Life Lift!

Great time in class today! It’s great to see the amount of motivation, proficiency and technique you athletes are bringing to the table. 

Today’s WOD was:

5-5-5-5-5 for max deadlift.

The deadlift is a good first strength WOD because I feel that it is definitely something that is lacking in most fitness and exercise routines. People either skip it, don’t do it properly, or are simply scared away by the name. Perhaps calling it the “life-lift” might persuade more people into trying this highly-functional workout!

People unassociated with Crossfit might think this is not a “typical Crossfit WOD” (which doesn’t exist, by the way) since it’s not a MetCon. But don’t forget; Crossfit specializes in not specializing. These workouts are very important to the programming because this is how Crossfitters get stronger! 

Measurable results are definitely an important part of why we’ve seen Crossfit grow. We have benchmark WODs and tests that help us find these measurable results so you have evidence that, as you Crossfit, you get fitter. 

So, who’s fitter? Athlete 1, who can do 100 muscle-ups in a row, or Athlete 2, who can squat, bench and deadlift over 2,000 pounds? 

The answer is that both of them are strong; but they are in different ways:

Today we introduced the concept of “absolute strength,” which is basically asking ourselves “how much can you lift?” Period. This is important when you start to try to find your Crossfit Total (the sum total of your squat, deadlift, and shoulder press) but also important in general physical preparedness, which is the goal of the programming.  If we know how much our body can move, we can improve our proficiency in tackling a multitude of simpler, body-weight tasks; strengthen more complex movements, like snatches or clean-and-jerks; and even be prepared for the unforeseen or unknowable. (You might be able to see why that is important in our line of work.)

But remember; it's form over everything. Work on good mechanics, and then build that good technique into good habits. Once that happens, you add the intensity and weight. Don’t get too caught up in how much weight you’re moving or how fast you’re going. If you dial in your technique, the weight and the times will come!

Hopefully everyone is learning, getting fit and having a lot of fun. We look forward to seeing you on Friday; we have a lot of room in our 1200 classes still, so don’t forget to tell a partner to come out!