When lifting a barbell overhead, you have an option of a simple shoulder press or a complex jerk. The shoulder press is mainly for hypertrophy. In the middle of the complexity of a jerk, lies the push press which is an excellent CrossFit workout for every athlete. Looking at it from a physical standpoint, the push press is important in helping you develop a stable trunk while at the same time highlighting deficiencies in your mobility. They also help you to train heavy loads overhead in a proper strength endurance format. Push press is dynamic, and it recruits the lower body and trunk, making it an excellent way to push heavy rep schemes way beyond 15 reps. Push Press Training Cues Several training cues can help you perfect push press. Some of them include: The Grip When doing push press, the width of the grip should be slightly outside the shoulders. If you find yourself having a rough time rotating your shoulders externally or you have large biceps, try a wider grip. Some CrossFitters start their push press with the same rack position as that used in a standing shoulder press. This is incorrect because it places your body at a mechanical disadvantage and makes it vulnerable to shudder-to-shoulder injuries. Contrary to the shoulder press, the push press requires that your upper arm be parallel to the floor in a position similar to that of a front squat. This will make your wrist slightly cocked, and the barbell well gripped. Prepare to Dip The push press uses the lower body and trunk in a dynamic way to get the barbell overhead. For this reason, the setup needs to be different from the press. The goal here is to maintain a stacked spinal column while at the same time exhibiting force throughout the lift. To achieve this, take a wide stance with your feet externally rotated and toes out. The stance you take should be similar to that of the front squat CrossFit exercise. The Dip Before heading to the dip and drive, take a large belly breath and hold it. This will not only protect your lower back but also help in facilitating a transfer of energy from the legs to the barbell via the trunk. When beginning the dip, flex slightly at the knees as you push them out in the same way you should do in a squat. This is meant to be a quick movement because it is shallow and violent. The Drive This is nothing more than a redirection force. Performing the drive is hugely dependent on creating tense musculature throughout your trunk and legs as you quickly extend your knees, hip, and ankles. Putting it Overhead The moment you initiate the drive, the barbell should then hop upwards. This is where you need to utilize your upper body and finish the lift. Compared to the other phases, this is a rather weightless phase you should finish by rotating the arms into a similar position as that of a shoulder press. When the bar is knocked out and your feet stable and flat, you can lower your barbell to its original rack position. Push press is a specific CrossFit training tool whose purpose and the outcome will be determined by how well you execute it.

The L-sit pull-up is a much higher challenge compared to the ordinary pull-up exercise. It changes your center of gravity thus making it a little bit more difficult to execute. On the core strength, this exercise increases the challenge as well, especially for the lower abs. Because of its difficulty, this CrossFit exercise is great for learning and practicing proper dead-hang pull-up technique. Compared to other difficult workouts, the L-sit pull-up is much easier to learn because it combines two main exercises which are pull-ups and the L-sit position. When you master these two exercises separately, putting them up together is much easier, and the below tips will help you do this. Doing L-Sit Pull-Ups While hanging from a pull-up bar with your shoulders packed down and elbows locked, get into a dead hang position. Then, raise your knees to a level where your thighs are parallel with the ground. Lock your knees and point your toes to extend your legs straight in front of you. While performing your pull-ups, maintain this L-sit position. Before you start pulling yourself up the bar, exhale forcefully. The extent of your pull-up should be where your arms are fully flexed, your chin at or above the bar, and elbows behind your ribs. Pause there for a moment and then slowly lower yourself down until you get a full elbow lock. As you descend, inhale. Tips for L-Sit Pull-Up Technique With L-sit pull-ups, repetition speed and tempo are very important. Perform your reps slowly and under control always. Do not jerk or kip your way through the movement. Do not allow your body to jerk down into the bottom dead hang position. Make the transition gradual and controlled so as to prevent shoulder and elbow problems. When you initiate the L-sit pull-up with a strong exhale, make sure you contract your entire core musculature hard. Tuck your tailbone forward and roll your hips up with a slight abdominal crunch. Squeeze your thighs and glutes as you keep your knees locked, and your toes pointed out. The L-Sit Pull-Up Progression Once you can do about 10 dead-hang pull-ups with good control and technique, you can now start L-sit pull-ups. This is how to work your way up to this phenomenal CrossFit workout. Phase 1 –Here, you combine pull-ups with knee raises. Do at least 10 reps of hanging knee raises, 30-second hanging knee raise isometric hold, and 10 reps pull-ups with a hanging knee raise. Phase 2 – In this phase, you combine pull-ups with knee raises. Do at least 10 reps of hanging leg raise, 30-second hanging leg raise isometric hold, 10 reps scap pull-ups with leg raise isometric hold and at least 10 reps pull-ups with a hanging leg raise. The above progression is just an experiment because there are many other variations you can come up with yourself. The most important thing is to keep on challenging yourself progressively as you take on harder exercises.

Runners fall into two broad categories: those who run for fun without any tangible end goal and those who run as part of crosstraining. The style of running for the latter is varied and brings in different speed levels. The benefits of CrossFit are many, and for every CrossFitter, they form part of the objective. However, there are times when you enjoy CrossFit training more than running. This frequently happens now than ever before. CrossFitters are happy and energized working together with friends in the box as they pull themselves up on ropes. For you to benefit optimally, you need to balance your running and CrossFit in a way that satisfies your body and your soul. Benefits of CrossFit to Runners It is possible for you to transit from a distance runner to a CrossFit champion. CrossFit gives you a unique way to enhance your endurance training by helping you build strength, speed, and flexibility. The desire to seek new challenges, get better every day, and become part of a team is something that running can’t offer you, but CrossFit does.Unlike running, CrossFit doesn’t focus on the time you spend doing a workout, but rather on the effectiveness of the exercise. In just 20 minutes, you can effectively work out your body and push yourself out of your comfort zone through CrossFit training. With CrossFit, you can complement your running performance. • It improves your basic movement patterns • It enhances your mental toughness • It helps you learn how to run on tired legs • It helps you develop a better running form and posture through well-rounded strength • The workouts can easily fit in even when you are having a busy day• You can build endurance through high-intensity movements Why Balancing is a Challenge While the benefits of integrating CrossFit and running are desirable to any athlete, combining the two disciplines and balancing them out can be a challenge. The following are some of the reasons why balancing can be problematic.CrossFit usually works with WODs. The danger is that you could be having a track workout the following day and on the previous day the workout of the day dictates that you have major leg movements. Powerlifting focuses on large and powerful muscles. This is not a bad thing, but when it comes to running, you also need to develop your tendons and smaller stabilizing muscles. Marathon training is undeniably exhausting, and when you add CrossFit to the mix which is essentially another sport, it can lead to injury and overtraining. How to Balance Different people have different approaches on how to balance out CrossFit and training. There is no one size fits all. You can try out the following approaches:• 2 days a week – This involves doing CrossFit and hard running workouts 2 times a week. This allows you complete rest or easy miles on the following day.• Get choosy –Be decisive about your priorities and choose the workouts that benefit you the most. If you feel strong enough, you can do it the traditional CrossFit endurance style where you go for 5 days a week. This is specifically useful for marathoners.

Box jumps are one of the foundational movements in CrossFit and are responsible for working out your body muscles. However, for you to reap the maximum possible benefits from this CrossFit training movement, you have to do it right. It is common to see and hear people performing box jumps in a rather inefficient manner. For instance, some of them have heavy landing which places a significant amount of stress on their joints which may lead to injury. The best way to do box jumps is to absorb the landing impact throughout the entire body in a controlled and soft manner. Insufficient mobility in one part of the body will make you accommodate the forces through another plane of movement, and this may affect your form when working out. For you to competently perform box jumps, you require sufficient control in all the joints involved. During takeoff and landing, your ankles, knees, and hips should all stay in alignment. A good landing requires that your ankles, knees, and hips absorb the force while the muscles on the opposite sides of the joints should work in partnership to allow the extensor muscle group to lengthen and after that shorten to control joint bending. In some athletes, this range of motion doesn’t come automatically, and often their muscles fail to change length making the athletes land with locked joints. This causes a kind of jarring sensation and reduces the ability to move easily following the landing. There are three main components which come to bear in vertical force management when performing box jumps. Unlocking the Hips This involves a small movement which lowers your body center of gravity while at the same time maintaining a vertical trunk. This releases tension in the lower back and hip flexors which makes the spring action possible in the hips. In turn, this allows for glute activation and efficient functional motor patterning. Well, separating spinal movement from hip movement is important. It is unsurprising to see athletes coupling back extension with hip flexion which compresses the lumbar spine and compromises the spine. Dropping the Center of Gravity When performing the air squat CrossFit workout, it is easy to see how it drops the center of gravity. This exercise requires hip, knee, and adequate ankle mobility as well as the ability to control your balance point. If you want to find your balance point, try sitting in a squat and then shift your weight from your heel to your ball of foot until you get to a comfortable position. Once you get to this position, try dropping into your squat and then bounce back out of it with minimal effort. If you can master this, shock absorption in box jumps will become much easier. Shock Absorption If your knees and hips do not absorb the forces arising from box jumps, they will be forced downwards, causing a collapse of the ankle and foot. Alternatively, they may shunt up into the sacroiliac or hip joint. Smooth and coordinated hip and knee bending make the vertical forces to flow down and out. If at the hip and knee, this motion is blocked, the pelvis will stop moving downwards, and this will cause the force from above to crash into your lower back. To stay injury free and to prevent stress in your joints, it is important to concentrate on your box jump form to ensure you are in the right frame to undertake this CrossFit exercise.

CrossFit athletes have varying diet goals with some leaning on the side paleo while others on counting macros. Whatever your side, one thing you need to do is to get your plan right away so that you enhance your chances of success. One of the ways to ensure clean eating is through meal prep. Meal prepping involves buying food for a defined period which could be days or weeks or even a month ahead, preparing meals, and storing them in a freezer. The benefit of this is that planning gives you a higher chance of sticking to your CrossFit diet plan and lowers the possibility of falling off the rails. Advantages of Meal Prepping There are many advantages you are likely to enjoy meal prepping. Some of them include: Time Management Taking time during weekends to prepare your meals for the next couple of days goes a long way in helping you save time as you come home from the gym or work. All you need to do is to pop the food into the microwave and its ready to eat. This gives you more time to concentrate on your CrossFit workouts and even workplace thus boosting productivity and performance. Discourages Unhealthy Eating Making dinner when you are exhausted makes the whole experience unexciting which to some extent can push you into junk or improper food preparation. Cost Efficiency When you buy in bulk, you end up saving a lot by getting discounts and offers. Also, the huge figure sitting at the bottom of the receipt will make you think twice about unnecessary purchases which again help you in reducing the overall cost. Buying food for the entire week limits extra spending on certain cravings that you may have from meal to meal and this slashes further your expenditure. Useful Tips for Meal Prepping To succeed in meal prepping, there are a few elements you need to integrate into your routine. Some of them are: Planning Ahead It is important you devote around 10 to 15 minutes to come up with a solid food list covering the length of time under consideration. In your planning, include substitute food options to stand in for some items of stock just in case they become unavailable. Get Quality Containers Because of the food volume, you will need a lot of containers for storage. When budgeting for this, you should also include a couple of other containers that you can carry with you to work or the gym. This is a good practice in CrossFit nutrition. Glass containers are the best, but you must take care of them well. Take Time to Prepare Your Meals Spending a good time in the kitchen baking, boiling, and frying can be exciting if you plan on it well. Even if you don’t enjoy the exercise, have the bigger picture in mind. It is not necessary that you do all the cooking at one go, but you can allocate time for every round of cooking. For instance, you can decide to start with vegetables and your meats in one session and then plan for another session for the other foods.For CrossFit beginners in meal prepping, there are lots of trial and errors, but ultimately you will develop a method which works well for you. Get a little bit more creative as you progress.

These three CrossFit workouts are usually short and super intense. They are a combination of gymnastics, sprints, ply metrics and Olympic weightlifting. There is always plenty of good reasons people keep coming back for more of these. The CrossFitters’ workouts of the day (WOD) are normally done in groups; points measured and recorded just like a sport. This encourages friendly competition and acts as a motivation.It’s almost always that after just 10 weeks of intensive training which includes lifts like the squat, deadlift, the clean, snatch and overhead press are usually performed as quickly as possible. Here are three that will really challenge but keep you yearning for more. Fran Fran is undeniably one of the most popular and dreaded workouts of the day. To do it successfully, you need to be in a standing position holding a barbell against your shoulders. Gently squat and keep the bar at shoulder level. All this while your palms should be facing up, elbows extended out. Rise again to your standing posture as you keep thrusting the weight over your head into a push press. Do these use a rapid burst of motion? Eliminate routine by performing 21 reps, countered by 21 pull-ups in a 21-15-9 scheme. Annie Annie is one CrossFit workout that makes you able to crank out 150 of the wild double-under. Most people pick it up almost immediately, while others find that they need more practice to master the trick.To do it, you are going to need a jump rope; about chest height as you stand on it. Now start jumping with both feet together. To do a double-under in the process, jump a bit higher and then turn the rope twice as fast so that it can go under your feet twice before it lands. Once you can work your way up to several double-under in a row, you’re set for the Annie. Angie WOD This is a straightforward CrossFit workout that combines basic bodyweight exercises for that intense full-body workout. You need to complete all reps of one exercise before you move onto the next workout. Angie, combined with Fran, it should be an awesome WOD, this means you can use it to keep track of how much you have progressed over time.

Most beginners who sign up for CrossFit show up with some preconceived notions about CrossFit workouts and how generally the experience will be. Some of them have watched videos and read articles on the rigorous nature of CrossFit workouts and tend to be a little bit worried and scared. However, CrossFit has another face, especially for beginners. Instead of putting newbies through a thorough and high-intensity training experience, trained CrossFit professionals ease their students into the program in a smooth way so that they can have the inspiration to come back. The following are some of the basic tips on how to embrace CrossFit and keep it going through and through. Positivity and Patience The initial months of CrossFit are certainly the toughest. This is because a majority of the movements are new and the anaerobic training is somewhat uncomfortable. To go through the startup stage is for you to be focused and have faith in the CrossFit program. Listen carefully to your coach to have an understanding of the basic movements and how to follow their cues. Make Attendance and Punctuality Your First Mission Your first goal should be to show up daily or according to the schedule. In the beginning, most people do not have an idea of their physical form to set any meaningful CrossFit goal. With attendance and punctuality, you become aware of the movements and how to flow well in the CrossFit gym. This helps you in coming up with personalized goals. Feed Your Body System CrossFit is characterized by a mixture of high intensity and lifting metabolic training. This places huge and tremendous demands on your body for muscle tissue rebuilding and energy. In most training, the coach introduces a tailored nutrition program that works in combination with the workouts to enable you to achieve your long-term goals. The observation most coaches make of beginners is that they fail to fuel their body systems adequately. It is important you eat enough to balance out your nutrition needs. Pay Attention to Technique It is scientifically proven that it requires about 550 reps to establish a motor pattern. On the other hand, you require approximately 5,500 reps to unrun a bad habit. Instead of focusing on heavy weight or speed, your attention should be on mastering the techniques involved in learning basic movements. Once you learn the technique, it will naturally pave the way for much greater gains. Work on Your Muscle Soreness As the training loads more demanding functional movements and the intensity move towards the peak, muscle soreness may set in. The impact this has is to make you stop the training which unfortunately can reverse the gains you have made. Muscle soreness is part of the CrossFit game and as such, you ought to learn how to manage it. You can buy a foam roller for in-house workouts and after your CrossFit class, remain behind for about 10 minutes to stretch before leaving.To add to the above tips, ensure you set long-term goals to help you sustain energy and make CrossFit more satisfying. In this way, your CrossFit for beginners experience will be one of the most rewarding.

CrossFit is a workout based on functional movements. It provides the ability for the muscles to perform real-life challenges with high intensity. It is developed to enhance an individual’s competency at all physical tasks. With the help of it, athletes get trained to perform successfully at diverse, multiple, and randomized physical challenges. CrossFit is certainly a great way to stay fit and get some variety for those who already have a strong base and solid aerobic. How is CrossFit Training Different? CrossFit is one of the efficient ways to get in shape whether you are a sedentary desk jockey or a world-class athlete. The training will be different in weight and endurance, but the approach is same, and everybody can improve in the ten generally recognized physical skills: Cardiovascular and respiratory endurance Stamina Speed Agility Power Accuracy Coordination Flexibility Balance Strength Benefits of CrossFit Training: The intense CrossFit workouts help in weight loss. It will release lactic acid and also boost metabolic rate. You will be able to burn calories for about 12 to 14 hours after your workout, depending on how intense it was. The CrossFit training helps to tone your muscles. When you lose the fat, your body will look toned, and the jiggly bits that used to be the bane of your existence will melt away revealing a svelte or sinewy body, depending on your gender. CrossFit helps thousands of people to have fantastic body transformations. It increases strength, stamina, and energy that not only improves your fitness level but also built up your confidence level.   CrossFit is more than just a training program. It takes a lot of willpower since it is challenging. Many people who try it, give up easily. However, those who go with it for 2 to 3 months will notice how beneficial it is. Once you see your excess fat is decreasing and your muscles starting to show, you will be motivated and include each CrossFit workout in your routine with excitement.