In Part 5 of this discussion, elite coaches Greg Glassman, Louie Simmons and Dr. Nicholas Romanov discuss some key physiological aspects of training, including oxygen uptake.

Coach Glassman notes that CrossFitters have done extremely well in firefighter challenge competitions but have also used less oxygen than other competitors, according to measurements taken after the event. That’s an interesting fact and provides the basis for a discussion about the links between… Continue Reading

Elite coaches have unbelievable stores of knowledge, and with that knowledge come great stories. In this informal continuation of the Violent Agreement series, Greg Glassman, Louie Simmons and Dr. Nicholas Romanov trade stories and ideas about training and general physical preparedness.

“Even a marathon runner has to sometimes sprint to the finish line,” Simmons maintains, while Romanov explains that the end of a marathon is characterized by runners who are… Continue Reading

It takes a lot of highly skilled trainers to lead the large number of CrossFit certifications throughout the year, and it’s rare to find most of CrossFit HQ cert staff in one place at one time. Most trainers live in different areas and regularly travel all over North America and the world.

The recent Trainers Summit at the University of San Diego gave many of the cert staff members a chance to come together and swap stories, learn from… Continue Reading

In Part 3 of this series, legendary runner Roger Bannister is one of the subjects of discussion by powerlifting coach Louie Simmons, Pose Method inventor Dr. Nicholas Romanov and CrossFit founder and CEO Greg Glassman.

Bannister is noteworthy for being the first man to run a mile under four minutes but also as an example of what inspiration can do. Bannister’s four-minute mile was hailed as one of the great sporting feats of the ’50s… Continue Reading

East meets West once again in Part 2 of this discussion moderated by Greg Glassman as Pose Method creator Dr. Nicholas Romanov and Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell discuss the finer points of training.

Romanov is a Russian, while Simmons has long been using Russian research, so the two are speaking the same language even though one is looking to produce top runners and the other is working to train powerlifters to squat over 1,000 lb.

The… Continue Reading

CrossFit is about bringing the best aspects of fitness together to create elite athletic performance, and this clip filmed at the recent CrossFit Certification Trainers Summit is an impressive representation of that mission.

Flanked by legendary powerlifting coach Louie Simmons and Pose Method inventor Dr. Nicholas Romanov, CrossFit founder and CEO Greg Glassman facilitates a discussion on running by three giants of the fitness world.

“We’re on the cusp of a violent… Continue Reading

In Pose running, it isn’t enough to just hit the “pose.” You actually have to fall in the pose. Fine-tuning the stride of elite on-water rower Erin Cafaro, Dr. Nicholas Romanov explains that athletes often position their body properly but then move incorrectly and kill their momentum.

The correct pose finds the body looking a little like the number “4,” and proper Pose technique dictates you fall in that position before pulling your… 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

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… Continue Reading

As with any CrossFit movement, technical proficiency can be the catalyst for more productive, more efficient application of force in your training and competition.

Dr. Nicholas Romanov, inventor of the Pose Method for running, bases his training on the simple concept that gravity can be your friend. Gravity is a constant force, and the best runners don’t fight it but rather position their bodies so gravity can do some of the… Continue Reading

“We are looking for body weight as a horizontal propulsive force,” says Dr. Nicholas Romanov, inventor of the Pose Method.

According to Dr. Romanov, one of the keys to his innovative running technique is applying your mass to the point of support to create efficient horizontal movement. In this special CrossFit presentation, the two-time Olympic coach leads athletes through several drills designed to help them understand how to… Continue Reading

If you’re serious about CrossFit, you’re going to find yourself running up or down a hill at some point—perhaps at the CrossFit Games in Aromas, Calif. But how do you scale a hill quickly and efficiently?

According to Dr. Nicholas Romanov, inventor of the Pose Method, you only think about two things: falling and pulling. Stride length is completely irrelevant on a hill, and Dr. Romanov recommends athletes use his techniques to “fall… Continue Reading

CrossFitters know all about gravity: it’s the unrelenting force that sometimes keeps a PR deadlift glued to the floor. But according to Dr. Nicholas Romanov, gravity can also make you a better runner.

Dr. Romanov, a two-time Olympic coach, invented the Pose Method in the 1970s as a way to improve efficiency by letting gravity do some of the work usually done by muscles. For an untrained observer, it can be hard to tell Pose… Continue Reading

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Updated daily, the CrossFit Journal is a multimedia fitness encyclopedia that can help you improve your performance as an athlete or trainer.

Watch instructional videos featuring CrossFit founder Coach Greg Glassman, Mike Burgener, Louie Simmons, Dr. Nicholas Romanov and other top… Continue Reading

What is the definition of good running technique? There isn;t one. But why? These are questions that Pose running's founder Dr. Nicholas Romanov has asked since 1979 and that I've been asking, well, since "shin splints" entered my personal lexicon. So what is good running style then?

There are laws that govern us all and there is no changing the way gravity affects us. In every sport… Continue Reading