CrossFit Athletic Group

Some of the best gains we can get in CrossFit come from coordination and body awareness. We practice this both while moving and in static positions. During a deadlift, for example, most of the coordination comes from being aware of where our spine is at all times and not allowing any movement. In a double under we need to get the hands and feetmoving in a rhythm.

There is a common saying in sports (which, I think, originated in the Marines) that says something along the lines of, "smooth is fast." Sometimes, especially within workouts, it's easy to get caught in a rush with whatever movement you're doing. On Friday's workout we used both burpee variations to practice flow - meaning connecting one movement to the next. I did not want a sprint, but rather a methodical pace that had zero pauses as any point.

On the flipside, the GHD portion of the workout gave us an opportunity to practice coordination of our spine. Sit-ups and hip extensions called for a neutral midline to stay in tact, while the hip-back extension combo that a few people performed looked for control in a different motion. The 6:30 session had Jay and Mr. Carey doing the latter while Mrs. Carey and Mrs. Nevarez did regular hip extensions. All three of them used the rolling lunge to get up from the candlestick and skipped the handstand part to preserve flow, while Jay did the traditional candlestick and practiced a tuck-up to a handstand. Here's how they looked.