Tuesday March 8, 2011

CrossFit 864
WOD - 5:15a.m./9:00a.m./4:15p.m./5:15p.m./6:15p.m.

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
- Psalm 139:23-24

“If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.”
-Marcus Aurelius - Roman emperor, AD 121-180

Today's off the wall fact that probably means nothing to anyone is:
On this day March 8, 1948 The Supreme Court rules that religious instruction in public schools is unconstitutional.

WOD

Warm-up/range of motion work
Spend 10-15 minutes getting prepared. Get started when you arrive.
Get your heart rate up by jumping rope or run 400 meters during your warm-up.

As a group - 5 minutes in the deep squat stretch (everyone starts together on the clock)

As a group - Max rep sit-ups in 2 minutes (partner up on this one and count reps for each other)

5 Rounds for time:

10 Goblet Squats (24kg./16kg. kettlebell)
10 Step-ups (5 each leg) holding the same kettlebell as goblet squats
10 Kettlebell swings (24kg./16kg.)

Train Hard - Train Smart

Hydrate - Stretch - Refuel (Eat!)

Goblet Squats 101 by Dan John

The greatest impact I've had on strength and conditioning starts with a story:

Years ago, faced with 400 athletes who couldn't squat correctly, I attempted move after move, lift after lift, to teach the squat. I failed each and every time.

I saw glimmers of hope from teaching one kid the Zercher squat (weight held in the crooks of the elbows) and a few picked up the pattern when we lifted kettlebells from the ball off the ground (called "potato sack squats" because they look like you're picking up a sack of potatoes off the ground). But nothing was really working.

Somewhere between a Zercher and a potato squat was the answer. It came to me when I was resting between swings with the weight held in front of me like I was holding the Holy Grail. I squatted down from there, pushed my knees out with my elbows and, behold, the goblet squat!

Yes, the squat is that easy. It's a basic human movement; you just have to be reminded how to do it. Remember, squats don't hurt your knees, but how you perform them can.

Squats can do more for total mass and body strength than probably all other lifts combined. Doing them wrong can do more damage than probably all the other moves, too. The goblet squat fixes all

Form: Squat Between Your Legs!


Let's start simply. At the bottom, the deepest you can go, push your knees out with your elbows. Relax. Go a bit deeper. Your feet should be flat on the floor.

For most people, this small movement – driving your knees out with your elbows – will simplify squatting forever.

Next, try this little drill: Stand arms-length from a doorknob (or partner). Grab the handle with both hands and get your chest up. Up!


Imagine being on a California beach when a swimsuit model walks by. When an athlete does this, he immediately puffs up the chest, which tightens the lower back and locks the whole upper body. The lats naturally spread a bit and the shoulders come back a little. Now, lower yourself down.


What people discover at this moment is a basic physiological fact: The legs are not stuck like stilts under the torso. Rather, the torso is slung between the legs.

As you go down, leaning back with arms straight, you'll discover one of the true keys of lifting: you squat between your legs. You don't fold and unfold like an accordion; you sink between your legs. Don't just sit and read this. Get up and do it!

Now you're ready to learn the single best lifting movement of all time: the goblet squat.

Get Started:


Grab a dumbbell or kettlebell and hold it against your chest. With a kettlebell, hold the horns, but with a dumbbell just hold it vertical by the one end, like you're holding a goblet against your chest. Hence the name, "goblet squats."

Now with the weight cradled against your chest, squat down with the goal of having your elbows – which are pointed downward because you're cradling the bell – slide past the inside of your knees. It's okay to have the elbows push the knees out as you descend.

Stop Thinking. Start Squatting.


Here's the million-dollar key to learning movements in the gym: Let the body teach the body what to do. Try to keep your brain out of it! Over-thinking a movement often leads to problems. Allow the elbows to glide down by touching the inner knees and good things will happen.

The more an athlete thinks, the more the athlete can find ways to screw things up. Don't believe me? Join a basketball team and get into a crucial situation. Shoot a one-and-one with three seconds to go, down by two points, and get back to me later if you decided thinking was a good idea.

Seriously, once you grab a bell over 100 pounds and do a few sets of 10 in the goblet squat, you might wonder how the toilet got so low the next morning.

Foot Placement and Patterning

Where do you place your feet? Do three consecutive vertical jumps, then look down. This is roughly where you want to place your feet every time you squat. The toes should be out a little. You don't want to go east and west, but you want some toe-out.

This drill, along with the goblet squat, teaches patterning. Unless you already have the pattern, you shouldn't move into heavier work.

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BE STRONG!
Jay and Janice