Deadlift:
*Set 1 – 5 reps @ 75-80%
*Set 2 – 3 reps @ 80-85%
*Set 3 – 1 rep @ 85-90%
*Set 4 – 5 reps @ 80-85%
*Set 5 – 3 reps @ 85-90%
*Set 6 – 1 rep @ 90+%
Conditioning
Three rounds for time of:
75 Double Unders
20 K.B. Swings 70/53
15/10 Strict Handstand Push-Ups
Time cap: 12 minutes
“Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.”
Warren Buffet was on to something when he scolded the world
on the formation of their bad habits with this quote. And this can
certainly be applied to gyms across the world. I see a plethora of bad
habits on a daily basis, but I’ve narrowed down my top five to share
with you.
1) Not maintaining a flat back when picking loads off the floor (or putting them back down), even when the load is light.
2) Externally rotating shoulders during planks, ring dips, push-ups, and most pressing exercises.
3) Externally rotating from the hips to drive the knees out; not only during squats, but also during pulls from the floor.
4) Not breathing properly, which leads to a gasp of air and eventually sloppy movement.
5) Losing the lumbar curve during overhead movements and during fatigue by not keeping the ribs down and the belly tight.
These can all be fixed very easily by practicing good
habits. All habits start relatively slow and gradual, and, before you
know it, the habit has taken over. I find that most people are pretty
relaxed about some of the important details like “ribs down”, “belly
tight”, “external rotation”, “proper spinal position”, and “proper
breathing mechanics” until they get hurt or feel pain. It’s only at that
point do these individuals strive to make the necessary changes to
these habits but the bad habit has been formed and the body has become
accustomed to poor motor recruitment patterns. Those patterns are hard
to break.
The key is to MAKE YOURSELF A SLAVE TO GOOD HABITS! If you
can slow yourself down during the learning stages of each movement and
stay disciplined during fatigue, you are more likely to stay safe and
continue to enhance your fitness. Unfortunately, when you get hurt, you
limit your abilities to enhance your fitness and your quality of life
goes down. The problem lies in the fact that once the coach says “3-2-1,
Go!” most athletes simply lose all consciousness and strive to move as
fast as they can. The founder of CrossFit, Coach Greg Glassman, wrote a
CrossFit Journal article on this desire to go as fast as possible called
Understanding CrossFit in April of 2007. It talked about how “men will die for points.”
People will do exactly that. All of the points of
performance go out the window and in people’s heads, the emphasis is on
speed and weight hoisted, not on technique and the formation of good
habits. The importance placed on quantifiable results has attracted
hard-charging people like business owners, financial managers,
scientists, and a wide variety of former athletes. CrossFit is typically
blamed for lack of guidance, but CrossFit doesn’t hurt anyone. Poor
habits, poor movement patterns, and lack of attention to detail hurts
people. There must be a level of personal accountability when you walk
through the gym doors. You, as the athlete, need to make yourself a
slave to good habits – even when you’re moving fast.
