Of inspired functional fitness

Ahhh, yes! and hello again, friends near and far, please feel this, my first salutation from our young two thousand sixteen. I hope it finds you warm and well.

It’s been a minute since I’ve posted, but rest assured I have some projects churning in the background and’ve been making [sneaky] updates to the site. (These updates are mostly of the “new gallery” variety and will be introduced with separate blog posts.) For now though let me get this post out there, with the promise of following up with all sorts of interesting photos in the near future.

The following is a little something (a ten-point manifesto, I suppose you could call it) I put down for a loved one just getting into the world of Crossfit. Take it as you will.

The Responsible Crossfitter

“Friday night lights” | 2014

1. Always stretch, smartly

This is probably the best way to prevent an injury. Any good box should stress this and incorporate it into their daily routine, but ultimately it is the individual’s responsibility to be well prepared for the workout. My recommendation? Two things. One, as soon as you get into the box take a look at the skill/weight segment and WOD and understand which areas of your body will need to be loose – as a crossfit program can vary quite a bit, so too will the focus areas. Shoulders, hamstrings, calves, hips/groin, chest… consider the programming: What is the focus? And then, accordingly, take it upon yourself to make sure that area (or areas) is nice and loose. Take extra, personal time if you have to – it’s your body.

2. Know your body

Related to #1. Simply put, you know your body better than anyone else. Tightness, tenderness, pain, historical issues, unexplained phenomena… that beautiful database in your mind is a very important one, so use it! My recommendation? On your way to crossfit do a physical inventory. If anything deserves attention, give it attention, create a plan. Such plans could be as simple as going deeper into some specific stretches, but could also include a decision to modify or altogether skip certain incendiary movements.

3. Take care of your callused hands

If you consistently follow a Crossfit routine, hand calluses will develop – this is an eventuality. While not a problem unto themselves, calluses do pose a risk, and that is they increase the likelihood of a hand tear (i.e., in this instance, when a callus is torn away from the adjacent skin). But all is not lost! This is because, unless personal maintenance is forgotten, callus does not equal hand tear. My recommendation? Go to CVS or Amazon, etc., and get a simple callus shaver. You won’t need it often, but when you do it’ll be perfect. Keep it in the shower. When needed, wait to use until the end of your shower, when the skin is at its softest: From here it won’t take much to return the area to close to its original state.

4. Don’t work through a tear

Related to #3. Whether you like it or not, are careful or not, chances are that eventually you’ll tear your hand. It happens. Best case you can avoid one altogether – that’d be great – but if not here are some things to keep in mind. First, you’ll probably feel it coming… you’ll know a special kind of blister is developing. You’re probably not going to want to stop doing what you’re doing… that’s not the nature of crossfit, to concede, but, and, lastly, if you do tear mid-workout, I advise you to stop. It may not be easy, but STOP. This has all sorts of things wrapped up in it, including adrenaline and pride and ego, but nevertheless, the sooner you stop, the sooner you recover, the sooner you return to 100% full form.

5. Respect the barbell

I learned this one through watching a few good coaches of mine, one of whom would, in certain instances, quietly bow to the barbell before his approach. I’m going to sound dramatic when I say this, but, when picking up a loaded barbell, the responsible Crossfitter should always be aware of the potential damage that that barbell can do. It is literally a very powerful thing, and, if used improperly, it has the power to crush you and/or your Crossfit friends. It is an extension of nature and should be respected as such.

6. Be aware of others

Related to #5. Just because you respect the barbell and are aware of its power does not mean that the other fifteen people in the room carrying 200 pounds of weight on their shoulders do, too. For their sake and yours, I hope they do, but I wouldn’t assume so. My recommendation? When you’re in the box, be aware of as much as possible: Risky areas, risky people, risky movements, etc. Understand blind spots and stand clear.

7. Know how to fail (well)

Related to #6. Failure happens, it is a part of Crossfit: In order to find a 1RM you’ll have to get under some heavy weight, try as hard as you can, and ultimately fail. Then, at that same moment, you’ll have to drop the weight. But that’s not the end of it. How you drop the weight, and your state of mind while doing so, is really, really important: Panic and bad form will get you in trouble very quickly. My recommendation? A good box should drive this one home, but if not, or to supplement their instruction, be sure to practice bailing out of each of the power and Olympic lifts before working with them. This is risk mitigation and good practice rolled into one awesome skill.

8. Maintain your body

I could have called this one “Become a supple leopard” because I’m basically just going to point you to Kelly Starrett, his important self-physical therapy best-selling book (“Becoming a Supple Leopard”), and some of the other awesome content he puts out (bookmark/love his website MobilityWOD) but I suppose there’s a slightly higher level idea here I’d like to convey. Essentially, it is this: Strive to achieve high-level functional fitness and strength by balancing the “yang” of crossfit with the “yin” of targeted body maintenance. Or, in other words, become a badass supple leopard!

9. Collect personal helpers

Semi-related to #8. I hope you’ll soon carry a Crossfit bag, or have a Crossfit box (of sorts), and it is the contents of these containers that is the topic of this point. Here is a list of items that I think are important to mention:

i. Maintenance essentials

  • Lacrosse ball
  • Foam roller
  • Resistance band
  • Floss band
  • Callus shaver

ii. WOD essentials

  • Athletic tape
  • Wrist straps
  • Notebook/phone app
  • Good pair of sneakers
  • Speed jump rope

iii. WOD nice-to-have’s

  • Rehband 7mm knee sleeves
  • Weightlifting belt
  • Olympic lifting shoes

10. Be open to a holistic approach

I won’t go all paleo diet on you, but this last bullet does include the idea that diet informs fitness (and vice-verse). But my thoughts here are larger and more all-encompassing: Sleep and spiritual health are also intimately involved, nay, linked, and deserve just as much attention as the more obvious players in this “network of goodness.” It might be said that, if these entities are all related and drive one’s overall well-being, then an individual is as strong as their weakest link. It is not intuitive that a Crossfitter can break through a fitness plateau by buying blackout blinds and going to yoga, or that sweet potatoes can help improve your back squat, but that is exactly what I am saying! Fitness is related to diet is related to sleep is related to emotional well-being: It’s a beautiful and complicated dance, and to know that it exists is to begin to understand its powerful implications. Nameste!


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