On a 10 minute clock:
Run 1.6km (Bridge & Back)
Max Dumbbell Thrusters *
Rest 5 minutes
On a 10 minute clock:
Run 1.6km
Max Burpee Pull-ups
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Virtuosity in CrossFit
Virtuosity in CrossFit: Mastering the Basics for Lifelong Fitness The term “virtuosity” refers to “performing the common uncommonly well” Greg Glassman. In CrossFit this principle emphasizes the importance of mastering fundamental movements with precision and consistency before advancing to more complex exercises. The ideal squat, push-up, and pull-up are benchmarks we should all strive for. Virtuous movement is unmistakable—it commands attention. The Essence of VirtuosityAt its core, virtuosity in CrossFit is about executing basic movements—such as squats, push-ups, and deadlifts—with impeccable form and control. It’s not about performing flashy or advanced techniques; it’s about doing the everyday movements exceptionally well. This approach leads to greater efficiency, reduced risk of injury, and a solid foundation for tackling more challenging workouts. The Interconnectedness of Movements“Everything is everything” – At first glance, it might seem that perfecting a push-up has little to do with executing a snatch. However, CrossFit teaches that all movements are interconnected. Mastering the push-up, with its emphasis on core stability, shoulder alignment, and body control, lays the groundwork for more complex movements like the snatch. The discipline and attention to detail required in a push-up translate to improved technique and efficiency in advanced lifts. A common pitfall for many athletes is the “novice’s curse”—the tendency to rush past foundational skills in favour of more advanced, impressive movements (e.g. kipping pull-ups before strict pull-ups). While complex exercises like muscle-ups or handstand walks can be exciting, neglecting the basics can lead to poor mechanics and increased injury risk. By focusing on virtuosity, athletes ensure that their foundational movements are robust, making advanced techniques more accessible and sustainable. The Path to MasteryAchieving virtuosity involves a progression and discipline: This progression ensures that athletes build strength and skill safely, leading to long-term success in CrossFit. (Check out article 2 Mechanics – Consistency – Intensity) Virtuosity Beyond the GymThe principles of virtuosity extend beyond CrossFit. Whether it’s playing a musical instrument, cooking, or any other skill, performing common tasks with exceptional skill leads to mastery and satisfaction. Constantly seek virtuosity in the fundamental movements, knowing that excellence in the basics leads to success in all aspects of fitness. So here’s your call to action:Fall in love with the fundamentals. Let mastery begin where most people don’t pay attention—sink into your squats, drive your push-ups, and pull with control. When you commit to this, every action becomes an opportunity for excellence.
Mechanics → Consistency → Intensity
Article 2:Your Choices Make the Athlete: Mechanics → Consistency → Intensity In CrossFit, athletes are shaped not by shortcuts, but by deliberate progression—beginning with mechanics, advancing through consistency, and culminating in intensity. This sequence establishes a foundation for safe, sustainable, and high-performing fitness. Mechanics — Build the Foundation Why it matters:Mechanics refers to movement efficiency and safety—moving correctly, not just moving. Proper technique makes movements easier, safer, and more sustainable. It sets the stage for long-term progress and protects against injury. How to train mechanics effectively: Consistency — Repeat with Discipline What consistency means:Consistency is the ability to perform movements correctly, repeatedly—both within a workout and across sessions. It’s about ingraining muscle memory and ensuring reliable form under varying conditions. Why it matters:Regular repetition of sound mechanics builds resilience and adaptability. It prepares the body to maintain form under stress or fatigue—making progression possible. Intensity — Apply Power Wisely What intensity is:Intensity elevates training through increased speed, load, or complexity—doing more work in less time. It’s the spark that drives adaptation and fitness gains. Why timing matters:Applying intensity too soon leads to breakdowns in form and raises injury risk. Instead, patience ensures gains are built on mastery and consistency. The Real-World Test: Fran Fran—21-15-9 thrusters and pull-ups for time—is a benchmark CrossFit workout that epitomizes this progression. The other athlete, whose knees cave or form collapses under fatigue, struggles and suffers the consequences. Which athlete are you? If you find yourself in the latter category, now is the moment to reset your priorities—focus first on mechanics, then on consistency, and only then let intensity follow. What may feel like a step backward could actually be the springboard that propels you forward. Final Thought The progression—Mechanics → Consistency → Intensity—is more than a guideline; it’s the foundation of sustainable progress in CrossFit. By choosing discipline over shortcuts, you build not just a fitter body, but a better, longer-lasting athlete.Your daily choices define your journey. Happy training!!!
After over 16 years in the CrossFit community, we’ve found that returning to the fundamentals is often the most effective way to reignite inspiration and realign our focus. In this series, we’ll delve into the foundational principles that have sustained our journey and continue to drive our progress. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just beginning, revisiting these core concepts can provide clarity and motivation. Join us as we explore the essence of CrossFit and uncover how these timeless principles can enhance your fitness journey. Enjoy the journey ahead… Series 1: CrossFit’s Theoretical Hierarchy of Athletic Development When progress stalls in the gym the instinct is often to complicate the approach. However, CrossFit offers a straightforward blueprint that returns to the fundamentals. By focusing on the foundational elements, athletes can unlock new levels of performance. This hierarchy serves as a practical guide, emphasizing the importance of mastering each layer to build a robust and sustainable fitness journey. CrossFit Hierarchy of Development CrossFit’s model frames fitness development as a five-tiered pyramid, progressing from foundational essentials to athletic application. Recognizing the importance of what lies beneath and identifying your own weaknesses enables you to make meaningful improvements and advance in your athletic journey. Progress in one layer fuels improvement in the layers above it. Let’s explore the pyramid: 1. Nutrition – The Foundation The phrase “the foundation of all fitness” aligns with CrossFit’s emphasis that nutrition underpins every other component of athletic development.Nutrition underpins every other layer: it fuels your workouts, aids recovery, and supports muscle, bone, and nerve health.Think of nutrition as the soil in which a garden grows. If the soil (nutrition) is poor, no matter how well you water (train), your plants (performance) won’t flourish. 2. Metabolic Conditioning – The Engine Enhances cardiovascular and respiratory efficiency, forming the “engine” that powers sustained effort. Fatigue will limit strength and skill gains without this foundation Without cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, you’ll tire out before you can effectively build strength or skill. 3. Gymnastics – Body Control Gymnastics develops essential physical skills such as spatial awareness, coordination, flexibility, balance, and body control. Mastery of one’s own body is crucial before progressing to the control of external objects. This foundational level encompasses strict movements such as pull-ups, push-ups, L-sits, and muscle-ups, which establish a base of strength and control. As proficiency in these movements increases, athletes advance to dynamic movements, including kipping variations, which further enhance coordination and body control. 4. Weightlifting & Throwing – Object Mastery This level emphasizes the ability to move external loads—such as barbells, kettlebells, or medicine balls—through powerful, functional movements. Building upon the foundations of metabolic conditioning and gymnastics, it teaches athletes to transfer force efficiently from the core to the extremities, enhancing strength and motor control. Mastery of this stage enables individuals to handle external objects with precision and power, laying the groundwork for athletic performance in various sports. 5. Sport – Putting It All Together Engaging in sport allows us to apply the foundational elements of fitness—nutrition, conditioning, gymnastics, and weightlifting—to real-world scenarios. Whether trained specifically for the sport or not, it provides the opportunity to test our abilities, adapt, and grow. Mastery of these foundational components instills the confidence and capability to perform, demonstrating the effectiveness of our training and preparation. With a solid base, there are no limits to what can be achieved in sport. Final Takeaway: The CrossFit Hierarchy of Athletic Development serves as a structured blueprint for building fitness. By consistently strengthening each foundational layer—from nutrition to sport—you pave the way for continuous improvement. Embrace this approach, and you’ll uncover the full potential of your athletic journey. I recommend you assess where you sit for each of the layers. Working from the base up will provide greatest rewards. Identify your weaknesses and take sustainable steps in the right direction. Remember we are here to help on step at a time…
WINTER ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE Fight off the WINTER blues and stay on track through the colder months! Staying consistent now sets you up to feel strong, lean, and energised as we head into the warmer months. Training through winter builds not just physical fitness, but mental toughness – and your summer self will thank you for it! CHALLENGE DATES: 11 July – 31 August 3 sessions per week = You’re in the game! 5 sessions per week = 100% Attendance & bragging rights! We’ll be tracking weekly (be sure to book in via Mindbody), keeping it fun and motivating – and yes, there’ll be some awesome prizes up for grabs along the way Let’s lift the energy and keep the fire burning this winter. Who’s in?! Grab a motivation buddy and let’s keep each other moving forward — together we rise!
Athlete Spotlight
Enjoy getting to know Tony Shadforth in this edition of Athlete Spotlight! Please tell us a bit about yourself. I am 44 years old and I currently have 2 main occupations as I am a commercial and residential builder plus I am a director of a group that owns and runs a couple of Hotels. I have spent most of my life on the Sunshine Coast after moving here from Ayr in North Queensland when I was 3, my parents moved down soon after. I have 2 kids, one of which trains with us at Coastal, Jack and a younger one named Max How long have you been training at Coastal CrossFit? I have been training at Coastal for about 3 years You have an endurance sport background – what drew you to the idea of CrossFit? I had a few friends training at Coastal at the time and they were singing it’s praises but in the end my partner, Claire dragged me into the box for an introduction. It was very different to everything I had ever done before and I guess that made it quite exciting, so now I sometimes come along to the odd class (sarcasm). You still participate/compete in the odd endurance event from time to time. Can you give us some examples of the events that you have completed and what role your CrossFit training has played in the preparation for these events. Well as competing for me means I go a little crazy and get a little intense I try to stay away from it nowadays. I like to consider myself as the ultimate training partner though, so if I have a friend training for an endurance sport and they need some motivation or a pacer I am there for them. I find that because of CrossFit, no matter what the discipline, I can hold my own with them. On occasions I have run with them for 35km having not done it before or swim 4km after not being in the pool for years or even ride in excess of 100km just to keep them motivated. I love that I don’t have to take the time or put the body through all that stress or those long training sessions day in day out but I can still go and do it when required. Your son Jacko (17) does CrossFit along side you most mornings at 5.00am, for which we commend you both. Can you elaborate on what role CrossFit has played in the bigger picture of raising your boys? I have many views on this and I guess that we may have to wait for other stages in their lives to see if the lessons that I hope it teaches them have been learnt, but our lives have changed in many ways either directly or indirectly through CrossFit and always for the positive. Because I attend a fixed class time (5.00am) I have been able to make more time for my kids in the morning which started us doing morning walks on the beach. Each morning I would get home and slowly wake them always being aware that it was meant to be a fun experience so never trying to turn it into a negative one for them. It took 6 months until they realised I was never going to give up and they actually started to love it. Those walks were life changing for us all as they started our day with conversation and often some great laughs. Something that I can never lose and a massive lesson to me about priorities in life. What goals do you have for your future training? Sometimes if I am nursing and injury, as I have had a few, I feel like I am just there to start my day and keep sane. But as I start to feel a little better I start to think about areas that I can improve, and I also have a few. So I am really keen to start working on my flexibility and then my technique as I think this is where I let myself down in more then one area. You are one of our most consistent and disciplined athletes who trains religiously at 5.00am almost every day. What is it that keeps you coming back? I guess it started out to be more about wanting to change the focus in my life, I used to get up, smash myself on a run in the dark and be sitting at my desk at 5 or 5.30 every morning. I grew to realise that I needed to be a bigger part of my kids lives and be more involved and so I started do the 5am class then go home and get the kids up for our walk. This grew into having breakfast together and even later starts at work. I also started to learn that the rounded elements of training the full 5 day program was very beneficial to me and the way I felt so I have kept it up. Now days I don’t have to think about I just know that I will be up so I go. What are you favourite and least favourite types of workouts? I really love the gymnastic side of CrossFit so all the gymnastic and bodyweight movements are definitely my favourite movements. As for my least favourite, I think that would be pretty much anything with that cold and unforgiving steel bar involved! Do you have any advice for other CrossFitters or potential CrossFitters based on your experience? Never forget where you came from. I think that for all of us who struggle in areas it is important to remember how far on the journey we have come as it is easy to forget and think we are not progressing. With this it can give you the focus to keep trying and eventually reach your goals.