Prepare for Haterade. I saw this picture and couldn’t help but comment. First off, I don’t know the athletes, I don’t know the people responsible for programming this; I am sure they are good people and yes I know coaches/people make mistakes and hopefully they would like to learn from them.
The words aren’t coming, the incredible idiotic nature of this image has put my brain on hold. Here were a few thoughts I was able to put together
- Who? What the hell?
- I feel like her thought bubble is a screaming Nancy Carrigan, “Why me?!?!?”.
- Constantly varied, functional human neck holds at high stupidity!
- Embarrassing to the athletes, check, embarrassing to the event, check, embarrassing to CrossFit, check, stupid intense, check!
- This actually looks like good training for Texas high school girls to prepare for homecoming and the recent trend of garguntuan mums.
- “Cock that neck to the side, perfect lock out!”
Haterade aside, I did want to take this moment to provide a teachable moment. Today in class Geoff asked me what we were working with a particular dynamic warm up movement. Geoff likes to talk and give me a hard time so I said “Just do what I say” (I am Dear BOLT Leader, how dare you question me!). Of course I was being tongue and cheek, but my comment couldn’t be more off base. I want athletes with brains, big ass brains that sometimes piss me off with questions. You are here to learn, I am here to teach, so ask away! I do hope I have built enough trust that you listen and are receptive to my coaching. I want you to trust me so much that if I tell you to run through a brick wall you will do it knowing that I must of sprinkled some magic CrossFit dust on you and the brick wall no longer stands a chance.
In all seriousness, if you ever feel like we are doing something that is excessively dangerous and/or great risk to your health , CALL ME OUT! I can be wrong, and I will never hold it against you. Of course I am going to push to make you better, but it is your body. And Chris D I don’t want an essay on the dangers of burpees!
Lastly, many of us are about to compete in the Team Scream Comp this week. If I see something that is utterly stupid, like Overhead Squats on a pumpkin, which is actually your partners head who is dressed up as the headless horseman, riding a horse. I am going to tell you, NO! For those of you I am teammates with, I will DNF before I dress up as pull up bar and support you on my neck as you do ring push ups….especially you Courtney.
Rant over. Thoughts?
Haha i laughed out loud a lot at this post.. I saw that picture earlier today, and thought to myself.. how embarrassing to Crossfit. That is actually becca voigt, a top 10 CF games finisher. There are already tons of CF haters out there and this just makes us look bad. I’m not sure what they were thinking, but how can you possibly think that is safe or effective.
Oh, I was planning to do NSRPUs (neck supported ring push ups) as a warm up for BOLT kids this week. I may be misunderstanding your post but it looks like you’re saying this is NOT a good exercise? I’ll defer to your judgement on this but I was looking forward to throwing a little “threat of paralysis” into the mix in order to jazz things up a bit. Looks like as long as you shoot that leg out on to the side you should be good to go.
haha, “threat of paralysis” now that is intense. I am sorry my programming is so subpar
Thank goodness Matt’s not a coach that would actually endorse NSRPU’s, (thank you Karen) or anything that stupid. I appreciate your coaching style and discipline and while some of the exercises aren’t comfortable (mammogram) I always strive to do my best! Thanks for keeping it real and safe Coach. And Geoff, I’ll bring the pumpkin.
Dear Bolt Leader, i expect every morale boosting talk to go something like this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbaKze622Kg
Especially before pumpkin neck ring support up pushes…
This post made me laugh!!! In all seriousness, though, I couldn’t be more thankful for such an awesome coach! When I tell people about Bolt, I always comment on how much I respect you and your coaching, Matt! Most of us probably would run through a brick wall if you asked! Geoff-Tjat must have been the other Ash you were referring to, right??
This post was a perfect way to start my morning. Josh and I laughed at that picture for about 5 mins before we read all of your thoughts (our coworkers are probably wondering what the heck is wrong with us). Great commentary Matt! I am a little under 4 months in my immersion into CF and Bolt. I couldn’t have imagined it going any better. Along with the physical improvements (35# lost and waist down 6″), Bolt has been a blessing mentally. I appreciate how accepting everyone at the “Box” (#Geoff) has been and even more appreciative of your coaching, Matt! Thanks to all!
Normally, I’m a silent blog follower, but I can’t stay quiet on this one. Well said, Matt! When I saw this pic and another similar one yesterday, I just about vomited. No joke, I was shocked and then annoyed and then just about angry for what they were doing. How unsafe! How ridiculous! How dumb! OMG, CFHQ, how many reasons are you going to give for people to continue to say that CF is unsafe?! Really?! Wow. Then I thought “why not let them… That’ll keep me in business (sadly) and thank goodness Dear Bolt Leader Matt won’t program stupidity like that!” So the moral of my story is that if one decides to do NRRPUs, keep my card handy, please!
Especially if its Matt or my husband doing push-ups on those rings you’re holding!
Matt, I think you hit the nail on the head. Trust is the key in the coach/athlete relationship. I’ve seen it as a coach for the girls lacrosse team, and now I’ve been blessed to be on the other side with you and Cass as coaches. The way you guys handled my return from hernia surgery was the icing on the the cake. You pushed me but also made me pull back on certain things while I was recovering. As a result, I’m 3 weeks post-op and am back to where I was before surgery. I can’t thank you guys enough. Like Geoff said, so many of us have had our lives transformed as a result of BOLT. Regardless of ass-clownery going on in the CrossFit world, I know we are in the best of hands.
The questioning Matt reminds me of my “spine flexibility” bench press haha. Matt I wonder if you saw the mainsite picture a couple of weeks ago of the athlete doing an overhead pistol while standing on a kettle bell handle, and if you saw it what was your opinion on it??
If you are training for a circus. Nothing wrong with trying some stupid human tricks from time to time. Just realize they can be dangerous and shouldn’t be in a ‘for time’ competition setting. Notice how we don’t do TGUs for time. Also, good movements like DL, clean, snatch can all be performed in a way that it becomes unnecessarily risky to continue at that weight or for time.
Matt, would it be okay if I tried doing HSPU’s today while balancing a 53lb. KB on the sole of each foot? Just wondering.
Only if it is for time and you have someone balancing on top of the KBs on your feet also doing HSPU. More work/Less time = more POWER!! I kid, I kid
Jason – we actually tried to get Cass to do a version of that this morning, except it was handstand walks with a kettle bell dangling from each foot. She said no.
Green shirt guy has an awesome goatee! They should have him hang plates from it and do weighted pull ups
I’m a week behind, but this post was awesome. Well said Matt, and thank you for all you do! You’ve made us all so much better, as athletes, we have a great Bolt Fam!
Me? Give you a hard time? Never! In all seriousness and I hope everyone knows this, I have the deepest respect for Matt and the other coaches at Bolt. The “box” (I’ll call it my church) has been the biggest blessing I could ever ask for! It’s amazing how God graces you with good people that actually care for you. When I chat with folks about Bolt I usually tell them the bible verse “as iron sharpens iron, so one man (or woman) sharpens another”. If nothing else that’s what I feel we do, as a team. Yes we have a leader (and a damn good one) but we are part of a larger body that looks out for one another. I feel my job is to give you something to laugh at…sometimes I’m good…sometimes everyone rolls their eyes (ash). Just know this is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time…and I’ll continue to give Matt a hard time…can’t have your head get TOO big! Best of luck at team scream…I’ll be there with the bear cheering…maybe standing on a pumpkin