Build Your Foundation
Written by Holden Rethwill
Social Media is a heck of a tool. It has changed the world. Through facets such as Facebook and Instagram we are able to be connected to people who would otherwise be worlds apart. At the same time it has brought about a trendy shift in the fitness industry, especially when pertaining to CrossFit. We see all of these videos of people PR’ing, the insane transformations in before and after pictures, the never ending lists of “hey look how much volume I can do in one session,” and so in and so forth.
No one wants to watch videos of people doing boring accessory work. No one wants to see you doing movements like bat wings, dumbbell z-press, front rack Bulgarian split squats, etc. No, we want the PR’s, we want the insane Fran times, and the videos of people doing what we want to do.
While all of this is fine and dandy in the competitive world, as coaches, it can be a nightmare. We are constantly forced to battle the impression that social media leaves on clients. People want the quick fix, they want the PR, they want the high volume. What they don’t want, or possibly even don’t see, is all of the hours of monotonous work that has been put in, to build a foundation.
I was listening to The Airborne Mind Show podcast recently, and one nugget that really stuck out to me was taking the time – for yourself and for your clients – to build a strong foundation. Too often we are caught up in the high intensity, go-go-go, nature of this sport, and in turn neglect to create and build our foundational strength.
To put it plainly, people want to do the “sexy” stuff. People don’t want to do the “boring” stuff. Well I’m here to tell you, if you take the time to build yourself up through the “boring” stuff, you will find yourself in a significantly stronger position than before.
Seeing as the “offseason” has begun for the majority of people in CrossFit, take a second to look at your foundation. Have you built yourself up in a healthy manner? Or have you allowed yourself to be swept away by the wave of social media that demands higher intensity and higher volume? Regardless of your answer, now is the perfect opportunity to take the time to build yourself from the ground up. Focus on perfect movement. Focus on your pressing, hinging, squatting, unilateral and bilateral movements, and so on.
Make the commitment to yourself if you’re an athlete – or your clients if you’re a coach – to build the best foundation you can this offseason. Taking this time to build a strong foundation is paramount to success and longevity in a sport and fitness program that has high demands on the body.
If you’re curious where to start, check out some of the Invictus articles on accessory work and get to building!
Remember, a building is only as strong as it’s foundation!
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