Trainer’s Talk – Mastering skill work

CrossFit is for everybody; because of this every box is going to have people on both ends of the physical fitness spectrum. At any given time in our box I may see someone going for a max set of muscle-ups and another person struggling to get their first set of ten double-unders. The beauty of CrossFit is that, as long as we don’t put a ceiling on our own success, we can all master the same skills as the most elite CrossFit athletes. It may be much easier for some to master the more difficult skills such as pistols, muscle-ups, and handstand walks, but we can all get there as long as we follow three basic principles, programming, proper use of time, and consistency. 

Programming:

When beginning to train a new skill you must know the proper way to attack it, for some skills watching others in class or on YouTube may be sufficient. For the more difficult skills, however, there are often particular stretches, progressions, and isolated strength components that may help you achieve your goals more efficiently. For some of the more basic skills, such as pull-ups and dips, we have the progressions available and work on them often. When it comes time to work on more advanced skills don’t be afraid to ask your coaches for assistance with the proper steps to get started, we want to see you achieve your full potential!!!

Time Use:

Many of us are always running on a tight schedule, it might be due to kids or pets at home, work, travel, or just getting through the daily grind, this is why it is important to use any free time we have at the gym to get better. It is perfectly fine to chat with people before, after, and sometimes even during class, but know your schedule and your goals. What is it you want to accomplish? How much time do you have? How much time do you need to dedicate each day to see an improvement? If you really want to see improvement in a skill quickly I would recommend you set aside a minimum of 10 minutes before or after class to work on it, anything less and your time until that skill is mastered will significantly increase. 

Consistency:

This is the single most important of the three rules. Programming and use of time don’t matter if you only do them for one week, or one day, consistency is the key. Just like with most sports, musical instruments, or basic skills, your improvement will build exponentially the more often you practice. One day of double under or pull-up practice a week might be a big step up from none at all but the progress will remain slim to none, bump that up to three days a week and progress should be noticeable as soon as week two. Every skill is different, for people who can’t do double unders I would recommend daily practice because it isn’t very physically taxing, other skills such as muscle-ups, pull-ups, and dips are more taxing on your muscles and should be practiced at a lower volume, increase that volume as your skill level increases. 

P.S.
If you are serious about learning to do double unders on a consistent basis it is my strong recommendation that you buy your own adjustable length speed rope. Here is a link to a great option, this was my first speed rope. 

http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-bearing-speed-rope

 

Trainer’s Talk – Are you working out or training?

What’s the difference you ask…well let me tell you. From a physical stand point, those who show up to “workout” are not really interested in making serious gains, it’s more of a social thing, and that’s OK.  As long as they understand that their efforts are going to produce minimal results at best. When we work different energy systems and those “working out” are always in the aerobic zone it’s because they don’t know how to “go there” to yield results from anaerobic training. This will make getting fitter and more well-rounded much harder.  

From a mental standpoint, there is a huge difference. Those who train are focused, have a goal or game plan, and will attack each session as needed. You can spot these people easily in a gym. They are the ones not talking to anyone, warming up with a purpose , getting set up and ready to go….3-2-1- GO!  They attack it hard and give it their all.  Unlike folks who “workout” that may stop to say hi to a buddy, get a sip of water during a session, or rest just as its getting spicy. 

In CrossFit we need to train. There are complex lifts that need our full attention. There are energy systems sessions that need to be attacked correctly. There are strength sets that need to be taken seriously.  I sometimes hear people talk about how they wish they would get better results….fair enough. Stop bullshitting, take your training serious, ask questions if you are not clear, warm up with a purpose, do all these things first then tell me it isn’t working.  I think you will be surprised how much better you can be and will be.  

Training is even more so about the mental preparation of anything we do….CrossFit, work, play, etc. If you approach things that you really want results from, then you need to be focused and have a plan.  All top level athletes, CEOs, politicians, etc. all are where they are by being in a certain mindset. Nothing will stop them, no excuses and no regrets.  Roadblocks are a chance to learn, move on.  Setbacks are a way to learn, move on.  You get my drift….be like the ancient warriors!! Focus and be driven and nothing will stop you!!! Good luck and as always my door is always open for any and all topics.

Chad Judy – Regionals Bound!!

Chad RegionalsWe are so proud of Chad Judy and his drive and perseverance! Good luck this weekend at Regionals, we know you are going to do awesome! We will all be cheering hard for you! 

A little about Chad… 

Age: 27, Height: 5’11”

• What brought you to BCF? 
“I came to BCF four months after moving back to Oregon from Louisiana where I had been attending school. BCF was on my radar before I moved because of their history of sending athletes to the Games and Regionals. After moving to Oregon it seemed the distance to BCF was too far for me to justify, especially with several CrossFit boxes in my immediate area. Fortunately enough I noticed an ad on Craigslist for a CF coach shortly after I obtained my Level1 and as luck would have it, it was BCF. I love the community at our box and the competitive spirit in all of our clients, having over 100 participants in the Open speaks for itself.

• What is your athletic background? 
“At Sherwood high school I was a four year letterman in wrestling, qualifying for the state tournament three times and placing eighth my junior year. In football I was a three year letterman, starting varsity two years at offensive center and one year on defense; we placed 2nd in state my senior year. I participated in track and field just my senior year but earned a varsity letter running the 1.5k and the 3k. After high school it was all rec center workouts and intramural sports teams but nothing serious until CrossFit entered my life almost six years later.”

• What training do you follow? 
“For the past 5-6 months I have been using Mike Ford’s competitive programming that is found on the website everyday along with the class workout. Before starting Mike’s programming I was using an Olympic weightlifting focused program created by Matt Bruce (US National and Olympic team member) and Michael Cazayoux (member of 2x CF affiliate cup champions Hack’s Pack) who work out of my Louisiana box Red Stick CrossFit, you can find tips from them at brucebarbell.com.”

• Who are you looking forward to seeing in the crowd cheering you on the most? 
“The entire BCF family!!!! I can’t wait to thank everyone for coming to cheer on Jen and myself. It is a great feeling to know that we have such a great community backing us up, it makes me want to work that much harder everyday.” 

• What kind of eating regiment do you have? 
“I eat 50-75% paleo depending on the day of the week and the time of year. I’m a big proponent of eating clean but also believe you shouldn’t torture yourself to do so. Breakfast is my cleanest meal of the day and it is the same everyday: 6oz bacon, 2 eggs w/onions, mushrooms, and spinach, and a sweet potato cut up into hash browns. The rest of the day is whatever is convenient but there is almost always a pulled pork or fresh chicken breast sandwich in there. Oh yeah, and a couple jars of peanut butter a week.”

• How many days a week do you train? 
“I train pretty much 7 days a week. You will find me in the box at least 5 days a week doing a metcon and lifting, the other 2 days I will be at the pool where I do 1k to 1mile at an easy pace as my favorite form of recovery.”

• What was your biggest fitness accomplishment of the 2013-14 season? 
“There is no question that earning a spot to regionals has been my biggest fitness accomplishment in the last 5+ years for me. Competing at regionals on the Red Stick CrossFit team last year has been the only accomplishment that comes close. Fun fact, we finished 21st, same as BCF last year.” 

• What is your favorite part of CrossFit? 
“My favorite part about CrossFit is the competitive outlet it provides me and the community it surrounds me with. I know that is two things but they are both my favorite and I refuse to choose between them.

• How much do you love Duchess? 
“I love Duchess so much I can’t help it. The first time I met her was when I interviewed with Mike, Christine, and Mel, she was snoring with her tongue out under the desk and I was instantly a fan of our mascot. She is a joy to see in the box and I know that everyone else feels the same way.”

• Anything additional you would like to highlight? 
“Congratulations to Mike and Kirby for making it to the games!!!!”

Roskopf in the Box – The Happy Mapping of Arms – Part 4

OK, here is the 4th and final installment of the mapping of the arms. We are going to now cover the wrist and hand. . 
Here’s a bit of irony. A number of people who have come to me with serious use-induced problems in their wrists or hands don’t even have a wrist in their body maps. They think their hands just meet their forearms at the location of the wrist. 

Here is a wrist. It is comprised of 8 bones. The collective joints created by these 8 bones is a lot…like a million or something like that. What we are going for with wrists is simple. We want no pressure on them, in particular no chronic pressure. We want a long easy sweep of skin and muscle and tendon across the joint, and we want full mobility with no retracting across the joint in movement. We want the fingers to move without the wrist stiffening, even when gripping or striking. In order to achieve the freeing of the wrist it needs to be accurately mapped. 
Notice that the first joint of the thumb is at the wrist rather than at the end of a metacarpal. Chronic tightening of the wrist loses the thumb its mobility in relation to the other fingers and then the thumb will not lie easily in the palm as it should. So, free your wrist, free your thumb. 
One final piece I have always been fascinated with….fingers and palms. I have found that a lot of us think our palm to be very large and our fingers to be much shorter than they truly are. 
Touch your thumb and pinky together. See the crease created at the wrist? This is where your thumb begins. Your thumb begins at your wrist. Now bend just your pinkly finger all by itself. See if you can find where it really bends from. See how it really begins down in the hand, not at the webbing of the skin. Try this with all your fingers and you will see that the fingers are all much longer and mobile than you may have thought and the palm is really no larger than a quarter or silver dollar at most. I like to think of the scene in the move “Terminator” when he pulls the skin off of his hand to reveal an extremely articulate collection of artificial bones and joints. He was soooooo mobile.

Practice moving your fingers from the correct place and you will experience consistent opening of the tissues of the hand and wrist. You’ll see your front rack position become much easier and grip strength when doing pullups or holding a barbell or kettlebell increase dramatically. 

If you have questions about this, ask me when you see me at the box. I will gladly demonstrate.
To contact Rich, either give him a call at
503-939-2524 or email him at rroskopf@beavertoncrossfit.com 

Conable, Barbara, and William Conable. How to Learn the Alexander Technique: A Manual for Students. Portland, OR: Andover, 1995. Print.

Trainer’s Talk – Turning Your off Day into a Recovery Day

There isn’t just one quick fix to seeing results in the gym. Whether the results you are looking for are increased muscle, decreased fat, weight loss, or just feeling better, all require diet, exercise, and rest. This third element, rest, is the one that seems to give CrossFitter’s the most trouble. Some will ignore the rest completely, saying things like “gains don’t take off days”, others will embrace the rest day with all Netflix and the ice-cream aisle have to offer. Neither of these people are completely wrong in what they are doing, but they are far from being right. To get the most out of a rest day, or as it should be termed, recovery day, a happy medium of movement and relaxation needs to be found. This happy medium is different for each individual. 

A recovery day isn’t simply a day for the muscles you have exercised the previous 1-2 days to heal, but also a day for your entire nervous system to recover. Resting your nervous system, however, is not an excuse to catch up on the last five episodes of “Game of Thrones”, it should be an excuse to do some physical activities outside of the gym that you normally don’t get to do. Being active and getting your heart rate going on recovery days from the gym is needed for bringing minerals and oxygen to your damaged muscles to help in the repair process. Along with repairing your muscles active recovery will help reduce lactic acid buildup in your system, meaning you are less likely to be sore in the gym the next day and more likely to hit a big PR!!

Some suggestions for your recovery day activities: 

  • Swimming. (My personal favorite) It decompress your spine, get a good cardio workout, and you can pretend to be a mermaid while doing it. 
  • Yoga/pilates or any other form of stretching or meditation. Recovery day is for your mind and your body. 
  • Hiking. Oregon is a great place to call home for nature lovers, take advantage of hikes of varying difficulties throughout the state. 
  • Easy bike ride or moderately paced walk. Don’t go crazy, just try to stay moving for about 45min to an hour.
  • Catch up on work around the house. Mowing the lawn, vacuuming the house, cleaning windows, re-decorating. As long as you are moving around and doing something productive, you are properly recovering.
  • The ever reliable in-gym recovery. Take advantage of Mike’s programming on Thursdays, it may be rowing an easy 5k, doing an around-the-world grab bag of movements, or even some light skill work if needed, a good choice for that is always double-unders. 
Whatever it is you do during your rest day, make it count. You train like an athlete, so rest like an athlete. 

-XOXO Chad 

Trainer’s Talk – A How To Guide for Scaling WODs

So you come into class and the WOD is a 3 round triplet of 10 Deadlifts at 315 lbs, 10 handstand push ups and 10 box jumps at 30”. You know that you have done a max deadlift at 335, a max effort set of 5 handstand push ups and your highest box jump is 36”. You could conceivably do the WOD before the day ends, possibly even before the class is over but would this be a smart approach? The chances are unlikely unless you just cant get enough jostling around of your cervical vertebrae, the sound of snapping ligaments in your lumbar spine and a stream your life force leaking out of the miniature craters you have decorated your shins with.

As fun and exciting as that sounds, here are some guidelines for a more practical approach and useful guide to scaling.

For conditioning WOD’s, power output is key, this means your total power output over the course of a workout or the equation: power = work / time. For instance anyone who can run 100 meters, can run a 5 k but if it takes you a years worth of running 13.7 meters a day, your power output is exceptionally minimal. That is an exaggeration but it illustrates the idea nicely. A more relative example might be the one above where the weight is ~95% of the person’s max, which is typically doable for 2 reps in a max effort setting. Max effort lifts, either in weight or reps, take a long time to recover from, sometimes the duration of an entire conditioning workout, making this a poor choice to use for conditioning. Here are some general percentages and rep ranges to use for different workouts. Use a lower percentage in the range for higher reps and higher percentage for lower reps.

1.    For high rep workouts. Example: Several rounds of 20+ reps or a single time through of 40+ reps.
a.    Use a weight between 40-50% of your max or a weight you think you could do 30+ times in a set if you had to.
b.    If modifying the weight is not an option, ie. Bodyweight movements, modify the movement to allow you do the appropriate amount of reps in a sub maximal set.
2.    For moderate rep workouts with multiple rounds of 10-20 reps of a movement or a single set of ~40 reps.
a.    Use a weight or movement that you could probably do 20-30 times in a single set if you had to, about 50-60% of your max.
3.    For Low-moderate rep workouts with multiple rounds of 5-10 reps or a single all out set of 20-30 reps and moderate rep EMOMs (5-10 reps per minute).
a.    Use a resistance/movement that you could do 10-20 times in a set or about 60-75% of your max.
4.    For low rep conditioning workouts and low rep EMOMs 1-5 Reps.
a.    Use a heavier weight, 80-90% of your max or a weight you could do 5-10 times.

Hopefully that takes some of the confusion out of scaling workouts and allows you to get the most out of your training. Remember you are not fit if you are injured and unless your fitness is your livelihood or your life depends on it there is no need to rush it, it will come.

-C. Stricker 

Roskopf in the Box – Happy Mapping of the Arms Part 3

This month we are going to talk about the 3rd joint of the arm, the elbow joint and the two different actions that take place there. 
If you have tendinitis of the wrist or elbow, or if you have problems with finger control, or if you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome or tennis elbow, then you should pay careful attention to the structure of the two lower joints of the arms and correct your map if necessary. I can almost guarantee that your map will be incorrect if you experience those difficulties.

The elbow joint is a joint of two bones with one. There are two bones in the lower arm that make it possible to both rotate and bend. If all we did with the lower arm was open and close it, we would only need one bone in the lower arm. Notice that it is different rotation than is available at the shoulder joint, where there is also rotation available (with a different design not requiring two bones). 

So bending and rotating both happen at the elbow. It is misunderstanding the rotation that can give people so much grief.  

 
Notice in the picture above how rotation occurs on the pinky side of the forearm and hand. Place your hand on a flat surface and try this for yourself. When you rotate your lower arm around the pinky side, movement is easy. Now try rotating around the thumb side. Not so easy is it? The ulna bone is the axis of rotation, the stable thing around which everything else moves. See how the radius bone is round at the end? 
It’s like a little wheel, perfectly designed for rolling around the ulna. This movement is important to know for nearly all the movements we do at the box (Pullups, Muscle ups, Cleans, Snatches, TGU’s, Front Squats, Rowing). In a supinated hand (palm up) the two arm bones (ulna and radius) run parallel to each other. When the hand is pronated (palm down) the radius bone crosses over the ulna. If we attempt to rotate more around the thumb instead of around the pinky side of the hand, it can cause great tension on the tissues that lie between the radius and ulna. This becomes exponentially apparent as our skills become more refined and explosive. Increasing the potential for discomfort, inefficiency and painful nastiness not only at the elbow, but at the wrist and even up to the shoulder. 

So play with how the forearm both rotates and bends at the elbow. See if you can separate the two movements. Try it from the forearm hand rest relationship position and try it from the bad relationship position. Bending and rotating very often happen at the same time so we think of them as one, but they are not.
To contact Rich, either give him a call at
503-939-2524 or email him at rroskopf@beavertoncrossfit.com 

Conable, Barbara, and William Conable. How to Learn the Alexander Technique: A Manual for Students. Portland, OR: Andover, 1995. Print.

Roskopf in the Box – The Happy Mapping of Arms Part 2

Last month we began talking about the structure of the arm and where the 1st joint of the arm is. This month we are going to shed a bit of light on the 2nd joint of the arm…the Glenohumeral Joint or what most people call the Shoulder joint. 
 
The second arm joint, the joint of the upper arm with the shoulder blade, must be mapped correctly in order to completely free the muscles of your back. See how nicely it lines up with the weight bearing part of the vertebrae? Here we are up against not only the ubiquitous faulty map but a major bit of cultural conditioning—the posture thing. The P-word. A central tenet of the posture dogma is “get your shoulders back,” or the harsher version, “Get those shoulders back.” I sometimes want to cry when I see someone who has obeyed the command for decades, always hurting between his shoulder blades, never feeling a free movement of the arms. 

Shoulders don’t belong back. Just like they don’t belong up, down or forward. The second arm joint is designed to balance at the very center laterally. Neither forward, nor back, but just balanced at center. Shoulders back makes people miserable. It is dangerous to attempt to achieve an opening in front at the expense of closing in back. Some people are so used to narrowing in back that they don’t even notice the tightening anymore. If you correctly map the 1st and 2nd joints of the arm and look for a sense of balance and ease rather than for placement of posture or openness, you will have a clarity about the widening of the back, which allows the arm structure to ease into balance. 

To contact Rich, either give him a call at

503-939-2524 or email him at rroskopf@beavertoncrossfit.com 

Conable, Barbara, and William Conable. How to Learn the Alexander Technique: A Manual for Students. Portland, OR: Andover, 1995. Print.

Trainer’s Talk – Marcus Approved Paleo Holiday Recipes

Coconut Butternut Squash

Ingredients:
● 1 Large butternut squash
● 1 Can coconut milk
● 2-3 cups chicken broth (“Imagine” brand from Whole Foods is approved)
● Dash of salt and pepper
● 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Peel and cut the butternut squash into cubes. Add 2 cups of chicken broth, bring to a boil, simmer until fork tender. Drain off 1 cup of the broth and add in coconut milk (about half of a cup; more if needed). Add a dash of salt and pepper and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Blend in a blender or with a hand mixer – the texture should resemble mashed potatoes. Serve warm, with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.

Roasted Beets w/ Pistachio Butter

Ingredients:
4 large beets – red, golden, or both. (1-2 beets per person)
1/2 cup shelled & salted pistachios
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
Directions:
Heat the oven to 375 F and arrange a rack in the middle. Rinse and scrub the beets, cutting off any leaves or little roots. Rub them with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, place them in a pan and cover with aluminum foil. Roast until tender and you can easily pierce with a knife; this will take about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool.

While they are cooling, make your pistachio butter. Using a food processor, add 1/2 cup pistachios and pulse until they are finely ground. Then drizzle in olive oil – start with 1 tablespoon. Alternate adding 1 tsp water and 1 tsp olive oil until you get a really creamy texture, much like a very soft butter. If it gets too thin for your liking add in some more ground pistachios. (Note, I sometimes double the “butter” recipe, because it goes so quick!)

Once the beets are cool, remove the skins – they should come right off. Slice the beets in chunks, and sprinkle with a little bit of olive oil to make them glossy. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve the beets with the pistachio butter for dipping or spreading. One last note – you could make the beets the day before and let them chill in the fridge. Just take them out and warm them up a bit before serving and dressing.

Apple Juice Sweetened Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:
● 2 – 12 oz bags of fresh (not frozen) cranberries
● 1 cup of 100% pure apple juice (no added sugars)
● 1 large navel orange, washed
● 10 dried black mission figs, very finely chopped (make sure you cut the stems off)
● A dash or two of each: nutmeg, allspice, ground cloves

Directions:
● Place the cranberries, apple juice, figs, spices, and ½ cup of water into a covered saucepan on medium heat.
● Bring the mixture to a low boil for 10 minutes (until the cranberries “pop”), and turn down to low heat. Simmer (still covered) for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
● Squeeze the juice from the orange into the sauce, and finely grate the orange zest (use the wholeorange peel!) into the saucepan.
● Keep on low heat (simmer) for another 15 minutes. Store in airtight container in fridge until ready to use. Serve cold for the best flavor.

Roskopf in the Box – The Happy Mapping of Arms Part 1

Are you unable to do a pullup? Does your front rack kinda suck? Do push-ups hurt your shoulders? Do overhead squats end up on the ground? Are your shoulders always tiiiiiiiiiiightuh? I might be able to shed some light on the situation.
The next couple of months I am going to go into a bit of detail about the proper function, structure and size of the arm. I am going to use the bodywork technique, Body mapping as the platform to help us out. 
 
The body map idea is simple and profound. You have a map of your body in your brain and it is easy to gain access to. If I say, “Where are your hip joints?” or “Where does your arm connect to your structure?” I will always get an answer. Sometimes the answer is accurate, sometimes it’s a little off and sometimes it’s not even close. In any case we always move according to how we think we are structured. When there is conflict between the map and the reality, the map will always win in movement. Always. It’s inevitable because the map is what shapes our experience but we can change it with some conscious effort.  I have found that the reason a lot of people have chronic tension in their shoulders and upper back it often due to an inaccurate body map. When we correct these mismappings, then movements that involve the arms become easier, you get stronger and will carry less tension. Sound good? 

<<<<The whole arm includes the scapula and collarbone.             
I am breaking the arm up into several bite-sized pieces over the next few months in order to cover it properly and allow ample time for digestion and assimilation of the information.
An arm includes a collarbone, a shoulder blade, an upper arm bone, two lower arm bones, a wrist, and a hand. The collarbone and shoulder blade are of importance here, because their inclusion in the arm means there are four arm joints, not three as many people assume. 
 
The only place that the arm structure joins the torso at a joint is where the collarbone meets the sternum. At that joint the movements that are available, are raising the shoulders or bringing the shoulders forward or pulling the shoulders back or dropping them. 
A correctly mapped arm and an incorrectly mapped arm.  >>>>>>
Which one do you have?
If you place your fingers along your collarbone near the sternum and make those movements you will see what I mean. The collarbone is moving in relation to the sternum. The action at that joint can be clearly felt because the collarbone lies just under the skin. If you place your fingertips on the collarbone near the end where it joins the shoulder blade and do the movements of raising your shoulders, bringing your shoulders forward, dropping your shoulders pulling your shoulders back, you will find your fingertips moving with the collarbone in swoopy circles. If you then place your fingertips on your upper shoulder blade as you do those movements you will learn how much the shoulder blade moves, and how good it feels to let it move. The accurate mapping of the joint of the collarbone with the sternum is critical for free upper torso and arm movement. If that joint is not mapped, it is not used. It is held rigid and does not contribute its share of movement when it is needed, as in pullups, pushups, overhead presses, rowing, wallballs…basically any movement that involves the arms.  This forces a disproportionate amount of movement onto the second arm joint, the joint of the upper arm with the shoulder blade. That disproportion is a source of strain in activities that require repetitive use of all four arm joints. 
 
Do you want to have smoother moving, stronger, mobile arms and be able to do mad pullups and overhead presses? Start by finding that joint where the collarbone meets the sternum.  It’s called the sternoclavicular joint. Explore the movements from the paragraph above often throughout the day. When you wake up, when you shower, when warming up before a WOD. Whenever you think about it. It is a crucial piece in moving your arms efficiently.  Remember, the arms begin at the sternum, not the shoulder.
 
If you have any questions about what the heck I am talking about, grab me when you see me at the box. I love showing people who are interested in moving more efficiently. Next month we will cover the second joint of the arm. Where it belongs in relation to the side of the body and it’s role in what’s called humeroscapular rhythm. Get excited about this one!
To contact Rich, either give him a call at
503-939-2524 or email him at rroskopf@beavertoncrossfit.com.