VO2 max is an individual’s maximum utilization of oxygen during exercise. It remains the gold standard for measuring an individual’s cardiovascular fitness, but this measurement is also strongly correlated to our health and lifespan. Authors have shown VO2 max is a better predictor of future health than commonly utilized tests such as blood work and...
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS If you’ve done enough workouts in the CrossFit Open, you know one thing is almost guaranteed: double unders will show up when your heart rate is already through the roof. The difference between smooth sets and frustrating trip-ups often comes down to how well your ankles, calves, and reactive...
By: Rani Helvey-Byers, PT, DPT, OCS As climbers, we like to torture our shoulders by placing them in extreme positions and then asking them to generate an immense amount of force in said positions. Because of this, we can’t just train our shoulders in one plane. If we want resilient shoulders, we need to at...
Exercise has tremendous effects on our physical, mental, and emotional health. It also remains one of our most powerful strategies to reduce pain. We can all attest to the overall great feelings that occur after a challenging workout or activity. This reduction in mental, emotional, or physical pain after a single bout of exercise is...
By: Ian Nay, PT, DPT, OCS CrossFit, Olympic weightlifting, and powerlifting are highly effective for developing strength, power output, and work capacity, but from a biomechanical perspective, these three training styles are heavily biased toward the sagittal plane of motion. The sagittal plane involves forward-and-backward or vertical movement patterns, which dominate foundational lifts such as...
By: Megan Davis, PT, DPT, OCS A common question I get asked when I am working out at CrossFit or working with my patients who also participate in Crossfit is how to keep our shoulders more stable to withstand the demands of CrossFit? It is recommended to have at least 1-3 strict pull ups before...
Low back pain is a frequent challenge for athletes who place high demands on their bodies, especially gymnasts, CrossFit athletes, golfers, climbers, and those involved in team sports. These athletes often combine heavy loading, explosive power, rotation, and end-range positions — all of which require the spine to transfer force efficiently. When mobility, strength, or...
Aerobic exercise continues to be our best intervention to improve cardiovascular fitness/VO2 max, metabolic health, and disease risk. Over 20 diseases have been shown to benefit from properly prescribed aerobic exercise. Despite the health benefits only 25% of Americans reach the recommended amount of exercise each week. The number one barrier for exercise participation in...
By: Rani Helvey-Byers, PT, DPT, OCS If you’ve been told you have osteopenia or osteoporosis, it’s natural to feel cautious about movement—especially anything involving weights. Many women are advised to “be careful,” “avoid heavy lifting,” or stick to walking and light exercise. In reality, this advice is not only outdated, but may be doing you...
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS Background For most of my life, osteoporosis felt like something I would deal with later. Something for my future self. Something that showed up in your 60s after a doctor ordered a DEXA scan and told you your bones were fragile. But bone loss does not suddenly appear at...