Category Archives: Instructional

CrossFit Games 2015 Recap – CrossFit Cherry Hill

As someone who trains CrossFit, one of the greatest experiences I’ve had was attending the CrossFit Games last year in Carson, California, and is something I encourage all CrossFit athletes to do at least once. It’s like taking the energy of your home box during Grace, and multiplying it by 1,000! Being in an arena with thousands of individuals that share the same passion about fitness as you is a pretty amazing feeling, and something I’ll never forget.

The 2015 CrossFit Games are upon us! If you weren’t able to make the trip out West, all the action can be streamed live at games.crossfit.com. This year marks a special occasion, as it’s the first year that 4x Champion Rich Froning will not be a part of the individual competition. This opens the door for contenders like Matt Fraser, Scott Panchik, and Noah Ohlsen. It will almost be surreal to see someone other than Rich crowned “Fittest Man on Earth”. We also welcome the Teen division this year for athletes between 14 and 17 years of age, that have not elected to compete with the adult men and women, of course

The competition kicked off this week with the Masters and Teen divisions. With this being the first year we have seen teenagers competing at the Games, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they have proved to be just as entertaining as the adults and are incredibly inspiring. I cannot wait to see this group progress over the next few years into the adult category and compete on the main stage. With CrossFit being a relatively newer sport, past champions may have 7 to 10 years of training under their belt at max. These teens have come up through the ranks of the CrossFit Kids program and some are able to say they have been training CrossFit for nearly 15 years! It’s great to see our youth so dedicated to a healthy lifestyle.

In addition to watching live events each day, spectators also have access to Vendor Village, every CrossFit enthusiasts dream. Rogue, Reebok, Progenex, NorCal CrossFit (Jason Khalipa), CrossFit Mayhem (Rich Froning), Caffeine & Kilos, Wodify……you name it. They all have tents set up with gear to purchase, athlete meet-n-greets, free samples, etc. You’ll have the chance to chat it up with Christmas Abbott, Garrett Fisher, Kendrick Farris, & Dmitri Klokov, just to name a few. You’ll finally get to meet these people that you’ve been stalking on Instagram for months, and come to realize they are normal guys and gals, just like you and me. Another great part of vendor Village is the food. Lots of options, some healthy and some not so healthy. From the Paleo Asian Turkey stir fry, to the bison burger, everything is delicious.

The weekend will come to an end in the tennis stadium at the Stub Hub Center, for the final individual events. You can bet the farm that your top 5 contenders will be separated by only a few points, and the winner of the event will most likely be crowned Fittest Man/Woman on Earth.

If you find yourself with the opportunity to attend the CrossFit Games, I highly recommend doing so. It’s an experience unlike any other, and will make you appreciate CrossFit even more than you already do!

Pistol Progression Part 1 of 3 – CrossFit Cherry Hill

Here we are, back with another movement that many crossfitters seem to have trouble with; the pistol. For those not familiar with the term, a pistol is simply a one-legged squat. This movement requires not only strength and balance, but damn good mobility as well. This will be part 1 of a 3 part series on how to develop the pistol. Practice these easy steps and you’ll be one-legging in no time!

As mentioned above, the pistol requires three major factors; balance, strength, and mobility. We’re going to run through a checklist to help decipher which area(s) we need to work on.

#1 – BALANCE

“I can’t do a pistol, it must be poor balance!” My response to that would be to ask yourself the following: Can I stand on one leg? Can I hop up and down? And can I stop and land back on one leg? If you were able to answer yes to all three, then balance is probably not the issue.

Another way to test for balance issues is to test your lunge. From that same position, standing on one leg, are you able to send that leg back and down into a lunge position? Can you stand back up to your original position (one leg up) without using your hands or falling over? If you can, balance is not your problem! Try making it a bit more difficult by lifting your back foot as you lunge and stand!

#2 – STRENGTH

“I can’t do a pistol, I must not be strong enough!” If you are able to back squat (or front squat) a barbell with weight on it worth your body weight, you’re probably strong enough to do a pistol.

#3 – MOBILITY

“I can’t do a pistol, I must have poor mobility!” Can you perform a proper air squat? If you can keep your feet straight, press your knees out, and get your hip crease below your knees, then mobility is not your issue.

To truly test your mobility, bring your feet in even closer (almost together) and try squatting! If your back begins to round, toes turn out, or heels start coming off the ground, then we can look at mobility (mostly ankle and/or hip) as the culprit.

BAD:

GOOD:

After running through our balance, strength, and mobility tests mentioned above, and being able to pass all three, you’re now ready for part 2 of our pistol progression!

Handstand Help and Tips – Best CrossFit Cherry Hill

Handstands. Gymnastics are an important part of our CrossFit training, and one of the most pivotal gymnastic positions is the handstand. For most, it is also one of the hardest! Check out these 4 simple steps to master the handstand today!

#1 – LEARNING THE PROPER POSITION

With your feet together, grab a bumper plate and hold it overhead. This position will replicate the position you will eventually be in when you are upside down. Become familiar and get comfortable with this position. Be sure to keep your midline tight, not allowing hyperextension, and your arms fully extended with your head through your shoulders. Notice, you can see the athlete’s ears from a profile view. This is a good way to ensure your head is in the proper position.

#2 – HALF WALL WALK

Now it’s time to get upside down…..almost. Start by doing half of a wall walk. Lay on the floor in the bottom of a push up with your feet against the wall. Gradually press your body up and begin walking your feet up the wall until you are about half way to being completely upside down. Next, walk your hands as far forward as possible without moving your feet. This will force you to open your shoulder and press down into the floor, further mimicking the handstand position by activating the shoulders and not allowing a bent elbow. Be sure to keep your belly tight and squeeze your glutes!

#3 – FULL WALL WALK

Once you are comfortable enough, it’s time to walk all the way up the wall! ALWAYS start so that you are facing the wall once upside down. This will reinforce the tight midline that you practiced earlier and will prevent you from arching your back. Your goal is to be as close to the wall as possible, with nothing but your feet actually touching the wall.

#4 – FREE STANDING HANDSTAND

Finally, just as in step #3, you can attempt another full wall walk, but this time you will gently pull your feet off the wall to achieve a free-standing handstand! Be sure to grab a buddy to help guide you to and from the wall.

Practice these four easy steps and you’ll be hand-standing (if that’s a real word) in no time!

3 Quick Mobilization Techniques to Improve your Overhead Squat – CrossFit Gyms in Cherry Hill

We spend countless hours in the gym to strengthen and condition our bodies, but how many of us are taking the time to properly mobilize? General maintenance of your body is just as important to your progress as lifting those heavy weights. One of the most demanding positions we enter is that of the overhead squat. Here are 3 easy mobilization techniques for you to do in preparation for your next lifting session:

#1 FOAM ROLL THORACIC SPINE

Your thoracic spine is the area between your lumbar spine (lower back) and your cervical spine (top of shoulders to bottom of head) that always seems to be tight and limit us in the overhead squat. To loosen this area up, simply grab a foam roller and gently roll back and forth. We don’t want to roll too low down to our lumbar, but keep the roller between the bottom of the rib cage and the top of the back. Take your time and roll slowly! When you find a tight or sensitive area, hang out there for a few and apply slow, constant pressure until the area loosens. You can roll with your arms extended overhead (just like the position we are trying to achieve) or with your arms wrapped around your body as if you were giving yourself a hug, ALWAYS making sure we remain tight in the core and keep your ribs down.

#2 CALF RELEASE/ANKLE FLEXIBILITY

Find any door, wall, or vertical surface in your house and put the ball of your foot up against it, trying to keep you heel as close to the surface as well. Then simply drive your hips forward as your keep your foot in place. You can use a door knob or something in front of you to grab and assist in pulling your hips forward. Again, keep your belly tight and squeeze your glutes! You can generally contract and relax for about 2 minutes to see change!

#3 OPEN HIPS

Using that same wall or door from technique #2 above, lay flat on your back with you feet up against the wall. Extend your arms overhead to mimic the overhead squat position. Then gently rotate your hips in and out, keeping your feet touching the wall and your belly tight. This movement helps the internal hip capsule. You can also reverse your position to mobilize as well. Stand up with your back against the wall and squat down. Use the wall to help keep your torso upright and gently use your elbows to drive you knees out over your toes in external rotation.

Take ten minutes before your next overhead squat (or snatch) session and implement these techniques. You’ll be amazed at how you can achieve a better position in just a few short minutes of mobilizing. Be sure to test yourself prior and re-test after you’ve completed them to see if you position has improved!

To watch the video from start to finish, check below

. And for hundreds of other mobility techniques, be sure to check out MobilityWOD and Dr. Kelly Starrett.

CrossFit Kids Cherry Hill – Starting June 1st 2015

Coach Ryan here, with some great news and updates about our CrossFit Kids program! We are very excited to kick things off on June 1st, and hope you are too!

This weekend, I had the privilege of taking the CrossFit Kids training seminar in Medfield, Massachusetts, and I have to say, I’m more pumped than ever to teach our children the value of an active and healthy lifestyle. The seminar focused on several major topics – shaping lives, defining fitness in terms children can relate to, reversing health issues (childhood obesity & diabetes), influencing self perception, community, nutrition, and life skills – with the overall theme of the weekend being FITNESS = FUN! Plain and simple, we can preach the values of fitness to our kids until we are blue in the face, but if they aren’t having fun during their classes, fitness will not be viewed in a positive light and is less likely to be a part of their adult life.

We spent a lot of time discussing the controversial topic of children and weight training. Is it safe? THE ANSWER IS YES! When practiced in a safe environment, with proper technique, and under the supervision of coaches, weightlifting can help increase things like bone density and cognitive development, while decreasing cortisol levels and risk of injury. “Weightlifting will stunt a child’s growth” is simply a myth and an outdated school of thought. A study was conducted to research injuries obtained by children over the last 14 years. It was found that the likeliness of injury in recreational sports (soccer, baseball, football) was 0.8%/100 hours. The likeliness of injury during weightlifting……0.002%/100 hours.

Through this CrossFit Kids program, we have the opportunity to shape our children’s lives. Classes will certainly have their share of physical exercise, but we will also take time to sit down and discuss important topics, such as dealing with strangers or bullies, treating others fairly, self-worth and confidence, and nutrition. This program is not about building our future sports stars, but about making intelligent, responsible, and healthy human beings. CrossFit is about community. When I have children of my own, I’d feel completely comfortable with my son or daughter hanging around the box, knowing that the people around him/her share many of the same values as I.

Above all else, safety is of utmost importance. Quality of movement sits atop our priority list. Once the kids can demonstrate PERFECT form and technique, then and only then, will we consider increasing intensity and load. But most of all, our goal for your CrossFit Kids program is to show that fitness doesn’t have to be a burden. If we instill the idea that leading an active lifestyle can be fun, and our children continue to carry on these values as adults, then we have done our job!

Looking forward to starting this new chapter with you all!

What is CrossFit Kids? – Coming Soon!

As we prepare for the addition of a CrossFit Kids program at our box, I’m sure many of you are wondering “What exactly is CrossFit Kids?”

You’re probably asking yourself these questions too:

Isn’t weightlifting at a young age bad for you?
Is it dangerous?
What ages are allowed to participate?

CrossFit Kids is exactly what you think. It’s a way to teach children the importance of fitness, focusing on the principles of mechanics and consistency before intensity. It’s a way to show kids that exercise doesn’t have to be a drag, but that it can be fun! Most importantly, it’s a way to provide an active alternative to a sedentary lifestyle, which will help to combat childhood obesity and means better health for our future.

CrossFit Kids is designed to provide B.I.G. fun; Broad-Inclusive-General fun! It has a huge emphasis on proper movement and good, consistent mechanics (just like CrossFit for adults does). The program is scalable for the varying ages (3-18 years old) and experience levels, and will take into account the vast difference in maturity between a third grader and a sophomore football player. Their needs are the same, to move properly and functionally for everyday challenges. It’s the degree of those needs that will be adjusted when programming for the two.

Can weightlifting be dangerous for kids? Sure. Weightlifting can be dangerous for anyone when not performed with proper mechanics and techniques, and in an unsafe environment. Now, that doesn’t mean that your 4 year old will be doing heavy power cleans. As instructors, it is our job to determine the physical and mental maturity of the child and determine a proper workout. CrossFit Kids will have a heavy emphasis on bodyweight and gymnastics skills, coupled with strength training when appropriate.

So what are you waiting for? If you’re looking for a fun way to keep your child active and give them a healthy lifestyle, CrossFit Kids is the perfect solution! Think about how much you enjoy coming to the box. It’s time to share that same joy with our children. We strive to make the box a friendly environment for the entire family!

Before you go, check out this amazing CrossFit Kids program in Long Island, providing a fun form of fitness to those with different needs:

Source: https://kids.crossfit.com/