer, but in reality, every competitor is warming up for event one only. I barely see any Crossfit athletes in the warm up area after event 2 and 3.
Warm up should stay in the sub 20 minutes time frame. There is no need to warm up for a whole hour, especially when four events are coming that same day. I personally have a 3-time 5 minutes rule. Five mins of a general warm up (row/run), 5 minutes of specific (movement prep for the particular Crossfit workout) and 5 minutes WOD flow prep where I test upcoming movements.
Even if you feel crappy, try to hit the rower for 5 minutes after each workout. Slowly decreasing your heart rate will speed up your recovery.
Even if they aren’t, you must just accept their decision, and get on with the WOD. Getting frustrated with them no repping you will only help you to lose focus and energy. It’s easier said than done, but this is an important point to consider if you want to perform well.
For sitting down comfortably in between WODs.
If you have trained hard, eaten well and prepared mentally for the competition, and you hit it with the right attitude, then you will have fun and do well. Your training, diet and attitude are things you can control. Other things may happen that are out of your control. What happens if the time of the workout changes, or you have to switch to a different heat, or your assault bike is faulty for example. With these external factors, you just have to take them on the chin, don’t moan about it and just get on with the day.
If you have a favourite pair of lifters that never let you down, use them for the competition. Don’t take a brand-new pair that you’ve never used before. If you feel good in the kit that you have, then it will help you perform well.
On game day I pack the same food I pack every week day for my meals. However, I have found that breaking the meals into smaller divisions is beneficial to accommodate the different schedule of the competition.
Ensure you hydrate adequately in the day or two prior to the competition, and sip water continuously throughout the competition.
Because of drinking a lot of water throughout the day, you should have to urinate a lot during the competition. I generally make a pit stop about 20-30 minutes before my heat to ensure I don’t get the urge during the WOD.
I know that’s easy to say and difficult to do, but seriously, what is there to worry about? As I said earlier, your level of performance is pretty much a given on the day of the competition. You can’t magically do something just a little different and become 20% stronger or faster, so relax. When I’m about to launch into a WOD I’m thinking, “It’s just another workout. Just do it like you’ve done all the others.” Important things make you nervous. They should, and they always will. You can’t avoid being nervous, but you can avoid completely flipping out and degrading your performance.
It’s a big step to compete for the first time. Do everything necessary to ensure you perform at your peak, but on game day it’s too late to worry about where your peak falls among the competition.
Have fun, eliminate regrets, and then celebrate–regardless of where you finish.
I was looking for a gym to get back into lifting weights and a friend of mine in Sheffield had been going to his box for a year or so and told me about the ethos of Crossfit and how it’s based on functional movements performed at high intensity. I decided to go and have a look and talk to Chris who owns the gym. I liked the raw feel of the gym and the fact that WODs were coached and lasted an hour as well as a focus on Olympic lifting which I loved as a younger man. Being a dad of 3 and a teacher I didn’t have loads of time to spend at the gym and my problem in the past was spending a lot of time not doing much so it was perfect for me.
My favourite exercise has always been the squat. I have always been strong in my legs but as I progress in technique I’m enjoying more technical movements like snatches.
Being a big guy bodyweight exercises like pull ups, handstand push ups and burpees have always made me die inside a little bit, but I’m learning that technique and mental attitude makes all the difference.
Friends within the Crossfit community have always raved about how inclusive and well run the Rainhill Trials have been so looked it up on facebook and entered my name in the ballot
I am by no means an elite athlete but I love this sport and wanted to test myself to see if I could make it to the end without quitting. It’s one thing smashing a metcon in the gym and another being judged and watched by dozens of people.
Not really. I asked the crossfit community what I should or could be doing before, during and after the comp and got loads of great responses and advice as well as support. I looked at the movements involved in the comp and practiced my technique so that I wouldn’t get no rep’d. I worked out relatively gently the week before the comp and concentrated on my mental state so I wouldn’t get too nervous.
Thanks Olie
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Measuring your oxygen saturation levels and pulse rate is important because it will enable you to:
The MightySat pulse oximeter measures light absorption in the finger to non-invasively monitor oxygen saturation and pulse rate. It connects via bluetooth to a free downloadable personal health app that then tracks the results over time. This allows you to make informed decisions and improve your rest, recovery and training. The parameters are also available on Apple’s Health App.
Oxygen saturation, in simple terms, is the level of oxygen available in the blood.
It is presented as a percentage, and represents a fraction of oxygen-saturated haemoglobin in relation to the total haemoglobin. Normal, healthy oxygen saturation levels range from 95 – 100%, and this allows the human body to perform its essential functions well. If you have a high oxygen saturation level, then your body will transport oxygen throughout your body more easily.
If you have low levels of oxygen saturation, then your body will transport oxygen at a lower rate, and you will feel fatigued. As a result, you will not perform to the best of your abilities.
Fatigue, dehydration and stress can all affect your oxygen saturation level, as well as altitude. If you have ever tried running, working out or hiking at high altitudes, then you already know how it feels to have to work with a lower blood saturation level, and how hard this can be. At higher altitudes there is less oxygen in the air. Therefore, when we breathe, it is harder to supply your body with the oxygen that it needs.
As a general rule, strenuous exercise performed with regularity over time will improve your resting pulse rate. It will also improve your recovery times.
Watch the best athletes in your Box, or any elite level Crossfitters and one thing you will notice is how quickly they recover after a workout of the day (WOD) is finished. While half of the other BOX members might still be gasping on the floor five minutes after the end of the WOD, high level athletes often recover in a minute or less.
It is a good idea to track these times and results for yourself. A benchmark workout such as Fran may show you that your WOD time improved, but what about your recovery time? How long does it take your resting pulse rate to return to its normal resting rate?
To test this, you need to firstly establish your resting pulse rate baseline. You can then use that as the marker to compare other readings against. Tracking this statistic over time can be a great way to notice how your capacity to endure, and your fitness, is improving.
Once you become more attuned to your pulse rate and how it changes depending on what you are doing, you can use this information to make more strategic choices about your training, workouts and any competitions you enter.
The constantly varied functional exercises of Crossfit are always shifting the ways in which you have to perform exercises. For example, working up to test a Squat Clean one repetition maximum 1Rm when you are fresh is completely different to performing the exact same exercise after 3 rounds of 50 Box Jumps and 50 Double Unders. For the latter you will be operating under fatigue, and you will begin the exercise with an elevated pulse rate. You can use the MightySat to monitor and track your pulse rate over time, and through this process you will start to undercover weaknesses and be able to fine tune the strategy that you apply based on actual physical results.
Your pulse rate changes constantly to provide the necessary blood flow to deliver the oxygen your body needs. Generally, a lower resting pulse rate (40 to 60 beats per minute) means your body is performing more effectively and efficiently.
Sometimes personal records just happen. Have you ever had that feeling when you feel strong and know that it’s the right time to push things forward? We all have good days and we all have bad days, but what if you could easily monitor when these days might occur? Well you can. With the MightySat you can see if your oxygen saturation level is optimal and your resting pulse rate is healthy without any indications of fatigue. Now you know, so it’s time to hit that new Snatch you’ve been thinking about!
As a rough rule, many of the top level Crossfitters will do up to 30 minutes of recovery for every 1 hour of training. Be honest with yourself, what does your training to recovery work ratio look like? When time is limited, recovery is often the first area to be sacrificed, and who wouldn’t rather do the WOD and skill session than extra foam rolling or stretching?
By monitoring your pulse rate and oxygen saturation rates, you can understand and see when you might be running yourself into the ground, and that it might be a more intelligent idea to skip a session and go for a light run, a slow swim or just rest completely instead.
A fully oxygenated body generally means a fully recovered and ready body. An SpO22 between 97 and 100% means your body is ready! If your oxygen saturation drops more than 3% from baseline, or if it is below 96%, this may be an indication that you need more rest and recovery. The same is true if you notice that your oxygen saturation takes longer to return to your baseline value.
Fatigue and stress are difficult to quantify, because often they have to be overcome in order to succeed. In training we continually push our boundaries and operate outside of our comfort zones in order to grow stronger both physically and psychologically. Stress is a natural physiological reaction (think fight or flight response) to the many different aspects of life that we negotiate, both in and out of the Box.
Long term exposure to conditions that you find stressful is not a good thing. Tackling a WOD that is out of your comfort zone, gets the adrenalin pumping and makes you feel a little anxious beforehand is perfectly natural, and is beneficial. The MightySat can help you to distinguish the difference and show you how both of these forms of stress are affecting your body.
As we all know, well programmed training with a great coach will help to lower your resting pulse rate because it is an indication of your increased physical capacity and fitness.
By measuring your oxygen saturation levels, pulse rate and perfusion index and tracking the results over time, you can identify patterns that help you make intelligent decisions about your training and recovery.
For example, if your resting pulse rate is 10 beats per minute higher than normal, this may be an indication that you are dehydrated, stressed, or fatigued. You need to rehydrate, relax, or skip intense workouts.
The first step is to find your baseline measurements. A good time to test is first thing in the morning after you wake up and are well rested.
A measure of the oxygen saturation level in your arteries. Higher oxygen saturation indicates more oxygen in the arterial blood. Oxygen saturation can change due to a number of factors, including lung or heart function and altitude. An SpO2 between 97 and 100% means your body is ready!
At higher elevation starting at about 3,000 feet, it is normal for your SpO2 to be 3 to 5% lower. The higher elevation you go, the lower your SpO2 will be.
The number of time your heart pulses, or beats, per minute. This parameter is useful for assessing overall fitness as well as exertion levels at a particular moment in time.
5 x CrossFit Games® Athlete Ben Stoneberg uses pulse rate measurements within his interval workouts.
PI is the ratio of the pulsing blood to non-pulsing blood flow in your finger and is used to indicate the strength of blood flow to your finger.
Your perfusion index changes based on whether the blood flow to your body is going up or down, and whether the arteries in your fingers are narrowing (causing your fingers to feel colder) or widening (causing your fingers to feel warmer). There is no specific “normal” value for perfusion index, each person should establish their own baseline value and note how it changes over time. A higher perfusion index means greater blood flow to the finger and a lower perfusion index means lower blood flow to the finger.
This is the number of breaths per minute. It is measured from the amplitude changes to the plethysmographic waveform.
CrossFit Games® Athletes Ben Stoneberg and Anna Tunncliffe use respiration rate as a part of their interval training. Being able to monitor your exact number of breaths per minute allows you to control the intensity at which you train, and also gives you the chance to record your recovery times over longer periods of training.
For example, take Fran, a milestone workout. You complete this in the next few weeks and track your respiration rate and heart rate using the MightySat. You continue training for 2 months and do the workout again. You can then measure how your recovery times have improved based on how quickly these measurements return to their normal resting rates.
“When you workout, you don’t want a strap that falls off, smashes against the equipment or becomes a distraction. You need to be 100% focused on the lift, skill or workout at hand, not worrying about something that might break during a burpee or chest-to-bar pull up.”
“When I train I keep my MightySat close to hand. This allows me to accurately measure whenever I need to before, during and after every WOD. I use it every day to track many things such as oxygen saturation! Knowing what this number is key to recovery and staying on top of my game!!”
“As an Olympic gold medallist and CrossFit Games® competitor, I understand how important it is to track my results over time, and be able to do this as accurately as possible. The MightySat is hospital grade standard, so I know it won’t let me down.”
Monitoring and tracking your oxygen saturation level, pulse and perfusion rates over time will give you great insight into how you are performing and improving as an athlete. It will help you to identify factors that could be detrimental to your progress and help you make informed, scientific choices about when you should rest, how to improve your recovery and when you are in optimal condition to push through and break ground with new personal records.
Maximise your training and recovery
Anna Tunnicliffe using the MightySat to track her performances © Anna Tunnicliffe
Ben Stoneberg monitoring his heart rate during WODs © Ben Stoneberg
Intelligent rest and recovery will help you to progress © RX’d Photography
Optimise every performance © RX’d Photography
Ben Stoneberg perfecting his handstand hold © Ben Stoneberg
The post Monitor, Track and Maximise Training and Recovery appeared first on BOXROX.
From elite athletes to weekend warriors and Crossfit mums, these tips will help you to improve your technique, stay safe, have fun with every single one of these Crossfit exercises.
Learning the Snatch technique is one of the hardest skills to master. It contrasts with the clean and jerk, in that it favours the athleticism attributed to a gymnastic body-type over the ‘gym-bro’, who may be struggling to learn the snatch after years spent believing that parallel squats were the lowest one could possibly go, and the overhead squat was a mere fairytale.
Snatch Technique
The post Technique Tips for the 25 Most Important Crossfit Exercises appeared first on BOXROX.
Click on the number at the bottom of the page to find the article you want to read.
1. 5 Problems Only Girls Who Lift Will Understand
2. 15 Reasons Why ALL Women should do Strength Training
3. Motivation Tips for Female Crossfitters: Train Hard and Love Yourself
4. Brooke Wells: 6 Tips to become a better Crossfitter
5. Female Athletes: A Guide to Menstrual Cycle, Hormonal Changes and Proper Recovery
6. Crossfit Chicks: The Paradox
7. 7 Problems that Female Crossfitters Face
8. Kick Ass Dottirs: 7 Lesser Known Icelandic Athletes
9. A Sport for Everyone: How Crossfit promotes Gender Equality
10. Love Yourself because Weight Loss is not a Destination
“As we begin to change, some people around us might struggle. Especially when changes happen for the better: like starting to say “no”, becoming more confident, and standing up for ourselves and our values.”
“From feeling big around girls who don’t lift through to listening to the erroneous idea that we no longer look feminine, these problems seem to be universal. Which other ones have affected you?”
female crossfit athlete back squat with barbell girls who lift Gluteal Amnesia ©
The post The 10 Most Popular BOXROX Articles for Female Crossfitters appeared first on BOXROX.
Sure, Christmas dinner only comes around once a year, so you won’t be that badly off if you just go for it and throw your gospel overboard. But if you don’t want to do that, we have three neat tips to help you prepare your own paleo Christmas dinner. FYI: I wrote an article on how to prepare a paleo BBQ last summer, so maybe some of the tips mentioned here will ring a bell.
First, think about why you want to do a paleo Christmas dinner in the first place?
Christmas dinner has to be special, right? And “special“ in reference to food usually means tasty. Really tasty. The good thing about paleo is that you have lots of options to prepare delicious food. But if you are going to do so, you have to decide if you want a “real paleo dinner” or a meal where you are substituting certain standard Christmas foods with their paleo equivalent.
If you decide on the latter, you will include a lot of “treats” with your meals that aren’t exactly helping your dietary goals. But who wants to lose weight at Christmas anyway? Right. So you can either prepare a paleo dinner without paleo treats if you are really strict with your diet – or you can go for the treats and enjoy a classy meal with your family. I would especially advise you to take the latter version if you have problems watching your non-paleo friends and family gulping down non-paleo Christmas sweets and the like – or if you are going paleo because of a certain food intolerance.
Starting with dessert may seem a little odd right now, but since this is the part where most people have problems regarding paleo, I want to shed some light on this difficult subject. You basically have two choices about how to prepare your Christmas dessert. If you want to create a strictly dietary paleo desert, you can go with fruits. The trick with this version is to prepare it in a christmassy way. You can do that for example by putting together a double or triple layer fruit-purée with fruits that have Christmas-themed colors. Just follow this easy recipe:
Of course, you can also prepare a much more treat-like paleo desert. The easiest way to do this is to make some paleo-waffles. For this of course you need a waffle iron and some batter. If you have been doing paleo for quite a while now, you have probably already tried to make paleo-pancakes. You can easily use this recipe for making waffles.
Prepare the batter in the same way and pour it into your waffle iron. When the waffles are cooked, pour some maple syrup and again add Christmas spices on top. You now have a great christmas dessert. Or you can make chocolate pudding, using cocoa, honey and tapioca starch. Just remember: Even if you are doing paleo, calories still count. If you gulp down a whole bottle of maple syrup, you will probably still have trouble losing weight…
What’s the star of every proper Christmas dinner? Of course, the famous roast. Whatever kind of roast you’re having, you will most certainly have some kind of meat on the table for your fancy Christmas gathering. Fortunately, there isn’t so much you have to worry about with this one. Just bear in mind the following things and you are bound to have a great paleo Christmas dinner:
This is ethical, healthy and will taste a lot better. Sure, it will be more expensive, too, but it’s Christmas, right? Just bear in mind that you probably have to be quick to get your desired meat at the farmers market or your trusted butcher – before they sell out.
If you want to prepare traditional gravy with your roast, you can easily substitute flour as a thickening agent with tapioca starch or something similar to make the gravy paleo friendly.
With side dishes you have a lot of options. If you are allowing white potatoes into your diet, you can prepare these easily by cutting them in chunks and roasting them coated in duck lard and some spices in the oven. Combine these with roasted vegetables or other traditional Christmas sides
Well, that is it! Hopefully you will be able to enjoy a nice paleo-dinner with your friends and family and also of course very comfy and happy holidays. If you have any tips of your own to share about how to create the perfect paleo Christmas dinner, post them in the comments.
Happy Christmas!
paleo christmas dinner crossfit athlete on rower © Dragon CrossFit
crossfit athlete double unders © RX'd Photography
paleo christmas dinner chicken © Deposit photos - bhofack2
The post How to Create the Perfect Paleo Christmas Dinner appeared first on BOXROX.
