Your smartphone is about to help you crush your next WOD. Enter MyMobility, an app designed to educate CrossFit beginners on how to jump into the popular workout regimen. Plus, veterans of the functional fitness program will pick up some mobility tips and tricks. The brainchild of CrossFit pro athlete Noah Ohlsen and several other coaches, the app includes suggestions for pre-workout warm-ups and post-workout recovery that complement common CrossFit movements.
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“For CrossFit, as opposed to other exercise routines, movement and positioning is really important,” says Noah Ohlsen, the 8th Fittest Man in the World at the 2014 CrossFit Games. “A lot of beginners need to work on their squat,” he says. “If you know that your hips are what’s tight and are causing trouble with the squat, you can go to the recovery section [of the app] and hit ‘Hips.’”
Drop It Like a Squat
No clue where to start when it comes to mastering movements like the muscle-up, deadlift, double under and more? MyMobility serves up useful information for learning correct techniques. Tap a movement and you’ll have the option to learn activation exercises, warm-up and cool-down stretches and mobility drills that will help you maximize your workout.
Activation exercises will prep the muscles that need to fire at full speed during your workout.
Activation exercises, such as glute brides and rotational lunges will help ensure your body is limber enough to properly execute key movements like the clean and squat. It’s also an effective way to adequately prep the muscles that will need to fire at full speed during your workout.
Used to holding static stretches before jumping in? It’s time to un-learn those old P.E. routines. You don’t want to stretch out too much before attempting your next PR, Ohlsen warns. “You want to activate rather than loosen,” he says. “Static stretches [e.g. a quad or calf stretch] are better suited for after a workout.”
Ohlsen and CrossFit coach and personal trainer Courtney Bubeck also demonstrate proper form for each and every movement in the app. You’ll finally know the difference between a clean, jerk and chest-to-bar without frantically Googling each move when you see them listed in tomorrow’s WOD. Newbies can study the moves before even stepping into the local box.
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Plus, the recovery section of the app recommends specific stretches to loosen up any tight areas you may have. Learn how to perform self-myofascial release (self-massage) with a foam roller or lacrosse ball to relieve muscle tension. By recovering properly after a tough WOD, you’ll be better prepared to hit it just as hard next time, too.
Ready to rock those snatches? Learn more about MyMobility here, or download it on iOS or Android for $2.99.