07.29.11 A CrossFit Exclusive: Return to The Pull Up
COMPARE with 4/18/11
Mastery of the Pull up seems to be on the back burner lately as everyone chases the Muscle up. However, it is a staple in almost every CrossFit workout and the variations if you don't understand them all and apply them can backfire on your training. So let's work with our old friend TABATTA today. Normally we don't do gymnastics for time but I think it is valuable in this instance to play in the CrossFit domain for a minute. Especially if you are preparing for the Games.
We are going to do a Tabatta of :
Butterfly Pull ups
Traditional Kipping Pull ups
Strict Pull ups
Alternating through each type.
8 rounds
20 seconds of work
10 seconds of rest.
Record your splits and try to do them FEET Together and toes pointed. Work these as efficient movement. The goal is to be able to work these movements without a form break. Enjoy.
GET SOME.
Go to the Movements page to demo the others. Here is the butterfly with a tight body.
Get inverted on something, the ground, the plyo box, or a bumper plate... Then attempt a straddle static hold for two seconds and then take it back to a balanced handstand. Notice that her core is rock solid and no huge arch exists in her form. She has the load stacked over her foundation. Active upper body (shoulders, lats, arms) pressing away from the bar with chin slightly elevated looking toward the bar and the core is in a hollow bracing. Find out how long you can hold this for. Obviously, flexibility is key as well...
If you are travelling into the Los Angeles area and are looking to get a workout in this week, before the CrossFit Games kick off, please don't hesitate to drop into DogTown CrossFit. For you gymnastics freaks...we just installed a new set of rings to go with our 4 other permanent sets, did I mention our full set of parallel bars, and our 50 foot Rogue pull up rack? We also have 14 lift platforms and enough weight for the most powerful lifters. Did i mention the Dog parties that erupt mid-day or the parking lot (thats huge in LA) or a hot shower? Stop by and say hey! we love the community and love to play host! Check us out...
Beginner: Scale it off the knees or use a band to work your pull, transition and dip. Focus on good quality movement from the floor. Don't throw your Dolphin through a Window.
Intermediate: Get your ass up there! Any which way you can! (Eastwood Style -Yeah I did that). But form beats out speed today legs stay glued together.
Advanced: Strict. False or regular grip take the time to make it quality. Could take six hours. We don't know. Somebody do it. Seriously. Kelly nailed this. you can do it too. Have fun!
07.22.11 Back To Basics: Mobility & Champion Gymnastics Splits
MOBILITY RECHECK! Compare with 4/11/11.......Here we go!
Hey Gymnastics Peeps! Let's get mobile today and to quote my favorite mobility specialist lets try to unglue some nasty business! Maybe I just misquoted a little.... Ah what the heck. Here's the deal...
10 air squats hitting and holding for a beat.
then let's hit with good form and approach....
Left Leg Splits (use a med ball for support if u need) (2 minutes)
Right Leg Splits (only go to a place of tension, hold for the 30 seconds then back off and readdress) (2 minutes)
MIddle Splits (use a box to lean on and only stretch and try and relax!) (2 minutes)
Then Let's retest that air squat again 10 more hold for a beat at the bottom and up!
Go to the MOVEMENTS page and click on STRETCHING.....Check the video below:
Wear your pride at the games! WOD Gear has partnered with us to unleash the unique Ring Arm Shirt and CrossFit Gymnastics Logo Shirt. Shirts are $25 dollars. You can follow the link, order online, then come pick it up at the Home Depot Center (free shipping that way) at the WOD Gear tent or just buy it when you get to the Games. The first run is limited so they may sell out fast!
There is a Men's Cut, Ladies Cut and two different "American" and "Canadian" Flag Shirts on the right sleeve.
3 sets of Max effort Shrugs. Use a set of parallettes or if you are a Ninja take it to the rings. But be careful to not break at the elbow and focus on finishing in a nice tight active support at the top of each shrug. Watch the video and try and hit the position. Make your Traps hurt.
07.19.11 Gymnastics Trainer Course At CrossFit Brea in Fullerton
CFG Peeps,
We finished up another extremely successful CrossFit Gymnastics Trainer Course this past weekend at CrossFit Brea in Fullerton, CA. The level of athletecism and understanding of body position keeps getting better as the community continues to soak up this information in a hurry! The biggest hurdle it seems for most gyms we teach at is a lack of good gymnastic equipment and where to find it. Like I said at the Trainer Course, the internet is your best friend and websites like Craig's list.org are a great place to find deals on folding mats and many other stuff. Now full parallel bars aren't required for a successful CrossFit Gym, but the more tools and scaling options you have to help skill development the better. Be diligent and keep searching for deals and contact us if you need help.
Today we will use the Muscle up Bear Complex in a workout environment. Remember this is CrossFit Gymnastics so a break in form is a break depending on the rules of this game. Today we want to really focus on form, grip and body position throughout this sequence of movement.s
Beginners: use a band and strap it through your hands and under one foot.
Intermediate: No band, tight body
Ninja: 20 lb Weight vest.
REP Scheme is as follows: Use the Death by Scenario: 1 sequence the first minute, 2 the second, 3 the third until your grip, form or body position breaks down or you can't make it with in the minute. then rest 1 minute and head back down the ladder to 1. Again the focus is quality movement.
My team from DogTown, competed at the Tri-County Shakedown at CrossFit Fast in Southern California this weekend. It was a team event where we had to do a number of high rep exercises in a team format using CrossFit Guidlines and rules. In the First Workout, we had to collectively perform 4 rope climbs, 200 wallballs and then 40 muscle up before we finished with another 200 KB Swings and then 4 rope climbs with a 20 minute cap. Many teams struggled with the Muscle up portion of this workout as is usual. We finished the workout, and I employed a gymnastic ring swing into a kipping muscle up (more or less a front uprise) it was really effective. My grip didn't fail, I didn't rip and we moved on pretty quickly.
Here is a shot of my back swing, while not perfect, pretty ideal to help generate power using body tension and a manipulation of the body from an extended position in the back swing to a hollow or flexed position in the front swing. So our skill set is for form: 10 sets of 10 ring swings no form breaks. Arms locked out, no false grip. Go Get it.
"Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each."
— Plato
I learned how to do pull ups after 4 months of CrossFit. When I first came in I couldn’t even do a quarter of ONE…. really. I had no strength. Skinny, yes. Strong and healthy? Not at all. CrossFit taught me about fitness and what healthy really is. What it means to find your weaknesses and practice them every day so they become your strengths. So I practiced every day… literally. I tell people this all the time. If you really want something it’s gonna take work. Not some magical wish for it to happen and BAM! there it is, not some hope that your coach will one day give you the right cue and you’ll get it, just practice. Like anything else worth perfecting or learning.
So after 4 months of practicing the kip and kipping with bands I finally got it. First I used the green thick band. I got to about 10-15 unbroken and then I moved to the thinner blue band. Every day I would come in and do 3-4 sets of max reps. The next day, I would try to beat that number, even if it was by only one rep. Eventually I came in one day and a friend of mine had gotten her first unassisted pull ups. I was at about 15 unbroken with the blue thin band and said “shit, if she can do it”….. so I did 5 unbroken unassisted pull ups that night. It felt awesome. I felt strong and accomplished. Today, I can teach a real good kipping pull up and how to break it down perfectly. I can also do 30 unbroken kipping pull ups (maybe more) and a handful of bar muscle ups…. but that doesn’t mean shit.
Why? Well a few months back I took the Gymnastics Certification with Jeff Tucker…. hell of a guy with an awesome bummer face by the way. He taught me a lot about strength and why having a good kipping pull up isn’t really that great if I can barely do a handful of strict pull ups. What the shit?! How many strict pull ups CAN I do? I had never even really cared. CrossFit gets you so into wanting to do things quickly and efficiently. Doing the most amount of work in the shortest amount of time. But how strong am I, really? That weekend I wanted Tucker to help me get my muscle up. He basically told me no… not until you have the strength to do it. In a way, he’s still helping me to get my muscle up… I WILL get a strict one before I get one kipping, I’m convinced.
Anyway, so I went back to basics. I was really stumped as to why I could do so many kipping pull ups and not even one muscle up. I started to train everything strict. Strict handstand push ups (which I could also do a bunch kipping but barely any strict), strict pull ups, strict toes to bar, string ring dips, strict muscle up progressions. What’s gonna happen when HQ says “guess what guys? This WOD calls for strict”! This sport is also all about finding your weaknesses. As weird and as shitty as it is, my weakness is my base strength. I already know I can rely on momentum for all of these movements… and if I can also rep them out strict number one it’s gonna help me get through the WOD easier, and it’s sure as hell gonna help me whoop your ass when I’m next to you.
So take a step back and refocus. Find your base first, worry about momentum later. It will take MUCH longer, I promise, but it’s GOING to make you a better athlete than the next person… unless they train the same way, then it’s all about heart.
Play along if you dare...designed to attack the midline, the shoulders, grip strength and to simulate what training for a 5 Minute Ring routine would be like. (They are never 5 minutes BWAHAH) Here is the rundown:
1 minute MAX Efforts while running a continuous clock:
Wall Handstand Push Up
Knees to Elbow
Ring Dip
Back Extension on the GHD (Flat Back)
Pull ups (Chin Over Bar)
Rest 1 minute
17 Minutes of Fun. Each Rep is a point. Go for Form first. Kipping is allowed on the Pull up bar everything else is strict.
Lynne Style CrossFit Workout: 5 Rounds (2 minute rest between sets)
MAX Body Weight Power Cleans (Scale as needed)
MAX Ring Handstand Push Ups (Scale as needed)
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