Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Workout of the Day:
Four rounds for time of:
400 Meter Run
10 x Deadlift (65-70% of your one-rep max)
20 x Seesaw Press (heavy)

The future of CrossFit

Please . . . Just Listen
Written by Michele Vieux

One of the many benefits of membership at Invictus is that each and every time you walk into the gym; you have a coach. You don’t have to plan your warm-ups and workouts. There is always a watchful eye instructing you, looking over you, and cueing you.

Listen to those instructions and cues! We have assembled an awesomely knowledgeable team of coaches who enjoy sharing what they know with each of you.

Give your full, undivided attention to your coach during pre-workout instruction so you know what is going on once the WOD starts. With our current programming, there is often a few heavy lift sets followed by a SHORT metcon. There is purpose behind the programming and the instructions your coach gives for each portion of the WOD. If the coach takes the time to specify that the metcon WOD should be scaled so it can be completed in a certain timeframe, take heed.

It can become easier to get hung up on doing the workout as prescribed rather than with the intensity that is intended. For example, if a WOD that is intended to take less than ten minutes and it takes you 20+ because you opted to rep out singles with 20 seconds rest in between each of them instead of modifying to a point where you would be able to rep out multiples with less rest, you have compromised the intensity of the workout and your overall power output.

Sometimes this will require you to be stopped mid-workout for instruction. Don’t rush this! If your coach is willing to stop you mid-workout, what they have to say is crucial for your technique, form and/or safety. CJ put it well in a recent blog post, “Go hard . . . and be damn-near perfect. I can accept slight deviations of form when you’re hitting it at high intensity, but you should be striving for perfection. (And if your coach’s interpretation of ‘slight deviation of form’ is different from yours, you are the one who is wrong. Listen to your coach and slow down.)”

Sometimes this means checking your ego at the door. See above about using a weight that is too heavy for you. Safety first. Intensity second. Listen to your coaches if they tell you to step down a notch.

Your coaches are here to keep you safe, guide you, push you, help you master your technique, and make you an all-around better athlete. Take advantage of their desire to do so and push yourself to be your best!