Master the Basics for Crossfit - Introduction

Master the Basics for Crossfit - Introduction It's often a hard pill to swallow but you first need to build the right foundations and master the basics before you can obtain a higher level of skill. That being said, I also understand that you’re not a 5 year old gymnast with hours upon hours of free time on your hands so although we will still work towards mastering the basics, you will also still be developing the ‘unconventional’ Crossfit specific demands of gymnastics such as kipping movements, walking on your hands etc. We will also work on skills beyond the typical Crossfit movements because first of all you need to be ‘prepared for anything’, secondly developing these more advanced skills is a great way to continually test our strength, flexibility, awareness and general skill acquisition. And of course, it´s fun. But to re-iterate, mastering the basic movements in Gymnastics is important. For example, mastering the swing on the rings, which is a very basic movement indeed, will greatly improve your kipping muscle ups. It’s the last thing people think about but I promise you that if you master the swing, a kipping muscle up will feel almost effortless. If you can’t consistently hold a free standing handstand you’re going to be limited in the skills you can develop. And so on. From time to time, I will write a new "Master the Basics" approach for each relevant skill in Crossfit. Typically, these will include a significant amount of information (you´re welcome) but try to avoid overloading yourself with different cues and pointers. Pick one or two points and nail them before moving to the next. Some of these skills take time, so be patient. If you can, try and work with a partner because often, particularly as a beginner when you are still learning and building awareness of body positions and movement, it can be difficult to know if you are really doing it correctly or not. Finally, remember that in Crossfit you will often be performing these movements when you are tired, so if you haven’t mastered them when you’re fresh, imagine what you’re going to look like in a Metcon. Matt Jacked Gymnastics