FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENTS

The prescription for CrossFit is "Constantly varied, functional movements performed at high intensity."  What exactly is a functional movement and why do we do them?  It is easier to start with what isn't a functional movement--the bicep curl.  The bicep curl attempts to completely isolate the biceps brachii, separating it from the other muscles that move the shoulder and elbow.  Instead of bicep curls we do pull-ups--a lot of pull-ups; strengthening the biceps in its natural state while also engaging a host of other muscles.

Functional movements involve a variety of factors such as balance, flexibility, and control of multiple muscle groups.  They mimic real-life situations: a clean and jerk looks like a farmer picking a bale of hay from the ground and putting it on a truck; a shoulder press resembles putting your overstuffed luggage in the overhead bin. This proves a challenge for many coming into CrossFit Mount Olympus.  First, you need to learn to control your own bodyweight.  When I got certified to teach CrossFit I had to scale my squat back to zero.  It was humbling, but great coaches showed me how to do it correctly.  Once you have the form locked in, then start adding weight.  Today's workout will be a series of functional exercises that involve a high degree of muscle control involving a lot of different muscle groups. Enjoy!

For more information, read this article on Web MD.

Jameson on his way to 300 burpees!

Workout of the Day

Compound Tabatas

Each round consists of 8 :20 second bursts followed by a :10 second rest.  Rest one minute between rounds.

1. Mountain climbers
2. Somersaults
3. Stationary lunges (45#/25# plate held overhead)
4. Burpees!!

Record total number of reps for each round to the comments section.

Endurance Workout

Hill Repeats

At least 3 hours after the Workout of the Day, choose ONE of the following:

Swim: 10 x 100m/y holding fastest possible pace without deviating more than 5 sec. 15 sec recoveries

Bike: 4 x 2 mile hill repeats, holding fastest possible pace and not deviating more than 1 min per repeat. Recoveries are how long it takes you to come down the hill. If you do not have a hill then use tension on a trainer or ergometer with steady/heavy tension.

Run: 2 x 3/4 - 1 mile hill repeats holding fastest possible pace without deviating more then 1 minute.   Recover 1 min before descending the hill easily. Repeat after 1 min recovery at bottom of hill. Treadmill use 7% grade, with 2 min recoveries.

Row: 3 x 1k repeats not deviating more than 10 seconds. Use a damper setting at least 3 higher than normal.  2 min recoveries.

Foul: If you deviate more than the specified time, do 20 pistols (10 each side).