How to make your CrossFit Journey Successful By Kevin Friesen, BMR PT

How to make your CrossFit Journey Successful

By Kevin Friesen, BMR PT

In December of 2013, I started working at Starke Strength and Conditioning. Starke remains the only facility in Winnipeg providing CrossFit and Physiotherapy services under the same roof.  I have experience working in different clinics across the city, while treating a wide variety of patients; I have noticed some trends among clients of all ages and abilities.

1

.          Most orthopedic injuries are preventable

.          Individuals often lack an understanding of simple mechanics.

Here are a few things that you can do as an athlete that can help make your CrossFit or fitness Journey more successful and decrease your risk of injury.

1.   Proper warm up

Proper dynamic warm up prior to your workout prevents injuries. A complete dynamic warm up consists of 3 parts.

1. Running exercises at a slow speed combined with active stretching

2. Strength/plyometrics/agility exercises

3. Running exercises at a moderate/high speed.

A study out of The British Medical Journal in 2008 noted that with proper dynamic warm up, athletes had 37% fewer training injuries.

2.   Mobility work

Stretch and use self-myofascial release techniques such as rolling, to help with imbalances. Find the areas that are problematic for you and work on them for a minimum of 90 seconds each. If you have pain in an area it is almost certain that you will have an obvious restriction in the joints and or the tissues in the site above and below the problem area. Releasing these tight areas takes pressure off the injured site and can help increase range of motion and decrease pain. For optimal results, stretch the tissue that you just rolled out, holding for at least 60 seconds.

3.   Perfect technique before increasing load

I believe any exercise is a good exercise as long as it’s safe and it does not put undue stress on joints and soft tissue. Therefor it is important to have good technique for all exercises, whether it is as simple as an air squat or as complicated as the snatch.

One always needs to be aware of their mechanics; you are not ready for an increase in load until you can demonstrate proper consistent mechanics at the current load. At Starke the 4-week foundations program does an excellent job of teaching this, however you need to be focused on mechanics for much longer. Doing this will allow you to hit your goals in a safe and injury free manner. You need to think long term.  Do not sacrifice long-term gain for short-term satisfaction as this can often lead to injury.

4.   Rest/sleep

It’s important to have rest days throughout your week. You need to make sure you are fresh and prepared to attack each workout. Rest is an important component of training and can prevent over-use injuries. Sleep is another important component of training. Most people do not get 8 hours of sleep per night. We all find ourselves watching TV or spending time at the computer at times where we know we should be in bed. Give your body the time to recover and get more sleep. This will increase your quality of life, as well as your workouts.

By following these basic principles, you will notice changes in your performance and you are sure to have a successful CrossFit and fitness experience.