The Patrick Vellner Issue (Free Preview)

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k c i r t a P r e n l l e V dium o p e h t r o built f

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6 ODD OBJECTS TO ADD TO YOUR TRAINING

the front Squat 5 exercises to

strengthen this lift

5-minute benchmarks 9 short Benchmark wods to test your fitness

Overhead Press

Gainz a killer 4-Week Program

SELF ESTEEM VS. CONFIDENCE

UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE IN TRAINING

PLUS A SAVORY BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER BITES RECIPE

#LIVETHEBOXLIFE

THE CAULIFLOWER ADVANTAGE

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BECAUSE THE LIFESTYLE DOESN’T END WHEN YOU LEAVE THE BOX...

WHAT’S INSIDE...

Cover Photo By Training Day Media

March/April 2019

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PATRICK VELLNER

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FEATURED WOD: MAX EFFORT 100 wall balls & 100 kettlebell swings with a fun twist.

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IMPROVING THE FRONT SQUAT Accessory exercises for strength, wrist mobility and a stronger posterior chain.

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SELF ESTEEM VS. CONFIDENCE Understanding the difference can have a positive impact on your training.

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INCREASING OVERHEAD PRESSING STRENGTH There’s at least 4 solid reasons to follow this 4-week plan to press heavier weight overhead.

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QUICK TESTS OF FITNESS 9 benchmark WODs under 5-minutes.

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6 ODD OBJECTS TO ADD TO YOUR TRAINING

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ATHLETE PROFILE: PATRICK VELLNER Ready for 2019, Vellner shares his journey to the podium and why we should revisit how we spend our time in relation to achieving our goals.

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THE CAULIFLOWER ADVANTAGE Why adding more cauliflower to your diet is a good idea. Plus, a killer buffalo cauliflower bites recipe.

“It’s all about time management and prioritizing what things need your time because time is something you don’t get back.”

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THE FRONT SQUAT

From strength to mobility, five accessory exercises to improve your front squat.

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OVERHEAD PRESS GAINZ

A 4-week program designed to increase your overhead pressing strength.

21 GOT 5 MINUTES?

Test aspects of your fitness with these benchmark workouts.

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ACCESSORY WORK TO IMPROVE THE

FRONT SQUAT 4

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he front squat is a valuable exercise for building stronger quads and a better clean. Compared to the back squat, it takes more work to develop, requiring excellent mobility in the wrists and shoulders—not to mention strength in the posterior chain and core. So just as we perform accessory work to build our back squat and overhead squat, so too must we incorporate drills to improve our front squat.

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1. FRONT RACK LUNGES & FRONT RACK BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUATS

These two exercises are great for developing the front squat for several reasons. They’re both unilateral movements that help identify muscular imbalances and strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and hip rotators in both legs. Furthermore, any time you can perform a drill outside of the front squat that requires holding the barbell in the front rack position, you’re going to feel more comfortable with the position. Considering that front rack lunges and Bulgarian squats also force you to maintain a vertical torso as you perform them, these two movements have tremendous carryover to the positioning you need to execute a solid front squat.

Performing the front rack lunge With the barbell in the front rack position, take one step forward. Pause briefly, then lower your back knee to the ground, while keeping your elbows up and bracing your core to ensure you maintain a vertical torso. Drive out through your front heel to stand, then repeat with the opposite leg.

Performing the Bulgarian split squat With the barbell in the front rack position, place one foot on a box or bench behind you. Try not to have your foot higher than three feet off the ground. With your front foot flat on the ground and chest raised high, lower your body to allow your back knee to touch the ground, then drive through your front heel to return to the starting position.

2. WIDE-GRIP PULL-UPS, BENT OVER ROWS & PALLOF PRESSES

While leg strength is obviously important for any type of squat, if you don’t have the necessary core and lat strength to keep your torso vertical and the bar stable in the front rack position, your leg strength won’t matter one bit. These three exercises are fantastic for building stability and strength in those precise areas, making them valuable additions to your front squat accessory work.

Performing wide-grip pull-ups: Moving your hands out wider than your normal pull-up grip width places more emphasis on your lats and the muscles in your back to lift a greater percentage of your body weight. In a close-grip position, you use more of your shoulders and elbows while your biceps and pecs take some of the load off your lats.

Performing bent over rows: Deadlift the barbell with your hands in a clean-grip position. Hinge forward at the hips so that your back is at a 45-degree angle to the ground, yet still remains flat. Allow the bar to drift away from your thighs. Tense your abs, and pull the bar towards your sternum. Don’t jerk the weight— move it in a controlled fashion.

Performing Pallof Presses: This exercise is designed to be performed on a cable machine, but using a resistance band will work just as well. Attach a moderate to light resistance band to the bottom of a squat rack or rig. Take the loose end of the band, and step outward so that the rig is to your side. There should be some tension on the band. Hold it with both hands close to your BOXLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

chest, sternum level. Squeeze your abs and press the band away from you, fully extending both arms. Hold this position for a few seconds and return the band to the starting position.

3. HANDS-FREE FRONT SQUATS

This is a great drill for teaching people to keep their shoulders raised and torsos vertical during the front squat. When we perform the front squat, we don’t want to death-grip the bar. Our hands are there for support—the weight moves depending on the strength of your legs and core, as well as body positioning. If your chest, shoulders or elbows drop, the movement becomes far more difficult to execute. Hands-free front squats are a great way of reinforcing proper body positioning.

Performing hands-free front squats With a light barbell stationed on a squat rack, step into the rack with your arms extended out in front of you like a zombie, palms facing each other. Position the bar on your deltoids, and keep your arms elevated so that the bar stays in the front rack groove.

Carefully step away from the rack, and perform a regular front squat. Keep your arms elevated throughout to avoid the bar rolling forward.

4. FRONT SQUAT ISOMETRIC HOLDS

Isometric training consists of the muscle contracting without changing length in a static position. For the front squat, this means holding a barbell in the front rack position without squatting. This means you can add more weight than your 1-rep max to the bar, which forces your body to recruit more motor units in order for your muscles to contract. This allows for significant strength gains in all of your stabilizing muscles, and it helps you get more comfortable at handling heavier loads.

5. WRIST MOBILITY WORK

The amount of stress and tension being placed on the wrists from heavy weight during a front squat can create a lot of pain, and when combined with a lack of attention to the flexibility of the joint (not to mention working on a computer all day) this can quickly lead to poor wrist mobility, an inability to get into the front rack position—thereby limiting one’s capability to execute a lift—and the risk of creating further damage and injury, making regular wrist stretches so important.

Wrist Rotations: Wrap your fingers together and move your wrists around in every possible direction. Hold any position that feels a little tender/limited for a few seconds. Repeat often throughout the day.

Prayers: Stand up and place your hands together in front of you, as if in prayer. Maintaining contact between your hands, lower them. Go as far as you can. The longer you can keep your hands together, the better you’ll stretch the wrists. At the bottom, reverse things so that your fingers point downward and your hands remain together. Bring your hands back up.

Static Holds: Pull your wrist back into extension and/or flexion and hold for at least 20-30 seconds. Switch and repeat.

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Increasing

Overhead Pressing Strength A 4-Week Program How much can you overhead press?

While most CrossFit athletes know their PRs in the squat, deadlift, snatch, and clean and jerk, few probably know how much weight they can strict press overhead. Is it because they just don’t consider overhead pressing strength that important? Probably not. It’s more likely due to the fact that many athletes simply don’t place enough attention in their training to strict strength. However, it’s the strict press that forms the foundation for all pressing movements—which includes exercises such as the push-up, bench press and handstand push-up. So, what’s the value in improving our pressing strength, and how can we go about making it happen?

By Damect Dominguez

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Improved strength The clean and press used to be the first lift in Olympic Weightlifting and was once deemed the movement that could best identify an athlete’s strength and power. If you want to be impressed, YouTube Belgian weightlifter Serge Reding clean and pressing 502lbs!

Since the 1970’s, the clean and jerk is now recognized as the most efficient way to get heavy loads overhead. The primary reason why a strict press is such a valuable tool for improving strength is that is a compound movement, which means that it involves more than one joint (and therefore more than one muscle group). In the strict press, the elbow and shoulder joints are doing most of the work, which means the surrounding musculature—the biceps, triceps, pecs, and muscles of the rotator cuff—are all being put to Athletes at the 2018 CrossFit Games competed in the CrossFit Total which includes the total amount work simultaneously. When multiple muscles are worked in a lift, your body lifted in the deadlift, squat and strict press. Tia-Clair Toomey, 2018 & 2017 CFG champion, (pictured here) strict pressed 130lbs in the event. secretes higher levels of testosterone and human growth hormone—which Can help protect against injury (when done correctly) are both vital for muscular development. And, the more muscles Quick history lesson. In 1972, the International Olympic you can put under active mechanical tension, the greater impact Weightlifting Committee voted to eliminate the press from you’ll have on the hypertrophy of said muscles. In addition, official competition, citing the lift was causing a large number of consider the muscles that must work to stabilize your torso as back injuries. But, according to the late weightlifting coach and you press and hold weight overhead. Your quads, glutes, abs and strength legend Bill Starr, the real reason was that “the judges traps must all be engaged to stabilize the knees, hips and back. at international contests were using the press as a political tool Needless to say, the press targets a huge amount of musculature, against their hated rivals.” Starr provides a fascinating read which means that as you get stronger in the press, you get on the topic, but essentially Olympic Weightlifting started to stronger overall. see a flurry of crooked judging centering on the press, with judges allowing “ridiculous back bends” to pass, when they Has tremendous carryover to other movements should have been flagged as a failed lift. The point I’m trying to By getting stronger in the press, you’ll see improvements in the make is this: when bad judging allowed lifters to press weight push press and push jerk, push-ups, handstand push-ups and by hyperextending their back, the press got a bad rep as a the bench press, to name a few. It’s also a great movement to help you in sports where you are required to transmit force from movement that could cause injury. And it can cause injury, if performed incorrectly. But when done properly, the press can the ground through to your hands—like blocking and tackling help protect the shoulder joint from injury by strengthening the in football and rugby, hitting a serve in tennis, or throwing a rotator cuff, scapula and upper back. baseball.

Highlights imbalances in shoulder and back strength Unlike the bench press—which has (perhaps erroneously) become a far more popular exercise—the strict press is done in a standing position, which means your back has no object to use for support. In fact, the bench press can mask imbalances in your back and shoulder strength because of the stabilizing platform you’re lying against. But you have no such luxury in the overhead press, which is why so many athletes get confused when they can’t press 35% of their bench. The press also helps keep your anterior and posterior shoulder strength in balance.

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A 4-week Plan to Increase Overhead Pressing Strength The goal of this 4-week plan is simple: to improve your overhead pressing strength. Every week you’ll complete two sessions, each about 30-45 minutes long. Try to keep at least two days between each session; you can follow the program Monday and Thursday, for example. There are no percentages in this program. Lift as heavy as possible with good form for the prescribed number of reps. If rest time is not specified, rest as long as needed. And of course, be consistent and follow through until the end of the four weeks. It will pay off!

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1. 100 KETTLEBELL SWINGS FOR TIME (53/35)

2. 1-MINUTE MAX EFFORT BIKE CALORIES

Kettlebell swings are a go-to full-body movement, but have you ever tested your grip holding on to a kettlebell until you couldn’t? Put your grip strength and hip explosiveness to the test and give this one a try. See how many unbroken sets it takes you to get to 100, and reduce those each time you test. Swings can really only go so fast, so the time between sets is what makes the difference here. Experiment with a snatch-style swing, drawing the kettlebell close to the body and up overhead instead of in a wide arch out.

Yep, this one’s going to hurt.

How deep into the pain cave can you go? It’s only sixty seconds, but after about thirty, you know you’ll feel like you’ve been on the devil’s tricycle for an hour. Push through. This is a mental challenge you can overcome! This is also an exercise where an improvement of 1-2 calories is a huge jump.

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3. SHOULDER DISLOCATES Are overhead movements a struggle for you? Measure your shoulder mobility progress every so often to see if the work you’re putting in is paying off. Use a permanent marker to draw inch lines on a PVC pipe.

Then, making sure each thumb is touching a mark, complete three PVC pass-throughs at a comfortable distance. Then, move one thumb out an inch and try again. Continue until you find a “sticky” spot where you can’t complete a full pass-through and pack. The previous measurement is your max shoulder dislocate.

4. 100 ABMAT SIT-UPS FOR TIME How hard could this possibly be? Half the movement is laying down! In all seriousness, you can get an idea of core strength as well as hip flexor mobility by benchmarking AbMat situps.

This is a movement that can’t be sped up too much, so this is about muscle fatigue over time.

5. 400-METER RUN Okay former track stars, this is your time to shine. Knowing your 400-meter pace is a great benchmark for all types of running WODs. Extrapolate to get an idea of what to expect for your Murph mile. Give yourself a few seconds slack, and you’ll have an idea by how much you could PR your next Helen (3 rounds, 400m run, 21 kettlebell swings, 12 pull-ups) time.

6. MAX UNBROKEN DOUBLE-UNDERS In a double-under WOD, sometimes the difference maker on the leaderboard lies in who could go unbroken each round. Establish your baseline max unbroken doubleunders. This is one you can easily test each week, as you won’t be hurting the next day from it.

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The Tenacious

Patrick Vellner BU I LT

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P ODI UM

Interview by Damect Dominguez photos by Training Day Media @trainingdaymedia

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Your coach is six-time CrossFit Games veteran and fellow Canadian Michelle Letendre. How was the transition from her being a fellow athlete to becoming your coach?

PV: I trained and lived with Michelle for a month before the 2016 CrossFit Games, so we’ve gotten to know each other well I’d say. Having just retired, it was a big commitment for her to take on a Games level athlete since she was just launching her project.

Given our relationship though, the timing was perfect. Things worked out really well. We have very opposite strengths so when we work out together she kicks my ass in some things and I kick her ass in others. I have plenty to learn from her. It was a nobrainer for me, honestly.

There needs to be a lot of trust for this kind of relationship to work. We don’t see each other all the time, so she trusts that I’ll do what I have to do, and I have to trust in her ability to plan, program and periodize, because that’s what I’m relying on her for. If I ever have any questions, on anything, I just ask. We nail down the purpose and expectations of the programming, so I know what she was thinking when she programmed it and I can execute the workout the way she intended.

The one thing I value most about our relationship is her lack of ego. She’s willing to take feedback from me and I think it’s because she’s been in that position before as an athlete with coaches who’ve been less receptive to feedback. I think it’s a good practice for coaches to communicate the goal of a workout. I do 99% of everything she tells me to do and maybe a little bit extra.

I only say 99% because maybe I can’t fit in a drive to the lake for a swim, but I do everything she tells me to do. I’ll go to the gym on a Sunday at 8pm and I get it done, even if it’s inconvenient.

That’s what I signed up for, and Michelle trusts that I’m going to do what I need to do and that’s what our partnership is.

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What does a typical day look like for you?

PV: I usually train for about two hours a day. I use my time wisely. I’ve had to turn down some opportunities because of school, but I wouldn’t trade it. I value education a lot. It sets a good example, for those in the community who can’t put everything down to train for the Games. I train a little less during exams, but, training does help my brain. It helps me be more efficient when I go back to studying. More than anything, it has taught me how to schedule my time. It’s tough, but you make time to do what you want to do. There’s no secret. I just do it. I find or make the time, and I still have time at night to watch a Netflix show. You have to make the decision and commit to it.

How do you fit it all into your schedule?

PV: Between sets, I’m setting up the next part of the workout.

I take 5-10 minutes to warm up. If after a metcon, I’m gassed, then I’ll put away plates during my rest. But during my training I’m usually always setting up or putting away another part of my training. If I’m doing an EMOM, I’ll use the 20 seconds remaining to roll plates across the gym. I keep it moving. I know I have 120 minutes to complete “x” amount of work, and that’s just how I just how I do it.

In my opinion, what kills people is transition time. I can wake up, have breakfast and be at school in one hour. If you take longer than that, I feel you’re just wasting time. In the morning, my bag is packed. I warm up, get in and do what I have to do. I tell myself if 40 minutes in, I’m not by part C then I’m not going to have time to do XYZ. Once I’m done, I pack my bag and head home. Once I’m home, I’ll do an assignment for school, or eat, watch some Netflix and get to bed.

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TRAINING LIKE PATRICK VELLNER

Ever wonder what the training schedule of one of the fittest athletes looks like? Here’s a sneak peak at some of Patrick Vellner’s training days.

DAY 1

DAY 2

SESSION 1 GYMNASTICS Muscle-up Complex 4 Sets 2 Strict False-grip Chin-ups 2 Strict Muscle-up Transitions 4-6 Strict Ring Dips

SESSION 1 WEIGHTLIFTING Clean & Jerk 6 x 4+1 @ 80%

GYMNASTICS EMOM 5 Minutes 5 Muscle-ups GYMNASTICS Handstand Walk Build yourself an obstacle course (plate pyramid, ramp if you have one, paralettes, etc.)

4x Obstacle Course, 50’ METCON 5 Rounds for Time Assault Bike 20/15 Calorie 15 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups 10 Power Snatches (155/115) Rest Exactly 4 Minutes 50 Box Jump Overs (30/24) (Move box forward every 10 reps) ACCESSORY 4 Rounds 8 Kettlebell Snatches (Right Arm) 25’ Overhead Walking Lunges 8 Kettlebell Snatches (Left Arm) 25’ Walking Lunges, not for time. Go Heavy (32/24) SESSION 2 CONDITIONING Each Round for Time 3 Rounds Row 1000 Meters Ski 750 Meters ACCESSORY 5 Sets 10 Dumbbell Bulgarian Deadlifts Per Leg (70/50) 50’ Sled Push at Heavy but Non-stop Increments of 25’ 25’ Seated Sled Pull Hand Over Hand BOXLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

WEIGHTLIFTING Push Jerk 5x4 @ 70% (Based off best Clean & Jerk above) METCON 5 Rounds for Time 10 Weighted Burpee Stepovers (50/35) 4 Rope Climbs SESSION 2 CONDITIONING 4 Rounds 1000m Bike Erg 50 Heavy Rope Double-unders Sprint Conditioning SPRINT CONDITIONING 5 Rounds 60-second Max Cal Bike Erg 8 Burpee Box Jump Overs Rest 3 minutes between rounds.

MOVEMENT CONDITIONING 5 x 10 Dumbbell Overhead Squats Per Arm

Follow Patrick Vellner on Instagram @pvellner

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BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER BITES

Servings: 2-3 Total Prep & Cook Time: 40 minutes Gluten-free – Dairy-free – Grain-free INGREDIENTS • 1 medium head of cauliflower • 1 cup superfine almond meal • 1 tablespoon garlic powder • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon pepper • 2 large eggs • Olive oil cooking spray • Gallon-sized zipper bag • Your choice of homemade or store bough hot sauce (We love Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce) INSTRUCTIONS • Preheat oven to 400ºF and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, preferably olive oil.

THE CAULIFLOWER ADVANTAGE

W

hether you’ve always been a fan of cauliflower or are just being introduced to it as a lower carb alternative to rice and potatoes, the advent of healthier eating trends has helped cauliflower enter a renaissance with cooks, professional to amateur, finding creative ways on how to prepare, cook and present this once upon a time boring vegetable.

Cauliflower is one of the world’s most nutrient dense vegetables, rich in essential vitamins, such as C and K, as well as being a dense source of fiber, manganese and antioxidants, protecting your cells from free radicals and inflammation. Specifically, cauliflower is rich in sulforaphane, an antioxidant which has been found to be particularly helpful for suppressing cancer development by inhibiting enzymes that are involved in cancer and tumor growth. Given cauliflower contains almost every vitamin and mineral our bodies need, adding it to our diets will help our bodies run at optimum levels.

When picking cauliflower, be patient and know what to look for: • Quality cauliflower has a dense, heavy and satiny stem.

• Inspect that the leaves surrounding the florets are fresh and green.

• Look for a cauliflower that appears tight and compact.

• Warning signs for an inferior cauliflower include dark spots on the stems or

leaves, as well as the presence of mildew.

Requiring little preparation, cauliflower is delicious raw as a grab and go snack, dipped in hummus, or your dip of choice. You can also cook cauliflower in a variety of ways, though it’s preferable not to boil it as you may lose some its nutrients. Steamed, roasted and sautéed cauliflower makes for an excellent side dish, soup or main course. From cauliflower pizza crust and cauliflower tacos to cauliflower fried rice and even buffalo cauliflower “wings”, there’s never been more reasons to eat your veggies, especially if it’s cauliflower.

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• Wash and cut cauliflower florets into “wing-sized” pieces. Set aside.

• In a gallon-sized baggie, mix almond flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.

Shake well to mix flavors.

• Crack eggs in a bowl and whisk.

• Dip cauliflower into the egg mixture and thoroughly coat.

Transfer into gallon-sized bag.

• Shake bag well to coat cauliflower with rub.

• Transfer cauliflower onto baking sheet and spreading evenly. Spray cauliflower with olive oil cooking spray or drizzle on some olive oil.

• Bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes.

Remove and flip cauliflower. Bake 10 additional minutes. When cauliflower is done baking, toss in buffalo sauce, making sure all pieces are coated.

• Place cauliflower back on baking sheet and then bake at 400ºF for 3-5 more minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve alone or with your dipping sauce, celery and carrots.

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