Shoulder dislocates

Performed with a lightweight dowel, broomstick, or length of PVC pipe, shoulder dislocates (or “pass-throughs”) are good for warming up, working on shoulder flexibility, and preparing for more complex movements such as kipping pull-ups, jerks, overhead squats, snatches, pull-throughs and “skin-the-cats,” and anything else that requires good shoulder mobility.

Grasp the dowel in front of your hips, with a very wide grip. Then, keeping your arms straight (no elbow bending!), slowly lift the dowel up and out, arcing it overhead and all the way behind your body until it touches the small of your back. Reverse direction and return from back to front until you’re in the start position again. Take it slow and be gentle. No jerky movements here. Push the dowel out away from your body as you rotate through, as if you're trying to lengthen your arms and get the bar as far as possible from your head.

The roll-through should be smooth and controlled. If you're bending your arms or having to roll one arm through at a time, your grip is too narrow. If you can move through all parts of the motion easily and symmetrically with straight arms, narrow your grip an inch or so on each side and do a few more reps. Repeat the narrowing process until you find your sticking point. Then practice dislocates just outside that width.

Cranking

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Pull!

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Silhouette

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Gear

Lifting real weight in running shoes is like swimming in a parka.

Unlike cushioned running shoes and their squishy brethren, weightlifting shoes, which feature a slightly raised, wood heel, give you a stable base for lifting. The heel doesn’t compress or wobble on you, the footing is flat and solid, the heel is slightly raised, and they efficiently transfer force between you and the floor, which is what lifting is all about.

They’re definitely worth having if you plan to squat, deadlift, press, clean, jerk, or snatch anything more than a dowel.

The right tool for the job.

You can't buy them in your local shoe store, but Todd Lyons will ship them to you virtually overnight: Adidas weightlifting shoes. You need to get some!

Actively finishing the press

Great press, Marc!

Totally loved it

Congratulations to the eighteen athletes who showed up and rocked the CrossFit Total on Saturday. They squatted; they pressed; they deadlifted.

From the new folks just learning the mechanics to old hands chasing new PRs, everyone stepped up admirably. Many of the bunch set multiple personal bests and performed well above their expectations. We all learned a great deal and are already looking forward to the next time around.

Special thanks to the friends and family who came along show support. It's good to have you in the house.

Totality

This Saturday, May 5th, at noon, we will be hosting the CrossFit Total (CFT) for CFES members. The contested lifts are the back squat, press, and deadlift. Your best of three attempts at each will be added together to come up with your CFT score (which will go on the new records board in the Blue Room). We will have an open gym from 12:00 until 4:00 pm for members to total each of the lifts.

Post-CFT festivities will be held at Tu Casa (2 blocks from the gym) starting at 4pm. Bring friends and family for a Cinco de Mayo throwdown -- good food, conversation, and maybe even some drinks.