During any given class CrossFit class, you’ll likely hear the words pop those hips, open the hip at the top, or big jump at some point during class. Whether we are practicing kettebell swings, cleans, snatches, thrusters or reviewing the full range of motion for the deadlift, squat, or box jumps, there is a noticeable emphasis on the hip and using the lower body to get heavy weights off the ground. The hip is a large and powerful hinge that allows you to transfer the power of your legs and glutes to the rest of your body.
You may also hear the word functional, as in functional fitness or functional movement. We define functional movements, in this case, as ones that mimic movements that happen in real life such getting up from a chair, lifting heavy things off the ground, putting things on a shelf above your head, pulling or pushing something, etc.
The third and final phrase that is uttered multiple times, to every person in every class is…sit back on your heels! By keeping your bodyweight on your midfoot and heel and over your center of gravity, the power from your legs can then shoot straight up through your body, rather than back or forth as you steady yourself.
Why do we continue to hammer these fundamental concepts into your head? Because we are preparing your body for life outside of our gym and we are preserving your body for the future. By learning the elemental movements correctly, you will be able to do the things you love, play sports, pick up your kids, and stay active and independent into your senior years.
Until recently, I thought that was the long and short of it. While I understood the phrase “CrossFit can save your life…literally”, I wasn’t sure I wanted to adopt it as my own catchphrase. It just seemed a little over the top and I thought it was more applicable to the elderly, troubled youth, or the obese. My experience this weekend changed all of that.
I attended a self defense seminar on Sunday at Crossfit Tribe, taught by Defend University’s “Fight Like a Girl” self defense program. The seminar started off pretty slow and basic, and there was a lot of statistics, theory, and anecdotes…*yawn*. Then we got on the mats and started to learn some simple and super effective moves to maneuver yourself out of any dangerous situation. We learned how to escape being pinned to the ground, choked, grabbed from behind, attacked from the side or front, dragged on the ground, and sat on with full bodyweight.
As we rotated from partner to partner, practicing the moves, something happened to each of the girls in the room. One by one, the awkward apologies (“Oops, did I push you too hard?”) and timid body movements (our kicks were so ‘girly’), morphed into full contact, full force attack simulations. By the end of the class, women ranging in weight from 100lbs to over 200lbs we ‘choking’, grabbing, and attacking their partners to make the simulations feel as real as possible. Although the adrenaline didn’t really start pumping, there were definitely some moments of intensity when all I could think was “Get the #*&% off me, NOW”.
And how did we get people off of us? How could we, these small, timid girls, push a 200lb+ attacker off of us? By popping our hips, and using the full force of our lower bodies to move the weight just an inch to two…long enough to maneuver around the person and assume a position of power over them.
The same hip pop that’s used to move the barbell a few inches up while you dip down under it in a clean, is identical to the aggressive movement that you would use to push an attacker just a few inches. And a few inches and a split second is all you need to escape a potentially lethal situation.
In addition to the hip pop, there was an emphasis on drawing your knees as close to your body as possible before kicking your legs (similar to the bottom position of a squat), and by kicking through the heel, not the front of the foot, when you’re lying on your back. Kicking through the heels packs more power, preserves the knees, and allows you to turn a flailing appendage into a dangerous weapon with the weight of your whole body behind it. The difference between kicking with your foot, and kicking with your legs, glutes, and back, can be the difference between harm and safety.
After 3 hours of simulations, I now know that an integral part in protecting your life from an attacker is to pop your hips and keep the weight (or the kick) on your heels. There is absolutely no other way to effectively escape the grip or weight of a strong attacker.
How’s THAT for function fitness?
Feel free to share a story of how/when you’ve used any of the principles or movements that you’ve learned through CrossFit, in your regular life. Non-members, and seasoned CrossFitters feel free to chime in as well!
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