One of the most emphasized aspects of artistic gymnastics is also one of the most widely overlooked in competitive fitness gymnastics. We’re talking about static body positioning.

In gymnastics, there are descriptive terms for a variety of common positions of the core, arms and legs including: arch, hollow, tuck, pike, straddle, stalder, lunge, ‘puck’, ‘cowboy’, blocked out, lever, planche, plank, pressed out, etc.

All of these terms and innumerable other variations are combined to create common body positions. These positions form the building blocks of gymnastics skills and successful manipulation of the body in space.

Common Positions Trained in Fitness Gymnastics

These positions should be recognized

1. At the start of a skill
2. When your body moves through them in the middle of a skill
3. At the end of a skill

For example, a strict muscle-up starts in a false grip hollow hang, moves through the bottom of a dip (deep ring support), and ends up in a straight arm ring support.

The parallette ‘shoot-through’ starts in a plank, passes through a planche and tuck support, and then ends up in a reverse plank.

A handstand push-up starts in a hollow body handstand, moves into a headstand, and then back into a hollow body handstand.

A kipping toes-to-bar starts in an arch, moves through a hollow into a pike (and lever pull), and then goes back down. We could go on and on.

Why Work Static Positioning?

We work static positioning for two reasons.

First, if you want to be able to get through gymnastics movements effectively, you need to recognize when your body is in each of these positions.

In this way, you learn new skills faster and can modify movements more effectively. I.e. your coach says “tuck tighter” or “get hollow” or “press-out” and your body says, “I know what that feels like so that’s easy.”

Second, you need to be strong in those positions.

If you are not aware of what the position feels like and do not have the muscle memory and local muscle endurance to hold the position, then you will find yourself unstable.

Subsequently, you will either fall out and fail or you will use way too much accessory and unnecessary muscle movement to complete these skills.

How We Effectively Train Static Positioning

First off, you must identify your common positions. In our Brute Gymnastics Program, our athletes spend a lot of time getting into the basic positions on all apparatus commonly used in CrossFit including rings, bar, parallettes, and floor.

We hold recognized positions that are in the beginning, middle and end of our tested movements including deep ring support, ring support, false grip hang, handstand, headstand, bar lever, bar pike, parallete L sit/tuck sit, hollow/arch hold on floor, hollow/arch hold on bar etc.

Our hold and rest times vary and increase incrementally with athlete growth and progress. And we get very, very good results. You can learn more about this in our FREE Gymnastics Video Series.

We haven’t invented anything new, we are simply big believers in implementing tried and true practices that have stood the test of time, and are known to work in gymnastics training.

The second thing that we do is hold with virtuosity.

If we are taking an L-sit for example, our athletes may be able to hold longer with sloppy form (shrugged shoulders, bent legs, letting the triceps relax so the hips fall back), but we prefer good artistic gymnastics form (pushed out shoulders, straight legs, pushing out through the triceps to keep the hips forward).

You’ll notice in our featured image, that our athlete, Brooke, is demonstrating a perfect example of that virtuous active position.

The reason we train for virtuosity in static positions is the same reason you train to front squat more than you can squat clean.

You want to train to be stronger than required for your goals. If you can hold an L-sit for one minute with the proper form, then holding in a more relaxed position during competition is cake. Furthermore, the shoulder, tricep, and core strength you develop training for virtuosity will transfer over to many more endeavors.

How You Can Use Static Strength to Finally Get Your First Ring Muscle-Up or PR Your 30 Muscle-Ups For Time

With competition season gearing back up, some of you may be dreading the inevitable “Ring Muscle-Up Open Workout.”

We see it time and time again. Athletes wait until the last minute to dial in or acquire a skill like the ring muscle-up and wonder why they walk away disappointed with their performance.

This movement not only requires a substantial amount of skill development but even more requisite strength.

And guess what…strength takes time to develop.

Luckily for you, we’ve got the most comprehensive Ring Muscle-Up Program on web.

This Ebook includes plenty of static strength progressions to build rock-solid positioning for beautiful and efficient muscle-ups.

Avoid waiting until the last minute and start building strength and ironing out your weaknesses now.

With over 60 pages of content, 70+ video tutorials, and our proven step-by-step approach to mastering ring muscle-ups, you can get ahead of the curve and build capacity on the rings in time for the upcoming CrossFit Open. Click here to check it out.

A New Age of Programming

From a high-level competitor’s perspective, the days of sprinkling in some skill and strength work pre-WOD and going HAM until you’re puking out the overnight oats you ate for breakfast are long gone.

Our sport is quickly evolving as the years go by, and so has the preparation necessary to qualify for the big competition events.

What seemed like simply throwing a bunch of random workouts on a whiteboard has thoughtfully progressed into a masterful blend of science and art by the top coaches in the space in order to drive their athletes’ adaptation and perform in an optimal state.

Simply put, the best athletes nowadays are approaching their workouts in one of two ways; They are either training or testing.

To figure out how these athletes continue to adapt and make progress, we need to get into what these two principles actually mean.

Difference Between Training and Testing

The difference between programming a training piece and a testing piece is that we’re trying to figure out new information about the athlete in testing.

Basically, the athlete goes all out to try to get the best score possible.

In training, on the other hand, the score isn’t really a major concern. We’re more focused on sustainability, and basically building more volume with whatever skills the athletes need.

Drawbacks of Too Much Testing

In order to be successful and to continue to make progress, you need to know how and when to implement each type of workout accordingly.

One could make the argument that most CrossFit classes are really only testing workouts on a daily basis. It’s ultimately up to the coach to interpret the intention of the workout, but because of the competitive nature of the class, it’s easy to get caught up in trying to max out your score for the day.

From a GPP standpoint, this is fine. You put in the work for the day, you’re most likely a fitter human. However, when we’re talking about optimizing an athlete for competition, it’s important to recognize the drawbacks of too much testing.

The drawbacks are entirely athlete dependant. Factors like training age, specific skills being tested and retrained will dictate how often you should test it.

If someone just started CrossFit a month ago and was told to row 500 meters as quickly as possible once a week for eight weeks, they would more than likely PR that 500-meter row every single time.

Now, if you give that same test to someone who is five years into CrossFit just as frequently, they would more than likely increase their time by maybe two seconds.

At the end of the eight weeks, you’d actually start to see their 500m time getting worse.

The idea is that you want to spend more time training and less time testing. There are different ways to attack each training piece, but the overall goal is to create a positive result at the end of the cycle.

Difference in Volume

When it comes to the amount of volume in a particular type of session, testing days are generally very low in volume because the intensity should be higher.

We don’t want to take away from figuring out what the athlete is capable of, so those days are as controlled as possible.

When I repeat a test, I try to create the same environment each and every time, so during testing days, the volume will be very similar to the previous time we tested.

During training days, the athletes’ training volume is more than likely 3 to 4 times higher than it is during testing.

Striking a Balance

In order to create a balance between training and testing, you have to look at your training first. If you’re an experienced coach or athlete, you can go off of feel.

As an athlete in training, you’ll start to develop more awareness. You’ll recover a little bit faster, and your technique will improve.

These changes are positive indications that you’ve created some adaptation and it might be time to retest whichever skill or task you’re working on improving.

Programming the Tests

There are a few variables to consider when programming for an athlete including their strengths and weaknesses, how often they should be tested and what the actual test should consist of.

Testing on an Individual Level

Most of the tests I use are pretty much used for all of my athletes, as well as the other brute one on one athletes.

We’ve created this huge database, that tracks our athletes’ progress and identifies where their current fitness level is at.

With that being said, I do have key performance indicators that I use for each individual athlete. These personalized performance indicators are based on their fitness level, strengths, and weaknesses. If someone can’t do 100 pull-ups in a workout, I’m obviously not going to test 100 pull-ups.

Our tests are always within the athlete’s capacity.

Testing Frequency

Like I mentioned before, an athlete’s training age plays a big role in how often they get to test.

Their fitness really depends on the athlete and their experience in the sport, training age, and level of fitness.

Beginners typically test a little bit more often because adaptation is faster.

Elite athletes test a little bit less often because it takes a lot more for them to create adaptation.

Classic CrossFit Benchmarks

I use traditional CrossFit benchmarks for testing very often.

There is a ton of data out there for our athletes to reference, and most of them have already done them at some point, or are aware of them at the very least.

The girls and other classic benchmark workouts are a great way to identify where an athlete currently sits with their fitness and happen to be great performance indicators.

Personal Favorite Test

One of my personal favorite tests that we use here at Brute is 10 rounds of 500 meters on the rower, and 15 burpees.

Simple and effective.

This is a pretty common test that most of my athletes have done. Depending on what their score is, I’ll give them different ways to train it.

The first part is identifying what the limiting factors were for them. This could be the rowing portion, the burpees, or even just a lack of power output.

How we train for this specific test is usually dependant on one of those limiting factors.

The best way to do this is through interval training.

Some example training pieces include 500-meter repeats on the rower or intervals more similar to the task at hand such as 10 sets of 250 meters on the rower, 8 burpees and 35 double unders with a 1-minute rest between sets.

The goal with these intervals is to slowly increase the volume and intensity over time to create an adaptation.

Training With Intention

Like I mentioned before, during testing, I tell all my athletes that the goal is to get the best possible score. That’s typically the intention during a testing piece.

In training, It’s all about sustaining their efforts and making sure that they don’t have any critical drop-offs or basically fall off during the training piece.

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Hopefully, now you have a clear understanding of the differences between training and testing.

If you’re someone who dedicates a good portion of your time in the gym in hopes of earning a qualifying spot at a sanctioned event or the CrossFit Games, you’ll want to make sure that every ounce of your time and energy count.

The Brute 1-on-1 coaching team is the best in the business.

With multiple games athletes, we know how to build athletes from the ground up and coach them at the highest level.

If you’re looking to take your training to the next level, click here to apply.

I’d love the chance to help you reach your goals.

– Coach El

On The Road & Still On Point

Whether for business or for pleasure, staying accountable can be tough when you’re on the move. But with a little bit of planning, you can minimize your slip-ups, or eliminate them all together.

First, consider your flight time. It could be worth shelling out the extra Jackson or two to skip the redeye. Something as simple as shorting your sleep schedule can really throw off your routine.

Second, scope out your spot. Check for a hotel gym or a local box. No luck? Have some at-home workouts on-hand.

Third, pack some snacks. It can be tough to find compliant food on-the-go, which sets you up for failure.

And fourth, prepare for flight. The day before, make sure you’re not tossing around weights like a mad man. Sore, tight muscles and a closet-sized space to sit, doesn’t make for the comfiest flight.

And as always, stay active, keep hydrated and get shit done.

A quick test to check the efficiency of your breathing mechanics as well as what to do when you find an inefficiency.

Have you heard people raving about their “macro diet” and wondered what in the world they were talking about? Well we are here to fill you in on not just the “what” of flexible dieting, but the “how” and “why” of tracking macros for fat loss.  

Flexible dieting is a great way to  still eat the foods you enjoy WHILE losing fat! Not eliminating entire food groups, like many other diets prescribe, makes this way of eating much more sustainable for long-term results. Many of us are less likely to stick to a diet that’s restrictive, and flexible dieting allows you to successfully lose weight while still eating a wide range of foods.

Macros, aka “Macronutrients” are nutrients that we typically consume in the largest quantities – carbohydrates, protein and fat. While many foods skew heavily toward one or two of the macros, some contain all three. Each one plays its own role — and each contributes to fat loss in a different way.

Macro #1: Carbohydrates, aka “Carbs”

First thing’s first, carbs are NOT the enemy, especially if you’re trying to lose weight and live an active lifestyle. They are the primary source of energy for your body to maintain consistent energy. Your body digests carbs and turns them into sugar or blood glucose, which fuels high-intensity exercise. Carbs are also tied to the neurotransmitter serotonin (the happy hormone), so eating them throughout the day in moderation can help prevent stress eating and leave you feeling satisfied.

Macro #2: Protein

By now most of us have heard that protein helps maintain and build muscle. But did you know that it also makes the hemoglobin that transports oxygen throughout our bodies? If oxygen doesn’t get where it needs to go, we won’t have the energy to do much at all, especially a fat-burning workout! Also, when we eat protein, our gut makes hormones that slow down the movement of food through our GI tract, meaning we stay full for longer. This keeps our blood sugar levels stable, which in return keeps health issues at bay.

Macro #3: Fat:

Repeat after me, “Fat does NOT make you fat.” Fat makes up cell membranes, promotes nerve and brain health and increases the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, all of which are crucial for healthy weight loss efforts. Fat is also slow to digest, which further helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and keep cravings away.

How to Count for Fat Loss

Now that you have an understanding of why we calculate macros, let’s get into how to manage them for weight loss.  If you’d rather not take the DIY approach here, Brute offers a macro calculator for our members, using your current weight, goal weight, height, age and activity level. If you aren’t a Brute athlete you can calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) on websites such as bodybuilding.com.

Step 1: Find out your BMR or the number of calories you take in each day just breathing and at rest. This is determined by using your height, age and weight. From there, you would multiply by your activity level (you can reference the chart below), to get your Total Daily Expenditure (TDE) or the number of total calories you expend in a day on average. We like to call this your “maintenance calories.”

1.2 Sedentary: Little or no physical activity.

1.375 Lightly Active: Light exercise or activity 1-3 days per week.

1.55 Moderately Active: Moderate exercise or activity 3-5 days per week.

1.725  Very Active: Hard exercise or activity 6-7 days per week.

1.9 Extremely Active: Hard daily exercise or activity and physical work

So, if my BMR is 1,420 and I’m moderately active then I would multiply 1,420 x 1.55 to get 2,201 for my TDE.

Step 2: Once you have your TDE, you will need to determine how much of a deficit you want to be in. Between 10-15% below what you’re burning is a good place for fat loss. So, if you are burning 2,000 calories per day – you would set your daily calories at 1800 or 1700 to begin. I recommend starting on the higher end (1800) and seeing how your body responds there for a week or so before dropping. Because, if you CAN lose weight on higher calories, then save your sanity and keep them higher! You never want to cut more calories than needed to hit your goals.

Step 3: Now that you have your total number of calories to eat each day, you will want to determine how many of those calories should come from fat, carbohydrates and protein. I prefer to start my clients on a balanced ratio, of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, 30% fats, but there is no “optimal” ratio and based on client needs I will adjust. It all depends on the individual. With that said, it’s important to keep an eye on your protein intake for maximizing muscle and improving body composition.

If you are an athlete or training high volume, you should weigh more heavily toward carbohydrates (40-70%). If you are constantly feeling hungry, put more emphasis on healthy fats as they are very satiating. (30-40%).

An example of a 40/30/30 ratio split for 2000 calories would look like this:

2000 calories per day x .40 (percentage of calories from carbs) = 800 calories ➗ 4 (the number of calories per gram of carbohydrate) = 200 grams from carbohydrates.

2000 calories per day x .30 (percentage of calories from protein) = 600 calories➗ 4 (the number of calories per gram of protein) = 150 grams of protein

2000 calories per day x .30 (percentage of calories from protein) = 600 calories ➗ 9 (the number of calories per gram of fat)= 67 grams of fat

How do I get started?

Now that you have your macros calculated, hitting those numbers daily is going to take a little forethought and commitment on your end. Planning ahead and thinking about how your day is going to look, what access to foods you have and how busy you are going to be is always smart. From there, determine which foods you can eat to hit your numbers and therefore achieve your goals.  

A food scale, and a food tracker are both great tools to make the process easier. You can get a food scale from most stores or online, and My Fitness Pal is a great app for tracking your food intake.

While this may seem overwhelming, it’s like any new skill. It becomes MUCH easier, even second nature the longer you do it.

You won’t be perfect in the beginning. But, with setbacks (that are inevitable, because you are human) you can assess what happened, learn more about yourself and how foods affect you – and create a plan for next time that will enable you to hit your goals. It’s all about learning and improving and is so empowering in that way!

Our clients at Brute have seen amazing results from following a macro-based diet. Amp up your workouts to match your nutrition with our free Shred Manual.

Alison will be attending the Brazil CrossFit Championship in Sao Paulo, Brazil on May 17th-19th. We catch up with Alison and talk training, nutrition, previous years and what she has been working on going into this season.

As the sport of fitness progresses there are skills that inevitably must be gained, as we have seen lately, walking on your hands is one such skill.

If you struggle with walking on your hands or even navigating a course on your hands you can see a big improvement with practicing the basics, give this portion of the Brute Games Prep Programming a try:

2 Rounds

Accumulate 1:30 min

 

Free Handstand Hold Perpendicular to wall

 

One arm handstand shifts

 

Wall Walks

 

Rest as needed between movements

Rest 1:00 min between rounds

THEN

1:30 min of max effort handstand walks