Movement Patterning and why it's so Damn Important!

Movement patterns have been the focus of CFRR's CrossFit classes for the last

3-4 months and for a lot of us, including myself, it's been a bit of an ego check and feels like I'm taking steps backward. Backwards in movement, not in fitness. 

So am I, or are we, going backwards in movements? Yes. In fitness? Not at all. 

So the big question is why do this? Why go back to basics? Why learn how to move all over again? To paint the picture let this analogy soak in. Here's an excerpt from a book called Free+Style....

"Kids need to learn to read, and then use the ability to read to learn new things." 

People, especially in CrossFit, need to learn to move properly so they can learn to move in new ways and with more complex movements. That's the reason behind why we are going back in movement patterning. A few steps back now will transfer to it of steps forward in the future! 

What a Crock

Simple and fabulous....

Hatch Chili Crock Pot Chicken

6 chicken breasts 

1 jar hatch green chili tomatillo salsa

Garlic olive oil

Salt and pepper

Medium heat hatch green chillies 

This was put together in the morning and was ready for dinner! 

I mixed mine with some jasmine rice and Serrano salsa. Fabulous and outs chipotle to shame! 

The Night is Darkest just before Dawn....

These two mean a lot and go deep for me. 

The first one below gives meaning and hope to even the darkest of times you might be going through. It reminds me that there is a reason to what is happening in the present. Even though we may not understand the what and why behind it but there is light out there and it will shine if you persevere! 

The second one is simple: 

1) Learn from the past. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from your victories. 

Learn. 

2) Be ready for tomorrow. Be prepared to take it head on. We don't know what's around the corner but we are ready for it. 

3) Give thanks for opportunities. Maybe a second chance or maybe a first time chance. Be thankful you have the chance at all.

The Power of Choice

A long time ago, probably close to 15 years, I was sitting in a church listening to a sermon about happiness. About what it takes to be happy. Points made during that sermon were about things that can stray people away from being happy. 

Most think of wealth and prosperity as a means to being happy. Health is usually close to the top of the list. We all have our things that make us happy but most of Jose things aren't achieved overnight. So what are the those things? For me I look at the other side of the equation. What are the things on a daily basis that deter me from happiness? These things are countless. Maybe a flat tire. Running late. Someone cuts you off while driving. You spill your coffee. A case of the Mondays perhaps. Anything can light the fuse and steer in the wrong direction......if you allow it to. 

The whole point to the sermon I was listening to was that we have the power to change these situations. In that split second crossroads of life when you are thrown into a situation where life could spiral downhill, what choice will you make? Will choose to let it swallow you whole and beat you up. Turn your mood from high to low or will you make the choice to not let it throw you off the track you are on. This ability to be able to make these choices is powerful beyond measure. I take this power for grants everyday. I let others impact my choices and happiness on a daily basis. Some days I am strong willed and choose to be above it. Other days I allow myself to be sucked into the dark depths of others and my mood totally changes for the worse. 

Stand up and be strong in your choices. Choose to be happy. The benefits are countless. 

Why am I Getting so Tight!!!

How much mobility am I supposed to do?

Is my pre and post workout mobility at the gym enough mobility for me? 

Excellent question and for the most part, the answer to this question is no. 

Mobility is not a quick thing and it certainly cannot be attacked by just going through the motions. 

At CFRR, the post wod mobility is put in place to allow the body to remain loose immediately following an intense strength session and or metcon. 

As the time after a training session goes on, the body tightens up more and more and the only thing we can do to combat that is to continue to mobilize throughout the day. As little as 20 extra minutes a day can do wonders for soreness and your range of motion for the next few days. 2-10 minute sessions is all it takes! Everyone take note of the stretches we do after class and try to squeeze in an extra mobility session or two throughout the day!

Personally, I do about 15-20 minutes of ore and post workout mobility and another 15-20 immediately before I go to bed at night. 

When the body is least active is when we tend to tighten up the most so right before bed is a great time for me to extend the muscle and try to fight that feeling of DOMS, or delayed onset muse soreness. 

Another huge reason mobility is important is the range of motion is severely compromised when we are sore. Doing the extra mobility drastically decreases the chances of injury in the gym! 

When we come in for a workout and are really tight, we tend to force the range of motion and then we ask the muscle to produce force under a load so it's doubly bad for us. We can't produce the necessary force when are bodies are tight and the range of motion is compromised. 

A few really solid sources for extra mobility are: 

-Becoming a Supple Leopard 

By: Dr. Kelly Starrett

-www.mobilitywod.com

-www.romwod.com

Just a tad bit of teamwork....

This past weekend was a proud moment for me as a large group of CFRR athletes grouped up into teams of 4 to tear up the Garage Gym Throwdown competition. 

To see teams of athletes working together to attack and strategize 3 similar but different wods was awesome and inspiring. Some teams were comprised of members who had known each other for years and others had just met prior to 3,2,1...Go! 

All in all, it was a huge win for athletes all around and CFRR as a whole! To say in proud would be an understatement. Way to go out and represent CFRR! 

Don't forget to sign up for the Free For All this Saturday! It is sure to be a blast! 

The CFRR Team

Just a quick note about how things come together at the gym.....

To most athletes, there's a coach and wod. Familiar equipment lining the walls and inviting faces and smiles. 

There are 6 people plus myself that come together each and every day to make this all happen. 

-Clean offices and bathrooms

-Stocked retail

-Whiteboard wods cleaned and wods written 

-Paper products stocked

-Gym floors cleaned

-Retail purchases charged

-Memberships and class schedules handled

-Elements athletes guided in the proper directions

-trash taken out

-Equipment maintained and cleaned

-Shirts designed

-checks and balances on coaching

-program design for all programs

-hand towels washed and cleaned

-chalk stocked

-constant work on staff/self improvement 

-blogs completed

-FFA, challenges and competition planning

These are just a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes on a DAILY basis at CFRR. And to some, these thing may go unnoticed, but I see it on a daily basis and couldn't be more thankful for our team that makes CFRR happen for me and all of you. 

Let me also, touch on the wonderful volunteers we get from our community. Usually all it takes is a simple Facebook post or email and we have numerous members asking to help is whatever situation we have going. Most recently, Mr. Ross Breaux and Sid Bergeron spent their entire Saturday helping to build and install the walls and TV's for the soon to be in place, Wodify system. What appears to be a a wall with two TV's in them was an 8 hour day of sweaty man time. Haha! If you aren't familiar with Wodify, then check out their website and prepare to be excited for what we have coming very soon! 

As you can see, the project turned out awesome and another big thanks to Ross and Sid for their help. 

Side note: Here at CFRR we love having drop-ins from out of town and we definitely encourage our own to plan drop ins while they are traveling for work or pleasure. Below is a pic of Paul B. dropping in to a CrossFit gym in Huntington Beach while on a vacation to visit family in California. 

Make it happen on your next vacation guys! It's always fun to grab a T-Shirt from the gyms you visit also!