10 Basic Movements of CrossFit

 10 Basic Movements of CrossFit

AIR SQUAT

THE AIR SQAT IS FOUNDATIONAL TO THE FRONT SQUAT AND OVERHEAD SQUAT.

1. LEARNING THE MOVEMENT

SET UP:

• Stance = Shoulder Width

• Full Extension at hips and knees

EXECUTION:

• Weight on heels

• Lumbar curve maintained

• Chest up

• Butt travels back and down

• Bottom of Squat is below parallel

• Knees track parallel to feet

• Return to full extension at the hips and knees to complete movement

• Head position is neutral

2. CORRECTING THE MOVEMENT

FAULT: Lazy Lumbar curve, or Losing It (i.e. “Butt Wink”)

• Fix – Lift the chest while engaging the hip flexors by anteriorly rotating the pelvis strongly

• Fix – Raise the arms as you descend to the bottom of the squat

FAULT: Weight shifts forward to balls of feet

• Fix – Exaggerate weight in the heels by floating the toes slightly throughout the entire movement.

FAULT: Not low enough

• Fix – Squat to a 10’’ box or medicine ball to develop awareness of depth.

FAULT: Knees roll in

• Fix – Push knees out or “Spread the ground with your feet.”

• Fix – Push knees out with elbows at bottom of squat to familiarize yourself with knee position.

FAULT: Immature Squat: Lumbar curve is maintained, depth might be there, and heels are in contact with the ground, but the athlete has to cantilever forward excessively onto the quads to maintain balance

• Fix – Squat Therapy: Set up facing a wall with a 10’’ box under butt. Set up in the proper stance, with heels to the box, chest close to wall. Squat to box while maintaining control and weight in heels. 

FRONT SQUAT

The Setup, Execution, Points of Performance, and Corrections carry over exactly from the Air Squat. We now add a load in the FRONT RACK POSITION.

1. LEARNING THE MOVEMENT

SET UP:

• Stance= Shoulder Width

• Full extension of knees and hips

• Bar “racked” on the shoulders (create a shelf for the bar to sit on with the shoulders), hands outside shoulders, loose fingertip grip

• Elbows high, upper arm parallel to ground

EXECUTION:

• Weight on heels

• Lumbar curve maintained

• Chest up

• Elbows high; arms stay parallel to the ground throughout the whole movement

• Butt travels back and down

• Bottom of squat is below parallel

• Knees track parallel to the feet

• Return to full extension at the hips and knees to complete movement

• Head position in neutral

2. CORRECTING THE MOVEMENT

FAULTS: Bar not in contact with the torso or holding bar out in front

• Fix – Get elbows high and allow bar to roll back onto fingertips

FAULTS: Elbows drop and chest comes forward

• Fix – Pull elbows up and aim chest at ceiling. Stress a hard lumbar curve.

• Fix – Have someone place their hand or arm under elbows to help them maintain position 

BACK SQUAT

The Setup, Execution, Points of Performance, and Corrections carry over exactly from the Air Squat. We now add a load in the LOW BAR BACK POSITION.

1. LEARNING THE MOVEMENT

SET UP:

• Stance = Feet shoulder width apart

• Full extension at hips and knees

• Bar held on back, in the sagittal plane, with a wide grip thumbs over the bar

EXECUTION:

• Weight on heels

• Lumbar curve maintained

• Chest up

• Maintain constant upward pressure on the bar

• Bar remains in the sagittal plane

• Butt travels back and down

• Bottom of squat is below parallel

• Knees track parallel to the feet

• Return to full extension at the hips and knees to complete movement

• Head position is neutral

2. CORRECTING THE MOVEMENT

All faults and fixes from the Air Squat apply to this movement, plus the following:

FAULT: Weight in toes

• Fix – Sit back into the heels until you can wiggle toes

FAULT: Knees dive in towards the center of the body

• Fix – push knees out over the toes 

SHOULDER PRESS

The key elements of the Shoulder Press, and all the overhead lifts, are the setup position, the overhead position, tight belly, and the bar path. These are foundational to all the overhead lifts.

1. LEARNING THE MOVEMENT

SETUP (This setup is exactly the same for all 3 overhead lifts):

• Stance = Hip Width

• Hands just outside the shoulders

• Bar in front, resting on the “rack” or “shelf” created by the shoulders

• Elbows down and in front of bar; elbows are lower than in the front squat

• Tight midsection

• Closed grip, with thumbs around the bar

EXECUTION:

• Drive through the heels; keep the whole body rigid; tight belly

• Bar travels straight up to locked out, with active shoulders, directly overhead

• Head accommodates bar (bar path has a straight line)

• To move head out of way of bar path, pull head back – Do not look up

2. CORRECTING THE MOVEMENT

FAULT: Bar forward of frontal plane

• Fix – Press up and pull back on the bar as it travels to overhead

FAULT: Leaning back, ribs sticking out

• Fix – Tighten abs/suck ribs cage down

FAULT: Passive shoulders or bent elbows

• Fix – Obtain active shoulders by pressing shoulders into ears

FAULT: Bar arcs out around the face

• Fix – Pull head BACK out of the way of the bar

• Fix – Check that the elbows are not too low in the set up

FAULT: Movement in feet, knees, and/or hips

• Fix – Maintain no motion of feet, knees, and/or hips during entire movement. 

PUSH PRESS

The Push Press builds on the same setup and overhead position as the Shoulder Press. We add velocity with the dip and drive of the hip. The focus here is on a dip and drive that is explosive and straight down and up.

1. LEARNING THE MOVEMENT

SETUP:

• Stance = Hip width

• Hands just outside the shoulders

• Bar in front; resting on the “rack” or “shelf created by the shoulders

• Elbows down and in front of the bar; elbows are lower than in the front squat

• Tight midsection

• Closed grip, with the thumbs around bar

EXECUTION:

• The cue for the action is: Dip – Drive – Press

• Dip: Perform a shallow dip (flexion) of the hips, where the knees push forward slightly, the butt goes back, and the chest stays upright

• Drive: Extend the hip rapidly and fully

• Press: Press the bar to overhead with locked arms

PRIMARY POINTS OF PERFORMANCE:

• Torso drops straight down on the dip. There is no forward inclination of the chest and no muting of the hip.

• Aggressive turnaround from the dip to the drive.

2. CORRECTING THE MOVEMENT

All faults and fixes from the Shoulder Press apply to this movement, plus the following:

FAULT: Out of sequence: Press begins before hip opens up

• Fix – Repeat Dip – Drive with a fast tempo

FAULT: Cocking: Pausing at the dip

• Fix – Repeat Dip – Drive and more aggressive turnaround of the hip

FAULT: Forward inclination of the chest

• Fix – Hold in the dip position and make adjustments to the true upright torso

• Fix – If dip is too deep, obtain a shallower dip

• Fix – Dip Therapy: Stand with back against wall, with heels, butt, and shoulder blades all touching the wall; then dip and drive, keeping everything in contact with the wall.

FAULT: Muted hip

• Fix – Turn the pelvis over (anterior rotation) strongly

PUSH JERK

The Push Jerk builds from a good setup, a good overhead position, and a solid dip/drive. Now we focus on coordinating this movement so that the hip comes to full extension before the catch, and the catch occurs with the bar locked out overhead.

1. LEARNING THE MOVMENT

SETUP:

• Stance = Hip width

• Hands just outside the shoulders

• Bar in front; resting on the “rack” or “shelf created by the shoulders

• Elbows down and in front of the bar; elbows are lower than in the front squat

• Tight midsection

• Closed grip, with the thumbs around bar

EXECUTION:

• The cue for the action is “Dip, Drive, Press, and Dip”

• Dip: Perform a shallow dip (flexion) of the hips, where the knees push forward slightly, the butt goes back, and the chest stays upright

• Drive: Extend the hip rapidly and fully

• Press and Dip: Retreat the hip downward and drive the body under the bar, while rapidly pressing the bar overhead.

• “Catch” the bar with arms locked out overhead and in a partial squat position

• Stand to full extension with bar overhead

2 CORRECTING THE MOVEMENT

All faults and fixes from the Shoulder Press and Push Press apply to this movement, plus the following:

FAULT: Movement pattern out of sequence

• Fix – Break it down via the progression and build back up to the full movement. It is as simple as a jump and land in the partial squat

FAULT: Hip never gets to full extension

• Fix – Exaggerate fully extending the hip by making your body 1-2 inches taller than your standing height. If you are 5’10’’, Dip and Drive yourself to 5’11’’.

FAULT: Landing too wide with feet

• Fix – Execute the movement without the feet moving from under the hips

• Fix – Therapy: Block the feel with plates or boxes or some object so you can’t jump too wide

• Fix – Punch up and pull back on the bar. Active shoulders

FAULT: Not standing all the way up with the bar before re-racking it on the shoulders 

DEADLIFT

The Deadlift is foundational to the Sumo Deadlift High Pull and the Medicine Ball Clean.

1. LEARNING THE MOVEMENT

SETUP:

• Stance = between hip width and shoulder width

• Weight in heels

• Back arched/lumbar curve locked in

• Shoulders slightly in front of bar

• Bar in contact with shins

• Arms locked out straight

• Symmetrical grip outside the knees, just wide enough not to interfere with the knees.

• The back is slightly slanted up with head and chest up

• The hamstrings are above parallel and stretched

EXECUTION:

• Drive through the heels

• Extend legs while hips and shoulders rise at the same rate

• Once the bar passes the knees, the hip opens all the way up

• Bar maintains contact with the legs the entire time

• Head neutral

• On return to the floor, push the hips back and shoulders forward slightly; delay the knee bend

• Once the bar descends below the knees and the torso angle is set, return the bar down to the setup position by bending the knees slightly

2. CORRECTING THE MOVEMENT

FAULT: Loss of lumbar curve

• Fix – Pull hips back and lift chest

• Fix – Abort and decrease the load to where the lumbar arch can be maintained

FAULT: Weight on or shifting on toes

• Fix – Settle into heels and pull hips back, maintaining tension in the hamstrings at start of movements, and focus on driving through the heels

• Fix – Check that the bar stays in contact with the legs throughout the movement

FAULT: Shoulders behind bar on setup

• Fix – Raise hips to move shoulder over or slightly in front of bar

FAULT: Hips rise before the chest (Stiff-Legged Deadlift)

• Fix – Allow the shoulders and chest to rise sooner. Lift the chest and hips at the same rate until the bar passes the knees 

DEADLIFT con’t

FAULT: Bar travels around the knees instead of straight up

• Fix – Be sure to set up correctly: Weight in heels and with shoulders in front of the bar. Push knees back as chest and hips rise

• Fix – Stick Trick: Have a partner place 2 PVC pipes on either sides of the bar and execute a lift without hitting either stick

FAULT: Bar collides with knees on descent

• Fix – Initiate the return by pushing the hips back and delay the knee bend

FAULT: Bar loses contact with legs

• Fix – Pull the bar into your legs the whole time

SUMO DEADLIFT HIGH PULL

The Sumo Deadlift High Pull (SDHP) builds on the Deadlift, widening the stance, bringing the grip inside the knees, adding a shrug, an upward pull with the arms, but, most importantly velocity.

1. LEARNING THE MOVEMENT

SETUP:

• Stance = Wider than shoulder width, but not so wide that the knees roll inside the feet

• Weight in heels

• Back arched/lumbar curve locked in

• Shoulders slightly in front of the bar

• Bar in contact with the shins

• Arms locked straight

• Symmetrical grip inside the knees (about 4-6 inches apart)

EXECUTION:

• Accelerate through the heels from the ground to full extension of the hips and legs

• Shrug, with arms straight

• Arms follow through by pulling bar to the chin with elbows high and outside

• Return the bar back down fluidly in the reverse sequence: arms, then traps, then hips, then knees, back to the setup position

PRIMARY POINTS OF PERFORMANCE:

• Hips open before the shrug and arm bend

• Bar is pulled up just to below the chin

• Fast and aggressive

• Elbow travel and finish high and outside; elbows are higher than the hands at all times during the movement

2. CORRECTING THE MOVEMENT

All faults and fixes from the Deadlift apply to this movement, plus the following:

FAULTS: Pulling too early with the arms, hip not completely open before the shrug or arm pull

• Fix – Go to step 3 in the progression. Emphasize that the hip needs to fire first, before the arms. Try 2 Sumo Deadlift Shrugs for every full SDHP; do as many times as needed

FAULT: No shrug

• Fix – Back to progression. Do 2 Sumo Deadlift Shrugs and one High Pull; do as many times as needed

FAULT: Incorrect descent (Hips before arms)

• Fix – Slow down the movement; return the arms then hips, then legs, then speed it up again

SUMO DEADLIFT HIGH PULL con’t

FAULT: Segmenting the movement

• Fix – Accelerate or jump the bar off the ground

FAULT: Losing control and levelness of bar

• Fix – Widen the grip a bit. Make sure the grip is symmetrical to the bar

FAULT: Running the bar into the knees

• Fix – Narrow the grip and make sure the hips aren’t too low in the setup position

Rowing Technique

 

The rowing stroke is very similar to a deadlift. In the drive (work) phase, the legs initiate the power, and arms remain straight. Then the hip flexors and torso muscles maintain the power through the leg and hip drive. Finally, the arms finish the stroke with an accelerating pull toward the torso that completes the smooth handoff of power from lower body to torso to upper body.

The handle and seat must move together during the drive. A common error is to pull with the back early, which is evidenced as the handle moving first. Just as the bar and hips must move together during a deadlift, so the handle and seat should move together during the work phase of the rowing stroke. On the recovery (rest) phase of each stroke, the handle leads the body forward. The arms extend first and then forward flexion occurs at the hips. You should feel your body weight shift from the back to the front of the seat as forward body angle is achieved, before the knees begin to rise and the legs compress for the next stroke.

Be sure to watch the position of the knees at the catch (the “front” of the stroke, just as you are about to apply drive power). Many new rowers will attempt to open the legs, i.e., flare the knees outward, to try to achieve deeper compression at the beginning of each stroke, but this action will bring the knees out of alignment with the ankles and can cause injury with application of force or repetition. As you reach forward for the catch, your shins should be essentially vertical and aligned with your feet.

Mass (i.e., body weight) is an advantage on the rowing machine, and one key to optimal performance is learning to use your body mass to your advantage by suspending your body weight between the handle and the feet. This is achieved with a powerful, explosive leg drive right off the catch when the shins are vertical, the body is angled forward at roughly thirty degrees, and the arms are straight. Quickly snap open the knee, using just a powerful push with the legs to initiate the drive. When the legs have propelled the seat halfway back, the knee angle continues to open powerfully as the hip opens, using the strength of the core to maintain the suspension of body mass. As the shoulders begin to cross over the hip joint on the way to a thirty-degree layback, the arms continue the suspension by pulling toward the torso with accelerating force. Scoop the handle fluidly down and away from the body at the end of the pull to create a smooth transition from the work to the rest phase of the stroke, eliminating any pause in the handle movement.

Many people are confused about the purpose and significance of the damper setting on the flywheel. This is not a resistance setting. You create greater resistance when you apply greater force, and the rowing machine adapts to every stroke. A high-intensity, powerful stroke will be met with much higher resistance than a low-intensity, weak stroke. The damper simply adjusts how quickly the force is applied to the machine. As you put in more effort, you will go faster, generate more power (watts), and use more energy (calories). Most people prefer a damper setting of 3 to 5 for all types of workouts. A higher damper setting results in a slower stroke rating (fewer strokes per minute) and is often preferred by endurance athletes who are accustomed to a slower leg turnover and increased time spent in a state of muscular contraction. A lower damper setting results in a faster stroke rating, which is often appealing to sprinters and competitive cyclists who are accustomed to a faster leg turn over and quick, explosive muscular work. (Not surprisingly, many CrossFitters—particularly the bigger, heavier ones—seem to prefer somewhat higher settings, going for both hard and fast.) Experiment for yourself to determine the setting that gives you the best performances and allows you to work at the highest intensity. Too high and you’ll have to back off the speed of your stroke; too low and you won’t be able to generate maximum power.

In summary, the rowing stroke is a continuous, fluid movement in which the handle is perpetually in motion. Although we can break it down into its constituent parts for training and analysis, as in the following steps, it should not actually look or feel like a series of separate movements.

1. Begin rowing from the catch position, with shins vertical, torso angled forward from the hip to create subtle forward spinal flexion, arms fully extended with fingers curved around the handle, abdominal muscles engaged and the navel pulling back away from the thighs, and shoulders relaxed down (not hunched up), with slight scapular retraction.

2. Initiate the drive with the legs, giving a quick, powerful push (kick) off the catch while maintaining the forward body angle for the first half of the drive (roughly ten to fourteen inches of the slide, but variable depending on the length of the legs). Continue pushing with the legs while opening the body angle with the strength and explosiveness of the legs and core body strength, resulting in suspension. Let your mass work to your advantage, allowing the weight of the body to combine with muscular strength and endurance to produce maximum power output.

3. As your legs reach extension, finish the stroke with a powerful arm pull, accelerating the handle as you pull it away from the flywheel and back to your upper abdomen. At the end of the drive, your legs will be straight with a bit of plantar flexion at the ankle (i.e., slightly up on the balls of your feet) to prevent hyperextension of the knee joints; your body will be angled back about thirty degrees from vertical with activated trunk muscles; and your arms will be bent with the elbows behind the torso and the handle almost touching your abs).

4. Return to the catch by extending the arms and allowing the handle to pull the body into forward flexion. Flex forward at the hips, aligning the chest over the thighs, and then slide the seat up toward the feet with slow control. Overall, the recovery phase should take about twice as long as the drive phase.

Think explosive power as you row, as if you are placing your feet on the back of a competitor and pushing away with every stroke.