Archive for the Uncategorized Category
All in all I felt the programming was solid but I enjoyed some parts and saw room for improvement in others.
Things I didn’t like:
- The high volume weeks were too much.
- I have trouble improving my squat and deadlift without max effort work. This go around will have more max effort work as well as a separate squat day without oly lifts first.
- I want to make the rep ranges on accessory exercises larger. This way you can more easily modify to fit your own needs.
- I wanted to make the weights used more percentage based and rep max based to make the program easier to modify
- There was a bit too much lifting prior to met-con for me. I’d feel really beat during any conditioning. This month includes more met-con with less strength work prior.
- I don’t think I had enough met-con work into the past month’s program in general.
Things I liked:
- I liked the amount of oly lifting. This is a weakness for me and I’ve been able to improve over the past month.
- The shoulder volume was manageable. My shoulders have been feeling great.
- I really like the skill/conditioning work with minimal rest. I feel this is a good way to do accessory work so that technique can be maximized while still being relatively fatigued.
A few additional pointers:
- Make sure you’re eating enough calories throughout the program, it’s not an easy one.
- Workouts should take 60-90 minutes. If they’re taking longer then that then I would start modifying things to finish faster.
- You …read more
1. You Aren’t Mobile Enough
I’ve been hatin on mobility quite a bit lately, but not because I don’t think it’s important, just overemphasized. Based on research we know that a tight pec minor can place us into anterior tilt of the scapula (1). This decreases subacromial space and puts us at risk for subacromial impingement and rotator cuff damage(1). Having a tight posterior shoulder can do the same (Good old GIRD)(1). Decreased thoracic spine mobility can decrease scapular posterior tilt and upward rotation, two motions that are critical for shoulder health(1).
NERD ALERT: Go ahead, learn some more about shoulder impingement and scapular kinematics, you know you want to.
Another thing to keep in mind is that forcing yourself into a position that your body can’t achieve normally because of poor flexibility will really stress the shoulder. Essentially, if you can’t put your arms overhead fully unweighted, then it’s going to be one heck of a stretch when you start hanging from a bar. Add some kipping pullups to the equation and we might be running into trouble. You can assess your own overhead mobility. I’ve been meaning to make a better video assessment but this will have to do for now. On top of that, lacking mobility in the shoulder can cause your body to try and gain motion from another joint. I’ve seen several people who have lower back pain from doing kipping pullups and believe …read more
Join Rob and I as we continue on in our quest to educate the masses on performance, injury prevention and rehabilitation. Today we go deep into the joint by joint approach for the upper body:
For last podcast covering the lower body and lumbar spine click HERE:
[0:58] Our thoughts on the crossfit games [6:18] Smolov program, very popular but is it a good idea? (I meant to say low-bar) [9:40] introducing our topic for the day [10:54] Rob loves the thoracic spine [14:37] T-spine exercises Dan likes and why mobility is not enough [17:10] A neat trick to target the t-spine better [17:50] Dan goes way too far in depth about the shoulder blade [18:50] The most evil position for your shoulder [21:54] The AC joint as a big player in shoulder health [23:45] Pec minor as a major problem causer and a great stretch for therapists [24:50] Shoutout to Chris Johnson – Click the link for his page [28:22] What the heck do I do with my gleno-humeral joint? [29:30] The dreaded GIRD and why we need to fix it [30:20] How a lack of shoulder range of motion will damage the shoulder during dips and muscle-ups [34:10] Lower cervical spine – Rob schools me on the neck [37:05] SUB occipital muscles, I apologize [37:30] To pack or not pack the neck? Insight from Jonathan Fass and Bret Contreras on the Strength of Evidence Podcast [38:50] Any easy take-away for the neck [41:00] How can I tell if I have a mobility issue or stability issue? [43:50] Breaking down the kipping-pullup from a stability and mobility perspective [49:25] Recent articles from JAMA about stone loading and low back pain [50:00] Our favorite exercises for each jointEnjoy,
Dan Pope
P.S. If you enjoyed this article then sign up for the newsletter to receive the FREE guide – 10 Idiot Proof Principles to Crossfit Performance and Injury Prevention as well as to keep up to date with new information as it comes out via weekly emails.
That being said, if you have absolutely no desire to be competitive with crossfit, it may be helpful to stick with good old traditional pullups and their variations. This way you won’t run into any potential complications from the movement. However, the kip is an all around fun movement to learn and it’s been a large part of gymnastics movements for years.
There’s a lot of controversy out there with kipping pull-ups. I wrote an article on the subject over a year ago and it has easily been the most popular article I’ve ever written. I originally attempted to delve into the literature to find some answers to the age old question of why kipping pull-ups are dangerous, and how we can fix it. Since then I’m a year smarter, have put a lot more thought into it and believe I’ve got some greater insight to share. These are the reasons I believe kipping pull-ups get a bad rap.
Note: There are several ideas that float around in the crossfit world to try and prevent shoulder injuries. My goal was to try and inject some research and critical thinking into the mix and really get after the root of the problem. I’ve been reading a ton of shoulder research lately and am super excited to share. I’ll try to balance out the nerd in me with the meathead side and make the information a bit more reader friendly. …read more