Best products from r/crossfit

Here you go! This is the email I sent to friends and family with the code! Thanks a lot!
__
Dear friends and family,
Espen and I want to first of all thank you for your support into our new venture. The Viking Strong conception started about 6 months ago. After much research and brain storming the Viking Strong brand as you see it below was born. Our good friend Whitney Greg at http://whitneygregg.com/, put our vision of what we wanted our brand to represent onto Illustrator and created our logo, she's pretty amazing!
Pull-up resistance bands is our first product and we plan to add more as we grow. In order to get to the front page of Amazon there are a bunch of things that go into it, sales (even coupon code sales) and reviews are a couple of the many things.
So.....in exchange for an "awesome, unbiased" review (LOL) we are sending out a coupon code that makes the red band $2 ($2.17 with tax). Coupon code is UZM9KSHZ
Go to http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019VL0AHQ/ref=ox_sc_imb_mini_detail?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3494L3P1PP08E
and make sure you pick the Red band on the far right for $14.95. When it asks you for a promotion code in your shopping cart enter the one up top.
Now onto the review...
Seriously, when reviewing please state that in exchange for a review you received a discount for the RED band. Unbiased reviews are appreciated whether bad (please be gentle I might cry) or good (go on....tell me more).
A little about the RED band. It's the LOWEST resistance band we offer between 5-50 lbs. In regard to pull-up's this band is for those super strong. The typical person without much strength could use this band for exercises such as push-ups (gives added resistance) and if you tie it around your door knob could do bicep curls, triceps etc. (please make sure the door is shut! LOL....we also recommend using it on the side where the door shuts not opens. Once you purchase we will send you an email thanking you again for your purchase, reminding you to submit a review and some suggestive exercises for the red band.
Again, THANK you for your support!
Espen and Rebekah

> 1) ... shoes ...

CF workouts are hard. Your old shoes will probably feel very heavy to you. I say, invest in shoes. I have 4 pairs: Many wear Nanos. I have the 3.0 version. They are good CF shoes because they are very light, have almost no drop from heel to toe, provide ample support, and have a nice toe box and are pretty breathable. Use the foot-sizer at a shoe store to find your true foot size. That's your Nano size. I also use Nike Free 5.0, which I actually like more than the Nanos. The are slightly lighter than the Nanos, they have a very slight heel to toe drop, and they put more demand on your feet, so you get stronger. In addition I have a pair of Mizuno Be. They are the most minimal shoe I can find. I love them, but use with caution. Finally, I have a pair of Adidas adiPower weightlifting shoes. (I take an Olympic weightlifting class which really helps develop the skills for the more advanced lifts.) The adiPowers have a 3/4" heel. They are firm as a rock. They are solely for weightlifting. Do not WOD in them. Don't even walk back to the car in them.

> 2) Is it really as culty

Imagine you are standing in front of a supermarket with your groceries. There are 10 other people also there with their groceries. All of a sudden some dude in the parking lot lights his car on fire, gets naked, hops on a unicycle and vanishes. You and the others rush to put out the fire, and then stick around to give statements to the cops. Now, imagine you show up the next day at the same supermarket and the same 10 people are there. Fire dude rolls back up on a unicycle this time and lights his unicycle on fire. Gets naked, hops on a skateboards and vanishes. Crossfit brings people together in exciting common experience. You talk. You laugh. You strategize. You go home and tell people about it. (People at home will not be as amused by your tales of constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity across broad time and modal domains as they would be about a dude who keeps lighting his rides on fire and getting naked. Note this well.)

> 3) Will they warm me up...How about stretching...

Most boxes do a warmup. Some do stretching. If your box doesn't find a good warmup online. Find a good stretch regimin also. Show up early and do it. This book is considered the bible by many.


> 4) "pukie" ... being pushed to injury.

I had to ask the same question to this forum. Here's the deal. Crossfit's biggest problem is quality consistency for the coaches. Some are great. Some suck. My Olympic weightlifting coach is an actual former Olympian and Olympic coach. He can watch 10 people do a clean and jerk and point out the minute technical flaws in everyone's movements. He sometimes encourages to take weight off the bar. Sometimes to put weight on the bar. He's the real deal. Some crossfit coaches are very good. Some are good at somethings (like motivation) but bad at others (like give poor execution tips.) So. What you do is get that book I recommended and read it. Read all you can or watch youtube videos about all the exercises (you can typically go the the box's website the day before and get the wod for the next day.) LISTEN to you body. The key to crossfit is the intensity. Learn how to push yourself. But also, learn how to pace yourself. Ask the advanced people in the class for tips about how to do the WOD. Most importantly, learn how to set your own limits. If a coach comes up and you are totally gassed, and he or she starts counting down and tells you to get back on the bar. It's ok to not do so. (After a while you will feel guilty if you don't give it your all, but you will know what your all is. You are responsible for you.) Also if a coach's style is just not compatible with your boundaries, you have to talk to him or her. (I did.) For example. I don't speed lift the complicated oly lifts anymore. I also don't do sumo dead-lift high-pulls. I do the complex lifts at a challenging but safe pace. And I do regular sumo dead-lifts instead of the high-pulls (because I like my rotator cuff).

FIT is the book I am constantly recommending to CF athletes. It's written by Lon Kilgore (who some of you may know from the 1st and 2nd editions of Starting Strength), Michael Hartman (Well known Olympic Lifting coach and strength and conditioning professor), and Justin Lascek (of 70's Big). The combined experience and knowledge of these guys is fucking awesome, and its presented in a way that anyone can understand. The book breaks down how to effectively program multiple domains of fitness at the same time. Here's the blurb from Amazon...

"Fitness is hard. Very hard. Everyone knows it is, but everyone is also willing to risk time and money on the mythology of easy fitness. If anyone, ANYONE, tells you that there is an “EASY” way to fitness, they just want your money. FIT is a book about how to get fit. It defines what fitness is in measurable, observable, and real-world terms. There is no mumbo-jumbo, just facts, practical information, and a logical approach to creating fitness from the first day of training through the day you reach your goal in fitness. No other training resource provides the reader the programming basics to specialize in one component of fitness or seamlessly program for comprehensive fitness and take the trainee from beginner to intermediate then to advanced and beyond - it’s a book for a lifetime of training. Exercise is dangerous - from 1 yard to 100 miles, 1 pound to half a ton, on land, in the water, on a bike - hazards abound and you need to pay attention to what your body tells you. But the body can adapt to much more than we give it credit for. If you use the concepts in FIT - no excuses, no whining, no shortcuts - and just get to the gym, garage, or wherever, and train hard, you will amaze yourself with results and how fast they are earned."

I bought a cheap vest for like 60$ (https://www.amazon.com/ZFOsports-40LBs-Adjustable-Weighted-Vest/dp/B002P60ZZC/) a year+ ago and wore it a few times to CF WODs and running at home in prep for Murph. After wearing it a few times, I noticed it was just very uncomfortable (I'm a small guy) and it was bouncing around too much. I tightened it as tight as possible and I just couldn't get it to feel right (too much bouncing which lead to burns/bruises from the straps on my shoulders). This same vest is sold under a dozen different companies/names/logos, so you should be able to find it. It uses sand-like bags as the weights. I sold this one to a friend at the gym when I got my new vest...

A couple of the people at my gym used another vest from Hyper (https://www.onnit.com/hyper-vest-pro/). So I checked theirs out at the gym and immediately purchased one for me. It was 3-4x as expensive, but man, it's like night-and-day difference. Super comfortable. The sizing works great for me. I can run all day wearing this vest. I used this during our Thanksgiving Day Murph and loved wearing the vest (didn't love the extra weight during push-ups but just because I suck at push-ups). In prep for Murph, I ran a mile per day for 30 days wearing the vest and I fell in love with the vest.

You've got the Reebok CrossFit Lifter 2.0 sneakers. Basically, they were targeted at CrossFitters who like to use lifters for any and all squats and olympic lifts, and were willing to do double unders and box jumps in them. They're basically in between a dedicated lifter sneaker and a flat soled cross training sneaker.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXP77NY/ref=twister_B00RW1B9RS

Lifters are great for squatting because they add a boost to your ankle mobility, and allow you to keep your torso more vertical in the bottom of a squat. They shouldn't really be used for deadlifting, running, jumping, or really much else.

Flat cross training shoes are good all around sneakers for squatting, deadlifting, running shorter distances, jumping, lateral movement, etc.

A pair of dedicated lifting sneakers like the Legacy lifters, AdiPowers, Romaleos, should help your form, not hurt it. I'm curious to know how they're messing with your form.

​

I use HRV myself, mostly as a sanity check to make sure I'm not overtraining and to track how workouts affect my smpathetic vs parasympathetic nervous system. I've heard good things about BioForce, but I it's pretty damn pricey and I already had a HR monitor. There are a handful of free apps that will do basically the same thing as BioForce without the added price, but may not be as in depth with the details of what is tracked. Check out Elite HRV, probably my favorite of the apps that I've tried. It's totally free, all you need for these apps is a bluetooth heart rate strap (can pick up a Polar one on Amazon for $50 - http://www.amazon.com/Polar-Sensor-BLE-BLK-M-XXL/dp/B007S088F4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459272728&sr=8-1&keywords=bluetooth+heart+rate+strap)

If you don't want to read much, skip below to #7 and the helpful resources.

Food ("nutrition") sets your performance ("fitness") ceiling. It will define what you can achieve in the gym. If you want better performance, you'll have to eat better first. Period.

1. Forget calories. They're a giant red herring. In response to your question, others have brought up "calories in, calories out." This is such an oversimplification that's it's basically wrong. 500 doughnut calories =\= 500 sweet potato calories, NOT EVEN CLOSE. The sugar and other refined carbohydrates in a doughnut will break down to glucose very quickly, then spike your blood sugar. Next, insulin response rushes in and causes a few things, the blood sugar gets pulled into cells for use but also gets pulled into fat stores. Insulin promotes development of fat tissue. To simplify: some of the 500 doughnut calories end up used for energy very quickly after you eat it, the rest ends up stored as fat, but you'll absorb all 500 one way or another. Sweet potatoes don't spike your blood sugar because they're digested very slowly. You get a slow steady stream of carbohydrates (blood sugar) to use all day, especially during that workout. So long, in fact that you'll likely end up flushing some of the carbs 500 carbs in that sweet potato down the toilet because it won't stay in your body long enough to fully digest it (thank you dietary fiber.) To simplify, you'll absorb some and what you do absorb, you'll use to your benefit to crush WODs.
   
   
2. Focus instead on macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats). Which brings me to my next point...
   
   
3. You're going to have to "track." That means you're going to have to get a scale and weigh your food as you plate it for your meal.
   
   
4. Meal prep. Get a plan together. Then cook up some food and weigh off into containers. This will help stay on track. This is important because:
   
   
5. It takes about 2 weeks for all the hormonal changes to happen to your body when your start to eat better. That means no cheat meals. Cheat meals are for when you've reached your goals. They bog down your progress. Stay away as long as possible.
   
   
6. Regarding food, you should be buying groceries (veggies and fruit), meat, fish and some dairy. If it comes in packaging, you should probably avoid it (except obvious things like milk has to come in a gallon, duh). MOST IMPORTANTLY: NO REFINED CARBOHYDRATES. PERIOD. NO EXCEPTIONS. If it's made with bleached, white flour (often labeled "enriched"), sugar, high fructose corn syrup, rice syrup, agave nectar, rice syrup, and all the other misleading terms, then you simply don't eat it.
   
   
7. If you don't believe me about the above, don't take my word for it, go on YouTube and watch videos with the elite CrossFit athletes and watch what they eat and what their coaches (Ben Bergeron, coach to Katrin davidsdottir and a few other big names) has a bunch of nutrition related videos) tell them to eat. Mimic what they do. They don't eat that way because they're elite, they're elite because they eat that way (and train according obviously).
   
   Helpful resources:
   http://journal.crossfit.com/2012/03/nutrition.tpl
   
   In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143114964/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_q7qAH63DLB7ov
   
   Enter The Zone: A Dietary Road map https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060391502/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_GVpEDeq7jqJIA
   
   The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143038583/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jYyDDbGSYE54S
   
   Edit: spelling typos

> what nutrition system is the best for me?

Whichever one you can follow consistently the longest. Anyone can lose twenty pounds, but very few people can actually keep that weight off for a year or more.

A few people below are recommending calorie restriction with carb/protein/fat tracking. The IIFYM plan is a no brainer, but "moderation" sometimes doesn't work for people who have a relationship with food that goes beyond just calories.

Zone you really have to purchase the literature. Too much to cover in one comment, and to be honest the entire concept can really only be best explained by someone who has followed it for quite a bit of time. But don't dismiss it entirely. http://www.amazon.com/Enter-Zone-Dietary-Road-map/dp/0060391502/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412105600&sr=8-2&keywords=Zone+diet

Paleo is popular primarily because it works. There is quite a bit of flexibility in eating that way, but it is essentially low carb. Not unlike Atkins. You simply eat as much meat/veggies/fruit as you want, and leave out processed carbs entirely. http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Solution-Original-Human-Diet/dp/0982565844/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412105648&sr=8-1&keywords=robb+wolf

Your best bet is to give each approach a few weeks before sticking to it or moving on.

Read this CrossFit Journal article from Mark Ripptoe. A quote from the article:
>
> Lots of people will defend the use of the high-bar
> position, often known as the Olympic squat because it is
> usually the style used by Olympic weightlifters. They will
> say that it’s more like the front squat part of the clean,
> so it is better for strengthening the clean. But they’re
> already doing front squats anyway, both as an assistance
> exercise and every time they clean (not to mention
> overhead squats they do every time they snatch, which
> have physiological mechanics similar to the front squat).
> The high-bar squat is a stronger squat than a front squat,
> but not as strong as a low-bar squat, because the more
> horizontal back angle means that more muscle gets
> used. I think many Olympic lifters do high-bar squats
> mainly because Tommy Kono did them that way. But as
> great an athlete as Kono was, that is not really a reason
> to do them. In fact, the vast, overwhelming majority of
> the strongest weightlifters in the world squat with
> the bar on their traps, because that’s the way it’s been
> done throughout the history of the sport of Olympic
> weightlifting, but that is also no reason


He also wrote Starting Strength which I recommend anyone read who wants to fine tune their barbell lifts. He also has a lot of videos on youtube.

I've only ripped twice in like 3 or 4 years of CrossFit, and it's because I keep my calluses shaved down pretty well with one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-Safety-Slide-Callus-Shaver/dp/B000G62I12

It won't completely shave off the callus (they're there for a reason), but it keeps them low-profile enough that they won't rip off during a workout. Other than that and washing my hands as soon as I'm done with a workout, I don't do anything else special...no hand grips or tape or anything, and have had good success.

The cheapest and still maintain good quality option I found and used for my garage is:

Bumper Plate Set 230lb with Olympic Bar & Collars - $494 with free shipping

STANDALONE SQUAT STANDS - $130

adidas Flat Bench - $79

Home Pullup Bar - $79

That gets you a total off: $782
And is pretty much anything you'd ever need to get started. You can always later add some more cheaper stuff like individual bumpers, rings, balls, abmat, kettle bell, jump rope etc. Look for craigslist post of homemade plyo boxes and other used equipment like stationary bike, metal plates etc.

Of course it depends on what programming you follow and what they use. Mainsite crossfit is usually pretty minimal...they also have a traveling WOD option that barely uses any equipment.

I built mine from scratch for aroun $20 (minus cost of jigsaw). Heres how.

​

Buy this: https://www.amazon.com/Reciprotools-RCT-A10-Reciprocating-Saw-Adapter/dp/B001CNHDR2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1TH3RD5RZNXDS&keywords=jigsaw+adapter+massager&qid=1554393001&s=gateway&sprefix=jigsaw+adapt%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-5

​

Get desired balls. I used a lax and golf ball so I have two. Drill a hole about halfway into both the balls (its super easy). You want to use a drill bit that is about the size of a regular 2-3in bit youd put on your drill. Something like this https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-Tough-Grip-5-Piece-2-in-2-Phillips-Shank-Screwdriver-Bit/999928876

You can pick up a pack of 4/5 for under $5. Make sure you get the ones with the hex end otherwise it wont fit in the attachement.

​

Ok, Drill hole halfway thorugh ball, squirt some krazy glue in hole, hammer bit phillips head side IN, wait for it to set, then attach to the attachment and voila, you have just created it yourself.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07111QNTT?autoplay=1&ref=dvm_us_api_cs_hud_pa_GWRD-singleCW&pf_rd_p=81d95d12-c1e6-4777-8d93-7d62cb9388a8&pf_rd_r=CEBS77ZWD5GAF5N8D0JB

This is the one I currently use to make my legs feel better and loosen up. I've stop after the second tape but it really helps me feel better.

EDIT: It's free to prime members so if you have it you might start there.

Sounds like a classic case of overtraining. Heart rate elevated? No desire to go to the gym? Trouble sleeping?

Take AT LEAST a week off. That includes your cardio classes. Take 10 days if possible. During your time off, eat a lot and sleep as much as you can. And try not to drink any alcohol. If you're worried about what you're doing to do with all of that extra time, buy a copy of Becoming a Supple Leopard and spend your time reading that and working on your mobility.

Overtraining sucks. I've been there. It was so bad that I landed myself in hospital. Don't let it get to that point. You're not being weak, you're being SMART. Look after yourself, buddy. I promise you aren't going to lose anything by taking a bit of time off. In fact, I can almost guarantee you'll come back feeling stronger. Let us know how it goes.

Becoming a Supple Leopard by Kelly Starrett has been a great read so far. It looks like a text book but is a relatively easy read full of amazing information regarding some basic anatomy, mobility and training.

Its funny, I've been reading up on this very topic lately in anticipation of buying one. I came across this thread on r/fitness and it shed some light on some things: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/47jgb0/most_accurate_heart_rate_monitor_device_for/d0ddzfb

Any model without a chest strap isn't going to be very accurate. The Polar Bluetooth seems to fit what I need it to be and its fairly cheap and has great reviews. Hope any of this helped!

I'm loving adding collagen to my coffee and protein shake daily - it's made a huge difference in my joints. We currently have this brand: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0178U7MQE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It blends great into coffee, shakes, oatmeal. The chocolate is amazing in my coffee if you like a mocha latte but not all the sugars and extra stuff. The plain you can't taste at all and the vanilla is good, more subtle than the chocolate.

Biased about what? I mentioned Starting Strength in the post about adding strength into your workouts from the other day. I ran out of room here, but maybe I'll add a list of my favorite resources as well. Feel free to add more of yours too.

Look up the black box summit. Effectively CF splintered over exactly that many years ago, with HQ sticking hard to the everything random line, and then affiliate gyms patting them on the head and going off to do their own thing with some combination of linear progression for strength and skills combined with metcon - so a more traditional S&C structuring. Some dropped all association with CF entirely after that and just started calling themselves S&C gyms.

If you do want to figure it out for yourself Practical Programming and Fit are probably good starters on doing your own programming. If not, then you can find more structured programming from Crossfit Football or affiliate sites rather than HQ, or get custom programming done for you from someone like OPT/Opexfit Training (CF Games first winner).

I bought a pair of these a few months ago and I love them. I'm typically wearing Lulu Pace breakers, and I think they're pretty comparable. Looks like they went up in price a bit though.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078X1CDQ8/ref=twister_B078X2KX32?_encoding=UTF8&th=1&psc=1

The CAP O-86B retailing at $110 is a very well respected general purpose bar. It will last you a healthy amount of time until you decide to spring for a more expensive Oly or Powerlifting focused bar.

Really, you should play around with it and see how you feel. If you're a crossfitter, see what happens with your WOD times and PRs. I assume you're recording your efforts so you should already have a base.

Go for this book. He's not quite a crossfitter anymore (heh), but to ignore him as a resource would be downright silly.

http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Solution-Original-Human-Diet/dp/0982565844/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313095660&sr=8-1

Also, his podcast is excellent. His most recent one had Mark Sisson and Mat LaLonde. It was REALLY good stuff.

Entry level: https://smile.amazon.com/Tweezerman-Safety-Callus-Shaver-5055-R/dp/B000G62I12

The best (not joking): a rotary tool - i use a cordless dremel. it works by far the best and i recommend one that starts at a low rpm (so you do not burn your hands)

Hello! Meet your new best friends:

Step 1)
When upper layer skin starts to remove itself from lower layer (noticeable skin starts to callus at the palm of your hands/starts turning yellow) use a callus shaver to remove the top layer (dead skin):

http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-Safety-Slide-Callus-Shaver/dp/B000G62I12/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1342067031&sr=1-1&keywords=tweezerman+callus+shaver

Note: Make sure you do not shave live skin.

Step 2)
Remove/smooth out remaining deadskin while taking a nice soothing hot shower with a smoothing pumice stone.

Note: Make sure you do not smooth down to the live skin (white/pink/red).

http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-Callus-Stone/dp/B000U6I6Q4

Step 3) In case of rip; disinfect and use the following for protection of infection and debris during WODS:

http://newskinproducts.com/en/Products/Liquid_Bandage.aspx

WARNING: THIS SHIT BURNS LIKE FUCKING HELL. But it works GREAT!

Shave them with a razor and file. I picked up this tool a while back at Wallgreens. It is quite amazing.

Also, when on the pullup bar I use square cutouts from a yoga mat for grips. They slide on the bar really well, aren't too thick, and really protect your hands.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002P60ZZC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496451469&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=zfosports+weighted+vest&dpPl=1&dpID=519WFXPYhCL&ref=plSrch

I have this vest and love it. Under $80 and the thing is tough. Comes with 40# worth of sand bags that can be adjusted in 5# increments and moved around according to your preference. It's a similar design to the MiR vests with half the cost. Plus if you have Prime free two day shipping.

I'm only a newbie myself, but I would HIGHLY recommend Starting Strength by Rippetoe. I know it's more of a powerlifting book, but he covers Power Cleans & Power Snatches, as well as Deadlifts & Squats. He has tons of cues and coaching tips for all of the movements. I also have Olympic Weightlifting by Everett that I will be reading next.

Save your money and get this: CAP Barbell Olympic Bar, 2-Inch, 1000-Pound Capacity, 7-Feet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001K4OPY2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_4-AExb35MGHCJ. Read the reviews. People like it better than the rogue, which you should know are inherently overpriced due to their partnership with crossfit

http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Lacrosse-Ball-White/dp/B001DCH75A/ref=sr_1_5?s=team-sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1346450597&sr=1-5
x2 = $6

http://www.amazon.com/The-Stick-6628-Marathon/dp/B000P7NWLM/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1346450632&sr=1-1&keywords=the+stick
the stick = $32

http://www.amazon.com/Black-High-Density-Foam-Rollers/dp/B0040NJOA0/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1346450677&sr=1-1&keywords=foam+roller
highest price = $35

that seems like a pretty substantial markup

I bought my black high density foam roller for about $20 on Amazon... You'll feel it plenty if you havent used it before... Lots of great videos online on how to use it. A lacrosse ball would be a nice step up after that.

Edit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0040NJOA0

OH WOW. I should have seen this coming.

The Amazon listing for the ReciproTool Adapter has... quite the list of "customers also purchased..." suggestions.

NSFW: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CNHDR2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&psc=1&linkCode=sl1&tag=a03c8bf3-20&linkId=7d139999a5d1321736a0670020b022a0

Pretty easy read.

http://www.amazon.com/Enter-Zone-Dietary-Road-map/dp/0060391502

Definitely Starting Strength.
Read about it online: http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ
But get the book. Only $22: http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-3rd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0982522738

This thing is the best way to avoid torn hands. Love it — but yeah, you still will rip eventually. The goal is just to minimize it.

I'm brand new to Crossfit. I'm about 9 weeks into some intense metcons and strength training...working with my buddy who is a personal trainer.

He introduced me to a guy named Kelly Starrett. This guy wrote a book called Becoming a Supple Leopard. I read that book and watched a lot of his videos on YouTube. He now has a pay site which is cheap, but I stuck more to the free stuff.

I gotta tell ya, this guy changed my life.

I do his mobilization stuff every day before a workout. And a lot of it on breaks I take when I've been on my computer for too long. It's been a life saver.

Also got a green "monster" band from Rogue fitness to do his stuff....which is worth it's weight in gold to me. Especially for arm and leg mobilization stuff.

I'm about 6 foot 1 and around 220-230 right now and still can't touch my toes...my hamstrings are the worst. But after this past 9 weeks of doing what Starrett says, it's changed everything.

Can't recommend him enough. HOURS of YT stuff and that book is a game changer too. (this being my favorite)

See what ya think of the videos before throwing any money down on this book.

I hope that helps!

I bought this 36 in. full round one on Amazon and it is awesome.
http://www.amazon.com/Black-High-Density-Roller-36-inch-Round/dp/B0040NJOA0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341957533&sr=8-2&keywords=foam+roller

Only $23.19 if you have prime.

I should actually use soccer shin guards! LOL! But I got these instead!

In Fit the authors recommend focusing on one aspect of fitness at a time. They say trainees should focus solely on strength and worry about conditioning/endurance later as it takes a comparatively short period of time to build up.

I'd highly suggest you buy "Becoming a Supple Leopard" from Kstar: http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368219399&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+a+supple+leopard.

His website, MobilityWOD.com has long been a CrossFitter's best friend for all things mobility (soreness, stretching, smashing, etc.). Foam roller is but one of the tools he goes over (although he seems to prefer Lacrosse ball and other more painful methods now).

You could look into the Mobility WOD videos on youtube. The site is paid now. Or you could purchase his book, which is fantastic.

http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588

Thank you. I just ordered those from US Amazon and they arrive tomorrow.

US link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MSW5GW0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Becoming a Supple Leopard is a phenominal book for mobility! It is very dense but can really help any athlete out! I highly recommend it!

The question you asked is unfortunately very hard to answer without knowing the different variables affecting your mobility. For me personally, I have always been very flexible but stretch 5-10 minutes after every workout to keep limber. When trouble hits, I hit the lacrosse ball and if I strain a muscle I let it recover. (Crossfitters work through too many injuries!)

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: Jim Wendlers 5/3/1 book


|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Spain|amazon.es|
|Mexico|amazon.com.mx|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Germany|amazon.de|
|Japan|amazon.co.jp|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Australia|amazon.com.au|
|Italy|amazon.it|




This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

Calluses are protective, but when they get too bulky or raggedy that can tear off easily- once they get to that level I shave them down - check out these tweezermans-
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000G62I12/ref=sxts1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1484638822&sr=1

I use a TweezerMan callous shaver once every couple weeks in addition to using a pair of gymnastic grips during heavy rep pullups or toes to bar. If you need a summary:

1. Moisturize
   
2. Keep your callouses shaved down regularly.
   
3. Use grips when needed for high rep pullups/TTB
   
4. If you do rip, keeping your wound clean but moist the first 3-4 days will prevent additional cracking/drying. I use a strong adhesive bandage with some anti-bacterial ointment. If you don't keep a bandage on it, it will dry out and crack, and the cracks take a long time to finally close up and can be painful.

Becoming a Supple Leopard

http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588

if you're serious about mobility i feel like this is an incredible resource

The standards are fish oil, foam rolling, and making sure you drink a lot of water.

I would check out mobility wod (link up top) or the book Supple Leapord.

If it's truly a brutal workout an ice bath or cold shower isn't a bad idea.

Buy one on amazon for $20, you will probably spend more money on the yoga mat.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-High-Density-Foam-Rollers/dp/B0040NJOA0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381514974&sr=8-1&keywords=high+density+foam+roller

http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-Safety-Slide-Callus-Shaver/dp/B000G62I12/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411489975&sr=8-1&keywords=CALLUS+SHAVER

This has helped with my calluses tearing. If you keep them shaved down it keeps everything even on your hands and wont cause the callus to catch on the bar.
As far as the snatch, maybe work on the second pull starting at mid thigh with an un-hinged hip. Make sure you are power shrugging (on your tip toes) on your high pull, and then drop to a squat on your heels.

Get this book:

Starting Strength

Only book on weightlifting you will ever need.

Get this book Becoming a Supple Leopard
anything and everything for soreness/mobility is in there.

Starting Strength

You should check out this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588

• Jim Wendlers 5/3/1 book. The chapter is called 5/3/1 and Crossfit
  
  
  
• And a TNation Article
  
  Specifically the part:
  
  CrossFit breaks exercises down into three categories:
  
  
• Weight lifting: cleans, push presses, deadlifts, front squats — anything using added resistance.
  
• Gymnastic: dips, pull-ups, push-ups, box jumps — all done with body weight only.
  
• Monostructural: sprinting, skipping, rowing — continuous or intermittent movements that most of us would classify as "cardio."
  
  Next, there are three different workout templates:
  
  
• Singlet: just doing one of the above. Seven sets of deadlifts is an example of a singlet workout.
  
• Couplet: two of the above. Fran, which combines a weight-lifting exercise (thrusters) with a gymnastic exercise (pull-ups), is a couplet workout.
  
• Triplet: all three categories. An example might be a 400-meter run, 21 kettlebell swings, and 12 pull-ups.
  

BASL = Becoming a Supple Leopard, Starrett's book.

Do you maintain your hands at all? I basically haven’t ripped since I started shaving my calluses last year. I use this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000G62I12/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1519525879&sr=8-3&keywords=tweezerman+callus+shaver&dpPl=1&dpID=41BuJBvmEGL&ref=plSrch

1. http://www.mobilitywod.com/
   
   1A. http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410924327&sr=8-1&keywords=supple+leopard

Tweezerman callus shaver - has a razor on one side, rasp on the other. Plus you can buy replacement blades for cheap https://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-Safety-Slide-Callus-Shaver/dp/B000G62I12

Do you shave your calluses immediately after swimming? and do you use this?

Just use tape and shave your calluses with this.

This Shaver has done wonders for me. Shave down your callouses once a week and wear gymnastic grips if you have to

I use this: http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-Safety-Slide-Callus-Shaver/dp/B000G62I12/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1457574935&sr=8-1&keywords=callous+shaver
The thought at first really freaked me out but I don't feel it. I also have a pull up bar at home so I play on that ALL THE TIME so if I don't maintain them I know I'd tear at some point and that freaks me out so much

I shave my callouses every couple of weeks with a shaver similar to one of these. Then stone the left over skin and edges to make it smother, then put some moisturizer on it.

I also have a pair of these to prevent ripping.

File those things down. Its the callus that causes the rip in the first place. Since I started getting rid of mine its a very rare occasion that I have had any problems.

Have you tried just cutting the callouses off? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000G62I12/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 stopped my rips

It appears that dead tree format is your only choice currently.

https://kindle.amazon.com/work/becoming-supple-leopard-preventing-performance/B008QW27R8/1936608588