Last week we discussed the importance of the arch position when kipping pull-ups. This week we’re going to dive into the details of the other half, the hollow. In general, I find that this one gets a lot more attention and focus than the other, because it’s where the pull-up actually happens. Now, with the...Read More
I learned at the CrossFit Gymnastics Seminar that gymnastics is about making shapes. We spend a lot of time at Roots drilling the proper shapes of a kip, so by now you know that the kip consists of 2 shapes; the hollow and the arch. To kip is just to move from one shape to...Read More
Want to up your pull-up game with one simple fix? Wrap your thumb around the bar. That’s right, wrapping your thumb helps to create a stable shoulder position to pull from, it’s a stronger grip and it has loads more transferability. Of course it’s going to feel “weird” in the beginning, so did the overhead...Read More
When I first began CrossFit I fell in love with the fun of it, but I’m human and so it didn’t take long for me to get caught up in the aesthetics and then the competitive side of things as I progressed. In general, it’s safe to say that few people exercise with the main...Read More
I’ve noticed that scaling handstand push-ups to a box seems to be looked down upon among athletes, but when done properly they are a very effective strength exercise that will ultimately lead to wall handstand push-ups. In fact, I would even say that I know a lot of athletes who can do them on the...Read More
In “What is Fitness”, CrossFit defines fitness as one’s competency level in all of 10 general physical skills. These 10 general physical skills are: cardio/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance and accuracy. This is CrossFit’s First Fitness Standard and it was an important first step that many other fitness organizations had...Read More
Newcomers to CrossFit often ask if it ever gets easier. No, it doesn’t, you just get stronger and better able to stay moving while fatigued. They typically aren’t too relieved by the answer but it’s the truth. The idea of something getting easier is also a sign that at some point you reach the “end”,...Read More
I’ve been trying out the ketogenic diet since February. For those not familiar with the ketogenic diet it is a very low carbohydrate diet with moderate protein and lots of fat. I’ve known of it in the past but never gave it a real effort, and as of lately was hearing a lot about it...Read More
The conversation is all too familiar to the coaching staff. An athlete returns to the shop after a period away, say 1-2 weeks, and a coach asks them, “where have you been?” The athlete replies that they haven’t been in because they suffered a tweak – inside or outside the shop – and they didn’t...Read More
