Posts Tagged ‘strength’
Clean and Jerk Training and Technique Videos
The Clean & Jerk is an explosive Olympic lift that pretty much works your entire body (e.g., core muscles, legs, shoulders), since it combines elements of the Deadlift, Front Squat, Overhead Squat, and Military Press (just the lockout portion). Note: It is not intended to be an “arm exercise”. You should not be pressing the weight…
Read MoreCrossFit Metcons Are Not Enough.
I just read this article a couple of days ago and it compelled me to share some thoughts. Why Adding Weight to the Bar Is the Whole Damned Point How was it possible that grown-assed men who have been doing CrossFit for over three years were struggling to squat sets of five reps with a…
Read MoreThe Mixed Blessings of an Injury
About 6 weeks ago, I tore a muscle in my leg. Not fun. I do CrossFit 4-5 times a week and I do trail running on the weekend. So, you can imagine how unhappy I was to be injured and forced to do some rest and recovery. I got back into my CrossFit box pretty soon and just focused on upper-body lifts and workouts. But, I couldn’t run or jump. After about 2 weeks, I started adding back leg work again (Squats, OHS) and full-body work (Deadlifts). But, I still can’t run or jump (no box jumps for me). I’ve been doing modified metcons and rowing to keep up my cardio, but it’s nothing like 5 mile runs, of course.
Anger, Arousal, Testosterone & Weightlifting
Wow, I just read a great article on this topic, but it was so NSFW that I may not reshare it. The basic premise is sound and I’ve read other supporting research on the topic. Basically, there are a number of things that elevate testosterone production, help you lift heavier, feel less pain, and grow more muscle (for both men AND women). The simple act of squeezing the barbell really, really hard; angry music; cursing; sexual imagery; violent imagery; etc. all seem to have an effect.
CrossFit Helped Me Discover What My Body is Capable of
I have been doing CrossFit for almost a year and what a journey it has been! For the first 2-3 weeks I was so sore that I seriously couldn’t even walk down stairs. I wish I was exaggerating, but I’m not. I had to find alternative ways to get places. I remember days that I couldn’t lift my arms over my head. I almost quit. I thought I was seriously damaging my body.
How Many Carbs Do You Need if You're a Paleo CrossFitter?
I found this article by Lyle McDonald on Bodyrecomposition.com very interesting: How Many Carbohydrates Do You Need? It’s a question that I have been asking myself a lot, since I have been following the Paleo diet and actively do CrossFit every week. I wish there was an easy answer, but there isn’t. The answer is “It Depends“. It depends on who you are, your activity level, and what you want to accomplish (e.g., weight loss, endurance running, muscle building, etc.).
Improving Your Squat – 5 Great Videos to Fix Form & Address Weaknesses
I’ve been watching a series of 5 Squat videos from Matt Wenning over at Elite FTS. Oh, and by the way, Matt can squat 1100 lbs. I’m glad that I ran into these today, because tomorrow is our Squat day at my CrossFit box. There are some really great tips on how to maintain proper, powerful, and safe form while doing the squat. He shows a guy adding 40-50 lbs to his max Squat in just one session, thanks to improvements in form. Pretty impressive! Then he wraps up the series talking about how to address your weaknesses through assistance exercises that will help you strengthen the muscles that you need to have work together in more powerful harmony during the Squat. I’ve put the full series of 5 videos together for you below. Enjoy!
Strong is Sexy for 3-26-11
We’ve come to the end of the week, March 26, 2011. The “Strong is Sexy” weekly event had its first male participant. Thank you Martin! His photo is featured at the end of this blog post. Martin is very busy with his family and little kids, but continues his focus on a health and fitness regimen of Crossfit with Zone/Paleo.
Read MoreStrong is Sexy for 3-19-11
We’ve come to the end of the week, March 19, 2011. The “Strong is Sexy” weekly event is off to a slow start, with the monkey tying for positive votes with the strong lady. But, since the monkey received more thumbs-down votes, the win has to go to the lady. Her photo is featured below. Each week we will feature the strongest and sexiest women as determined by votes from all of you. To participate, you can upload a photo of yourself. Once we approve the photo, it will be available for voting. So, be sure to tell all of your friends about it so that they can come back and vote for you here!
Strong is Sexy – Help Us Prove It!
As I wrote about in “Women and CrossFit – Time to Kill the Weightlifting Myth“, there are many misconceptions and poor role models for women who want to be fit. It isn’t about becoming “skinny” and looking like a supermodel. It is about being healthy, strong, and achieving a level of fitness that is right for you and sustainable for your lifestyle. That is what’s really sexy: Being the strongest you that you can be! So, to prove this point, every week we will feature the strongest and sexiest women as determined by votes from all of you. To participate, you can upload a photo of yourself. Once we approve the photo, it will be available for voting. So, be sure to tell all of your friends about it so that they can come back and vote for you here!