Mobility – What it is and isn’t? 

If we were to ask 100 Shapesmates ”What is Mobility?” we would get a huge range of answers. It may conjure images of people sitting in passive stretches for prolonged periods, performing banded stretches, being really bendy or essentially performing things stretches that are used as a means to an end to be able to do the fun stuff. 

True mobility training should be a workout in itself, it involves training the muscles, joints and brain to allow you into better positions with more confidence.

The aim of the daily mobility classes is to teach you how to effectively train to no longer need the 40 minutes of foam rolling or banded movements so, simply, you are able to get into an overhead position.

Are the results instantaneous, in some ways yes, in some ways no. You will see the effect of what can be achieved in the session, absolutely no doubt, but as with everything consistency is key to making sure that you see the results you want. There will come a time where you will go to the gym one day, or try and get into that normally irritating position, and something just clicks. But you do have to work on that. 

Without adequate Mobility for lifting, gymnastics or whatever you would like to do in the gym or outside of the gym you are operating at a less than optimal level and in some cases with the brakes on. We all know how quickly things would burn out if you tried to go fast with the brakes on. This means without adequate mobility it’s not a case of if you get injured, it’s simply when. Be smart. Look after your body and book into Mobility class. 

Article by Mike Lee.

Mobility classes are bookable with Shapesmiths Coach Mike Lee, Monday to Wednesday at 1815 hrs and Saturday at 1215 hrs! We also send out recordings of class afterwards for those who can’t make the times. 

The terminology you need to decode CrossFit.

A quick and dirty reference guide to what may appear on the ‘whiteboard’ via your WODify app.  Have a read and come back to this guide whenever you need.

It takes time to learn all of this, so don’t think you need to remember it all in one go.  The coaches will be on hand to help you if you don’t understand everything.  We also have a number of CrossFit ‘old guard’ members at the gym that will point you in the right direction too 😉

” : Symbol for Inches

#: means pounds (lbs). Some pre-programmed workouts are listed in lbs. Multiply by 2.2 to ascertain the correct loading in KGs. Weights listed include the bar.

AMRAP: As Many Rounds (or Reps) as Possible (on Competition days).

ATG: Ass to Grass.

QAMRAP: Quality AMRAP. (Practice Days).

BW: Bodyweight.

EMOM: Every Minute on the Minute.

FQL: For Quality Load. When you see this you should be working within your technical capabilities. Intensity should be around 7/8 out of 10 effort-wise.

G2O: Ground-to-Overhead.

KG or kg: Kilograms of weight. Weights listed in workouts include the bar.

MetCon: Metabolic Conditioning workout (These are typically the ones that leave you gasping for breath.).

RFT: Rounds for time (Competition days).

RFQT: Rounds For Time where Quality is prioritised. (Practice Days).

RM: Repetition maximum. Your 1RM is your max lift for one rep. Your 10 RM is the most you can lift 10 times.

Rx’d or as Rx’d: As prescribed; as written. A WOD done without any adjustments.

S2O: Shoulder-to-overhead

WOD: Workout of the day

YBF: You’ll be fine.

Movements

ABMAT Sit-Up:  Check the video.

BP:  Bench Press

BS: Back squat – Demo #1 (CFHQ)

C&J: Clean and jerk

Cln: Clean

CTB or C2B:  Chest to Bar (as in pull-ups)

DL: Deadlift – Demo #1 (CFHQ)

DU: Double Unders

FS: Front squat – Demo #1 (CFHQ)

GHD Situp: Situp done on the GHD bench – Demo #1 (CFHQ)

HCln: Hang Clean

HPC: Hang Power Clean

HSn: Hang Snatch

HPSn: Hang Power Snatch

HSPU: Handstand push up

KBS: Kettlebell Swing

KTE: Knees to elbows.

MU: Muscle-up

OHS: Overhead squat – Demo #1 (CFHQ) | Demo #2 (CFHQ)

PC: Power clean

Pistols: One-legged Squats

PJ: Push/Power Jerk – Demo #1 (CFHQ)

PP: Push press

PSN: Power snatch

PU: Pull-ups, possibly push-ups depending on the context

SC: Squat Clean

SDLHP: Sumo Deadlift High Pull

Sn: Snatch

Sq: Squat

T2B: Toes to bar.

WBs: Wallballs

Equipment

DB: Dumbbell (when we stock them these will appear frequently)

GHD: Glute hamstring developer. A device that allows for posterior chain exercises, such as a hip extension, sit-up or a back extension. (For working your backside, to paraphrase Crocodile Dundee.)

KB: Kettlebell

Pd: Pood, a measurement of weight for kettlebells

Other

CF: CrossFit

CFHQ: CrossFit Headquarters

Chipper:  A workout with many reps and many movements (you chip away at it), typically completed in one single round for time.

Firebreather: A badass CrossFit athlete.

GPP: General physical preparedness, aka “fitness.”

Hook Grip: Wrap your hand around the bar and grab as much of your thumb as you can with the first two fingers.

Olympic Lifting, Oly Lifting, O-lifting: Olympic weightlifting, specifically the barbell movements and any of their variations or exercises related to the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk.  Olympic Lifting specific classes coming to CF Shapesmiths real soon with Evelyn and Aoife.

Paleo and Zone: Types of diet and nutrition protocol commonly found in the CF lifestyle.

PR/PB: Personal record/Personal Best

ROM:  Range of Motion

Tabata Interval: A workout of 8 intervals alternating 20 seconds of max rep work with 10 seconds of rest. Total is 4 minutes per exercise. Score the lowest interval rep count.

The “Girls”: A series of benchmark workouts created by CFHQ that are universally known among the CF community.

The “Heroes”:  A Hero workout is a tribute workout in honour of a fallen CrossFitter (either Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, Firefighter, Police officer) that died in the line of duty. They are tough and among the most difficult of WOD’s. There are sadly too many of them.