CrossFit Athletic Group

For this Sunday only, the session times will be as follows:

10 am (babies)

11 am (team workout)

So basically move the regular team workout back an hour, and the babies are going right before. Next Sunday back to normal times.

We really exaggerate the concept of midline stability at the Champions Club with regards to movements like the deadlift, back squat, and push-up. We have you guys start from a neutral position and maintain that throughout the entire range of motion. The more reps, load, and duration you're able to do that, the stronger your "core" gets. Plain and simple.

One thing to realize, however, is that we don't necessarily have to be in a neutral anatomical position to keep midline stability. A hollow rock, for instance, is not in a neutral position at all. Midline stability simply means that you don't change your spine unless you want to. In other words, midline stability is the coordination to control your spinal positions. Strict pull-ups are a great way to practice this.

Below we have Conor Fitzgerald, who may have snuck out of his house before doing the dishes to be at this session. You'll see the first pull-up is a controlled flexed (hollow) position and the second is in a controlled extended (arched) position; he starts that way and remains the same. On the last one he breaks - which would be a loss of midline stability.

Use the warm-up as time to practice control over these shapes and try to be aware of what exact shape you are in all the time.