Five Alarm Fitness

Bloomington, Illinois

Ryan Reilly

Never Lift Heavy Again?

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Way back in 2014 when I was a Sophomore in High School I attempted to make the 750lb club in the weight room. To get into the club you have to lift a combined total weight of 750 pounds with a single Back Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift on a single day. I had been training hard to make it into the club I desperately wanted to be in, and I had finally gotten the weights needed to make the club in practice. All I had to do now was hit the same numbers on the testing day.

About a week before the testing day, I went to the Orthopedic & Sports Enhancement Center to get my back checked out. I had been having back spasms when playing football, and when lifting I could feel a sharp pain in my lower back. I didn’t think anything would really be wrong as I haven’t had to deal with many injuries in the past. When I went in, they took and x-ray and I was left waiting in their office for a while…quite a while. It became such a long wait that I was getting nervous that something was really wrong. After what seemed like forever the doctor finally came back with my results. I have Congenital Spondylolisthesis and Spina Bifida in my spine. The Spondylolisthesis means that a vertebra in my spine is slipping out of place. The Spina Bifida means that my spine and spinal cord did not form properly at birth. I was told that I would at some point, likely starting in my late 20s, that I would need multiple surgeries throughout my life to keep repairing the slipped vertebra. I was told to not lift anything heavy in the weight room. I was told I would have to be careful with my back for the rest of my life. At that point I was mad. I wasn’t allowed to try to make the 750 club, I wouldn’t be able to be a great athlete, and I lost motivation to push physically and at sports because of this news.            

Flash forward to 2015, when I came back home after a year away at college and came to Five Alarm CrossFit. I took a week or two to come in 3 times a week, but then shortly after that I was in the gym seven days a week. I loved the variety, skill, challenge, friendships, and everything else that came along with going to the gym. I was taught to move well and to think about my form when performing any movement. I carried those lessons and keep them in mind to this day to ensure my back is healthy and to prove that I can do whatever I want to, and that a back issue is not going to stop me from pursuing my goals. Now, I can Back Squat 405 pounds, I have Cleaned 315 pounds, I have lifted 325 pounds from my shoulders and pushed it over my head, and best of all I Deadlifted 445 pounds from the floor with no issues what so ever. Do I still have this back issue, yes. But I have worked hard to strengthen my body so that I do not have to deal with the repercussions of this deficit, hopefully forever.

Never let anything stop you from reaching your goals. For 3 years I believed that my goals had to end because of a diagnosis. For 3 years I could have been working to improve my body and work towards my dreams. I’m glad I was able to be shown a new path that led me to the happy and healthy life I live today.

Practice vs. Training vs. Competition

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Practice- Performing movements and exercises at a low heart rate with the intention to move perfect.

Training- Performing movements and exercises at an elevated heart rate with the intention to move well while building endurance and strength.

Competition- Performing movements and exercises with at high to max heart rate with the intention to finish the most rounds or with the fastest time.

Which of these do you do most often when working out? Which of these should you do most often? The answer might seem obvious, but when you think about it, are you Competing more than you realize?

For most people (those not competing in a sport), we do not need to Compete at all. It definitely can be fun to do on occasion, but Competing too much can be detrimental to our progress and health. Moving with proper technique is better for our bodies and allows us to become faster, more flexible, and stronger. It may not be bad to have your knees cave in slightly on those front squats for one day, but when that happens each day it can result in injury. That might present as soreness, a mild strain, or a major injury, but all can happen when technique is compromised to get a better score.

To put things in perspective, in Ben Bergeron’s podcast Chasing Excellence, he explains that Katrin Davidsdottir (2x CrossFit Games Champion) only Competes during Regionals and the Games; which is 7 days out of the year. Every other day throughout the year is spent either training or practicing. Now, for us normal folks we can handle a bit more competition as we aren’t striving to be the best CrossFitter. It is healthy to Compete once a week. Pick a day where you want to go all out and try to beat a certain somebody. The rest of the week should be spent Practicing or Training as those serve you the best in overall health and wellness for the long haul.

Practice and Training will give you the best results. You will be able to work out more, you won’t be as sore, you will see continue to see improvement both cardiovascularly and in your strength, and it can help your mind relax. Don’t get caught up in competing constantly. Practice movements, Train them to be perfect, then use them to Compete.