Back to the Basics – part 1

by Coach Chris

So you’re starting to get pretty good at this CrossFit thing… now you want to try more complex movements or move really heavy things.

But how good are you with the PVC pipe?

If I were to give you somewhere between $1 and $1 million dollars for demonstrating the best overhead squat in the world, how much would you earn and would you earn it consistently?

In Greg Glassman’s Open Letter to CrossFit Trainers, he writes.

“There is a compelling tendency among novices developing any skill or art, whether learning to play the violin, write poetry, or compete in gymnastics, to quickly move past the fundamentals and on to more elaborate, more sophisticated movements, skills, or techniques. This compulsion is the novice’s curse—the rush to originality and risk.”

So how often do we go back and work on our overhead squat? Maybe we think it’s good, so we get complacent and we jump straight to the barbell every time. Maybe, just maybe we should work with the PVC a little bit more.

Some people say “I need a barbell to help get me in position!” Full disclosure: I have definitely been one of those people. And while my mobility is easily my limiting factor in many things, I also recognize that the ultimate goal is to move exactly the same whether you have a PVC pipe, empty barbell, or loaded barbell in your hands.

So, is your overhead squat a $1 or a $1 million dollar movement?

Let’s build $1 million dollar squats.

Check out these links to see impeccable form. We rarely say perfect, so let’s call these “virtuous” squats:

AIR SQUAT


FRONT SQUAT


BACK SQUAT


OVERHEAD SQUAT

Start here

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