By: Eve Goldsher
“Hey, Coach! When will I get a [kipping pull-up, handstand push-up, toes-to-bar, strict ring dip]?!” This is a common question among CrossFit athletes looking to up their game, and I have one answer for them: practice. In order to get better at movements that require coordination, body-awareness, and balance (i.e. gymnastics skills) you must practice. Check out the photo below from my first gymnastics meet. Even a simple split leap on the beam took hours and hours of practice to get right (this example was totally unnecessary, I just wanted to share this picture with you guys).
Photo by Mark Goldsher
During a one hour CrossFit workout at Old City, you accomplish a lot. You crush those heavy weights during 1RM deadlift day. You speed through that monster triplet (Rx AND with good form). You mobilize the heck out of your t-spine and improve range of motion. But there isn’t always time to practice those ever elusive gymnastics skills.
For those that don’t know, Old City offers a gymnastics open gym at 7:45PM on Wednesday nights in the upstairs space. There you can work on chest-to-bar pull-ups, muscle up drills, handstand walks, etc. under the expert supervision of coach Sean C. (CrossFit Gymnastics) or myself (former competitive gymnast). The gymnastics open gym won’t get your heart racing like a WOD, but it will give you time to concentrate on a specific skill, improve your control and accuracy, and increase your ability to execute body weight movements with ease. You can even think of the gymnastics open gym as an active rest day if you want to get off the couch but don’t want to suffer through a jog along the National Mall when it is 90+ degrees outside.
Can’t make the gymnastics open gym on Wednesday nights? Don’t let that get in the way of your future gymnastics prowess. Email me and Sean at [email protected] and let us know what you want to work on. We will design a personalized program for you and tailor it to your time and venue limitations. This means if you can only commit 10 minutes every other day to work on your handstand at home, we will create a plan to get you freestanding in no time.
One measurable goal of all this gymnastics practice is to help you comfortably perform these movements in workouts just like you would a kettlebell swing, push-press, or air squat. I want you to feel confident in your ability as a CrossFit athlete when you check the website for tomorrow’s WOD and see an AMRAP of pull-ups, v-ups, and wall walks. These skills won’t come to you immediately, but with consistent practice I guarantee you will see improvement in your overall CrossFit potential.
Is there a gymnastics skill you really want to master? Let us know in the comments!