Make Your Shoulder to Overhead Reps More Efficient
Video by Justin Wright

Whether you want to move a barbell quickly from your shoulders to overhead (STO), or you are going for a heavy set, technique and position both have a huge impact on your success. Being off track even just a millimeter with the path of the bar can be disastrous.

Common Shoulder to Overhead (STO) Mistake

Where we often see a breakdown in technique and position is when the athlete brings the bar from the overhead position back down to the shoulders for the next rep. Most athletes do a good job of focusing on punching the bar UP in a straight line but don’t always apply the same technique when bringing the bar down and back to their shoulders for the next rep, leading to the rep being received and started from a lower and lower position down the chest. This is not an ideal pressing position nor does it provide for power or precision. Plus, it will unnecessarily and rapidly exhaust you.

Drill for Correcting Shoulder to Overhead (STO) Mistake

In this video, Coach Justin Wright gives you two tips. One for speed that will help you crush your STO and while conserving energy for whatever else it is combined with in your workout. And one that can be applied to your next lifting session that includes any kind of shoulder to overhead sets.

For the drill: Use a PVC pipe or empty barbell. Remember, this is a drill and we are trying to perfect your technique, not max out.

Front Rack Position

Start with the bar in the front rack position. The front rack position for STO movements is with the elbows slightly lower than the front squat but still out in front of the bar. The bar should be resting on your shoulders and your deltoids should be creating a pad for the bar so that it is not resting on your collar bones. This is the position you should come back to after every rep. Pull and control the bar back to this position each time. That will not only line you up perfectly for the next rep, it will also allow you to cycle the barbell more quickly if you so choose.

Complete your choice of shoulder to overhead. This could be strict press, push press, push jerk, even split jerk.

Elbows Forward Position

From the overhead position – THIS IS THE KEY to this drill – keep your elbows pointed forward while pull the bar back down to your starting position.

Now apply this technique to your workouts. For heavy sets, focusing on this allows you to not have to readjust between reps. When you are cycling STO in a metcon workout, focusing on this allows you to move smoothly, conserve energy and speed up your reps.

Start working on this now – we will surely see some sort of shoulder to overhead in the CrossFit Open this year!

How to Prepare for the 2020 CrossFit Open

Check out our variety of online programs – we offer complete Open prep for all athletes plus supplemental programs for gymnastics, weightlifting, strength, your engine, and more!

The post Make Your Shoulder to Overhead (STO) More Efficient appeared first on Invictus Fitness.

One of the main criticisms of CrossFit is that it is dangerous and you will get hurt doing it. Skeptics often accuse CrossFit of “causing back injuries,”. They say that the heavy weightlifting of puts your spine at unnecessary risk. However, contrary to the critics’ beliefs, lifting weights— heavy weights— is one of the best things you can do to support your skeleton.

Wolff’s Law

Wolff’s Law essentially means “use it or lose it.” More specifically this law refers to “use it or lose it,” in regards to the skeletal framework of the human body.

Wolff’s Law states that in a healthy individual will adapt to the loads that their body is placed under. If the loading on a particular bone increases, the bone will remodel itself to be stronger in order to support that load.

The inverse (the “lose it”) of this law in true: as loading decreases, bone density will decrease and become weaker due to the lessened stimulus.

Is Weightlifting Good for Your Spine?

Weightlifting puts increased load on the skeleton which leads to the adaptation of stronger bones — i.e. Wolff’s law. These adaptive benefits include the strengthening of the spine. If you put your spine under load it will become stronger.

Increase in strength is beneficial because as you age your discs and vertebrae naturally degenerate. The fluid-filled jelly-donut center of the discs lose water, while the skeletal structure of your vertebrae become weaker.

Specifically what happens is that he cancellous bone (spongy, inner part of the vertebrae) loses its structural integrity while, coticial bone (hard, outer part of the vertebrae) become more porous and brittle. The combination of disc and vertebral degeneration leads to a myriad of back problems — from fractures to disc herniations.

Having a spinal problem is not a matter of IF, but WHEN as you get older if you don’t include weight-bearing exercise into your routine. By weightlifting and putting your spine under load, you can increase your bone density which will increase the length of time you have healthy vertebrae. You can actually slow down the degenerative process through weightlifting, and decrease the risk of compression fractures from osteoporosis.

Proper Weightlifting for Spinal Strength

Although lifting weights is good for your bones, poor movement patterns are not. It is important to understand that putting your spine under load is incredibly beneficial, given you have adequate mobility and correct movement mechanics. Lifting weights does not cause injuries, improper movement patterns do.

Always ensure you are moving safely before increasing the load you are lifting. Create the proper foundation through mobility and bodyweight movements, and increase the load once you have mastered the basics.

Tips for Basic Weightlifting Exercises

Check out this article on the proper deadlift set-up position and this one on the deadlift pull from the knees to the hips. If you love to squat, here is a drill you should master before you begin adding load – Squat Therapy. Use it as a warm-up, activation drill, and as a prescription for the cure to your squatting woes.

Doing things properly and progressively will ensure your longevity in CrossFit as well as the longevity of your spine health.

The post Wolff’s Law: Weightlifting is Good For Your Bones appeared first on Invictus Fitness.

Clean Drill to Relax & Keep it Close
Video by Justin Wright

Common Mistakes in the Clean

There are a handful of “mistakes” that are also the byproducts of trying to muscle through your cleans. If you commonly face one or more of these issues, try out this drill and see if it doesn’t correct the other parts of your lift by setting you up to use your powerful legs to their potential.

1. Not Keeping the Bar Close on the 2nd Pull

Your super-stiff arms are actually helping the bar swing out and away from your hips – not allowing you to properly explode to your finish and putting you in a terrible position to receive the weight for which you will likely have to overcompensate to hit. (See next point)

2. Leaning Back too Far in the Finish/Catching the Bar Too High

Because the bar is way out in front of you, you overcompensate with an extreme lean back in your finish position (top of the 2nd pull). Now you are leaning back as far as you can in mid-air and have to get yourself down and under the bar to receive it in the bottom of a front squat. But you can’t quite get there and land high instead of pulling under.

3. Having Trouble Getting Elbows Through

Because your arms are so stiff and your elbows are locked out from your death grip, they can’t move as fast around the bar and your range of motion in your front rack position is likely reduced, making it harder to get into a good receiving position.

Clean Drill: Vertical Dip & Drive with Relaxed Arms

When you set up in this drill, place your feet under your hips and make sure your torso is upright.

Dip and drive while practice keeping arms loose and transferring energy from legs through the shoulders, teaching yourself to drive through the legs to power the lift instead of pulling with the shoulders and arms.

Now, dip and drive then shrug your shoulders behind you at the top. Focus on loose arms but pulling back on the bar with your lats to keep it close to your body as you shrug and explode to your finish position.

Once you can feel the power with the relaxed arms and are able to keep the bar close to your hips on the drive and shrug, perform a few reps of cleans and see if any of your issues have been fixed!

Start working on this now – we will surely see some sort of shoulder to overhead in the CrossFit Open this year!

How to Prepare for the 2020 CrossFit Open

Check out our variety of online programs – we offer complete Open prep for all athletes plus supplemental programs for gymnastics, weightlifting, strength, your engine, and more!

The post Clean Drill to Relax & Keep it Close appeared first on Invictus Fitness.

Snatch Drill to Prepare You for the CrossFit Open

Video by Ricky Moore

The Open is just around the corner and we bet our bottom dollar that we will see snatches of some sort – whether they be in a 1RM ladder or as a part of a barbell cycling workout. In Olympic lifting, technique is everything. So whether you’re going for a new 1RM or for speed, check out what Coach Lil’ Ricky Moore has to say about the Snatch Liftoff Drill, why he loves to use it with his athletes, and what to look for to make sure yours is perfect so that you can crush your Open workout with ease.

More Snatch Technique Drills

The liftoff is highly important to successful snatching but there are many other technique drills you might consider based on where you think your weaknesses lie. Here are some other articles to check out – each talks about a different important piece of the snatch and how to practice the technique to improve your lift.

The Beginner’s Guide to Snatching is a great place to start if you are very new to Olympic weightlifting and want to learn about what the basic positions are first before deciding on what your weaknesses are.

The Proper Starting Position For Olympic Weightlifting is an article you might want to check out if you think the liftoff is one of your issues. The start position should be the same every time before you start your liftoff – this article tells you how to find your position.

Barbell Cycling Strategies: Ground to Overhead contains a detailed description of best strategies for getting a barbell from the floor to over your head as quickly as possible (AQAP). Typically, if your strength and technique allow, snatching is the fastest way to do this.

How To Overcome The Mental Aspect Of Weightlifting Do you get psyched out when attempting a new PR? What if the PR weight “feels” heavy & slow? How we think determines how we behave. This article takes a look at how you can improve your mental game when going after a big lift!

Looking for more ways to prepare for the 2020 CrossFit Games Season? Check out our variety of online programs – we offer complete Open prep for all athletes plus supplemental programs for gymnastics, weightlifting, strength, your engine, and more!

The post Snatch Liftoff Drill: Practice Perfect Position appeared first on Invictus Fitness.

Horizontal Rows: Tips for Engaging Your Lats
Video by Kirsten Ahrendt

A common fault we see in horizontal pulling movements like dumbbell rows, bent-over barbell rows, ring rows, and others is that the athlete’s shoulder rolls forward at the end of the pull. When what we want is for the shoulder to stay set back tight, without any rolling or movement within the joint.

When this fault does happen, it could mean a couple of things. One, the athlete could be missing internal rotation of the shoulder. Or, two, the athlete is missing a mind-body connection to engaging and pulling with the back and there is an overreliance in pulling with the bicep and trap.

Some cues we like to use to correct this are:

1) Loosen your death grip. Pretend you have Captain Hook hands.
2) Imagine you’re pulling your elbow behind your body rather than pulling your shoulder to the implement (rings, dumbbells, etc.)
3) Slow it down or lighten the load!

Check out the video where Coach Kirsten explains how to make the mind-body connection and use the cues above to make sure your lats are being used to their max.

The post Horizontal Rows: Tips for Engaging Your Lats appeared first on Invictus Fitness.

How to Properly Use the Stretch Reflex in the Squat
Video by Hunter Britt

Do you know what a “stretch reflex” is? What about how to properly use it? In this video, Coach Hunter discusses how to properly use the stretch reflex to help you out of the bottom of your squat and talks about common faults and how to avoid them. Get more great coaching tips for your lifts and accessory work from Coach Hunter when you join our online 8-Week Strength program!

THE NEXT CYCLE OF THE INVICTUS 8-WEEK STRENGTH PROGRAM STARTS AUGUST 19TH!

Monday, August 19th starts our next 8-Week Strength Program with Coach Hunter Britt. This is your last chance to focus on strength before the 2020 CrossFit Open season!

We open limited spots each cycle, so get signed up to reserve your spot!

The program includes:

– 8 weeks of a 5-day/week strength programming including video demos of movements.

– Weekly video reviews and feedback from Hunter.

– Primary focus on the squat, deadlift, overhead press and bench press.

– Secondary focus on Olympics Lifts and accessory lifts.

– Access to programming and ability to post results and feedback, as well as track results.

GET STRONGER NOW!

The 8-Week Strength Program has accessory lifts programmed daily. Hunter explains why accessory lifts are vital to your strength foundation.

The post How to Properly Use the Stretch Reflex in the Squat appeared first on Invictus Fitness.

The Complete Snatch Warm-Up
Video by Nick Hawkes

If you’ve ever snatched, you know that mobility restrictions can make all the difference in whether you can properly, and safely, set up for and receive a snatch. Try this warm-up before your next snatch session to address the mobility and activation of shoulders, thoracic, and hips through not only stretching, but a controlled rotation of each joint to increase rotation, range of motion and to get everything firing.

Also Check Out…
How to Become Snatchtastic
How To Overcome The Mental Aspect of Weightlifting

The post The Complete Snatch Warm-Up appeared first on Invictus Fitness.

I’ve never really been a great squatter. You could blame femur length, ankle or hip mobility, and go down the rabbit hole of why it’s not great. However, it’s been a lifelong pursuit to become a great squatter. I work on my squat just about every day (probably more than I should) in some way shape or form. I don’t get defeated when I can’t squat as fast as others or when I can’t stay as upright or if I can’t squat as much load. I view each squat as an opportunity to get better because the magic lies in the perspective. Two major takeaways that I’d like to share with you all are (because these can really benefit anyone):

Upper Back Strength Plays an Important Role in Squatting
For many of us, our legs are plenty strong to squat heavy loads, but one of the things I see often is the changing of shapes as the load is being moved. By incorporating horizontal pulling (ring rows, bent over rows, bat wing holds) and lots of strict pull-ups, I find that my upper back is stronger and more stable to efficiently transfer force from the legs, through the bridge (being the core and upper back) to the load located on either the front, back, or overhead position. This would be a great example of the core to extremity principle.

Tempo is of the Utmost Importance
By owning shapes and controlling the load through each point of the lift, I have found that I become more familiar with the appropriate muscle groups being used and the appropriate shapes for force transfer. When we squat fast, we travel through places but never stay the night to visit. This is very similar to always relying on Google maps while traveling. We travel through places but never really get the lay of the land. Tempo and pauses help to familiarize the body, the mind, and the nervous system with where to go, what to do, and how it will feel.

I am proud to say that I am a constant work in progress and these are two tidbits that have helped me a lot in my journey towards becoming the best version of me. I hope they are just as helpful if not more helpful for you. Namaste squatters.

The post Squatting Tips for Tall Athletes appeared first on Invictus Fitness.

Deficit Deadlifts – Why We Use them & How to Do Them
Video by Hunter Britt

This can be a challenging movement for some – that extra couple of inches the bar must travel at the beginning of the pull requires good mobility in the lower extremities and also the spine. But if executed properly, Deficit Deadlifts can be immensely rewarding in the form of strength gains and PRs in the long run.

That longer pull from the floor and additional range of motion (ROM) is one of the main reasons we prescribe this lift to our athletes as it is often the weakest link in deadlifts. With the longer distance to pull also comes increased time under tension (TUT) and increased TUT = increased strength gains.

Due to the increased ROM and positioning, don’t attempt to lift as much as you would for your regular deadlift. Instead, start with a much lower weight – even 50% or less – to practice the movement first. Then, expect to use anywhere from 60-80% of your deadlift for a given workout.

Remember that the point is to make you stronger, not to injure you. So if you are unable to set up and pull safely from the Deficit Deadlift position, choose another version for now but make it a goal to address the issues that are keeping you from being able to do so like the hips, ankles, calves and thoracic.

Check out the video where Invictus Athlete Coach, Hunter Britt, shows you how to set up for and execute Deficit Deadlifts and gives you a few focus points so you can make sure your lifting is to your advantage.

The post Deficit Deadlifts – Why We Use them & How to Do Them appeared first on Invictus Fitness.

How to Set Up for Posted Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts
Video by Kim McLaughlin

If you’ve been following the Performance or Fitness Programs lately, you’ve already become familiar with the Posted Single-Leg Deadlift. We’ve heard that some of you are feeling these in your lower back and want to make sure you are set up correctly and are properly performing the movement to avoid any pain or discomfort (other than that felt from the pure difficulty of this lift).

This version of the Romanian Deadlift is performed with the back leg posted on a wall or the upright portion of a squat rack. The posted single-leg deadlift encourages both glute and hamstring engagement and development.

The first thing you need to check is your set-up position. Making sure you are in the proper position will ensure that you are well balanced on your standing leg and that your glutes and hamstrings are engaged. Line yourself up so you can bring your foot to the wall behind you. The foot on the wall should be flat against the wall and below the crease of the knee. Squeeze your butt cheek and drive your foot into the wall so your leg stays engaged. This will also help you maintain balance so that you aren’t twisting around when you hinge.

Dial in on the hamstring and glute of the leg on the floor. To do this, play with shifting your weight around in your foot (front to back) to see where you feel it (your glute or hamstring). Then decide where you are getting the most benefit and least amount of pain in the lower back. Also, consider the intent of the current cycle and day’s workout.

Just like any other form of the deadlift, hinge just to the point before your back starts to bend (probably around 90 degrees for most people). You still need to push your hips back and keep a big chest by squeezing your shoulder blades together, just like you would with the traditional deadlift. If you need to, have a coach or friend cue you when you start to round (or shoot a video if you don’t have a training buddy). Then train yourself on what that position feels like and how to stop just short of that point.

Onward to enjoying posterior chain gains!

The post How to Set Up for Posted Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts appeared first on Invictus Fitness.