CrossFit New Zealand

Thursday 20 June

 

Anna in action for Team CFNZ at the CrossFit Regionals

CFNZ senior intern and Regionals team member, Morgan, caught up with fellow team competitor Anna Worsley recently, to see what makes her tick....

 

How long have you been a member at CFNZ?  Sep 2012.

 How did you end up walking through our doors for the first time?  Was there a pivotal event that led you to us? I watched Daz, Fale and Jo dominate the Auckland Games Rx finals in November 2011. I'd discovered Crossfit 2 months prior so as you can imagine I was thinking that I'd like to be like them one day! Fast forward a year and a move out of the city and I was pretty excited to be at my first CFNZ 9.15am session. I was star struck when Jo walked in! And yep, she kicked my butt too! 

 Fave training shoes? Reebok. 

Can you remember your first workout?  What was it like? First Rx WOD was Morrison. Had to dig pretty deep on the KB swings!  

What tunes do you like working out to? Dnb. The harder the better. 

What has been one of the biggest things in your life that has changed since starting CrossFit? Discovering the inextricable link between mobility and performance. Certainly haven't achieved the balance just yet.  

What are you doing when you aren't CrossFitting?  Career, hobbies etc: Career: Law. Hobbies: Fishing, farming and family. 

Is there a CFNZ member who inspires you? Athletes who rebuild after injury.  

What achievement at CFNZ are you most stoked about? Lifting in front of Mike Burgener. Once in a lifetime experience! 

What would you like to have achieved at CrossFit NZ a year from now? I'd love to be able to teach someone how to MU.

WOD

Power Clean

4 x 1.1.1

Deadhang Pullups

4 x max reps

Then,

20 Calorie row

30 Burpees

40 Two dumbbell ground-to-overhead (20/10kg)

50 Toes-to-bar

30m Overhead walking lunge (20/10kg)

200m Sprint

S+C

Hang Power Clean

sets of 5

DH Pullups (band assist)

4 x 10-12 reps

Then,

10 Calorie row

20 Burpees

30 DB Snatch, alternating (20/10kg)

40 Situps

30m Overhead walking lunge (20/10kg)

200m Sprint

Wednesday 19 June

This is a repost compilation of advice from CFNZ coaches about injuries.

Remember, despite attention to technique, recovery and sensible training, sometimes injuries happen.  You can bet Coach Amanda didn't plan to go head to head with an airbag earlier this year.........

So the below is just a reminder about how to deal with them.....

Despite your best efforts and attention to technique, sometimes injuries just happen.  But don't let them stop you. You can always train around an injury.

If you have chronic lower-back pain, you can work on core stability with Turkish Get ups and prone holds. If you have shoulder trouble, you can cut back on dips and overhead presses and hit the ring rows and renegade rows.  If you've tweaked your knee and can't squat or run, try skipping, slamballs or kettlebell swings for a decent metabolic effect.

That is, if you really want to train.

It's frustrating to be injured, but don't let that spin you into a cycle of missed workouts.  There's always something you can do. Focus on another weakness you have and you may even end up better off!

Once you make an excuse not to train, it becomes very hard to get back on the horse.  Watch the video above to see someone who could have made every excuse in the book, but didn't.

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Your coaches work hard to enforce correct movement and to keep you progressing toward your goals without injury. But injuries happen, both in the gym and out of the gym. Sometimes it’s a result of less than optimal technique; sometimes it’s a fluke. The important thing is what you do next. It can be tempting to “take time off” or to “wait for it to heal.” It is our opinion, however, that the best thing to do is to continue to train.

Why
Continuing to train (smartly) through an acute injury is a beneficial for all the same reasons it’s a good idea when you’re not injured:
1) The intensity of effort associated with CrossFit increases blood flow, improves insulin sensitivity, and helps to strengthen your immune system – all of which are even more important when your body is healing.
2) Unilateral training, in the case of a shoulder injury for example, will not only strengthen “the good arm,” but will also carry over to affect strength adaptations in the injured arm. This kind of work is also great for core strength and stability, which is an area in which we can all improve.When that shoulder is ready for action again, you will be ahead of the game.
3) Continuing to train with functional movements will help you to keep your movement patterns and systems in working order. Nothing will kill your hip hinge and trunk stability like spending 3 weeks on the couch because of an ankle injury.
4) This is a great time to work on your weaknesses. Broke a leg? Learn to row with one leg and spend some time improving your ring dips. Shoulder injury? Great time to master pistols. Some injuries will also require a decrease in intensity – a perfect time to slow things down and dial in great body position and technique, which can help to prevent further injury down the road.

How
1) Talk to us! Just like we modify for strength, ability, and fitness level, we can and do modify any workout to accommodate injury. Keep your trainers in the loop about your injury and your rehab plan. We will work together to decide which movements need to be changed and which movements will help to maintain function and maybe even speed recovery. Additional mobility or technique practice may be appropriate in order to prevent a repeat injury. Then, once we’ve established a plan, remind us! We pride ourselves on knowing our members, but with 250+ of you it can be a challenge to keep every individual situation in mind. Don’t be afraid to nag us!
2) Follow the plan. Simple, right?
3) Be patient! Healing takes time. The pain will stop before the healing is complete. Don’t rush things.

Injuries are categorically not fun. They do not, however, have to prevent you from continuing to train toward your goals, whatever they may be. A smart plan, consistent execution, and a dose of patience should allow you to continue training and, with a little luck, maybe even come out of it stronger and better than before.

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99% of the injuries I see in this gym are preventable!! It makes no difference wether you are someone that has just started crossfit, someone doing it just for fun or a competitive athlete - everyone needs to have recovery (and pre-habilitation) protocols in place to prevent injury. Yes it takes time - but in the long term it allows you to train consistently for longer periods of time.

Some of the things I do....

Pre-habilitation - Nutrition, Sleep. Then - Dynamic stretching, Ring rows, Turkish Get Ups, Russian KB Swings - I’m not injured, I do these things because I spend most of my day doing everything in front of my body (I also play a lot of tennis, single handed) the muscles in the front of my body get short/tight and the ones on the back weak and loose - and if I left it I'd be at risk of injury. 

Work-out - I push my limits but not to breaking point. Breaking point is when your technique starts to fail, increasing the likelihood of injury. I stop (in training) at any sign of physical pain in/around a muscle or joint, they are not meant to be in pain, its a warning sign, listen to it. Shooting nerve pain, numb arms when you go overhead is not okay. Ever!

Recovery - stretching/foam rolling for 40+ mins on the days I work out, about 15min on the days I don’t, hot/cold showers/baths, massage, chiro; and then any niggles I do have (if its not 80% better in 3 days) I see my physio.

It may seem like a lot, but consistent training in a sport a love is the key to setting myself up to succeed.

Take responsibility for yourself! - ask me (or any of the trainers) if you don’t know what your doing or where to start.

WOD

Pushpress

4 x 5

Pendlay Row

4 x 10

Strict TTB

4 x 6-10

Then,

5 Hang Squat Clean

7 Push press 60/35kg

35 Double unders

5 rounds

S+C

Pushpress

4-5 x 8

Ring Rows

4-5 x 10-12

Slamballs

4-5 x 10-12 as fast as possible

Then,

21-15-9 reps of:

Sumo deadlift high-pull

Push jerk, 40/25kg

Tuesday 18 June

Why is CrossFit such an effective fitness program?  

Well, that's quite the question, how long have you got to listen....?

There are numerous reasons; from the functional movements we teach, to the full range of motion we encourage, to the consistency of practice, to the accompanying real world nutrition advice.  

And then of course there is the intensity.

The hard work, the maximal effort, the extra rep when you think you can't do another.

It's probably the most difficult part of all this, especially if you are new to exercise.  And it's the last part of the 'Mechanics, Consistency, Intensity' equation, meaning you have lots to work on regarding technique and practice before you can even think about your effort level.

And if you have never had to dig deep into your reserves of energy and will, in order to overcome a tough physical challenge, you'll find it tough to 'go there', because you are not sure what 'there' feels like.

One way you can start to push harder and feel what it is like to test your true capacity is to find someone in class that is of a similar ability and compete with them.  

Match their weight on the barbell during back squats and then go 5kg more.  

Chase them out the door on that 400m run, and pass them down the back straight.  

Be the first to pick up that kettlebell after you've both stopped to rest.  

Do one more rep before putting the bell down in the first place.

BUT, have fun doing it.  Dutch and Dillon obviously have an ongoing rivalry with their bro-shake in the above video.  But while neither one backs down on the challenge, they are good natured about it.  And even though Dillon loses, he gets to prove that his grip strength is still pretty awesome, later in the movie, when his arm is blown off by a razor clawed, laser shooting alien and his violently amputated limb manages to fire off a few more bullets.........

 No one likes the 'one-up guy'.  And you don't want to get to the place where you are obsessing over your ranking or performance, compared to someone else...

 In fact the best place to be in the gym is 2nd.  That way you have someone to chase, and someone to chase you. Just hopefully not with razor sharp claws and a laser........

WOD

Back  Squat

- 3 reps for 5 sets

Ring Dips or Ring Pushups

- max reps for 5 sets

Perform one set of each exercise, E3M 

Then,

5 C2B Pull ups

10 Wall ball shots, 9/6kg

15 Russian swings, 32/20kg

AMRAP in 10mins

Finisher

Red Sled Push

- 2 gym lengths + 10 burpees.  3 rounds.

S+C

Back  Squat

8 reps for 5 sets

Pushups

- max reps for 5 sets

Perform one set of each exercise, E3M 

Then,

10 DB Rows 15/10kg

10 Wall ball shots 6/3kg

15 Russian swings 24/16kg

AMRAP in 10mins

Finisher

400m Zercher Carry 25/12kg