Do we do the movements so fast that they are dangerous and will eventually cause injury? If not, then why do them at an accelerated rate at all? Are the options 1) Do it fast, worry about form but only to the extent that you try to not injure yourself 2)do the wod slower with a focus on form, get a slower time and not be breathing hard by the end or 3)just do the rx'd amount of reps but in set formation like 21 pullups 21 thrusters, rest... 15 pull ups 15 thrusters rest...etc.?
I know one answer is do them right, then do them fast. But that is not reality, from my view. Look at Everett's Isabel, he's not really properly snatching, if he were it would take him longer, instead he rips it off the ground and straight overhead because he can and its the fastest way to get it there.
Speed at the expense of Form is not the CF motto but it seems to be an unavoidable part of my CF career so far. Im just tired of getting hurt, staying hurt and being unable to train because of the way I do train. I remember last year before the qualifiers, it seemed like everybody who was gonna try for the them was injured (except joc) I know not all of these injuries were directly from training but they still were at the least re-aggravated by it. Would they be from another style of training? Possibly, I guess Im questioning if it is in the DNA of CF to cause more injury then in other training methods? Does this mean Im over it if Im thinking this way? Im asking why do Grace slower than is absolutely possible to save form? Why not do 30 reps at any pace I want then? Maybe no one else gets injured as often as me, nor has the lingering issues that i have. Is it going to cause more injuries than other programs and as such make it so I cant work out, thereby making me less fit? Maybe just the heavy lifts shouldnt have a time component. Rushing a 500# deadlift or a 250# clean has got to be dangerous and flirting with disaster, right? but thats where i shine in CF, i thought?
I want to keep getting, stronger, faster, better, more fit all that jazz but how can i when i am constantly injured? Got to a doctor for my wrist, go do ART for my back, stretch more, foam roll... I do what i can, i could do more, I dont have health ins so no doctor, but I shouldnt even be needing to go to a doctor for a training injury? Training for what? To be better at training for the sake of training? Man it s a good thing no one reads this stuff, they would be convinced i was totally over it which Im not, im just frustrated with being injured having injuries stack up on top of each other and not feeling like I can make any progress because of these injuries.
I certainly have nothing meaningful to say on this since I really know nothing about all of this. Being truly awesome seems like a pretty good goal, but I can see your dilemma since you have so much inherent awesomeness.
ReplyDeleteYour rant had me a bit worried because you are pretty much a CFWSC institution in my mind, but thanks for clearing everything up at the end.
"I'm asking why do Grace slower than is absolutely possible to save form? Why not do 30 reps at any pace I want then?"
I might be looking at this way to non-competitively and simplistically, but why not take that middle ground of doing it as fast as you can with the best form?
not to worry leah, im not going anywhere :)
ReplyDeleteIt would be best to do it as fast as possible with the best form but then Kyle might beat me... then I would have to die.
Jeez, it took me a couple of days to wrap my head around this to even respond. If you’re actually ready to listen to a coach, here is my prescription. But really, what do I know?
ReplyDeleteAvoiding injury- Pre workout:
1. Come early to every workout or class. Properly warm up.
2. Start with rowing, shuffling, light jogging.
3. Move to high knees, butt kicks, double unders, high skips, frankensteins- wake up your nervous system.
4. Once you begin to warm up (this means you are sweating and breathing hard and feel like you need to take off your sweats and sweatshirt) begin to stretch dynamically. Don’t take off your sweats or sweatshirt.
5. Start with bigger muscles- do lunges, lateral lunges, squats, quad/ham single leg rdls. Static stretch hip flexors only with a Samson stretch or the like.
6. Warm up shoulders with arm circles, bear hugs, scapular push ups, dislocates, supinated kipping pull up hangs with a sway, etc. Gentle and easy, do “skin the cats” type stretches on the rings, further mobilizing your shoulder joints.
7. Begin to do slightly more explosive dynamic stretching moving your entire body through larger ranges of motion like ninja get ups, light Burpees, high jump knee tucks.
8. Do wrist circles and wrist stretches.
9. Stretch your calves against the wall. Do this with a straight knee as well as a bent knee.
10. Foam roll your quads, hamstrings, IT band. In a supine position, foam roll your upper thoracic region to prepare for over head positioning since you’ve got incredible tight shoulders. Foam roll or use a lacross ball to perform any self-myo-fascial release needed on “hot spots.”
11. Once you are breathing hard and sweating, take off your sweats.
This is the first 20 minutes. This should properly prepare you for just about anything that will come up in class or any workout for that matter. This will protect you from getting injured.
Avoiding injury- planning:
1. Have a plan. Don’t do random strength training. It doesn’t work.
2. If you randomly do heavy back squats “just because” you set yourself up for over training injuries, for example, if the next day hold heavy front squats and you just lifted heavy back squats the day before, you aren’t properly warmed up, and aren’t properly prepared, you could get injured.
3. Ask to see the strength training regimen for the month. After all, you have a key. Don’t you think we’d be so nice as to let you know what lifts are coming up? This way, if you are forced to work out on your own since your schedule, I presume, won’t allow you to come to class you can shape your workout accordingly. Better yet, have a trainer program those workouts for you. Even better yet, come to class. We’ve got that stuff all mapped out.
Avoiding injury-Post workout:
1. Static or PNF Stretch hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, calves, with a partner or a strap. This will help increase your flexibility- the thing that it inhibiting you from getting into proper positions and increasing your chance for injury.
2. Static stretch shoulders and lats and triceps with a dowel. Do this from as many different angles as your imagination allows. This will help increase shoulder flexibility, the thing that is inhibiting you to get in proper overhead, front squat, etc., positions thus increasing your change for injury.
3. Foam roll.
4. Ice your wrist- it’s been hurt forever. Be proactive. Ice any other “hot spots” you feel after your workout. We have ice cups right there in the freezer.
more…
Avoiding injury- What to avoid:
ReplyDelete1. Showing up without knowing what you “feel like doing.” Stand around, asking for suggestions, cherry picking the things you’d be willing to do, and then diving into it without proper warm up.
2. Not having clear, concrete goals. Are you trying to get stronger? Bigger? Better at metcon? Are you trying to get lean? Are you trying to qualify for regionals? Be clear about these goals. Have a trainer help create a strategy to get there.
3. Not having a coach. You can’t get very far without a coach. No matter how much you try to vary your metcon training, keep tabs on your strength training, you will ALWAYS subconsciously (or even consciously) coddle yourself.
I realize these details are less exciting, and lets face it, a pain in the ass but if you want your body to hold up and if it's any interest to you to stop wasting energy on rants and instead expend it trying to keep your squat from being beat by Kyle then it's probably a good idea to get serious about it.
Again, that's just me.