At the Chalkboard: Perfect Technique

"Given that sports such as basketball, hockey and soccer have far higher injury rates, it really makes no sense to overemphasize the so-called dangers of weight training."

With all due respect, the reason is that in the weight room the loads and when the loads occur are all (hopefully) planned in some way, which implies being cautious and in control of the situation, and therefore injuries are avoidable. With a defensive line rushing at you, or someone using kicks and punches against you, or some actual sport with contact, you don't have those luxuries and injuries are much more expected and acceptable.

Justin

Justin, you are right in that in sports/life there are many unplanned things that could cause injury. The same is true for the weight room as well. Even with meticulous planning and training, underlying conditions that trainers and athletes can't see and can't know could cause injuries to happen. What if there was the beginnings of a stress fracture that the athlete thought was just an achy spot or a bruise? What if there is some physical anomoly in th bone structure that can't be seen without x-Ray or MRI?

Yes, we can plan better in the weight room, but that doesn't mean that injuries don't happen. Weight room injuries are far too greatly hyped when they do happen.

"What if there was the beginnings of a stress fracture that the athlete thought was just an achy spot or a bruise? What if there is some physical anomoly in th bone structure that can't be seen without x-Ray or MRI?

Right, could happen. Those underlying conditions are things could also happen outside the weight room.

Justin

This is an interesting subject, especially since Crossfit blurs the line between training and sport. Traditionally, we train to prepare for sport. The absolute worst thing a trainer can do is hurt his/her athlete before the game with a training accident. Of course, Crossfit is different, is it more acceptable to have training injuries occur if training is also practice for your sport? I know Crossfit has gotten a bit of a rep as being "unsafe" from various sources (mostly uninformed online sources... wait, that's redundant) and I would agree that in Crossfit you probably do get a higher injury rate than in conventional training. The flip side is that you get more out of Crossfit than traditional training. Risk vs. reward. As a strength coach for a highly ranked D1 men's rugby team I love Crossfit and there is a certain amount of risk I'm willing to take, but there is also a limit. As a coach it's up to me to get their form to a point where they will make gains without injuring themselves. Additionally, there are some movements I deem too risky to be beneficial to the program; even if my guys have great form, a slight slip on a high box jump can turn an ankle badly and put a guy out for 6 weeks. On the other hand, I have terribly inflexible guys who look like a club footed T-Rex doing front squats but I'm happy to let them go all day long because the risk to reward ratio is tilted heavily in my favor and it's pretty tough to overload an inflexible front squat!

"Of course, Crossfit is different, is it more acceptable to have training injuries occur if training is also practice for your sport?"

If the injuries occur due to something inherent in the CrossFit program, then no, because 99% of those participating in said program don't compete, and therefore don't practice the sport of CrossFit. Instead, they presumably use CrossFit to prepare for sport/mission/life, and the considerations Jesse lists later come into the conversation.

It seems to me more injuries come from not scaling properly or lifting on overused or really sore muscles, especially the lower back, i've seen just as many injuries when using really good form, just going to heavy/hard on over fatigued muscles. It can take a while for a lot of people to get to the fitness level to follow the 3 on 1 off schedule, so i think that's where good coaching comes in, knowing who you're training and scaling properly, watching for over fatigue. So while agree that the goal is to have good form on everything, it is over hyped when compaired to other factors.

The answer to the question is that I would strive as a trainer to have all my athleates have perfect form. Is that possible all the time when they start to fatigue, no. I have come back from a serious injury myself and do not wish that on any one ever. Injury has to be the worst thing ever even if it occurs durning sport and it is unplanned. arWhen you are at Crossfit we should make sure that we are watching our athletes as close as possible so that we can catch someone when they are engaging in bad form and help correct them and also prevent an injury. I fell very serious about the sport of Crossfit and don't think that it makes a bid difference if you get a spectacular WOD time if you end up getting enjured and are on your back for 6 months. Scaling properly is important and listening to our athletes when they need us. I love Crossfit and feel very passionate about training but, if we train our athletes to have good form we hope that even when they fatigue their form stays strong and prevents them from hurting themselves. It's also up to us to catch them when they start to have bad form and correct it. Peace out.

I agree. Scaling and self-awareness are key.
If you have a sore back, and the WOD is deadlife 1RM. You might want to re-think it.
Know yourself, know your limits, and know your body most importantly. Our limits can be tested by pushing ourselves, but pushing ourselves to injury does nothing for us!
Great vid Coach!

"...but would you insist that a young athlete have perfect shooting or running technique before stepping on a basketball court, where he is more likely to be injured?"

This makes no sense whatsoever. Basketball players don't get hurt while shooting the ball or running down the court. They get hurt when they dive for loose balls and collide with another player. They get hurt when they come down from a rebound and land on somebody's foot and roll their ankle. The liklihood of a basketball player getting hurt while shooting a free throw or just running down the court are about as high as a crossfitter tripping over a kettlebell and breaking their wrist...both are freak accidents and have very little to do with the sport of basketball or crossfit.

And yet there are many basketball players who hurt themselves repeatedly in the same fashion in those 'freak' accidents. Why don't basketball coaches teach their players how to fall better and safer? I teach my wrestlers how to fall safely. Basketball players are constantly tripping, falling, or getting knocked over. It's part of the game. Yet they don't seem to fall too well. But does anyone tell them that they are probably goof to fall, jam a finger, or twist an ankle? No, since basketball is 'safe'. Despite the injury rate in bball, lifting weights is 'sooo much more dangerous and unsafe'. I hear this all the time at my school.

The ironic part? The kids who don't train with me get hurt during the season. The kids who do train with me don't.

"There’s nothing done in a weight room anywhere that approximates the injuries in basketball. It just doesn’t happen"

Two different sports, different types of injuries is what you'll see. You will see some common injuries between the two.

"Perfect technique is to be strived for to be sure, but would you insist that a young athlete have perfect shooting or running technique before stepping on a basketball court, where he is more likely to be injured?"

Before they stepped on to compete? No I wouldn't unless I thought their imperfect form was so bad that it would cause injuries. I would keep the focus on doing the basics right, and keep focusing on those over and over until it was second nature for them. Just speaking as someone that has coached youth basketball (grades 4-6) in the past.

You are doing some apple to oranges comparisons here too. Someone with a not perfect shooting form is not very likely to hurt themselves. Someone with not perfect lifting technique is increasing their risk of injury. When it comes to lifting I'm one that thinks proper technique should be focused on at all times to decrease the chance of injuries. When a coach sees the form break down, especially with heavier weights, then it is time to step in and say "stop".

I think that what Justin said proves the point of this video or series even more.

"With all due respect, the reason is that in the weight room the loads and when the loads occur are all (hopefully) planned in some way, which implies being cautious and in control of the situation, and therefore injuries are avoidable. With a defensive line rushing at you, or someone using kicks and punches against you, or some actual sport with contact, you don't have those luxuries and injuries are much more expected and acceptable."

Isn't what you just said there, or the preparedness that it entails basically just training? Being ready for it all? Shouldn't your sport specific practice sessions (equivalent to working out in the weight room or with your Crossfit affiliate, w/e) be preparing you for the sport specific situations that you come across? If it is true, and practice really does make perfect, then all injuries should only be freak ones, because you have prepared.

Crossfit is all about breaking down barriers, whether that be mentally or via another 25 pounds on your CF Total. Neither of these accomplishments come without a price in the form of stress on the body. I'm 27 years old and if I should spend the next 80 years of my life performing crossfit without an injury than I havent worked hard enough.

Adam,

The "freak accidents" I mentioned were getting hurt while shooting a free throw or running down the court. You say "there are many B-ball players who hurt themselves repeatedly in the same fashion in those 'freak' accidents". You really think there are a lot of B-ball players who hurt themselves while shooting free throws or jogging down the court? Please explain.

Although it's important to understand the concept of proprioception during these movements, the issue to me is with coaching quality. It's impossible to have perfect form on any WoD, which is what is great about the body's ability to proprioceptively react to facilitate a movement. However, a quality coach should be able to effectively turn everything on in his/her clients' bodies, so that they're prepared for any movement thrown their way. This does include skill work and refining technique.

I think there are too many coaches out there who over-emphasize intensity and not enough technique (this is one reason why Dynamax inc. is reluctant to sell their 20lb med balls to some affiliates). There are also coaches out there who pay way too much attention to form and technique. With that said, it's important to strive for a balance in the system. CrossFit's success lies within its ability to produce intense workouts, but we have to balance it with a higher quality approach.

Coach, great comment on the "heart of retention". Such a huge piece of the puzzle in coaching and meeting people where they are. Plus, I dig the XTR Blur in the background!

I'm not sure you can take this video and apply it in a vacuum as some comments have. It seems to be a response to background noise posted on various boards, youtube clips, and others. From that perspective I think that everything Coach says in the clip is 100% accurate.

It seems as though, in a point to be relevant, those critics are trying to apply their goals or standards to CrossFit movements. I think an Oly weightlifting coach picking on flaws of a 1RM C&J attempt video might have more merit than if the same coach pointed out problems with Grace. That's not to say that the athlete might not have the exact same flaw to be pointed out but that the destination of Grace versus a 1RM C&J are different. I think, in that context, the free throw shooting analogy makes perfect sense.

Besides, the point of a critique should be to create a more favorable result in the person or action you are critiquing. I will definitely take notes from any coach that has a sub 2 minute Grace with perfect form.

That's funny. I had to re-watch the video because I spent the first few minutes staring at (lusting after) the bike.

Shane

The comparison between basketball and weight lifting only makes sense if you're just talking about people's perception of "safe" and "dangerous". The majority of injuries in basketball are due, at least in part, to circumstances outside the athlete's control, i.e. the other team, the defender, other teamates. If you're coming down from a rebound and a defender is standing below you, you land on him and break an ankle, thats a variable not in your control, the only comparable thing in the weight room would be if you're lifting intensly and there's someone there who trying to stop you from lifting intensly, so I personally don't think you can compare injuries from playing basketball to weight lifting, talking about the injuries themselves.

But it seemed like the point was that people percieve something like basketball to be "safe" and weight lifting to not be "safe", which is rediculous. The fact that there are more variables outside the athlete's control in getting injured while competing in something like basketball to me makes it even more "dangerous" than weight lifting in comparison. The weight room is a much more controled environment than any team sport or a sport against a defender.

The reason weight training injuries are looked at as worse than say any non-weightlifting sport injuries is because weight training is supposed to make you more resistant to injury by strengthening the body. If the goal from weight training is to get stronger, fitter, more prepared, or whatever then injuring yourself is a setback and is unacceptable. But if the goal is to compete in weightlifting activities (fastest Fran time) then injuries are going to be an acceptable part of that competition.

Injuries during training = unacceptable

Injuries during competition = unfortunate event but acceptable

If you are injuring yourself while training in a controlled environment then something is wrong and needs to be fixed. If you are trying to out squat the guy in the next power rack and pushing yourself beyond your abilities, then you knew the risks and accepted that you might injure yourself.

Everybody seems to be missing the point other than Tony Budding and Chris Spealler,

Everyone is trying to analyze apples and oranges but what it comes down to is ..... "clients enjoyment, is the heart of retention".

Yes technique is key but if someone keeps trying to constantly drill the client and thats as far as their flexibility or fitness is going to take them the client is going to end up with a complex and will end up injuring themselves and will be too scared to push it the next time and eventually you will lose the client.

great video learned allot from everyones comments.

the point is not that poor, dangerous form is okay, or that getting injured while weightlifting is more or less acceptable than getting injured while playing a sport.

the point is that there is a huge discrepancy between perception and reality regarding injury and exercise.

the risk of injury while weightlifting is perceived to be enormous, and in fact irresponsible, and the injuries themselves quite horrifying. this, while at the same time, the risk of injury while playing sports is perceived as fairly low, or unavoidable, and the injuries themselves fairly minor, making that risk worthwhile because of the upside of sport.

actually, though, the rate of injury during exercise is extraordinarily low in comparison to every common sport. the number of knee injuries incurred each year during basketball, volleyball, football and soccer is enormous; the number of broken bones incurred each year during soccer and football is enormous; the number of shoulder injuries incurred each year during baseball is enormous; the number of concussions and spinal injuries that are incurred each year during football is enormous, etc. the number of such injuries incurred each year during weightlifting, in comparison, is practically infitesimal. strangely, though, there isn't nearly the level of fear and loathing associated with those sports as there is with weightlifting.

further, this dearth of serious injuries exists despite the fact that few people who practice weightlifting exhibit perfect form every time, and that many of them exhibit rather poor form frequently. what is amazing is that our bodies are resilient enough to somehow manage to avoid injury, even if our form is poor (within a certain range, obviously) and even if our loads are inappropriate (also, obviously, within a range).

i believe this is the greater context of coach's comments and the gist of his conclusion.