Christopher Douglas

Dr. Annie of Head 2 Toe Spine & Sports Therapy talks to Chris Douglas, Owner & Head Coach of Paramount Strength & Conditioning about Olympic Weightlifting and his recent win at the CrossFit Industrious fall WL event. Learn how Chris prepared and prevented injury!

by Coach Aaron Hyatt

With so many choices out there, sometimes it’s hard to determine what type of shoe gives you the biggest bang for your buck in your workouts – especially if you don’t want to invest in, or carry around, multiple pairs.

Running shoes typically have almost an inch of foam, gel, or both, that separate your foot from the ground; Lifting shoes usually have about an inch of rise at the heel that is made from a very hard plastic or even wood. In CrossFit, we both lift and run…and jump, climb ropes, throw ourselves on the floor, and more. In the gym, unless you want to be changing shoes for every part of your training session, for most folks, it’s best to look for one that can accomodate you no matter what your workout calls for that day.

Stability for lifting is one of those accommodations. A flat platform and a firm-rubber heel give you a stable base for your workouts. Let’s say you’re going for a new one rep max Snatch; would you want to use a shoe where the distribution of weight constantly shifts because your shoe is built more like a mattress than a shoe? NO. You want a shoe that glues your foot to the ground and feels stable no matter the load you’re carrying, squatting, etc.

Flexibility in the forefoot is an important feature because it allows you to perform running and jumping movements more naturally. If you’ve ever tried running in lifting shoes, you know that it 1) doesn’t promote a natural running pattern; 2) causes you to run much slower; and 3) can incur foot, knee and lower back pain.

Lightweight shoes are important in our sport because we are already moving loads over the course of workouts, why add more to our feet, making them slow and clumsy when we are trying to be quick and smooth?

Lateral support is maybe one of the more overlooked features in a workout shoe. We create torque from our hips in CrossFit. The result of creating this torque drives our knees out, and also shifts the weight onto the outside “heel” of the foot. And for most of us, any workout with a 400 meter run means you’re taking corners around the block pretty quickly. If you’re wearing a shoe that does not have lateral support, your foot will literally push out over the sole, similar to a muffin top or you may even slide as you take that corner which can potentially cause ankle or knee injuries. Shoes with lateral support typically have some sort of outer “cage” or wire in the center of the shoe, keeping the foot over the sole of the shoe.

Durability should be a huge factor in your purchase decision. Shoes are expensive so it’s best to not have to purchase a new pair every month because the toe boxes are busted out from running and jumping or due to the rope shredding the soles. And if you are wearing them for a majority of your training then they are going to see a lot of wear and tear. Look for reinforcement in high-wear areas like the instep or outside edge. Rubber in the midfoot area – versus regular shoe material – will help reduce wear and tear.

The Final Test

Before you make a purchase, do a few air squats in your shoes, creating that torque we’re talking about and make sure you foot isn’t hanging over the side. Run in them – many shoe stores have a treadmill available for this very purpose. Jump around a bit. You might look a little crazy but you’d be even MORE crazy not to test them out and then get to your training session to discover that they can’t support the movements you need to perform.

by Coach Vanessa Dickens

As a coach I hear the phrase “I need more” or “the workout was too easy” and don’t get me wrong that can be a valid point; however, more often than not it’s because you didn’t go hard enough. There is a difference between intensity and just moving about for an extended period of time. So let me present you with this lovely little test.

First, I want you to do ten burpees, nice and slow. I mean just flop down, stand, hop and a nice clap, just like an easy stroll in the park. Now I want you to take note of how you feel. Is your heart rate up? Did you get a little sweaty? Do your muscles ache? Take a moment to recover.

Second, I want you to do ten burpees as fast as you possibly can. Imagine you are going so fast there is a trampoline under you, so you are literally bouncing off the floor. Again, take note of how you are feeling. Heart rate up, a little sweaty, muscles ache, hard to breathe? Take a moment to recover.

Now here’s the deal. If you did this test correctly, you should notice a drastic difference in how you felt mentally and physically during the two separate sets of burpees. Now my “aha” moment to you is…how you FELT after your fast burpees is how you SHOULD feel after your regular workouts. If not, you are not going hard enough, meaning there is still more in the tank, untapped power waiting to be released.

What you are seeing is you can do the same amount of work/effort in less time and that is how you get results. You have to push past your comfort zone. Those of you who work with me have heard me say time and again: “Mental toughness, you have to want it, it’s okay if it hurts a little, drain the tank.” I’m not just spouting off random things, I’m getting you to understand you have to dig deep, put that intensity in your workouts and have fun with it. Try to hang onto the bar a little longer, crank through a few more pull ups/toes to bar before hopping off the bar. See how long you can grind through wallballs, kettle bell swings, etc.

So get out there PUSH and GOOD LUCK!!!