Chris White - 02 June 2009 07:57 AM

Buy-in:
I really need to practice these more.  It seems like I don’t have the flexibility in my lats, teres, triceps, or anterior shoulder since my elbows start to drop (despite trtying to activate my upper traps and deltoids to keep my shoulders near my ears) as I squat.

I asked the owner of the gym to watch me.  He proceeded to tell me that OHS really aren’t do-able since they’ll damage the rotator cuff and the movement isn’t normal.  My elbows should remain slightly bent.  These should really just be a modified front squat, so I shouldn’t worry about my arms drifting forward as I squat.  He also didn’t want me to lock my knees as I stood back up..

For starters, I am new to this movement and crossfit in general so take this advise in light of my limited knowledge.

You’re right, flexibilty is a big part of these O-lift related movements. Samson strecthes have helped me get closer to the right position.

Sounds like you’re doing good by trying to have active shoulders (trying to put my shoulders in my ears is my goto thought).

Make sure you have a wide enough grip on the bar. You can test this by doing pass-throughs. Start with a super wide grip with the pvc in front of you, and take it overhead and carefully rotate it until it is behind you. Keep doing this and moving in a little at a time until it gets sticky, then back off a half an inch or so. This way if you ever have to bail out the back with a load you can do so without taking a part of your shoulder with it.

Yeah, if your arms drift forward it’s not really a big deal. It is however somewhat of a noisy deal, because arms drifting forards usually leads to me dumping the weight from overhead. I really can’t force my body into the right positions with PVC, so if there is something just a little heavier you can use (alumilite bar mayber?) it might help you feel the movement better. If you don’t have the flexibility though stay with the PVC and work your flexibiilty for a while longer.

I don’t really know why he doesn’t think the movement is normal. Has he never observed Olympic lifts? The overhead squat is just the second half of a snatch. I very well recognized O-lift.

http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_BarbellSnatch.wmv

Overhead Squats

5-5-5-5-5 reps

Practice with 45# bar.
Not bad, getting better.

Run 1.5 miles
Time 10:50

Erin

buttercup scaling:
Three rounds for time of:
15 pound Dumbbells split clean, 10 reps
15 Beginner Pull-ups

7:49

First day back in 9 days, man this was tough. 

Overhead squats
5-5-5-5-5

Warmed up with 10 dips, 10 pullups, 10 back extensions, 10 ghd situps, 10 squats and 10 leg swings with each leg

Then OHS with 45lb to warm up then sets of 5:
65-95-115PR-115f (only got 3 because shoulders were giving out)-95

Cooled down with some L-hang practice, 6 L-pullups and a 1 minute handstand against the wall.

Ran, both for Kelly and Erin (do I sense an Irish theme?), to the gym.  CFWU after the run, cramped behind the elliptical machines because there were people making love to the reflections of their biceps in the mirror by the only little workout area there is that doesn’t have a bench press in it.  Still, all went well, relatively.

Knees are still a bit wonky, so I’m going mixed-up butter-pup level on most workouts, including both of these:

For the Kelly:
ran 400 meters,
did 10 to 20 box jumps (which were actually jumps up 2 stairs… since there were no boxes in sight.  I got a few looks from extremely confused/somewhat amused Taiwanese gymgoers),
and did 15 thrusters (w/ 5kg—or 11#—dumbbells)
in a time of 16:41.  Not great, but I was grateful just to get on a treadmill that functioned, run over to the stairs and do 15 step-downs and jumps without falling onto my face, and then make it back and find the dumbbells ready for use.

I wasn’t so luck for the Erin… I ended up using a combination of the 10kg (22#) dumbbells (‘cause various people used ONLY ONE of the 5kg’ers at a TIME… :’( ), two 5kg barbell weights, and then, FINALLY, the 5kg (11#) dummbells.  In between, I waited for the pull-up bar to get free, and did 15 jumping (read: very sad) pull-ups.  So,  in the end, it was something like
3 rounds of 10 to 15 (or so?) reps of
Split-cleans, 11 or 22# weights of various shapes and sizes
Jumping pull-ups in
15:05.

Again, not terrible, and I’m excited just to be able to run again.  I think my squat form needs tweaking, and the pull-ups are pathetic, but hopefully a little pain and a bunch of frustration at not doing things right will make for the kind of determination necessary to get really, really good at them.  And it might even help me find some sorely needed patience.

At least, that’s what I’m hoping. 
~k

Yesterday:
“Kelly” Buttercups
3X
400m
10 Box Jumps (used 20” box… all we had)
10 Thrusters (with 10# dumbbells… all we had)

Me - 8:52
Hubby - 8:20

Looking forward to resting today!

Buy In: 50 jumping jacks, 10 push ups, 10 sit ups, 10 back extensions, 10 beginner pull ups, stretching.

5-5-5-5-5 of overhead squats

started with the bar and realized it was too much. I didn’t know how far forward I was going with the broom stick during warm ups.

5 - broom stick concentrated on form
5 - 45 lb bar - feeling better about form. remembered the vid about pushing shoulders to ears: made a big difference!
5 - 45 lb bar
5 - 45 lb bar
5 - 45 lb bar

No cash out

One thing I noticed was that my muscles along my thoracic was tight during the lifts, is that normal? thats why I didn’t add more weight.

w/u:
1 mile run (9:12)

overhead squats 5-5-5-5-5

15lb PVC/25lb PVC/35/35/40lbs

10 pullups
kipping practice

cooldown:
30 min yoga class

“Erin”

The Porch:
Three rounds for time of:
40 pound Dumbbells split clean, 15 reps
21 Pull-ups

Time:  12:14

Chris White - 02 June 2009 07:57 AM

I asked the owner of the gym to watch me.  He proceeded to tell me that OHS really aren’t do-able since they’ll damage the rotator cuff and the movement isn’t normal.  My elbows should remain slightly bent.  These should really just be a modified front squat, so I shouldn’t worry about my arms drifting forward as I squat.  He also didn’t want me to lock my knees as I stood back up.

Wow.
Aren’t do-able since they’ll damage the rotator cuff: huh?!
movement isn’t normal: hands overhead supporting weight, never happens!
My elbows should remain slightly bent: Rx for disaster!  Lock them out!
These should really just be a modified front squat: no
I shouldn’t worry about my arms drifting forward as I squat: yes, you should. Stretch, stretch stretch.
He also didn’t want me to lock my knees as I stood back up: but then you’d never finish a rep!  Like a lame track coach telling you to run a 400m, but forget about that last 50m…  strange, how can standing up hurt you in this context?

@ CF Sparta

Something” gulf coast my abs”

5RFT:
10 leg lifts
20 hollow rocks
30 ab-v ups
40 sit ups
50 chinnies

18:34…..abs are gonna be a lil tight come morning time.

Overhead Squats

95 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 3
135 x 3

played it safe with these. didnt wanna dump them in globogym

CFFB Power WOD
  Deadlift 5RM
    245#x5

Overhead Squats 5-5-5-5-5
  45-55-65-75-85

knees kept caving in and I used a 12” box but got it done

on another note, last night I had my first Crossfit dream. I had a dream that I was doing c2b pullups and just kept going and going and going….if only dreams came true!

warmup—1 mile walk/run

Buttercups
“Kelly”
Three rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
10 Box jump, 24 inch box—step ups for sets 1&2, 15” box jumps for 3rd set
10 Wall ball shots, 14-20 pound ball—DB thrusters with 10# db

13:45

I was tired at the end, but felt I could have done the puppy scaling.  I lost a bit of time just going from the treadmill to where the weights and steps are.  Plenty of room for improvement next time!

finished with OHS practice with 45# bar.  Boy, those look so much easier on the video!  I’m going to enjoy those tomorrow.

IKE - 02 June 2009 07:14 AM

Cori….

I learned the hard way to take my wedding band off every time I workout…Even doing so I ripped a chunk out of the palm of my hand yesterday debating weather to just tape it today and tough it out through the pull-ups in my WU or just skip them.

Thanks, Ike.  I’ll have to remember to do that on weight lifting days.  I already have a pretty good callous but “Erin” helped me find out I need more.    Maybe you could sub HSPUs in your WU.  Best wishes.