CrossFit Brisbane

Hopefully before long, everybody at CrossFit Brisbane will be able to demonstrate perfect pushup form.  At the moment, on any given day, we have the good, the bad and the ugly.  Pushup progression does not come easily, but it is worth the effort.  Progress starts the day that you admit that your pushup form needs to improve.  Here is a video from CrossFit HQ that shows what we are aiming for …

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WARMUP
5 mins cardio on the bike/rower
dynamic stretches & leg raises
2 laps of lunge walk
3 rounds of 6-12 pushups/situps/squats/supermans
6-8 Hollow rocks
2 x samson stretch each side
2 x 3-6 pullups
3 x 6 overhead squat with broomstick
2-3 mins skipping (practice crossovers)

WORKOUT

A. Max continuous Double Unders
Three attempts allowed
Current record to be broken is 98 reps
If you cannot do continuous double unders, then your goal is to get two double unders in a row
If you cannot do a double under then your goal is to get one
Make sure you have someone to count/verify your attempt

B. Long “Helen”
Five rounds for time:-
400m run (or 400m row)
24kg Kettlebell swings, 15 reps
Pullups, 9 reps

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
 - Aristotle

WARMUP
5 mins cardio
shuttle runs / dynamic stretches / leg raises
2 mins easy skip followed by 1 min double under practice
Shoulder “dislocates” & stretches with broomstick
2 x laps of lunge walk
100 reps (combined total) of [Pushups/situps/squats/supermans]
10-20 box jumps or stepups
hanging with active shoulders
6-8 light thrusters

WORKOUT
x Thruster, 20kg
5 situps
5 pushups

Every minute on the minute complete 1 round
Each round increment “x” by 1 rep

eg, at the 8 min mark, you will be doing:-
- 8 thruster
- 5 situps
- 5 pushups

Last to finish, completing each round within a minute wins

Once you fail to finish a round, keep going and count total additional rounds until last person finishes

WARMDOWN
5 mins cardio
Stretch!

WARMUP
5 mins skipping – practice criss/cross every 10-20 skips
dynamics / leg raises / shuttle runs
Overhead squat,  30 reps
Divebomber pushups, 15 reps
3 x L-Sit holds (or tuck sit), try for 15 secs
KB/ DB swings (light)
3 x 8 box jumps
samson stretch
3 x back extension holds, try for 15 secs
pushup hops

WORKOUT
3 rounds for time:-

25 dumbbell bear crawls
50 lateral jumps
25 pullups
50 double unders
25 walking KB swing
50 pushups

Can’t is the worst word that’s written or spoken;
Doing more harm here than slander and lies;
On it is many a strong spirit broken,
And with it many a good purpose dies.
It springs from the lips of the thoughtless each morning
And robs us of courage we need through the day:
It rings in our ears like a timely-sent warning
And laughs when we falter and fall by the way.

Can’t is the father of feeble endeavor,
The parent of terror and half-hearted work;
It weakens the efforts of artisans clever,
And makes of the toiler an indolent shirk.
It poisons the soul of the man with a vision,
It stifles in infancy many a plan;
It greets honest toiling with open derision
And mocks at the hopes and the dreams of a man.

Can’t is a word none should speak without blushing;
To utter it should be a symbol of shame;
Ambition and courage it daily is crushing;
It blights a man’s purpose and shortens his aim.
Despise it with all of your hatred of error;
Refuse it the lodgment it seeks in your brain;
Arm against it as a creature of terror,
And all that you dream of you some day shall gain.

Can’t is the word that is foe to ambition,
An enemy ambushed to shatter your will;
Its prey is forever the man with a mission
And bows but to courage and patience and skill.
Hate it, with hatred that’s deep and undying,
For once it is welcomed ’twill break any man;
Whatever the goal you are seeking, keep trying
And answer this demon by saying: “I can.”

                      - Edgar A. Guest

I was recently interviewed for an article on Janda situps for the Green Maple online mag in Canada.  Here is a link to the published article if you want to have a read …

Here is a great video on squat therapy and some coaching tips to get a better bottom position.  Watch the position of his knees and hips and how it varies between the “good” and “bad” bottom position.  To attain a solid bottom position, the hips as a complete unit with lumbar arch maintained (and consequently the knees in turn) need to to drift very slightly forward over the toes as you transition through parallel.  That is, the squat involves hips as a unit moving back, down then forward to achieve a good bum to calves position.  In the intro drill of this video place your mouse on his knee position at the bottom and leave it there, and then notice in the second good squat (without the butt rollunder) that the knees have moved about a centremetre forward, ie your mouse pointer will no longer be on the same place.  This is the thing that is often missed when trying to correct a “butt wink” or loss of lumber arch at the bottom of the squat.  The drills in the video are great, but the reason that they work is that they bring the hips forward.

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“Lynne”
Five rounds for max reps:
BW bench press
Pull-ups