Sunday 120902

Rest Day

Tomorrow’s Workout:

Deadlift 3x3xM.E.

Rest 5 minutes.

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:

10 Pull-ups

15 Push-ups

20 Pistols (alternate legs)

Coach Mark’s Notes:

Years ago, I used to be extremely inflexible and very immobile.  My futile attempts to touch my toes were hilarious, and I didn't really care to improve because this defect in my fitness didn't seem to be hindering my performance at all.  I was wrong and naive then, and now I blame my stiffness and lack of free movement almost entirely for the severe back injury that I suffered. But from a negative, you can always draw out a positive.

Almost immediately after busting my back, I started making up for lost time and started stretching and getting mobile.  It was shitty in every way; painful, mind-numbingly boring, and all-round uncomfortable.  But, what else could I do?  I couldn't lift, I could barely move let alone perform much better than a geriatric 102-year-old, so it seemed like the best use of my time in the moment.  I spent hours on the mat holding positions that were excruciating, the whole time pissed at myself.  My laziness had got the best of me and I paid dearly for it.

What I'm getting at here is simple; no one is invincible, injury will plague every athlete to some degree at some point in their training career.  We joke all the time on HAF about being tough, but some things you just can't tough out.  My advice is simple and by no means new, I'm just repeating what we all know to be true: prevention is the best medicine.  I started to think of flexibility and mobility as a fitness investment: the more time that I spent working on it, the better I would perform when the clock started and the longer I would postpone the inevitable "Yoda Days" in my future.

Think of the following as your investments, and I want you to put as much cash into them as you can.  You will only gain from them, and if you can wrap your head around that fact, you will become a much better athlete.  No one ever regrets the time they invest stretching or warming up.  The only regrets that I or anyone else ever have come from neglecting to do so.

Warm Ups - The more time you can spend warming up the better.  Gradually up the intensity until you feel good mentally and physically.  The shorter your time domain for that day, the longer the warm up should be.

Stretching - Do this at home, at the gym, or at a yoga class outside of town under a false name. Whichever you choose, do it regularly.  Flexibility makes you less susceptible to injury.

Mobility - This is different than stretching, and I am by no means an expert on this one. Mobility WOD is the best site for this, check it out.  Kelly Starrett knows his shit, and I'm not in the mood right now for plagiarism.

Good Form and Technique - I don't really need to discuss this one do I?  Learn your movements and execute them well.

These things followed religiously will keep you safe, and at the very least if you do get injured, you won't spend your recovery time kicking yourself. Everyone wants to do the cool stuff, but it's the lame, boring, unfun things that separate the good from the better.  I learned the hard way, don't be like me.  Warm up, stretch, and get mobile.

"The Skill Transfer of the Burpee" with Carl Paoli, by Again Faster Equipment, CrossFit Journal preview video [wmv] [mov] [HD mov]