HAVE YOU EVER MADE LOVE TO A FOAM ROLLER? BY BAKER

Those of you who have been around long enough, have probably heard the rumors that at 9:30 on Saturday morning’s, people meet with me at the gym to put themselves into strange positions, sometimes with a partner and sometimes not, sometimes we use different toys and equipment and sometimes we use just our hands.

Frequently the room is filled with the sounds of moaning, cries of pain/pleasure and the tantalizing utterances of new discoveries. Often they experience feelings and emotions that open up whole new worlds to them and their bodies feel liberated from the shackles of conformity placed upon them by some puritanical sense of shame about their own natural god-like form. That’s right folks, this is mobility class.

In an ever expanding crusade to save your tissues from the destructive forces you heap upon them on a daily, if not hourly basis, I offer my services up to you every week, and sometimes after hours, in an attempt to make your hips supple, your hamstrings svelte, your deltoids limber, your back lissome and your thighs agile.

This may sound like a mountainous task of unending proportions but I assure you I’m up for the challenge. I refuse to let your bodies go by the wayside when they could be so much more, for you, the person or persons lying next to you and for Crossfit. I’ll be writing a series of blog posts, each more tantalizing then the last, to encourage you to lay aside your inhibitions but for now I want to share a testimonial from one of our own.

Some of you already know Eric Campbell…and some of you have seen his overhead squat. Prior to meeting with me, Eric’s overhead squat was about as impressive as luke warm salmon without the bagel or the cream cheese. All was not lost though, seeing Eric, and his frustration due to his inability to overhead squat weight equivalent to his Crossfit enhanced physique, I gave Eric a number of stretches and mobility exercises to do on his own. With the right amount of time, determination and attention from me, Eric was soon upping his OHS numbers in leaps and bounds. I’ll now turn this blog over to Eric, so that he can tell you, in his own words, how awesome mobility is.

“Like most athletes, when I first joined CPC, I was presented with a number of new athletic movements which I would need to practice and hopefully in the future begin to perfect. Of those movements there was one above all the rest that haunted me like a monster in the closet, the overhead squat. What kept me from facing this monster was the simple fact I was unable to do a squat with anything more than a PVC pipe above my head. For more than six months I ran, hid, dodged and scurried away from any WOD with OHS; only prolonging the inevitable truth, that to be a true crossfiter I must be proficient in all of the basic movements.

When I finally made the decision to face my monster, I was not alone. Coach Jeff Baker made it a personal goal to assist me in my journey of taming the Over Head Squat and increased mobility. My personal lack of mobility with the OHS was a bit different than most athletes and required a unique stretching regiment prescribed by Coach Baker. I still remember the first day we began, Coach Baker had me use the lacrosse ball on my chest between sets of OHS and by the end of class I did my first rep with the bar, a monumental personal feat at the time. Since that day I have completed OHS exercises including, 100 reps of 95 lbs and multiple rep bodyweight sets.

I do not believe the mobility journey ever ends but it does not have to be traveled alone. We have amazing coaches at CPC and if you have your own mobility monster, don’t hesitate to ask Coach Baker for some expert advice and if possible some one on one training.”

-Campbell

Today’s Workout:
Overhead Squats:
3-3-3-3
Followed by:
3 Rounds for Time of
10 x 1o M Shuttle Runs
10 Push Press (95#/65#)
10 Lateral Burpees Over Your Barbell
*Forward/Backward = 1

Today’s Paleo Deliciousness

Beef Stew

1 lb. beef sirloin, cubed and fat removed
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 TBSP. sesame oil
6-8 cups beef broth
1 bag kale or 1 bunch (stems removed, and cut into small bite size pieces)
lime
salt and pepper to taste

In stock pot, over medium heat add sesame oil. Brown beef, then add garlic until lightly brown as well. Add kale and stock to soup. Simmer until kale is tender about 45 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze fresh lime into soup when serving.

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