Thursday, May 19, 2011

Can Jane Fonda Make You a Better, Stronger CrossFitter?


There is a common thought that the only way to get strong is to lift more weight more often.  I wish it was that easy!  Unfortunately, many of us are weak at a foundational level, which limits how strong we can become

Whether you know this or not, the source of all human movement and potential strength is generated from our hips...that is to say, our butt(and all the small, yet vital pelvic-region muscles) are the prime movers.  Taking this idea, you can see that if our gluteal muscles(usually the glute medius) are not well developed there is a relatively low potential for increasing overall strength.


If you don't believe me, I recommend you watch some of your fellow CrossFitters and/or lifting partners perform a full-depth squat air squat.  Most individuals will show one or more of the following faults:

1. Knee(s) collapse inward.

2. Body shifts to one side or the other.(above: hips are shifted to the right)

3. Loss of foot arch
Now that you can see the results of a weak gluteal group and understand the obvious effects it has on strength and performance...How do you fix it?!  This is where Jane Fonda makes her appearance...

I'm sure most of you remember those ridiculous leg lifts she was constantly doing, right?  Well, besides "lifting your butt", it strengthens the gluteal group as a whole - creating a more organized and developed hip.  So, the answer to the question, "Can Jane Fonda make you a better, stronger CrossFitter?" is a definite "YES"!  Here's how...

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