9/21/12
Strength
Overhead Squat
15:00 to establish a 3RM

WOD
4 rounds of:
with a 2:00 clock
400m run
max walking lunges
2:00 rest

Ah, overhead squat. If there is one thing universally hated during ramp-up, it's this movement. It requires head to toe flexibility. There's really nowhere to hide on this one. Ankle and shoulder flexibility play a huge role in being one of the people who LOVE this movement, or one of the people who struggle with just an empty bar. One of the most impressive overhead squatters is Nicole Carrol of CrossFit HQ. She's kind of like an ant. She is teeny tiny, but super strong. She can overhead squat her BODY WEIGHT 15 times. Amazing!

If you're looking for an at-home flexibility test, start with these two movements:

1 - Stand with feet hip width apart. Lock down your core. Can you raise your arms into a good overhead position (elbows locked out) without breaking your tight core? Check out this picture. Guy on the left does NOT have tight shoulders. Guy on the right has a little work to do. See how his ribs are raising up and his arms are bent? That's a FAIL. You got tight shoulders, bro.

2 - Stand with your toes pointing towards the wall, about 2 inches away from the wall. Without raising your heel off the floor, can you bend at the ankle and get your knee to touch the wall? How about with your toes 3" away? 4" away? If you can't keep your heel on the ground with at least 2" of space between your piggy toes and the wall, you got tight ankles, bro.

If you need further help assessing where you are inflexible, ask any one of our coaches. They're geniuses. They'll help you find your tight spots. Once the problem is diagnosed, it will be your job to work mobility for ten minutes EVERY DAY on this area. Yep. That's right. Every day. It will be a small price to pay for having an amazing overhead squat some day.