#057: How to Learn Any CrossFit Skill: From Handstands to Double Unders

A1. Elevated Cat Pose (3 x 15-20s) be very active with upper back, abs on w/ ribcage down
A2. L-Sit Plate Overhead Hold (3 x 15-20s) light plate
*focus on a fully open armpit

B. Weight Shifts (2 x 8-10 / side)

C. Shoulder Taps (2 x 8-10 / side)

D. HSW Attempts (8-10 Total Attempts) full rest b/w

E. Offset Handstand Static Hold (3 x 15-20s / side)

F1. Elevated Cat Pose (2 x 1:00)
F2. Dip Stretch (2 x 1:00)

Week 5, Day 1

A. Handstand Static Hold on Wall (Accumulate 2:00)
*this is prep work, not maximal holds
*alternate facing towards & away from the wall

B. Lateral Wall Walk (2 Sets) 5-10ft one way, then return to starting place

D. HS Kick-Up + Forward Hold (4-5 singles) rest as needed

E. Cartwheel Progression (5:00 Clock) full rest after each
*make attempts on a semi-circle
*ideally, work leading with both sides, not just dominant

F. Handstand Walk Attempts (5:00 Clock) full rest after each

G. T-Spine Opener (2:00)

Principle 1: Intention & Focus

Not everyone can be given the same prescription and have the same result.
Jeff Baltimore

Two people can do the same program (drills, sets, reps), but if one is highly-focused, indistractable, and another is talking with their friend, checking their phone or is mentally checked out, the rate of skill acquisition will be vastly different.

Focus & intent practice is the foundation that has to be present for the other principles to have maximal effectiveness.

Principle 2: Making Errors

“I never lose. I either win or I learn.”
Nelson Mandela

Failure is a necessary part of the learning process.

We often try to avoid making errors when learning new skills, but we need to embrace them as being critical to the learning process.

In fact, making errors is critical for correct recognition of skills-related components.

The athletes with the greatest skill have the greatest ability to detect rep-to-rep inconsistencies.

Principle 3: UnFatigued Practice

When learning a new skill, it is easy to want to rush into making another attempt.

You have to be disciplined to wait and make sure you are fully rested before making another attempt.

The goal is to have the highest probability of success in each attempt of a new skill that you make, and when the skill involves a full body sporting endeavor, it’s especially important to be completely unfatigued when doing practice.

Double Under Skill Sessions

Avatar A

Unable to complete more than a few DUs
Timing and coordination are inconsistent
Bounding tolerance is not a problem
Perform this type of session 3-4 days / week

Tabata Single Unders
(x8: 20s Work, 10s Rest)
+
A1. Speed Steps (2 x 30)
A2. Pogo Hops (2 x 20)

B1. Penguin Hops (3 x 15)
B2. Double Down Drill (3 x 15)

C. EMOM 10: 25s of Double Under Attempts
*rest the remainder of the minute

Avatar B

Moderately Consistent when Unfatigued
Poor body lines (pikes & hands come out)
Unable to perform consistently in workouts
Perform this type of session 2-3 days / week

A. Single Unders (1 x 200)

B1. Penguin Hops (8 x 8)
*focus on punching the feet into the floor for a quick rebound and then staying tall and relaxed while letting the leg “hang in the air”
*perform these at your Double Under height
B2. Double Unders (8 x 15-20)
*focus again on letting the legs hang, mimicking the Penguin Hops

C. Double Unders in Corridor (6 x 15-20)
*start with the boxes wide and only move them in as you can successfully get through all the reps

Avatar C

Consistently can hit sets of 25-50 Unfatigued
Skill is not fatigue resistant (frequent trips)
Unable to perform consistently in workouts
Perform this type of session 2 days / week

5 Continuous Rounds
-20 Speed Steps
-20 Single Unders
+
x3-5: Rope Accelerations across 15-25 reps
+
10-12 Sets:
-8 Calorie AirBike*
-20 Double Unders
*start at a relaxed pace and increase only if you are performing your sets of double unders unbroken
*rest until 8/10 recovery b/w rounds

Listen Now: #010: Double Under Development

Learn More

Principle 4: Frequency & Duration

Frequency

• Most powerful for learning to learn a highly coordinated skill

• A Coordinated skill is one where timing places a more important role than strength or speed (e.g. snatch more frequently than you deadlift)

• 3 days per week as a minimum effective frequency is a good starting place for most skills in CrossFit

Duration

• Long enough to get into deep practice

• It takes time to get warm, focused and in the rhythm of practice

• Push past initial fatigue & frustration

• Stop before you are overcome by fatigue or frustration

• Stop before your physical structures are compromised (sore calves, cranky shoulders, etc.)

Principle 5: Isolation vs. Integration

When first learning a movement and you are not consistent, make every attempt unfatigued and with as little complexity as possible (aka. In isolation)

Isolation Example
EMOM 10: 25s of Double Under Attempts

Integration Example
E2M x 6 Sets:
-6 Snatch 95/65lb
-6 Bar-Facing Burpees
-Max DU, Until 1:00 Mark

Ring Muscle-Up Skill Sessions

Avatar

CrossFit athlete in the 80% Percentile in the Open
Has never completed a successful RMU
Has the pre-requisite strength to handle 2x week kipping/swinging work.
Has 12+ strict bar pullups and 10+ strict ring dips with full ROM.
Has had minimal time on the rings

A1. Low Ring Transitions; Neutral Grip (3 x 5)
A2. Deep Ring Dip (3 x 2)

B. Butt-Banded RMU (3 x 3)

C. Jumping RMU (4 x 2)

D. Ring Beat Kips (3 x 6)

E. Cast Swing + Hips-to-Rings (6-8 Singles) Rest 90s

Principle 6: Whole vs. Part Learning

Actual Movement > Drill

If possible, build reps doing the actual movement…

Every 75s x 12: 1 RMU

If not possible, use techniques that mimic the movement closely…

E90s x 4-6: Partner-Spotted RMU

(or)

Butt-Banded RMU (5 x 2-3)

(or)

RMU Turnovers* (5 x 2-3)
*with the Feet out in front & elevated

Principle 7: Principle of Transfer

Principle of Transfer: the more identical two tasks are the more carryover is likely to take place

• If you learn to HSH you will be more likely to HSW

• If you learn to BMU, you will be more likely to RMU

Principle 8: Critical Systems for Success

There are key systems for success in learning any movement

Ring Muscle-Up

Strict pulling strength
Ring Stability & Pressing Strength
ROM: Shoulder Flexion (overhead in arch) & Extension (bottom of dip)
Tolerance of kipping movements (cuff strength & resiliency)

Double Unders

Athlete A

• springy, resilient, well-rested, ex-field sport athlete learning DUs → can handle high frequency, longer blocks

Athlete B

• non-elastic, slow to recover, underfed and over-trained athlete → can handle less frequency & duration

Barbell Cycling Skill Sessions

Avatar

Well rounded, experienced CrossFit athlete (top 2% of the Open)
Technique is the full lifts is consistent & sound
Foundation phase of Competition Prep
This sessions are just one piece of a larger session
Progression in alinear in nature for varied exposures
Snatch 1RM = 255 | C&J 1RM = 315

Principle 9: Variable vs. Blocked Practice

Blocked Practice: the same structure & pattern is completed repeatedly before moving to the next

Squat Snatch (5 x 3) 75% – drop & reset
Squat Clean & Split Jerk (7 x 2) 78% – drop & reset

• Week 2 is the exercises, the same order, maybe a touch heavier

Variable (random) Practice: training schedule that includes frequent changes of task so that the performer is constantly confronting novel instantiations of the to-be-learned skill

skills change frequently to mimic a “real life environment”

• e.g. Rather than dribbling a basketball, then throwing free throws, then doing jump shots, it is scrimmaging
• e.g. CrossFit the way it is tested

Listen Now: #033: Variety & Structure in Programming CrossFit

Sample Session 1:

[At 0:00] 30s Max Squat Snatch 95lb
[At 3:00] 30s Max Squat Cleans 135lb
[At 6:00] 30s Max Squat Snatch 135lb
[At 10:00] 30s Max Squat Clean 185lb
[At 14:00] 30s Max Squat Snatch 185lb
[At 18:00] 30s Max Squat Clean 225lb

Sample Session 2:

[0:00-10:00]
Build to 4RM TnG Push Jerk
+
[13:00-23:00]
EMOM 10
1) 10 Power Snatch 95 + 10 Bar-Facing Burpee
2) 45s Row @ Recovery Pace
+
[At 26:00]
For Time: 20 Squat Clean Thrusters 155lb

Principle 10: Feedback Loop Length

The longer the feedback loop the slower the improvement

• Hours to Days: sending video to a remote coach for feedback
• Minutes: filming yourself and comparing to a demo video
• Seconds: a coach telling you a cue
• Fractions of a Second: you being able to feel micro-errors and self-correct

Aim for multiple types of feedback and prioritize your intrinsic abilities for detect changes in your movement and develop “feel”

Summary: 10 Principles of Motor Learning

Intention & Focus
Making Errors
UnFatigued Practice
Frequency vs. Duration
Isolation vs. Integration
Whole vs. Part Learning
Principle of Transfer
Critical Systems for Success
Variable vs. blocked practice
Feedback Loop Length

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