August 2011 Archive

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Hook Grip or Not Overhead
Greg Everett

August 20 2011

A common question is whether or not a lifter should keep the hook grip overhead in the snatch. This is one of those issues that doesn’t have a simple answer: it depends. The main issue while holding a barbell overhead is stability: obviously the athlete needs to be able to support the weight. The hand and wrist need to be able to settle in under the weight of the bar to create a cradle that balances the weight properly and doesn’t cause injury. Lifters need to condition the joints over time to this stress, but a proper position is imperative.

Where the hook grip comes into play is simple: the lift starts with it. The lifter has the choice to maintain it or release it overhead. For many people, holding the hook grip limits the mobility of their hands and wrists too much to allow the proper position overhead. Others may have better mobility, but holding the hook grip causes pain in the hand or wrist that doesn’t improve with time. The final group has no problem at all achieving the proper hand and wrist position overhead and has no pain when holding the hook.

This last group seems to be comprised of more women than men. I suspect this is simply a product of women generally being more flexible and the diameter of women’s bars being smaller and their hands being more slender; this allows more movement of the hand and wrist even with the hook grip. Men tend to be tighter in general, and with thicker hands and thicker barbells, it’s less common for them to be able to get the hand and wrist into a comfortable settled position with the thumb still hooked.

For those who can hold the hook grip overhead without a problem, the answer is yes: keep it. It will make your life much easier. For those who can’t, you’ll need to learn to release it at the right time and in the right way. The key is that the grip can’t be relaxed while you’re still pulling against the bar; an early release will mean losing the tight connection to the bar that’s necessary for an aggressive turnover. Waiting too long will mean that the full weight of the bar is already pushing down into the hand and the hook will not release. The thumb should be slipped out without opening the hand or relaxing the grip any more than necessary at the moment the hand is flipping over. That is, as the lifter transitions from pulling against the bar to pushing up against it, there will be an opportunity to relax the grip and allow the thumb to slide out without resistance or losing the connection to the bar.

This timing can be difficult to perfect and it may take a lot of practice. Muscle snatches can be used as a way to practice the release in somewhat slower conditions, but ultimately the timing needs to be learned with the full speed lift.

WOD:
Max Effort Thrusters- Work up to a heavy set of 2
then…
“Grace”
For time:
Ground to Overhead 30 Reps

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real, you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out, and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real, you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

From the 1922 children’s classic, The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams.

WOD:
Run- 2-4 x 1M, rest 5:00, hold efforts within 5-10 seconds
or
Row- 2-4 x 2k, rest 5:00, hold efforts within 5-10 seconds
then…
AB Work

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Why Failure is a Good Thing

Failing is trying. It means you are going for something that you truly believe in. You are trying to achieve something that is truly novel and difficult; you may never have accomplished it before, or haven’t been able to do it in 10 years. This alone is an important piece of knowledge.

Failing is learning. By failing, we get to reassess our goals. We can delve into if we really believed in our goals or if we really want to achieve them. It is an honest look inside ourselves. Is this a goal we don’t truly believe in, or does our process to get there just need some tweaking, more dedication or a different path altogether??

Lastly, failing is improving. Even if you set a a goal that you think is nigh impossible, you get better. But how?? It is possible to reach for the stars and just miss, but accomplish 100% of what you are humanly capable of, than reach for something easy and easily achieve it, yet accomplish only 30% of what you are capable of. At least stretching yourself and reaching for that which is difficult allows you to see how far you can go. (see graph below from Lululemon for a visual representation)
From Cody- Crossfit Southbay

WOD:
Back Squat- 5×5
then…
“The Bar Fight” 500m Row

Monday, August 29, 2011

Diaphragmatic Breathing

The diaphragm is the most efficient muscle of breathing. It is a large, dome-shaped muscle located at the base of the lungs. Your abdominal muscles help move the diaphragm and give you more power to empty your lungs. But chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may prevent the diaphragm from working effectively.

When you have pulmonary disease, air often becomes trapped in the lungs, pushing down on the diaphragm. The neck and chest muscles must then assume an increased share of the work of breathing. This can leave the diaphragm weakened and flattened, causing it to work less efficiently.

Diaphragmatic breathing is intended to help you use the diaphragm correctly while breathing to:

* Strengthen the diaphragm
* Decrease the work of breathing by slowing your breathing rate
* Decrease oxygen demand
* Use less effort and energy to breathe

Diaphragmatic breathing technique

1. Lie on your back on a flat surface or in bed, with your knees bent and your head supported. You can use a pillow under your knees to support your legs. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe.

2. Breathe in slowly through your nose so that your stomach moves out against your hand. The hand on your chest should remain as still as possible.

3. Tighten your stomach muscles, letting them fall inward as you exhale through pursed lips (see “Pursed Lip Breathing Technique”). The hand on your upper chest must remain as still as possible.

When you first learn the diaphragmatic breathing technique, it may be easier for you to follow the instructions lying down, as shown on the first page. As you gain more practice, you can try the diaphragmatic breathing technique while sitting in a chair, as shown below.

To perform this exercise while sitting in a chair:

1. Sit comfortably, with your knees bent and your shoulders, head and neck relaxed.

2. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe.

3. Tighten your stomach muscles, letting them fall inward as you exhale through pursed lips (see “Pursed Lip Breathing Technique”). The hand on your upper chest must remain as still as possible.

Note: You may notice an increased effort will be needed to use the diaphragm correctly. At first, you’ll probably get tired while doing this exercise. But keep at it, because with continued practice, diaphragmatic breathing will become easy and automatic.
How often should I practice this exercise?

At first, practice this exercise 5-10 minutes about 3-4 times per day. Gradually increase the amount of time you spend doing this exercise, and perhaps even increase the effort of the exercise by placing a book on your abdomen.

WOD:
As many rounds as possible in 8 minutes of:
3 Push Presses
 3 Pull Ups 
3 Push Presses
6 Pull Ups 
3 Push Presses
9 Pull Ups