As CrossFitters we tend have a strong will power when it comes to exercise. We tend to give 100% effort in the gym. We have come to love the “drop to the floor” feeling after we finish a conditioning WOD or nail a max effort lift. That is a good thing. However when it comes to training movements (muscle up, handstand, pistol, etc) that are not as simple as say a back squat, or a “as fast as you can” 500m row…you might have noticed that “will power” does not apply. You try and try but no matter what you do, it doesn’t seem like you are getting anywhere. Here is a way to effectively tackle those movements and beat the frustration. It is called “greasing the groove” and is a very simple concept.
Specificity + Frequent Practice = Success.
In other words, work smarter not harder. There are times to push your limits and times when you need to slow down. (sometimes it is harder to do the later) When it comes to learning new skills, doing less, more often is much more effective. Let us explain…but first a nerdy blurp from the guy who developed the GtG concept
Muscle failure is more than unnecessary – it is counterproductive! Neuroscientists have known for half a century that if you stimulate a neural pathway, say the bench press groove, and the outcome is positive, future benching will be easier, thanks to the so-called Hebbian rule. The groove has been ‘greased’. Next time the same amount of mental effort will result in a heavier bench. This is training to success! The opposite is also true. If your body fails to perform your brain’s command, the groove will get ‘rusty’. You are pushing as hard as usual, but the muscles contract weaker then before! To paraphrase powerlifting champ Dr. Terry Todd, if you are training to failure, you are training to fail.
Putting the Concept To Practice
The key take away to GtG is frequent practice of the same exercise. There is more than “will power” going on here…you are training your nervous system to use your muscles in the movement you are trying to complete. Ever wonder why you could press a barbell over your head but still can’t do a damn pullup! …You certainly are strong enough, you just need to give your nervous system a pep talk.
So let’s talk about how to make that happen.
EHOH
We all have done an EMOM (every minute on the minute) but here is a practice you can use to finally reach success with your handstand or strict pullup lust. Every hour on the hour attempt the movement you are trying to learn. If it is a handstand, hold for a set of how ever long you can…but not to failure. If you are trying to do HSPUs then make an attempt. If it doesnt happen the first time (and it most likely will not) try again the next hour, and then the next. If you keep up with this practice (and it doesn’t need to be perfect, just consistent) you might find yourself finally finding some progress and who know success with finally nailing it.
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