Looking at the ‘goals’ board recently made me think about the targets we set ourselves sometimes in CrossFit.
I saw everything from the common muscle up holy grail, to pull ups and the hair-pulling movement for many… ‘double unders’.
Now a lot of the listed items have been on there for a while. How many of us can say… yep got those handled..in the bag!??? Not many of us! Have we got better at them???.. maybe.
If we have we’ve probably used that ‘individual weaknesses’ time to our benefit or have plenty of open gym time to play with. Or, are those goals maybe unrealistic in the short to medium term?
Right now… I am always going to suck at Handstand Press Ups and lifting overhead, I’m OK with that, but that’s down to a shoulder mechanics issue.
Long term I’m hoping my biomechanics therapist can get me to a point where my lower back isn’t forced into a ridiculously compromised position to make up for my shoulder range but I don’t think they will ever be a strong point of mine.
So should they be a goal high up the list of priorities or a work in progress? Anyone who’s done a fitness or development course will have come across SMARTT goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Targeted or Timed).
Now I’m not suggesting writing a list using SMARTT but you get where I’m going I hope. High rep bodyweight Handstand Press Ups are unrealistic for me right now so I scale while I work on the mechanics. They may never be where I want them to be..but again, that’s OK. It’s not the end of the world as there’s plenty of other things to work on in CrossFit.
“How do I get more kipping pull ups? Just do more kipping pull ups!” This is a pretty common CrossFit coaching quote… who from originally… I’ve no idea but you can sub the movement to anything pretty much where that line gets used.
Things aren’t always as simple as that though. Especially if you are missing components of the end goal. If you have poor core control, no gymnastic hollow awareness, or a lack of pulling strength are you going to get more kipping pull ups?
Are you going to nail muscle ups if you have no dip or dead hang pulling strength (10-15 pull ups and dips seem to be the common strength requirement in most CrossFit literature) or cannot stay in the false grip? Are cleans ever going to feel efficient if you don’t release your grip in the rack? Will the overhead squat always be your nemesis if you’ve never opened up your pectoral and shoulder restrictions?
Breaking down the elements of why you may not be getting something handled can be a helpful exercise.
One thing you don’t see on many goal boards across CrossFit is good positions. E.g. the air/front/overhead squat position. Yet you may see a certain PB weight goal for any of those movements plus the clean and snatch may be in there too.
Positions seem to get dismissed quite easily though and we sometimes accept poor positions as unchangeable. This could be inefficient patterned movements that have developed over time.
Perhaps in the power clean, where some may hitch the bar at the thighs, breaking up the momentum of the lift. Or possibly arching your back to receive the bar in a muscle clean instead of using a quarter squat. Poor movement positions can also be biomechanics based as we know.
What if your knee caves dramatically under load during a squat or your chest lowers to your knees during squatting? Is correcting that not a worthy goal, and what have you potentially done to fix it… and is it correctable? Won’t good positions lead to progress, improved function and PB’s anyway over the long haul?
It again comes back to what value you attach to it and just maybe that little devil on your shoulder again plays a part… the ego.
Sometimes the functional aspect of the type of fitness we choose to do gets put into the back of the drawer along with those nasty Christmas jumpers you may be getting this year (though bad jumpers seem to be trendy this season)!
Taking one or two steps back to make one forward is hard for us to do but it could be the difference to reaching a realistic goal or not. Getting the pieces better could be easier than just hammering that goat movement as a whole.
From another perspective, if suggestions to improve technique and positions fall on deaf ears, spare a thought for how it reflects on your gym and maybe your coaches. Our goals for you as members may not be getting met.. along with yours. New Year resolutions are close… just saying like!
With that to reflect on this week have a very Merry Christmas all! Eat well, drink well and party with loved ones! Then come back brighter to work off all that seasonal excess with maybe some new focus for 2018.
For more information go to http://spartanstrength.co.uk/
Sean Murray is a Manchester CrossFit Trainer & BWL Level 1 Olympic Weightlifting Asst. Club Coach in Castlefield. He also runs his own boot camp in Moston, North Manchester. Hw trains clients to help meet their weight and fitness goals. He also works with performance athletes such as Triathletes and Rugby League players to improve their work capacity and weaknesses.
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