CrossFit - The Art of Specializing in "Not Specializing"

(video courtesy of CrossFit Los Gatos)

The body is asymmetrical.  We are not balanced but the body is highly adaptive and self organizing.  The longer an athlete participates in a particular sport, especially if one side is dominant, the higher the likelihood of adaptive postural response present on that person.  Some responses become postural dysfunctions and distinct muscular imbalances over time.  This is quite evident with the hypertrophy in the forearm of a professional tennis player.

CrossFit makes the athlete specialize in "not specializing".  We work towards the adherence of "core-to-extremity" recruitment in our movements.  We demand working both sides of our body in equal loads and distance.  Our workouts are very hard, highly intense, and require mental and physical fortitude but our program includes exercise progressions.  Our newbies are scaled until we see that they have clearly adapted to our type of training and are generally consistent with the movements, as functional as they are.  We believe that a well rounded training program emphasizes training the whole kinetic chain.  This will allow the body to achieve it's optimum performance level under repetitive stress, considering that the athlete has ample rest, recovery and proper nutrition.  - G

Posing with one of CrossFit's Pioneer Rockstars, Nicole Carroll (seated), at the annual Affiliate Gathering (FilFest 2010) in South Miami Beach, Florida, this month.

(video courtesy of CrossFit Los Gatos)

The body is asymmetrical.  We are not balanced but the body is highly adaptive and self organizing.  The longer an athlete participates in a particular sport, especially if one side is dominant, the higher the likelihood of adaptive postural response present on that person.  Some responses become postural dysfunctions and distinct muscular imbalances over time.  This is quite evident with the hypertrophy in the forearm of a professional tennis player.

CrossFit makes the athlete specialize in "not specializing".  We work towards the adherence of "core-to-extremity" recruitment in our movements.  We demand working both sides of our body in equal loads and distance.  Our workouts are very hard, highly intense, and require mental and physical fortitude but our program includes exercise progressions.  Our newbies are scaled until we see that they have clearly adapted to our type of training and are generally consistent with the movements, as functional as they are.  We believe that a well rounded training program emphasizes training the whole kinetic chain.  This will allow the body to achieve it's optimum performance level under repetitive stress, considering that the athlete has ample rest, recovery and proper nutrition.  - G

Posing with one of CrossFit's Pioneer Rockstars, Nicole Carroll (seated), at the annual Affiliate Gathering (FilFest 2010) in South Miami Beach, Florida, this month.

Comments

[todd]

good working out with Ian, Ray and Jason this fine morning.

1-10-1-20-1-30 Bench
205-185-225-155-235PR)-135(29)

Make-shift Leapin Leprechaun WOD. Thanks, Jim.
3 rounds
5 PS @ 95#
5 Burpee BJ @ 37"

Good article, Grace!
3:28

[Andrew J.]

More baselines:

Shoulder Press (3 rep max) 45-45-65-75 [failed @ 80# twice]
Static Hang 2:34
500m Row 1:48.4

Jim, thanks for suggesting baselining the static hang and row!

[BB2]

Good work at open gym today! Beautiful morning for CrossFit!

[Famelicious]

Proper nutrition is what gets me.Why is it so hard for me to eat right?? Too many temptations around me,,yah that's right I blame that!! Kidding aside, i love the writing Grace..Thanks!!

[ray]

1-10-1-20-1-30 Bench
205-175-210-155(19)-215*-125(27)

strong work this morning ian and todd.

nice post G!