MY GYM IS CLOSED!
I HAVE NO EQUIPMENT!
I WILL SURELY SEE MY MUSCLES TURN TO MASHED POTATOES AND JELLY!
We’re all thinking about it. Yes, we’re all a bit startled, rattled, and upset. Our routine has been interrupted, and our up-to-this-point-known-fitness world has closed its doors on us, but we haven’t lost access to the CrossFit Magic 3 – Mechanics, Consistency, Intensity.
Continuing Progressions
With this crisis at hand, now is a wonderful time to hone and fine-tune our mechanics and level-up our consistency by training CrossFit at home.
Was there ever a better time to work on those technique-y bits that you neglect in the gym? You know when Coach said “practice this with a PVC or light barbell” but you decided to max out instead.
Now, go find a broom or mop, disconnect the handle, and VOILA you have a perfect implement to use for OLY practice!
We’ve all said, “I need some weight on the bar to really feel the movement”. I have two thoughts on that:
1) Stop.
2) That’s silly.
Using the bar is the END GOAL. Putting weight on the bar is the END GOAL.
Would you begin the practice of rock climbing by climbing Mt. Everest? Would you take your kid on their very first driving lesson on the freeway?? No way! You’d start small and drill drill drill. The same applies to any complex movement!
So a PVC/broom handle/empty barbell it is. Embrace it. If you’re struggling to “feel” the movement, you need to slow it down. Video yourself, be deliberate and give your body the chance it deserves to learn the movement perfectly. Perfect practice makes PERFECT.
There are also myriad auxiliary exercises you can work on to strengthen your lifts while training at home. Things like Bulgarian split squats, single-leg RDLs, Pendlay rows, Farmer carries, Front rack carries, Overhead carries, Single Arm farmer/front rack/overhead carries are all amazing ways to spice up home workouts!
Not to mention, adding in pauses, isometric holds, and varying tempos to any movement for extra gains in your training.
Continuing Fitness and Consistency
“My FITNESS. What about my FITNESS?? How can I stay fit without my fancy fitness toys?? How can I be as INTENSE when training CrossFit at home?”.
Again, two thoughts:
1) Behold! Heavy things abound!
2) Bodyweight!
No doubt we like our equipment to be pretty, color-coded, and official-looking so when a neighbor sees us working out, we’re confident they know it’s their fit neighbor doing CrossFit at home. In these times working “under load” might need to look DIFFERENT than what we’re used to.
Let’s take the example of a women’s bar (roughly 35#), a 35# DB, and 35# KB. Those are ALL literally the same load. How many other things are out there can ALSO equal 35#?? Or 45#? Or 50#? Or more????
Now is the time to literally step outside the box and look around to find all those things in life that are heavy and worthy of helping advance our fitness. Maybe it’s that old school backpack filled with old textbooks (that have been otherwise wasting away the years in a box somewhere in the attic).
Maybe it’s the kid’s wagon or old baby stroller loaded with objects to create a sled push or pull. Dig out that windshield fluid, the oversized jug of vinegar, those milk jugs, your bowling ball, your bocce set, the spare car batteries, a few 5-gallon buckets, a bag of planting soil — the list is endless!! Heavy things are all around us, the choices are bountiful.
Onto bodyweight… Do you know what makes running so tough? BODYWEIGHT. What makes pull-ups difficult? BODYWEIGHT. Toes-to-bar, muscle-ups, handstands… it’s your BODYWEIGHT that you’re fighting against. So, make your own workout of 500 air squats for time and try to tell me you aren’t sore or waddling the next day.
If you want to get a full list of at-home workouts you can do, click HERE.
Continuing Community
Most likely our gyms have shifted programming to home or bodyweight WODs. This is amazing on the part of gym owners and coaches! A true challenge for all involved. Think about this — we’ve always trusted our coaches with our fitness — stay the course! Coaches are knowledgeable, adaptive, and creative.
We look to coaches as leaders in our community — to create and foster the bonds we share with our fellow box-mates. Now, more so than ever, our community is essential to our fitness success when training CrossFit at home.
Everyone’s fitness goals have suddenly, radically shifted. We’re all scrambling to set new goals and aspirations. Rally together, make a team and set a goal to test our fitness TOGETHER. Put mechanics, consistency, and intensity to work all at once!