Over two years of CrossFit and NO INJURIES!

I wanted to write this article because I have been doing CrossFit for over two years now and have not had any injuries. I have seen the videos, I have read the articles and I know why it happens to people. I would like to share what has worked for me and recommendations I make to people at our gym all the time.

First of all let me give you a little bit of my background and history of injuries.

1997 Compound fracture to my femur doing motocross. 3 months in hospital, 9 surgeries, reconstructed femur with surgical steel, (rods and plates), screws, and having my hips cut open to harvest bone (shave it off) and graft it to my leg with hopes of it re-calcifying. 7 months on crutches, 1 year of rehab and I was told that I would never walk normally again, run, kick a soccer ball and I would have issues for the rest of my life.

Multiple injuries in competitive Kickboxing, BMX biking, and Mountain Biking.

Broken neck & back rock climbing in 2004. I was in severe pain and could not train properly for over 2 years. I had to watch every move I made and would be in tears if I sat more than 10 minutes because of the pain in my back.
Note: Make sure when you go climbing you have a belayer that you trust and is paying attention

The Ironman Triathlon and Long Distance years.... These were all long workouts and the main focus was on endurance and the constant training of swimming, biking, and running. This training left issues with impingement, stress fractures, and constant issues due to training volume to compete in these events.

After doing over two years of crossFit I have not had a single injury that has sidelined me from training and a big part of that is because I know my limitations. I stick to a few key concepts that I employ in my gym and expect all staff and members to do the same.

1. IF IT HURTS DON'T DO IT!

If you don't aren't familiar with the movement or your body has not yet adapted to it because of limitations with mobility or coordination then modify it, use less weight, change it to another exercise that works the same muscle group. If you push through or are stubborn you are asking for trouble.

2. USE LESS WEIGHT & MAKE IT LOOK BEAUTIFUL

Use less weight until you can control the movement and make it look beautiful. Once you can do that then add some weight and challenge yourself but only if it still looks beautiful.

3. PERFECTION TAKES TIME

To perfect a movement it takes time. To perfect a complex movement it takes a hell of a lot of time. This is one reason I get everyone that joins our gym to do a foundations course. They learn most of  the techniques we use in class. I teach people to do the movements the best they can with what their bodies will allow at the time. When people work on mobility and skills to get better and stronger in the movements it will help them to get into better positions then we can step it up.

4. TAKE YOUR TIME

When learning a new skill slow it down. Don't try and learn it in one day or week... Let it happen naturally with consistent exposure to the movement. When I am trying to learn a new complex skill I  practice every two or three days to allow my body time to recover and adapt. Your muscles and connective tissues need time to recover if you are using them in ways that you haven't moved your body and pushing through pain it can lead to injury. Listen to your body. Pain is a point where you have already done damage and its the body's last resort to letting you know that something is wrong.

5. BE PATIENT

There is a lot to learn in CrossFit. You need to be patient and consistent. Most people take years to get out of shape and gain weight. Chances are its going to take a while for people to get back into shape and be able to do some of the things in a typical CrossFit WOD this is why proper progressions are important.

I tell everyone in Foundations (our intro class) not to worry about what everyone else is doing in class and focus on what you are doing and can do. Olympic lifts, gymnastics skills, heavy lifts all take time, concentration, and dedication. If you want to get good at these things its going to take some serious work, commitment, and patience on your part.

6. KNOW WHEN TO HOLD THEM AND KNOW WHEN TO FOLD THEM

It's great having people cheer you on in a workout and tell you to "pick up the bar" but when its unsafe then take those extra seconds until you are good to go again. Safety is always a concern no matter what you do and risk is always there. Biking to work, texting and driving, any type of racing will have risks. You can limit the risks and train and compete smart by working within your means. Know your body and your limits.

7. WHAT ARE YOU TRAINING FOR AND WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO RISK?

I tell athletes at our gym (and I consider everyone and athlete) that you need to know why you are doing this and what your are willing to risk. If you want to do the CrossFit open and be competitive and compete for a spot in regionals then you are willing to push yourself more and sacrifice yourself a little more than the person who trains for fun and because they love it. If regionals is your goal then it will take time to get there. Dont expect it to happen unless you have some solid lifts and form in all areas.

We all have jobs and obligations that we need to be healthy for so I recommend that most people shouldn't bury themselves in a workout so they can't function for days after.

I have known professional athletes and Olympic athletes over the years and they have all had issues and injuries due to the demands of professional sport. They have the best care yet don't get much down time or sympathy when they are injured.

When you are getting paid millions to play in the NFL you can get patched up quickly so that you can get back on the field and fulfill your contract.

I know Olympic athletes that are always broken but if they tell the coach they need some time off then the next person on the team is in line ready to take their spot.

Keep in mind what are you training for and try new things but know your limits.

8. SAY NO TO EGO

I know we have lost some male prospects because some of the girls at the gym lift more than they can and they don't like that. My recommendation is GET OVER IT! I know somewhere a woman out there is kicking my ass in movements that I think I'm doing well in or lifting more than me but its not about what they can do (more power to them). Focus on what you can do and where you want to get to not what everyone else can do and what they are lifting.

9. FIND A GYM AND COACHES THAT UNDERSTAND YOU AND YOUR GOALS

I know there are great gyms out there and great coaches that can help you. I also know there are bad ones out there that can hurt you. Take your time and try some different places out. If you go somewhere that kills you on the first day and gets you doing things with weights that you have never used in movements that you don't yet know then you should probably leave (typically that's not good for business or for new members).

If you find somewhere that will adapt the workout, weight and even the exercises for you then that's a good start.

At a place I used to work at I watched (along with one of my training clients) one of the personal trainers with two degrees and a masters teach a client how to do a Kettlebell swing with a 30lb Kettlebell by almost dragging the bell across the ground and lifting it overhead. It looked nothing like a proper kettlebell swing and the potential for injury was sky high. My client said "my back hurts just watching that". It was a #proudcoach moment because my guy understood what the movement should look like and could tell what you are sacraficing by using improper form (her back in this case).

I also have a client that just joined our gym recently that was training out of a place thats been open and working with professional athletes for over 20 years. They had our client doing an Ab-wheel exercise. Great exercise (see photo below) but the caoch wanted our clients feet on an exercise ball and instead of a wheel they used a barbell with weights on the end to roll out and back. I have used to barbell with knees on a mat but feet on an exercise ball? Our new member rolled out and couldn't maintain position and ripped their rotator cuff off.

I was watching one of our athletes during a workout and he was favouring his shoulder. I approached him and asked what was up. He said he aggrivated it during a competition (not CrossFit) and didn't want me to change the exercise because he didn't want to look like "a weak link". I told him if I feel a little something goin on in an area that we are training I am the first to change the exercise to let that area rest so it's good to go in a couple days.

My point is, question movements if they don't look or feel right or if you are worried that they can cause injury. It's not worth it and your coach should agree.


10. ENJOY THE RIDE

CrossFit has been an awesome experience and I am far from where I want to be with it. I know its going to take more time and patience to get where I want to be with it but I'm willing to put in the time, effort and dedication to a sport/sports that I love (Olympic lifting, Gymnastics, Power Lifting).
I know I'm willing to risk a little more for my goals over the next year but I am not willing to risk injury. I'm getting stronger, fitter, and faster consistently so I know the training is working. I just know its going to take a little longer to get to where I want to be.  

Be patient & persistent, dedicated & focused, determined & humble

Paul Dyck              

Fitness or CrossFit Which workout should I do?

We have had two workout options for some time now "Fitness" & "CrossFit".

Every day there are two options for our workouts. As our members walk through the doors before they even take off their shoes they are looking at the board, trying to see the the demands they will be putting their bodies through that day. Then the question arises... Fitness or CrossFit. Some already have their minds mad up ahead of time and others are on the fence.

My reasoning for having the two options available to people is to give options and opportunities to those who want to train with us and experience Starke for what it is. A program that will help your 10 year old to build great habits and movement patterns, a program that will help people who's lives depend on their level of fitness and physical ability, a program that can help an athlete learn how to be well balanced and find strength in ares that were weak before, a program that can help an 80 year old with limited strength and mobility find ways to do more than they ever thought possible.

I hope this post will help you in making your decision.

First let's tackle "Fitness". Our programming for fitness will help you to develop strength and conditioning, help you to learn new skills, and build confidence in basic strength movements while providing feedback & techniques on becoming more mobile and well rounded athletes. In fitness you will still be performing Barbell Back Squats, Barbell Deadlifts and other movements that you will see in a CrossFit class without the Olympic lifts.

This is where I would recommend people to start if you have no interest in the olympic lifts, are just starting out your training and need to build a good foundation of skills and strength. All of the workouts can be modified to enable anyone to do the workout. I don't expect everyone to be able to do workouts exactly as prescribed. Weight, repetitions, sets, rounds, and the exercise itself can be modified to challenge the individual at their fitness and ability level.

I incorporated the fitness workouts because some people wanting general fitness with a membership that allowed them to come two times a week might show up on days where we were doing Heavy BB Snatches on one day and heavy BB deadlifts on another. I saw this as being an issue for those wanting to break a good sweat and feel like they got what they came for.

CrossFit workouts are a place where you need to put a lot of time into technique, building mobility, and physical ability into many demanding movements including the olympic lifts, gymnastics skills, heavier squats (overhead, front, & back), and many more. It takes people years to develop skills in these movements along with the strength to support these skills. I don't expect people to pick these things up right off the bat. Along with a steep learning curve the body needs time for muscles and connective tissues to adapt to the demands of the different movements especially if you haven't moved your body in these ways ever before.

So far the people who tend to pick up the movements with more ease have been gymnasts, martial artists with experience in patterns and skilled movements requiring them to control their bodies, Yoga practitioners, and dancers. These people tend to have a heightened sense of body awareness, great mobility, and the discipline to take the time to learn how to execute the movements with accuracy. This doesn't mean that the guy sitting behind the desk for the past 20 years with terrible posture and lack of strength and mobility can't do CrossFit. This means its going to take him a bit longer and a LOT more work to get there.

In the end you need to look at the board and think about what your goals are and what workouts are going to get you there. If you dislike the olympic lifts then don't go to our "Weightlifting" classes and stay away from the CrossFit Classes with the lifts in them. If your goal is to do a local CrossFit competition, if you want to do the CrossFit open and fight for a spot to represent at regionals do the CrossFit classes, do the weightlifting classes and know that you will need to spend more time working on your weaknesses outside of class times to make you more well rounded.

I have stood next to the board with people saying "I don't know which one to pick, they both look so good" and "I suck at overhead barbell squats so i'm going to do that one".

We are going to offer you a challenge no matter what, but keep in mind you only get better when you attack your weaknesses.


Paul

Hey everyone, 

Here is a video on some core training techniques that help with spine stabilization in different positions. 

When I say "Core" I am referring to all the muscles that support your spine not just the ones that look sexy with your shirt off.

There are lots of different ways to train the core but here are some suggestions for a circuit if you have no equipment and want to challenge those muscles who have a very important job supporting the spine.

If you want a great challenge link these movements together and come up with some different ones for minutes at a time. Its amazing how hard it gets the longer you can hold it for.

Have fun and KEEP IT TIGHT! 

Core Training Vid