Before you read this please notice that this post is called “staying sane on vacation” and not “staying fit on vacation.” If you want to know more about working out while you’re vacationing there’s plenty of other resources online. One of the things I love about CrossFit is how it drives people to constantly improve. With the strong desire to improve comes the frustration of setbacks. Many Crossfitters (myself included) can feel disappointed with themselves after, or even during, a vacation. Let’s be honest, no one likes losing #gainz. However, there are several steps you can take to ensure that you enjoy your vacation guilt-free. 1. Realize that time away from the gym can be an advantage If you want to learn about the physical benefits of rest, just Google: “importance of rest CrossFit.” I’m going to talk about the mental aspect. Sometimes a week or more away from the gym can help you think about your training differently. You have time to reflect on what you’ve been doing and can start to formulate a plan on how you’re going to attack the box when you get back. Maybe you realize you’ve been neglecting some conditioning work. Your free time … Read More
Sauna, why not!
Im going to build on my previous posts about after-training regeneration (Foamrolling and Rest Day) by focusing on another passive regeneration that is perfect for days like we have now, days when staying bundled up in bed sounds better than hitting the cold gym, sauna. Visiting a sauna brings much more that the well known positives for our organisms, such as relaxing our minds and helping our immune systems. For sports people like us, sauna has an interesting impact on recovery and preps us for another training session. When to implement it Should you go to the sauna before you train, after or on your rest day? The answer is not a simple one. You need to realise what you expect from the visit in the first place. If you aim to recover, you should visit the sauna at a certain time after you train or on your rest day. If you want to work on your endurance, go to there immediately after you work out. If you work on your lifting and want to increase in your strength you should stop by before you train. “When you are recovering from a work out, your heartbeat should go back to normal. … Read More
How to avoid shoulder pain
One of the common issues that our clients have is pain in the shoulder joint that results in limitations in their training. Shoulders are probably used more than any other joint in our body during our trainings. The instability of this joint and the range of motion of the joint can often cause issues. We use the shoulder joint in following movements: All S2O movements (press, push press, jerk, thruster) Gymnastics on the bar (pull ups, mainly the kipping variation, toes to bar, muscle ups) Push ups, HSPU, hand stand, dips, burpees Snatch and OHS As you can see from this list, we do at least one exercises that engages shoulder joint in almost every single class. I would like to cover the most often diagnosis of shoulder joint pain so that you will know what your physiotherapist means when he or she tells you all the medical terms. I will also add couple tips on how to avoid shoulder pain. Bursitis – So called bursae are small sacs filled with fluid. They are located close to joints. Their role is to decrease friction between bones, ligaments and muscle origins. Bursitis happens when bursae gets inflamed. Movement of the joint or pressure on bursae then becomes … Read More