BEWARE OF COMPETITION MADNESS

You wouldn't let this guy deadlift like this in your gym. So why is it okay if he deadlifts like this at a local CrossFit competition? (Picture courtesy of "bad deadlift" Google search.)

People often ask me why we don’t host competitions at One World. The gym has ample space to host a big competition. We have lots of gear. We are centrally located in the Bay Area to get a huge turn out from all over the bay. The honest truth as to why we don't host a One World CrossFit competition is that it pains me to watch so many people in one room move so horribly, often to the point of the movements being dangerous. It would drive me absolutely CRAZY!

Take the Lalanne Summer Throwdown as an example. Chyna and I showed up during the second to last scaled heat of the first workout. The first workout was as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of 40 deadlifts/30 burpees/20 shoulder to overhead/10 squat cleans. Weights from the prescribed men to the scaled women ranged from 185# to 95#. I walked into the gym at the sound of “3,2,1...Go!” and what I saw frightened me. People deadlifting with straight legs and a back that looked like a candy cane (worse than the picture above). Everyone was pounding out the reps like there was no tomorrow. What really killed me was people that I know are trainers at their gyms yelling at the athletes to go faster. They weren’t yelling at them at all about their dangerous movement. I’m actually glad I missed the people doing heavier weight. I am sure there was some very sketch shit going on with heavier loads.

In the last scaled heat. I watched one girl do the most horrendous movement through the entire round in lightening fast time. She did a second round of deadlifts that looked worse than the first round. Her coach was yelling at her to go faster the entire time. In the end, our girl Lyn, who had great form on her movement but moved much much slower, caught up and finished only a few reps behind. So now you are saying, “Well Freddy, that other girl beat her.” SO WHAT! I witnessed this happening in the scaled division of a meaningless CrossFit competition. What is the benefit of finishing ahead of someone else if the next day you can’t even bend over to wash your feet in the shower? (Side note- In the end Lyn made the final 8 and the other girl did not. Super proud of you Lyn!)

Understand that there is bad technique and there is bad movement. People often confuse the two, but there is a big difference between technique and movement. “Bad Technique” is simply moving inefficiently. It is the little nuances in any movement that cause you not to complete the movement perfectly. For example, not hitting full extension during an Oly lift or rolling onto the balls of your feet during squat movements. There is lots of bad technique in CrossFit, but that's what is so challenging about it: trying to turn your bad technique into good technique across a broad range of movements. The good news is bad technique (for the most part) won’t get you hurt. It just prevents you from doing something at its best (and it can look pretty ugly sometimes too...haha). “Bad Movement” is a different beast . There is a high likelihood of injury from bad movement. As a coach or an athlete (or some people who don’t even exercise), you know bad movement when you see it. It makes you cringe. If you were to see someone perform bad movement at the gym, you would make them stop immediately because you fear they are going to get hurt. You don't allow bad movement in your gym, right?

I’d love to walk into a local competition and just yell out, “Stop the madness!”, but I understand the allure and the fun of a CrossFit competition. Many people have never competed in their entire life. The local competitions are almost always a total blast and a chance to meet and network with other people in our community. BUT, as gym owners and trainers, we need to take some responsibility for our clients. What is the point of encouraging a beginner (or even an advanced athlete) to perform bad movement as fast as possible to finish umpteenth place in a local competition? As a gym owner and a trainer, when I see people move bad at the very start of a workout, all I can think is that is the culture at the gym they come from. It’s a direct reflection of the owners/trainers at that gym. I know Brad and I (and all our trainers) would hate it if people thought that about One World.

So what do you do to fix it? I’ve said it thousands of times over the last few years. Turn off that competition factor at your gym. Group sessions are training not competing. Get people moving good in your gym sessions and they will move good when it matters. Try running some in-house competitions at your gym. This is a great way to see how people react in a competition setting. Sometimes, people may move well during a training session and then the wheels fall off in a competition. (I saw this all the time when we were training new ring fighters back in the early days of One World.) The most important thing you can do is have your clients/athletes check with you before they sign up for a competition representing your gym. Are they ready? You should know, and you should care.

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WORKOUT   8/28/2012

• 5 x 3 sumo deadlift

Then....

Complete the following for time:

• 10 box jumps (M:24"/W:20")
• 1 pull-up
• 9 box jumps
• 2 pull-ups
• 8 box jumps
• 3 pull-ups
• 7 box jumps
• 4 pull-ups
• 6 box jumps
• 5 pull-ups
• 5 box jumps
• 6 pull-ups
• 4 box jumps
• 7 pull-ups
• 3 box jumps
• 8 pull-ups
• 2 box jumps
• 9 pull-ups
• 1 box jump
• 10 pull-ups

*******************************************************

Comments

[Dan Pope]

Great post. I try telling people that if they clean up their technique, not only will they be less at risk for injury, but their performance will improve. Poor technique leads to poor performance at the highest levels.

[Www]

AWESOME ... I wholeheartedly agree with this blog. Some of the issues with tech in competitions can be managed somewhat through programming a sensible wod structure (honestly, is it a great idea to do the cleans AFTER 40 deadlifts?) but regardless people will crush and contort their bodies seeing as how it is the general "norm" to do so at comps.

One of my favorite "movers" is Lucas Parker (aka Teen Wolf)... consistent and precise movement under fatigue allows him to not only protect his body but also to perform very efficiently.

Thanks for posting this, will be sharing on Facebook!

Cam B

[Maria]

Spot on, Freddy!

[Sakura]

Well said. I was judging a scaled athlete who just couldn't get the weight up. Friends/family/coaches kept yelling but I told him to take a breather. I could tell he really wanted to get that bar up so I felt the best thing I could do was try to coach him through it--but you know as well as I do that when you're up against a clock, you can't always teach or learn effectively.

Going back to that hectic atmosphere reminded me of my love/hate relationship with CF. But I definitely took pleasure in seeing old friends like yourself and "officially" meeting Chyna (she's a doll!). :)

[Jonnydee]

I agree, but I think it's hilarious that you have a workout posted below this well written article that is "for time". Doesn't "for time" mean go as fast as you can - same as a competition? One of the things I question about Crossfit in general.

[Liani]

Well said! Not only does poor movement reflect poorly on the athletes' boxes, it also reflects poorly on the box hosting the competition; allowing such horrific movement to fly.

[Freddy Camacho]

Jonnydee, You have obviously never been to One World. For time or for reps is simply a measuring tool for each individual, not a measuring stick for who is in first and who is in last. You will NEVER hear a trainer at our gym tell someone to go faster. I totally get what you are saying though. In my opinion, every gym has a different vibe. There are gyms that like to coach and there are gyms that like to cheer people on. I like to think that our gym likes to coach.

Liani, Can you blame the box? That's shakey ground. Maybe you can blame the programming, but in general, if someone shows up to do a competition, you are hard pressed to know how they are going to move if they come from another gym.

[Joe Nepo]

Good post, Freddy! I was able to go down to OW and do Cheryl's WOD Sunday. I didn't concentrate on time as much as I did thinking about technique and form. My time has improved because of working on my technique, you tend to use less energy if you do the movement correctly and reduce the risk of injury. I believe Lyn got 4th place overall in her division, thanks to her great form and support from her instructors and crew mates.

[@sushi]

I, FOR ONE, AM A FAN OF THE ROMANIAN DEADLIFT/BACK EXTENSION HYBRID PERFORMED AT HIGH VOLUME AND INTENSITY...

REGARDLESS OF THE SPORT (CLASSIFICATION?), THE WAY ONE MOVES DURING TRAINING WILL ALWAYS MANIFEST ITSELF IN COMPETITION. COMPETITIONS ARE FUN TO WATCH BECAUSE YOU CAN GET A GREAT IDEA OF HOW OTHER GYMS TRAIN.

[Lyn C]

Brad told me that one of the competitors didn't go below parallel during overhead squats and the judge counted her reps (29 reps). Hmmm...

[Freddy Camacho]

True Lyn, I saw that too. Unfortunately that is a judging and range of motion issue common at most competitions. You lean to except that as simply judges not knowing what they are looking at.

[Angela]

Nice job, Lyn.

Good points all around, Freddy.

[Dave in Mi]

Great post Freddy, you're right on...I was just talking to one of the athletes at the gym about this...like you said before. Music gets turned up, 3..2..1..Go and everything falls apart even during some WODS....always enjoy your ramblings Freddy...stay safe bro

[Jonnydee]

Thanks Freddy - sounds like your gym is different and I'm just giving an outsider's perspective on Crossfit in general as I'm not one myself. I also heard that competitors at a Crossfit competition don't know exactly what movements they will be doing before the comp - is that true? Because if it is, that structure is a recipe for what you've witnessed, IMO. I train for Kettlebell Sport competitions, and like most sports the athlete devotes a significant amount of time to learning & perfecting technique first, then building speed (or gradually increasing weight). This leads to speed AND great form, and a lot can be learned both physically and mentally with a repetitive training regime, ultimately having a better understanding of your own body as well as the specifics of the movement. The idea of competing without specific training seems a little ADD to me.

[j]

Informative post.

[Matthew Ratcliffe]

To be fair, the picture you have up is what I have actually seen TAUGHT at a CrossFit, not just seen at competitions. What do you expect when it only takes a weekend to get your CrossFit "cert"?? I'm not sure, but don't you simply need a Level 1 to become an affiliate?? :S Let's be real honest here, this is much more of a problem with the business model, then it is with just competitions. There are many things that make CossFit fun, and exciting. I'd just be curious to know if the bad outweighs the good? I'm glad to know you would never allow this at your box... and an excellent read for sure. :)

[Glenn]

Hey Freddie, You may want to forward your blog post to your buddies at HQ...

http://community.crossfit.com/article/snatch-strategies-crossfit-workouts-and-competitions

Somebody has lost their damn mind up in that place.

FORM, CONSISTANCY, INTENSITY! In that order.

[Gary Conway]

Yep spot on. There seems to be more and more captions on the CF vids saying "bad form here". Do as I say, not do as I do?

[Chris]

Its funny how you preach to people about cleaning up their movements in one breath and then prescribe box jumps in the next. The REAL problem that all you crossfitters will never understand is that working out is a science that you never studied. Shame on you for condemning bad form on a deadlift and handing out shitty plyo workouts. It is just as bad for someone to do a deadlift with poor form as it is for someone to do box jumps with bad form/unstable. I know its a fad to hate on how bad crossfit form is but heres a new fad. Its not your form that is shitty it is your lack of knowledge in general.

[freddy]

hehehe....yes, I wrecked and injured everyone with those 55 box jumps.

[Chris]

Actually you dont know if you did or not. The same kid who is doing deadlifts incorrectly in the picture above might be reading this blog post and taking your "plyo" advice. How do you think that is going to go? Your easy to dismiss crossfit but maybe you should rethink what your posting as acceptable. There is a very strict method to performing/coaching box jumps and if overlooked could lead to serious injury. Try not to laugh it off so easily...

[freddy]

Chris, I won't get into a pissing contest with you. I have been weight training and interval training since I was 14 years old. That's 33 years of experience. Do I have a piece of paper from a college that says I studied "exercise"? No. Do I work with tons of different bodies every day and constantly strive to come up with what works the best for a cookie cutter program? Yes, and I think I have been very successful so far. The real problem is CrossFit is just that, a cookie cutter fitness program. What is good for ten people might not be ideal for three or four others. I make it work though and injury rate at One World is extremely low for the amount of people we have trained over the years. I can live with that.

[Chris]

So you spent 33 years teaching something you dont know anything about? Thats a smart philosophy. And your injury rate shouldnt be low
It should be non existent. I wont get in a pissing contest with you either. Im not saying im right about this but i will say i put in the effort to study so i can have an opinion. There is enough info readily available out there for you to read and be educated. There is no excuse to be in the business this long and not know this stuff. You can sling it however you want....

[freddy c.]

Chris, Are you telling me that in all your athletic endeavors you were never injured while training? Are you saying that of all the athletes that have trained at Next Level Speed, none have ever been injured while training? If so, then I will admit that I am definitely doing something wrong. IMHO- you can read all the books you want, take the tests regarding those books, and get the pieces of paper saying you passed those tests. In the end, it's still the tinkering you do with actual human beings and what you learn hands on from coaches who are smarter/more experienced than you that best serves your education as a strength and conditioning coach.

[Chris]

I can honestly and proudly admit that not one athlete of mine, or my staff, has ever been injured while doing training in our facility. Im not saying it wont happen some day but its next to impossible. As far as the education goes i know exactly what you mean when you say you can read, test, pass and still not fully understand or absorb the material. However, that, imo, does not mean the material is no good. It means it needs to be studied longer, reread, challenged, and as you say applied by tinkering with actual human beings. You can tinker with a client until your blue in the face, unless you read about thing like bioenergetics, it will take a lifetime of tinkering to even scratch the surface. Its up to us as coaches/trainers to take small steps from the research we have studied in order to advance the athlete and industry

[Eric DiBartolomeo]

Hey Freddy, thought I'd drop you a line and let you know i've been following your site and blogs for a couple years now and I honestly think you've got the best site and gym going. I'm in the Air Force and been all over the world and I've been doing CrossFit since 2008 and get a lot of great ideas and insight from checking out your site. This article in particular was awesome and so true!

Keep up the great work!

Eric DiBartolomeo