Q & A from Jamo’s Experience on Gymnastics

What were your reasons for designing the 6 week Gymnastics Specialty Course?

  • Gymnastics taught me how to use my body
    • I had absolutely no core strength
      • I was living in pain competing and my default was Spinal Overextension
        • This is a simple motor control problem
        • I didn’t fix this until AFTER I finished competing
          • I competed, in one form or another, from 2003-2015
          • All that potential!
          • I don’t want others to make the same mistakes…
            • Ignore = Ignorance
  • It made me more aware in all movements
    • I did this experiment in 2016 where all I did was gymnastics and nothing else…
      • I was physically prepared for the Open but not mentally
      • I tested my fitness and it worked
        • The year before I couldn’t finish the infamous 55’s
        • A year later, I finished 55s + some Deads
    • Presently, I’m on my 9th week returning to CrossFit
      • I’m a completely different performer (same person 🙂 )
        • Down from 190s to 180s (what I call my ‘fight weight’)
        • Stronger, Faster, Better
          • NOTE: Jay’s Program is LEGIT so don’t skip the WOD
          • DO THE WOD
          • Do gymnastics for accessories
    • Gymnastics taught me more about myself than other things
      • The kip is Speed-Strength
        • It builds Endurance – not strength
      • The Strict Pull-up… The Strict Handstand Push-up…..isn’t what you think…
  • You build far more strength from NOT moving than moving
          • Static over time is what builds insane strength
            • The muscles fatigue and are forced to demand reinforcements
            • Static holds test you more than moving
              • Kinetic Energy is FUN
              • Hanging Out in a position is HARD
              • Hard PAYS the big bucks for performance
    • It taught me to be HUMBLE and scale WAY back
      • I couldn’t perform the RING ROWS and I was wondering WHY
      • I used kipping for EVERYTHING
      • I didn’t know, literally could not understand how this was happening
        • Now I understand the truth – I skipped steps
        • I skipped SO MANY STEPS
        • So I returned to the beginning…this time with more awareness
          • Recently, I stopped Butterfly Kipping
          • Interestingly enough, I FEEL INCREDIBLE
          • Be careful what you do for Form Affects Function
    • It taught me I had MANY misconceptions about every exercise I was doing.
      • I had no idea that my eyes should be looking at something consistently
      • I had no idea that my feet were supposed to be together for anything gymnastics
      • I had no idea I was the source of my knee pain, elbow pain, wrist pain and oh, so not fun back pain
      • I had no idea what I was doing in every WOD…FOR A DECADE of CrossFit…I had no idea what I was doing
    • If the body is strong then everything else is much more efficient.
      • I thought I would lose strength if I stopped lifting
        • I gained 2 pounds of muscle mass (I liked to think a pound on each shoulder 🙂 )
        • I got STRONGER
        • I felt BETTER
        • The pain just seemed to disappear
      • Mentally I felt and feel much more confident
  • I WANT TO SHARE THIS AWESOMENESS
    • Just make it more efficient
      • Utilize my college studies
      • Utilize my 2 years of hands on experience in gymnastics strength focus
      • Utilize Exercise Science and exploit adaptation principles
    • Make if FUN
      • My program was hardcore
      • This program is more funcore
        • Save the hardcore for the WOD 😉

What type of athlete would you recommend this program to?

  • EVERYONE
    • Are you a human? YUP
    • Learn your body
      • Ever watch someone just ‘go for a run’?
      • Ever just try to ‘figure it out’?
    • Sweat the small stuff!
    • We have Foundations for CrossFit
    • This is like Foundations for Gymnastics 😀
      • Gymnastics just means literally YOU and your body

What is the biggest thing you’ve learned?

  • Form affects function… I thought I knew….now I’m a lot more appreciative for the ‘little things’
  • The body is AMAZING (REALLY)
    • Self-healing what I thought were permanent injuries
    • GET MENTALLY TOUGHER
  • Don’t neglect seemingly ‘silly’ exercises
  • Range of motion increases with Full Range of Motion Exercises
  • Twice a week is plenty for positive gymnastics adaptations
  • Motor Control fixes take 4-6 weeks
  • Injuries to ligaments and their adaptation takes 6-7 months (200-230 days)
  • Milk the steps/progressions for ALL THEIR WORTH
    • Fight the ego – if you’re still benefiting from rows – DO ROWS
    • Don’t borrow progress – stay the path
    • Progress – Not Perfection
      • Gymnastics are compact for a reason
      • I’m NOT
      • Effort and progress is measured in millimeters NOT reps

How has what you’ve learned in the program affected your performance in the regular classes/WODs?

  • 9 weeks in and I literally don’t know who’s driving this beast of a machine…I feel like a new person (I’m 31 and I feel better than I ever have…except maybe 15…;) )
  • I remember having to rest so much more in workouts
  • Not a lot makes sense but I’m getting stronger, faster and improving and:
    • Doing less training than I’ve EVER done
    • Much more aware during workouts
    • The little voice is constantly searching for technique fixes to increase efficiency
    • The clock matters less and less
    • The barbell feels BETTER (I really don’t understand this – I lift less than EVER now)
    • RECOVERY is INSANE – I feel amazing
    • I remember things hurting so much more…now it feels good…
    • And it’s all because I listened to a Tim Ferriss Podcast….

I’m just trying to pay it forward and help others to just focus on the 20% that makes up the rest of the 80%…leave the exploring rift raft to the past 😉

Let’s play July 17th!

Click here if you’re more interested in finding out more 🙂

 

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