Sunday Story…Moving Well

We recently finished the CrossFit Games quarterfinals. In both the quarters and the semis all the workouts must be videoed and posted for submission for your score to count. Here’s the bottom line: there are standards for every movement. You are required to meet that standard. This is one of the ways to maintain a level playing field. If you fail to meet the standard and your onsite judge misses your failure the video reviewer will assess a penalty. The idea is to have everyone meet the same standard.

But you aren’t in those contests so why do I bring this up? Because you are in a contest every time you work out. Your challenge is to hit the standard of movement every time…not 1 in 10 not half the time….every. time. If it’s a squat…get your hip crease lower than your knee. If it’s an overhead movement…lock it out…that means full lockout from your knees to your elbows. What about when you are warming up? That’s when you can work your way in the full range of movement. If you ever see my first overhead squat (even with just PVC) you will see something that is not a squat. But in a few more attempts I will get there. Your warm-up is the time to use light weight and grease the skid for the full range of motion.

It does us no good to use weight or a movement that we can’t do. You aren’t going to improve, and you are risking injury. The movement standards are there for a reason…not just to give the coach something to yell about!

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-story.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

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