Punish Your Weakness

This short statement runs deep throughout the culture of CrossFit. It has many different meanings, depending solely on each person’s individual goals. However, the premise is universally the same: find what it is you suck at, and make it a strength.
But never before had it been on display to a larger audience than when the CrossFit Games were on TV. At some point during the competition, a chink in each competitor’s armor was discovered, much to the bewilderment of the spectators. Sometimes it’s pure strength, sometimes endurance, or balance, or even accuracy. One attribute though, just one, seems to be fairly well developed in each competitor. And oddly enough, this one attribute holds the key to so much untapped potential in someone’s ability to push their fitness to never-thought-of heights. More power, more speed, more stamina. This attribute affects ALL of the others, in a good way. Many times, specializing too much in one area leads to a detriment in another. You want to be massively strong? Your endurance will likely suffer, and vice versa.
But not this one.
It breeds efficiency.
And during our workouts, our daily lives, efficiency is what we’re after.
But it doesn’t get much ink. It’s not focused on too much. It’s relegated to the corners of the gym, before or after the WOD.
It’s not glamorous like a 400lb deadlift, or a 3 minute Fran.
But it won’t wear you out. And it’ll improve EVERYTHING you do in the box…and most things out of it.
So, what is this mystery attribute?
Flexibility.
“But Josh, I can squat real good and I can bend down and touch my toes…see?!”
If you can’t squat below parallel, consistently, without losing your lumbar curve, you need work here.
If you can’t squat below parallel, consistently, without your knees caving in, you need work here.
If you can’t squat below parallel, consistently, without your heels staying down, you need work here.
If you can’t squat below parallel, consistently, without ALL of the above at the same time, you need work here.
But wait…there’s more!
If you can’t press a barbell or swing a KB overhead, consistently, without your midline breaking, you need work here.
If you can’t press a barbell or swing a KB overhead, consistently, without your elbows bending, you need work here.
If you can’t press a barbell or swing a KB overhead, consistently, without ALL of the above at the same time, you need work here.
See what I did there, I captured ALL OF YOU!
So, what do you do? Take the triage approach.
Find your worst problem area. You all already know what it is. Chances are it’s the movement you dread seeing most that needs the most work. Those movements we hate to see are the most telling.
Find your position of restriction, and fix it. Make it your greatest strength.
“But how do I do that?”
Check out the “Learn Yourself” section of the website – it’s Gold!
Check out our all-new mobility/flexibility posters that debut

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See me for a better performance!

tomorrow.
Trust me, ALL your other movements will improve. I promise.
Another cool thing about it? You can do it on your own, at home, in the car, at work, walking the aisles at Publix.
The only thing that ALL of the competitors constantly improved upon during the CrossFit Games was their flexibility. Not their strength, not their power, or stamina, or balance, or accuracy, but their flexibility.
Did you see the backstage set-up they had there? All geared towards one common goal – flexibility. You’ve all heard me or Jay talk about being supple…well kids, this is what we’re after – being supple (just google it already). We want our tissues to move how they were designed to move and do the things they’re supposed to do.
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Oh yea, I almost forgot this nugget: it vastly improves your ability to recover. That’s pretty important too.

people working out in a group fitness class

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