Have you seen or heard of “Pukie the Clown?”  This is actually a mascot commonly associated with CrossFit.  Not the official mascot of 7070 (this we reserve for any well behaved “box dog”).  And not because we don’t put a high value on metabolic conditioning; it’s just that it might be easy for one to associate “Pukie” with the following:

• Rx the WOD at all costs
• Constantly ripped hands
• If you’re not on the floor at the end, you didn’t go hard enough
• We don’t say “I can’t!”
• Other similar things we don’t emphasize at 7070.

And while we do appreciate someone doing a “Brown level” WOD for the first time, or the fact that the fist bump at the end feels a little more deserved if you’re laying on the ground, it’s just that these “Pukie-isms” are not the main mission here at 7070.

What is the main mission?  You can read more about that HERE.  But what it comes down to is we need you to be able to move better, to feel better, and to ultimately become better versions of yourself through fitness.  So while CF is and should be for everyone, that’s only the case if it is done safely.  Because it’s hard to get fit when you can’t be in the gym.  So don’t let Pukie make you stay home because you’re too sore, or you did too much weight in a metcon, or you did the movement wrong just to get a better “score”.

Safety is a big reason we brought in Level Method.  There are rules and gateways to advancing through the MAP. Take squat endurance for instance.  At Yellow II, you’ll see “20 air squats in :60”.  That comes down to 1 air squat every :03.  Not a blistering pace, but definitely something to give the athlete a good burn by the end.  But it also gives the athlete a chance for virtuosity (doing something common uncommonly well).  So every single one of these squats the athlete gets below parallel, and is able to hit all the points of performance (feet shoulder width apart, lumbar curve maintained, etc…).  And then, and only then, can or even should the athlete be able to try the next levels, which include air squat tabatas, bulgarian split squats, and ultimately 20 back squats at least 1.0x/0.9x BW (aka the “widow maker”).

Chances are if you’ve been a member of 7070 for any length of time, you’ve had a chance to put yourself to the test with one of these Level Method workouts.  And chances are you’ve experience some major bright spots.  But like anything that is worthwhile in life, Level Method is not easy and so you’ve also likely experienced some failed attempts, or even (Heaven forbid) a level down!

But that’s okay…because would you want to be able to squat really fast, or squat really well?  At 7070, we need better…we don’t necessarily need more.

So, next time you’re able to squat all the way down to look under the couch for that cheeto you dropped (nutrition blog coming later), understand that you worked hard for that mobility!  You are a certified virtuoso at air squats…whether that’s at Yellow 2 or eventually a Black 2, you’re becoming a better version of yourself and enjoying the process!

See you in the gym,

Mark