Is using a weightlifting belt mandatory? There is no rule actually whether it is required, but when we think logically, every CrossFitter should wear weightlifting belts; belts are meant to use to brace against and support your core and spine and if used properly, it gives your core the reminder to stay tight when lifting or squatting weight that is heavier for you. Therefore, it reduces low back stress by compressing the contents of the abdominal cavity. This increases the intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), providing more support in front of the bones of the lower back.
We gathered the best weightlifting belts recommended by our Facebook community. These are the weightlifting belts they have proven to be effective and have loved using over the course of time.
Lots of our readers have been using this awesome belt; one of the best-selling lifting belts in the market. You can see how they came up into different styles concerning to wide variety of clients. The best one from them is the Padded leather belt, it has an Interior foam padding and suede lining for comfort and for security it is equipped with heavy duty dual-pronged steel roller buckle.
love my Harbinger one. Just used it again today for deadlifts.
This particular brand offers more than just lifting belts; Every apparel for powerlifting can be find here. Some of our readers have loved the forever lever belt. It is 13mm thick, adjustable for the most support, easy to loosen up or tighten depends on your preference with just a push of the patented lever. Made from exclusive leather, which also conforms to your body shape over time and forever stays rigidly supportive.
One of the most competitive brands; Rogue made it to our list also last time for our “best jumping rope”. Leading manufacturer of strength & conditioning equipment. Official supplier to the CrossFit Games, USAW, World’s Strongest Man and the Arnold Strongman Classic. You can tell that they are really into this game!
One of their best-seller belts is The Ohio Lifting Belt. It is made up of genuine, “10mm thick, vegetable-tanned American leather; this 4” wide belt offers firm, consistent support; easing stress on the back and helping in both the reduction of post-workout pain and the potential long-term prevention of more serious injury”. It also includes a single-buckle design for quick, easy adjustments and a custom fit.
A brand known for producing fitness gear and accessories that were of superior quality with a fashionable edge; They make quality belts without sacrificing the design personality exuded in the product. Hence the name itself, “Unbroken design”, symbolizes not just the strength of the athlete, but the strength of the human behind the athlete.
I love how this brand came up with their concept, and it is very important for a company to have its own vision, being clear on their personal branding and its own WHY. They both have leather and cloth belts made for men and woman. If you are a CrossFitter who wants to exude fashion and style while on workout without sacrificing its quality, then go for this brand! You will love how artistic they came up with their belts.
I have ones by unbroken designs. I love them and they work great.
Made from a heavy-duty neoprene like material, which means their belt is super lightweight. It is foldable so you can easily carry it while you travel. For someone like me who doesn’t want that too much weight, I am comfortable bringing tis belt with me anytime, anywhere!
I’m actually loving the Jerkfit belt that came in the Barbella box last month
One of the best-selling belts online, made up of genuine premium reinforced leather, but not that bulky, so you would still feel comfort on your waist without sacrificing the support you needed. Due to its patented leather weight belt, rest assured that it’ll be your companion for a long time.
How many of you are like me and hate running? Running is just one of those things that either you love or you hate. There is not a single person who just kind of likes to run. When I got into Crossfit I didn’t expect there to be running. Boy was I surprised when we had to run laps, run sprints, run…run…run. Don’t get me wrong running isn’t a bad thing but it certainly is one of the harder things in a WOD. It is especially hard when running is at the end of a WOD. It is all I can do to keep my feet moving and not just sit down in the middle of the road.
There are so many benefits to running and CrossFit. Now for some of you, you are reading this with your head in your hands because you were hoping that I would tell you running wasn’t necessary. Sorry honey but it is!
One of the most important reasons for running is for cardiovascular health. Cardio what? Cardiovascular health; in other words your heart. If you look across the board you will see that it’s not just Crossfit that adds in cardio to their regime. Most forms of training include some kind of cardio which is incredibly beneficial to having a healthy heart! And who doesn’t want a healthy heart? I mean we all need it to be able to do all those lifts in the next WOD. For those of us on a weight loss journey, having a healthy heart is extremely important!
Now for some of you, you are saying, “Umm excuse me but I love to run! So how does Crossfit help me with my running?” Good question! Despite my despise of running, I do run 5ks from time to time. Let me be the first to say, doing kettle bell carry runs, sandbag runs, and medball runs increased my stamina and helped me gain new PR times. Crazy right? Here is the thing, when you resistance train or weight train then when you don’t have the added weight or resistance, your speed and time will increase!
For me, I had been running only when I was in the box for several months. I got asked to run a 5k and I thought to myself, “There is no way! I haven’t been training for it. I will be way too slow.” Regardless of my thoughts, I got out there and ran. Sure enough, I had way more stamina that I imagined and I got a new PR by a whole minute!
So regardless if you love running or you pray you never have to run again, running is so very beneficial! I am right there with you hoping that there won’t be running in the next WOD but we got this! We are stronger than our minds allow us to believe! Have a race against yourself! See how hard and fast you can push yourself! And just be glad that you aren’t doing burpees!
To scale or not to scale, that is the question. I’m sure if you are like me, that question runs through your mind when you see the prescribed WOD. “Can I do this and sustain it for the whole workout?” is the question that always runs through my mind before a workout.
For a long time, I have had this mindset that if I scaled a workout then I was weak or that I would be seen as cheating my way through the workout. I would look see other athletes doing the prescribed workout with the prescribed weight and would feel bad about how I had to scale the workout to do what I could do. Don’t do what I did,because scaling is not a negative thing. In fact, it is built into CrossFit for a reason. We are all at different levels in our fitness and that is okay. It is nothing to be ashamed of. You are still getting a great workout in if you scale. You are allowing your body to progress towards a certain movement in a way that you can get through a workout and do so safely.
For me, I have had knee injuries for years. Box jumps begin to hurt after a while and so I choose to do box step-ups to safely get through the workout and not reinjure my knees. For some, maybe you can’t do pull-ups yet. (Let’s be honest those are hard!) So, scale back and do jumping pull-ups. You will still be getting that pull motion and working those muscles. For others, maybe you can’t lift a certain weight! Scale back to a weight you can lift!Be safe and don’t lift weight you can’t lift safely!That will only cause injury if you try to lift something your body isn’t ready for yet!
Let me be the first to tell you no one is going to judge you or think any less of you if you scale a movement. Even the most experienced CrossFitters have to scale from time to time!
With all that being said, don’t scale just because a workout looks tough. If you know you can do the movements or lift the prescribed weight then do it! MIND OVER MATTER!Don’t use scaling as a way to cheat yourself out of pushing yourself and accomplishing something great! You will never regret getting through a tough workout but you will regret knowing you could have done more.
So to scale or not to scale? Use scaling as a way to progress your body towards a movement or a weight safely! We all are progressing and we all have the areas we need to work on and that is okay! Eventually you will be able to do those pull-ups or lift that prescribed weight! Continue to progress and work hard. Don’t cheat yourself when it gets tough! Swallow your pride, scale when needed and know: “some quit due to slow progress. Never grasping the fact slow progress…is progress.” (author unknown)
So yesterday was leg day and you really pushed yourself hard! You got a new PR on squats and walked out of the box with your head held high! You are feeling great about life until you try to get out of bed. Everything that didn’t hurt yesterday hurts today. Your butt, your quads, your hamstrings, all seem to be screaming at you as you try to waddle into the bathroom. Forget trying to sit down on the toilet and get back up again. That just isn’t going to happen!
We all at some point or another have had that kind of pain right? While it hurts like heck and we swear we are never going back to the gym again, we know that it is a good pain. I know that sounds funny to say but, it is. It is the kind of pain that tells us what we are doing is working. All those squats are actually doing something! Crazy right?
However, I have found both in myself and in other athletes that sometime we confuse good pain for bad pain. Sometimes we simply just don’t listen to our bodies when we should. We just want to keep pushing through the pain and more often than not, that does quite a bit of harm to our bodies.
While that mild muscle soreness we feel after a hard workout is good, we need to be careful that we don’t assume that all pain during a workout or post workout is good. We need to be aware of what our bodies are telling us is good muscle soreness or pain that insinuates injury.
Recently, I was talking to a friend of mine who had been working on a new deadlift PR. She told me that while she was lifting she felt some pain in her back. She didn’t pay attention to it because she assumed it was that good muscle soreness from a previous workout. She kept lifting heavier and heavier and her back kept getting more and more painful.
The next day, she couldn’t get out of bed without help and was in a lot of pain. She went to the doctor’s office after several days of intense pain to discover she had pulled muscles and a bulging disc. She admits that she should have listened to her body more instead of letting that drive to get a PR overshadow the pain her body was in.
So, take time to listen to your bodies. If you are really feeling pain, stop what you are doing and back off for a bit. The gym will still be there! Don’t be afraid to take time off because it won’t hurt you to have a break! We have one body people! While our bodies can be pushed hard and a lot further than we think it can, it does have a breaking point. Don’t get to that point!
Enjoy that muscle soreness after a hard workout! It means you accomplished something great! If your body is telling you that what you are feeling is something more than just a little morning after muscle pain, listen and act accordingly! I promise you will thank me later!
I wish I’d found CrossFit when I was in my 20’s. I’m almost 38 years old, and I don’t consider myself fat, but I could probably benefit from dropping some weight…..just being honest.
I’ve been doing CrossFit for almost 2 years, and love it. I was pretty active growing up. I did sports, dance, and tumbling as a kid, and as a young adult, I frequented Aerobics and Zumba classes at a local gym. So, I guess I can say that my first CrossFit class was a huge shock to the system. I thought I was in decent shape to start with. Boy was I wrong. I couldn’t keep up. I could barely lift the empty barbell over my head. I was sweating so much after that class that I could’ve filled a whole bucket. Grrrrrross huh?
My goal was to go to class three times per week. I got used to basically everything on my body hurting all the time, and started to really appreciate the days that I could sit down on the toilet without my quads being on fire.
Eventually I started going 5 days a week. I was able to increase my weight on different lifts, and felt like I was “catching up” to some of the others in the class. I understood the CrossFit lingo, and I loved to talk “CrossFit”. I felt on top of the world! And then, my knee started acting up.
Prior to starting CrossFit, I’d had two knee surgeries after tearing my ACL, in two separate instances . Everything I did seemed to hurt my knee to the point where I’d have to stop. My knee started hurting even when I wasn’t at CrossFit. This new development was very distressing. I mean, I’d just gotten to the point where I felt I was making HUGE strides at CrossFit, and now I’m having to scale everything, or skip class all together.
I had to continue to back off quite a bit for a good couple of months, until my knee started feeling “normal again”. Those couple months were filled with lots of frustration and tears, but also a lot of support from my CrossFit family and coaches. I FINALLY realized that there will be always be set backs, but as long as I don’t give up, I’m still pretty badass.
I’ve bounced back! I typically go to CrossFit every day, and put every ounce of energy I have into the class. I think I’ve only RX’d one WOD in my life, and damn, was I proud! I will probably never be able to do a box jump, and I still go in spurts where my knee starts acting up. When we run, I’m typically last, but I always finish. I’m not “old” per say, but I’ve stopped trying to compete with the speed of the others that are in their 20’s, because it’s not a competition.
One of these days, I WILL get my first pull-up, and I hope to eventually be able to do double unders. I personally don’t ever plan (or expect) to compete in the CrossFit games. LOL. So for me, CrossFit is me against myself; me against what I did yesterday. Maybe it’s one more rep, or one less break needed, or being able to fully jump out and back in on burpees – I can do that now too!!!!!
I leave the gym proud every time I go, first off, because I went and did the work. I still sweat enough to fill a bucket, and it’s still really gross, but I’ve grown used to it. So, my point? Don’t compare yourself to others. Be proud. Give your all. Celebrate every success, even if it’s tiny. Every person is different, and every person works at a different level and speed. You’re doing great! You are a badass. Never give up and keep rockin it!
Get to know Suzanne, a graphic artist who worked out only once before involving herself with CrossFit. Encouraged by her peers, Suzanne signed up for CrossFit in a snap of a finger. But there’s more – she was diagnosed with an illness which motivated her to do more physical activities. Learn more about her inspiring journey and how joining CrossFit – one of the best decisions she’ve made!
Name: Suzanne Carlino Affiliate Box: Crossfit Viera
Tell us a little bit about yourself (family, job, hobbies, interests, etc.).
For 20 years, I have worked as a graphic designer. I am also an artist who recently got into fluid art and have been lucky enough to sell some pieces. In my free time, I love building/refinishing furniture and spending time with my fur baby who is a sassy, stubborn dog who thinks she is a human.
When did you start doing CrossFit?
I started CrossFit last June 2015.
What were you doing before CrossFit and how were you introduced to CrossFit?
Basically, nothing! I worked out with a trainer but only went to the gym once a week when I trained with him. I tried insanity with friends and we never made it past the first month and most of the time, I would sit down and watch instead of really trying.
I moved to Florida in 2014 and knew no one besides my family. I had three awesome friends back in New York who did Crossfit, and they suggested I try it because of the CrossFit community. I was hesitant because I wasn’t working out, I never lifted any weights with a barbell and did not think I could do it. They convinced me and told me that we all have to start somewhere and never compare ourselves to anyone.
I signed up for a free introduction class for a Saturday morning. I got there early and got to watch a team WOD, although I was intimated watching everyone, I was hooked. That day, I worked with the owner Coach Matt, he ran me through some simple things like step-ups, running and a few other movements. I struggled the entire way but at the end of it, I signed up on the spot.
How has your approach to CrossFit changed since first starting?
When I first joined, I thought I had to push myself to try and keep up with everyone. I finally accepted some of my limitations that I have and just because I am not the fastest runner or strongest all that matters is that I am putting the work in and giving it my best effort every WOD.
Favorite WOD or movement?
Anything with deadlifts. This is definitely my strongest movement. I recently hit a 3 rep max at 225# and a 1 rep max of 235#. I am hoping to hit a 1rep max of 250 in the next few months and by the end of the year 300#.
Least favorite WOD or movement?
My least favorite movement is the snatch, it is the most complex movement. When they are programmed in, I will work with a lighter weight to work on my form to get more comfortable with the movement.
What types of changes have you seen (mentally, physically, and/or lifestyle) since starting CrossFit?
There have been many positive changes I have seen both mentally and physically since I started my journey at Crossfit. Fifteen years ago, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I beat it and became a survivor but for 11 years. I let the fear that the cancer would come back control me. Mentally, it took a toll on me. My doctor told me I was suffering from post-traumatic stress and depression. For a short period of time, I tried anti-depressants and it made me feel worse, so I just continued on fighting the depression on my own. Physically, I put on a lot of weight, which caused joints to hurt and created a feeling of generally feeling like crap.
What started out as a way to meet new people because I was new to the area, and oh yeah, maybe I could find an exercise routine I could stick with to help me get in shape, turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I never realized how much Crossfit would change my life, but I found something that pushes me and keeps me coming back and here I am, 4 years later with amazing supportive friends and a strength and confidence that far surpasses what cancer tried to take from me.
The biggest change mentally is now over the last 4 years. I do not spiral down like it used to. And if for some reasons, I start spiraling down, I just go to the gym. I forget everything for that hour and it helps me refocus.
There are still health issues that have popped up over the last 15 years due to the course of treatment I received and that, I will need to deal with for the rest of my life but I know that I am giving myself the best chance mentally and physically for whatever is thrown at me.
What helps you get the most out of your CrossFit Workouts? What motivates/inspires you?
Crossfit has become a form of therapy for me and it motivates me knowing that mentally, my mind is clearer and I am doing everything I can to stay healthy. My friends also motivate me and push me every time I step into the gym. I get inspired by looking around my gym, we are all there for different reasons and are at different levels but seeing everyone put the work in inspires me to keep pushing forward.
What’s your CrossFit goal for 2019?
I have many goals but I really want to hit a 300# deadlift.
What would you say to someone starting CrossFit for the first time?
Never compare yourself to someone else, it is a process and trust it.
Calluses are layers of skin that the body builds up to protect itself from friction and pressure.They are the result of friction in a long-time/consistent basis; so as long as your hands are doing the hard work every day, most likely you have higher chance of getting a callus once in a while. You can identify lots of activities that can cause having calluses but the most common causes are from manual labor, and working out.
As someone who loves working out, this lifestyle is inevitable and you’ve got to embrace everything it encompasses but it doesn’t mean that you can’t handle any hurdles along the way.
Here are some expert tips on how you can take care of your hands and prevent those itchy whitish bulges whilst still doing your workout routine.
Do not over-gripping. For a starter, sometimes we tend to execute too much from what is being asked us to do. Workout rule, observe and learn the proper alignments of your body and the proper execution. If we over-grip, our hands will suffer in the long run.
No to having any accessories while working out. Some may say that they feel more confident having their ring or any bracelet with them, I’ll tell you, they are just distractions. It’s better to take them all off so you can just be yourself, and you’ll feel much more lighter during the time of your workout.
Moisturize your hand daily or you can use a protective balm. Skin is the largest organ in our body and the most expose too. Moisturizing lotions keeps our skin soft, smooth and gentle, giving our skin added hydration and protection from outside factors, one of which is friction since we are talking about workout related; Meanwhile other potential harms that could affect our skin are: polluted air and too much exposure from the sun.
Wear protective gloves. Gloves is a gear and it is very important to be complete with our gears especially if you are having CrossFit and other strenuous activity that includes your hands. Be mindful however to be picky in choosing a glove pair, as sometimes other CrossFitters find it difficult in having a good grip, so I think it all boils down again on which type of gloves suited for your hands and the material being used to fabric it.
And when all
else seems impossible to halt the growth of the callus, don’t worry as we have
some treatments and remedies, we can do to lessen it and prevent it from
growing further.
Soak the rough areas in the water. Soaking your calluses in warm water for 20 minutes or so will soften the tissue even further and eventually help you to exfoliate it. The objective is to soften the tissue and prepare the callus, so that you can slough off dead skin cells easily. Just like when we are cutting are nails, it is easier to trim our nails after a shower. Add Epsom salts for better results.
Exfoliate the thickened skin. Once you have softened the calluses, you can begin to reduce them by exfoliating the thickened skin. Using a pumice stone, callus shaver, or microplane (a gentle grater designed for skin); Work gently to avoid going too deep or cutting yourself. Don’t be that aggressive. Rubbing to hard will only cause another skin problem; patience is really a must.
Take note: Do not
use a pumice stone if you have diabetes. Doing so can increase your risk of
infection.
Apply lotion to moisturize the skin. A recommended lotion for dry and rough hands is CeraVe SA Renewing Skin Lotion, you can check it on amazon.
Some of the
readers comments and suggestions are:
“Soak mine in the bathtub or hot tub and then use a pumice stone. I use Pumie from the cleaning isle in Home Depot. The salon pumice stones are way too smooth so they are useless. I use it about 3 times/week so callouses never get too thick. Leaves them nice and smooth. Don’t cut them. If you over do it, it will take too long to heal and interfere with your training”
“I use nipple cream. Sounds weird, but helps instantly”
Any workouts wouldn’t be complete without the use and help of the perfect gears. One main concern on the side, all of us loves to travel- and who doesn’t? –, during this time, it is a lot more difficult to incorporate workouts or keep on track our fitness routine especially if there is no any nearest gym in your area while you are on tour. Whilst working out is a lifestyle of most of us already, we don’t want to miss getting our body moving and making such an excuse not to work out just because we are traveling is absurd.
Some activities that doesn’t require that much of equipment and basically some of its needed gears are travel friendly 😉 such as: running, doing yoga, dancing, resistance training without the use of the equipment, and jumping rope workouts.
For
this article we will be focusing on the recommendations of our readers on what
brands of jump ropes they actually love using and which they think are the best
in the market!
Double Under Wonder– Many of our readers loved this brand as you can have it customized, designed by you; they’re super-fast, super-stylish, and they don’t get lost in the crowd when you’re in a group workout. One of our CrossFitter reader said, “Double under wonder! Super cute and custom made. Great customer service too!”
RX Smart Gear Jump Ropes– This gear loved by almost of our readers. They are the maker of the RX Jump Ropes, which they claimed to be “custom sized to each individual athlete’s height and offers five different cable variations to support multiple tempo and resistance levels; Every rope comes with a patented swivel axis bearing system, custom wrapped handle and pvc coated aircraft cable”. Our CrossFitters comment to this brand, “I love that I can change the cable as I get better at double under. The weight makes me feel the movement even though I struggle daily”. Some of its awards are:
“The Official Jump Rope of USA Boxing”, “The Official Jump Rope of USA Wrestling”, “Voted by Men’s Health Magazine as top 5 Best travel fitness tools of 2016”.
Come on! What are you waiting for! It’s pricey but you’ve got what you
paid for.
RPM– This cater and gives you four different jumping ropes classification based on your specific activity. They are called as: 1. Sprint, 2. Competition, 3. Scout, 4. Session. Depends on what you need based on the type of jumping exercise you’ll do. If you want the light weight and super easy to carry on, which makes an awesome travel buddy, go for Sprint. For a more aggressive gear which will give you a better A-game, the fastest rope is the Competition. For the middle kind of feels, a smooth buttery RPM feel but with enough amount of weights to let you spice up a bit any double under workout, head over for Scout. Our member said, “I love my RPM Comp rope! It’s uncoated and super-fast. I learned my DUs on a heavier coated rope at the gym but ever since I got this one my DUs have gotten so much better”.
WOD Nation speed rope- This particular brand offers an array of workout equipment’s such as Double Under Jump Rope, Resistance Bands and other more Fitness Equipment. They claim to produce high quality fitness equipment and apparel that works harder as you get stronger. A lot of our readers love this brand too! They said, “WOD Nation. Comes w/ 2 interchangeable cords that can be cut to your best length for your height & doesn’t get tangled or bent up easily. Also has groves in the handle to know where to place your hands for a better grip.” Another one, “WOD Nation speed rope. It’s the bomb! Light weight so my forearms last longer before dying on double unders”.
Rogue Fitness– It is the official supplier to the CrossFit Games, USAW, World’s Strongest Man and the Arnold Strongman Classic. Exceptional achievements! Awesome work here Rogue! This brand offers a lot of fitness workout equipment and not just solely jump ropes. You can get almost anything you need here! Not all brands can do and offer the same for you. Surprisingly it really does work! And can lasts longer than you expect! Some of the comments regarding this brand, “Rogue. It was made with magical unicorn hair that gave me double unders”, “I have a Rogue one for the past 4 years and it is really amazing doing its job!”.
Rapide Jump Rope– For what it’s worth and quality, this jump rope isn’t bad at all! For its cheap price, you can only purchase it below $1o usd, and you are good to go! This enables you to have a decent jumping rope experience without breaking the bank haha! A CrossFitter have been using this jump rope and particularly mentioned, “It is Under $10, comes with 2 different rope weight choices. The heavier one really helped when learning dubs and I recently switched to the lighter rope. Love it the same”.
Survival and Cross Jump-Tried and tested by some CrossFitters out there, It may not be as famous as much as the other brands but you can still be confident while using this rope! You can work out your speed and endurance nicely with this rope, perfect for cross-overs, criss-crosses and tricks and can definitely be your gear for a killer cardio workout! And has built to lasts a lifetime, as long as you wont intentionally cut them off right haha!
Jumping rope
is a great deal and a perfect travel buddy while we stay on fit!
