The concept isn’t new. Conserve energy on decisions that don’t matter and save your precious time for what’s really important. Steve Jobs is famous for doing this with his wardrobe – wearing the same style turtleneck every single day. It became his trademark. It also helped afford him the ability to make decisions at the highest level without tiring.

Most of us aren’t on the level of Steve Jobs as far as our careers go, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not important for us to conserve energy and time for the things we love by eliminating the waste of both. Anyone can apply this method to their life in order to enrich it.

If you are reading this, your health is likely one of the highest priorities you hold. It’s probably also one of the things you let slip when life gets hectic. Finding that key to balance can be a challenge but one worth accepting. So how can you ‘pull a Jobs’ so living a healthy lifestyle isn’t a drain?

The first thing that might come to mind is to throw out your variety of clothes in exchange for one, signature outfit. This method has been done throughout history, which is evidenced by the closets of Fred Flintstone and also Superman.

But is it necessary? Perhaps.

How realistic is it? Unless you focus solely on doing this with your gym clothes, then probably not very.

However…this might not be such a bad idea for those who find themselves trying to match their gym shirt with their tall socks every day and then giving up on that AND attending class at the gym that night.

Instead, make a list of the things that you have to do each day that don’t bring you joy – the things that take time, energy and are draining for you to complete. The things that keep you from doing what you WANT to do and what’s important to you.

Now, for each item on the list, suggest one or two ways you can ‘pull a Jobs’ and either simplify the process or eliminate it altogether.

It really could be having the Fred Flintstone closet of gym clothes in a secret file cabinet drawer in your office so all you have to do to get to the gym after work is grab a pile from that drawer.

Laughing because you can NEVER seem to leave work on time to make it to the 5:30pm class? That can be added to the list too. What’s keeping you from doing that? How can you eliminate it or simplify the process so you can get out the door and on your way to improved health?

Or maybe you decide to have the same thing for breakfast every day before work because that’s one less thing to slow you down thinking about and since you’ve already timed that it only takes you 1.5 minutes to prepare and because you’re extremely efficient at slicing a banana over Greek yogurt.

The point is…Conserve energy. Save time. Eliminate the things that keep you from where you want to be. Everyone will have a slightly different list and ideas of how to address it but we can all learn from each other’s successes. What keeps you from your joy and how do you plan to ‘pull a Jobs’ to rectify this?

Photo Courtesy of: ProProfs Quiz

The post What Can You Have in Common with Steve Jobs? appeared first on Invictus Fitness.

Slow Food & the Old Way of Life
Written by Michele Vieux

Have you ever been to the “Old World”? Everything is slower there and that is not such a bad thing. From producing textiles and art to eating a meal out – perfection takes time. The pace speaks to the way of life. There is no rushing around, every moment is enjoyed in the present, the people pour their hearts and souls into all they do, and they carry on the artisanal traditions of their ancestors. You can tell this even before your first bite of a local dish or your visit to the farm where they produce the food.

There is a similar movement in the U.S. as well and it’s called “Slow Food.” In such places, the food is of the freshest and some of the most unique in the world. This can be seen and tasted in the quality of the ingredients that were grown locally and with much care. Farms are tended by hands and animals, not by machines and chemicals. They are organic, the farmers proudly using the same methods that have been passed on through the generations. Those farmers then entrust the restaurants that purchase their food to continue its transformation into the most cared for meal you have ever experienced. And then the restaurants to the wait staff who are so passionate to help you explore and enjoy not only the flavors, but the entire experience.

So much thought, time and heart are put into each dish that you can actually taste the love and feel how much better it treats your body. You feel energized. Full, yet light. And your body is not worn, bloated or fighting against chemicals that should not be inside you.

Attention to the process and the details of tradition is what makes slow food so special. Whether it’s the farming of produce, raising livestock, preparation methods and how it is served – there is a process, hundreds of years old, and feels like it takes as long to complete it.

Maybe these masters of their Old World trades are wiser to the dangers of moving through life too fast or to the issues that come along with industrialization. Maybe its pride in the Old World ways. But the superiority of the result cannot be denied. The time and love put into each dish can be seen, felt and heard.

There is so much to learn from the Old World, it’s people and the way of life. Things that will ultimately make us both physically, mentally and emotionally healthier. Have curiosity about the process, as it is important to understand where things have come from and what was put into them because that will soon be a part of you. Put your heart into your work, as others can see, feel, taste and hear if you have not. Take your time to enjoy each moment because when you are in a rush, you will miss out on a deeper knowledge. Connect with strangers as you have more in common than you know.

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Jumping into the Unknown with Sean Robinson
Written by Michele Vieux & Invictus Member Sean Robinson

Call it “luck” or fate, Sean Robinson started his CrossFit journey just three weeks before the 2019 CrossFit Open began, not knowing what was in store for him but excited for the possibilities.

He has always been pretty active in life, racing bicycles (road races) competitively in his 20’s, running around with the kids.

The class he regularly attends at our Sorrento Valley location has people who have been doing CrossFit for years alongside people like Sean, who had no clue what they were getting themselves into when, on the Wednesday before the Open, Coach Tricia asked the class who was doing to participate.

Sean, being the open-minded adventurer that he is, was the ONLY person to raise his hand. But once you get to know him, you understand that’s how he lives his life. He has such a positive and strong mindset around jumping into something he doesn’t know and stepping outside of a box, instead of being confined to it.

“You can do so many more things in life when you do. Life is pretty boring living in a box. You have to take chances in life – sometimes you may succeed and sometimes you might not. Pushing yourself out of comfort zone is healthy for the mind and can be healthy for the body.”

This is only one example of the mantra that rules his life. Even with his job, he left a safe and secure, 20-year career in the public sector, including a guaranteed pension, to run a national non-profit. He could have been comfortable for the rest of his life in the public sector but realized that he had other opportunities and adventures to take that he wouldn’t get if he hadn’t made the switch.

To him, the best parts, and opportunities he now has that he wouldn’t if he hadn’t taken the step to join Invictus are: 1) Competing with himself which gives him more energy; 2) Not letting himself become complacent because he’s always learning new moves; and 3) For fun and excitement and the unknown of what he’ll be doing each day.

That’s his mindset around jumping into something he doesn’t know. That’s how he lives his life. So what’s it like to use this mindset and attack the 2019 Open as a newbie to the sport? Sean had a unique perspective and some hilarious thoughts throughout the month as he attacked each week with humility and enthusiasm.

Sean on 19.1

I drove to FNL nervous as hell and I didn’t know anyone. I was assigned to Heat 2 so I had the chance to watch the first heat in which many of the athletes had been doing this a while, and thought, “oh no!” – looked at them knowing they’d been doing it a while and thought – oh no!

Even though Coach Tricia told me not to blow my load in the first round, having never experienced this atmosphere before, I didn’t quite understand what she meant and thought i just gotta keep going! I finished the first round in 2:03 and managed 3.5 rounds in the remaining 13 minutes.

It was a learning experience and what I learned was this:
Everyone is an individual in this and they have to know their own body.
People were saying “great job” and “you should be proud – the Invictus family is awesome!

Sean on 19.2

After finishing 19.1, I was excited to see what 19.2 was going to be all about and prayed that I had performed some of the skills during my first 3 weeks. Thursday came and it was 25 toes to bar, 50 Dubs and squat cleans. Well this time to the plate I was batting zero as I have not done any of the exercises and told myself this round was going to be scaled, 25 knees to chest, 50 single jump rope and squat cleans. Unfortunately, I was not able to participate in Friday Nights Lights at my own Box in Sorrento Valley on 3/1/2019 because I was out of town. So I spent all weekend watching videos and talking to my friend and fellow Crossfitter from Michigan, on how to do this squat clean.

The videos and tutorials had me feeling ok about the squat clean, although I knew this was going to be the hardest part for me. Monday morning comes, I head to the gym and was excited to put into action all the things I learned over the weekend, that is until I started practicing the squat clean. I sucked. Trying to keep my body aligned, pushing back my knees, lifting the weight then thrusting my hips upwards to get the weight up to my shoulders and then squatting proved to be quite challenging. My coach, Aush, was helping and trying to put me in the right position so I kept practicing.

Well I could have practiced the whole damn day, it is just something that I was not going to learn in 20 minutes, so I said let’s go for it. The timer was started and had no issues with the knees to chest nor did I have any issues with the jump rope. Then came to the squat cleans and that is where all my problems began and died. I did get the prescribed 15 done for the first round at 95 lbs, although it felt like it took me 20 minutes. Then back to the knees to chest then jump rope then back to that damn squat clean, now with 115 lbs. got the first one up but lost it during the squat. I really wanted one and I did just as the 8 minute clock rang.

A couple of take-aways I learned:
– Do Friday Night Lights – you will get a better score
– Do the best you can even if you have never done the exercise
– Bring on 19.3, I will do better

Sean on 19.3

Let me first start off by saying doing two Open workouts in the same week is quite challenging and actually not the brightest move I’ve ever made.

I completed 19.2 on Monday, and that really took a lot out of me having never done a squat clean and my legs and back were a bit sore. As my typical Thursday night goes, 10 minutes before the live Open announcement, I call my buddy from Michigan, and we watch the live stream together. It is kind of nice to hear his perspective as he has been doing CrossFit for a number of years and I am completing my first month.

We watch both Fisher (GO TEAM INVICTUS) and the other gal do 19.3 and WOW they are incredible athletes. Yes it looks rough but at least I knew how to perform the movements.

I went home that evening and was relieved with the live announcement because I had done lunges before as well as box step-up’s. I was not deterred by the HSPU because I had done them in class a couple of times and the HS walk I was practicing them this week, for whatever reason. Overall I was pretty darn stoked. I knew I was not going to get the HS walk but getting to the HSPU was the goal I set for myself.

Well Friday morning comes and I head to the gym to give these lunges with the 50lb weight over my head a shot. Now mind ya, that 50lbs is just about a 1/3 of my bodyweight so I knew it was going to be heavy but I could manage. That is until I picked up that 50lb dumbbell and said holy $hit that is heavy. I did a couple of lunges and it was at that point I said please please please let me get to the HSPU. My body was somewhat chuckling at me saying “yeah, right buddy.” I then proceeded to take that 50lb dumbbell over to the box, put it over my shoulder and did a couple step ups. OMG, I could not believe how heavy and difficult it was and that was only after doing 5-6 lunges. Now my body, more specifically my legs, were in full out laughter now thinking I was getting to the HSPU but my brain was saying you got this. After that short practice I said to myself I am going to have to give everything I got to get to the HSPU.

I arrive for FNL and it was great to see some familiar faces as we were warming up and stretching. I was giving myself extra time because my legs were still a bit sore from 19.2. The first heat goes off and the excitement is awesome. My gosh there are some incredible athletes at Invictus and I learn from you all every day. As heat one ends I position myself on the far back wall and Coach Tricia (my judge as well) said “I am going to be after you the entire time to get you to the HSPU.”

Three, Two, One GOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

I pick up the weight and put it on my shoulder because during practice, me keeping it overhead for 200 feet was 100% out of the question, yup impossible for me at this point in my CrossFit career. I felt ok after the first 25 feet then came the turn came. My legs were burning already at this point but I’ll be damned if they were gonna win, I was getting to the HSPU. I am not 100% sure at what point my legs were so on fire that I had to stop and shake them out but I had my Coach and fellow Invicti cheering me on and I kept going. As I was lunging down my last 25 feet and I saw that box out of my right eye just staring at me saying “come on man, I’m next.”

I finish the 200 feet and get to the box. I put that 50lb dumbbell on my right shoulder and get my left foot up. Well my right foot was not nearly as responsive and said “nope, I’m cool right here, I’m not moving”. I tried a couple of times and that damn right foot would not even budge off the floor. I was not going to quit so I take a quick breather, shake out my legs and without the weight, I step up just so I knew I could. I did it, see I can do it! I then grab that 50lb damn dumbbell, through it up on my neck and powered thru to get 24 box step-up’s with the help of Coach Tricia, CJ and others cheering me on.

TIME is said aloud and that was it.

Not gonna lie I was pretty frustrated because I could not get to the HSPU. It was at this point my legs were in complete shutdown mode and what I mean is, almost not functioning. I walked, although I thought about crawling, to the side and sat on the ground as the 3rd heat began. I watched my fellow Invictus Team athletes go. You all inspire me more and more every day. am going to get there I just know it is going to take time, maybe a little more time than I thought, but that is ok.

The rest of the weekend was spent stretching and learning how to walk again.

Sean on 19.4

Thursday comes and it is the same routine, call my buddy and we watch the live stream together. The announcement is made…

Oh boy here we go again, I have only done the snatch during one of the workouts and I was not very good, ugh. Good news was I had the burpees and as far as the muscle-up, nope that was not in my arsenal. So I would be scaling 19.4 due to my inexperience on the snatch and not having the muscle-ups.

Friday morning I head to the gym to practice the snatch with my Coach and after a good hour, I felt pretty comfortable. I needed to get to the pull-ups and that is the goal I set for myself. I broke the whole 12 minutes down to the sec. I needed to complete each round in 2 minutes 55 seconds so at the conclusion of the 3rd round, I would have finished in 8 minutes and 45 seconds which would allow me 15 seconds to get one pull-up after the 3 minutes of rest. (I told you I got it down to the second.

I drove to the Downtown gym really excited and anxious that I am going to hit my goal. I go in and start my warm-up. Then the dreaded thing happens, while warming up doing the snatch, I pull a muscle in my lower back. Son of a Gun (I did say another word)!!!!! I try stretching it out and go to Coach Nick and tell him that I need some lower back stretching exercises. He stops what he is doing and helps me. I told him I had to do this and I was going to hit my goal.

Heat 1 goes off and Coach Nick is still working with me until it is my turn in Heat 2. Heat 1 ends and I find my position to begin Heat 2. Coach Tricia is my judge and Coach Nick was there watching me. I kept telling myself, I am going to do it and nothing is going to stop me.

Three, Two, One and I was off. I did seven unbroken snatches let it drop then finished the next three. On to the burpees and get the 12 done. My heart is racing in excitement that I got the first round done and listening to my fellow Invictus Family cheering me on. I get to the next set of snatches and I broke them up into sets of two until I got to the required ten. Then onto the burpees, I keep hearing the cheering and that is pushing me even more. Thank goodness I could not see the clock, I just kept going. Round three of the snatches, they were all over the map. Some singles some doubles and I know did the last three unbroken. I needed to be finished no later than 8 minutes 45 seconds. The final set of burpees, I am gasping for air but kept pushing. I had no idea of the time. I jump over for my final burpee and I ask Coach Tricia what is my time and she says I finished in 7 minutes 16 seconds. If I could have gotten more air in my lungs I would have screamed out loud. I was SO stoked!!!!!! I had 1 minute and 44 seconds to get one pull-up. I knew I could do that.

10 minutes 16 seconds I jump to the bar and do a strict pull-up. There is one, I reached my goal now lets get some more. have never kipped, but somehow somewhere I figured it out and got 2 kipping pull-ups. At the 12-minute mark, I had completed 7 pull-ups!! I was on cloud nine, I exceeded my goal I had set for myself.

As I walked from my position to the other room, I needed to stretch my lower back because now it was really hurting. I am doing everything I knew how and then Patrick Horn, the Invictus soft tissue massage therapist took me on his table to help out. He worked on me for a good 20 minutes and created some relief but it was jacked.

Over all I am stoked with 19.4. I beat the goal I set for myself and even though I did get injured, the Invictus Family was there not only to cheer me on but was there for support. Joining this gym has been the best decision for my health. Now I am going to keep stretching and hope to goodness that it feels better to do 19.5 on Friday. Whether it be Friday or Monday when I do 19.5, I will be there for Friday Night Lights to cheer on my Invictus Family.

Sean on 19.5

After 19.4 I went to my chiro and had Patrick work on my lower back all week. Although I went to the gym every day, I only did two workouts (scaled of course) and spent the rest of the days stretching my back. It was rough but it has been a recurring thing with my lower back. I was doing everything I could to be able to do 19.5 and complete the Open.

Thursday comes around and it was the same routine, call my buddy inMichigan and we watch the live announcement together.

Son of a #$%#%$, I said to myself. I did not know how my back would be able to handle the thrusters and that is the first time that the thought entered my mind that I may not be able to finish the Open. I went home that night, and without weight, mimicked the thruster movement and it was just too much. I was frustrated and disappointed because even though I was brand new to the sport I really wanted to finish.

After a sleepless night, I get up and head to the gym and tell Coach Tricia and Coach Aush that I will not be able to finish the Open. They were both great keeping me positive on what I had accomplished. I get it, but it is just my mindset that when I start something I finish and unfortunately my body was not going to cooperate. Throughout the day, I just kept telling myself “Hey this is one workout out of the next 1000 you will be doing. Just get stronger and get ready for October”.

That helped a lot and used that as my inner-self motivator.

Having gone through 19.1 – 19.4 and receiving all the encouragement and cheers from all of the Invictus Family, there was no way I was going to miss FNL. I was going to go and cheer them on. The atmosphere in the Downtown gym was awesome and I was so happy I went. Everyone who competed did an amazing job and even though I did not compete, I learned from watching you. The final heat was set with the pro’s going and I cannot say enough about them – Nuno, Lauren, Eric, Chantel, etc. were incredible. You truly are all amazing and thank you for all the inspiration you have given me.

Sean on Invictus, CrossFit and the Open

I have to say my experience in doing my first Open was filled with joy, excitement, frustration, disappointment, sense of accomplishment, pain but more than anything else was the new friends that I made. I knew that I was part of the Invictus Family and the support was incredible.

I really have to thank the people who help me get through my first Open. (sorry I don’t know their last names) Coach Tricia, Coach Aush, CJ, CJ’s Mom, Sarah, Coach Nick, Lalo, Darren, Ryan, Patrick, you Michele, and of course Libby because without her, I would not have joined Invictus and been able to share my story and everyone who went to FNL’s to cheer on all the athletes.

I am six weeks into CrossFit and I am hooked. For anyone who has given CrossFit a thought, do it! It does not matter how old you are or what kind of shape you are in – the coaches at Invictus will help you, guide you, push you, and support you. Sure some of the workouts are a little rough and challenging but at the end of the day you can look back at the day and have a great sense of accomplishment. As I said earlier, I am a six-week newbie who is almost 49 years old and just started CrossFit and almost completed my first Open. Every day I am getting stronger and I am taking care of something that I cannot replace, my body.

The best decision I ever made was marrying my wife Tonda, but health wise was joining CrossFit Invictus. Again I thank you all for the support and for those who I have not met I look forward to meeting you. Rest assured I will be out there in October.

Sean

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The Athlete, the Goal & the Plan: Post-Open Check-In with Haider
Written by Michele Vieux

It’s time to check in again with our friend, Haider, who has followed our Performance Program online from Saudi Arabia, since July of 2018, and has volunteered to take part in this series called, “The Athlete, The Goal & The Plan”. Meet Haider and learn about his SMART goals in these previous articles.

Today we are checking in with Haider to see how he’s coming along with the mini-milestones we set up together, how he enjoyed the Open, and any take-aways he has so far. We will continue to check back with him throughout the year to see where he is with each goal, if he’s hit any plateaus, or other things that need to be addressed, and to watch him check each goal off the list.

So far, there are only a few “concerns” or limiting factors that have come up, so in this phase of the plan, we will find out what those are, decide how to address them, and make any necessary adjustments to the mini-milestone timelines.

#1 -The Open

This is not necessarily a “concern”, according to Haider, but it did replace some of the goal work so a couple of the timelines might need to be adjusted. Haider is ok with this because he wanted to have fun with the Open workouts and test his improvements from last year – which he did!

Q: What was your goal with the Open?
A: My main goal was to be able to do better than last year in overall ranking and to be able to perform certain exercises I could not have done before. These movements were Double-Unders, Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups and Toes-to-Bar.

Q: What have you gained/learned from doing it?
A: I’ve gained more confidence in my capabilities, learned that my efforts spent working out are not for nothing, and learned that I can do better than I think I can (pushing the limits).

Q: How have you improved from last year’s Open?
A: So far, it seems I have improved my ranking by a lot, I survived all Open WODs RX’d, and I was able to perform DU’s, C2B & T2B in an Open at last!

Q: Any other thoughts?
A: I do believe I have the strength and muscle mass to perform better than I should, however, my main constraint is my weight. Once I reduce my fat, I am sure I will see a lot of improvement overall.

#2 – HSPU

Haider has been able to keep up on the static handstand holds throughout the Open but not much else of the supplemental work for this goal except for using the appropriate modifications/substitutions when HSPU come up in workouts.

There are two “limiting factors” for Haider with the HSPU goal. The first is painful pressure on butt of thumb. To address this, he is going to check out this article by Invictus Gymnastics Coach, Travis Ewart, and see if hand position is to blame. If it is not, then we will continue to examine the cause so that we can find a good solution.

• The Three Most Important Hand Positions for Successful Handstand Work

Due to a previous injury, he also experiences painful elbow pain/tendonitis on one side. Because of this, I asked him to monitor his volume on his static holds, pressing movements and also on the pull-up negatives in order to mitigate this as much as possible. I recommended him these suggestions for how to care for it when it does get flared up.

• Ice Massage
• Voodoo Floss
• Reverse Biceps Curl
• Body Work/Acupuncture/Massage Appointment

I also gave him some new things to try for HSPU progress:

• Inverted Progressions (for modification/supplemental work ideas)
• Seated Barbell Press (Bar out front/elbows at 90 degrees in bottom position)

Q: Do you feel like you are still on track with each of the mini-milestones for HSPU?
A: I am on track with the Handstand Hold against the wall, I managed to get 74s which is close to the 90s mini-goal. However, due to the concerns above, I might be off-track with the other two mini-goals.

Mini-Milestones for HSPU

1) Mini-Milestone: Hold a supported handstand for 90 seconds by April 2019
– On track!

2) Mini-Milestone: 5 Wall Climbs with less than 5 seconds rest in between reps by July 2019
– Test, then consider if timeline adjustment is needed.

3) Mini-Milestone: 3 reps of HSPU negatives @ 51A1 tempo by September 2019
– Test, then consider if timeline adjustment is needed.

#3 – PULL-UPS

Sadly, the one thing that is holding him back in this area has been hard to improve upon in just a couple of months, but we are hopeful that we are able to find a good solution for the painful tearing (both feeling and actual) that occurs on his palms whenever he does longer than a 45-second static hold or on high-volume pull-ups, toes-to-bar or any kipping movement. You should have seen his poor hands after 19.2 and 19.5! He has tried a number of taping methods and wraps with no luck. Maybe one of our readers has a pro tip for Haider?

Q: How long can you static hang now? Did you time it recently?
A: I always time my static hang in both positions. I have not improved much on the time but I feel better grip and stronger forearms. However, due to the concern above, it limits me from holding for longer than 40-50s.

Q: Do you feel like you are still on track with each of the mini-milestones for pull-ups?
A: I think I am on track with the static hold and the chin-over-bar hold mini-goals, but not the pull-up negatives @ the prescribed tempo. I would need to retest to see how I feel about these.

Mini-Milestones for Pull-Ups

1) Mini-Milestone: 60-second static hang by April 2019
– On Track!

2) Mini-Milestone: 5 reps of pull-up negatives @ 51A1 tempo by April 2019
– Test, then consider if timeline adjustment is needed.

3) Mini-Milestone: 30-second chin-over-bar hold by July 2019
– On Track!

#4 – Body Comp & Lifestyle

Great news on this front! One of the previous concerns in this area was not getting enough sleep each night. But because of his commitment to his goals, Haider changed gyms so that he would have less of a commute before and after his workout. By doing this, he has been able to get an additional 1-1.5 hours of sleep each night!

And actually, he addressed another previous concern – overtraining – by implementing a rest/maintenance day once a week, even though he was initially resistant to the idea. Even crazier…he just let me know that he’s going to take a couple days off after the Open to let his hands recover, to mentally refresh and to prepare for his upcoming L1. He would have NEVER considered doing this when we first chatted back in January but now sees the value in taking some time off every now and then.

Something he was proactive about addressing is to create a plan for how to eat during Ramadan, since he is living in a country where the holiday is strictly adhered to. Two options we came up with that he’s certain he can implement are below. I am waiting to hear which he chooses.

• Keto (he has experience with this). Normally people don’t feel too hungry when in ketosis so eating this way will not only help him survive through the daylight hours more comfortably, it will likely also kickstart that last bit of fat loss he’s looking for.
• Intermittent Fasting

Q: How has your mindset changed around taking a “maintenance” day on Thursdays?
A: I was so skeptical and worried it might negatively impact me, now I wait happily for it and try to improvise it. I call it maintenance day as it is the day where I do full body mobility targeting certain tired muscles the most.

Q: What benefits have you seen from the maintenance day?
A: It gave me better balance into my workouts, more focus and refreshed mindset, and allowed me to perform a little better during the following two days than I used to.

Q: Have you noticed any difference from the extra sleep each night?
A: On the short run, not much difference. However, I did feel I have slightly recovered better in muscle tissue. Also, it did give me more focus and stronger mentality.

What a great start, for Haider! Much progress has already been made and he’s on the path toward each of his goals. Our next step is to have him retest some of of the mini-milestone measurements so that we can make sure the dates for each of the goals and mini-milestones is still feasible. Check back with us to see how close Haider is to that HSPU!

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Don’t Have Strict Handstand Pushups? Here’s the Plan…
Written by Nichole DeHart, Brittany Weiss & Michele Vieux

Most of our readers would probably have thought, if asked about a year before they began CrossFit, that they would never do a handstand push-up, let alone even think about doing more than one! You’ve probably seen some athletes in the gym knocking out a few handstand push-ups, have seen athletes every year completing these at the CrossFit Games and saw Ryan Gosling (or at least his double) crank out effortless handstand push-ups in Crazy, Stupid Love. So, you might be asking, how can I attain a handstand push-up? Or, if you already have one, how can I improve my technique?

To start, let’s establish a few things you should have before you look to build your Handstand Push-Up (HSPU) prowess. First, you should be comfortable kicking into a handstand against the wall. Become comfortable with being upside down and maintaining a stable position. This stable position should look like the photo above…a straight, rigid line from wrists to ankles.

To obtain a good stable handstand push-up position, think about squeezing your butt and gut tight to maintain a firm midline. Once you have established this position, then you can move forward to the first training phase.

Why is the Strict Handstand Push-up so Important?

We are going to first work on developing a strict handstand push-up. There are many benefits to obtaining a strict handstand push-up. Not only are you making your shoulders stronger and more stable, but you are also forced to maintain a tight, braced midline/core throughout the movement. This piece transfers over to many other CrossFit movements where a strong midline is required to perform the movement efficiently.

Just like you wouldn’t want someone performing a ton of kipping pull-ups when they don’t have the strength to do one strict pull-up, we don’t want someone doing a ton of kipping handstand push-ups if they don’t have the strength to do a strict handstand push-up. The shoulder strength required to complete a handstand push-up is great, and some may not have that strength just yet. Have no fear, we have created a simple training program to help you build your upper body strength to reach the goal of obtaining a strict handstand push-up. With dedication, patience and hard work, you too can successfully attain a strict handstand push-up!

How to DO A Strict Handstand Push-Up:

1. Hand placement: place hands about 6-12 inches away from the wall and slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Make sure palms are facing forward, or slightly turned out 5-10 degrees.
2. Kick up into a handstand, with your heels touching the wall. If you have trouble kicking up into the handstand, try practicing this donkey kick drill.
3. Once you have kicked up, establish a strong, rigid midline position. (see above photo)
4. While maintaining this position, lower yourself until the top of your head touches the floor/mat. Try to keep your elbows at a 45 degree angle as you lower.
5. Once your head touches the floor, press up with the same tightness you had lowering yourself, until your elbows reach full extension.

The 3 training phases for developing a strict HSPU is listed below. Follow this precisely and do not move onto the next training phase until you are able to complete all the reps and sets at the proper tempo.

First, the exercises:

HSUP Negatives: Kick up into your handstand position. Ensure that your hand placement is approximately 6-12 inches away from the wall and your midline/core is in a tight, stable position. Lower yourself at the assigned tempo until your head touches the floor. Kick off the wall and reset. Make sure to control the descent throughout the entire movement. The tempo should be the same from the start of the negative to the end of the negative. If you are hesitant about the distance you are traveling to the floor, then place an abmat underneath your head to lessen the distance of the descent. As you feel more confident with the negative, remove the abmat(s) until you are reaching the full range of motion.

Handstand Hold: Kick up into your handstand position. Hold for a specific amount of time, maintaining a neutral spine and stable midline/core. Once you feel yourself relax from that tight position, kick off the wall. You can also try a wall-facing hold, which is a little more challenging.

Handstand Push Up with Assist: This is best done with a partner. Have your partner hold onto your ankles. Lower yourself at the assigned tempo and press yourself up. The partner is there to help assist you as you press up, giving as much assistance as needed for you to press out of the handstand.

Wall Walks: Lay flat on the floor with your feet against the wall, hands by your side. Press up to the top of your push up position and take a big step up the wall. Take your other foot and step up the wall so that both feet are pressed into the wall. Ensure that you have a tight midline and, if a tight midline is established, walk your hands and feet up the wall until you make contact with your chest. Maintaining control, begin walking your hands out in front of you while simultaneously walking down the wall until your chest is on the floor. Common mistakes with this movement are generally lose of control on the way down from the wall walk and relaxing the midline. Only walk as far up the wall as your mechanics will allow. Increase the height of your wall climb as strength and mechanics improve.

Wall Runs: Wall runs are alternating, single-arm handstand holds and the time held with each arm can vary depending on the athlete’s ability. Wall runs can be performed facing either toward or away from the wall with the latter being the most difficult. Start in the handstand facing the wall. Keep your glutes and gut tight. You should be in a hollow position with your toes touching the wall, your wrists stacked below your shoulders and your shoulders packed tight into the joint. Slightly shift your weight to your right side and pick up your left hand. Your goal should be to touch your chest and put your hand back down on the ground with control. If you cannot maintain control, walk yourself away from the walk, even as far down as a plank or a pike. If you get to the point where you can easily perform 20 wall runs while facing the wall, you are ready to kick up into the handstand and face the world. 

Training Phase 1

• Day 1 – Five Sets of: Handstand Push-Up Negatives x 5 reps @ 30A1; Rest 90 seconds
• Day 2: Four Sets of: Handstand Hold x Max Seconds; Rest 60-90 seconds
• Day 3: Five Sets of: Handstand Push-Up Negatives x 5 reps @ 30A1; Rest 90 seconds

Training Phase 2

• Day 1: Five Sets: Handstand Push-Up Negatives x 5 reps @ 40A1; Rest 90 seconds
• Day 2: Five Sets: Wall Climbs x 3 reps; Rest 90 seconds
• Day 3: Five Sets of: Handstand Push-Up Negatives w/partner assist x 5 reps @ 40A1

Training Phase 3

• Day 1: Five Sets of: Handstand Push-Up Negatives x 5 reps @ 50A1; Rest 90 seconds
• Day 2: Four Sets of: Wall Runs x 5-6 reps; Rest as needed
• Day 3: Five Sets of: Handstand Push-Ups w/partner assist x 5 reps @ 50A1

Be patient with yourself as you work towards your goal of a handstand push-up, and stay consistent on this program!

How to Modify the Handstand Push-up in Workouts

Bottom line, this is a movement you either have or you don’t. The only way to get them is modifying in ways that are putting you in a strict motion, instead of just always reverting to kipping as a scaling option when they come up in workouts.

Here are some modifications you can incorporate in your training/workouts to help build the strength and muscle endurance to start knocking these out like a champ.

HSPU Negatives: Kick up into your handstand position. Ensure that your hand placement is approximately 6-12 inches away from the wall and your midline/core is in a tight, stable position. Lower yourself at the assigned tempo until your head touches the floor. Kick off the wall and reset. Make sure to control the descent throughout the entire movement. The tempo should be the same from the start of the negative to the end of the negative. If you are hesitant about the distance you are traveling to the floor, then place an abmat underneath your head to lessen the distance of the descent. As you feel more confident with the negative, remove the abmat(s) until you are reaching the full range of motion.

When to use them: Since we are working on a slow and controlled tempo with negatives, they are best NOT used in workouts for “time” rather in gymnastics skill sessions or if HSPU come up in the strength part (usually Part A) of the workout. You might need to start by scaling the number of reps by half, or even more, until you can accumulate longer time under tension and a higher number of reps per set. A goal is HSPU Negatives x 5 @ 51A1 tempo. So that’s a 5-second negative descent; touch your head to the ground for 1 second while maintaining control and not dropping to the head; (A)ssist up which will be either a kick up or a partner assist; and a 1-second hold in the handstand position, maintaining control.

Seated Dumbbell or Barbell Press: Sit yourself down in a “L” position. Your legs should be straight, chest proud, and back is flat. Place the dumbbells in each hand with the top of the bell on the shoulder and palms facing each other. If you are using a barbell, take the same seated position but hold a barbell in a front rack position. From here you fill your belly with air and engage your midline then begin to press. Your finishing position should be arms locked out overhead with bicep by the ear. If mobility is an issue try placing a 25-45lb plate underneath your butt. This will help you find more of a neutral position of you are tight in your hamstrings, hips, T-spine, etc. You can even play around with doing the barbell press with the hands out front – the same position they would be in at the bottom of the HSPU.

When to use them: This modification is great for both strength AND conditioning workouts because they can safely be done at tempo and for speed without getting too sloppy. Either way, pick a weight that you can do for the prescribed number of reps. When deciding how much weight to use, think about a fairly high-level athlete and how many HSPU they might be able to knock out in a row for the workout (usually anywhere from 5-15 reps for most top level athletes in a group coaching class). Pick a weight that allows you to do sets with that number of reps. For example, if the workout calls for 15 HSPU, pick a DB weight that will allow you to do 3 sets of 5 reps with you just squeezing out that 5th rep which will look similar to what someone doing that number of HSPU is doing.

Pike HSPU/ Box HSPU: Place your body in a pike position either with your feet on the floor or with your feet on top of a box. The closer your hands are to your feet the more challenging it is going to be and the further they are away the easier it will feel. As you go for your HSPU, think about creating a tripod position. Your head should land in front of the fingertips which creates a triangle in the bottom. Keeping your elbows in and not letting them flare out, you will then press your head off the floor, drive your head through your shoulders finishing with the chest and head through at the top of the rep. You can modify this even further by putting your knees on the box instead of your feet.

When to use them: This is another modification that is great for both strength AND conditioning workouts. Just take caution when doing it for “time” so that you don’t get sloppy and fall off your box. Another thing that tends to happen when doing this modification for time is that the reps start to look more like a decline push-up rather than a HSPU. If you get partway through your workout and find that you are struggling to maintain the upside down “overhead” position, then switch to the seated press for the rest of the workout.

Place A Mat Underneath Your Head: Placing a mat underneath your head to shorten your range of motion is always an option. That being said, if you are using a mat that is only allowing your elbows to move an inch, consider choosing a different modification option from above that is going to let you achieve more range of motion. The goal here is to continue decreasing the height of the mat, over time, until you can lower your head to the floor with control.

When to use them: This modification can be mixed in at times, but shouldn’t be your go-to due it not allowing you to train the full range of motion for the HSPU. If you just want to practice lowering yourself in a negative and you can’t quite make it all the way down with control, this is a good option for you to use in the strength portion of the workout. Or, if you can lower all the way with control but can’t quite press out of the bottom, this will give you that stimulus while taking out some of the difficult range of motion. Please note though, you are TAKING OUT range of motion which means you are not getting stronger in that area which is why you should mostly focus on other modifications and use this as more of a test to see how close you are to performing HSPU with full ROM. That way, you set yourself up for success instead of injury. 

The more confident you feel upside-down, the easier high volume handstand push-ups will feel as long as you have the strength. If being upside-down is something you struggle with try incorporating more handstand work in your everyday training. All of the above options will help your transition in being upside down for long periods of time easier. 

If you want to learn how to get better at other CrossFit Gymnastics movements like handstand push-ups, handstand walks and more check out our Gymnastics Program.

The post How to Do Handstand Push-Ups: A Quick Guide for Beginners appeared first on Invictus Fitness.

Sound Advice or Ageism?
Written by Michele Vieux

I recently came across an article in a popular magazine that was geared toward people over 50 and how they should – across the board – modify various exercises. At first glance, and to someone who might not know much about prescribing exercise to this population, it seems logical.

But for anyone who has worked with an older athlete, you know it’s not the blanket approach you should take and even broaches on “ageism” – the prejudice or discrimination based on one’s age.

But what really gets me riled up about this article is that it is borderline fearmongering to make older adults believe that exercise is dangerous for them, when in reality, they should approach it the same way anyone else would.

Ability NOT Age Should Determine Exercise Prescriptions

Yes, exercises may need to be modified for older adults but that is also the case for ANYONE and it has nothing to do with age. The exercises you prescribe as a coach or choose to do as an athlete should be determined by current ability; exercise, injury and medical history; mobility; current metabolic condition; and goals; but NOT age, which really has nothing to do with it.

Why should someone miss out on the benefits of various types of exercise because they have been deemed “too old”? Seriously, making this assumption could cause them more harm than good.

Model Older Athletes

There are many adults over 50 years of age that are physically able to do any exercise they want, including those that come up in the CrossFit Games, which is evidenced by the ever-growing Masters category for CrossFit athletes.

I see even non-competitive, older athletes doing things in the gym that people half their age aren’t able to do and shouldn’t even try. Take Larry the Legend for example. When I started working with him over 10 years ago, he wasn’t able to squat below parallel. But now, he has one of the best Sotts Presses in the gym.

He has benefited greatly outside of the gym in areas that align with his goals by working on the Sotts Press in a proper progression, starting with air squats. By having him practice and perfect this movement, he not only became stronger and more stable, we were able to identify areas of his mobility that needed to be addressed and by addressing those issues, he was able to increase the power of his tennis serve and eliminate his lower back pain while serving. One of Larry’s goals is to be able to play tennis for the rest of his life. Another one is to eliminate pain while he ages. Having him try this movement is a part of what helped him to achieve both of those goals.

Or how about YOU try to tell Bruce the Silver Fox not to do high intensity interval training (HIIT). Bruce is in his 70’s and has been physically active all of his life – he has to be reminded/forced to rest most training sessions. People who see him working out think he’s in his 50’s (still too old for HIIT, according to this article) and that he’s a professional athlete.

Although we don’t program running for him – not because of his age but due to a hip injury – he is still able and excited to go hard on the Assault Bike, Erg and with the sled. Bruce would probably stop coming to Invictus if we followed the advice of eliminating HIIT from his his program.

Addressing Issues Instead of Avoiding Them

The article does mention that “age is just a number”, but then it goes on to list 14 exercises that older adults shouldn’t do including: running stairs, hot yoga, HIIT and burpees. Gasp! Burpees! But if you read about their reasonings why older adults should not do these exercises, many of the “issues” can (and probably should) either be addressed or mitigated through strength, balance or supplemental work – just like they would with athletes of ANY age.

For example: According to the article, “[Push-Ups] The classic move may be a great way to build all-over strength, but it puts a lot of stress on your shoulders and upper back, which may be problematic for people with past neck and shoulder injuries.”

But this would be the case for ANYONE with a history of neck and shoulder injuries, not just older adults. Tell me something, how would one get up off the floor if they needed to? It starts with a push-up. So wouldn’t it make more sense to address those injuries or mobility restrictions that prohibit the push-up from being used in programming, and LIFE, instead of not attempting to progress or just avoiding the movement all together?

Another example: According to the article, “seniors should not squat with weights,” yet weightlifting has been proven time and again to benefit their mood, metabolism, brain health, bone density, and to prevent falls.

Should everyone squat with weight the first time they’ve exercised in a long time, or ever? No, but that doesn’t have anything to do with the person’s age. It has to do with their current ability level.

No matter a person’s age or current condition, they will likely be able to progress from air squats to some sort of weighted squat and to do so will benefit them. Remember, it doesn’t HAVE to be a barbell – think goblet or medicine ball – but it COULD be. Again, let’s address what’s keeping them from progressing first, then ask them to try squatting with weight, if/and when appropriate, so that they can reap the many benefits of performing weight bearing movement, not to mention the benefits they received from addressing the issues that were keeping them from doing this movement prior.

Check out this video of Larry the Legend squatting with weight at 80 years old. Remember that 10 years before, he couldn’t break parallel in his squat and now he’s squatting with a 25 pound dumbbell. He is now stronger and more mobile in his 80’s than he was when I met him just before his 70th birthday.

Exercise Smartly but Don’t Sell Yourself Short

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have Larry jump on a box or do anything that isn’t worth the risk or that will keep him from reaching his goals, nor do I suggest you do so. But I AM saying it isn’t impossible or dangerous to do these things, depending on the athlete.

So I guess the point here is that the article I came across can and should apply to ANYONE and not be geared solely toward older adults. Just make sure – NO MATTER YOUR AGE – that you address any issues that may cause you injury or harm before doing them, that it makes sense that you’re doing them, and that you’re following the appropriate progressions to do them properly.

Don’t sell yourself short or be afraid to exercise or push yourself just because you are over 50 – there are many things in the gym you CAN and SHOULD do for longevity, mental health, independence and quality of life. Oh yeah and for fun and a challenge, if you’re into that sort of thing.

References
14 Exercises You Should Modify if You’re Over 50 – Reader’s Digest
No Place for Ageism in Exercise Prescription – Australian Physiotherapy Association
Coming of Age: Considerations in the Prescription of Exercise for Older Adults – Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal

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Lori Winter – Squashing Comfort Zones in the Gym & Life
Written by Michele Vieux

The same concept that drew her to her major – molecular and cellular biology – is what drew her to CrossFit. “The idea in science in general is that there’s a lot of unknowns – you have the ability to learn more and contribute to the understanding of the world around you.”

Lori Winter was a swimmer in high school, and although most people would consider swimming a lifelong sport, after high school, she began looking for something different; something she could “do for the rest of her life”.

It may seem odd to some that CrossFit is what she chose to pursue but after she began to explain, it made perfect sense.

“With swimming, you get up early and go to the pool to train mostly by yourself. I knew it would be hard to make that transition without the competition piece included. I can still go swim, but to the same level, probably not alone.”

Enter CrossFit and it’s community, push and guidance. And, of course, the many challenges – even for someone with athletic prowess. CrossFit was the first time that she looked at a sport as “something she couldn’t do YET” instead of “something she couldn’t do”. It had the unknowns and gave her the chance to learn and contribute to not only her growth, but the growth of others. Kind of like that science stuff she’s into.

What a great summer it was! The community at her gym back home in Colorado was exactly what she was looking for to fill the void of no longer being a part of a team. And then it was time to head off for her freshman year at SDSU – stepping out of her comfort zone for the first time to go live in a city where she didn’t know a soul, too far from home for a quick visit to see a friendly and familiar face.

She didn’t join a CrossFit gym during her Fall semester, opting to go to the campus gym instead. But it didn’t give her fulfillment to workout there alone, the opposite of what she was looking for after her solitary swimming career.

After a visit home over Christmas break and catching up with her old gym coaches and friends, she was convinced to take that second of many steps out of her comfort zone to check out Invictus for the first time.

“I was so nervous at first because Invictus is known as being a big gym. But it never felt like that – everyone was so welcoming and there was a huge sense of community. The coaches are the best in the game and they, and other members will back you, especially if you tell them your goal.”

One of her core values is to always push herself and what she thinks are her limits.

“I found that the more I do it (putting myself out there/stepping out of my comfort zone) in the gym – the more I can do it outside the gym.”

She actually looks forward to training at 6 a.m. and pushing herself through what she thought were her limits with her fellow Invicti.

“Those changes in mindset have made me happier overall – give me something to look forward to.”

Whether it be moving to a new city, alone, as an 18-year-old; joining a new community at Invictus; or participating in Friday Night Lights for the first time, she’s game for the challenge!

Her first experience with the Open was last year, but in class, and not under the lights at a large event with a huge crowd like the Invictus Friday Night Lights. But her coach, Kim, talked her into giving it a try, to push herself, and she reluctantly agreed – stepping out of her comfort zone once again.

She admits that she was nervous all day Friday. She had never had done a FNL or a CrossFit workout on a stage and didn’t know if she was ready.

“Since you never really know the workout until the night before, it made me worried that what if movements come up I can do yet? How can I do FNL if I need to scale? And with other people watching?”

But she showed up, ready to give it her full effort. It turned into a night of firsts.

1st FNL.
1st heat – She didn’t have the benefit of seeing anyone else do it first.
1st time using a target for wall ball.
1st time using the 14 pound ball.

She admittedly has always struggled doing wall balls unbroken and arrived at the gm thinking she would scale workout down to a 10 or 12 pound ball but she was quickly talked into trying the Rx weight by Kim and her judges.

“Why not? You never know if you try.” (Stepping out of her comfort zone, once again.)

Her goal goal was to hit 5 rounds – something she knows she wouldn’t have been able to do it outside of FNL because of the support of the community. And she crushed that goal – WITH the 14 pound ball for the entire workout!

“The last 30-60 seconds of FNL – you can push harder than you ever thought just because of the atmosphere. I’m really glad I got out of my comfort zone – I never thought I could do it!”

She immediately committed to participating in all of the Open workouts – so no matter what comes up, she’s devoted to trying, even if that means scaling.

“What a great way to show others that what really matters is that you’re pushing yourself and your mindset.”

She feels more comfortable doing the rest of the FNL now because she realized that the community just wants to see you succeed, no matter if you have to scale or how fast you go. Maybe it’s the mutual suffering. Even if you finish before someone else – it’s about going to cheer on that person who hasn’t finished yet and you’ll be just as happy for their score as yours.

“It’s a battle with yourself instead of other people and even your competitor will even support that.”

That mentality has poured over into her personal relationships as well. Her inspiration (and competition) growing up was her older sister. They both always did sports and were super competitive with each other.

“We usually tried finding our own things, but ironically, now we are both doing CrossFit and it’s cool because we can talk about the same thing. The rivalry is still there but it’s different, more supportive now. I think it has more to do with the community of CrossFit than maturing.”

So what can we learn from this super sharp, 18-year-old who has “Pay the man”, a Josh Bridges quote (she’s a huge fan of his), plastered on her dorm room wall?

Put yourself out there! Get out of your comfort zone!

“So many people are afraid to take that first step – but you have to keep taking it and getting used to stepping out of your comfort zone – CrossFit is great for that!”

Find that one person to push you.

“I used to be nervous about going to a big gym because there are so many people but now that’s my favorite thing. I meet someone new every time I workout and they always push me, as do the coaches.”

Find yourself a community that you are excited about being a part of.

“Invictus is a big gym but can feel small. I can walk into a class with 30+ people but it still feels small because everyone knows each other’s names, everyone is cheering for each other, the community can’t be replicated. All I can recommend is to go try it.”

Coach Kim’s Note: I moved to the Downtown location about a month ago from our Point Loma location and Lori was one of the first members of the original 6 a.m. Downtown crew that I had the pleasure of meeting. She always has a smile on her face and is an absolute pleasure to coach. Just like she expressed above, she is always willing to try new things and last Friday night was no exception. She was only slightly hesitant about using the 14 pound ball but with a little encouragement, she pushed through all 15 minutes of that workout and had an amazing performance. I can’t wait to see what she can do in the next four weeks!

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Is Your Sleeping Position Contributing to Your Pain?
Written by Michele Vieux

It’s pretty safe to say that most people understand the importance of getting “quality” sleep each night. It’s also probably safe to say that when most people define quality sleep, they mention things like getting eight hours of sleep each night, that the sleep be uninterrupted or that they hit REM at least three times per night. But how many people factor in their sleep position as a major player in sleep quality?

Different sleeping positions can determine how well we digest, how much we snore, and how much pain we have in our necks, backs, shoulders, hips and knees. So if you have nagging joint stiffness, tightness or pain that you’re unable to resolve with mobility work and virtuous form in the gym, it might be time to examine if how you’re sleeping is contributing to your pain.

Fetal Sleeping Position

Did you know that this is the most common sleeping position amongst adults with 41 percent choosing to sleep this way? The fetal sleeping position is another side-sleeping position but instead of long legs and spine, both are curled and bent so that the sleeping person forms a loose ball with their body.

Although this is a great position if you are pregnant – especially if you are on your left side – and for snorers. It’s maybe the WORST if you have arthritis and achy joints because you literally have to uncurl yourself from being stuck in a ball all night.

If you sleep in this position and you wake up stiff and sore, it might be time to try a new pose. You can try uncurling yourself a bit and using a pillow between your knees to straighten out your hips and relieve discomfort and pain. Or, you can start to make the move to the ideal sleep position (below).

Sleeping on Your Stomach

Sleeping on your stomach can be a major contributor to low back pain due to your head and upper half being elevated by a pillow, placing pressure down the chain. This can be an especially painful position if you have limited mobility in your thoracic spine – lack of mobility there needs to be made up somewhere and that’s usually the lower back. This low back pain can occur while you are in your sleeping position but can also rear its ugly head at other times throughout your day like when you are sitting or working out.

This position can also be a major contributor to neck pain if you sleep with your head turned to one side. So if you have a nagging pinching in your neck, your neck rotation is limited, or the ability to touch your ear to your shoulder is shortened, you could be causing it from how you are sleeping.

For stomach sleepers who MUST sleep on their bellies even after reading this, try doing so face down (instead of with your head turned to one side). You can either prop your forehead up on a pillow so you have room to breathe, or you can try out some sort of massage table headrest apparatus. These should be a last resort though because, again, this is the WORST position for your body to sleep in.

Sleeping on Your Side

Although you are less likely to snore in this position, sleeping on your side is more likely to cause shoulder pain from putting weight on your arm in this position and even numbness and tingling in your arms and hands because either your circulation is being restricted or a nerve in your neck is being pinched.

There is not a lot of extra space in the shoulder so putting a piece of the moving puzzle even just a little out of position can cause major issues. Besides being painful, let’s remember that if a nerve is being pinched then the signal is not getting through or it is weak and/or delayed so your body is not performing at its peak level.

Sleeping with Elevated Knees and/or Legs

Some of us get into this habit to alleviate lower back pain or post-injury or surgery in the case of the knee. Yes, it feels better…at first…but then other types of pain and tightness creep in with this position.

Many times, “unexplained” knee pain will occur for those sleeping in this position because the sleeper’s knees never hit extension for 6-9 hours of the night. Lack of terminal extension of the knee can lead to many-a-problem and much pain for the knees. With lack of terminal extension, your quads are always loaded – causing patellar pain. When the quads are always under tension, the knees can become “twisted” out of position (ouch!). And, the popliteus – the small muscle behind the knee – gets tight and has to work overtime to stabilize.

Hip pain and tightness can also rear their ugly heads for those who sleep with elevated legs for reasons similar to the issues that arise with lack of extension in the knee. When you sleep with your legs elevated, your hips remain slightly closed for hours at a time causing stiffness, tight hip flexors and tight psoas – all of which can lead to pain in the hips but also lower back.

Sleeping on Back with “Froggy” Legs

This is ALMOST the ideal position where the sleeper is face up but instead of the legs straight out on the bed, the knees are slightly bent and the hips are in external rotation. Similar to the leg lifter above, this sleeper will likely experience some tightness in the hip flexors that can lead to pain in the hips but also in the glutes.

By keeping your leg(s) in external rotation all night long, you are shortening all those muscles, especially the glute medius, causing pain in the actual glute itself, but also possibly pulling the hip and knee out of position which can be painful. Not to mention, you are totally shutting off your internal hip rotators and adductors. So if you’ve noticed those things aren’t working on your deadlifts…you might examine if this is the cause.

The Ideal Sleep Position

You know that anatomical drawing of “supine man”? Well that’s also the ideal sleep position – on your back with your head, neck and spine resting in neutral positions. The head should be elevated just slightly above the stomach to prevent acid reflux and snoring. *MOST* people should be sleeping in this position.

* If you have sleep apnea, then the supine sleep position might not be right for you and could even be dangerous. In this case, you would be best off in the side-lying sleep position which still elongates the spine and takes pressure off it and the lower back. BUT…it can lead to shoulder pain if you can’t figure out what to do with that arm.

* Pregnant ladies are the other group of people who should probably not sleep on their backs, but instead adopt the side-lying sleep position while carrying.

How to Fix Your Sleep Position

Your bad sleep position is your bad habit and you basically have to train yourself to sleep in the ideal position. Here are a few ways you could try to make this happen.

One is this sleep belt which straps on around your waist and the attached balls poke – very uncomfortably – into your sides and stomach if you roll over in your sleep. You can adjust the balls depending on your ideal sleep position to keep you there.

Another option is a little more comfortable and you should already have what you need at home – pillows! Just pack them around you – one touching each side – when you go to bed to help keep you in position. If you wake up in the night and find that you’ve rolled out of your ideal sleeping position, just get back into position, repack the pillows and return to slumber.

A third option for pet lovers – enlist the help of your furry friend(s)! Instead of packing pillows around you, pack your furry pets! They can lay next to you but also ON your legs to help keep you in position. This only works if they don’t weigh more than 20 pounds or move around too much in the night. Also, pets are known contributors of interrupted sleep so if your furry friend doesn’t already sleep in your bed, it’s best not to get that started.

Improving your sleep position will lead to better sleep quality and less pain! Give that “ideal position” a try to see how much better you can feel and perform!

Resources
The Best Sleep Position for Your Body. The National Sleep Foundation.

The post Is Your Sleeping Position Contributing to Your Pain? appeared first on Invictus Fitness.

The Ultimate Guide to Double-Unders
Written by Michele Vieux & Nichole Kribs

Some of us grew up jumping rope, participating in events like Jump Rope for Heart and other jump-a-thons. Double Dutch was a common game on the playground for many. Boxers and other fighters are known for their crazy rope skills as well – crisscrossing the rope while spinning in circles and jumping on one foot.

Then there are those of us who get tripped up even looking at a rope but WANT to be able to perform fancier versions than the sloppy single jump, not only to look cool but so that we can get the biggest bang for the buck on our workouts.

No matter where you are in your jumping journey, there’s always room for improvement. This guide will help advance you to the next level of Double-Under Ninja whether you’re already knocking out 10 in a row or if you’ve set your sites on your first rep.

Let’s start from the beginning. If you are past this point in your journey, you can skip down to the skills and drills portion to refine your jumping and spinning technique.

What is a Double-Under?

Double-unders, or dubs, as they are also known, is a way of jumping rope but instead of the rope passing under the feet once for each jump, it passes under twice. The speed of the jump remains the same, but the speed of the rope must be much quicker to execute these.

1 Jump + 2 Rope Revolutions = 1 Double-Under

Why do we do double-unders?

What better way to increase the heart rate with little equipment and space needed, especially if the weather outside is not conducive to running or you don’t have access to the outdoors? This exercise requires only you, a rope and a tiny bit of floor space but gives you one of the biggest bangs for the buck as far as cardio and more!

What are the Benefits of Doing Double-Unders?

The double-under provides many benefits for athletes, like providing a great neurological stimulus, improved general physical fitness (cardio) and assists with agility, balance, accuracy and coordination. Why is developing neurological adaptations important? Well this can help neural pathways linked to muscles be more efficient in transmitting messages!

Double-Unders vs Running

Although some of the benefits are similar between double-unders and running for improved general fitness, dubs offer more for neurological adaptations than running does. The two also have some things in common when it comes to technique, however, it is still possible to run with poor technique but improper technique on double-unders usually means that you aren’t able to consistently complete reps and/or that you leave the gym after a workout that includes them with whip and lash marks on your arms and legs.

With both running and double-unders, poor technique can lead to injury, so it is recommended that you manage your volume and get a coach’s eyes on you before attempting too much distance or too many reps.

Muscles Worked When Doing Double-Unders

Of course, dubs work your feet, calves, quads, abs and even forearms and shoulders. But, the number one muscle worked in this exercise is the heart! Just a short burst of dubs – or even just ATTEMPTING them – gets your heart pumping like no other exercise out there (other than the Assault Bike).

Should Everyone do Double-Unders?

Not all of our athletes should be attempting to master this skill. If you have plantar fasciitis or arthritis of the knee, hip or ankle then the repetitive jumping will have too much of an impact on those joints and the foot, possibly worsening those injuries. Check out the section below on alternative movements if you fall into this category.

How to Select a Jump Rope

There are so many rope manufacturers and pretty color combinations to choose from when selecting a jump rope to do double-unders. But all are not the same, especially when you’re first starting out.

How Long Should My Jump Rope Be?

The length of the rope is important regardless of which type of rope and which weight you choose. There are two ways to determine the proper length of the jump rope. The first is “static” rope length.That’s the actual length of a rope not in motion. Stand on the middle of the rope and pull up either side. The handles should be about armpit height or if you’re new a little bit higher.

The second is “dynamic” rope length. That’s the rope in motion where the athlete’s mechanics can influence the effective length of the rope. Again, for those who are newer, a little bit longer rope is usually desired. When standing, there should be a little bit of slack on the floor, but not so much that you’re going to trip all over it. Most places you may purchase a rope can help with that.

How heavy should my rope be?

The weight of the rope also matters. If you are just starting on your double-under venture then a heavier rope may be more beneficial for you. A heavier rope allows for more feedback so you can ‘feel’ where the rope is when jumping.

For those who have double-unders but are looking to improve in efficiency and speed then a lighter rope with ball bearing handles is recommended. The light rope, coupled with a ball bearing handle, will allow you to whip your wrists quickly for a fast turn over on the rope, making for very speedy double-unders.

And yes, you should purchase your own rope so that it is the perfect size, weight and speed for you! This is crucial for those looking to master this skill.

How to do Double-Unders

Step #1: The Jump

Just like when we are learning any new movement, we start with the basics. Beginners, do this first, even before you pick up a rope!
Without a rope…Start by practicing jumping on the balls of your feet with a tight, straight midline and neutral spine.
While you are jumping, review the concept of pulling the knees up and landing on the balls of the feet with the heels gently kissing the ground.

Take a video of yourself to see if you are performing any of these faults so that you can correct them BEFORE you add the complexity of a rope in the mix.

• Double-Under Fault #1: Donkey Kicking (Kicking the feet behind you)
• Pike Jumping (like a dolphin kick)
• Tuck Jumping (super high, knees-to-chest jump)

These faults disrupt the ability to jump efficiently, as well as losing the midline stability during the jump. You should be jumping with your feet under the hips and toes pointing forward. Your jump should be virtually silent so no stomping!

Step #2: The Single-Under

Once you have a solid and consistent jump that is free from the errors above, you can begin using your rope. Keep these things in mind.

• Elbow and Hand Placement: These are what determine your rope position. Your elbows should be at your sides and hands at a 45 degree angle to your body. You should be able to see your hands from your peripheral vision at all times during your jumping. If you have your hands way out to the side then you’ll lose sight of the rope and the rope will become shorter, resulting in a higher jump to clear the rope and you will be punished with the very painful rope whips on the backs of your legs.
• The Jump: The jump should be the same as Step #1, relaxed and easy on the balls of the feet with a strong midline.
• Shoulder Position: Your shoulders should be back with a tall chest but the upper body and arms relaxed.
• Wrist Speed: Practice spinning the rope with a flick of the wrist (instead of arm circles). Mimic shaking your hands dry and that will help give you an idea of the wrist speed.

Even the single-under is challenging for many so until you are a single-under ninja, don’t move on to attempt the double-under as the neurological component isn’t there yet. Continue to work on the single-under before moving on to Step 3.

Step #3: Jump, Jump, Jump, explode (double-under attempt)

Solid with your singles? Now it’s time to turn up the speed – of the rope, not the jump – and hit some dubs! Most beginners will still need to mix in singles with their doubles for a while before they are able to string together multiple reps of dubs.

• Single, single, single then double attempt. Finding an even cadence with the singles and then attempting the double usually assists athletes in finding that pace with the double-under. Frequently, when trying to go for a double-under right out of the gate, people tend to try to jump too fast and cannot find the correct timing.
• Keep the speed of the jumping should remain the same throughout and you should speed up the ROPE on the double-under attempt.
  Common faults in double-unders and their fixes in this step include:
  • A double-jump as you double spin. Understand that the jump for the double is more explosive than the single jump and you should be jumping higher and spinning the rope faster at the same time to make the double-under happen.
  • The tuck jump commonly returns when athletes first start attempting doubles. Cueing yourself to “become long” or “jump tall” are good cues to straighten the jump.
  • The Traveling Double-Under. This is where you move forward or backward while jumping so that you finish your set a few feet from where you started it. To correct this, pick a focal point and keep your eyes on that while jumping. Draw a circle on the ground and try to stay within it.
  • The Pike Jump. You might also check to see if you are leaning or throwing yourself forward in the jump. If so, give yourself the “jump tall” cue.

If you are not getting consistent double-unders on the 4th attempt, keep working on progression #3. Once the double-under is happening consistently (about 10-15 reps, with singles in between) you can start to take away the singles.

Check out coach Nuno Costa’s tips video for becoming more comfortable with the jumping rhythm for double-unders:

Step #4: Remove Single-Unders

Got a good rhythm with your single, single, single, double and you’re consistently hitting every double you attempt? Time to start stringing together doubles without singles in between reps. You are well on your way to being a double-under ninja!

Start to take one away at a time, that means single, single, double-under.

If you are proficient at the double-under with two singles between the dubs, then take another single away until you’re attempting to make you doubles without singles in between.

Keep removing singles until you are proficient at double-unders without single jumps in between.

Double-Unders for Beginners: How to Improve Fast

Practice! If you’re still working toward dubs then spend time a few days a week working on the drills above. Remember, you are not only creating muscle-memory with this movement, you are laying new neural pathways and that takes repetition i.e. practice!

For those who can do consecutive double-unders but larger numbers escape you, do them before you workout each day. Maybe the first few days it’s going for 30, then the next time it’s 40 and so on. Before each jumping session you should perform 10-20 reps of each of the drills as a warm-up. If this is the case for you, it’s likely that you just need to improve your cardiorespiratory conditioning a bit and guess what will do that? Yep, more reps – practice!

Double-Under Tips

1. Relax!

It may sound crazy or patronizing, but the more you relax, the easier these will be to pull off. When we tense up while attempting dubs, we end up changing our good technique, shortening the length of our rope and even forgetting to breathe. None of those things will help you get better at dubs.

2. Reset Your Jump Rope at the End of Sets

When doing double-unders in a workout, take two extra seconds at the end of your set to place your rope on the floor in a U-shape so that you can easily get into your next round. If you don’t do this, you will waste time trying to untangle your rope and get into your set next time you get to that station.

3. Practice Makes Perfect

Annoying, right? But there is NO way to get better at double-unders unless you practice. And, practicing double-unders will help you get better at other movements as well. Five minutes a day is all it takes to see improvements in a very short amount of time.

4. How to Count Double-Unders

In competition, or if you are doing double-unders as “prescribed” (Rx), then you count ONE rep for every ONE jump that the rope passes under your feet TWICE before they hit the floor again. This can be a tricky movement to judge so if you find yourself in the position of having to count someone’s reps for them, just watch their feet and count every time they catch air. You will begin to learn how to “hear” the double reps while watching them jump, making it a little easier to judge the movement.

Why Can’t I do Double-Unders?

Check yourself for the common faults above and make any necessary adjustments to make sure your dubs are as efficient as possible. Yes, they are tiring, but your arms and shoulders should be excessively tired to the point you lose your grip or have to stop. And you shouldn’t feel like your calves, achilles or knees might explode on your next rep due to the pounding.

If you’ve checked your technique and are fault-free but are still struggling, then it’s likely due to your cardiovascular conditioning. There are many ways to improve that – practicing your dubs is one!

Feel like neither of those is the problem? Or have you suddenly stopped being able to do double-unders when you’ve previously been able to do them? Then your central nervous system (CNS) could be fried. This is usually a temporary condition so make sure you’re getting good rest and just give yourself a mental break, including testing one rep maxes, which use a lot of CNS function, and then see where you are in a couple days.

Double-Under Alternatives

If you shouldn’t be doing double-unders or jumping because of an injury, this is a good opportunity to get creative! Some examples of substitutions for the double-under are Russian Step-Ups, Assault Bike, Kettlebell Swings or Rope Whips. What you should be looking for is something that gives you the same stimulus for accelerated heart rate, explosive movement and for the same amount of time that it would take someone who had good doubles to do that amount of reps.

How to Approach a Double-Unders Workout if You’re Not Quite a Ninja Yet

So what do you do when double-unders come up in the workout of the day but you don’t have ANY yet, or you aren’t quite the ninja with them that you aspire to be? There are a few options, depending on where you are with them.

Single-unders should only be a focus if they continue to be a challenge for you. If that’s the case for you, do singles when doubles come up in workouts and spend time practicing doubles as part of your warm-up or supplemental work (instead of during the workout). A 3:1 or 2:1 ratio is a good plan depending on the your ability. For example, if the workout calls for 50 double-unders, you will do 150 single-unders if you are using the 3:1 modification ratio.

If you have some double-unders but they are still few and far between, set a time limit for you to do attempts in your workout instead of spending all of your workout at that one station trying to get all of the prescribed reps. For example, if the workout calls for 30 double-unders, a very proficient athlete should be completing 30 double-unders in no more than about 30 seconds and an someone who is average with the movement might take 60 seconds to complete the 30 reps, so give yourself no more than a minute to work on double-unders – the amount that the average group coaching athlete would take – and then move on to your next exercise. This will allow you to get the practice of doing them in a workout but also allow you to do other parts of the workout too.

Another modification is to do the double-unders but cut the reps in half. This is a good modification for those who can do single, single, double fairly proficiently. So if the workout calls for 50, you will do 25 and it will probably take you about the same amount of time as the average person doing 50 which means you are keeping the intended stimulus of the workout.

Another option for those who can do single, single, double fairly proficiently but sometimes still miss the doubles is to count “attempts” of doubles. So you will go for the prescribed reps (or even cut them in half) and count every time you ATTEMPT a double, whether you make it or not. So it would look like this: single, single, double attempt (1); single, single, double attempt (2)…and so on. Only count the DOUBLE attempts, even if you don’t actually make them.

Double-Under Workouts

There are a number of ways to test yourself and your improvements made on double-unders. Here are a couple of sample workouts you can do to monitor how much of a double-under ninja you are becoming. Besides the time it takes to complete these workouts, also make note of how your body feels during and after. Are your shoulders less tired than the time before? Did you stay within your circle while jumping? How are your calves and knees feeling? Any soreness? Give them a try and retest every few months. Happy jumping!

Double-Under Workout #1: 100 Double-Unders for Time

(or 50, or 30…depending on where you are in your journey)

Double-Under Workout #2: “Annie”

50 Double-Unders
50 Sit-Ups
40 Double-Unders
40 Sit-Ups
30 Double-Unders
30 Sit-Ups
20 Double-Unders
20 Sit-Ups
10 Double-Unders
10 Sit-Ups

The post The Ultimate Guide to Double-Unders appeared first on Invictus Fitness.

All About Burpees
Contributing Authors: Michele Vieux, CJ Martin, Bryce Smith & Holden Rethwill

Tons of health experts are recognizing the benefits of burpees and the simplicity of the movement makes it easy to implement into just about anyone’s strength and conditioning program. Let’s cut the nonsense and dig deep into the burpee for a bit.

Are you ever going to fail a burpee?

The answer is no.

They may get ugly or a bit sloppy at times, but falling down and getting up takes very little skill. They are the perfect analogy for life – you get knocked down by a challenge and you find a way to get back up and continue moving forward. Because of this, burpees are the perfect character building movement.

What is a Burpee?

With a burpee, you may start by jumping your feet back, kissing your chest to the floor, pushing up off the ground while snapping your feet forward toward your hands and then jumping and clapping.

So why do people hate burpees?

Well, number one is that they are hard. That’s no lie. They fatigue your muscles and lungs faster than any movement out there. They are also frequently used as a punishment by gym teachers, football coaches and drill sergeants around the world so they might stir up negative memories for some.

But by following the tips below, hopefully, you can make yours easy – or at least manageable – super fast, and not the part of the workout that you dread or the day you avoid going to the gym.

Burpee Benefits

No matter what your goals are, burpees can have a positive effect on your fitness not just physically but mentally.

The constant repetition and frustration of the movement builds character and perseverance. It teaches you to keep going during even the toughest of times.

Burpees fatigue your muscles and lungs faster than any movement out there and therefore are a highly effective tool to improve your gymnastics strength and overall conditioning.

You also don’t need any equipment or much space to perform them – you can literally do them anywhere. If you cannot make it into the gym, you are traveling, the hotel does not have a gym, or you are stuck outdoors, you can always do burpees.

They are an easy movement to perform where nothing more than your body is required. They give you no excuse to not workout.

Plus, EVERYONE can do some form of a burpee – beginning athletes, people with a little (or a lot) of weight to lose, kids (they LOVE them) and you!

Besides, everyone should be able to get themselves up and down off the floor for quality of life reasons. And if you are an athlete where you hit the ground and need to get back on your feet quickly – volleyball, football, and wrestling to name a few – these are the perfect drill to practice that.

Have you ever surfed? How do you get from the paddling position to your feet? Yay burpees!

What Muscles do Burpees Work?

Burpees are a full body workout and they help you gain strength in the entire body. With each repetition, you will work your arms, chest, quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core.

With some volume accumulation, burpees will have your arms and legs shaking and feeling like wet noodles. Burpees significantly differ from isolation exercises like bicep curls and tricep extensions as they train the whole body as one kinetic chain. You get more bang for your buck and burn more calories in less time while doing burpees at high intensity.

Burpees are dynamic and fast-paced and can be a great addition to any training session. The rapid flexion and extension of the hips make them awesome for learning force production from core to extremity.

Burpees for Weight Loss

Since burpees require very little skill, and they are a movement that uses the entire body, they are great for weight loss workouts. Taking the skill out of a movement means that anyone can do them no matter how tired they get. They might get ugly but they can still be done – you can always just keep moving.

Burpees can be done in any type of workout, long or short. But since burpees are intense in themselves, the best way to use burpees for weight loss is to incorporate them in some sort of high-intensity interval (HIIT) workout.

The length of the intervals can vary but for maximum results, the rest and work periods should be set up so that you are able to push as hard as possible during the work intervals.

For most people, this will mean at least equal work and rest periods but possibly even a 3:1 rest to work ratio.

An example would be this workout that uses a 2:1 rest to work ratio:

Five Sets for Max Reps:

• 30 seconds of Burpees.
• 60 seconds of rest.

How many calories do Burpees Burn?

How many calories you burn doing burpees depends on many factors including how many you do and in what period of time. Generally speaking, the higher the power output, the more calories you burn. So someone who does 20 burpees in a minute is likely burning more calories than someone who does 10 burpees in a minute.

With that being said, there are other factors that come into play like body weight and metabolism but power output is a key factor in calories burned.

How to do a Burpee

There are many variations of the burpee – some allow you to move quickly without too many standards to worry about and some require equipment or certain standards to be met for purposes of judging in a competition.

There have even been attempts to make the burpee harder by adding other movements, like pull-ups or box jumps, into them!

But the basic burpee looks the same – you fall down then stand up.

How to Perform a Proper Burpee

Just like any other movement we do, let’s start with the basics and master those before building on the intensity. The key to strict burpees is the 6-count cadence and maintaining good form through each position. This movement is done for strength improvement and perfect reps. Every position must be hit for them to count.

Proper 6 Count Burpee Video

How to execute 6-count burpees:

1. Squat & place hands on the ground.
2. Jump legs back so you are in the top of the push-up position.
3. Perform a Push-Up Negative (lower yourself with control and perfect position i.e. straight line from your head to your toes).
4. Press yourself back up to the top of the push-up position.
5. Jump your feet back in and so that you are in position 1.
6. Jump and clap hands behind head.

Rev Up the Speed by Removing 3 Counts

Once you are comfortable with the 6-count burpee, it’s time to start picking up the pace! To do this, you will need to start eliminating some steps. The first to go is step 1 – or at least you will need to merge it with steps 2 and 3.

Here’s what that looks like:

Burpee Crash Drill

How to Execute a Burpee Crash Drill:

1. Place your hands on the ground at the same time you are kicking back into the push-up. Remember that we are not going for strict reps here so the more of the actual pushing you can eliminate, the faster you can move and the less you will fatigue your muscles (mostly biceps and triceps). We are also eliminating the squat here to save those quads. In the beginning, you might only be comfortable landing at the top of the push-up however with more practice, you will become more comfortable catching yourself near the bottom.

Try this drill: Using a crash mat if you have one, practice falling to the ground as quickly as possible. Figure out where you are most comfortable landing. Don’t worry about the next steps yet. Just do ten reps of this and see how quickly you can hit the deck.

2. This was steps 4 and 5 in the 6-count burpee. At the same time, you are pressing yourself off the floor in what we would normally consider an “ugly” push-up where your chest rises first (“Cobra”), snap your legs forward by closing your hips rapidly. Try to keep your legs as straight as possible in order to avoid extra squatting. If you’re struggling with this, your hamstring flexibility is likely to blame. Stretch them often and keep doing burpees often.

Burpee Cobra to Hip Snap Drill

Try This Burpee Drill: From the “Cobra” position, snap your feet to your hands as quickly as possible then reset. Keep your feet in the same position (about shoulder width or squat stance) for each rep. Try to hit that position each time so that you aren’t spending extra time adjusting them. Repeat this ten times for speed. This can even be used as part of your pre-burpee warm-up.

3. This is the only part that’s the same as the 6-count burpee. Jump and clap your hands behind your head. Although your feet need to come off the floor for the rep to count, unless there are other standards specified (like touching a target), they only need to come off the floor a teeny, tiny bit. Less time in the air means more control of your body and faster burpees. Don’t stop in the standing position. This is a rebound, not a rest and you should be moving as quickly as possible into your next rep. Basically, as soon as your feet hit the floor after the jump, you should be starting your descent into the next burpee. Think fast arms, fast feet. Swing your arms down and rapidly close your hips. This looks similar to what you do with your arms in a GHD sit-up.

4 Burpee Pro Tips

1. Clap behind your head

Use your clap behind the head as a rebounding opportunity or another chance to catch the bounce. Punch and go. You should literally be throwing yourself back down to the ground instead of floating down. Kind of like barbell cycling…

2. Try to find a rhythm

Set a cadence in your head and stick to it. Be the machine. The machine keeps moving and does so to the same beat over and over and over until the work is complete, at which point, it is shut off. It doesn’t slow or stop. Pick a pace you can execute this with.

3. Standing Rests

If you must rest, do so standing up and NOT on the floor. “Catching the bounce” off the floor is part of what makes these fast. Plus, resting on the floor is a posture of defeat that we want to avoid. Stand tall. Stand proud. Stand with confidence or else you let the burpee win.

4. Remember: Burpees only suck if you let them!

Keep a positive mindset and know that you can never fail a burpee! Breathe calmly. Count up then down. Meaning, if you have to do 20 burpees, count them from 1-10 and then 10-1. It is much easier not to stop when you know your rep count is getting smaller and closer to the end.

Burpee Pull-Up

The Burpee Pull-Up is exactly what it sounds like, a burpee that has been combined with a pull-up. The burpee remains the same in this as the speed version above but on the jump off the floor, a pull-up is added to the movement. This version does slow down the movement because of the addition but adds in another awesome bodyweight exercise, the pull-up, which can be performed as a strict rep or with a kip swing, depending on the ability of the athlete.

If this version is used in competition, the athlete is usually required to set up under a pull-up bar that is a certain distance (often 6 inches) above the tip of their fingers with arms extended.

Because of the extra high jump involved – it is important to practice a few reps before your workout to figure out hand placement. Doing this will ensure that you conserve as much energy as possible and eliminate extra distance traveled while trying to line yourself up under the bar each rep.

Once you figure out that position, it is recommended that you mark your hand placement on the floor with chalk or tape so you have a target each time you come off the bar so that you can remain consistent throughout the workout.

Bar Facing Burpees

This is a popular version of the burpee for competitions when a barbell movement is also incorporated in the workout. The burpee itself looks pretty much the same here but instead of jumping up to full extension, you must jump over the barbell.

The good thing about this version is that you don’t have to extend completely on the jump. Most athletes do find them a bit harder than the original burpee though because the jump to clear the barbell takes more effort and energy than the small jump to clear the floor.

Position also matters on this version, meaning, the athlete MUST be facing the bar when they do the burpee rep AND they must also jump off of both feet at the same time while facing the bar to clear it and also land on of both feet on the other side, then turn around to face the bar (this could be done in the air) for the next rep. So a little more skill is involved and they are more tiring.

This version can be scaled so athletes step over the bar instead of jumping, if need be. Or, if space is a factor, the burpees can be done parallel to the bar instead of facing the bar.

Burpee Box Jump-Overs

In yet another attempt to make burpees harder…the burpee box jump-over was created. This is also a popular movement in competitions as they are easy to judge. You do a burpee on one side of your box then jump up and over the box. They may be prescribed as box-facing or not.

With this version, you can clear the box in one jump or you can land on top of the box then jump down to the other side. Your hips do not need to open all the way on the jump and you don’t need to stand all the way up on the box unless otherwise specified. You will see many top athletes perform the jumps laterally so that they can land perfectly on the other side and move directly into their burpees, therefore moving faster than if they had to reset facing the box each rep.

This movement can be easily scaled to burpee box step-overs or even squat thrust box step-overs for athletes who need a modification.

“Squat Thrusts” or Half Burpees

This version of the burpee is a great modification for people who struggle to maintain intensity on the basic burpee due to lack of upper body strength to complete the prescribed reps, when an athlete is fatigued on the push-up portion but wants to be able to continue to move quickly through their reps, or if an injury requires someone to avoid pressing movements.

The only difference between burpees and squat thrusts is the elimination of the push-up. All other parts look the same. Fall, or kick back, to a plank. Jump the feet to the hands. Jump straight up in the air. Clap with your hands overhead.

Burpee Push-Up

As with any movement, there is always something up for debate. In CrossFit and workouts for time, burpees do not require a perfect push-up but the chest must touch the floor for each rep unless you are performing the scaled version, the squat thrust.

In gym class and the military, you will likely be required to perform a strict push-up with each burpee rep like in the 6-count version above.

Both are great exercises to utilize – the CrossFit-style burpee will allow you to move quickly and get your heart rate up higher while the 6-count version will allow you to focus on strength, form and moving in unison with your class or platoon.

Burpees video

Here’s what it looks like to string together 10 reps of burpees for time:

Notice the hands and feet hit the floor in the same, exact place for each rep; the legs are relatively straight as the athlete goes to the floor and also on the way back up as the feet kick up to the hands; the push-up isn’t perfect (and doesn’t need to be by standard) but the chest does touch the floor, which is a requirement; a hip snap is used to bring the legs forward; and the jump at the top is as minimal as possible to achieve the standard that the entire foot clear the floor each rep.

Burpee Challenge

One of the best Burpee Challenges is the first CrossFit Open workout. It has been repeated over the years and for good reason. Everyone can do burpees. That means everyone can participate, which is pretty cool. But more importantly, it shows which athletes have developed the mindset and fortitude to thrive in competition.

This is a low skill movement and a workout with ZERO transitions to other movements or apparatus. Those who can approach this workout with the proper mindset and mental discipline will perform the best.

This is simply a test of your willingness to succeed.

If you have a goal, a proper mindset, and a good mantra, you will do VERY WELL on this workout.

On the flip side, if you go into the workout dreading burpees, you’ll make it to approximately minute 3 before it feels as if the whole world is caving in on you.

This workout is an opportunity to demonstrate your physical ability (your engine) and also your understanding of what it means to be “unconquerable.” Approach this workout with enthusiasm and a willingness to break through any mental barrier that could hold you back, and if you do that, you’ll have no regrets.

Personal records can come in many forms on this workout whether it be improved number of reps (power output) or improved mindset. Either is easy to see, feel and measure.

Here is the burpee challenge:

Complete as many reps as possible in 7 minutes of Burpees

The next time you see burpees on the whiteboard, attack them with confidence and by trying these tips. And let’s all try to save future generations from burpee disdain – never use exercise as punishment!

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