Monday 080728
July 28, 2008
7 rounds:
- Clean and Jerk, 3 Reps
- Pull-ups, Max Reps
No rest between the C&J and the Pull-ups but otherwise there is no time component to this workout. Record load on C&J and number of pull-ups.
Last week Jon Gilson from againfaster.com posted a great post titled “Permission To Fail“. Jon’s article is worth reflecting on while considering today’s workout. Cleans, jerks, and kipping pull-ups are some of the moves that most flummox our novice or even the intermediate CrossFitters. “Flummox” is a word I picked up from Coach Glassman who penned a letter in the same vein as Jon’s post back in 2005. In “Fundamentals, Virtuosity, and Mastery” Coach Glassman wrote:
There is a compelling tendency among novices developing any skill or art, whether learning to play the violin, write poetry, or compete in gymnastics, to quickly move past the fundamentals and on to more elaborate, more sophisticated movements, skills, or techniques. This compulsion is the novice’s curse—the rush to originality and risk.
While Jon focuses on the athlete Coach Glassman addresses athletes and trainers alike. Just as you may want to skip the finer details of the dead-lift or the front-squat as an athlete, trainers are often willing to follow or lead right along. Its exciting and rewarding as your coach to see you finally “get” the clean or any of her equally complicated siblings. But going after the clean to early, especially with a barbell, is a fool’s errand.
Jon mentions that pull-up and dip practice must precede the muscle-up. My preferred progression to the clean is something along the lines of:
1. Air Squat
2. Front Squat
3. Medicine Ball Clean
4. Dumbbell Clean (optional)
5. PVC Hang Clean
6. Clean
With a ton of trips through the Burgener warm-up included whenever possible. I actually prefer to have athletes get competent at the snatch before the clean but scheduling does not always allow for that.
This Saturday’s Crew at City Park
