Level I again?

Posted on June 23, 2008 by Jason

Congrats to Niki, she is now an official Level I CrossFit trainer! She did awesome this weekend, great job!

As most you know, Niki and I were in Maine this past week attending Niki's first Level I training and my 2nd. Now, some of you may ask why attend another Level I training? Especially when you are already a Level II coach. Well, the first answer is to support Niki and an excuse for a mini-vacation, the other answer is to better help, support, and improve the fitness of my Albany CrossFit members.

It makes me happy to help all of you improve your fitness levels and overall health. By hearing a lot of these lectures for a 2nd time (or more from videos) I can see them in a different light or from a different angle. For example when we were discussing the Overhead Squat today, I was thinking about how I can use these corrections and techniques to help Dona, Erin, and Josh. The first time listening I was just doing my best to follow along and learn as much as I could.

Me telling you that I've mastered CrossFit and don't need to learn anymore is like someone telling you they mastered the violin. It's a lie! No matter how well you play the violin, you can always improve, the same is true with CrossFit. There is no mastering, we can strive for it, but there will always be more to learn. This is like playing a violin…not a triangle!

It also reminds me of how important the basics are. What they say here is true. Everyone gets that first "dose" and wants more, but it is necessary to make sure we focus on mechanics and consistency first. Intensity is important but without technique you won't be able to maximize that intensity. I'm not saying we are going to take it easy (far from that), but we need to make sure we keep CrossFit efficient and safe! Let's take some time a few times a week and go over the 9 basic movements (the squats, presses, and deadlifts), as well as other movements such as pullups, olympic lifts, and burpees!

Hearing these lectures reinforces the reasons we do this. Independent living. How many of you have visited a Nursing home? Now how many of you have visited a nursing home and said to yourself, I cannot wait to live here? No one. CrossFit helps support Independent living. We do these "CrossFit" movements everyday, whether standing up from your chair at work, or squatting with 200lbs. on your back, you need to be able to do this to live a long, healthy life.

I can write and talk about this all day. Niki and I have 5 other trainings planned for this summer. Rowing, running, olympic lifts, barbell, and kettlebell trainings. I'm not saying I do it all for you guys, I love it, and love to learn more about the body, fitness, and health, and I love to pass it all on to you. I look forward to offering many seminars and trainings at Albany CrossFit over the coming months. Hopefully you will enjoy and take this knowledge and further your fitness.

Here is a post from Brett on the Message Board, I thought it was worth everyone reading.

Did I mention that it was an absolute honor and pleasure to coach all of you. Some of you have been CrossFitting for a while now, and it shows Others have only started, but your determination and intensity are more impressive than I can express in words.

As a coach, it is always a tremendous joy to see people improve at something, "get" something new, or just discover their own potential. My biggest concern after "visiting" the evening classes for a few days was that some are putting intensity before the 2 parts of CrossFit you NEED to nail first, virtuosity (WFS) and consistency. Get the technique. Understand and master the movement, even if it means you lighten the weight away from Rx'ed or your PR. The better the technique, the more productive application of force you'll be capable of. The better you can maintain form in a workout, the less likely you'll be to injure yourself and the longer you'll last (both in that WOD and long term). If you're a good trainee, you should show up hoping for Jason to be an absolute "form nazi"!

Keep looking for gains in small increments and you will continuously improve (remember to rest though). As a CrossFitter, you all keep raising the bar and . It's hard work just to keep up, which leaves me in the same struggle between virtuosity, consistency, intensity and rest (not to mention food).