“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” -Bruce Lee
Prelude athletes Bryan, Andrew, and Connor working on their strict pull-ups. Master the strict before you kip!
In our pursuit of mastery, be it in a sport or a career, we must first develop an understanding of the basics. In a career setting this could mean learning about the computer software that your company utilizes. In the sport of Crossfit, it means moving and proficiently executing movements such as the air squat, the deadlift, or even a push-up. The majority of movements that we encounter in Crossfit stem from basic movement patterns. However, the development and mastery of these foundational skills are often stunted by the desire to skip to the next progression of a movement, which is generally more complex, thus more attractive to the athlete. We see our fellow athletes stringing together toes-to-bar effortlessly, so naturally we want to do the same. But if you are still learning how to perform kipping knees-to-chest, how can you expect to master toes-to-bar?
Do not fall into the trap or habit of skipping steps. MASTER THE BASICS. The more time you spend practicing and honing those foundational skills the better you will be at the next movement progression! Even when you feel that you have mastered the basics, continuously revisit and refine them.
Walk before you run. Practice, have patience, and trust the process.