CrossFit: 18 Minutes and 48 Seconds of Hell | Nerd Fitness
Here's a great minute by minute recap of Steve from Nerd Fitness' first Crossfit WOD. Go Steve! Don't let it discourage you!
Yesterday, with the encouragement of my buddy Jordan and recent interviewees Brandi and Adam, I went to the Peachtree CrossFit Gym here in Atlanta for my first ass-kicking. For those of you who don’t know, CrossFit is a type of gym/crazy lifestyle where you have a specific exercise routine every day that you try to finish (with perfect form) as quickly as possible. Each day the routine is different, mixing in different exercises, building different muscles, and pushing your body to its limit in practically every way.
via CrossFit: 18 Minutes and 48 Seconds of Hell | Nerd Fitness.
Is that a snatch?
That's what this guy at the gym asked me. I replied, "It's technically a power snatch, but yeah." I like that guy, he's a little bulky, works out in a wife-beater (small), preaches everything he thinks he knows, and always leaves his weights wherever they are when he's finished. But that's neither here nor there.
So what's the difference between a snatch and a power snatch? Well, with a snatch (full), the bar is received overhead and in a full squat (thighs parallel to the ground or lower) whereas a power snatch, the bar is received overhead but in a quarter or half squat. The same is true with a clean vs. power clean; the word power indicates the bar is received a bit higher up.
How to Improve Your Posture | Mark’s Daily Apple
I love good posture articles; especially ones that fall in line with my school of thought. This article from Mark's Daily Apple suggests that conventional notions regarding what is "good posture" may actually be wrong.
The key to avoiding back pain (and, it turns out, achieving healthy posture) lies in the pelvis. Or, rather, the key lies in the positioning of the pelvis. Popular posture advice tells us to tuck the pelvis, to bring it forward. Tucking the pelvis is conducive to achieving that arched, S-curve back that the experts say is healthy and natural, but it’s actually counterproductive to sustainable, healthy posture. Gokhale blames medical professionals for that one, suggesting that the constancy of seeing patients with poor posture (which is almost everyone in developed nations) has conditioned doctors to consider the average S-curved back as normal and actually ideal. It’s not, though. The ideal posture should be mostly straight (or J-shaped, with the bottom curve of the “J” representing the curve of the anteverted pelvis), and it should be effortless and natural.
Improving grip strength.
Anyone that's ever worked out with me knows that I'm a stickler for form. I hate seeing a guy make his back look like a cursive N while he tries to deadlift 255lbs (picture me air quoting deadlift). Even more, I hate seeing him do that with straps on his wrists. If you're not going to deadlift the weight properly, the very least you can do is make sure you can hold on to it without help. Now in my opinion, holding the weight without assistance will ultimately help your grip strength develop; patience is the key here. However, for those looking for something extra, I've always had good luck with a simple dead hang from the pullup bar.
At the end of your next workout, try hanging from a straight pullup bar. Try hanging at first for 30 second sets at 5 sets. Once 30 seconds is easy, try 40, then 50, then 60 and so on. Make this part of your normal routine and I think the results will surprise you.
Benefits of the foam roller
Recently I hear an increasing number of people complain about their "sciatica". It's almost like sciatica is the new designer injury spot: everyone with lower back pain has got to have it. As someone who has also experienced pain in the sciatic area I would like to offer some advice: try some gentle stretching. I've found that many people I know complaining of sciatica really experience relief by regularly taking the time to stretch their glutes and hamstrings.
I blame sitting all day for any tension I feel in the lower back. I've been using a foam roller regularly over the last 3 years to work on my flexibility; mostly using it for self massage. I find the most relieving movements to be when I roll my glutes and hamstrings across it. This video demonstrates the same movements I do for myself. If you work out frequently and you're a desk jockey, go spend $30-$40 on a good quality, firm foam roller.