But hey, guess what? I guess I'll just never learn! So here I go again!
Lately I have met a bunch of people who have all decided that the way to become better CrossFit athletes, is to spend more time, a lot more time, on oly lifling!
These are without exception all athletes who already have some capacity in oly lifting! However these are also athletes who will tell you that they still do not master pistols, buterfly pull ups, or a substantional amount of regular kipping pull ups, HSPU, front levers, MU and the list goes on. They are also athletes who will without blinking tell you that they still have a long way to go before they would even begin to consider themselves and their mobility to be up to par!
Those of you who were raised on the early CrossFit videos from the old Santa Cruz HQ, and the early CrossFit Journal articles. Those of you who read everything you could get your hands on, because the articles were still so few and far between, may just remember that there were 10 basic skills, that we were all attempting to improve! Do you also remember that the theory was that you were only as strong as your weakest link, and so we should always try to improve the things we dreaded the most and were least capable in! The theory was that raising the lowest markers would do more for our overall fitness, then becomming marginally better at the things we already good at!
Those of you who have done a level 1 cert should be nodding now, remembering that your flowmaster drilled this point pretty hard..... right!?
So if we have bought into the CrossFit theory, and truly believe that what we are being taught at the certs is more than just words to fill in the time before the group photo and the WoD- then why have we not embraced this fact? Why is it that more and more athletes are spending more and more time on the bar, and less and less time on making simple exercises a part of their exercise base?
What do you think would benifit these athletes more? Adding 5kg to their Squat clean, or snatch, or actually being able to do pistols?? I know where I'd put my money.. Where would you put yours?
Much love
12 comments:
That's was priceless! Thank you!
I blame the competitions. Their focus often favours strong oly lifters.
So, the bane of crossfit is turning crossfit into a sport?
I have noticed this to. Just take a look at almost every swedish Crossfit-blog. It's OL day in and day out. But since these guys kick my ass at everything they do(not only OL), I guess that I can't criticise them.
You are as always spot on Mads! After back surgery, or any other injury I assume, this issue is even more important - to practice what you really don't want to practice, since that is definitely what you really ought to be doing a lot of!
J: funny thing though that only a handful of people in the CrossFit community compete...
I hear u brother, spot on!
Also agree that some of it comes from competitions "promoting" it, but as we said earlier: why focus so much on OL to add maybe a 5-10kg in a lift when you would probably get that AND MORE (other skills) if focusing on your weaknesses and ofc get SOME technique training for the lifts in there...
I for one need to and plan to not get caught up in the OL-hype again! ;)
Maybe people just think Oly is fun and value the fun part of training more than maximizing their WCIBTAMD? I know that's true for me at least.
It's all about the psychology of motivation. People are drawn to do that which is satisfying and fun. Being able to measure objective progress is an important part of creating satisfaction.
It is easier to snatch or C&J a tiny bit more or do another rep in a certain amount of time than to progress from 1 HSPU or Pistol to 2.
Dropping a loaded bar with bumper plates from overhead is also a lot more dramatic and fun than getting 1 extra degree of mobility (that you can't even measure accurately) when stretching your hamstrings or lats or whatever.
You're spot on Brother! But you knew I thought this too. Now I know that you knew that I knew. Did you know that also?
Btw - measuring midline stability and such with weight lifting is also doable, but less so when only lifting objects made to be lifted.
Agree - but take at look at the SM....
WOD1: C&J vs BW
WOD2: C&J (Grace)
WOD: power snatch
WOD4: OHS (assisting exercise to snatch)
WOD5: power clean
..... where did all that o-lifting come from??
Hugs, sarah
I agree on everything in the text Mads! A majority of the first term students at the affiliate that i`m training and instruct is asking for more oly lifting. And thats without doing a correct airsquat. And of course not doing a single pistol. So what to do?
I'm glad your back in the blogosphere again. In my opinion althetes blogs are best when they skip the endless reps, numbers, and times and instead share their thoughts and contemplations on the body, training and fitness culture. That's exactly what you do and I love it.
Regarding the unbalanced fitness of many crossfitters; don't you think that the crossfit boxes and their programming is part of the blame? I hear a lot of talk about the importance of flexibility but never see coaches at boxes put as much love into mobility work (if any at all) as they dedicate to perfecting a clean for example.
In programming, the numbers, reps or times for the wod are usually stated clearly and precisely whereas when it comes to mobility work you are (at best) usually given a sloppy "spend 10 minutes stretching". I imagine that if the mobility work was as precisely prescribed as the wods people would follow it with better discipline.
And would coaches, not only emphasize the importance of mobility, but actually state an example with their own training, I think the atheletes would be sure to follow.
What I would like to see at crossfit boxes is classes dedicated to mobility work and stretching and perhaps other classes with focus on complex movements like pistols, handbalancing and pirouettes. Maybe that's when we become crossfit. For real.
/Anna
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