If you’ve got a “hole in your game” it’s going to bite you. As a recreational CrossFitter it might not be a big deal. It may just mean you’ll suffer a little bit more in a WOD or that you have to scale quite a bit. Again, no big deal. But if you want to compete in CF, holes matter.
We saw a gymnastic hole (handstand walk for distance) keep the 2013 Games champ on the women’s side out of a return trip to Carson in 2014. As fit as she is, Sam Briggs couldn’t make up for her poor performance in the HSW to catch up.
What’s your hole? Gymnastics? Strength? Flexibility? Skills like double unders? All of the above?
The good news is that there is a fix. It’s called practice. You have a chance to practice 3-5 days a week as you come in and warm up or cool down. The extra credit pieces we’ve been doing can go a long way to shore up your holes.
If you have a mobility or flexibility issue, no amount of working out is going to fix it. You have to spend time on a roller, with a band, at yoga (every Saturday) or stretching.
If the issue is strength there may be times that you can scale up and go slower in a metcon. This week has been a good example of using heavy weights in a conditioning wod where we’re more focused on effort than time. The “heavy Fran” allowed you to chip away at heavy thrusters and the max rep bench with no time component had you focus on effort each set. Turning off the clock in your head (and on the wall) let’s you focus on quality reps without getting sloppy. Strength work should never be done with compromised form. Set up, keep it tight and do work.
Gymnastics is another area that can slow down your WOD and hold you back. I remember when I was first working on handstand push ups. I could get one and then all of zero more without resting a minute or so. That meant the 21-15-9 in Diane were not going to happen quickly. So instead of working the full HSPU, I did negatives. I set up on the wall and did the lowering portion of the HSPU. Over time, I got stronger and stronger at this movement. Yes, it took time. All worthwhile things do.
So how do you get better at gymnastics movements? First, dial in your core. Movements like dead bugs and hollow rocks transfer essential midline stability necessary for good body control. Secondly, break it into pieces. A muscle up is a daunting task. Work on ring pull ups and ring dips combined with plenty of “walk thru” transitions or jumping transitions. Show your body where you want it to go and do it over and over. If you want to get good at handstand walks, you’ve got to have a decent amount of overhead strength and body awareness. But first things first, can you kick up against a wall and not crumble? Can you hold a handstand on the wall and lift a hand even for a moment? Can you hold and touch your shoulder? These would be good starting points. After that, working on freestanding balance is going to benefit you. How long can you hold it? Break it up and then put it all together.
I don’t want you guys to suffer (ok maybe just a little). I want your game to be solid. I want you to move well, be strong and have fun in your fitness endeavor. And if you go to compete, I want you to kick some tail and CRUSH IT!
