Chest to bar pull-ups is one of the common CrossFit movements athletes should familiarize themselves with. To do them, you need some strength in place as well as technique. If you have been struggling to do chest to bar pull-ups or you want to add them to your CrossFit workout routine, here are some tips to help you improve. Explore Different Options Previously, these pull-ups have been paired with thrusters. Whether you are training for the competition or just for your personal fitness, it is good to try out different options on the chest to bar pull-ups. There are two main options worth trying, the first being palm facing towards and the other palm facing away. The first option is called regular pull-ups while the second is chin ups. Both of these options are legitimate and highly recommended in CrossFit training. Other options you may explore include kipping, butterfly, and strict. In between these options, you should know when to drop off the bar so that your energy is not wasted in failed reps. Developing Your Kipping/ Butterfly Technique Compared to the kipping chest to bar pull-ups, butterfly chest to bar pull-ups are much quicker and efficient. Try as much as you can to keep tight through your legs and torso. If you want to do butterfly chest to bar pull-ups in a more efficient way, try remaining tight throughout your torso instead of doing big circles or cycling backward. Get Enough Strength If for some reason you cannot successfully do chest to bar pull-ups CrossFit exercises, you may need to start with eccentric pull-ups. Begin practicing eccentric pull-ups on a box and gradually lower yourself to the bottom. After that, pull up back to the starting position and stick to about 5 sets. This will help you get sufficient strength to execute chest to bar pull-ups with much ease. Toes Up or Pointed If you are working out from a purist point of view, you may prefer to keep your toes pointed. However, from a physio viewpoint, people require different strategies. For instance, if your back strength is better than your abdominal strength, toes up will give you better results because it will tension your anterior muscles. On the other hand, pointed toes activate your posterior muscles which are important for CrossFitters who have stronger abs and relatively weaker back muscles. The bottom line is to find out what exactly works for you and stick with that. All through your chest to bar CrossFit training program, ensure you engage your coach to enable you to identify and rectify areas of weaknesses. Most coaches won’t have a problem to tell you what to concentrate on and the additional exercises to undertake following your workouts. For beginners, one on one coaching sessions is invaluable because they help you realize what you are doing wrong and do it right.

In order to lose some pounds and build muscle mass, you need a diet low in carbs but high in proteins to sustain the growth of lean muscles. The importance of a high-protein CrossFit diet in weight loss has been the subject of debate because some researchers argue that these diets don’t work. Most Americans get 10 to 30% of their calorie needs from protein diets. The rest comes from animal proteins including cheese, meat, and eggs. How High-Protein Diets Work? When you cut out carbohydrates intake, your weight loss is much faster because you also lose water. With no extra carbs, the body slowly begins to burn more fat for fuel. In many individuals, this may lead to a condition known as ketosis that makes you feel less hungry hence lower chances of eating more. When setting a high-protein CrossFit nutrition plan, you should ensure the diet is low in fat and brings together some carbs. Ensure you avoid extreme high-protein diets containing huge helpings of fatty meals and not much of grains and vegetables. Some of the suggested foods in protein diets include: Lean Beef  A nice juicy steak has less of fat and more of proteins. According to research, lean beef contains almost half of the proteins you need as well as 10 other essential nutrients. It makes you feel fuller for longer and gives you the power to sustain activity and manage your weight. Apart from this, lean beef has iron and B vitamins that assist in the building of muscles and fueling an active lifestyle. Pork Just like lean beef, pork has plenty of protein and less of fat as long as you buy the right type. Top loin, tenderloin, sirloin steak, rib chops and shoulder blade steaks are much leaner and will give you all these nutritional benefits. Pork is a rich source of niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, phosphorous, vitamin B6, zinc and potassium. These nutrients have a significant impact on your body health as an athlete and help in the absorption of other nutrients. Fish Fish such as tuna and salmon contain omega 3 fatty acids which are invaluable to cardiac health. Being white meat, fish provides a healthy source of protein while keeping the fat level at a bare minimum. Soy Eating about 25 grams of soy protein on a daily basis can help lower the bad cholesterol. As an athlete, cholesterol levels can impede your CrossFit training performance by hindering the activity of the heart and blood circulation. For vegetarian athletes, soy can be an important source of proteins. In addition to the above foods, an athlete can benefit from low-cost proteins which include beans and low-fat dairy. For maximum effectiveness of protein diets, ensure you include fruits, veggies, and whole grains.

Pull-up bars are some of the favorite pieces of equipment for any serious CrossFitter looking to enhance his workout. You can have pull-up bars anywhere in your house, and this means you don’t have to visit the CrossFit gym to do your exercises necessarily. Some of the places you can build pull-up bars include at the doorway right outside your house, at the ceiling in your garage gym or the backyard of your house. Pull-up bars are an incredibly efficient piece of equipment and depending on how you use them; you can make the best out of them. That said, some gyms do not have this old-school piece of equipment simply because they have no idea what a pull-up bar can do. To inspire you, the following are some of the exercises you can do with just a pull-up bar and nothing else. Pull Ups These are amazing exercises for the upper body which work out your back muscles. They also strengthen your core muscles and arms, particularly as you master them and your form gets improved. Doing pull-ups is simple. With straight elbows, begin from a dead hang with your palms facing away from you. Keep your shoulders back and your chest up while your core is tightened. Gradually, pull yourself up until your chest comes into contact with the bar. There are lots of variations you can do including jumping pull-ups and flex hangs. If you feel you are not ready for pull-ups, it is advisable you go through some pull-up preparation or mastery sessions first. Burpees Pull Ups Compared to the basic pull up above, burpee pull-ups are more advanced and work on your pull up strength. They also up your heart rate so that pumping of blood to the muscles can be faster. To perform this CrossFit exercise, stand in front of the bar and then drop into a squat position. Let your hands be on the floor as you kick your back into a push-up position. Gradually, lower your body to the floor and do a full push up. Finally jump back to the squat position and up into the air as you do a pull-up. How hard burpee pull-ups are depended on the height of your pull-up bar. Chin Ups These exercises are known for working on your latissimus dorsi muscles as well as your biceps. When you perform chin-ups, your body tends to work together to pull you up to the bar. For this reason, they are categorized as all-around exercises. Like pull ups, chin ups have lots of other variations such as negatives, flex hangs, and jumping chin ups that you can do. L-Sits This exercise is often viewed as a parallette bars exercise and not necessarily as a pull-up bar CrossFit workout. When done through the pull-up bar, they can help enhance your core strength. Other workouts you may do using the pull-up bar include the muscle ups, hanging leg raises, knees to elbows, and hanging knee raises.

It is commonplace to see gym goers using weighted balls to CrossFit exercises. These balls are versatile and often used to target certain fitness aspects such as explosive power, strength, and conditioning. Exercise balls come in 3 categories which include medicine balls, slam balls, and wall balls. For a person who regularly uses them in the CrossFit gym, telling them apart is a no-brainer. However, for a newbie, it can be quite a challenge differentiating them. If you have been wondering how each ball is suitable for your unique workout situation, read along. Wall Balls As the name suggests, wall balls are used in exercises which is some way incorporates walls. These balls have been designed in such a manner as to absorb the impact of the collision with a rigid surface. Wall balls are often larger and made of vinyl with a padded outer layer thereby making them visible and convenient to catch while exercising. Some of the activities that incorporate a wall ball include wall squats, wall throws, and wall sit-ups. The ball is often thrown at a wall, bounces back into the hands of the person exercising, and then thrown back repeatedly. The main reason why wall balls are used is to enhance the experience and effects of the particular workout. Regarding weight, the ball ranges from 2 to 50 pounds and regarding size, it varies from anything to the size of a beach ball. Wall balls can also be used to improve the result of CrossFit exercises using bodyweight by only holding the ball. If you want to increase the difficulty level of core exercises such as lunges, sit-ups, and squats, use these balls. Slam Balls Of all the balls mentioned, slam balls are considered the heaviest and the most durable. The outer layer of these balls is made of tough rubber, thereby enabling them to withstand constant throwing on all manner of ground surfaces. Being solid balls, slam balls have little if any rebound, therefore, making them efficient for workouts. The most popular workout which utilizes a slam ball is the ball slam. Here, the person exercising throws the ball to the ground while simultaneously doing a squat and after that picking it up and repeating the cycle. The reason why slam balls are included in CrossFit exercises is for the improvement of the cardiovascular fitness and the overall strength of the athlete. In numerous exercises such as lunges and squats, slam balls can also be used as free weights. However, when used in throwing exercises, they are most effective. Which is Better of the Two? Having seen what the slam ball and wall ball are designed to do and their unique features, the question remains, which is preferable to the other? When looking for a ball that is heavy-duty and which can withstand hard throws and different surfaces, then the slam ball carries the day. They are durable and best suited for activities involving ball throwing on hard surfaces. However, when it comes to workouts that require partner work or rebounding, the wall ball is the best. When enrolling in CrossFit training, the wall ball is often preferred because most of the exercises here are throwing exercises.

Carbohydrates are the backbone of sports nutrition. Endurance athletes around the world consume foods rich in carbohydrates to give them the energy to sustain their training over long periods. During CrossFit training, the muscles need fuel, and your brain needs the energy to maintain the focus throughout the training. In many types of sports, low carbohydrates intake is the major cause of fatigue and low performance. Carbohydrate Intake Patterns for Athletes The carbohydrates needs of athletes are tied closely to their muscle fuel costs imposed by the training intensity. Since the training load changes from one day to the next and at different points in the careers of the athletes, the dietary intake of carbohydrates ought to change also in response to the rise and fall in muscle fuel needs. Instead of having a fixed carbohydrate intake target, you should fine tune it to fit your energy budget. Athletes should also target days when they are training hard at high intensity to ensure they have adequate glycogen (muscle carbohydrates) store to fuel their training goals. One of the greatest suggestions to help you monitor your carbohydrate intake is to track your muscle fuel needs to include additional carbohydrate-rich foods in meals and snacks before or after a CrossFit workout. As the training needs increase, your carbohydrate intake should also increase proportionally. Carbohydrates intake targets should be provided in grams relative to the body mass of the athlete instead of a percentage of the total energy intake. The Training Load versus Carbohydrates Intake As pointed above, your training load should determine your level of carbohydrates intake. A light training load characterized by skill-based or low-intensity activities should be supported by 3 to 5 grams of carbohydrates intake per kilogram of body mass. Moderate exercise programs lasting about an hour a day should be supported by 5 to 7 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body mass per day. Endurance programs which include 3 to 5 hours per day of high-intensity training should be supported by 6 to 10 grams per kilogram of body mass per day. As for the very high training loads, the carbohydrates intake should be upped to 8 to 12 grams per kilogram of body mass to support the extreme commitment of high-intensity exercise. Many athletes train with low carbohydrate availability particularly when they do their training in the morning without breakfast or when they engage in a long workout without access to sports drinks or foods. When the exercise intensity is low, this may not be a problem. However, when they train more than once every day in closely spaced sessions, CrossFit diet sufficient in carbohydrates is needed to enhance the speed of recovery.

It is the time of the year when athletes change their CrossFit gear to put on sweatpants over their sports shorts and thick pullovers over their shirts. As the cold season gradually sets in, your priority as a CrossFit athlete should be to add new workouts to your program. If you are not going anywhere during the festive season, you can take advantage and build strength and toughness. That said, you will require dedication to wake up early in the morning and brave the chilly weather to get into the box for an early session. To become a tougher and disciplined athlete, ensure you train whatever the weather and keep off from excuses. The Benefit of Proper Warmups The quality of your warmup will be reflected in the quality of your workout. During winter, your body system will require additional time to ensure your heart rate is elevated to the level that gets the blood flowing to your extremities. Having the right clothing will speed up the warming up process and help preserve the heat your body creates. Ensure the fabric you get for your CrossFit clothes is breathable, has built-in insulation complete with a capacity to wick sweat away from your body. Despite the cold conditions, tough CrossFit workouts will make you sweat. If this sweat dampens your skin and clothes, it may lead to cold and sickness. This is why it is crucial to ensure your clothes have a sweat-wicking ability. Working Out in Chilly Conditions It can be very impressive dialing your training a notch higher as other people are running up and down getting ready to add more calories during the Christmas season. This is the perfect time to introduce your strongman exercises and enhance your weightlifting skills. The following workouts can help you do this. Workout 1 This consists of one squat, clean, and jerk with 125/90kg. You can also include 3 strict muscle ups and 5 burpees box jump overs. Do about 10 rounds each time. Workout 2  This comprises 4 power snatches with 60kg of weight, 8 bar muscle-ups, and 12 burpees. Aim for 7 rounds each. Workout 3 Do 3 rounds of this workout. The exercises include 5x strict weighted pull-ups and eccentric strict pull-ups. Rest for 10 seconds after each exercise and 3 minutes between rounds. Workout 4 This is a much simpler workout where you do a trail run. Choose anything from a 3, 5, or 10km distance in a scenic route to do your trail run. The countryside or hills can provide a good atmosphere laced with fresh cold air. Workout 5 Here, you do two rounds of rope climbs; bench presses with a 100kg of weight, 10kg weighted pull-ups, and 4-inch deficit HSPU. Rest for 2 minutes in between the individual exercises and 4 minutes after every round. If you get an opportunity, go for an outdoor swimming winter workout. It could be in a river, lake, or sea, but if you cant find one, you can opt for a swimming pool.

CrossFit and weightlifting are disciplines whose popularity is on the rise. For this reason, more companies than ever before are looking at demand in this space and producing weightlifting shoes and many other variations of them. Thanks to competition, prices of these CrossFit shoes are falling. As an athlete, you may be confused by the falling prices not to concentrate on the other factors that determine what quality weightlifting shoes should be like. The performance of weightlifting shoes is affected by anything from straps to lacing to fitting and heel height. In terms of utility, weightlifting shoes are specifically designed for snatching, clean, and jerking. On the other hand, cross-training shoes are for people who may want to do snatches, clean, or squats and thereafter run for about a quarter a mile without changing shoes. Whatever the case, the following factors should inform your shoe selection. The Fit Most weightlifting shoes won’t be comfortable the first time you wear them. You will notice their stiffness and the solid, raised heel may feel a bit weird when walking. This should not distract you from picking the shoes. With time, they will be just fine. Compared to your normal shoes, weightlifting shoes should be somewhat tighter and smaller. This will give you more control during a lift which will, in turn, result in more power transfer to the bar. Stiffness This quality is more of a personal preference and does not have a clear-cut line. You will come across shoes that are flexible in the forefoot while others will be extremely stiff. For the flexible ones, you can use them for clean and jerking and the stiff ones for snatching. Heel Height Compared to other types of shoes, weightlifting shoes tend to have a higher heel. The heel should be rock solid and preferably made of plastic or wood. The advantage of such heels is that they allow for as much power transfer through the floor as possible. Typically, the height of a shoe should be 0.75 inches. However, depending on the size of the shoe, this height may vary. Lifters with less flexibility may prefer shoes with a higher heel. The best way to pick the right heel is to go for one that makes your squat feel natural and keeps your torso vertical all through the squat. The Material When CrossFit training, the tension in your feet require shoes that are durable, but not very flexible. Another property is breathability of the shoe material. Most shoes come with at least one Velcro strap to secure your feet in place. This is important for control and power transfer as you lift. Weight Ideal weightlifting shoes should make you feel like you are planted on the ground. This is important for stability. At times, you may feel as if heavier shoes slow you down and as such opt for lighter shoes. It is important to go with your preferences, but don’t comprise on the heaviness much. All said and done, you have the final say as the lifter regarding the shoes you feel comfortable doing CrossFit workouts in. You may not exactly get the perfect equipment, but keep going to master your technique.

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.