It’s how you level up long term.
We consistently spend time going through coach-led technique drills and progressions for the movements of the day for several reasons.
Safety
Using proper technique and moving your body in a natural and efficient way greatly reduces your chance of injury.
Going through drills and progressions prior to the workout primes your body to move correctly and also allows you to determine the appropriate weight and version of the movement for you.
Improvement
Improving your technique unlocks new levels of fitness and increases the value and effectiveness of all your future training. Consider the 10 general physical skills which we develop together to achieve Elite Fitness:
Cardio-respiratory endurance
Stamina
Strength
Flexibility
Power
Speed
Coordination
Agility
Balance
Accuracy
The first 4 skills (cardio-respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility) are developed through “training” which results in measurable physical changes to the body – think bigger muscles, stronger heart & lungs, muscles that move through a greater range of motion.
The last 4 skills (coordination, agility, balance accuracy) are developed through “practice” which results in improvements via the nervous system – it’s more of a mind-body connection and “ability” that you acquire.
The middle two skills (power and speed) are adaptations of both training and practice.
So, 6 out of 10 general physical skills require “practice” to develop. Those are the skills we’re developing when we’re practicing technique with the PVC pipe or starting a skill progression from the beginning even though you can already do the last step.
One of the fundamental guidelines of CrossFit is “mechanics, consistency, (then) intensity.” Ultimately, your results are built on the foundation of proper mechanics. Time spent improving the foundation is the best spent time.
Remember to put the same intention into each rep with the PVC pipe as you put into that 1-rep max attempt at the end of the class.
Next time you’re leaving the gym, ask yourself “did I improve my technique today?”
Dean
info@crossfitreverb.net