CrossFit 864
Today’s Schedule: 9:00a.m. / 4:15p.m. / 5:15p.m. / 6:15p.m.
Day 57 of the “100 Burpee Challenge”
Group Warm-up
-dynamic range of motion
-weekly warm-up (on whiteboard)
“WOD”
AMRAP in 25 minutes:
10 step-ups (on box)
10 AbMat sit-ups
10 burpees
200 meter run
hydrate, refuel and stretch
work on ROM – range of motion, hip flexibility drills
Power comes from the hips: your posterior chain. It consists of your lower back, hamstrings, calves & glutes. A strong posterior chain is important for Deadlifts, Squats, Power Cleans, jumps, sprints, …
Excessive sitting shortens your hip flexors. This stretches the opposite muscles: your glutes. They become dormant. You can’t fire your glutes properly anymore. The solution is glute activation exercises. Here’s how.
Benefits of Glute Activation Exercises. Dormant glutes force your lower back & hamstrings to compensate. This is less effective & increases risks of injury.
More Strength. You can lift more weight, sprint faster and jump higher when using all the muscles of your posterior chain, including your glutes.
Less Injuries. Lower back pain, hip flexor pain, knee pain, strained hamstrings, … Glute activation minimizes risks of injury.
Better Posture. Tight hip flexors pull your pelvis forward: lordosis. Glute activation & hip mobility exercises are the solution to anterior pelvic tilt.
Do You Need Glute Activation? Do 20 reps supine bridges. You need glute activation if your hamstrings feel more tight than your glutes. I recommend doing glute activation exercises even if you pass this test.
Exercise Guidelines. 1 set of 10 reps per exercise. Add sets if necessary. Do glute activation pre-workout so you can fire your glutes better on weight lifting exercises. You can also do them on non-training days for faster improvements.
Start with Hip Mobility. Dormant glutes are linked to tight hip flexors. Do hip mobility exercises before doing glute activation exercises.
Squeeze Your Glutes. As hard as you can. You can squeeze your glutes best at lockout: when your hip joints approach neutral alignment.
Focus on Quality. Avoid compensating with your hamstrings or lower back. Squeezing your glutes matters, not the amount of reps.
1. Supine Bridges (Hip Bridge) Back & heels on the floor. Knees bent at 90°. Curl your toes up. Lift your hips by squeezing your glutes until your body is straight from knees to shoulders. Hold for 5 seconds, come back down, repeat.
Don’t Use Your Lower Back. Push your lower back against the floor by tilting your pelvis back. Get off the floor by squeezing your glutes hard.
Don’t Use Your Hamstrings. Cramps in your hamstrings means you’re not using your glutes. Squeeze your glutes as hard as you can.
Quality not Quantity. Put your legs on the floor if you can’t do supine bridges correctly. Squeeze your buttocks, hold for 5 seconds, repeat.
In CrossFit workouts we depend on power from our hips on a lot of exercises. You hear us emphasize using hip power as we coach you through the movements of the workout. You will realize that it’s hard to use hip power if you have weak hips. I will post more on this subject throughout the week along with other exercises. Another important aspect of our daily wod is making sure that you have properly warmed up and that you have covered a variety of movements for the hip region. You do not want to pick up a kettlebell and start swinging it for reps without doing some light swings. This holds true for all exercises. Train smart and don’t get injured!
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
Proverbs 3:7-8
If you wish to reach the highest, begin at the lowest.
– Publilius Syrus
Ever try to explain the premise of Crossfit and the Paleo diet to those around you? In our technological age you can save your breath (for hunting and gathering of course), and direct them to the following links which I like to refer to as “The Paleo Diet and Caveman Exercise for Dummies”
Paleo in a Nut Shell: Part 1
Paleo in a Nut Shell: Part II
Hope that all of you had a great weekend and got plenty of rest and quality family time in! It was a great weekend for our family!
OOH-RAAH to all of you CrossFitters that came out Saturday morning for Fight Gone Bad. We raised $280.00 for Tim Mann as a token of our support. I guess that this is a very small amount when you factor in the cost of the treatments and expenses that he is facing but we just want Tim and his family to know that we have and will continue to support and lift them up each day. Thanks!
You know you are a CrossFitter when…
1. Your shins have more scrapes than a twelve year old boy.
2. You know better than to say, “That looks easy”.
3. You’ve spent HOURS watching videos of other people working out.
4. CrossFit t-shirts dominate your wardrobe.
5. When you travel, your first concern is if there is a local affiliate close by.
6. 3 on 1 off takes priority in your schedule.
7. The words Snatch and Jerk have lost there comedic value, but farting while deadlifting has not.
We appreciate you!
BE STRONG!
Jay and Janice