A couple of us were talking about shoes one day after Jen strutted in with her new Reebok Reeflex shoes. It made me start to think a bit about all the shoes I’ve either worn or encountered in different CrossFit Boxes over the years. I have seen everything from Chuck Taylors to Vibram Five Fingers. Each shoe is beneficial in its own way as you put it through different exercises depending on the WOD. A shoe with a flat sole, such as Adidas’ Samba or the classic Chuck T’s, is great for workouts involving olympic or powerlifting and even wall balls. Olympic lifting shoes are great as well for these types of movements because they form a greater base of support and prop the heel up slightly from the naturally flat position. This enables one to arrive in a more ideal position (line of action) for squats and cleans. For everything else, I prefer shoes that are as minimal as possible. I went through a Five Finger phase when I was still big into running because I loved the feel of the ground against my feet. This transfered into the CrossFit gym for a while until I realized how big of a pain in the ass they are to do double unders in. Minimal shoes such as the New Balance Minimus (my favorite) and Inov8’s are great for those looking for slightly more support but still want the proprioceptive advantage that less padding gives you. Reebok is one of the first big companies to really take advantage of these ideas and make an all around CrossFit specific shoe. I encourage you all to try all the different types and see which ones suit you best. Watch the video below for a comparison between athletic and olympic lifting shoes.

watch?v=TrJfOi5rnlU&feature

A note on hand health from our friends at Westlake CrossFit in Austin, TX…

Just because we do CrossFit does that mean we have to be bad-asses to the bone? Should we keep going while blood is dripping down our arms?  I dare to say no.  Maybe in competition this is an acceptable level of tissue abuse, but on a day-to-day basis, it is unnecessarily crippling.  Not mention it inhibits one’s ability to train as hard as they could have.  So what is the solution?

Hand care 101:

Step one:  Get a Foot razor and a pumice at your local drug store (target is the cheapest we’ve found).

Step two:  When in the shower, first shave the callouses on your hands gently.  No need to do this for time folks, be careful not to over do it.

Step three:  Use soap and a pumice to smooth them out.

Step four:  Have nice and smooth hands that rip less and interrupt training less.

No excuses, take care of your hands.  If your hands are still excessively tender, consider buying gymnastics straps.  We do not recommend any other type of glove as they can cause a loss of grip the the bar.

Event: This Friday we will be heading up to Molly Maguires on the corner of Live Oak and Skillman Ave. for some food and drinks around 7:45 (after the 6:30pm workout). Please feel free to bring whoever you want! They have a paleo friendly menu as well as great drink choices. See everyone there!

What is CrossFit?

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”
– Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Event: This Friday we will be heading up to Molly Maguires on the corner of Live Oak and Skillman Ave. for some food and drinks around 7:45 (after the 6:30pm workout). Please feel free to bring whoever you want! They have a paleo friendly menu as well as great drink choices. See everyone there!

Also, the CrossFit games part II will be on ESPN 2 tonight from 7-9pm. Check it out!