Written by Rosie Rosie Walker
In 2005 Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, wrote an open letter to all CrossFit trainers explaining the importance of fundamental movements.
He began the letter defining risk and virtuosity. His definition of virtuosity within a fitness context has always stuck with me, “Doing the common uncommonly well”; True mastery of a movement no matter how simplistic it is.
Again and again, we see athletes keen to move onto the next level when a foundation isn’t yet fully established. Glassman describes this as “The novice’s curse—the rush to originality and risk.” It happens too often that we move away from the basics and toward more elaborate, more sophisticated movements, skills, or techniques too early leading to an increased chance of injury, delays advancement and progress.
It is also true for us as coaches to want to move our members towards advanced, fancy movements too early. “Teaching a snatch where there is not yet an overhead squat, or an overhead squat where there is not yet an air squat.”
Our team of coaches work hard to give you the best service possible & take time to work with each individual before coming into a group setting. It is important to understand that when we pull you back to basics, no matter how long you have been doing CrossFit, we are doing it to make you better not bring you down.
Mastery of all movements is a lifelong journey, and sometimes it may be that we may already know our faults. However, it is our job as coaches to encourage continuous work where it is needed. Working on a better front rack position, getting deeper in that squat, spending time on the ‘fundamentals’. We want virtuosity.