Confused about Kipping? Bulletproof your Pull Ups

So when you did 17.3 did you find that when you started to fatigue your kipping in the chest to bar pull ups got a bit dysfunctional?

Check out this video from WOD prep that goes over the basics of kipping.

Check out WOD preps channel on the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNRMF4aKRFUCdzvJVBEMFdQ

Always make sure you have adequate strength before you start kipping.

You should be able to do strict pull ups before you do kipping pull ups.

You should be able to kip consistently before you try butterfly pull ups.

Give your body time to adapt to the new training load.

You can’t get butterfly pull ups in one workout.

They will take time.

There are no short cuts.

Practice.

Do you need to Bulletproof your Snatch?

So, 17.3 was all about the Squat Snatch.

Did your Squat Snatch let you down?

I’m not surprised.

That’s what happened to me!

The Squat Snatch is a high level skill movement that got heavier as you fatigued.

So you now know that the Snatch is your goat.

But what can we do to injury proof this movement?

It is not uncommon for injuries like shoulder dislocations and knee pain from the speed and power of this Olympic Weight Lifting Movement.

Check out this video from Barbell Brigade:

https://www.youtube.com/user/bartkwan

There are significant risks to the Snatch.

The first being have you got the range of movement to perform an Overhead Squat?

Most athletes are lacking that end of range movement in this challenging exercise.

The Overhead squat tests flexibility in the thoracic spine, hips, knees and ankles.

If you are missing range in any of these joints then catching weight at the bottom of the Snatch becomes difficult.

I you are lacking range of movement at the ankle joint then Weight Lifting shoes will really help.

If you are still struggling try putting some plates under your heels. Then gradually decrease the plates over time.

The key is getting the bar overhead working on thoracic extension and shoulder joint elevation.

Try lying back on a foam roller with the roller in your mid-back, hands behind your head and extend back.

Practice overhead squats at least once a week. It will take longer than you think!

Don't worry about the depth initially, focus on the correct position overhead.

If you can't overhead squat, you probably should not be Snatching yet.

Progressing to quickly without allowing the time for the tissues to adapt may lead to injury.

Bulletproofbodies & Reebok CrossFit Games Taping & Injury Prevention

It’s the Reebok CrossFit Open 2017 and 17.3 surprised us with a brutal couplet of Chest to Bar Pull Ups and Increasingly heavy Snatch

Your job is to push your body hard and stay injury free over the next 3 weeks.

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

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

• Hands
• Arms and Shoulders with the unique Spiral method
• Lower Back

The Open workout 17.3 consists of the following:

8 minutes to complete:

6 Chest to Bar Pull Ups

6 Squat Snatches at 43 kg

For three rounds

7 Chest to Bar Pull Ups

5 Snatch at 61 kg

If completed then:

8 Chest to Bar Pull ups

4 Squat Snatches at 84 kg

For three rounds

9 Chest to Bar Pull Ups

3 Squat Snatches at 102 kg

For three rounds

10 Chest to Bar Pull Ups

2 Squat Snatches at 111 kg

For three rounds

11 Chest to Bar Pull Ups 

1 Squat Snatch at 120 kg

Bullet Points

Preparation

·        Tape the hands, arms/shoulders, low back

·        Wear long socks/knee sleeves to protect the shins when Snatching

Mobilise

·        Overhead Shoulder Mobility in preparation for Snatching

·        Hip flexors, Quads and calf Stretches for that deep overhead squat catching position

·        Shoulder extension for the chest to bar movement

Pre-Activation

·        Light Squats for the Warm Up

·        Practice Band-Assisted Pull Ups

WOD

·        Concentrate on your Squat Snatch Technique, don't miss a lift!

·        Pace yourself on the C2B Pull Ups and break them up early
to  This WOD is all about the Snatch, so be realistic and don't expect to PB during the Workout

Recovery

·        Cool Down on the bike

·        Compression Socks

·        Hydration

·        Nutrition

·        Mobilise all joints

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!

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:

https://misfitathletics.com/

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

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.

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 5^th - Derby

Thursday 6^th   - Leicester

Friday 7^th – 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