Crossfiting Movements

2009 Crossfit Games

I am feeling good about my recent Crossfiting. One the things that I felt was odd when I started (and I assume is a big initial back off for many potential Crossfit newbies) was the that there were so many different movements that needed learning and practicing - at least with leg extention machines, you don't have to be worried about form. Overhead squats, kipping pullups, muscle ups... who has time to learn that stuff? It all seems like a heck of a lot of initial investment - I certainly understand why someone, epecially someone that is not that interested or dedicated to training, might decide to stick to their "gym routine" because its simpler.

But I have been realizing that just as the physics/kinimatics part of Crossfit (P=F*d/t) turns on the nerd in me, the multible new movements turns on the mountain climber in me (Why did I climb that mountain? Because it was there.) Each movement presents its own challange to be mastered with practice and then is always scalable meaning that no matter how good you are at a movement, you can always just go faster or do more weight. Yes, the leg extention allows you to add as much weight as you like, but in addition to not requiring any practice to be able to do the movement, it encorporates none of the flexibility, balance, coordination, accuracy, and agility required to proform things such as Snatches.

Well I've been into Crossfit for at least a year now and I feel that I am am finally focusing MORE on improvement then on practicing technique: I've got the kipping pullups (sort of) and the snatch and the box jumps and the the presses and the row and the deadlifts. I need work on my double unders and handstand pushups and have yet to do a muscle up cause I don't have rings, but I am really able to attack a workout now. Its not as though all the time spent working on form is not working out, doing anything requiring flexibility, balance, coordination, accuracy, and agility is working toward fitness, its just that now that I feel like I have most of the movements under control, I can really make some gains in Power.

Here is what I have done recently:

7 1ROM Max. Deadlifts:
235 245 265 285 295 310Fail 300 New PR

Grace - first time ever doing it as Rx'd
30 135# Clean&Jerk
19:20

4 Rounds - After 10k bike ride
5 95# SumoDeadlift - Highpull
5 95# Push-Press
5 Pullups
6:11

Clean&jerk PR: 145
Snatch PR: 110
1K Row Pr: 3:29


With the aquired ability to do all these cool movements, I feel able to program workouts for myself that allow me to work on my weaknesses and produce maximum power. The body's feelin' good.