Cherry Picking

Cherry Picking

You want to get better, don't you? Stronger, faster, healthier?

So why shy away from the very workouts you need? Why skip the movements that could use improvement because you're not good at them? Why stay home because you hate what you see planned at the gym?

You're a cherry picker. That's why.

You are mentally weak. But you're not the only one. It's the proverbial "you" we're talking about here anyway. You... me... all of us. We are all cherry pickers.

cherry pick (v.) 1. To select the most desirable item. Attempting, or picking, things that are easily obtained, or only what best suits your taste, as a cherry might. 2. To choose easy tasks over challenging ones. In sports, a "cherry picker" is someone who prefers to take only easy shots. 3. To drive your Amplify trainers crazy. In daily workouts, to "cherry pick" is to only participate in exercises which are deemed strengths. Movements that are difficult are avoided, almost at all costs.

The Path of Least Resistance
Humans are inherently built to find the path of least resistance.

The human body is fighting an internal battle to function at its highest level of energy efficiency, saving calories, effort, and exertion for the most needed output on a day-to-day basis. Evolutionarily speaking, this is in case we need to outrun a wild animal, or if we are forced to go a day without food, etc.

This is most easily identifiable if we look at heart rate and cardiorespiratory efficiency. Our heart beats only as fast it needs it to, slowing for the majority of the day to transport just enough oxygen through the cardio system in order to stay alive and keep the organs running. Up the physical work and the heart and related systems respond, only to slow again when the work is done or the energy system is depleted.

In science, much of this is known as homeostasis: the process that maintains the stability of the human body's internal environment in response to changes in external conditions. [1]

Our brain does it all the time too. We skip the unimportant items to save energy, to focus on the input that really matters. For instance, our peripheral vision only gives us the blur of movement. Our memory throws out old recall that no longer matters. Our hearing perks up when we need it to, ignoring sounds while falling asleep with the TV on or music playing.

It has actually been documented that if we focus on something, if we really, intently put our energy towards one important task, we become temporarily deaf and blind. We work with selective hearing and tunnel vision, completely missing things that happen around us. We have "fast thinking" and "slow thinking" processes for similar reason. [1] [2]

To our brain, if everything is important, nothing can be important.

Take Care of the Little Things
Let's link the above to fitness. If a person doesn't have a specific plan and has no program to follow, then results aren't fully optimized.

If too many things get the focus, nothing gets the focus.

You cannot reach the physical gains you are looking for if you aren't following a regimen that provides consistent stimulus for growth in muscular strength and cardiorespiratory endurance. Repeatability is important, for several reasons in physical fitness.

Interestingly enough, this is one of the biggest knocks on the CrossFit philosophy and its workout programming. The argument is if you are trying to be good at everything, then you can't excel at anything in particular. Not a bad point, unless we're looking for a generalized fitness program. If a person want to perform at their peak in a specific sport, then of course that sport needs to be the focus point and workouts can, and should, be geared towards maximum performance in said sport. But this is also assuming that a CrossFit program doesn't have consistent focus points in itself. It certainly can; we just work variance into the program, primarily into the conditioning aspect of fitness. Movements are always repeated. Yet outside of benchmarks, specific workouts may not be.

Be ready for anything, by consistently practicing everything.

So for the general public, if everything isn't important, nothing is important. Confused yet?

Let's clarify, then: it's useless to focus on one little aspect of health without seeing the big picture-- overall physical fitness. However, in contrast to that, if you don't take care of the little things, how do you expect to excel at the greater things? The grandiose cannot come without support.

Which brings us back to you, the cherry picker. You cannot fulfill your goals of becoming the fittest "you" by merely doing a few of your favorite movements. You aren't just skipping unpleasant exercises, you are ignoring overall strength and conditioning. If something is difficult, and you don't try to get better at it, then of course it will remain a weakness. It will always be your goat.

I cannot tell a lie; it's you chopping down your own cherry tree-- full of ripe fitness, never to come to fruition.

Everything Is Everything
Time to replant and reap the benefits. Work ethic bleeds across all spectrums, all aspects of life, especially in the gym.

Everything is everything, in the sense that your work within the small stuff will filter through to the bigger items in life. The vigor you take while hitting your favorite exercise movement should be the same when attacking your weakness. If you find a certain lift difficult, or you hate an exercise, then ask yourself why that is. Do you find the struggle difficult? That's normal. Do you have personal limitations for one reason or another? Accept them and do the best you can. Do you simply dislike not being good at something? Check your ego and get to work.

"But I'm horrible at pull-ups." You never put the strength work in when you should. This doesn't mean just once in a while. Every week, people... and multiple times a week at that.

"But I just can't overhead squat." Mobility doesn't improve without perseverance. Settling for bad form will allow you to always settle for bad form.

"But I hate running." That's because you're not good at it. Very rarely does a person hate what they excel in.

Recommendations to Eliminate the Internal Cherry Picker:
1. Just show up.

• Making it in to the gym can be therapeutic, in the way that the community can help you rally around tough workouts or dreaded exercises. Sometimes just setting foot inside can help get the process started. Work from point A to point B, versus point A to point Z. Just show up. But obviously don't "just show up." Be ready to go to work.

2. Learn to embrace the suck.

• This fitness stuff is hard. It's not like you're sitting on the couch eating a slice of cherry pie here. Sure, the movements you hate can turn into small favorites as you improve, but more likely, they will remain the movements you hate. No one is condemning you for disliking something in life. Particularly that which makes us sweat. The fault comes if you want to be stronger, faster, and healthier and you are purposefully avoiding the things that will help reach those goals. Find the right attitude and get after it.

3. Stop taking "I don't wanna" for an answer.

• Set your workout plan and stick to it. Make the time. Yes, listen to your body-- don't force workouts or activities during injury. Common sense still applies. But if you aren't injured, be honest with yourself and get to work. Stick to your weekly routine of set days, no matter what the programming calls for. Your coach has a larger scope in mind, and that's the best part about having someone else create workouts for you; you won't skip the stuff you really need.

It is the dedicated we see make great strides. And the devil is in the details.

Life isn't a bowl of cherries, after all. To be successful in life you have to take on every challenge, every obstacle that you meet. You can't just pick and choose the ones you like.

- Scott, 7.21.2014

The Jerk

The Jerk

The Jerk

It can make or break you, the Jerk.  It's that tiny difference between a successful lift and the feeling of utter failure.

There you are, having cleanly racked a barbell to your shoulders, spectators cheering your name, a few even shouting quick motivational cues. You can feel the positive vibes. All eyes on you. Your adrenaline soars for an attempted personal record. A deep breath in, you brace, you dip, you drive, you drop under, aaaand... you miss lock out.  Hopes fall to the floor like a barbell full of bumper plates.

What a jerk.

Just like our focus on the Snatch and the Clean from previous years, all pieces of Olympic Weightlifting deserve attention in our pursuit of fitness and athleticism. Specific goals include overall strength, power, and coordination, while maximizing ROM and focusing on results.

Which brings us to the Jerk. That aptly named element of Oly Lifting that exists as part of each summer Olympics.

Olympic Jerk

Usually in conjunction with the Clean, the Jerk is a completion of taking an implement (typically a loaded barbell), and moving it from shoulder height to overhead. But it also can stand alone as its own lift and the move deserves a focus in itself.

Particularly because the Jerk is a dream crusher.

It sucks the life out of lifters. To hit a Clean but miss the Jerk can be traumatizing. It cuts you down to size; it picks you apart like a bully. The Jerk senses your weakness, leaves you insecure, and talks shit behind your back.

Like any bully, it needs to be squashed. Yeah, sure, we all know bullies have their own insecurities-- the Jerk is always playing second fiddle to the Clean, nothing but a shadow in the highlight reel of the Snatch. But a jerk is a jerk and needs to be put in its place.

Hammer technique and positioning and you can defeat this brute of a bully.

A handful of start and finish positions can and should be utilized to stage a counterattack on the Jerk. The goal is to build power and muscle strength and also elicit a central nervous system response (memory of body position) for future development.

Pow, right in the kisser.

Split Jerk Silhouette, courtesy of CrossFit Peoria

Jerk Checklist: 1. Set-up 2. Dip 3. Drive 4. Drop 5. Finish (base change to catch position in power stance or split position)

Let's focusing on a couple of these steps in conquering the Jerk...

Set-up Feet flat under hips, bar sits on the shoulders with the grip slightly wider than shoulder width. (A Snatch grip Jerk is a great exercise, but if we're looking at finishing a ground-to-overhead movement, the Jerk will occur in the front rack.)  Elbows adjust to sit below and slightly in front of the bar. Stance is approximately shoulder width. With neutral neck position, head is tucked slightly back allowing bar to pass.

Drive Extend the hips after a short and purposeful dip before dropping under the bar.  An early drop leaks power.  Use the legs and hips to drive the barbell into the air and past the face.

Drop Also known as the "re-dip," dropping under the bar creates the movement as a Jerk versus just a press.  Actively drive your body under the bar by pushing with the arms to use the barbell as counter momentum.  This is an under-utilized portion of the Jerk, causing misses of the lift when in actuality the barbell was plenty high in the air above the forehead.  It takes confidence in getting under a barbell, and experience in being brave enough to drop without losing stability in the core and midline.  Keep the bar over the center of the body rather than pushing it forward and away from a solid shoulder position.

The Jerk

Again, we use Jerks and related movements at Amplify to foster athletic development, and we can safely perform the lift even while members are learning the movement. See a synopsis from CrossFit.com here.

There are also plenty of great technique and instructional videos out there. Use the following as a starting point:

California Strengthhttp://www.youtube.com/user/CaliforniaStrength

When discussing barbell jerk technique, like other Oly Lifts it's flat out essential to have visuals. So first up is a slow motion Clean & Jerk by Chad Vaughn. Next in line is Coach Mike Burgener, well-known CrossFit instructor and the resident guru of Olympic Lifting. Finally, you see a few videos of elite level C&J, both men and women.

Slo-Mo Clean & Jerk

Coach Mike Burgener (more start-up instruction here)

Hossein Rezazadeh World Record

2013 Women's World Championships

We will not be putting too much emphasis on the kettlebell, but KB Clean & Jerks are a great conditioning tool. They look a little like traditional barbell movements, with similar hip action needed, but are definitely their own exercise.

Kettlebell Clean & Jerk

If we look at the common errors in Jerk development, it would make sense to examine a few limiting factors. What we often find are flexibility/mobility issues, bar path errors, and poor footwork. Overhead strength and confidence might be lacking as well, which can keep an athlete from developing that experience and repetitions with the lift so necessary to make gains.

Mobility We've focused on this in the past, but it is always a recurring theme: maximize your flexibility and range of motion, and your missed lifts will become fewer and fewer (not to mention you'll remain safe through the lift).

• Work all movements overhead: strict shoulder press, push press, push jerk, and split jerk.
• Remember, dropping under in a jerk is a high-skill move requiring balance and coordination. Warm-up is needed, as well as drills to maintain active shoulders. PVC and light loads will help alert the joints, namely the shoulder sockets.

Split Jerk, courtesy of CrossFit Mildenhall

Bar Path In a front rack, if the bar is not moving up past the face correctly then the whole lift is compromised. (IE: the bar moves too far down and away from the body in the dip.) Drop the hook grip, drop the elbows slightly, but remain tight.

• Lose jerks forward a lot? You're probably lacking the upright upper body strength and positioning, and maybe even the confidence, to get a good drive on the barbell. Correct this while keeping your chest and shoulders up on the dip and keeping the bar over your midline.
• Actively push yourself under the barbell as you drop. Drive fast under the bar, finishing with your head through yet still neutral. Maintain active shoulders, even after the catch.
• Keep pushing the bar upwards and move your body accordingly to finish your lift, instead of chasing the bar around the gym.

Split Jerk, courtesy of Catalyst Athletics

Footwork Perhaps overlooked in importance is our footing while dropping under the bar in the Jerk.

• Push Jerk: Move the feet from your start to finish position, jumping to landing if that helps, with a slight move in feet. No need to land super wide; you may get lower in your drop but it doesn't necessarily help stability in the lower body.
• Split Jerk:  This is the go-to for most Olympic athletes to drop deeper for potentially heavier weight.  Keep the bar over your center mass and move your feet in a lunge as you re-dip.  Since we can't get as much elevation on a heavier barbell through the drive, this allows a lifter to get lower underneath in the catch. Feet go as wide as a Push Jerk, but obviously split-- keep forward shin mostly vertical and back knee slightly bent. Finish your lift by pushing the front foot back a shuffle, then the back foot moves to return feet under center. This keeps the bar from moving forward too much as the lifter stands up fully.
• Squat Jerk: Landing is similar to a Snatch Balance, but this is quite the difficult move requiring enough mobility for a narrow grip overhead squat. Drop is fully into a squat. Some flexible Olympic athletes can be seen using the Squat Jerk in competition.

Jerk Footwork, courtesy of CrossFit Invictus

Now get to work standing up to that Jerk. Stay strong, friends, and remember to seek help from a trusted adult if needed.  And if you happen to get knocked down, wipe the dirt off and get back up fighting. You'll be better for it.

-Scott, 7.7.2014

Jerk Store

The Clean

The Clean

Sibling to the Snatch and in the same sentence as the Jerk, the Clean gets a focus in CrossFit because of the athleticism it develops. It is also one of the most difficult lifts we perform.

Take a look at the previously published Snatch write-up for similar focus points and explanation.

In quick review, the Olympic lifts are essential while pursuing fitness and athleticism, specifically overall strength, power, and coordination (while increasing ROM and focusing on results). They are of course the lifts we have seen for years as a part of the Olympics. We use the Clean and related exercises at Amplify to foster athletic development, and we can safely perform the lift even while members are still learning the basics of the movement.

So let's get to it.

In looking at Cleans, as with any important lift or physical exercise, some debate surrounds the move and the pursuit of the best and most efficient technique. Like the Snatch, a variety of start and finish positions exist as well as countless drills to build power and muscle strength. These lifts and drills for the Clean all aim for the same goal of standing a barbell up into a front rack position, and also hope to trigger endocrine and central nervous system responses for future development (energy use, hormone development, impulse transmission, and memory of body position).

Often times a Clean and that goes through a full squat gets the designation "Squat Clean" in CrossFit. Interestingly enough, there is no such thing. (n00b)

A Clean is a movement where an athlete picks the barbell up off the ground and "cleanly" stands it up in the front rack position. The term Power Clean is used to refer to such a powerful pull that the athlete did not need to drop under the bar as much, and thus a full squat was unnecessary. Power Cleans always/must keep the hips above parallel in the catch before standing. Calling a Clean a Squat Clean is mostly for beginners to help them understand the difference and also realize a trained athlete must squat fully in order to receive the barbell for maximal load. If the term "Hang" is used, it means the barbell starts up at the hips at some point... not the ground. High-Hang, Hang, and Low-Hang are common terms for positioning that starts higher than the floor.

Coming from the floor, both the Clean and the Power Clean use the same mechanics, so the remainder of this write-up can pertain to both.

• A synopsis of the Clean from CrossFit.com can be found here.
• A Weightlifting 101 section on USAWeightlifting.com can be found here.
• A write-up of Olympic weightlifting from CatalystAthletics.com can be found here.

Although the general Olympic Lifting community stays away from high repetition workouts, CrossFit embraces and pushes these into its weekly programming as well as its competitions. The critique is that an Olympic Lift like the Clean should be done explosively, at a repetition rate that develops speed, power, balance, and coordination. The argument is that in order to develop this type of lift it should be performed with no more than 1-5 reps at a time, in a small set range. CrossFit often pushes upwards of the 100 rep mark for the metabolic conditioning effect and concurrently gets knocked for it. A response to this critique is that the movements used for conditioning purposes are at loads that are generally not near a 1rep max, and can be executed safely with efficient movement to develop strength endurance. Nonetheless it's a valid argument against our system, and one that questions overtraining or potential injury. This is why a smart workout progression and great technique are stressed in any good CrossFit gym.

Also debatable is the starting position of the feet. A wider stance may better suit more experienced lifters but a typical pulling position under the hips is best for most. Novice athletes tend to land extremely wide instead of in a squat stance and foot position. This will all be adjusted to the lifter according to skeletal frame as well as flexibility. Terms may differ (jumping vs. extending), but in general, a pull and land position are required.

Finally, width of grip on the barbell can vary. Again, this is mostly due to flexibility and the best set-up for a strong Jerk position. What doesn't tend to change is the need for a hook grip as an athlete progresses and wants to develop a heavy Clean.

A quick note on hook grip, for those ready: Let go of the hook grip in your "catch" as you drive your elbows up into your front squat position. Some athletes have the flexibility and confidence to hold on to the hook grip through the Clean and before preparing for the Jerk (if called for), but most people will allow the barbell to move onto the fingertips better by releasing the thumb. Play around with what's best for you.

Let's see what else we're focusing on with some quick video demos on Cleans.

California Strength http://www.youtube.com/user/CaliforniaStrength

We will stick to focusing on barbell Clean technique, but much of this can relate to any other object as well... although the body position will change slightly depending on the implement (dumbbells, medicine ball, heavy stone, keg, or other item).

Next up is a slow motion Clean & Jerk by Olympian Chad Vaughn. Focus on the Clean as he explains back angle, shin position, and riding down into the squat.

Slo-Mo Barbell Clean

Note that the set-up for the Clean is slightly modified from a traditional Deadlift starting position. Kelly Starrett, with help from Jesse Burdick and Diane Fu, goes over the basic differences in this excellent video: Deadlift vs. Oly Lift Set-up.

Other videos for reference...

Coach Mike Burgener (more beginner's instruction here)

USA Weightlifting How-To

Which leads us to the final points. What can we gain from all the debate and research as well as coaching and athlete testimony and video? What is usable for us mere mortal athletes... the person simply looking to develop fitness from the Clean?

A Quick Clean Set-up Checklist: 1. Feet flat 2. Arms straight 3. Chest up 4. Back set 5. Hamstrings loaded

Slight nuances in form are mostly a result of a person's specific biomechanics and coach/athlete preference.

Common Errors in Clean Development: 1. Flexibility/Mobility 2. Bar path problems 3. Too much arm involvement 4. Poor hip extension 5. Immature squat technique

Mobility We've focused on this in weeks and years past, but it will be a recurring theme: maximize your flexibility and range of motion, and your missed lifts will become fewer and fewer (not to mention you'll remain safe through the catch). Make sure you can properly hang power clean, power clean, and front squat first. Remember, this is a high skill move with lots of balance and coordination required. Warm-up is needed, which includes drills and segments of a full Clean. PVC and light loads will help alert the joints, namely the hip sockets.

Bar Path This is the most common flaw, and starts in the set-up. If the bar is not moving up the body correctly from the ground (ie: moving away from the body at the start) then the whole lift is compromised. A very common result from a very common error. Correct this while keeping your chest and shoulders up and over the bar and your success rate increases immediately. Which leads us to...

Hip Extension It's the point where the barbell gets to what is commonly referred to as your power position... the bar makes contact with the very top of your thighs and you've put an acceleration on the weight in set up for triple extension (hips, knees, and ankles). It is sometimes coached as the "jump," although that can often be a bad cue for certain people, since they may move to the balls of their feet too early or kick the bar out from their hips too far à la a kettlebell swing. Full hip extension is a requirement in a max effort Clean.

So... can you spot successful lifts with good form? But more importantly, knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things. Get to the gym and be ready to get better.

Just tell your significant other you'll be cleaning. And done.

-Scott, 6.24.2013

The Snatch

The Snatch

All jokes aside, it deserves attention. It's arguably the most difficult lift we perform.

While pursuing fitness and athleticism, specifically overall strength, power, and coordination (while increasing ROM and focusing on results), it's an excellent move.  Possibly the best.  One of the Olympic Lifts that has been competed for years and is of course part of every Olympics.

We use snatches and related movements at Amplify to foster this athletic development, and we can safely perform the lift even while members are learning the movement. See a quick synopsis from CrossFit.com here.  A variety of start and finish positions as well as countless drills build power and muscle strength and also the central nervous system response (memory of body position) for future development.  You'll hear us use a slew of terms, so if you aren't yet accustomed to it, get used to those entering your vocabulary.

Just use it. You can ask why, but basically it sets the bar in your hands and allows a better pull.

A Quick Snatch Set-up Checklist: 1. Feet flat 2. Arms long 3. Back set 4. Chest up 5. Knees back

Let's see what it is we're focusing on with some quick video demos.

There are plenty of great technique and instructional videos out there; it just takes a YouTube search to find some.  It's the quality clips you'll need, though, so start here:

California Strength http://www.youtube.com/user/CaliforniaStrength

When discussing barbell snatch technique, it's flat out essential to have visuals.  So first up is a slow motion snatch by Natalie Burgener.  Next in line is her father, Coach Mike Burgener, a well-known CrossFit instructor and the resident guru of Olympic Lifting.  Finally, you see a few videos of elite level snatches, both men and women.

Slo-Mo Barbell Snatch (Blurry, but great "scoop" and hip extension)

Coach Mike Burgener (more start-up instruction here)

Behdad Salmi World Record

2011 Women's World Championships

Note, we will not be putting too much emphasis on the kettlebell snatch here, simply for the sake of brevity. KB Snatches are a great conditioning tool, and look a little like a traditional barbell snatch, with similar hip action needed... but are definitely their own exercise.

Kettlebell Snatch

If we look at the common errors in snatch development, it would make sense to examine a few limiting factors.  What we see often are flexibility/mobility issues, bar path errors, and poor scoop technique.  Confidence is sometimes lacking as well, which can keep an athlete from developing that experience and repetitions with the lift so necessary to make gains.

Mobility We've focused on this in weeks past, but it will be a recurring theme: maximize your flexibility and range of motion, and your missed lifts will become fewer and fewer (not to mention you'll remain safe through the catch). Make sure you can properly hang power snatch, overhead squat, and snatch balance before putting the snatch grip ground to overhead in effect through a full squat.  Remember, this is a high skill move with lots of balance and coordination required.  Warm-up is needed, which includes drills and segments of a full snatch.  PVC and light loads will help alert the joints, namely the hip and shoulder sockets.

Bar Path This is the most common flaw, and starts in the set-up.  If the bar is not moving up the body correctly from the ground (ie: moving away from the body at the start) then the whole lift is compromised. Lose snatches forward a lot?  You're probably not pulling the knees back enough or you're allowing the bar to float forward around the knees early on.  I know that's my personal issue when snatching, for sure.  A very common result from a very common error.  Correct this while keeping your chest and shoulders up and over the bar and your success rate increases immediately. Which leads us to...

Scoop Technique The "scoop" comes naturally in a good snatch. Also known as the double knee bend, it's the point where the barbell gets to what is commonly referred to as your power position... the bar makes contact with your thighs and you've put an acceleration on the weight in set up for triple extension (hips, knees, and ankles).  It is sometimes coached as the "jump," although that can often be a bad cue for certain people, since they may move to the balls of their feet too early or kick the bar out from their hips too far à la a kettlebell swing.  The scoop is a result of keeping the barbell close to the body so it can travel the straightest line upwards overhead.  Search "snatch scoop" and you'll get more visuals and technique instruction.  But a bad idea is to try too hard to scoop.  It'll cause an early arm bend and loss of power.

And look at that... I made it all the way through a Snatch post without one bad joke or innuendo. Yay!

-Scott, 9.10.2012