Rack Position and Scaling

…did that make your wrist twinge a bit? Thinking about the pain the rack position brings in front squats, cleans and the like? I’m of the same response but I enjoy the challenge. I’ve found, like I assume many have, that I will now happily scale movements for a WOD so as to focus on completion and effort rather than whatever was Rx. To me, the WOD is not a great time for skill or form work and if you think it is…enjoy that inevitable injury or tweak and the nagging sense of incompletion of the workout. Not great at push-ups? Work on them outside of class and scale them in the workout so you can get ish done. Same for pull-ups, dips, double unders and pretty much every movement you are not efficient at with strict or consistent form. This isn’t weakness if anything it’s a sign of wisdom and mental fortitude pointed toward improvement. Injuries don’t make for great workouts and a lack thereof will not make you a great athlete or garner even meager progress. I like to think about finishing well as opposed to faultering or failing…focus on the finish…”Flag nor Fail“, if you will.

ANYWAY, back to mobility in the front rack. Sometimes outside of the gym but typically before and after class I like work on little things to improve my wrist and shoulder mobility. I decided to start this immediately after my Foundations experience, upon completing my miserable version of Fran. Improving my rack position has been slow, a little painful but rather successful. However for days that focus on something like front squats ( 9/29 WOD 15 min EMOM every 3 min of 250m row, 8 front squat, 12t2b)  I’ve employed work arounds that still let me work hard, such as using lifting straps as handles to hold the bar from above. Beyond the WOD I can continue to improve form and position by stretching my wrists and shoulders with a PVC pipe, bands, a barbell, the floor, hell even a friend who’s evil enough to help you torture yourself.

You can see examples in this article available on Tabata Times. The article also explores some great info from MobilityWod and some other sources with even more info!  I encourage you to get lost in these articles and videos and analyze your rack position and investigate wether it’s your wrists, shoulders or even your lats holding you back from optimal ROM. Get after it!

Until next time…

Iron built. Iron born. 

WOD for a Cause!

Really excited to share this out! Crossfit Nitrous will be holding a fundraiser and awareness event for a couple at our box who’s son, Grady, has been diagnosed with Jacobsen Sydrome aka 11q Terminal Deletion Disorder which is, in short, a genetic mutation that slows physical and mental development. 

“Bryan, why are you excited about this?” I will tell you! And it is for a few reasons.

 First, selfishly, it is the first event I’ll be attending at my box and I love my fellow Nitrous athletes whom I’ve met so far but I want to meet them all!

It is open to the public and we could potentially inspire some individuals to introduce training into their life and make positive changes. I personally would love to see the community I live in become a more physically active and capable one. 

Also, my girlfriend will be doing this with me which will be fun! We refrain from training together (I’ll spare you the stories) and we also don’t have the opportunity to do so given our schedules. 

Lastly who doesn’t want to help little bebes!? The proceeds of the event will go toward little Grady’s medical expenses. 

At any rate, take a look at the event info and if you’re in the area check it out and come see us! If you’re not local, share it if you can! Donations can also be made on the event page if you feel so inclined. We are aiming for the 4pm time slot! 💪🏽😁👍🏽

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grady-hero-wod-tickets-18691376410

Until next time…

Iron built. Iron born. 

Crossfit Total

Well I’ve been slacking on the posting here, my bad. Nonetheless, I’ve been making it to the box for the WOD on Tuesday and Thursday evenings as planned and other nights I’m not scheduled at my second job during the week. Everything has been going wonderfully and I’ve found a great family of warriors to enjoy our collective misery with. 

This Tuesday was a programming I’ve been waiting for: max lifts. Specifically the programming was Crossfit Total aka the sum of your 1 rep max of back squat, shoulder press, and dead lift. I haven’t had much of an opportunity to max out since high school as I typically train solo and I have a hard time finding someone I could trust to spot me proper. I don’t want them to let me get trapped under a bench press and you will get crucified if you dump a failed squat in a globogym. No longer is that the case for me though! 

I went into the workout knowing I could squat 225# for 2-3 reps, deadlift 315# for 2 and shoulder press at least 120# for a few reps. I ended up putting up a 285# squat, 135# press and was stuck at 315# for deads. My lifts add up to a Crossfit Total of 735#. One coach who was doing it with me pushed me well. I bested him by 10# on squat and press but he got me on deadlifts with 365# to my 315# giving him a total of 765#. But damn did it all feel good!  

For me, yesterday’s numbers were huge. My back only bothered me a little bit after my deadlift attempts but cleared up after rolling on a lacrosse ball for a few minutes (tweaked it something harsh 3 years ago and messed up lower back on the right). Being mindful of good form for all lifts is crucial and becoming easier. Confidence under load is increasing each day. The first boost came from a few 1 rep sets of 135# clean and jerk I initially said and believed I couldn’t get. Genry told me I could…so I did…5 times. Taking 135# over head with no pain was nothing short of enthralling to me. 
Until next time…

Iron built. Iron born.