Even though the jerk is not given as much attention in comparison to snatch and clean, still it is an equally important CrossFit workout. Most athletes spend much time exercising, but they can’t seem to get the jerk correctly. There is a susceptibility to develop bad habits in exercising that makes it hard for you to get the jerk right. In order to address the above challenges, there are a number of assistance exercises that you can pick up, put them in your routine, and improve the jerk. Push Press This is a multidimensional exercise prominently known as an upper body strength lift. However, experience shows that push press has so much potential than just the upper body strength lifts part of it. Since then dip and drive action is similar to the jerk, the lift trains the timing of the movement, the strength of the legs, the postural strength of the dip position, the elasticity of the legs to accommodate the changing direction in the dip and drive as well as the transition timing between the legs drive and the arms push. Therefore, the push press is a single exercise, but it has a lot of elements packed in it. You can use it in isolation as a teaching exercise or technique or even a strength exercise. Power Jerk Some lifters may not like it, but the power jerk is very effective in improving the split jerk. It imposes a massive demand on overhead flexibility, and this could be the reason why some may feel it is uncomfortable. However, when well performed, power jerks can give you lots of benefits. The most outstanding benefit of this CrossFit exercise is that it trains a balanced, vertical dip and drive. Because of the power receiving position, the placement of the overhead bar is supposed to be precise. The dip and drive must be vertical whereas the bar must move back behind the neck to give latitude for the trunk to incline forward slightly to complete the overhead position. The power jerk can be used as a teaching exercise or technique as well as a training exercise. Jerk Dip Squat This is a simple, but highly rewarding exercise. The lifter sits down into the dip position and then stands back up at a controlled speed. This exercise improves the drive by ensuring that you have a proper position to drive from. Because of the controlled speed, the lifter feels constant pressure on the heel region and this prevents shifting forward. It also serves to keep tension on the quads during the movement. Jerk Recovery It can be very frustrating for a lifter to get a weight overhead and thereafter fail in sustaining it up there. The jerk recovery exercise helps in building maximal overhead position strength and the control needed for recovery to a standing position. Building strength and confidence is a very important component of the jerk and how best you can do this will determine your overall success in this workout. There are lots of other jerk exercises you can incorporate into your CrossFit WOD, but the ones listed above will give you mileage as you seek to master the jerk.

Whenever you engage in something new, there tend to be many associated unknowns. Being a sport, CrossFit has its fair share of unknowns, and a learning curve CrossFitters must learn to excel in it. The variety and intensity of CrossFit exercises make the journey challenging in some way. As you gradually develop to a comfort level in CrossFit, there are certain mistakes you should try and avoid at all costs.  Taking in Too Much at a Go Irrespective of your background, don’t imagine yourself to be too strong and fit as you get into CrossFit. You may be a marathoner or a weightlifter, but as you come into CrossFit, you need to be gradual. Lifting heavy weights too fast can limit your CrossFit experience in several ways. For instance, taking in too much can shift your focus away from the technique, and this can severely impact your movements and overall progress. Also, lack of body preparation for high-intensity CrossFit workouts paired with weight can result in injury. Most gyms will work with you so that you can establish a beginning point, but you must be willing to put your heart and effort into it. Inadequate Rest The CrossFit community experience is certainly positive and so inspirational. However, you need to have limits so that you are not carried away into exercising for lengthy periods of time. In the beginning, it is important to allow your body to acclimatize with the workout environment and regimen. Not having enough rest can affect your recovery cycles because the high-intensity CrossFit workouts can take a toll on your muscles. In case you have a problem sitting down after exercise, you can decide to engage in something else such as swimming or walking. Whatever you do, ensure your sore muscles get some relaxing stretches. Egoism and Negative Attitude CrossFit athletes come from different backgrounds and as such have their own fair share of strengths and weaknesses. Performance varies from one athlete to another and from one day to the next. When exercising, you need to let your heart out and remove any negative energy from you. Working out with an ego to defend will most likely lead to a below performance. Give it your best and walk out knowing you have done your part for the day. Quitting Halfway Just like any other task, you begin with the aim of finishing and not leaving it halfway. It is important you commit not to be an elite all-star or a lifter of millions of pounds, but rather to a simple goal of starting a day with the aim of finishing successfully. How bad or good a day is, unless prompted by injury or other conditions, make it a goal to finish every workout you embark on. The greatest CrossFit challenge is in not giving up. This will enable you to make strides in your fitness and fortitude.

There is a dangerous assumption which you must not make as a CrossFit athlete if you want to improve your performance in the sport. The notion is that because you do core every day, you don’t need to isolate core work. When you skip core workouts, the chances are high that your overall capability will reduce and your susceptibility to injury will increase. The main reason behind this is that some specific muscles end up being overdeveloped at the expense of others. Doing sit-ups at the tail end of your CrossFit workout is not sufficient to solve the problem. The fact is, your core musculature works in lots of directions to give you stability, strength, and power for every movement you undertake. Training all the core capabilities can armor you against potential catastrophic injuries. Below are some of the top core functions and exercises. Stability In CrossFit gyms, you will mostly hear about stability as one of the core functions. When undertaking weight-bearing exercises, you require core stability. Despite this, the anterior pelvic tilt is often overlooked, and this can lead to overarching of your lower back and thus making it difficult to engage the abdomen. To avoid this, it is recommended you train hollow holds and rocks. When doing the hollow position, you should begin by lying flat on your back and press your lower back flat on the floor. Then, pull your hips by contracting your glutes and lower abdomen into posterior pelvic tilt as you lift your shoulders and feet off the floor. Compression There are lots of variations that come with compression. However, one of the favorites is leg raise variations. In its simplicity, core compression is done through bending at the hip as you gradually bring your legs towards the face. When doing the leg raise variations, hang on a bar and relax your shoulders. Then, lift your legs gradually towards your face. In the beginning, you may see limitations in mobility, but as you build your CrossFit endurance, you will be able to achieve a full range of motion. Rotation There are lots of exercises you can exploit to train core rotation. Some of them include side plank twists, Russian twists, and twisting back extensions. One of the top rotation movements in CrossFit is called L-wiper. You start by hanging on a bar with your shoulders blocked and relaxed. Then, through controlled and purposeful movement, sweep your legs from zero degrees all the way to 180 degrees. Ensure your legs are straight and in a pike position. Bowing This CrossFit exercise can help in strengthening and stretching your oblique muscle group. Getting into a side plank position while supporting yourself with your arm, bow your hip gradually towards the floor and then back up. While doing this exercise, you should maintain square shoulders, posterior pelvic tilt, hips and core tension. In addition to the above, there are other exercises you can undertake for your core functions. The golden rule is to train your core as often as you can for relatively high volumes.