WOD's at 6a, 9a, 11a, 3p, 430p, 530p, 630p.
CrossFit Football at 530p.
Thursday was another Technique day. We worked on a few Snatch drills, then hit a 5-5-5 of Snatch balance with a focus on tecnique. I wonder what might be slated for Friday. Hmmm.......
(pay attention at about 1:10 into the video)And in case you missed it, here is an article on the Squat.
The Squat
by Kevin Suttmoeller
Why is it that we do so many squats at CrossFit Redding? Well, it's a VERY basic skill that we must possess to get through life. It is used extensively on a daily basis when we stand up and sit down (going to the bathroom is a great example). If you doubt the importance of this movement, all you need to qualify it's necessity is observe movement patterns of the elderly. Seeing a person struggle to get up from the sitting position is enough to realize the importance of this move. You generally see these folks using a rocking forward motion and/or pushing themselves up with their arms so they can get their center-of-balance over the balls of the feet. In a nutshell, a persons mobility is severely affected if unable to drive through the heels. This is the reason we repeatedly stress the the point to "get back on those heels!" We want to increase the force production capacity of the posterior chain (which includes primarily the glutes and hamstrings) so that we maintain our strength to move.
Another heavily debated point about the simple Squat is how deep to go. We instruct EVERYONE to work towards getting a depth that will bring the Upper Leg (Femur) to break parallel with the floor. Unfortunately the general public has been misinformed about the "Deep Squat" and the information given has generally been from the "Medical Professional" that doesn't understand the movement themselves, citing that it puts "too much stress on the knee joint". I would agree with these professionals ONLY if a persons weight is distributed on the front of the foot. If however a person is coached properly to distribute their bodyweight over the heels, then what occurs in a "Deep Squat" (with a natural lumbar curve intact) is the hamstrings engage and stabilize the tibia into the joint, actually making the knee more stable. On a related note, the flexibility of the hips and legs can dramatically affect our squatting ability and movements in general. There are numerous reasons for this, but primarily our furniture and lazy habits have gotten us into trouble. Take a look at the picture below. This is a random picture I took while in China in 2008. A river just a few yards from the BMX track that we were at shows a culture that has NOT lossed the capacity to squat. There are Ten people in this picture. Three adults and a child are in a FULL-SQUAT (femur way below parallel) stance. Then another adult is sitting crossed-legged; and my assumption is that the others could do the same. Let's take a little lesson from the Chinese, open up those tight hips, and "GO SQUAT!"
We are not saying that you need to squat with a bunch of weight on your back, but it is VERY clear that this simple movement be learned properly and used extensively to increase your mobility, strength, and capacity to live a long vital life.
Pollution begins in the mind
~Wallace Black Elk (Lakota Elder)
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