Weight Lifting | CrossFit Straps

To begin, let's all agree that buying weight lifting straps is not brain surgery. But, there are a few things that are totally helpful to remember when trying to find the best straps for you that will meet your needs.

1. Define your own goals.
Do you want to be the next Arnold? Or just lean down and try to look better in that bathing suit that you've been afraid to put on for the past year? Being honest about what your goals are when working out in the gym is very important. The muscle-heads will need the heavy-duty, serious weight lifting straps that will enable them to throw a ton of weight around while the beach beauties will simply need another gym fashion accessory so that they can look great.

2. What exercises will you be using your weight lifting straps for?
Some people find that they use their straps for almost every exercise they perform in the gym. Others, like me, simply use them for the heavier weight exercises that put the most stress on my grip since I try to push more weight than I would normally handle. It's important to think about which exercises you'll be using your straps for so that you can make your selection based on need. Pushing or pulling or both?

3. Think about what kind of material you'd like in your straps.
OK. Some people are more into leather than they'd like you to know! But woven cotton and even neoprene weight lifting straps offer their own benefits. Consider which type of material is going to make your workouts better. And, if you're a sweaty muscle-monkey, then you may want to consider whether you can wash your straps too! They tend to get really dirty and quite stinky too.

4. Are the straps you like simple to use or do they take half your workout just to wrap around the bar and your wrist?
One thing that most people don't think about is what the straps will be like once they're in the gym using them. If they are the long strap with the loop at one end version, then you're probably the type who is planning on Hulking up huge. If you're really looking for hand protection as opposed to uber heavy lifting ability, then you may be more interested in a simpler hand grip product. Wrapping the extended material around the bar to grip more weight can be cumbersome to certain people. A simple on and off quickly type product, such as a hand grip, may be what the trainer ordered instead!

 

  

5. Think about the look you're going for at the gym too.
Yeah, I know... you're just going to work out. You don't care what you look like. Bull. Anyone who is in the gym in the first place, is thinking more about the image that they are projecting than not. And, it's really OK too. So, remember that when you're selecting the right weight lifting straps for yourself, think not only about functionality, but about aesthetics too. What do you really hope that your new found straps or grips will say about you? Egotistical callused muscle maniac or considerate baby smooth handed boyfriend with the sensitive touch? Whichever it is, make sure it works for you!

The grips that work absolutely best for my needs are a crossover pair between lifting straps and grips. They are called Gorilla-Grips. They are made of 100% leather with elastic finger loops which hold them in place on my hands. They are totally stoked for lifting super heavy weights or just for use as a protective layer between me and the germ-ridden handlebars in my spin class.
 

Source Hamilton B | Ez

Andrea Ager Crossfit

One of these individuals is Andrea Ager. Andrea's journey began with a simple talk in college from a friend who motivated her to take up the sport. This saw her train for 3-4 hours each day before going to work. She finally moved all her focus to CrossFit training. As the years have gone by she has slowly grown her training for CrossFit and improved the gains that she has gained from the training regime.

At the beginning her focus was on pushing volume and heavier loads. This was intended to increase the power strength that she had. Over the years she has moved more to concentrate on strength. She has also noticed that the hardest part of the training is usually on the specialized and unspecialized training days. These especially are aimed at pushing one to the limit. But with five days of training and doing lots of volume one gets to adjust to the training regimen. The fact that one has a good number of workout music from which to select from adds to the fun of the training and boosts one's morale when undertaking their training.

This is actually a fact that has been proved scientifically. This is in regards to the fact that listening to music while undertaking the training helps one improve on the overall gains that they achieve from their training. 

This is not just in CrossFit training but in all other major types of sports. It also helps to build a playlist that contains some of your favorite songs.

The other part of any fitness regime lies in following the right diet. So too does CrossFit call for eating right to complement the training that one is undertaking. Andrea's diet includes a lot of protein, but so too does it include taking in the right type of carbohydrates, vitamins and fibers. The protein source that one uses should also be the right kind of protein. In this case lean meat and white meat are the most preferred sources of protein. Foods like avocado also provide one with fats that help in fueling the body through the training regimen that one is undertaking as well as the fiber that the body needs to ensure effective digestion. It is also important that one has their cheat days in order to reward the body for all the hard work that it is undertaking during the training period. Andrea's favorite cheat meal is cookie dough ice cream or chocolate.

Source: Written with thanks by Becky Watson

Have You Ever Wondered What CrossFit Is Exactly?

Have you ever wondered what CrossFit is exactly? Well, I'm here to explain to you what it is and how I feel it would be perfect for you. By definition, CrossFit is constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movements. 

To explain more in detail:

CONSTANTLY VARIED - Never doing the same workout twice unless you repeat a workout to test your progress. Basically, not allowing your body to adapt to the same constant movements.

HIGH INTENSITY - How much weight a person move over the longest distance in the shortest amount of time. Another way to look at it is power and intensity. The hope of the CrossFit community is for one day to have a person who can run a sub 5 minute mile as well as deadlift over 500 pounds.

FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENTS - Movements that we as humans were built for. Movements that are natural and safe. Moving furniture, for example, is the same as a weightlifter performing a deadlift move. Both movements require the weight to be transfers from the floor in a similar manner.

 

 CrossFit can be performed by anybody, at any age, and at any fitness level. This is the primary reason why I believe it is for you. The CrossFit community is so welcoming and encouraging. When you feel you can't complete that last repetition in your workout, the other patrons are there to cheer you on. People from the ages 10 to 75 are currently participating in CrossFit because it is scalable for all levels of fitness.

Each day you enter your "Box" (another name for gymnasium) the workout of the day (WOD) will be posted on the white board. There is no thinking involved and all you need to do is workout. The workouts are preprogram and the coaches will explain/clarify them as well as review the functional movements used during the workout to ensure they are preformed correctly to help avoid injury.

 

 A commonly asked question is will I get hurt. I believe you can get injured in any sport not just CrossFit. So, yes, there is a possibility. However, you are at risk of getting hurt every time you step out of bed. Always practice good form, listen to your body and rest when you need to. Another great focus to keep you body health is to do mobility and really stretch so that you can prevent injury.

So, why not give it a try? Look up your local box and go see what it is all about. The best part about CrossFit is that it can be done anywhere with minimal specialized equipment. If you have to travel for vacations or business, you do not have to stop working out. Simply drop in at any local box in the town you are visiting and believe me, you will be welcome as one of their own. 

CrossFit is truly an amazing worldwide community. Get started today!

Source: Camille Dougherty

Things I Know About Double-Unders

Skills
double-under practice
WOD: “The Double Russian” (aerobic training)
5 rounds:
20 Russian swings, 16K
20 double-unders
20 Russian step-ups
20 double-unders
My time: 20:13
Cashout Fun
:40 handstand hold

When I ‘graduated’ to double-unders a few months ago, I made a commitment to myself that no matter how tired I was, how uncooperative the rope, how vigorously my ego worried about the clock, I would do every double-under in a workout. There would be no compromise, no “I’ll just do singles on this round, then I’ll go back to double-unders.” See: stubborn, relentless, determined, bull-headed.

I’m ridiculously pleased to announce that on the last round of the WOD, I did all 20 double-unders unbroken, smooth as (very sweaty) silk. But prior to that, my unbroken reps ranged from 2 to 13, depending on when I tripped on, or was viciously whipped by, the rope. This could have been a pretty fast workout: 16kg is a ‘light’ weight for me on swings, and I was a very committed step aerobics aficianado back in the day, so step-ups feel like a sort of homecoming. But double-unders can be a time suck. Unbroken, they swing by fast, but f*cked up double-unders? They’ll slow a girl down. It goes something like this:

• single, single, single –> big breath and…
• whip the rope into double-unders
• trip on the rope / get whipped by the rope
• [pant] X 3 while trying to achieve optimal blend of relaxation and aggression
• single, single, single –> big breath and…
• double-unders
• REPEAT

After completing about 250 double-unders this morning (50 during our skills and 200 during the WOD), I have some observations to share about this particular CrossFit rite-of-passage.

1. Get your hands on the right rope.

I thought the need for a speed rope was just a case of Hothouse Flower Syndrome ([sigh] “I’m delicate and need things just so to succeed.”) But I was wrong. Getting a speed rope – at the right length – changed double-unders from the wistful “I can get them once in a while.” to the cocky “I have double-unders.” We really like this .Speed Rope

 If you invest in your own speed rope, play around with the length;

2. Find that magical place where you’re both aggressive and relaxed.

The day I got my first double-unders was the day I got angry. I was pissed at the rope, at my feet, at my arms, at the rising welts on my shins, at the evil mastermind that decided we should even be attempting to do double-unders in the first place. The angrier I got, the more aggressively I flung that rope and suddenly, vroop!, it had circled under my feet twice.

On my next attempt, when I was happy about that, I tripped. But when I got angry again, I succeeded.

Now I’ve learned how to whip the rope without going to a grouchy place. It’s a far more aggressive movement than I imagined. With singles you can sort of la-la-la the rope around. It’s very chill, like Muhammad Ali slamming his poetry and shuffling his feet. With double-unders, there has to be a lot of force behind the movement, BUT… you also want to keep your shoulders and jumping mechanism relaxed. It’s tricky, but once you get it, you get it.

3. Remember it’s all in the wrist.

Somewhat related to #2, the movement of the rope needs to initiate from your wrist. With your shoulders relaxed in a neutral position and your core tight, you form a solid base from which your wrists can flick the rope. Again, it’s that hinky relationship between relaxed and fired up.

4. Keep your hands slightly in front of your shoulders.

Nick, champion-level double-under-er, shouted out this tip this morning (Thanks, Nick!), and it considerably improved my unbroken-to-broken reps ratio. When you’ve got the “from the wrists” thing working, try to bring your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. With elbows tucked into your sides and palms angled so they’re almost facing each other (instead of directly forward), you have a ballast against which to spin the rope.

5. Get bouncy.

Another tip from Nick: bounce! Most of the time, I have a little hitch in the rhythm of my double-unders. But if I think “bounce!” while I’m doing them, I reach a lightness and steadiness in my jumps that matches the rhythm of the rope… perfect sync.

6. Do not let frustration get the better of you.

This may be the hardest aspect of all. DUs are nasty little f*ckers and sometimes, that rope just refuses to cooperate. THAT is the true challenge of the DU. It’s not whether you can move the rope fast enough, but whether you you can put aside your frustration to learn to move the rope fast enough.

7. Channel the fighting spirit of Muhammad Ali.

I’m of the opinion that there is never a bad time to rely on Ali’s athletic model. He was charming, classy, worked hard, enjoyed his accomplishments, and did a whole lot of jump rope.

Source Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan

The 80/20 Rule Of Double Under Jump Rope Training

If you do not know, Double Under Training is a game of very small adjustments until your technique becomes as finely tuned as a Steinway and Sons Piano. Your ability to do more double unders while reducing your fatigue factor is all about efficiency.

 

 

The 80/20 rule also known as the Pareto Principle states "that, for many events, roughly 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes". As this principle holds true in business, economics, and software development; I, too, believe it is true for double under training.

After coaching and observing CrossFit athletes for over two years I can truly say that if you improve or fix 20 percent of your double under technique, you will improve your overall jump rope efficiency by 80 percent or greater.

You must keep in mind that the adjustments are usually so small that most athletes fail to realize which adjustments they have made. For this reason, many athletes fall into a revolving cycle of reverting back to bad habits. Using all of your senses to accomplish your training goals is the key to lasting success.

Every individual has a different road map to their ultimate double under (PR) personal record. Below are three suggestions on how you can accomplish your goals.

1. You must identify your 20 percent that needs to be adjusted. Find a good cable jump rope with efficient handles. A good rope handles about 5 -10 percent by itself. Find a good partner or coach who has an eye for proper jump rope technique and get a few suggestions from them on what changes you may need to make.

2. Learn, Feel, Remember, and then Repeat. Once you get a good rhythm of 15 to 20 double unders in a row, don't forget it. You want to be able to feel your way back into proper technique if you have not done double unders in awhile.

3. Continue to practice your newly discovered adjustments until they become second nature. You want to be able to do the movement and not have to think at all.

As your efficiency continues to improve, you will undoubtedly start making adjustments on the fly while conducting the movement. The ability to clip your toes and still continue without stopping is an ideal scenario. Efficiency in recovery after a mistake is just as important as a smooth and mistake-free execution.

 

Source Izaac Wilkins/ Ezine

Andrea Ager- CrossFit Tabata

 CrossFit Athlete Andrea Ager performs an insane Tabata workout consisting of an array of staple CrossFit movements, and also takes a minute to chat about Tabata and CrossFit in general.