You will explode: CrossFit's ultimate gift.

The introduction

I remember the first time I walked into a CrossFit box, I was nervous but I was prepared. I had done my research, visited a few boxes and chose this one. If you have never tried CrossFit, it is best to start at a box that offers an 'On-Ramp'. This was my 'On-Ramp', over the next 5 days, me and 5 other newbies would learn the basic lingo of CrossFit, practice some of the moves and learn some basic safety tips. Most of the basic movements were known to me but I was introduced to something that I had never done before, the Olympic lifts. 

The Challenge

It took me the better part of 2 months to get to experience the various movements and lifts. Most of the body weight, static lifts and aerobic stuff was easy to pick up but the biggest hurdle for me were the Olympic lifts. Till that point, I had never come across olympic lifting. Sure, I had seen it of TV during the Olympic Games, but I had no idea that those moves were done outside of competition settings. The olympic lifts are the clean and the snatch. They are, simply put, a way to get a loaded barbell from the ground to overhead in one dynamic motion (2 motions in case of the clean and jerk).  The thought of starting with a loaded barbell on the ground and in one fair swoop, hoisting it up in the air over one's head seemed impossible for me to perform. But I was up to the challenge, I started attending the Olympic lifting class, offered once a week and I started working out with a friend of mine, in his garage on Sundays. At this point I was working out 4-5 days a week but I was nowhere close to successfully completing an olympic lift.

The Clean

Let's talk about the clean (and jerk). If you have never completed one, it goes like this (do not try this without supervision and professional instruction): 

1. Start with a loaded barbell on the ground.

2. Set up a wider than deadlift stance and grab the barbell with an overhand grip at slightly wider than shoulder width.

3.  Initiate the lift and keep the barbell close to your shins and thighs as you hoist it up. This is a combination of a fast deadlift and an upright row.

4. As the barbell reaches your pelvic line, perform a hip thrust.

5. The hip thrust momentum should carry the bar higher as you drop under the barbell, the elbows shoot through, the grip switches to an underhand grip and you end up in the bottom of a front squat. 

6. Complete the front squat, at this point, the barbell is resting on your upper chest and you are standing staring up, knees slightly bent. 

Now the jerk.

7. In one dynamic motion, perform a military press while dropping into a split squat (or a half squat).

8. Stand back up with knees and hand locked out. At this time the barbell is overhead and your feet are in line with each other at shoulder width.

If you were to break down the individual moves, they are all familiar to the average gym enthusiast. A deadlift, an upright row, a front squat, a military press and a split squat. I had done each of these movements separately, many times. I had never done them together and you won't be able to either. That is the nature of the clean.

The Magic

Yes, you will fail at the clean and let's not even talk about the snatch. The reason you will fail is the reason I failed and everyone who tries olympic lifting for the first time, fails. It's because you, me and every other average guy or gal is not familiar with the hip thrust. It cannot be explained in words, it's like riding a bicycle or swimming. I can tell you all about it, you can watch videos and listen to podcasts but unless you try and fail and try again and fail again, on and on till you finally get it, you won't get it. But once you get it, it's like a superpower. You will be on a high, you will be throwing barbells all over the place. 

The Relevance

But this is not only about barbells or olympic lifting. The hip thrust forms the core of dynamic movements like jumping. For those who are familiar with kettlebell swings, the foundational movement is the hip thrust. I would start there if you are interested in knowing what this feels like. But even a broad jump will get you closer to the hip thrust. Once you get familiar with it, you will be able to lift and move more effectively. It's a functional movement, that we have relied on, as bipedal animals, to rise up the ranks. Our hips have as much to do with out success as a species, as our brains. On a side note, we are neglecting both, by sitting on our behinds all day while filling our head with inane social media content. 

The Call 

The only reason that an average guy like me is familiar with and attempts a clean is due to the popular appeal of CrossFit. In my opinion, high intensity interval training and olympic lifts the two biggest fitness trends that we can attribute to the rise of CrossFit. So, are you ready to explode? Get up off the chair, warm up and broad jump, or fetch that kettlebell that is gathering dust as a door stop and give it a few swings. Check out the YouTube video by Marcus Filly to get you started on kettlebell swings (https://youtu.be/mQDxf8fuMpk). The CrossFit YouTube page has videos on the clean (https://youtu.be/EKRiW9Yt3Ps). Unlock your hips, and thank CrossFit with reintroducing you to your evolutionary physical prowess. 

Aneesh