“Helen”

Three rounds for time:
Run 400 meters
21 Kettlebell swings (1 1/2 pood Kettlebell or 55 pound dumbbell)
12 Pull-ups

Stand Up Straight

Your mother said it. Your grandmother said it. Your coaches say it. Standing up straight is not only key to good posture, it is also key to shoulder and hip mobility as well as running technique. Many of the imbalances, areas of decreased range of motion, and inefficiencies in movements such as running are directly linked to poor posture. The activities and conveniences of our daily life predispose us toward slouching, internal rotation of our shoulders, and an anterior tilt in our spine. It takes a concerted effort to combat these well ingrained habits.

I’ve been reading a lot about running posture recently. Surprisingly, the first step in improving flawed running technique is to Stand Up Straight. Brian MacKenzie of CrossFit Endurance describes this position as a “flat back position” or a “neutral posture”. What exactly does that entail? Flatten your low back and set your hips by squeezing your glutes; then engage your abs to brace your trunk. Last, stack your head right on top of your spine and don’t let it move up, down, or side to side as you move. It sounds simple and it is. This one adjustment can do wonders to put you in a better running position. But I know what you are thinking: “I hate running. Why should I care about better running position?” In case you haven’t noticed, running is fundamental to CrossFit. You wouldn’t deadlift with a rounded back so don’t run like a baboon. Better position means better alignment. Poor alignment leads to not only inefficient running, but ultimately, injury. And we all hate injury.