In the world of functional fitness, gymnastics movements like muscle-ups, toes-to-bars, and handstand walks can feel like the final boss. They’re flashy, technical, and often the difference between an RX or scaled workout. But for many athletes, these skills seem just out of reach—despite solid strength and conditioning elsewhere. So what’s the missing piece? In this week’s episode of the …
Preparing for the 2025 Open WODs If you aim to improve your performance year-over-year in the CrossFit Open, this article is for you. We’ve seen a shift in CrossFit’s programming bias in the Open over the last two years, and understanding these changes and historically common movements will help you best prepare for the CrossFit Open. In recent CrossFit Opens, …
Are you looking to elevate your fitness game and conquer the elusive Bar Muscle-Up? Uncovering these three most underrated Bar Muscle-up cues will equip you with the knowledge and techniques needed to excel in this demanding and advanced gymnastics movement. For proven programs to help you finally crush the bar muscle-up, check out our Bar Muscle-Up track of programs! Thousands …
CrossFit has transformed the fitness landscape since its arrival on the fitness scene. More athletes than ever are training barbell and gymnastics skills and having a blast exercising with friends. The foundation for many gymnastics skills is your vertical pulling strength & endurance. In this article, we’ll break down the main variations of CrossFit pull-ups and build a path towards …
Tired of hurting your shoulder during the Bar Muscle Up? Frustrated that you can’t get rid of a bad habit? Chicken winging Bar Muscle-Ups are a big NO-NO for a few reasons. First, over time, this can cause damage to your shoulder since you are pulling more aggressively with one side, and causing you to land in a compromised position. …
For the fitness athletes participating in sports, such as CrossFit, understanding how important shoulder health is to your long-term performance is vital. Far too often, limitations and mobility, strength, and technique during various CrossFit movements result in excessive strain being placed on the shoulder. This is one reason why the shoulder is one of the more frequently injured areas of …
Are you ready to take your pull-up game to the next level? In this tutorial, we will delve into the intricacies of the Kipping pull-up, breaking down the essential steps and techniques required to master this dynamic movement. Proven programs to help you crush your kipping pull-up goals: First Strict Pull-up Kipping Pull-up Mechanics Lats to Fly Kipping Pull-ups Tutorial …
How do you prioritize your goals when you want to improve your snatch, deadlift, handstand, bar muscle-up, and engine simultaneously? Tune into this episode of the Performance Plus Podcast to hear how Coach Pamela Gagnon successfully does this with her athletes. Topics Covered How to goal set What skills are foundational and translate to all other physical skills How to …
Bent Vs. Straight Leg Toes to Bar Toes the bar are a challenging core, lat, and cardiovascular system exercise commonly found in functional fitness workouts. But when you watch athletes perform them, you’ll notice that some perform this exercise with straight legs and others by bending their knees. In this video, gymnastics expert Pamela Gagnon breaks down Bent Vs Straight …