Full Range of Motion

Wednesday, August 28;

Today was all about full range of motion.. Crossfit preaches full ROM for everything we do. Why do bicept curls when you could do cleans and jerks or snatches? Why do squats if you can't break 90 degrees? Why do pullups if you can't go all the way down and then get all the way over the bar?

The other day my boss was telling me about her experience with her trainer at her gym. My boss is in her 50's and she's a pretty strong lady. She's not a crossfitter, just a normal gym-goer. She was proud that she could do "boy" pushups, but couldn't understand why her trainer wasn't reciprocating her excitement. I asked her to explain her pushups to me. She described a pushup similar to what many women do. It's the same kind of pushup I used to do before coming to Crossfit Old Town. She gets on her toes and then bends her elbows until it hurts and then comes back up. She would do this 10 times and say, "I've done 10 pushups."

Thank goodness her trainer knows better. He said, "It's not a real pushup unless you go all the way down." She was having trouble understanding why it wasn't good enough to go until it hurts and then go back.

So why is it so important to have a full range of motion on all movements? There are two major reasons that I gave to my boss. First, it's the best way to get stronger. You may only get a few reps with perfect range of motion, but it is preferable to get just a few perfect movements than getting partial movements. Second, it's the best way to measure progress. How can you tell if you're getting stronger unless you have a constistant standard to measure yourself against?

That's my preaching for the day!

Workout:
800 meter run
7 Rounds
6 Hand Stand shrugs
3 L-sit pullups

800 meter run
5 Rounds
6 Hand Stand shrugs
3 L-sit pullups

800 meter run
3 Rounds
6 Hand Stand shrugs
3 L-sit pullups

Total Time: 33:20

You may be wondering what that whole schpiel was above if I only did Hand Stand shrugs.. well the explanation is perfectly clear. If you can't do the full range of motion, then you are forced to do modifications until you are strong enough to complete the full range of motion. I will work on shrugs and negatives until I can get all the way down and then all the way back up again.