While keeping yourself adequately hydrated is important year-round it is critical during the hot and humid Summer months. With temperatures expected to be in the triple-digits later this week I felt it was timely to post the following image. REMEMBER - drink early and drink often... if you are already thirsty then it's going to be that much harder to re-hydrate.
Tearing up your hands is almost a right of passage when it comes to CrossFit training. Check out pretty much any boxes Website and you'll see a lot of pictures of torn and bloody hands. Not pretty and not necessarily exciting for potential or new training partners to see!
You're going to encounter a WOD that is going to push you harder and farther that you ever expected and then it happens - that little callus you had on your hand turns into a blister and then tears! ARGH!?!?! Here comes that tape and the New Skin... for the next couple WODs at least.
So how do you avoid this? Well, you could wear gloves - but I don't want to go into that conversation right now. The other alternative is to maintain your hands so that the calluses you have don't creat friction points on your hands. There are a lot of sites that will help you keep your hands smooth and minimize the profile of the callus. Check out the results from a Google Search for some good info.
Another option is to change your grip. Cortney Seaman forwarded to me this article from the CrossFit Journal about how to change your grip to save your hands. It's well worth the few minutes it will take to read it.
BTW - with the heat and humidity hear in the Washington, DC area you are going to have WODs that mess with your hands. Do the best you can and don't tear up your hands if you can avoid it... there's nothing worse than brushing your teeth with your feet for a few days to convince you that it's time to take hand-care seriously!
Could this be why CrossFit is so popular with teachers? :)
Woe be unto you if you fail to recognize that mobility is the key to moving forward physically and in mastering old and new skills. While I personally have a good strength background and overall excellent flexibility, I have some mobility issues that have been plaguing me for years. God Bless Dr. Dorothy Dalton, who went to a two-day workshop this past weekend and came back with a whole new bag of exercises and remediations to hopefully get me moving better than ever.
I'm sure that you have some nagging mobility issue that you are either ignoring outright or lying to yourself that it's not a problem. Hoping they'll go away isn't going to slove the problem and they don't go away by themselves. Can't touch your toes without cheating? Shoulders so tight that you can't overhead press? Hamstrings so tight that you can't fully squat? Address them now and address them fully - you will be a better athlete and a better person for it.
The following video (while not one of Kelly's best produced) deals with an issue that I share with many of you - T-spine mobility:
This video shows a nice method to wrap your hands to protect them during Pull-ups and Kettlebell Snatches. I would make a couple small changes to the process but as a whole it looks like a good method to start with. If you're having trouble doing this yourself please ask John or I to help you out - we'd be glad to!
I recently gave a presentation on the problems surrounding obesity here in the United States and its impact on everything from the environment to the economy. The following graphic gives some startling information on how obesity is affecting the World... we are going to be facing a worldwide catastrophe in the very near future if we don't turn this around.
What is the one thing you can do that will help you:
It's simple - manage your food intake, exercise, sleep and get rid of the gut! :)
The 2012 CrossFit Games are right around the corner and the world will be watching! Last years Games were broadcast on ESPN2 and simulcast on the CrossFit website. An indication that this years games are going to be even bigger than last year is that spectator tickets have been sold out since last week...
To get up-to-date information about the games go to the CrossFit website and watch for promos on ESPN and in major magazines.
There is a lot of information on sleep deprivation available on the Web but I think a pictures is worth more than a thousand links! Check out the full-size graphic here to see how sleep affects your whole body.
The CFK Birthdaty WOD for June will be held on Friday June 15, 2012 at 0500 PM.
Following the workout will be a family-style cookout. We will have a couple grills setup for you to throw some meat on... I think Jeffrey will be bringing some homemade margaritas to share! :) Please bring something to toss on the grill and something to share... we're even going to have a birthday cake for dessert!
June Birthdays: