If you have been keen on CrossFit athletes, most of them have muscular forearms. This is great because the grip strength they typify is vital if you are into lifting. A stronger grip strength gives you an advantage in lifting more weight in the CrossFit gym as you do powerful moves such as deadlift and pull-ups. This is why anyone wanting to build muscle all over must start with a stronger grip. That said, not everyone visiting the CrossFit box has stronger grip strength. This is because some athletes are masking their weaknesses while others rely solely on machine-based workouts which more often than not neglect challenging the forearm. If this is you and you want some tips to build your grip strength, read along. Do not Encourage Weakness Tools such as grip aids and wrist straps are only effective in putting a band-aid on your weak grip. Instead of challenging your grip to become stronger, these tools will encourage your body to become dependent and this weakens your forearms. The best approach is to lift slightly less weight so that you can hold it without the need for assistance. When you develop your grip strength, your ability to lift more will increase, and this will stimulate your body to grow. Regularly Train Your Grip Your grip should be trained daily. Every time you are in the box lifting and pulling, remember to train your grip. When you incorporate grip in your CrossFit WOD, the repetitive stress will make your grip strength to experience a quick jump, and this will further develop your forearms. Try to include core exercises such as farmer’s walks to help you in your grip. This workout is also great as a forearm and midsection finisher. Lift Heavy Instead of training with light wrist curls for lots of sets, consolidate your workout and train the rest of your body together with your grip. Incorporating body weight rows, pull-ups, and heavy deadlifts, your entire arm will develop including your grip. Add weight to rack deadlifts to help you challenge your grip. Other exercises such as walking lunges must not be neglected, and you can combine them with dumbbells to give you an opportunity to build a stronger grip. Go for Grip Builders There are lots of grip building tools in the CrossFit industry which can stimulate your body. The beauty with grip builders is that they help in amplifying your results through an increase in active demand. An easier way to enhance the thickness of handhold is to wrap a towel around the bar or handle when doing any CrossFit exercise. Another simple, but powerful tool for building your grip strength is squeezing the bar. When you press the bar during a set, you will activate higher grip, and this gives you more gains in grip strength. Instead of allowing the bar to slide towards your fingers, lock it firmly in the palm of your hands so that you can hold it in place. When you engage your grip more, your strength numbers will gradually spiral upwards.

The human body has approximately 650 muscles which together work in harmony to create some small machine. Each of these muscle groups has an exact opposite group of muscle which keeps it in check. When the muscles move the body in a given direction, the muscles are responsible for generating the movement, known as agonists while those opposing are referred to as the antagonists. For instance, when doing the back extension CrossFit workout movement, the agonist's muscles are responsible for extending the back while the muscles producing the back flexion which is the opposite movement are the antagonists. The importance of having these two muscle groups at play is that they keep the spine stabilized. Additionally, they have to balance on their own so that your spine can be healthy. The Back Extension Muscles These are slightly complicated muscles compared to a bicep curl. The reason is, they are more in number and are found in many areas of the body. When doing a back extension, muscles such as the erector spinae and multifidus which collectively form the extensor muscles of the back, contract. These muscles run up along your spine from the skull all the way to the base. Their work is to extend the spine and comfortably bend it backward. When doing a back extension, these muscles play the role of agonist. Antagonist Muscles These muscles are found on the opposite side of the body, commonly referred to as the ab muscles. The most popular abdominal muscle is the rectus abdominis. This is the muscle people see in a CrossFitter with a six-pack. The rectus abdominis moves all the way from the front of the pelvis up to the bottom of the ribs. It works to flex the spine in a movement opposite to that of back extensor muscles. In doing this, the rectus abdominis works hand in hand with the transversus abdominis and external abdominal obliques. The transversus abdominis are found deep into the ab muscle. Regarding coverage, they span from the pelvis all the way up to the bottom of the sternum including the sides of your hips. Since the transversus abdominis, external oblique, and rectus abdominis flex your back, they are antagonists to your back extensor muscles. Only the above three abdominal muscles make up the antagonist group for your back extension. The only muscle that is left out is the internal abdominal oblique. In terms of positioning, this essential muscle in CrossFit exercises is sandwiched between the transversus abdominis and the external abdominal oblique. Its role is in rotation of the spine. Reciprocal Inhibition Do you sit to imagine what may happen if the antagonist and agonist muscles contract all at the same time? Thankfully, your nervous system stands in the gap for you. If this happens, you would freeze and be unable to move. Thanks to reciprocal inhibition, your body can move smoothly by relaxing the antagonist when the agonist contracts. When in the CrossFit gym doing back extension, your nervous system is usually alert to relay signals to the abdominals to relax when your spine starts extending. The result of this is your back extension muscles smoothly lifting the spine.

When growing up, most of us were admonished by our parents because of posture. If you ever heard words such as don’t slouch, sit up straight, and such like other words directed at you, there must have been a problem. While many of us didn’t like the reprimands, the truth is, our parents didn’t like the manner in which we were either sitting or standing. Poor posture has lots of implications, and whether our parents knew all of them or not, they had our best interest at heart. Understanding Good Posture Posture refers to the positioning and alignment of the body concerning the force of gravity. Whether you are standing, lying down, or sitting on a mat in the CrossFit gym, gravity exerts a force on our muscles, joints, and ligaments. Good posture enables us to distribute the force of gravity all over our body so that no single structure is overstressed. When exercising in weight training, posture will affect how you run, jump, walk, and lift weights. This, in turn, will give you good balance, flexibility, and ease of movement. Apart from that, the following are some other benefits of good posture in and out of the gym. Better and More Confident Image At times, all you need is just self-confidence. If you slump over, the image you portray to those around you whether they are your CrossFit colleagues or even the folks in your neighborhood is that of a defeated soul. At all times, you need to stand tall, and this can be achieved through a good posture. The first thing your CrossFit trainer will work on with you in the gym is posture and form. This is because they are important for your CrossFit training. Helps in Breathing The slouching position affects the depth and ease of breathing. When working out, breathing is a critical process that gives you an exchange of air and keeps you going through reps. People who are comfortable in the slouching position may have difficulty sitting up straight because when they do, their frontal muscles end up being over shortened and tightened which affects the breathing volume. Enhanced Digestion and Circulation You may not believe it, but your digestion system hugely depends on your posture. With the right posture, your internal organs assume their rightful position without any compulsion or compression. This helps in the normal flow and functioning of the gastrointestinal system. If there is one aspect you cannot forego in CrossFit is poor digestion. It doesn’t matter how healthy your CrossFit diet is, but without proper digestion, it will be countless. Helps Your Joints and Muscle Assuming the right posture aligns your bones and joints thereby allowing your muscles to work properly. Bad posture increases wearing of joint surfaces which if not checked can cause degenerative arthritis as well as joint pain. Having good posture reduces the stress meted to the ligaments which hold the spinal joints, and this minimizes chances of injury. Also, correct posture is directly related to a healthy spine. Though posture seems a simple concept, it is responsible for holding together lots of intricate structures in the spine and keeping them healthy.  

Every athlete stepping into the CrossFit gym has their goal in check. For some, their goals could be athletic while others physique. Whichever you go for, your back strength, glute, and hamstring play a crucial role. One of the most loved workouts in CrossFit is the classic barbell lifts. The reason being they are effective and do not need as much special equipment which means anyone can do them at any place. The barbell lifts are the bread and butter exercises and should form the center of your program. However, this doesn’t mean that you should sacrifice the time for other specialized work. Anyone seeing the glute-ham raise for the first time may be led to believe that it is difficult. This is expected and understandable because the glute-ham raise scotches your lower body like no other exercise. Lifters who have tried this workout have ended up experiencing an unexpected boost in their squat and deadlift. Other beneficiaries of the glute-ham raise have been sprinters and other athletes. It Focuses on Posterior Muscles Lots of weightlifting programs concentrate on the anterior muscles at the expense of the posterior or back muscles. The posterior chain consists of all the muscles you can’t possibly see in a mirror. They include the spinal erectors, rotator cuff muscles, or glutes, hamstrings, as well as rhomboids and lats. If you neglect these muscles and instead prioritize arms, chest, and quads, you will be a lot less stronger than you look which certainly is not a good thing. Imagine having a 6 pack and suffering from epic arms and back pain. The solution is to emphasize more on the muscles of the posterior chain, and nothing does this better than the glute-ham raise CrossFit workout. It’s Different from Deadlifts and Squats It is common to hear athletes commenting that the deadlifts and squats they are doing are sufficient for the posterior chain. However, the glute-ham raise if performed correctly is a different movement pattern from any of the above. It allows you to maintain a straight body down from the knees all the way up to the neck. It is one of the few known workouts that train your hip extension and knee flexion at the same time. To do this movement, you will be required to generate significant muscular tension as well as control which makes it a great athletic movement. It Doesn’t Require a Bench One of the common reasons athletes give for not including the glute-ham raise in their CrossFit training schedule is their lack of access to the right equipment. While this may be a legitimate problem, it has a simple solution. There is a version of the workout known as natural glute-ham raise which can be done virtually anywhere. For instance, you can have your training partner hold your ankles while seated on the floor. You can also use an ab bench for the workout. However, one thing you must acknowledge is that simply because it is a natural workout doesn’t mean that it is easy to do. The level of difficulty remains the same. If you have been looking for a workout to add to your program, the glute-ham raise is one of those you cannot afford to leave behind.

In sports, the success of an athlete is determined by numbers of factors, some of which include motivation, training, talent, resistance to injury among others. This means accomplished athletes need to pay keen attention to every factor that influences their Cross Training Athletes performance. Nutrition is a key element in the preparation of an athlete for any competition as well as routine training. The foods athletes choose affect performance directly hence they need to be aware of their nutritional strategies and the foods that will help them meet their goals. In order to have a broad and comprehensive understanding of nutrition as it pertains to athletes, the discussion below has been divided into different topical issues. Food Groups There are three main food groups that athletes should include in their diet; energy giving foods, proteins as well as vitamins and minerals. The energy requirements of an athlete can be broken down into several components including energy for baseline metabolic needs, energy for growth as well as energy for physical activity. In order to meet the energy that is needed for all these processes,  therefore, athletes’ diet must contain sufficient energy giving foods. Athletes require carbohydrates for training and recovery as well as for energy during competitions. The protein requirements depend on the type of exercises and sport the athlete is engaged in. For instance, in strength training, dietary proteins help in enabling the muscles to synthesize certain proteins required to enhance performance. The contribution of proteins in the manufacture of new tissue, repair of worn out tissue and regulating metabolism and the immune system through hormones is critical. Cross Training Athletes should include a high-quality protein diet soon after Cross Training Athletes exercise to help in muscle protein synthesis. Vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals help the body in regulating metabolic processes by acting as enzyme co-factors. Some vitamins such as E and K have antioxidant properties which help in mopping up excess radicals hence reducing inflammation during exercises and competitions. Nutritional Needs of Special Populations In athletics, the needs of young athletes and female athletes vary nutrition-wise depending on whether they are training or in active competition. The diet needs of young athletes must be observed both before and during competitions so as to minimize gastrointestinal upsets and dehydration. Avoiding solid foods for about 2 to 3 hours before competition helps, however, the intake of fluids should be encouraged throughout. Because of active growth and the effects of adolescence, young athletes must be given the necessary nutritional support which includes energy, protein and vitamin intake. Female athletes have lower energy requirements because of their low muscle mass and body mass as well as a lighter training load. Their diets should contain lots of iron and less of fats. Types of Workouts Depending on the type of training an athlete is participating in, their Cross Training Athletes  diet intake changes. For instance, strength training which includes bodybuilding, powerlifting, throwing events, as well as weightlifting, requires a high intake of energy giving foods and adequate high-quality proteins. Power sports which include rowing, swimming, kayaking and track cycling requires moderate to high levels of carbohydrates intake, sufficient fluids, and high-quality proteins. Endurance sports including triathlon, marathon and road cycling requires athletes to have the ability to sustain performance over long periods. The diet here should be rich in carbohydrates to fuel the training phrase, fluids to prevent dehydration as well as high-quality proteins to promote muscle adaptation. In addition to the above sports, special consideration should also be made for aesthetic and weight class training such as gymnastics, figure skating, combative sports, and diving. Carbohydrates help athletes in this category to meet the energy needs for training and competition while fluids help to prevent dehydration.

One advantage of CrossFit training is that you never fall short of accessories. There are belts, straps, wraps, knee sleeves, and even lifting shoes. As a functional fitness athlete, you need to have access to these common pieces of CrossFit gear. The wrist wrap, though one of the common gears, ranks high among the most misused CrossFit accessories. The main function of a wrist wrap is to give support to the wrist joint when doing heavy lifting or maximum effort lifting. During some of these tough movements, the wrist may be pulled into excessive extension thus resulting in failed lifts, possible injury, and compromised mechanics. Every athlete should know how to use them correctly. Below are some of the tips to bear in mind when using wrist wraps in your training. Do Not Use Wrist Wraps during Warm Up When moving 60% of your 1-RM press, you don’t necessarily need to wrap your wrists. Athletes are advised to wear wrist wraps only during training days when working at near max loads. When you become dependent on wrist wraps, they will limit your strength development, particularly in your wrist extensors and flexors. If you are careful enough to look at some of the strongest athletes in the CrossFit gym, they rarely wear wrist wraps. Never Tie Your Wrist Wrap Too Low The chief purpose of a wrist wrap is to ensure your wrist joint has excellent support. Whenever you tie the wrap below your wrist joint, it will not function as it should, but rather work just like a forearm bracelet. When tying your wrist wrap, do so in such a way that it covers the entire wrist joint so as to create support and prevent excessive extension. Go for the Right Wrap There are two main types of wraps in the market: Velcro-bound powerlifting wraps and cotton wraps. While the powerlifting wraps give you awesome wrist support, cotton wraps are much thinner and flexible. When maxing on a movement such as a bench press, the advice is to use thicker wraps. On the other hand, if you want a max in your snatch or clean and jerk, using thinner wraps might be more advantageous. Not Every Gymnastic Movement Requires a Wrap Unless you really plan on competing in gymnastic events such as pommel horse or vault, you may not need to put on wraps. Also, when doing bodyweight CrossFit exercises such as handstand push-ups, ring dips, and pull-ups, you do not need wrist wraps. The only exception to all this is when competing or training with an injury. You may also consider having wrist wraps on to protect your skin when doing high repetitions of muscle ups with a false grip. In all you do, remember that mobility and flexibility issues should be addressed and not hidden by wearing wraps.

Success in CrossFit training entails a lot of things. However, one of the most important is the kind of coaching and guidance you receive in the box. CrossFit coaches can either make you or break you. The following are some of the top coaches who will give you training tips that will make your workouts efficient and intelligent. You can follow them on Instagram and any other social handle they may have. C. J. Martin He is a Level 2 CrossFit instructor, former member of CrossFit HQ training team and USAW club coach. Over his career, he has coached and still is coaching many games level athletes including Michelle Kinney, Garret Fisher, and Josh Bridges. His training secret is to bring athletes together so that they can push one another. He believes in community and the impact of peers. According to him, CrossFit success rests on balancing training with recovery. He also coaches online. Ben Bergeron Bergeron is well known for training some of the fittest athletes in the world. Before he came into CrossFit, he was an Ironman triathlete. As a top coach in CrossFit, Bergeron is keen to achieve relationship-based leadership as he trains his athletes. His view on coaching is that it should be all about building trust and trying to achieve more than just the results. He is the founder of CrossFit New England which opened its doors in 2007 to coach some ordinary people into fitness and health. Currently, he programs for thousands of athletes on CompTrain Masters and CompTrain. John Singleton He is both an osteopath and CrossFit coach. He is a firm believer in creating an environment where every athlete keeps on getting better. According to him, training with a group of people is more beneficial compared to training alone or with one person. He founded The Progrm which is essentially a training program for CrossFit athletes. The main aim of The Progrm is to support athletes in CrossFit workouts so that they can optimize their potential. Jami Tikkanen Tikkanen is on record as having coached Annie Thorisdottir who is a two-time Games Champion. Also, he has coached many others including Jaime Gold, AzadehBoroumand, Katrin Tanja Davidsdottir among others. His disciplined approach to CrossFit which he credits to his judo training has earned him respect and influence from his trainees. He founded The Training Plan which is a program to help athletes scale their training experience. He believes that training athletes to be great and to have a bright future is more important than their success in CrossFit. Dave Durante He is a multiple time USA Gymnastic Champion at the national level and in 2008 he was part of the Beijing Olympics team. He has helped coach Stanford University which in 2009 went ahead to win the NCAA team title. He is also a lead global gymnastic expert working for Adidas Gymnastics. He has been doing CrossFit for close to 5 years as a level one coach. He is inspirational and keen on baby steps. His emphasis in CrossFit exercises is on technique and how it can help lift athletes’ standard in the sport. Other coaches worth looking for include Michelle Letendre and Christa Giordano.

There is no doubt that CrossFit athletes are always looking forward and busy in laying strategies for 2018. Gym memberships are likely to skyrocket, and every treadmill occupied. Every person has their own set of goals such as weight loss and diet restrictions. However, after a few months, feelings of discouragements come in, and before you realize it, the same old habits you wanted to kick out are slowly streaming in. Bad goal setting is one of the main causes of laxity and derailment in CrossFit training. Athletes tend to focus on the byproducts such as muscle gain and weight loss instead of taking an honest look at themselves and assess where they are vis-à-vis where they want to be. Why Weight Loss/Muscle Gain Resolutions Never Work Upon a deeper analysis of the failures athletes frequently run into, there are some things that stand out as the main obstacles. Narrow Focus Unless you are a physique model or competitive bodybuilder, making your focus too narrow can lead to discouragements. Physique models and competitive bodybuilders dedicate their time as well as effort to sculpt their bodies in ways that appeal to their professions. To them, this is a career and a lifestyle. If you are not in this field, adopting such a lifestyle of diet and exercise can lead you down unhealthy paths. Mentor readiness is crucial in this type of program and lack of it can lead to unhealthy eating habits and body dysmorphia. Slow Results We are a generation that is after quick results, be it in muscle gain or weight loss. The problem comes when results take longer than expected to make people impatient. You must understand that muscle gain and weight loss take time. If you constantly monitor the scale for even the slightest movements in the needle, you can become disheartened. Lack of Adherence to Programs Most often than not athletes find themselves going over the deep end in exercise and CrossFit diet which in the end ruins their discipline with the programs they are following. If you spent a greater part of the past year not eating well, being inactive, or making poor lifestyle choices, if you go the extreme opposite the following year, you are likely to experience some undesirable effects. Even rubber bands have a stretching limit beyond which they snap. How to Make Your Resolutions Work Successful athletes understand that muscle gain, and weight loss is just but byproducts of much bigger things. Instead of directly seeking these results, these athletes look forward to new skills, improved movements, and PR lifts. They set for themselves physical challenges and constantly program their fitness. Before you get into the CrossFit gym, you must have a physical goal(s) that you want to accomplish. Over the next few weeks, refine your goals and make them tangible. The usual SMART Approach to goals applies even in CrossFit. Set specific goals that can be measured, attained, and which are realistic enough for the time duration you have. This will limit frustration and enhance your proficiency.