The May 2008 CrossFit Journal issue (#69) is out.

Jeff Tucker, "Pull-Up Drills, Part 2: Moving Toward Levers" (Video Article) -This, the second video article in a series demonstrating CrossFit-oriented gymnastics drills on the pull-up bar with Jeff Tucker and Jason Malutich from GSX Athletics, gives hands-on demonstration of some progressions and drills almost anyone can use to work toward front and back levers. Coach Tucker works with some regular CrossFitters, starting with beginning inversion on the bar and progressing closer and closer to a full lever. Plus some good information on safety and spotting techniques.

Jason Dougherty, "The Hard Routine" - Dougherty talks about the general applicability of the idea of the "hard routine" that originates in special operations communities, where mental toughness, determination, and discipline are required for success and, often, survival. There is a lesson here, he says, that applies to all of us, even in far less dire circumstances, as a powerful catalytic agent for change and success of all sorts.

Mikki Martin, "A CrossFit Kids Class" (Video Article) - If you've ever wondered how the incomparable Martin family and staff, of BrandX Martial Arts/CrossFit Ramona manage to train so many kids so effectively and with relatively little chaos, this video is for you. It follows Coach Mikki Martin as she and her assistants put a whole CF Kids class through their paces, from the beginning introduction, through warm-up, skill demos, workout circuit, and a follow-up game time, keeping them working hard and fully engaged throughout.

Chris Spealler, "Wrestling Escapes and Breakdowns" - Speal's articles in the past couple months have gone over a small set of basic wrestling movements from the feet, but what happens when you get on the mat? This month, he talks about the bottom position for escapes and reversals as well as breakdowns from the top position. With photo and video demos, as always.

Michael Rutherford, "Running a One-Trainer Business" , & Andy Petranek, "Balancing Act" -
In a pair of related articles, Rut and Petranek tell their stories of how they've managed two very different CrossFit-affiliate training businesses, dealt with some of the hurdles they've encountered along the way, and how they've gotten themselves to where they are now--to their current point (not of stasis or perfection by any means, but) of greater balance.

Tony Budding, "Media Tips #3: Tripod vs. Handheld" (Video Article) - The third in TonyB's series of media tips or CrossFitters and affiliates addresses the benefits and drawbacks of shooting video on a tripod versus filming free hand. Ultimately, how you choose to shoot, as with most everything in photography, is all about the purpose of your video, the subject of it, and the conditions under which you are working. Budding walks us through some of those choices and trade-offs here.

Tyler Hass, "Scaling Up CrossFit Workouts with Rings" - In an earlier article, RingTraining.com's Tyler Hass talked about ways to scale down CrossFit workouts for beginners by using rings. This month, he goes in the opposite direction, showing how to use rings to scale up the difficulty of workouts for advanced athletes.

Greg Hammond, "Rowing Corrections, Part 3" (Video Article) - In this installment of his rowing lesson and technique troubleshooting, Greg Hammond of Concept2 works with an audience member on the finer points of an already-strong stroke, focusing on teaching him to keep a slow but powerful and consistent stroke rate, maintain good head and elbow position, move the handle and seat in sync, and so on. He goes on to address the technique for starting from a dead stop to get up to speed quickly and safely and how to determine the damper settings for various kinds of rowing pieces and body types.

Mark Rippetoe, "Low-Bar vs. High-Bar Squats" - Rip is back! In this piece, he delves deep into another one of his favorite topics: why the low-bar back squat, with its emphasis on hip drive, is "the best strength exercise there is"--for CrossFitters, for Olympic weightlifters, and for anyone who wants to be strong. In particular, he explains the intricacies of its advantages over the high-bar, or "Olympic-style" squat.

Becca Borawski, "Succeeding in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" - In the last article in Borawski's series on getting and staying into Brazilian jiu-jitsu she brings together her panel of experts on BJJ to discuss the issues of how and how often to train, how to avoid and cope with injury, what to do about burnout, and the whether competition is necessary.

Lon Kilgore, "Dissecting the Fish: Plotting Progress in Multi-Mode Training" - Professor Kilgore takes another look at his and Mark Rippetoe's model of how the body's adaptation to training stress drives programming for barbell training, He looks here at what happens when we apply that model to CrossFit's comprehensive fitness programming and what all that means for integrating more specialized barbell training with CrossFit. See what he finds when he tries to peer into the black box a bit.

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Video Article!


Coach Glassman addresses a group of trainers-in-training on what it means to be a good trainer and why it matters. How successful you are--how good you are--he argues, is entirely up to you. While competency in the mechanics is the sine qua non of training, one of the differences between good and great trainers is passion. Passion for movement, for people, for spreading knowledge. It is not about marketing or a great business plan, or having the perfect space, or any of the other accoutrements. It's about loving what you do, caring enough to do it right, and, ultimately, sharing your knowledge as broadly as possible.

"Leverage your efforts," he says. "Talk to anyone who will listen to you about what it is that you do. But only if you love it--if you can get up and say Man, I want to show you something really cool. It's the squat. It's unbelievable. It's the simplest, most overlooked thing in the world. If you feel and believe that and can express that with passion, people are going to follow you anywhere. And they'll throw money at your feet."

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The April 2008 CrossFit Journal issue (#68) is out.

Matt DeMinico, "National Champion Under Development" - DeMinico, of Motor City CrossFit, introduces us to 13-year-old future Olympic speedskating hopeful, and CrossFitter, Andrew Astalos. His story is a testament not only to the effectiveness of CrossFit training but also to the role of commitment and balance in training (especially for kids) and the importance of excellent coaching.

Phil Savage, "Hand Rips: Causes, Treatments, and Prevention" - As a gymnastics coach, Savage knows the importance of maintaining the health and integrity of the skin on the hands to allow sustained training, But he also sees plenty of torn calluses and skin rips, which are part of the territory for any physical exercise that uses the hands intensively--including high-volume kipping pull-ups and ring work as well as kettlebell and barbell training, to name a few. Here he presents an illustrated practical guide to callus maintenance and rip prevention and treatment that we can all use.

Chris Spealler, "Wrestling Set-Ups, Takedowns, and Finishes" - Following up on last month's article on the fundamentals of wrestling, this month Speal explores some basic options in offense. He gives step-by-step instruction for some key set-ups, double-leg and single-leg takedowns, and finishes. With photo and video demos.

Jeremy Thiel, "Youth Strength & Conditioning Programs" - CrossFit Central's Jeremy Thiel is back, this time with his story of developing and running successful CrossFit-based summer strength and conditioning programs for high-school athletes (and eventually translating that into an ongoing adult "boot camp" program). In addition to getting kids into better shape, the program emphasizes team cohesiveness, accountability, leadership skills, and learning what it takes to be a champion both on and off the field.

Adrian Bozman, "Training the Pistol" Adrian Bozman, "Training the Pistol" (Video Article) - Bozman, of CrossFit San Francisco, covers the basic pistol (one-legged squat), modifications, and assists, as well as weighted variations. He teaches several progressions and tactics for working toward success at the basic move, as well as some increasingly difficult weighted variations.

Tony Budding, "Media Tips #2: Framing" (Video Article) - In the second in his series of practical instructional tips on taking good photos and video in workout contexts, CrossFit Media Director Tony Budding gives some good pointers on framing your subject to produce more professional, appealing, and useful media.

Andrew Thompson, "Characteristics of a World-Class Trainee" - There is a lot of discussion out there about what makes good leaders, teachers, and coaches, but less about the qualities required on the other side of that relationship--about what it takes to be a world-class trainee. Thompson looks at the some of the consistent characteristics that distinguish these folks from the pack, both in and out of the training environment.

Jeff Tucker, "Pull-Up Bar Drills, Part 1: L-Pull-Up" (Video Article) - Gymnastics coach Jeff Tucker and assistant Jay Malutich takes us through the intricacies of the L-pull-up and progressions for developing the strength and skill to execute it, as well as showing some more difficult variations such as V-ups and weighted versions, for those who have already mastered the basic L.

Becca Borawski, "Surviving in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" - Following up on last month's article on how to choose a Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy, Borawski asks this month's panel of experts to talk about how to navigate the social and logistical landscape of the BJJ world once you've got started--how to deal with everything from cauliflower ear to what to wear under your gi and how not to alienate your teammates.

Mike Burgener, "Pat's Oly Workout: Clean and Jerk" (Video Article) - Coach Burgener continues coaching CrossFitter Pat Barber through an Olympic lifting session. Last month, they worked on the snatch, ending with a new personal-record lift for Pat. This month we see how Coach B gets him up to a PR in the clean and jerk as well.

Tom Bohrer, "Smoother Rowing for More Power" - Rowing coach Bohrer addresses some of the common issues with the "catch" in indoor rowing. This transition moment from the recovery phase to the drive is crucial to rowing efficiency and safety, but it is fraught with problems for many folks. Bohrer examines those problems, explains the right way to do it, and offers some simple tools and techniques for routing out improper mechanics and teaching correct ones.

Robert Ord, "Pre-SOF Training, Part 5: 'Land'" - The fifth article in our series describes the fourth and final phase--the "Land" phase--of U.S. Tactical CrossFit's program for building the physical and mental fundamentals that prospective special operations forces recruits will need to make it in SOF training. The focus of this phase is on rucksack work and preparation for moving on to an SOF training pipeline. Plus attention to the logistics of fitting and packing a rucksack and caring for the feet.

Brian Jones, "Sandbag Training: Part 2" - In Part 1 of his series on sandbag training (in our January 2008 issue), Jones discussed the rationale behind sandbag training, explained how to make a sandbag, and walked us through some of the fundamental sandbag lifts. This month, he presents more useful lifts and talks about integrating the sandbag into workouts and training programs.

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This month we respond to the oft-heard conjecture that lifting overhead is inherently dangerous--i.e., that it is destructive of the shoulder. Conjecture, by definition, is required neither to comport with fact nor to offer testable proposition, and, as such, it is a ready vehicle for those limited in the skills, focus, or desire required to give thoughtful examination on any topic. (See "Conjecture, Hypothesis, Theory, Law" in CrossFit Journal 64, December 2007.) "Squatting is bad for the knees," "lying down after a workout is dangerous to the heart," "swimming shortly after eating causes drowning," and "overhead lifts are bad for the shoulders" are all conjectures unsupported by data, untested by experimentation, and at odds with fact, yet each has at one time or another been offered as "common knowledge" in athletic communities.

Additionally, proving the non-existence of anything is fraught with logical difficulty. If you claim to be in possession of a unicorn, for example, by what process am I to prove the falsity of your claim? The point is that the burden of proof for conjecture lies with those who offer it, not those who are witness to it. No response ought to be required of conjecture until it is supported by data and experimentation--that is, until it is presented as a hypothesis and subsequently elevated by experimentation and data to become a theory. This is a simple protocol of rhetoric required by logic and practicality.

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The March 2008 CrossFit Journal issue (#67) is out.

Robert Ord, "Pre-SOF Training, Part 4: 'Water' " - The fourth article in our series describes the "Water" phase of US Tactical CrossFit's program for building the physical and mental fundamentals that prospective special operations forces recruits will need to make it in SOF training.

Nicole Carroll, "Nutrition: The Teeter-Totter" (Video Article) - The simple CrossFit nutrition prescription-"Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar"-will deliver you from metabolic derangement (i.e., hyperinsulinemia, Syndrome X, etc.) and keep you generally well. It's all about balancing your body's internal teeter-totter, where the interdependent levels of "good" and "bad" hormones pivot on the food you take in. For maximal output and truly elite fitness, however, you need to be more precise than that. In this lecture excerpt, Nicole Carroll makes the case for why.

Greg Glassman, "Technique, Part 2: Q & A" (Video Article) - This month's Glassman video captures some of the key points from the question and answer session following the lecture excerpted in last month's Technique video. Here, Coach Glassman elaborates on a number of questions that get at some of the finer details of the relationships between technique, intensity, functional movement, and performance that he raised earlier.

Mark Eaton, "Good Coach, Bad Coach" - A brief collection of some elementary wisdom from the common body of knowledge on coaching, to serve as an opportunity for personal reflection on how we behave as coaches and trainers. These tidbits were originally assembled for coaches of adolescents, but they apply just as well to coaches and trainers of all ages and levels of clients, athletes, and teams.

Doug Chapman, "Mobility in Design: A Portable Pull-Up Structure" - What if you could have pull-up bars that are sturdy, allow full kipping pull-ups, and accommodate a large of people at once-and can be moved wherever you need them, including outdoors, with a minimum of fuss and muss? Well, it's not just a pipe dream. The folks at CrossFit Ann Arbor/Hyperfit USA have exactly that and explain how you can have it too.

Tony Leyland, "Good Hormones, Bad Hormones: The Energy Balance Equation" - Gary Taubes's fine new book Good Calories, Bad Calories is dedicated to demonstrating that nutrition for good health and weight control "is not just about the calories, Stupid." In this fine analysis, Leyland shows that the same is true, if under-recognized, on the opposite side of the energy-in/energy-out equation. When it comes to exercise, like diet, the important thing is not just quantity; what matters most is not simply how many calories you expend, but how you do so.

Becca Borawski, "Getting Started in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" - Becca frequently fields questions from CrossFitters about how to get started in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (or any martial art). So she's pulled together a panel of successful jiu-jitsu players/MMA fighters to address some of the common questions about how to find a school and instructor, what to expect, how to prepare, how to combine martial arts with strength and conditioning training, and how to get better.

Tyler Hass, "Scaling Down CrossFit Workouts with Rings" - Tyler Hass, who is dedicated to bringing the benefits of basic ring training to non-gymnasts, presents a number of ways to modify CrossFit workouts to make them more accessible for beginners, or to help intermediate CrossFitters develop their ring skills in preparation for somewhat more advanced moves, or just to make more travel-friendly workouts.

Mike Burgener, "Pat's Oly Workout: Snatch" (Video Article) - After working on his own for a few months, Pat, the subject of the last two months' video articles on the fundamentals of the snatch, visits Mike Burgener for a coaching session on heavier snatches and tries for a new PR. It's an informative fly-on-the-wall look into an experienced coach's real-life session with a relatively new lifter.

Special Section: "On the Safety and Efficacy of Overhead Lifting" - This month, we bring together folks from a variety of disciplines to respond to the oft-heard conjecture that lifting overhead is inherently dangerous-i.e., that it is destructive of the shoulder. The central essay is a collaboration by expert lifting coach Mark Rippetoe, exercise physiologist (and lifter and coach) Lon Kilgore, and Ph.D. physical therapist (and lifter and coach) Kelly Starrett that debunks the standard myths. Their information is backed up by brief testimonials from sport physiotherapist Daniel Crumback and orthopedic surgeon (and strongman) Paul Benfanti. The next time you hear some "expert" tell you "overhead pressing is bad for the shoulders," you can just file that in the same dustbin as "deep squats are bad for the knees."

Tony Budding, "Media Tips #1, Light Positioning and Capture Settings" (Video Article) - In the first of a series of practical instructional video articles on the difficult task of taking good, clear action photos and video in workout contexts, CrossFit Media Director Tony Budding gives hands-on explanations of some basics of the art of capturing light on "film" (or, rather, the digital equivalent).

Chris Spealler, "Speal on Wrestling: Stance, Shot, and Handfighting" - Wrestling helps practitioners develop an amazing work ethic, solid body awareness, good strength to weight ratios, and the ability to transfer their skills into other athletic arenas. In the first of a regular CFJ series of articles on the wrestling, CrossFitter and wrestler Chris Spealler introduces some of the most basic skills that wrestlers require: the stance, the shot for a takedown, and handfighting.

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The February 2008 CrossFit Journal issue (#66) is out.

Kelly Moore, "CrossFit-Powered U.S. Kettlebell Victory" - In November 2007, longtime CrossFitter Kelly Moore (one of the earliest and most impressive posters of workout scores back in the early days of the WOD) was the first U.S. athlete to earn the rank of Master of Sport World Class in kettlebell sport competition. She tells the story of her path to that achievement, built on a broad and extremely solid base of CrossFit-developed strength anf fitness and facilitated by a specialist coach with the right emphasis on fundamental mechanics and good technique.

Tony Young, "You Can't Lift What You Can't Hold On To" - Although CrossFitters do our share of both heavy slow lifts and Olympic lifts, where grip plays an important role, grip is usually not a specfic training focus. But it is no less important to CrossFitters than to full-time powerlifters, Olympic lifters, strongmen, or grapplers. In fact, our broad training approach means that we need hands and multi-dimensional hand strength even more than most sport-specific athletes. Young presents an overview of grip training both for building stregnth and for rehabbing some wrist, forearm, and elbow injuries.

Robert Ord, "Pre-SOF Training" - The third article in this series on preparing potential military special operations forces recruits describes the "Assessment" phase of Rob Ord's program for buiding the physical and mental fundamentals of what takes to make it in real special operations forces training.

Brian MacKenzie, "The Time Trial as a Training Tool" - Time trials define the endurance sports. They also, says ultra-runner and mutlisport endurance coach Brian MacKenzie, help define you as an athlete and how successful you are in training. He details how to integrate time trials and interval work into a training program for any distance sport.

Mike Burgener, "Coach Burgener Teaches the Snatch, Part 2" (Video Article) - In Part 1 of this instructional video, last month, Coach B worked with Pat, of CrossFit Virginia Beach, on some basics of footwork and positioning for the snatch. In Part 2, they walk through a progression of preparatory skill-transfer exercises and then into the snatch from the high-hang position-all still with just PVC.

Greg Glassman, "Technique, Part 1" (Video Article) - Glassman elaborates on the relationship between technique and functional movement, power, and fitness that underlies some of CrossFit' most basic principles and goals. Technique, he explains-like its cousins mechanics, form, and style-is not at odds with intensity but is in fact essential for maximizing power and thus fitness.

Robin Lyons, "Hammer Time: Throwing Drills" - From the specialized world of track and field, accomplished thrower Robin Lyons brings us some basic throwing moves and drills that anyone can use to build the power, coordination, accuracy, and balance inherent to the sport of hammer throw.

Tom Bohrer, "Use Your Feet for Stronger Rowing" - The role of the feet in indoor rowing technique is seldom dicussed; however, as rowing coach Tom Bohrer argues, it can have a tremendous impact on your form and your efficiency-and therefore your speed and power output.

Greg Hammond, "Row Corrections, Part 2" (Video Article) - Greg Hammond of Concept2 continues the rowing lesson he started in last month's video article. Here, he offers tips on efficiency and troubleshoots a full slate of common technique problems.

Greg Hammond, "Why Indoor Rowing? A Quick List" - A short take on the benefits of rowing, to address the question, "What makes the indoor rower any better than other forms of equipment for metcon (metabolic conditioning) training?

Becca Borawski, "Rear Naked Choke" - Becca Borawski and world-class grappler Valerie Worthington walk us through two versions of the rear naked choke, one of the popular and recognizable grappling moves and the one "most feared whenever a competitor gives up his back to his opponent."

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CrossFit.com runs on a three-on/one-off rotation: perform the posted Workout of the Day (WOD) for three days; debate and discuss on the fourth ("Rest Day"). The topic of discussion for Rest Day on December 10, 2006 was a charge leveled by Mike Boyle ("Body By Boyle") at a Special Operations Medical Association Conference that CrossFit's use of "high-rep Olympic weightlifting" renders it "dangerous."

The ensuing discussion among Greg Glassman ("Coach"), "René," 'BOA," and Michael Boyle, excerpted below, goes to the heart of the debate over safety, efficacy, and efficiency in fitness programming and the need for an objective basis for evaluating competing fitness claims.

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When assessing the most functional of upper body movements, it is tough to argue against the efficacy of vertical pressing movements (a.k.a. overhead pressing). Those individuals who labor for a living routinely take items and place (press) them over the head onto something else. If you work around your home you’re often placed in a position of extending the arms above the head to retrieve or replace a needed item. If you participate in outdoor activities, the roof of the car often may carry equipment such as a bike, canoe, or kayak. Therefore, I officially rank vertical pressing as my number one choice for upper-body strengthening movements.

Dumbbells are the perfect tool for vertical pressing for a number of reasons. They are well suited to the anatomy of the shoulder, allowing the glenohumeral joint to follow a natural path as the weight is pressed.

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The January 2008 CrossFit Journal issue (#65) is out.

Featured CrossFitter: Jolie Gentry - The journal's first featured CrossFitter, Jolie Gentry, is a California police/SWAT officer and the winner of the 2007 CrossFit Games. She talks in this interview about her background, her introduction to CrossFit, and her take on being a woman in the worlds of elite fitness and law enforcement.

Becca Borawski, "Double-Leg Takedown for Submission Wrestling" - Becca Borawski teams up again with world-champion grappler Valerie Worthington to describe in detail (and in photos) the how-tos of the double-leg takedown that Brazilian jiu-jitsu has borrowed from wrestling.

Brian Jones, "Sandbag Lifting" - The guru of sandbag lifting himself, Brian Jones, discusses why sandbag lifting is so useful, explains how to make durable bags for your garage or gym, and shows how to lift them properly once you've got your hands on them.

Brian MacKenzie, "Endurance Training: Decreased Training Time & Increased Work Capacity" - Endurance sports coach Brian MacKenzie challenges the "more is better" dogma that pervades endurance training circles, offering in its place an argument (and experiential support) for smarter, safer, more varied and more broadly functional training-and less of it, in terms of time and volume. When his athletes train stamina, strength, flexibility, power, coordination, agility, and balance in addition to cardiovascular endurance and speed, he attests, they make much larger gains in work capacity for their specialized sport, and with a much more positive effect on their overall health and fitness. He includes a detailed sample program-that incorporates CrossFit workouts and principles-for the last five weeks of training for a 50-mile race.

Mike Burgener, with Tony Budding, "Coach Burgener Teaches the Snatch Part 1" (Video Article) - We pulled Olympic lifting coach Mike Burgener aside during the lunch break at a recent CrossFit certification seminar to start to teach Pat, of CrossFit Virginia Beach, to snatch. He gets through some basics on footwork and positioning, plus the Burgener warm-up, in this month's video. Next month, part 2 in the series will continue the lesson.

Andrew J. Thompson, "Tribute to a Coach" - Many of us have a coach or teacher who has changed our lives and inspires and drives us to be better, both in the moment and in retrospect-and all of us who are coaches or trainers ourselves surely hope to have that kind of impact on our athletes. CrossFitter, trainer, and U.S. Marine Andrew Thompson pays homage to his U.S. Naval Academy football strength and conditioning coach, Phil Emery, whose impact still inspires him (and us).

Jeff Martone, "Double-Kettlebell Push Press and Jerk" - Jeff Martone walks us through the intricacies of the clean, push-press, and jerk as done with two kettlebells. As he points out, the important thing is to master the movement, regardless of the tool (whether barbell, kettlebell, medicine ball, sandbag, or what have you), but there some specifics of the KB that make this article an invaluable how-to for everyone.

Greg Glassman, "Productive Application of Force" (Video Article) - True, useful strength is not merely the muscles' ability to generate force but the ability to productively apply that force. The missing link in so much mainstream fitness programming is the neuromuscular component of this application of strength-in particular, the development of coordination, accuracy, agility, and balance. Omitting them from one's training necessarily results in only partial fitness, partial expression of one's genetic potential, and a decreased threshold of maximal capacity. Coach Glassman makes the point persuasively, in his characteristic engaging, no-nonsense style.

Robert Ord, "Pre-SOF Training" - Part 2 of our view into the workings of U.S. Tactical CrossFit's program for preparing potential military special forces recruits for entrance into one of the U.S. military's elite training pipelines. This month, he details the "Indoctrination" phase of his program's instruction in the physical and mental fundamentals of what takes to be in special operations forces.

Matt Swift, "Partnering with a Martial Arts Dojo" - One of our affiliates from down under, Matt Swift of CrossFit Brisbane, offers firsthand advice and personal anecdotes on the ins and outs (and ups and downs) of running a fledgling CrossFit affiliate out of someone else's gym-in this case, a martial arts studio. There can be drawbacks and stumbling blocks, but, as Swift has found, if your situation and gym-owner are right for it, there can be some pretty compelling advantages too.

Greg Hammond, "Row Corrections" (Video Article) - Greg Hammond of Concept2 Rowing works with two quite different CrossFit athletes in front of an audience to demonstrate rowing fundamentals and correct their mistakes. The point is clear: Faster rowing doesn't come from faster movement (i.e., higher stroke rate). It is the result, rather, of more power transfer and increased efficiency. In short, better, faster rowing (i.e., increased output) comes from better technique.

Keysha McClenton-Benzing, "Form for Runners, from Head to Toe" - Strength and conditioning coach, Olympic lifter, and badass runner Keysha McClenton presents a detailed guide to proper running mechanics, from head to feet. While running style is necessarily individualized, she walks us through the universal biomechanical positions and functions underlying efficient, powerful, safe running.

Jeremy Thiel, "Corporate Wellness" - Thiel, co-owner of CrossFit Central in Austin, Texas, explains how he and his staff started a CrossFit-based corporate wellness program for bringing training and education into local businesses and corporations. What might seem to be a huge undertaking really is quite manageable, he says. This article helpfully gets into logistical specifics about the structure, pricing, and positioning of the program, and the successes Thiel and company have had with it to date.

Michael Collins, "Where is Your Body Weight? The Key to Efficient Movement" - To be successful in endurance (and other) sports, Collins attests, you need to learn how your body weight can be your primary movement force and use your muscles to "service" your body weight instead of the other way around. The key to this is understanding where your body weight is supported and how forces such as gravity, ground reaction, torque, and buoyancy (in the case of swimming) affect your control of your body as it moves through space (or water). Triathlete Collins gives concrete examples from the sports of running, swimming, and cycling.

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Now that we've established the proper grip and set-up stance (CFJ 50 and 51), the next phase in teaching the Olympic lifts is what has become known as the Burgener warm-up. This warm-up consists of six different sequences that are important for learning to perform the Olympic lifts. The Burgener warm-up is performed with a length of PVC pipe or a dowel and specifically trains the second and third pulls of the snatch. Repetition of these six sequences with little or no weight conditions the body to move properly through the power phases of the snatch and the clean and jerk. In subsequent articles, I'll cover skill transfer exercises for the snatch, and the positioning pulls (the first pull off the ground and the scoop) for both lifts.

The essence of the Olympic lifts is creating momentum and elevation on the barbell through a range of motion that begins at the floor and finishes with the bar overhead (in the snatch and the jerk) or racked at the shoulders (in the clean). I recommend incorporating the Burgener warm-up into your daily routine regardless of the workout. It is remarkably effective at teaching and reinforcing the basic concepts of performing the Olympic lifts.

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In gymnastics, a hurdle is the final preparatory step before performing a skill from a run. The purpose of the hurdle is to properly position yourself for the takeoff while maintaining and/or building momentum.

In most cases, a hurdle should be low and long. This will maintain forward momentum and allow sufficient time for preparatory positioning. There are a few exceptions, such as a hurdle on a diving board, where little forward momentum is available and the jumping surface is highly flexible, in which case a high hurdle is optimal.

Even if you have no plans to perform gymnastics or acrobatic movements from a hurdle, practicing a hurdle will have transferable benefit. It will improve footwork in any athletic endeavor where step adjustment is necessary, and it will improve your ability to navigate uneven surfaces rapidly and without injury.

You must know how to skip in order to have an effective hurdle. If you have not skipped since you were young, or have never skipped before, now is the time to begin practicing.

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Photo courtesy of Team Quest.

Becca Borawski talks with a trainer who's been working with MMA fighters and world class wrestlers for decades, about how he incorporates strength and conditioning work with skills training and how he peaks and tapers training leading up to a fight.

Ideally, when preparing for a mixed martial arts (MMA) fight, an individual would like to have eight to ten weeks of preparation, a period known as a "fight camp." Frequently, however, for younger competitors fighting in smaller organizations, or even a fighter the level of current Pride Welterweight champion Dan Henderson, fights can come up with as little as three to six weeks notice.

A fight camp, regardless of length, consists of three elements of training: skill, strength, and conditioning. How often do you see skilled fighters "gassed" halfway through a fight and left unable to execute their well-honed techniques? Or see fighters with great muscular and cardiovascular endurance but only rudimentary skills to pair with it? All three elements must be trained, but this must be done in such a way that the athlete is not overtrained by the time of the fight.

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Have you ever thought about what it is exactly that drives improvement in aerobic work capacity? If you are like most people you probably haven’t really felt compelled to ponder this. Even though I am trained pretty extensively in cardiovascular physiology and training theory, I am an anaerobe and a musclehead. What makes muscle work, become stronger, bigger, or more powerful is my interest.

That means that I hadn't, until recently, considered the question either. In fact, if I had been asked that question two years ago, I probably would have pulled an answer out of some old aerobic dogma buried in my brain somewhere, obtained from reading texts and research journals or from sitting in a lecture hall somewhere. I accepted fairly unquestioningly (albeit with a few exceptions in programming issues) the conventional wisdom of aerobic training physiology. I was a happy camper. I didn’t know I actually cared about a higher level of understanding pertaining to aerobic fitness.

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CrossFit has been an active combatant in the diet wars. For decades it has been an exciting world of "us" versus "them."

"We" were the low carb, low calorie, good fat camp and "they" were the low fat, low calorie, high carb opposition. The battle was for the hearts and minds of the public on the very personal and private matter of nutrition - what diet makes us healthy?

Sheldon Margin, publisher of the UC Berkley Wellness Letter, a leader of "them," accepted this characterization of battle lines when we presented it to him in 1996. In 1996 Dr. Atkins and Barry Sears were both publicly and regularly referred to as "quacks" and "frauds" by mainstream physicians, journalists, and nutritionists. While this was something that Sears would have to get used to, Dr. Atkins had been dealing with vicious assaults on his life’s work and character since publishing his Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution in 1972.

We write here today in 2003 gloating. Gloating, because it is our perception that we are decisively winning the diet war. In the public square, the realization that carbs, not fat, make you sick and fat is spreading rapidly. Spreading like truth unobstructed.

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The December 2007 CrossFit Journal issue (#64) is out.

Robert Ord, "Pre-SOF Training" - Robert Ord, a former Navy diver supporting SEALs, and the current Director of Training at the U.S. Tactical CrossFit Training Center just outside San Diego, gives an inside view into the design and efficacy of the program that they have implemented to train, motivate, and mentor potential recruits before they enter into one of the U.S. military's elite special forces training pipelines.

Michael Collins, "Efficient Running: The Pose Method" - In the running world, the main focus tends to be on training harder, longer, or faster, and people seem to think you just "naturally" learn to run correctly by merely doing a lot of it. Triathlon coach Michael Collins counters that with an argument about the importance of using safe, efficient technique that harnesses the natural physical forces at play in running.

Brian MacKenzie, "The Basics of Pose Running Techniques" - Endurance athlete and coach Brian MacKenzie outlines some of the basic principles of the Pose technique that Collins introduces. In every sport, he points out, the elite all have some things in common: they use gravity to their advantage; they are compact in their movements; and everything is done with almost an effortless approach. The articles on running technique in this issue will get you started in that direction.

Michael Collins, "Intro to the Pose Method for Distance Running" (Video Article) - In a video companion piece to the articles by him and MacKenzie in this issue, Collins explains and demonstrates how to work with, rather than against, the natural forces at play in non-sprint running.

Tony Leyland, "Why a 10K WOD?" - What's up with all this (relatively) long distance information and interest popping up in the CF world lately? Professor Leyland responds to questions about the rationale for Workouts of the Day such as "Run 10k," and takes it as an occasion to delve into a discussion about the safety, efficacy, and wisdom of such endeavors.

Becca Borawski, "Gi Guard Pass from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" - Regular fight correspondent Borawski gets world-champion grappler Valerie Worthington to demonstrate one Brazilian jiu-jitsu technique for getting yourself out of the guard and into a more offensive position.

Tes Salb, "The Mental Marksman" - In the first of her contributions to the CFJ, athlete, marksman, and Shooting Sports magazine editor Tes Salb focuses on the mental aspects of training and the importance of visualization and concentration in any challenging physical endeavor. In future articles, she'll also examine the role of physical training in successful shooting.

Mike Burgener, with Tony Budding, "Supplemental Olympic Lifting for CrossFitters" - Coach B and Tony B present a sample program for committed CrossFitters who want to continue to train hard-core CrossFit while they also work on getting better in the Oly lifts. They offer an eight-week daily plan for improving your lifts that won't interfere with your standard CrossFit workouts and accommodates the three-days-on/one-day-off cycle of the WOD. Also featuring an index of past CFJ articles on Olympic lifting topics by Burgener and Budding.

Greg Glassman, "Evidence-Based Fitness" (Video Article) - In this excerpt from one of his talks at a recent CrossFit certification seminar, founder Greg Glassman discusses the methods and rationale of CrossFit. Fundamentally, what we are about, he explains, is evidence-based fitness. Here he breaks that statement down into its constituent parts and explains the logical, scientific basis of the CrossFit system for advancing human performance.

Buddy Lee, "Jump Rope Basics, Part 2: More Preparation Phase, Plus Double-Under Tips" - Jump rope guru Buddy Lee gets us deeper into the first of the four phases of his system for learning safe, effective, efficient rope jumping. And he speeds ahead in the progression to give some timely instruction and tips on double-unders, a favorite of many CrossFitters.

Andy Petranek, "Sign on the Dotted Line: Affiliate Membership Contracts" - When Andy Petranek, owner of CrossFit Los Angeles, took a hard look at the question of the best way to structure gym memberships to support both the development and growth of students and the development and growth of his business, one of the answers he came up with seems anathema to many affiliates: long-term contracts. He explains how and why he did it, and what his results have been.

Jeff Glassman, "Conjecture, Hypothesis, Theory, Law: The Basis of Rational Argument" - Evaluating the validity of scientific models and criticisms, whether about cosmology, or climatology, or physiology and the efficacy of CrossFit, requires an understanding of the terms conjecture, hypothesis, theory, and law. Jeff Glassman follows up on his video discussion of these in the November issue with a fuller written explanation of how these play into rational discussions of often-contentious topics.

Mark Rippetoe, "Back Squat Geometry, Part 2 (Video Article)" - This video article continues Rip's discussion of lifting mechanics from last month's journal issue. Taken together, the two videos offer a clear, down-to-earth explanation of how and why the principles of force, physics, and human physiology determine the positions that constitute good-safe, effective, and efficient-form for the barbell lifts.

Judy Geer, "Indoor Rowing Races" - The folks from Concept2 bring us information on the sport of indoor row racing and techniques for setting your race pace and preparing for a competition or PR attempt.

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CrossPit is a blending of CrossFit with the Pit, John Hackleman's mixed martial arts (MMA) and fitness training program—a blending that we believe best prepares fighters for the ring and the rest of us for general self-defense. CrossPit's efficacy comes from its simplicity. Proficiency in stance, movement, and a few basic strikes, combined with the gas to go the distance, is usually more effective on the street and in the cage than extensive training in complex martial arts sequences. The Pit's Chuck Liddell has demonstrated this at the top level of professional MMA, and amateur fighters from the Pit are regularly beating much more experienced and “highly trained” fighters.

CrossPit, like CrossFit, is a multidisciplinary approach that takes what works and discards the rest. What works is what wins fights. MMA provides a great testing ground, and the abundance of street fights posted to the Internet show what works without a referee. The same protective stance, proper movement, power to stop your opponent, and stamina to outlast him are needed in both arenas.

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If you believe the data, over 50 percent of the U.S. adult population are dealing with back problems. Having a personal history of lower back issues and frequently working with athletes in the same boat, I have been motivated to find effective movements to keep the back strong and functional.

In this installment of my dumbbell series, I present two movements that I have found to be effective in my training practice. The two movements I speak of are the Romanian deadlift (RDL) and Tommy Kono's back-loosening deadlift. I refer to these two movements as the yin and yang of the back; together, they complement one another to work the back through both extension and flexion, in both fixed and dynamic positions, and both in isolation and in concert with the rest of the posterior chain of muscles.

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Gaining flexibility is primarily about discipline. It requires neither great pain nor specialized knowledge of particular tricks. The primary key to gaining flexibility is simply to stretch often. If you do not stretch, or do so only sporadically, your gains in flexibility will be limited. To improve your flexibility, you should stretch at least once a day, and, if possible, multiple times per day. Short, repeated exposure to stretching is more productive than a single intense or long bout of stretching. For example, it is far better to stretch ten minutes per day, every day, than to stretch 70 minutes once a week. Stretching is also a long-term commitment and must be continued indefinitely to maintain and/or increase flexibility.

Flexibility is not something that automatically comes with strength training. On the contrary, strength training without stretching can lead to dramatic reduction in flexibility. In many cases, when taken to the extreme, such a lack of flexibility will result in loss of "normal" function, not to mention loss of high-performance function so important to athletes.

Making significant increases in flexibility will bring marked improvement in performance.

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Since January, I've been on thirty-nine flights. The madness started with a writing assignment to cover cat skiing in southern British Columbia: ten days. Three weeks later, I was called to hop a few planes to a Canadian mountain range called the Monashees for a backcountry skiing photo shoot for Mountain Hardwear with a few other athletes: nine days. Two weeks later, I left on a month-long assignment for National Geographic Adventure in northern Norway, where I retraced the steps of a WWII escapee on skis across Lapland, about ten degrees north of the Arctic Circle: twenty-nine days. Ten days at home, then I jetted to Nepal for a month to write dispatches for MSN.com on Ed Viesturs's historic mountaineering ascent of Annapurna, making him the first American to climb all fourteen of the world's 8,000-meter peaks: thirty days. No rest for the weary, but I like it that way. I like to pack it all in; it feels more efficient that way, like I’m getting things done. Unfortunately, with that "efficiency" that I fiendishly suck energy to achieve, thirty-nine flights in no way augments my level of fitness. CrossFit does.

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At the recent CrossFit certification seminar in Boston, someone asked a question that really got me thinking. I paraphrase:

I think I understand the theory behind most of the workouts—that is, strength training, metabolic conditioning, form or technique practice—but what about "Linda"? [Linda is 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 reps each of deadlift at 1.5 x bodyweight, bench-press at 1 x bodyweight, clean at .75 x bodyweight, for time.] Is that a strength workout, but with a metabolic conditioning benefit? What is the real goal?

In his response, Coach Glassman said something about how Linda seemed like a good workout when it was created, but it has become the most hated workout of the day (WOD). Apparently, one of every three complaints about workouts is reserved just for Linda, an impressive number since it is one of thousands of WODs created since CrossFit went online in 2001. According to Coach, anything that gets that kind of reaction has to be effective, thus worthy of repeat. I began to think about that question from a different perspective, and how I had been thinking of a different answer based on my experience as a CrossFitter and a soldier.

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The squat is the key to strength and conditioning. It is the sine qua non of barbell exercises. I usually go so far as to tell new trainees that if they are not going to squat, they should not even bother to train. No other exercise changes so many things about the body in so short a time as the squat. To omit squats because some uninformed fool said they were "bad for your knees" indicates that you probably didn’t want to do them anyway, so it's just as well.

The next time some quasi-professional health-industry type repeats this hoary old silliness, ask them how they know. If they say that the bulk of their professional practice is generated by athletes who regularly and correctly performed full barbell squats and consequently "blew out" their knees, call me and I will be there within thirty minutes with $80 million in cash.

My money is safe, of course. The truth is that the bulk of their professional practice—insofar as athletic/sports injuries are concerned (never mind the myriad injuries and conditions resulting from inactivity)—is composed of soccer, basketball, and football players with knee injuries, none of whom are ever counseled that their chosen activity will "hurt your knees." That advice is always saved for athletes participating in a structured strength program that includes squats.

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"What is Fitness?" explores the aims and objectives of our program. Most of you have a clear understanding of how we implement our program through familiarity with the Workout of the Day (WOD) from our website. What is likely less clear is the rationale behind the WOD or more specifically what motivates the specifics of CrossFit's programming. It is our aim in this issue to offer a model or template for our workout programming in the hope of elaborating on the CrossFit concept and potentially stimulating productive thought on the subject of exercise prescription generally and workout construction specifically.

So what we want to do is bridge the gap between an understanding of our philosophy of fitness and the workouts themselves, that is, how we get from theory to practice.

At first glance the template seems to be offering a routine or regimen. This may seem at odds with our contention that workouts need considerable variance or unpredictability, if not randomness, to best mimic the often unforeseeable challenges that combat, sport, and survival demand and reward. We’ve often said, "What your regimen needs is to not become routine."

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As a CrossFitter you have likely been: fatigued, sore and generally beat up at one time or another, or perhaps continuously! This is a result of training. What will largely determine the results you obtain from training is a multifaceted concept, recovery. Adequate recovery allows for more training and ultimately improved performance. In some respects recovery is the Night to our exercise Day (this analogy will be more true than we can imagine). In exercise we release hormones, mount immune responses, cause inflammation and use things like glycogen and lipids for fuel. Recovery complements this process. Accelerating the things we want and mitigating the less desirable processes will provide more return on our exercise investment.

Much in the spirit of "World Class Performance in 100 Words" recovery comes down to: Eat a Zone favorable or other hormonally intelligent diet with predominantly antioxidant rich "Paleo" foods. Sleep 8–10 hrs per day in a completely dark room. Go to bed as early as possible. Laugh. Avoid excessive stress.

This is admittedly a black box approach to the recovery issue. One need know nothing about why these recommendations will optimize recovery to reap ALL the benefits. Occasionally however understanding some "whys" will improve both implementation and compliance, so let’s look at these topics a bit more closely.

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Retired engineer, scientist, and frequent CrossFit.com rest-day discussion participant Jeff Glassman talks with Tony Budding about argument, logic, science, and his reasons for engaging in the rest-day discussions.

One of the foundations of the scientific method (and other fields based in logic, such as mathematics and law) is precision in language. This is essential; ambiguity and unclear terms muddy the discussion and make rational process impossible. What motivates Jeff is the potential for the quality of discussion that can be created and the influence and reach that sane, logical argument can have—whether you’re making (or evaluating) assertions about politics, or fitness, or any other topic.

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The November 2007 CrossFit Journal issue (#63) is out.

Rob Miller, "Zone on the Rocks: Fueling Performance" – If eating within the parameters of the Zone can be done on a vertical camping trip up the side of a cliff with no cupboard, fridge, or grocery store, than surely it can be done within the convenience of your day-to-day life. Perhaps it could convince you to try it for two weeks.

Becca Borawski, "Jiu-Jitsu Journey: How Valerie Worthington Found CrossFit and Won the Gold Medal" – Becca Borawski chronicles the journey of grappler Valerie Worthington as she traveled across the country in search of jiu-jitsu training, stumbled across CrossFit in Los Angeles, and went on to win gold in her weight class at the 2007 Grappling World Championships in Turkey.

Tony Leyland, "Spine Mechanics for Lifters" – Professor Leyland gets into the nuts and bolts of what happens in the lower spine when you lift weights. A little bit of anatomy, a little bit of the physics of force transmission, and some computer-modeled comparisons of deadlifts done with both extended and flexed lumbar spine add up to a lot of useful information about why form matters.

Mark Rippetoe, "Be Alive. Be Very Alive." – Rip tears into the watered-down version of "wellness" that the Establishment propounds as the standard for fitness and health in the U.S. In a lively discussion of how serious work in the gym carries over into other important parts of life, he argues that " physically—and mentally—difficult tasks are normal and natural to our existence; they have been since the inception; and this is the reason they make us healthier."

Greg Glassman, "Nutrition Lecture: Part 2, Optimizing Performance" (Video Article) – Part 2 of Coach Glassman's discussion of nutrition (with a cameo appearance by badass CrossFitter Eddie Lugo) addresses the refined dietary needs of the athlete and what's required to optimize your performance. If you want elite physical output, you must be precise about your intake: "There's a 1:1 correspondence between elite CrossFit performance and accuracy and precision in your consumption."

Brian MacKenzie, "The New World Order for Endurance Training" – Ultra endurance athlete and trainer Brian MacKenzie talks about his approach to training for long-distance work and how CrossFit changed his approach, improved his performance and health, and altered his coaching protocols.

Tyler Hass, "Training the Front Lever on Rings" – Ring training guy Tyler Hass has written what just may be the best article we've seen on training up to a front lever on the rings, a challenging but attainable goal for many non-gymnasts. He offers a multifaceted approach to building the required strength and technique, giving thorough progressions that rely on leverage, range of motion, and momentum, respectively.

Pat Sherwood, "Beyond the Garage Gym: Starting or Expanding a CrossFit Affiliate" – "It happens to every affiliate after a while: they run out of square footage." It's a good problem, but not always easy to navigate. CrossFit Virginia Beach co-owner Pat Sherwood provides a lot of helpful tips and some personal anecdotes from his own experiences.

Mark Rippetoe, "Back Squat Geometry, Part 1 (Video Article)" – Proper lifting mechanics are about understanding the relevant bits of human skeletal anatomy and principles of force and physics. These are what determine the most efficient, strongest, and mechanically sound body positions for all the lifts and these are what we, as lifters and trainers, need to learn to recognize and analyze. In this video article, he explains the skeletal geometry that is the basis for the back squat.

Jeff Glassman, "Science and the Rest Day Discussions (Video Article)" – Retired engineer, scientist, and frequent CrossFit.com rest-day discussion participant Jeff Glassman talks with Tony Budding about argument, logic, science, and his reasons for engaging in the rest-day discussions.

Michael Rutherford, "Dr. Tabata and the Dumbbell" – Coach Rut offers up his template for a set of Tabata sequences with dumbbells that makes up a very effective CrossFit interval workout.

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A dream gym. That is what Big John McCarthy opened earlier this year in Valencia, CA. Opening a gym had long been a thought in John McCarthy’s mind, and in March of 2006, at the urgings of close friends and his wife, he decided to go for it. Just six months later Big John McCarthy's Ultimate Training Academy opened its doors.

For a mixed martial artist seeking a gym, the Ultimate Training Academy has everything (including new CF affiliate CrossFit Valencia). When McCarthy's wife first discovered the warehouse space it was dirty cobweb-ridden space that had been left vacant for a year and a half. Today the gym is an impressive sight and a veritable martial arts playground.

The facility itself is 14,000 square feet of floor space, with an additional 2,000-square-foot mezzanine overlooking the training area. With thirty foot ceilings, the atmosphere is very open and inviting. A full-sized Octagon and a 24' × 24' Pride-sized ring are the focal points of the gym. These are flanked by a 32' × 16' space holding approximately twenty heavy bags. Beyond this is a 3,100-square-foot mat area. In addition, there are two 400-square-foot matted rooms for private training. A 1,500-square-foot free weight area sits at the back of expansive space below the mezzanine, and yet another area holds stationary bikes and rowing machines.

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The most strident objectors to the kipping pull-up advocated by CrossFit have been the kettlebell swingers. They despise our "sloppy" pullups. Other communities have been confused by kipping but are ultimately receptive to it after an explanation of our reasons. The reaction of the Kettlebell community has been to call us a cult.

I know how much they love swinging kettlebells, so here is my attempt to show that their flavor of Kool-Aid is really not that different from ours. The trajectories of the kettlebell swing, snatch, and clean are eerily similar to the trajectory of a kipping pull-up. Both use horizontal displacement to generate momentum along an arc that ultimately produces vertical displacement. In simpler terms, the backswing adds power to the movement. My grandpa had a good term for this motor recruitment pattern. He called it "the old heaveho."

Dragon Door's brochure claims, "Amazingly, the Russian kettlebell will make you good at many things you have not practiced. Gireviks report on our Strength Forum that they run faster, bend sixty-penny nails, bench or deadlift heavier, etc., just from lifting kettlebells. The only time they see the barbell, a nail, or running shoes is during the test!"

I put emphasis on the heavier deadlifts because it goes to show that the ballistic loading of kettlebell swings can improve your limit strength. If you look at Dragon Door's testimonial page, you will find no less than eight happy customers who report new personal records on the deadlift following a period of nothing but kettlebell work.

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The deadlift is unrivaled in its simplicity and impact while unique in its capacity for increasing head to toe strength.

Regardless of whether your fitness goals are to "rev up" your metabolism, increase strength or lean body mass, decrease body fat, rehabilitate your back, improve athletic performance, or maintain functional independence as a senior, the deadlift is a marked shortcut to that end.

To the detriment of millions, the deadlift is infrequently used and seldom seen either by most of the exercising public and/or, believe it or not, by athletes.

It might be that the deadlift' name has scared away the masses; its older name, "the healthlift," was a better choice for this perfect movement.

In its most advanced application the deadlift is prerequisite to, and a component of, "the world’s fastest lift," the snatch, and "the world’s most powerful lift," the clean; but it is also, quite simply, no more than the safe and sound approach by which any object should be lifted from the ground.

The deadlift, being no more than picking a thing off the ground, keeps company with standing, running, jumping, and throwing for functionality but imparts quick and prominent athletic advantage like no other exercise.

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Although I'm lucky enough to work out primarily with kindred spirits at CrossFit NYC, a few times a week I head around the corner from my apartment to a "commercial" gym. When I do—gasping my way through the WOD—I'm inevitably met with uncomprehending stares, as though an alien had suddenly descended from the sky and plopped itself down in front of the pull-up bar.

But if my ways seem strange to my gymmates, theirs are equally bewildering to me: hours-long sessions spent wandering the floor, punctuated by short sets of preacher curls or goes at the hip-adductor machine. How, I wonder, can people work, day in and day out, so inefficiently? The answer, I recently realized, is practice.

And not just at the gym. Studies show that the average American worker spends ten hours a day at the office, yet, after chatting with colleagues, surfing the web, and strolling to the water cooler, accomplishes just one and a half hours of actual work. In other words, 85 percent of the time most people spend at the office goes completely down the drain.

Like most CrossFit converts, I was initially drawn in by the brutal efficiency of the approach: such little time, such great results.

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In my first installment on parkour, in last month's journal, I recounted a bit of the sport's background, from some of the original concepts of functional fitness that underlie it to the sport/art that was developed by teens in the suburbs outside of Paris and has recently exploded onto the world scene. That being said, any activity is only as good as its actual practice. Talking about parkour is in no way correlative to actually doing it. The same applies to CrossFit in general; rarely will someone garner an accurate view of the program purely through conversation or contemplation rather than action. So let’s get right to the nitty-gritty.

Parkour, first and foremost, is dependent on two things: the environment, which dictates the possibilities for effective movement, and your current level of ability or comfort within that environment. In much the same way that CrossFit scales and modifies techniques from gymnastics and Olympic lifting for new trainees, parkour can be scaled and modified to benefit most any willing population. And the result of an untrained individual getting in over their head in parkour is similar to that of putting a newbie upside-down on a set of rings or in a full overhead squat under a bodyweight load on a bar. (Let’s just say that natural selection can be a beautiful thing.)

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Handstands, hand walking, and pressing to the handstand are critical exercises to developing your athletic potential and essential components to becoming "CrossFit."

Historically, these exercises have been collectively referred to as "hand balancing" and have been an integral part of strength and health culture since antiquity, yet today hand balancing seems to have followed the passenger pigeon to extinction.

Examining the twin questions "what has been lost by this extinction?" and "what does hand balancing offer that makes it essential?" is the aim of this month's Journal. The answers to these questions motivate a challenge for our readers for the New Year.

The quick and obvious analysis as to hand balancing's benefits would include improved balance and increased shoulder strength, and though accurate, ending the analysis here doesn't speak to the singularly unique advantages to this training.

There are countless successful protocols for increasing shoulder strength and balance, but training the handstand and presses to the handstand improves proprioception and core strength in ways that other protocols cannot. Let's examine this claim more closely.

Being upside down exposes the athlete to, what is for many, a brand new world.
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