The Oracle of Apollo Snippets from the life of Apollo Lee

CrossFit Introduction Class

The local CrossFit affiliate advertised a two-day introductory class and I decided at the last minute to take it, just so I could dial in my form on several of the exercises. I’m considering buying a barbell and bumper plates in the near future to increase my mad ridiculous amounts of game, so it would behoove me to have professional form correction before I mess myself up.

In addition to the fee I paid, I had to buy a day pass both days at this particular gym, but I expected that. We started at 8 am on Friday and Saturday, and were all out the door by noon.

On Friday, we went through the push press, shoulder press, push jerk, the jumping and squat stances, overhead squats, and kipping pullups. I’ve been doing CrossFit workouts on my own since the middle of September, so I already knew how to do some of these, but I wanted some tips and really locking my form in. We finished the day with Fran, using dumbbells and rough pullup bar. Sadly, I ripped all the calluses off my left hand in the first round and ripped the rest of them off my right hand on the second. My first group workout and I get a DNF. Soft.

On Saturday, we talked about deadlifts, kettlebell swings, sumo deadlift high pulls, overhead squats (again), cleans, and snatches. The snatch is the most technical Olympic barbell exercise, so we practice the jump and stances and all kinds of things that contribute to successfully executing these lifts and swings. We finished off with “Fight Gone Bad”, which I’ve done before. This time, I didn’t forget one of the rounds, got to row on the Concept 2, and got 237 points. Not bad with ripped up hands.

Five things I learned this weekend:

1. Balance: Lifting your big toe off the floor will force you to keep your weight on your heels, which is essential in any exercise where you’re not moving forward or jumping (like squats, cleans, snatches, kettlebell swings, and so on).
2. Chalk: If you’re going to chalk your hands to use a pullup bar, chalk them. Don’t dust them a little bit. Also, make sure your calluses are flat and trimmed before you do, or you’ll rip the crap out of your hands.
3. Squat form: For squats, your feet should be under your shoulders. Be careful not to go to wide and try to keep your body tight at the bottom. Resist the temptation to relax and sag at the bottom.
4. Athletic Posture: The “athletic” posture (chest up, abs tight, lower back maintaining its curve, lungs full) is essential for the exercises we do in CrossFit. Maintaining this form and doing lifts without slouching or softening the posture will prevent injury and maximize the benefits of the exercise in question.
5. Stick Work: Practicing jumping barbell exercises, like the clean & jerk, push jerk, and snatch (as well as the components – deadlift, overhead squat), with a dowel or broomstick helps lock in the form without worrying about a loaded barbell under a time constraint. It’s best to get it right without worrying about getting tired while you’re practicing your fundamentals.

I need to sign up for some certifications in the near future, I think. But, now I’m confident that I can buy a barbell and 300 pounds of bumpers and safely work out with them. Onward!