So I realized about two weeks after starting CrossFit that, sadly, recording and maintaining a workout of the day journal just wasn’t going to happen for me. (Yes, I realize that makes me a terrible CrossFitter, I’m sorry! But I’ve got a whole list of excuses, which may be it’s worth it’s own post some day.) However, I’ve wanted to keep some sort of journal to help remind me of what I’ve been doing. I just haven’t been able to figure out exactly what how that would work. Well I’ve decided to stop thinking about doing something and, you know, actually start doing something. So we’ll see what happens. Here’s my first attempt at a weekly entry about something I learned:
Thursday’s workout included something new and a visit from an old friend. The something new was the squat snatch. The old friend was an unexpected visit from my goat. Sadly, the squat snatch is not my goat. It would be, I think, a noble goat to have. It’s a complicated move, combining a complex maneuver with precision timing and balance. Unfortunately (for me), it also happens end up in a glorified overhead squat.
And the overhead squat is most definitely my goat. Which is odd, because I love back squats (and don’t have anything against front squats, either). But nothing about the overhead squat is fun. Something about holding a bar above my head throws everything else completely out of whack. I don’t know if it my general lack of flexibility, my freakishly weak wrists, or something else completely. I’ve been trying to target my shoulders by doing extra PVC pipe stretches and handstands before class, but any attempt to squat with anything more than a PVC pipe above my head is still a recipe for disaster (or at the very least, a cause for concern).
When I first started in January, I thought that pull-ups were my goat. Even using the thickest band I quickly tired to the point of exhaustion after just a handful of pull-ups. I felt helpless. But then I discovered the wonders of the kipping pull-up and now I love doing pull-ups. Sure I can still only do ten or so at a time, but they’re fun! And even if I’m exhausted I can still string five or so in a row.
That gives me a faint glimmer of hope for my overhead squats. Maybe next week I’ll discover some trick that’ll sort everything out. Sadly, I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen that easily. Instead, I think I just need to buckle down and embrace the goat. It’s a challenge, for sure. But the greater the challenge, the greater the reward, right? If that’s the case then I can look forward to a obscenely large reward, some day in the (very distant) future.
Actually, I feel better about overhead squats already. I think I’m ready to go at it right now. Maybe all I needed was a pep talk. But do me a favor and please don’t ask me how I feel about them the next time you see me sitting on medicine ball, bar overhead, trying to figure out how I’m going to stand back up.
So how about you? What’s your goat? Have you ever overcome a goat? How? (Also, any tips for overhead squats? 
)
Colin
I usually try to focus on one thing but had a bit too much extra time and energy before class last week. Getting back to the basics this week, though! As for the issues I’m having, I’m not even sure if I can narrow it down to one thing. Some times I feel like I’m losing the bar forwards. Sometimes I lose it backwards. Sometimes my arms give out, even though there isn’t much weight up there. The bottom line, I’m sure, is that my technique needs help.
