This is a bit of a touchy subject, but it’s time to remind all of you about the potential risks of exercise.
Many people tend not to acknowledge this, but there is one reality of being an athlete of any kind; The likelihood of injury is always there, regardless of your level of activity. You may only work out a few times a week, or stay active simply for fun, or you might be one of our most dedicated CrossFitters. However, you are at risk for hurting yourself somewhere along the line. I’m talking about a gamut of many different types of injuries, here. Some may accumulate over time and be a result of overuse, some might be a mild strain or sprain, or perhaps you may develop tendonitis, pull a muscle, hurt your back or shoulder, have a chronically sore joint, or whatever else it may be. Just trust that these types of injuries can and likely WILL happen despite your best efforts to prevent them.
If perhaps you find yourself suddenly struggling with a pain that you’re unfamiliar with, it’s important to be careful. If you’re seeing that certain movements exacerbate the problem, then pay attention to that and modify your activities. Mention your concerns to your Coaches, and ask for advice or ideas on how you can work around them. Talk to your friendly medical practitioner and get a first or second opinion. And most importantly, listen to these messages that your body is sending you!
All too often we see people start off with what feels like a simple nagging ache, and they attempt to push through the discomfort and try some light modifications in the hopes that it will go away. Sometimes this works, but more often than not it results in the simple nagging ache becoming a more persistent issue. And then there are the cases where people have the intent to modify, but get carried away in the workout and end up ignoring the issue altogether! This is a recipe for disaster in the long run.
It is our job as Coaches to remind you Zoners to consider your long term health and fitness each time you come in to the gym to workout. The last thing we want to see is an increase in the number of injuries that start out small and steadily grow worse until they require serious rehabilitation. We are here to help you, but we can only do so if you choose to help yourself.
Here’s a great video by Kelly Starrett that helps shed some light on how to CrossFit if you have acute injuries:
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LESEeNl–Lo’]
Be smart, exercise safely, and leave your ego at the door. Let’s stay healthy, folks!
Today’s Workout:
Buy In: 3 rounds of 10 pvc dislocates, 10 situps, 10 jumping pullups and 10 pushups or plyo pushups
Then warmup to your bench press weight
WOD: Lynne
This is a CrossFit benchmark workout that does not make its way around very often. But here it is for ya!
5 rounds for max reps. There is NO time component to this WOD.
- Bodyweight bench press (e.g., same amount on bar as you weigh)
- pullups
Zone 3 – Scale bench press to 75% of your body weight
Zone 2 – Scale bench press to 50% of body weight, scale pullups as needed
Zone 1 – Scale workout as needed
Coaches, have the class work in groups that are lifting approximately the same weight. Complete the pullups right after your bench press and then rest. Make sure to choose a challenging weight for the bench press if you are not doing it as prescribed. Make sure to use Spotters!!!!
Cash Out: Roll out and stretch your shoulders, pecs and lats!
