Technique takes years to master, and it’s not only for those new to CrossFit. Seasoned veterans must also give regular attention to their technique in order to avoid injury and get the most out of training. Improving in this area takes concentrated effort, which isn’t always easy. Perhaps you have at times struggled to understand what you’re doing wrong and how to fix it when a coach has worked with you in class. Video recording is a useful tool that can speed up the learning process. Here’s how:
You can see the problem. In order to fix a problem, you must first know what it is that you’re trying to fix. Oftentimes, we as coaches will use our own body to show what the athlete is doing incorrectly, then demonstrate what we want them to do instead. A video allows you to see exactly how you move, and can make analyzing the problem and finding a solution easier.
Your bodily awareness improves. In the same vein as the previous point, when a coach points out a movement fault, you can’t exactly have an out of body experience to see what they are seeing. All you have to go off of is how it felt. Recording yourself will help you to connect what movement feels like with what it looks like. Simply put, you will over time learn what proper technique feels like versus what improper technique feels like. This point of reference will leave you better prepared to apply the coaching you receive in class.
Higher skill movements become less scary. In a way, recording and analyzing your own movement is like coaching yourself. The more you do it, the more you will understand the movements you are performing. This, in turn, will make learning new skills less intimidating and easier to pick up.
Better technique means better performance, and who doesn’t want that? I invite you all to pick one movement you struggle with and record yourself performing it before or after class. What do you think you can improve on? What is the input of your coach? Experiment a bit and see what you find! You may be surprised how helpful recording yourself actually is.
