Wednesday 4.13.16
Crossfit Toys 101 Series
Accessory Items
The final installment to our Crossfit Toys 101 Series! Now that the basics are covered, we can talk about some “nice-to-haves” for your fitness journey. These are not absolutely necessary, but can be helpful from time to time.
Weight Vest – Most of us know about the all famous Murph Hero WOD, performed on Memorial Day every year. And if you have participated in Memorial Day Murph, you may have seen some athletes wearing vests during the workout. They are wearing these because the workout requires a 20# weight vest to be worn if the athlete wants to perform the workout as prescribed. Similar to Murph, some WODs will call for weight vests to be worn (usually these are Hero WODs). However, these workouts do not come up often, so having a weight vest isn’t a necessity. When you are pretty far in your fitness journey, say 3+ years, then you may want to think about investing in a weight vest.
Tall Socks – Have you seen people around the gym sporting knee-high socks? These aren’t just a fashion statement, there is also a function for these trendy accessories. Many athletes will keep a pair of tall socks in their gym bag in case rope climbs or high volume deadlifts are programmed in a workout. The socks protect your shins from getting skinned during rope climbs, and also protect your shins during deadlifts (because we’re keeping the bar super close!). Personally, I don’t wear the socks for deadlifts, only for rope climbs.
Running Shoes – We talked about the importance of wearing the appropriate shoes during CrossFit because of the nature of the movements we perform in class. Well, the same can apply to workouts that have a lot of running in them. Many athletes have several pairs of shoes in their gym bag, and they will wear the ones appropriate for the workout. For example, if a workout has a lot of heavy Olympic lifting, some people may wear lifters during the workout. On the other hand, if a workout is mostly running, you may see some people switch to running shoes. This is all dependent on your personal preference when running. Some people like the traditional cushioned running shoe, while others (myself included) like minimal running shoes. And some are perfectly happy running in their normal CrossFit shoes. Do what works best for you!
Dip Belt – Not to be confused with the weightlifting belt we discussed in Part 4 of the series. A dip belt has a long chain attached that can be threaded through plates or kettlebells. These belts are typically used during weighted dips or weighted pull-ups. Again, these movements do not come up often in workouts, and there are other ways to harness weights to your body. Nevertheless, it’s a nice-to-have item.
Lifting Straps – Maybe the least common item you will find athletes using at the gym. Lifting straps are used when pulling HEAVY weight from the ground (e.g., deadlifts, cleans, snatches). Straps allow the lifter to focus more on the pull than on their grip during the lift because the straps lock the bar in place. Please note that lifting straps are only to be used by intermediate to advanced athletes. It is very important to build a strong grip foundation before even thinking about using straps.
And that concludes our CrossFit Toys 101 Series! I hope you have enjoyed reading these and learned something new about all the gear we have associated with our sport.
FOUNDATIONS
A. 10 minutes to practice strict HSPU
B. 21-15-9-6-3
box HSPU
front rack reverse lunge
sit-ups
GPP
A. 10 minutes to practice strict HSPU
B. 21-15-9-6-3
strict HSPU
front rack reverse lunges (135/95#)
T2B
COMPETITION EXTRA
Pre GPP
A. 15-20 minutes to establish a 1RM strict press
B. 20 min to establish a 1RM clean and jerk