If You Build It …

Jason Khalipa can overhead squat close to 300 lb., and that number would undoubtedly be higher if he could get into a more efficient position.

Working with the 2008 CrossFit Games champ at San Francisco CrossFit, owner Kelly Starrett puts Khalipa through a series of squats that highlight very tight musculature. As a result, Khalipa has to work tremendously hard to keep his knees from rolling in and his torso upright, and his limited… Continue Reading

In the late ’50s and ’60s, future Olympic legends Mark Spitz and Debbie Meyer were knifing through the pool at the Arden Hills Swim Club. In total, Arden his has produced 31 Olympic medals, 21 of them gold. Today, prospective Olympians and top swimmers are doing the same thing—but now they’re using CrossFit too.

The mission of the Arden Hills USA Swim Team is to help athletes reach their full potential and follow… Continue Reading

How many of us let golden opportunities slip away every single day?

For a long time, Zach Even-Esh did the same thing: he sat on his hands instead of reaching for the brass ring. At FilFest 2010, the colorful character from Dirty Jersey shared the story of how he learned that you have to go out and be aggressive and take chances—and yes, the story is about a girl.

Even-Esh learned from his experiences and committed himself to… Continue Reading

Dan Williams proposes CrossFit athletes are only as strong as their weakest links and suggests a way to train these weaknesses to produce better all-around athletes.

The essence of CrossFit lies in its ability to define the previously undefined. Pioneering definitions have been created for such concepts as fitness, health and work capacity. Let’s consider CrossFit as an adjective rather than a noun. I am CrossFit, as… Continue Reading

Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell broke his back twice, and while he was recovering from the first incident in ’73, he invented the reverse hyper.

According to Simmons, the patented machine builds strength and range of motion at the same time, and he believes it has restorative qualities that will do wonders for back problems. The reverse hyper creates traction, opens up the discs and rotates the sacrum, and athletes such as… Continue Reading

Lt. Jason Fernandez believes it’s time for members of the military to rethink their definitions of quality of life to include things that really matter—like fitness and health.

What is quality of life?

Ask the average CrossFitter, and you’ll probably hear something about being able to walk up the stairs, play with your grandchildren or get off the toilet at the age of 75. Now ask the same question… Continue Reading

Interestingly, drinking the beer inside the keg might make you better at lifting it with a continental clean.

Speaking to a group of athletes assembled for the Jan. 16 Hybrid Winter Challenge at Hybrid Athletics, Rob Orlando explains that a big belly can be beneficial when performing a continental clean. Unlike the regular clean that’s one swift movement off the floor, the continental clean is… Continue Reading

Elite athletes such as world-class on-water rower Erin Cafaro don’t have a lot of trouble learning new athletic techniques, but it still helps when the inventor is doing the instruction.

In Part 2 of this series, Pose Method creator Dr. Nicholas Romanov teaches Cafaro about pulling her foot off the ground to create an efficient stride.

According to Romanov, the pull is a combination of hip and knee flexion, and the height of… Continue Reading

Tom Seryak is an affiliate owner who used Westside methods for a period before he started CrossFit. He has done both separately but has now combined them for over a year. He offers strategies for trainers looking for ways to integrate the two programs.

For CrossFitters who are intrigued by the methods used at Westside Barbell, the pertinent question to ask is, “How do I incorporate them into my CrossFit training?”

No one solution will fit everyone’s… Continue Reading

Jon Bik considers himself lucky that he only lost his leg after a 40-foot fall off a power pole. Landing on his feet might have saved his life, and with the use of a prosthetic limb, Jon remains active and fit.

While training at CrossFit East Sacramento, Jon talks about his injury and the rehab he had to go through, then he works on the push press.

Jon’s a strong… Continue Reading

Finding a balance between technique and intensity is one of the things that separates good trainers from great trainers, and it’s one of the keys to getting optimal results from the CrossFit program.

According to Greg Glassman, “control” is just another thing that can be stressed to produce favorable adaptations, just like your cardiorespiratory system must be stressed to produce greater endurance. The ability to maintain greater control at… Continue Reading

Jason Khalipa may not be working at his full capacity—and how scary is that?

The 2008 CrossFit Games champ clearly has the capacity to do a lot work very quickly, and he’s incredibly strong. He’s also very inflexible, and how much better would his performance be if he could achieve more favorable starting positions and didn’t have to waste energy working against tight muscles?

On the table at San Francisco CrossFit, Khalipa is evaluated by… Continue Reading

Bend 20 nails for time?

Matt Hathcock’s CrossFit Unbroken is one of a number of affiliates that embraces strongman movements and a few other things you might not see on CrossFit.com. Given that the athletes can’t really run outside in the dark, icy conditions created by a Colorado winter, they had to find something else to play with, so they got creative.

Hathcock uses the main site for programming inspiration but makes substitutions as… Continue Reading

Florida Marlins strength and conditioning coach Paul Fournier brings CrossFit to Major League Baseball players.

CrossFit’s three fitness standards provide general physical preparedness for everyday athletes, but they also prepare professional baseball players for the demands of their sport.

We can all see how the 10 physical skills apply. In short, the list comprises everything athletic. In a highly skilled sport such as baseball, not all are athletes, but the… Continue Reading

The individual PDF articles published in February 2010 are collected here in a single download.

The video and audio articles are not contained in the PDF.

The articles included here are:

Cole - Exporting CrossFit: Chris Spealler in India
Hollinger - The Missing Barbell Link?
Egyed, O’Malley - Second Chances—CrossFit Works, Part 2
Hatchett - CrossFit Goes to College
Barlow, Cascella - Fitness for the Force
Ord - From Athlete to Coach
Ames - Get With the Program
Morrison… Continue Reading

The trainers have arrived at Ute CrossFit, the athletes have been introduced, and the workout has been announced. In this second installation of the SLC Ding series, it’s time for some workout preparation and planning.

A proper warm-up can prepare an athlete for success and safety within a workout, and it’s also a time to work on technique. By observing the warm-up, the trainer has a moment to assess scaling… Continue Reading

Rowing is a movement where you can just set the damper to 10 and pull like hell, and some athletes use that strategy to post staggeringly fast times. But to really compete as a rower, you need to refine your movement so you can employ the most efficient technique and produce the best times.

Before competing in the Crash B World Indoor Rowing Championships in Boston, Mass., on Feb. 14, 2010, Tanya Wagner and Tommy… Continue Reading

Ignorant people often blame their mistakes on a fitness program rather than their own misuse of that program. Maj. Dan Blackmon, U.S. Army, believes athletes need to get educated to take responsibility for their health, safety and fitness.

One of the most common misconceptions among military/LEO folks is that CrossFit is dangerous.

I’m a major in the United States Army and a trainer at Black and Gold CrossFit at the U.S. Military Academy at West… Continue Reading

Imagine finishing a prolonged run, retiring for the evening and feeling nothing but enjoyment—no injuries, no pain. This is what Pose Method creator Dr. Nicholas Romanov hopes for his athletes.

Erin Cafaro is one of the world’s best on-water rowers. In a private session at the University of San Diego, Dr. Romanov teaches her how to run by practicing correct posing and working with nature and gravity. Movement is the alternation… Continue Reading

At 28 miles, the Quad Dipsea ultra-marathon is only a little longer than a standard marathon. Then again, most marathons don’t include grueling terrain and over 18,000 feet in elevation change. What better challenge for Team Un-Scared?

Started by Kelly Starrett and the gang at San Francisco CrossFit, Team Un-Scared is for athletes who trust their CrossFit training and boldly register for events in which they have no… Continue Reading