Some of the top CrossFit athletes display amazing levels of abdominal training and core strength. When you get an opportunity to watch CrossFit games, you will undoubtedly see some of the most impressive midsections in the industry. If you have been wondering what you can do to achieve such a midline, the secret lies in the abdominal journey which starts from the toes to bar. Core training has numerous benefits such as spinal stability and enhancing overall strength in squat, deadlift, and press movements. The following are some of the benefits of toes to bar that you can’t afford to miss out on. Enhanced Muscular Demands The toes to bar movement involve lifting from a slightly hyper-extended position with your shoulders and hips opening to a fully contracted position at the very top. To execute the full range of motion, you need greater amounts of muscle strength, coordination, and control. The kip adds a component of speed and momentum which result in high energy expenditure during the eccentric portion of the CrossFit workout. Also, the lifter is required to load greater amounts of body mass which ultimately leads to hypertrophy and excellent results. Improvement of Shoulder, Grip, and Back Strength Hanging from a barbell while your body is in a dynamic motion is a crucial skill. It requires an excellent range of motion from your shoulder capsule as well as stability and control in your scapular regions and upper back as explained in CrossFit Workout session. Also, you need high amounts of grip and arm strength to control and support yourself during the longer sets. The toes to bar challenge most of your supportive muscles located in the upper body and hips which enhances the overall performance and strength. When you increase the supporting muscles of your body which assist in the toes to bar movement, you can then target a much larger chunk of muscle mass in the hip flexors, serratus, upper and lower abs, as well as obliques. Efficient Sit-Ups The toes to bar movement unlike other CrossFit gym exercises don’t require as many repetitions to be done yet it gives you the same benefit as that you will get in doing endless sit-ups and crunches. This means you will spend less time training your core while you achieve greater results. Through the enhancement of muscular demands and complexities of core training, you can up the effectiveness and efficiency of your training to optimize on results.

CrossFit training is a lifestyle and practically a never-ending journey. When you begin, you put goals which you want to achieve, but the moment you attain them, you quickly set others for the future. There is always more that awaits to be moved and more reps to be hit. Because fitness in itself is a journey, there are best chances you may get ensnared in several pitfalls as you strive for the top. Below is a discussion of some of these pitfalls and how you can avoid them. Shifting from One Program to Another There is a tendency for athletes to jump from program to program in search of new challenges and to satisfy new goals. Conventional wisdom dictates that if you are getting positive results in a certain program, there is no need to change unless you have a real reason for doing so. There are lots of programs such as gymnastics programs, squat programs, running programs, and lifting programs you can freely choose to follow in the open gym hours and do a CrossFit workout. However, what will make you not to be distracted is your personal discipline. The golden rule is, if it does not break, don’t fix it. Follow the program you started with to the very end before moving to a new objective and a new program. Poor Goal Setting The SMART principle of goal setting applies not just in other spheres of life, but also in CrossFit. If one of these elements is missing, then you will struggle to achieve your goals. For instance, your goal should be time bound else there won’t be a sense of urgency to attain it. Even the CrossFit workout movements which seem complex, they also require deadlines. The best indication for well-set goals is those that make you excited and motivated to train daily. Ignoring Your Limiting Factors The definition of fitness in CrossFit revolves around increasing work capacity across modal domains and broad time. The main goal here is to become balanced across the board. CrossFit enables you to move heavyweight rather quickly, lightweight for longer periods and gives you capacity to run for long distances as well as become a good sprinter. The idea of becoming proficient in one area at the expense of inefficiency in another is highly discouraged in this sport. Even if a certain movement gives you problems to execute, you should never ignore it because that is your limiting factor and you must face it head-on. Copying Elite Athletes Online People will always post videos boasting of some ridiculous feats. Some may post doing muscle ups with a med ball and weight vest while others may boast having completed some insane rounds of a monster workout. Whichever the case, you must appreciate one thing that their experience is different from yours and their programs are tailored to meet their needs. Stick to your program because it is suited for you and will help you achieve your goals. Above all, one of the unforgivable pitfalls is to ignore the intangibles which include active recovery, rest, mobility, and CrossFit diet. If you do so, you are undermining your CrossFit workout performance big time.

Are you the kind of athlete who is serious about what goes into your body and the impact this has on your physique? If yes, then the chances are high that you are closely monitoring your CrossFit diet macros, that is, carbs, protein, and fat. Many athletes have become obsessed with macros, and this has eclipsed a very important sub-group known as micronutrients which are essential for immune function, health, and the overall quality of life. What many people are not aware is that micronutrients play a critical role in assisting your body system to optimize energy levels and boost exercise performance. Foods that are loaded with micronutrients include veggies and fruits. Summer may be beautiful because of the warm and lovely weather, but autumn brings with it its own tidings in the form of micronutrient-rich foods. Therefore, if you want to improve your micro intake and by extension your exercise performance, you have the opportunity to know and incorporate the rich food into your CrossFit diet. Beetroots Beets are vegetables which are crimson-colored and rich in folate, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Potassium, in particular, is a key electrolyte that plays a strategic role in nerve signaling and muscle contraction. Because beetroot enhances nutrient and oxygen delivery to working muscles, it beats many vegetables when it comes to exercise performance enhancement. The dietary nitrates contained in beets have a positive impact on the oxygen demand during workouts. The Journal of Applied Physiology published a study which suggested that taking approximately 16 ounces of beetroot juice daily can decrease oxygen demand significantly during moderate-intensity activity. The time to exhaustion also increases and this means you can work out more in the CrossFit gym. Winter Squash Winter squash is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and dietary fiber. It comes in plenty during early fall. However, the most interesting bit of winter squash is that it contains pectin which is a soluble fiber that plays such a huge role in the regulation of blood glucose levels. This is important to help you sustain your energy and as such working out for longer hours. This vegetable literally squashes any chance of fatigue that may develop in the middle of your workout session. You can eat winter squash by roasting the seeds or baking them at about 280 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of 15 to 18 minutes. Pumpkin Contrary to what some people have been claiming, pumpkin doesn’t have a single nutrient which is a magical performance booster. Instead, pumpkins contain micronutrients that combine synergistically to give you a milestone in the gym. Pumpkins contain vitamin A, B vitamins, fiber, and selenium, which is an antioxidant. You can roast the pumpkin seeds and consume them while putting the delicious flesh to good use. One of the best ways of eating the flesh is by making it into a pumpkin hummus. This is just because the ingredients you need are garlic, tahini paste, lemon juice, olive oil, fresh pumpkin cooked, chickpeas, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. When you combine all these ingredients in a blender and mix thoroughly for 30 to 60 seconds, and after that add a small amount of water, you will end up with pumpkin hummus. There you go! Include these three wonderful vegetables in your CrossFit diet and power through your CrossFit training sessions.

Many athletes in the CrossFit gym acknowledge that adding mass is synonymous with moving the weight a lot easier. Furthermore, people who have packed on size look stronger. Resistance training using weights gives you a solid foundation that you can build on. That said, you need some serious work especially in the kitchen if you are to realize optimal results.You have to take proper CrossFit diet to improve your performance.  Eating for Size Doing compound lifts and exercises which engage more than a single joint such as squats trigger your body to release 3 critical hormones that aid in muscle growth. The hormones include human growth hormone (HGH), testosterone, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). These hormones work in unison to help you build muscle size and strength. For them to properly synthesize, you have to get the right combination of nutrients into your body. The question is, how do you go about that? Increasing Your Food Intake It doesn’t matter how relentlessly you attack the gym; if you don’t eat more than what is required to sustain your energy for the next workout, you may never see any positive gains. It’s always recommended that you eat the right quantity of calories and other macronutrients to help you recover and promote muscle growth. The total daily caloric intake is derived from protein, fat, and carbohydrate. However, if you want to increase in size, you should up your caloric intake. In short, you need to include more in your CrossFit diet. Eating more than what your body needs will keep your metabolism running. The best starting point for athletes serious in gaining body mass is to eat about 20 calories per pound of bodyweight on a daily basis. Your meals should be spread throughout the day making a total of about 6 to 8 meals. The reason you are taking so many meals is that your body is designed to take in small amounts of foods, but frequently throughout the day. This keeps the digestive function working normally without the threat of it being overburdened. It is also an exceptional way to maintain stability in your sugar and fatty acid levels. Protein Consumption It’s recommended that you take 1 gram of protein for every pound of your bodyweight. As you may know, protein is a must-have macronutrient in your CrossFit diet because it forms the foundation for muscle growth. The amino acids in protein help in repairing muscle tissue after a hard workout. One thing to note though is, the quality of protein you take should be high. Go for grass-fed lean meat, wild fish, and pasture-raised eggs. Get Good Fats Fats help your brain and give you the energy to work right. Monounsaturated and saturated fats are considered good fats because they stall insulin secretion. Too much of insulin injected into your bloodstream may lead to diabetes, fat gain, and other cardiac problems. Good fats can be found in avocados, flaxseeds, fatty fish, leafy vegetables, and coconut oil. Remember, the leaner the meat, the lesser the fat. Carbohydrates For you to gain mass, the ratio of carbohydrates must be the highest of all macronutrients. Athletes regularly doing resistance-based CrossFit workouts should eat about 2.3 to 3.6 grams of carbohydrates for every pound of their body weight daily. Since carbohydrates are the prime fuel source for your body, you must never underestimate their power. Low carbohydrate intake causes the body to turn to your muscles for fuel and instead of gaining muscle, you will lose muscle. Get the right type of carbs and stay away from overly processed carbs.

It’s quite simple to dismiss the cool down after your lifting and to stretch as a complete waste of time. However, you should know that cooling down is a recommended phase in most athletic activities. Cooling down doesn’t necessarily mean doing nothing, but rather engaging in light exercises such as biking or rowing at a steady pace. Research shows that cooling down after a CrossFit workout is as important as doing a warmup in preparation for an exercise. Benefits of a Cool Down One of the things you must appreciate is that cooling down is not the same as active recovery. It comprises certain post-WOD actions taken immediately following a workout while you are still at the gym. On the other hand, active recovery means what you do to recover from your workout when you get back home or a day after your CrossFit workout. During training, metabolic waste products are produced through the chemical processes in the body, and these products find their way to individual muscle cells. To keep you in good shape, the fluid surrounding these cells as well as the veins, capillaries, and lungs should be flushed out before you get into a resting period. The main goal of cooling down is to enhance recovery and return your body to the state it was before the workout. In a strenuous workout, the body system endures several stressful processes which cause tendons, muscle fibers, and ligaments to get damaged and waste products to build up in your system. Through a cool down, your body repair processes can run smoothly. Eases the Effects of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Delayed onset muscle soreness abbreviated as DOMS, is one of the common side effects of intense workouts. It begins about 8 to 24 hours following the exercise and 24 to 72 hours later; it may produce a lot of pain. Among the symptoms of DOMS include swelling and stiffness of muscles as well as pain. Technically, you cannot avoid DOMS completely, but you can soften its blow by cooling down following your CrossFit training. The best means to do this is to get into a low-intensity exercise to enhance the clearance of all the enzymes responsible for residual fatigue and muscle damage. Enhances Flexibility The best time to work on your flexibility is usually after your CrossFit workout. It is advisable to do it as part of your cooldown because, during this time, your muscles are most pliable and warm. This makes stretching much easier, and you will be surprised at the new levels of flexibility you can reach. You can also take this opportunity to engage your myofascial release so that you can stay on top of the fascia. When left unattended, fascia can cause knots which interfere with your mobility and posture. The key stages to follow in any cool down include a gentle exercise, stretching, and refueling. The main goal of the exercise is to bring your heart rate to its resting level. On the other hand, the stretching is to enhance your flexibility over time, and this can help prevent injuries. Lastly, the role of CrossFit diet in refueling cannot be underestimated. It helps in feeding the hungry muscles.  

Free radicals can cause cell damage if not monitored. Basically, radicals originate from the body’s oxidation processes and are commonly associated with inflammation of the muscles, joints, and tendons. Antioxidants form the first line defense against free radicals. They literally hunt for the radicals with the aim of stabilizing them thus giving you the advantage of working out for long in the CrossFit gym without feeling the burning sensation in your joints and muscles. In case of injured tissues, antioxidants initiate and accelerate the healing process. Below is a discussion of some of the top antioxidants and how they can help you maximize your training. Vitamin C Vitamin C is a vital nutrient involved in collagen synthesis. Where it is lacking, blood vessels become fragile, wounds take longer to heal, and lesions result. Free radicals lead to muscle fatigue, muscular damage, and inflammation. This is where vitamin C comes in to neutralize all these effects and flush out the free radicals by making them stable compounds. Collagen is the connective tissue in ligaments, tendons, and bones which helps in strengthening the body thus giving you flexibility in your workouts.You must consume the sources such a oranges, papayas, dark leafy vegetables etc as they have a rich amount of Vitamin C. Coenzyme Q10 This is an electron carrier in the respiratory chain in the mitochondria. Coenzyme Q10 is a lipid-soluble antioxidant that scavenges free radicals which are generated through chemical processes in the liposomal membranes. The process of lipid peroxidation of the free radicals contributes to delayed tissue damage hence more workout power. So make sure you consume the sources such a cauliflower, broccoli, free-range chicken, grass-fed beef etc as they have a good amount of CoQ10. Zinc Zinc contains more than 100 important enzymes hence its deficiency can have a widespread negative effect on almost every body function. Zinc deficiency in your CrossFit diet affects protein synthesis which is an important process in muscle building. It boosts the secretion of insulin-like growth factor 1, testosterone and growth hormone. These help in the building of muscle mass and giving you the vitality to power through your training. So, add oysters, cashews, shrimp, beef, flax seeds, spinach etc in your diet. Calcium Calcium allows myosin and actin filaments which are the contractile filaments of muscle cells to associate and produce the force that translates into movement. Whenever the nerve cell is innervating a particular muscle cell signals it to contract, calcium is released into the region of the contracted filament hence causing the contraction to occur. A study done showed the effectiveness of calcium in prolonging the onset of fatigue in striated muscles. Calcium also helps in bodyweight regulation particularly in fat metabolism hence enabling you to shed excess fat and build lean muscles.Thus, you must include calcium sources such as whey protein, raw milk, beans, lentils, yogurt, okra, almonds etc in your CrossFit diet. Chromium Chromium demand increases with exercise and hence the need for supplementation in active people including the athletes. Insufficient chromium in diets has been linked to the onset of diabetes and heart diseases. Chromium helps in enhancing insulin sensitivity and therefore boosting the ability of your body to burn fat as the preferred source of fuel. When combined with a conjugated linoleic acid, chromium helps in lowering body weight, visceral fat mass, and total body fat mass. Thus, adding chromium-rich foods such as cheese, bread, whole grains, fish, corn etc in your diet will be very beneficial.  There are other crucial antioxidants such as magnesium, potassium, and alpha lipoic acid which contribute immensely in fighting off inflammation during CrossFit training, which in turn enables your body to recover well, delay fatigue and prevent injuries. This is important in maximizing the effect of training and improving performance. So make sure you include more antioxidants sources in your CrossFit diet.

If you are an athlete who frequents the CrossFit gym, then probably you are familiar with a stage known as a plateau where irrespective of how hard you work, the gains are just minimal or even absent altogether. This may be caused by some factors with the main one being nutrition. Normally, your body breaks down muscle protein and glycogen during workouts making your body require carbs and proteins for replenishing the energy stores as well as repairing muscle tissue. There are foods which are recommended for athletes during their post-workout recovery period because they help avail the necessary energy and the amino acids necessary for the repair process. A general rule of thumb indicates that you should consume about 20 to 40 grams of proteins after a workout. Below are foods to include in your CrossFit diet. Chicken Stir-Fry This is an excellent source of proteins and other critical nutrients such as vitamin B and niacin which play an important role in the metabolism of carbs. Pairing chicken stir-fry with white rice which has a high glycemic index enables your body to replenish your muscles with the necessary glucose for energy. So, you must include it in your CrossFit diet. Chocolate Milk Chocolate milk brings in a good combination of carbs, proteins, fats as well as branched chain amino acids. The proteins and the carbs are for tissue repair and energy replenishment while the branched chain amino acids bypass the gut and liver to head directly to the bloodstream where they play a key role in muscle building and muscle maintenance hence a great option to include in your CrossFit diet. Fruit Smoothie Fruit smoothie joins the category of liquid meals which are preferred post-workout foods because they are easily digested as well as quickly absorbed into the body system giving you a ready source of nutrients. To enrich your smoothie, blend yogurt, whey protein, soy milk or skim with high glycemic fruits such as melons and mangoes. Bananas are also excellent because of their potassium content. Egg White and Spinach Omelet Eggs are among the top foods in the provision of protein. Egg protein contains readily utilizable protein meaning it is used efficiently by the body for growth. Spinach, on the other hand, is loaded with phytoecdysteroids and iron. According to research, phytoecdysteroids is a plant steroid which helps in speeding up muscle growth. Toasted Whole Wheat Bagel with Almond Butter Wheat bagels are rich in complex carbs as well as calories. These help in the provision of energy for the body. On the other hand, almond butter is rich in essential minerals including potassium which is responsible for the maintenance of muscle contractions. The monounsaturated fats contained in almond are important in maintaining testosterone, an essential hormone for protein synthesis.  Other foods you may consider to be part of your CrossFit nutrition include salmon, Greek yogurt, and walnuts.

If you are a beginner in handstand push-ups, one of the things you will have to overcome is the fear of turning upside down. Afterwards, you will have to develop incredible control and strength on your upper body to successfully press up and down. It is crucial for you to know the muscles involved during a handstand push-up as this will help you in the course of the CrossFit exercise. The Shoulders During a handstand push-up CrossFit exercise, you are literally standing on your hands with your legs straight up in the air. This means your shoulders will be bearing the brunt of your weight. This is more noticeable as you bend your elbows and press back up. The front of the shoulder cap and other parts of the anterior deltoids are the most used in this position. These are the muscles that connect your chest to your arms and are extremely useful with swinging, pushing, and lifting actions. To work these muscles out so that they can strengthen and bear your body weight, go for overhead presses such as barbell press or dumbbell shoulder press. For effectiveness, including the presses in 2 or 3 upper body workouts each week. Continue adding the weights to allow you to maintain good form. Pectoralis Major This is the biggest chest muscle. It is shaped much like a fan and spans the entire chest wall. The handstand push-up works the clavicular or the upper region of the pectoralis major muscle. Triceps Brachii This is a 3-headed muscle found on the back portion of your upper arm. It is responsible for elbow extension. The triceps brachii engages when you press back up all the way to straight arms down from a push-up. Lateral Deltoid The anterior deltoids are made up of two components: the posterior and the lateral deltoid. When you are doing a handstand push-up, the top portion or lateral deltoid engages to balance out your bodyweight as well as facilitate the press. Trapezius This is one of the main back muscles. It is responsible for stabilizing the scapula which is also known as the shoulder blades as well as keeping your neck in extension. Including the handstand push-up in your CrossFit training schedule ensures that you utilize the upper and middle section of the trapezius. Serratus Anterior This may also be known as the boxer’s muscle. It covers the uppermost ribs, wrapping around from your chest to your back. The main role of the serratus anterior is to stabilize the shoulder blades when doing the handstand push-up. The Importance of Stability in Handstand Push-Up Contrary to what some people may think or imagine, a handstand push-up is more than just muscle contraction. During the move, several muscles come together to stabilize your body. Some of these muscles include the core and all those muscles of the erector spinae and abdomen that run alongside your spine. The engagement of these muscles prevents your body from collapsing at the torso or hips. Your biceps especially the shortest head and the long head of your triceps keep your elbow straight while you are at the top of your handstand. Always remember to start modestly and your CrossFit exercise should be supported by the appropriate CrossFit diet.