Welcome Video

Wednesday, 8 March 2017

Bulletproofbodies - Toes to Bar Workout with Camille Leblanc-Bazinet




If 17.2 has taught us anything, it’s that we all need to work on Toes to bar when fatigued.

Check out this quick and easy Video from the amazing Camille Leblanc-Bazinet curtesy of Via Prive:

 www.youtube.com/user/ViaPrive



Camille, the Bulletproofbodies Team Salute you!






Tuesday, 7 March 2017

Did the Bar Muscle Ups beat you in 17.2?


Did you get to the Bar Muscle Ups in 17.2 and then your technique let you down?

It looks like that was the story for many people in 17.2.

16 Bar Muscle Ups is a lot if you have not got this level 3 functional movement down in your muscle memory.


Check out this video from Misfit Athletics of how to muscle ups below:



Thanks to Misfit athletics.

Check them out at:


BULLETPOINTS
  • It’s all about the Kip! In particular the back swing
  • Try the thumb over rather than normal grip technique
  • Power hip drive
  • Throw your torso forwards to get over the bar
  • Practice



Monday, 6 March 2017

Bulletproofbodies & Reebok CrossFit 17.2 Taping & Injury Prevention

It’s the Reebok CrossFit Open 2017 and 17.2 surprised us with yet more Dumbbells.

Your job is to push your body hard and stay injury free over the next 4 weeks.


There are plenty of videos showing you how to optimise your performance for this workout.

Image result for reebok crossfit open 2017



However, we at Bulletproofbodies are about injury prevention, which includes taping:





The WOD for 17.2 is:

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 12 minutes of:

2 rounds of:
  •   50-ft. weighted walking lunge
  •   16 toes-to-bars
  •   8 power cleans
Then, 2 rounds of:
  •   50-ft. weighted walking lunge
  •   16 bar muscle-ups
  •   8 power cleans
Alternating between toes-to-bars and bar muscle-ups every 2 rounds.


Bullet Points

Preparation
·        Tape the shoulders, low back & knees
·        Wear Knee Sleeves to protect the knees when lunging

Mobilise
·        Overhead Shoulder Mobility in preparation for kipping
·        Hip flexor & Quads Stretches
·        Hamstrings Stretches for T2B


Pre-Activation
·        Light Lunges and Bike for the Warm Up
·        Practice Bar Muscle Ups

WOD
·        Place the Dumbbells on top of your shoulders during the lunges
·        Pace yourself to get to the Bar Muscle Ups



Recovery
·        Cool Down on the bike
·        Compression Socks
·        Hydration
·        Nutrition

·        Mobilise all joints


Triple Marathon Challenge - Claire Chambers Capital Radio


It was great to help Claire Chambers from Capital Radio East Midlands on her extreme challenge of running three marathons in three days.

Claire will run the marathon distance of 26.2 miles on three consecutive days in April:

Wednesday 5th - Derby
Thursday 6th   - Leicester
Friday 7th – Nottingham

You can keep track of Claire’s progress and make a donation £5 by texting RUN to 70766.
All donations go to Global’s “Make Some Noise.”

Claire & Tom from Capital Radio Midlands came to see me at the University of Salford for injury screening and prevention.

As three marathons in three days is a significant load on the body, Claire must make sure she prepares well and identify any potential problems before they occur.

Claire has already run two Marathons before in previous years so she knows what the challenge entails.





Tight hip flexors and Quadriceps are normal when performing any endurance running.

That's where I come in. 

As an injury prevention specialist we try to spot asymmetries and motor control issues before the event and address these early.

My motto is simple, Prevention is better than cure.

But how do we know if we are likely to get injured?

I use the Functional Movement Screening.

The movement screen makes the invisible visible, by asking Claire to perform seven movement challenges.

The first test is the Over Head Deep Squat






The next test is the hurdle step.

Each test has a maximum score out of three:

0 = Painful Movement

1 = Dysfunctional Movement

2 = Normal Movement


3 = Optimal Movement





Claire & Tom, the Bulletproofbodies Team Salute you! 

If you would like to find out more about Functional Movement Screening check out the website below:

http://www.functionalmovement.com/fms





Tuesday, 28 February 2017

What did you struggle with? - CrossFit Open 17.1

So, one down four to go!

The general consensus was that most people either had back pain or felt their back pump.

But what about your ability to concentrate when doing box jumps?


Check out the video below:



The great thing about the Open is that we can share in the suffering.

For most people this was a 20 minute Met con where we just grind away.

Your form on the Single Arm Alternating Dumbbell Snatch was actually the key to this workout.

The weight was heavy enough to challenge but light enough that you could muscle it up without using the proper technique.

Make sure that you were actually performing the Snatch movement so you should be feeling your hamstrings light up and not your lower back!

Take time out to mobilise your back with some simple knee roles whilst lying on your back.


Try some Thoracic rotations as your mid-spine will be stiff from that amount of reps.




Stretch out your glutes and do some light lunge work.


Don't forget to stretch out your Quads and Hip Flexors.


Try it again, you will be faster!


Friday, 24 February 2017

Bulletproofbodies Open Injury Prevention for 17.1

It’s the Reebok CrossFit Open 2017 and 17.1 is upon us.

Your job is to push your body hard and stay injury free over the next 5 weeks.

There are plenty of videos showing you how to optimise your performance for this workout.

However, we at Bulletproofbodies are about injury prevention.



Image result for reebok crossfit open 2017


The WOD is a couplet with inversing ratios of Alternate Arm Dumbbell Power Snatch and Burpee Box Jump-overs.

Workout 17.1
For time:

10 dumbbell snatches
15 burpee box jump-overs
20 dumbbell snatches
15 burpee box jump-overs
30 dumbbell snatches
15 burpee box jump-overs
40 dumbbell snatches
15 burpee box jump-overs
50 dumbbell snatches
15 burpee box jump-overs
Men use 50-lb. dumbbell and 24-in. box
Time cap: 20 minutes

That’s 150 Dumbbell Snatches and 75 Burpee box jump-overs.

Yeah, thanks Dave!

These are two hip opening exercises.

Overhead shoulder mobility will be more forgiving with Dumbbells. 

However, it is always worth working on overhead mobility.

Most athletes struggle to get the 180 degrees of shoulder flexion and compensate by over extension of the Thoracic spine.

Ultimately, when you fatigue, and you will fatigue. You will use any method to get the Dumbbell overhead.

The tips about using more hip extension and upper body to save your legs for the Burpee Box Jump-overs risks a sub-optimal position if you have not got the Hamstrings flexibility.

To prepare the body to prevent injury it is worth taping the following joints:

Tape the knee – to reduce load on the patella tendon

Tape the back – to keep the connection between hips and spine

Tape the shoulder – to keep awareness of the most stable overhead position

Watch this awesome Video from Rocktape:




It is always worth wearing knee sleeves to protect the skin over the knees when doing burpees.

You should also wear long socks in case you miss on the Box Jumps.

There are no prizes for who has the bloodiest shins!

You will be in enough pain already; you don’t need skin abrasions adding to the mix.

Potentially, up to 20 minutes is a long time, so pace yourself and be consistent.

Don’t fly and die!

Don’t hold your breath on either of the movements.

Performing Step-in burpees will save energy, but you are likely to perform this repeatedly with the same leg forward, thus creating an asymmetry. Try switching the leg every 5 burpees to avoid one side of your body fatiguing.

Don’t get full extension on the top of the box, there is no need.

When you get tired on the burpees there is a double movement as your torso comes up without the rest of the body. 

Make sure you have warmed up the lumbar spine with some extensions before you start the WOD.

Bullet Points
Preparation
·        Tape the shoulders, low back & knees
·        Wear Knee Sleeves and Long Socks

Mobilise
·        Overhead Shoulder Mobility
·        Hip flexor & Quads Stretches
·        Hamstrings Stretches
·        Prone extensions (Push Up with hips down)

Pre-Activation
·        Row and Skip for the Warm Up
·        Practice Burpee Step in technique

WOD
·        Breathe
·        Pace yourself
·        Grind it out

Recovery
·        Cool Down on the bike
·        Compression Socks
·        Hydration
·        Nutrition

·        Mobilise all joints

Friday, 3 February 2017

How long do we need to exercise to get the good stuff?



How long do we need to exercise for in order to get all the good things happen?

According to author of this book (Gretchen Reynolds), only 20 minutes.

You don't even have to do 20 minutes in one go!

All exercise counts. 

Two 10 minute walks for example.

We all lead busy lives in this fast paced world so time efficiency is paramount.

Combat chronic disease and weight gain with a minimal investment of time.

The number one reason people don't exercise is that they assume that hours are required in the gym and they perceive a lack of time.

Just a 20 minute time commitment is enough to give you all the health benefits you need.

Wait until you read the chapter on Chocolate Milk for recovery!


Gretchen is also another fan of standing rather than sitting.




This book is awesome and we at Bulletproofbodies thoroughly recommend it.

Gretchen Reynolds we salute you.


Bulletproofbodies Team.