Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.
― Theodore Roosevelt
So yesterday I posted a video of a snatch fail in which I have a very intimate meeting with the platform, and boy did it get some back lash. Among the many things I heard the best were:
“That is so dangerous” (Ya, and diabetes and lethargy are a great alternative)
“Did it hurt” (Actually, it felt fantastic and I hope to do it every single day)
“What an idiot”
“That is why I don’t do stuff like that” (Sure, that is the reason you don’t do stuff like that….)
I expected backlash, hell, I expect to see myself put into some idiots Crossfit fail video. However, the real reason I posted the video was for all of the athletes I train.
Weightlifting is hard. Weightlifting requires power, speed, coordination, timing, flexibility, and strength all within a 3 second lift. It is not an easy sport to get into to and the learning curve is insane, but this is what I teach. I go to the gym and coach individuals that want to learn how to do something they have never done before, how to push their body to the limits, how to put their body weight or more over their head in less than 3 seconds, and I coach them hard.
I expect a lot out of the athletes I train. I expect them to listen, to perform mobility outside of the gym, and to do the lifts right. As you can imagine, there are more than a few of these athletes that want to punch me in the face on any given day. They are frustrated. They are tired. They are sore. Sure, as a coach you give out praise every now and again, but for the most part (especially with athletes that have been with you for a while) you give out cues and corrections. You sit there and say “again”, “keep it close”, “faster”, “be intentional”. What I’m saying is that for them, it is nice to see that even the person yelling at them six days a week is still looking to improve. I get frustrated. I am tired. I am sore. Hell, I fail A LOT. But when all is said and done, it is not the failure that makes you, it is what you do after you fail. Do you bitch and moan about how dangerous your sport is? Do you feel sorry for yourself? Or do you get up, finish your training day, and feel grateful that you are even able to do the things you can do?
So think about why you do what you do. Would a small mishap make you stop? Would it make you rethink your sport? Or would a small mishap push you to want it even more?
That being said, lets check out some fixes for your wrist issues:
As you can see above, and if you are unfamiliar with human anatomy, there is not a whole lot of musculature down in the hand and wrist area. For the most part, everything that flexes and extends your wrist is located in your forearm area. So, when sitting at a desk for multiple hours a day with your hands propped up on a keyboard, you can develop some issues that might transfer over into your after work training days. Below are a couple of ways I help to warm up my wrist before, during, and after my Weightlifting sessions in order to better maintain my front rack position and help with my overhead stability.
Wrist Circles:
Wrist circles are a pretty easy, great way to start to warm-up before lifting. Interlace the fingers and rotate in a figure 8 style pattern. I usually do about 15-20 rotations one way and then 15-20 rotations the opposite way.
Prayer:
As simple as it sounds. Start by placing the palms of your hands together at chest level. Slowly lower your hands toward your abdomen, making sure to keep your palms together. Once you reach a spot where your hands start to drift apart, hold for 15-20 seconds and then come out of the stretch. I tend to do this 3-4 times in order to get my wrist into the extension I need for the front rack position.
Other options:
After your workout, these poses are great for some additional ROM training. Notice that she places her wrist in three different positions, and leans toward the direction of her pointed fingers. Hold for 20 seconds on and relax for 20 seconds, moving through this 3-4 times in each position.
Short and sweet today, make sure and add a couple of these into your everyday routine and enjoy the benefits!
Sign-ups are live for the Super Total Lift-Off so make sure and go check it out at our Facebook Page. This event is for everyone of all levels (beginning lifters to expert lifters) and should prove to be a very fun, exciting atmosphere!
PURE HEALTH PERFORMANCE 