8.27.18 - 8.31.18

Monday - 8.27.18

Burpee Box Jumps
Chest Up
Knowing that this is a two part movement, being efficient in the first makes the second much easier. Coming out of the burpee, we can make the transition to the box jump easier by landing with the hips back and chest up. The finish position of the “pop” out of the burpee will look very much like the loading position of the box jump. It is common to see the hips high and chest down when coming out of the burpee. This would make the path from burpee to box jump more difficult. Chest up, then jump up.

Footwork
As a clarification, these are burpee box jumps and not burpee box jump overs. One major difference between the two is that athletes stand up all the way on straight jumps and do not have to stand up burpee box jump overs. After standing up all the way on the box, there are a couple different ways that athletes can return to the ground. The first would be to jump the feet far enough back where they can flop down to the ground. The second would be to step off the box, which requires more work out of the legs, but is more controlled. On either footwork choice, athletes want to avoid any unnecessary steps, keeping the top of the head as close to the box as possible without actually hitting.

Movement Prep
3 Push-ups
3 Frog Hops
3 Burpees
– – – – – – – – – – – – – 
3 Step-ups (Each Leg) 
2 Box Jumps (Shorter Height) 
1 Burpee Box Jump (Short Height) 
– – – – – – – – – – – – – 
2 Burpee Box Jumps (Workout Height)

Rowing & Wallballs
Heels & Hips
We know the importance of keeping the heels down in nearly every movement in CrossFit. This is often overlooked while rowing, as the majority of athletes push only through the toes. In the catch position, we can aim to keep the heels in contact with the machine with the hips are back. Hips back means that there is a gap between the seat and the feet, allowing athletes to load the posterior and keep the legs in a good driving position.

On the wallballs, the hip and heels are also a main focus. Upon receiving the ball, athletes want to lead the squatting motion by sending the hips down and back as the heels remain in contact with the ground. Leading with the knees forward or coming up on the toes throws off athletes balance and potential power that they can put into the throw. This throw requires a good deal of accuracy over a high number of reps, making positioning and balance all the more important.

Rowing Movement Prep
10 Strokes (2 Second Pause in Catch)

Wallball Movement Prep
5 Pausing Medicine Ball Air Squats
5 Medicine Ball Push Press
5 Wallballs

Dumbbell Snatches
Elbows Locked
A common fault of the dumbbell snatch is to see soft elbows on both the pull off the ground and when receiving the dumbbell overhead. Having a strong locked out elbow during the jump enables athletes to generate more power with the legs, giving the bell a more weightless feeling. Receiving it locked out overhead avoids press outs that can excessive tax the shoulders. The longer the arm stays straight today, the better.

Muscle vs. Traditional
There are two types of dumbbell snatch variations often seen. They are the muscle snatch vs. traditional snatch. We can almost picture the muscle snatch as the finish of a push press, where there is no re-bend of the legs, where the traditional snatch is receiving a push jerk, where the knees are allowed to bend. The muscle snatch is a quicker from point A to point B due to the fact that athletes are getting to full extension and staying there. The traditional snatch requires athletes to reach full extend, dip back under, and then reach full extension again. Because of this, the time to completion on each rep may be a little longer. Athletes can feel the difference between the two and make a decision on what is more sustainable for them over the 60 reps and 13 minutes.

Movement Prep
Each Arm With Lighter Weight: 
3 Deadlifts
3 High Pulls
3 Strict Press
6 Alternating Dumbbell Snatches

Tuesday 8.28.18

Strict Pull-ups & Push-ups
Body Position
Every pull-up and push-ups is a plank (or hollow), but not every plank is a pull-up or push-up. Good body positions here helps athletes build strength in the right positions instead of positions of compensation. It is common to see an aggressive arch of the back when push-up off the ground or pulling the body up. Pull the belly button towards the rib cage and keep the body as straight as possible, even if that means breaking sets up more than expected or dropping the reps down. Short term pain for long term gain.

Strict Pull-ups Movement Prep
10 Scap Pull-ups
1-3 Strict Pull-ups

Strict Pull-ups Substitution
Reduce Reps
Banded Strict Pull-ups
Ring Rows

Push-up Movement Prep
:15 Second Push-up Plank
5 Push-ups

Push-up Movement Substitution
Reduce Reps
Push-ups to Box or Bench

Air Squats, Sit-ups, Rowing & Bike
Low Back
We want to do our best to maintain the natural lumbar curve we have in our spine during all movements. In the pull-ups and the push-ups above, it is common to see an overextension of this curve. However, in the squat, sit-ups, and rowing & bike, it is more common to see a rounding over than a reaching back. This is typically seen as the chest and shoulders drooping forward. Keeping the head tall, shoulders back, and chest up throughout these movements better allows for good movement.

Air Squat Movement Prep
5 Hands Up Air Squats
5 Air Squats

Sit-up Movement Prep
5 Sit-ups

Rowing & Bike Movement Prep
:20 Second Moderate at Each

Wednesday 8.29.18 

Sandbag Run
More Steps
A common misconception in running is that the longer your strides are, the faster you’ll complete your run. However, when athletes foot travels too far out of the back or the front, it results in either a heel strike or a mid-foot strike. In both these scenarios, the foot striking out in front of the center of mass serves as a brake, slowing athletes down and putting a lot of impact on the joints. Rather than reaching with the foot, we want to think about quickly pulling the foot up so that the ankle bone of one foot is in line with the opposite knee. The more steps taken directly under the body, the better running will look and feel, especially with the added weight of the sandbag.

Movement Prep
100 Meter Sandbag Run (As a Team)

Deadlifts – Hang Power Cleans – Push Jerks
Forearms
In the set-up position of the deadlift, the hips will be positioned slightly above the knees with the forearms just outside of the legs and slightly behind the shoulders. If the forearms are in front of the shoulders, it likely means that the barbell is too far away from the body to get a good pull.

On the hang power cleans, we can think of always pulling the forearms back towards the body. Any little bit of separation here will make the bar feel heavier. Pull the forearms back and then punch them through hard to secure the barbell on the shoulders.

Wherever the forearms are pointed while in the front rack position of the push jerk is where the bar will end up overhead. If the chest/elbows drop in the dip or are behind the bar from the start, the bar will finish out in front of the body. Establishing and maintaining elbows slightly in front of the bar during the dip will result in the forearms pointing directly over the middle of the body, where we want the bar to go.

Deadlift Movement Prep
Establish Set-up Position
5 Deadlifts

Hang Power Clean Movement Prep
3 High Hang Power Cleans
3 Hang Power Cleans

Push Jerk Movement Prep
Establish Front Rack
3 Dip & Stands
____________

3 Push Press
3 Push Jerks
____________

Build to Workout Weight

Thursday 8.30.18

Lower Body Placement
How the lower body is organized on the seat plays a huge role is finding a successful catch position. In today’s workout, the little things are the big things. The 2k row is the epitome of the importance of both technique and effort. It is common for more of the back pockets of the shorts to take up most of the seat. In this position, it is harder for athletes to get their shoulders in front of their hips in the catch. Making sure more of the hamstring is in contact with the seat allows athletes to arrange themselves in a position for the most powerful drive possible.

Shoe Tie Drill
The show tie drill is a great way for athletes to feel where their legs need to be on the seat. This can be done before partner rowling begins in order to set the tone for the rest of the day. Sitting on the seat, have athletes reach down as if they were about to tie their shoes. You will find that they need to scoot back on the seat in order to reach down towards the floor. This is the position that they want to get comfortable in every time they sit on rower.

Beat the Knees
Second most important to lower body position when trying to find a solid catch position is that the handle beats the knees. One of the most common faults seen in rowing is that the knees bend before the handle passes over them. When this happens, it is very hard to get into a good catch position. The hands should leads the way back to the catch, followed by a lean forward of the torso, and finally the bending of the knees until the shins are vertical. Segmenting this is the drill below will be helpful in feeling this out.

Pull – Punch Drill
Two commands in this drill. This first is PULL. Athletes will pull to their finish position, pausing with the handle at the bottom of the chest, shoulders relaxed, and a slight lean back. Next command is PUNCH. With knees straight, athletes will punch their hands forward and pause with them just past the knee. Next command is PULL, as athletes return to the catch and repeat this segmented cycle for 5 repetitions. Following the 5 repetitions, have athletes row for 30 seconds without segmenting the parts.

Don’t Waste the Chain
We want to get the most out of every single pull today. What often happen is that an aggressive drive does not happen until the middle or the back half of the pull. Not wasting any chain means starting this drive early out of the catch position. With relaxed arms, athletes will start the drive with the legs as soon as they change direction away from the monitor. While we want to get the most out of the chain, we do not want to sacrifice back position for more length.

Flywheel Demo/Drill
This aggressive drive is best demoed by the coach or an athlete proficient at rowing. You can clearly hear the difference in when the flywheel revs up in relation to where the athlete is on the slide. Demo or have an athlete demo revving the wheel up at the beginning of the stroke and near the end of the stroke. We are aiming for every drive to start early. Have athletes row 100 meters working on not wasting any chain.

Friday 8.31.18

Double Unders
Rope Speed vs. Height
One of the more challenging transitions from single under to double unders is adjusting to the added speed of the rope required to get the rope around the body twice. While high, looping single unders are good for getting used to the height needed for double unders, the big circles with the elbow do not carry over well to successful rope speed for double unders. Some athletes may have trouble with getting high enough off the ground, while other may struggle with rope speed. For athletes practicing today who struggle with rope speed, they can aim to perform very fast single unders to gradually build up their speed. For athletes who have good rope speed, but can’t get high enough. Higher single unders during the workout will likely be the best option for them. Root the problem and work towards a solution.

Movement Prep
:15 Seconds High Single Unders
:15 Seconds Fast Single Unders
:15 Seconds Double Under Practice

Movement Substitutions
Reduce Reps
2x Single Unders

Sit-ups
Hip Position
When athletes set-up with the AbMat behind them, it is common to see the hips position too close to the object itself. When this happens, it becomes like more of a see-saw for the body, enabling the hips to leave the ground with every rep. Setting up a few inches a way will allow athletes lumbar spine to pivot properly over the AbMat and maintain hip contact with the floor.

Movement Prep
5 AbMat Sit-ups

Front Squat
Upper Half
While we typically focus on the lower body in the squat, today we’ll focus on the upper half of the body, specially the belly, elbows, and head. Rather than wearing a belt during these front squats, we’re going to build a belt. The way we create a solid midline is by supporting the weight effectively. Taking and holding a big breath through the belly at the top of each rep allows athletes to simulate the feeling of wearing a belt by creating pressure and stability on their own. Fill the belly with air and lock it down. Secondly, we want to drive the elbows up and out. When the elbows come down and in, it causes the upper back to round over, making it harder to support the weight and breathe. Finally, the head also play a role in good front squats. Where the eyes go, the elbows tend to follow. Keeping the head neutral and the eyes straight better allows for a bigger breath into the belly and high elbows.

Movement Prep
5 Pausing Air Squats
5 Pausing Barbell Front Squats