• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workout
      • Best BCAAs
      • Best Testosterone Boosters
      • Best Bodybuilding Supplements
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Supplements for Weight Loss
      • Best Multivitamins
      • Best Collagen Supplement
      • Best Probiotic
      • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workout
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Magnesium Supplements
    • Protein
      • Best Protein Powder
      • Best Whey Protein
      • Best Protein Powders for Muscle Gain
      • Best Tasting Protein Powder
      • Best Vegan Protein
      • Best Mass Gainer
      • Best Protein Shakes
      • Best Organic Protein Powder
      • Best Pea Protein Powder
      • Best Protein Bars
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Equipment
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Weightlifting Belts
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Functional Trainers
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Trap Bars
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Cardio Machines
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Weighted Vests
      • Concept2 RowErg Review
      • Hydrow Wave Review
      • Best Jump Ropes
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Fitness

CrossFit Gymnastics: Bodyweight Mechanics are Basics for a Reason

Going back to bodyweight and perfecting gymnastics movement can translate to being a better all-around athlete. Here's what I learned at the CrossFit Gymnastics certification.

Jeff Kuhland

Written by Jeff Kuhland Last updated on Sep 19, 2023

The CrossFit community has been rapidly growing ever since it exploded upon the scene, but it’s always about getting back to basics. No matter if you are a diehard CrossFit athlete or just into working out at the gym it’s easy to fall prey to the fundamental error of progressing too quickly. We jump to more complicated lifts, heavier weight, and more intensity because of our ego. The truth is we compromise form, minimize gains, and set ourselves up for injury in an effort to seek maximal performance, along with trying to impress the opposite sex.

CrossFit lays the foundation at its Level 1 certification by stressing the importance of fundamentals. You hang out in a full depth squat position learning exactly what it feels like for what seems like hours. The instructors teach the basic movements by stressing virtuosity, along with learning the common faults and fixes. CrossFit’s movements are meant to be functional, natural, and inherently safe. But for a movement to be safe it must be performed correctly by a person with healthy tissue and proper movement patterns. Ultimately that comes back to the basics of knowing how to perform bodyweight squats, pushups, pullups, walking lunges, and core control. Once you have single and double leg/hip stability, core control, and shoulder stability you can begin to increase your training difficulty.

Rather than immediately progressing to jumping, sprinting, and lifting there is a smarter path. This begins with bodyweight control in gymnastics, done both for strength and also to build some endurance. Superior coordination and control can be learned here in safer parameters while still making huge gains. This is something I experienced in depth this past weekend at the CrossFit Gymnastics> certification seminar.

crossfit gymnastics, gymnastics, jeff tucker, dusty hyland, crossfit certsThink about how the average gymnast looks and moves. You can advance your training by first learning an effective hollow position, along with the opposing arch. This core control and positioning translates into almost every other movement in CrossFit. It also has a high degree of transferability into any other sport and everyday life. Learning superior core control safeguards your low back, teaches great posture, and makes you stronger. From here we learn to continue core bracing while applying force from the hips or shoulders.

Almost everything in CrossFit is dominated by the hips, specifically hip extension. If you are doing CrossFit correctly you should be able to snap your hips open effortlessly. On the other hand, CrossFit Gymnastics is a refreshing break from the hip dominated world and really teaches you to tap into your shoulders. If you are going to be doing anything with a pullup bar or rings you better know what your lats are and how to turn them on.

crossfit gymnastics, gymnastics, jeff tucker, dusty hyland, crossfit certsEverything starts with a good progression – the hollow position, active shoulder, emphasis on the lats, and then begin your movement. There is an easy rule to remember for safe shoulder positioning: actively push or pull your shoulders to directly oppose the force being placed upon them. If you are hanging from a bar the force is pulling them up so you retract into your socket. If you are holding a barbell overhead you actively push into the bar driving the bar away from you.

In the CrossFit Gymnastics trainer’s curriculum there are the following movements: hollow position, arch position, rocking in these positions, beat swing, gymnastics kipping pullup, muscle up, front lever, back lever, handstand pushups, and the planche. Most people only begin to scratch the surface with the levers, gymnastics handstand pushup, and the planche, However, by going through the progressions you can effectively begin training for these skills. Even if you never attain these full skills, the strength and coordination will help in other movements. This was recognized back in the 1940s when the U.S. Navy adopted gymnastics to be a part of their regular training routine. It forged stronger bodies, allowed for better spatial awareness, and made the sailors more fearless. How many of you would like that yourselves or for your clients?

In addition to the actual movement there were some other gems to come out of the CrossFit Gymnastics course:

  1. crossfit gymnastics, gymnastics, jeff tucker, dusty hyland, crossfit certsDo less and do it better. Instead of cramming more volume into your training make sure the training you have is effective and performed to the best of your ability
  2. Don’t CrossFit the s@# out of it. Warm-ups and skills cannot be won, yet think how many overly competitive people rush through them. Also when going through progressions don’t try to go beyond where you currently are or where your instructor is taking you.
  3. You can never be too good at the basics. If your air squat isn’t perfect, then why are you trying to overhead squat anything at all?
  4. Failure conditions more failure. Your body continuously learns the patterns you are going through, therefore you should not fail on lifts or gymnastics movements unless testing for a PR. You should only test for PRs every six to eight weeks, and most of the time a 95-98% effort is better suited.

Going back to bodyweight and perfecting movement can translate to being a better all-around athlete and being more effective in the rest of your life. Perfecting that overhead squat at 225 is badass, but isn’t going to really help you in many practical situations. Take things back a notch, slow down your movements, practice some static holds, and master yourself before you start throwing around huge external loads. Your body will thank you and when you get ready to move that heavy weight it’ll be easier than before.

Photos courtesy of Jeff Tucker and CrossFit Gymnastics>.

Jeff Kuhland

About Jeff Kuhland

Jeff Kuhland is a fitness professional who is living the dream. He is the owner and author ofAthletic Human. He also works as a Certification Team Instructor for MovNat, and is the Program Director at The Aid Station. Before this he began his fitness career inhigh school where sports were always a focus. After running cross country, indoor and outdoor track, and playing soccer, Jeff went on to run Division I track at James Madison University. He now participates in many endurance and outdoor sports, including ultramarathons, adventure racing, kayaking, rock climbing, wakeboarding, snowboarding, and many other extreme sports.

He is currently training to set speed records for kayaking the James River and New River.

Jeff's career highlights include winning Nationals for the U.S. Challenge Adventure Racing Series in Lake Placid in 2008 and placing 1at Worlds for the Intelligent Sport World Series held in Cyprus. Jeff has completed the Mountain Masochist 54-mile ultramarathon, kayaked/rafted the Grand Canyon (226 miles), and is currently on a quest to hike to the top of all fifty United States.

He earned a B.S. in Sports and Recreation Management with minors in Business, Economics, and Exercise Science from James MadisonUniversityin 2009. Jeff completed his Master of Business Administration from Lynchburg College in 2012.

View All Articles

Related Posts

Female competitors headline a graphic for the 2024 CrossFit Games season.
2024 CrossFit Games Season Schedule: Division-by-Division Breakdown
2023 Rogue CrossFit Invitational winners Pat Vellner and Laura Horvath holding their championship titles.
2023 Rogue CrossFit Invitational Results — Laura Horvath and Patrick Vellner Become Two-Time Champions
Female competitors performing medicine ball sit-ups at the 2022 Rogue Invitational.
2023 Rogue Invitational Events Revealed
CrossFit athlete Josh Bridges performs a barbell back squat in his home gym.
CrossFit Legend Josh Bridges Crushes Full-Body Workout Two Weeks Out From 2023 Rogue Invitational

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

New Year’s Fitness Sales (2025)

XWERKS Motion BCAA Review (2025): A Registered Dietitian’s Honest Thoughts

Assault Fitness AssaultBike Pro X Review (2025): Assault’s Best Bike Yet?

13 Best Exercise Bikes for Home Gyms (2025)

Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine Review (2025): The Key to Post-Workout Recovery?

Latest Reviews

Element 26 Hybrid Leather Weightlifting Belt

Element 26 Hybrid Leather Weightlifting Belt Review (2025)

Omre NMN + Resveratrol, Lifeforce Peak NMN, and partiQlar NMN on a red background

Best NMN Supplement: Fountain of Youth in a Bottle? (2025)

The Titan Series Adjustable Bench on a red background

Titan Series Adjustable Bench Review (2025)

A photo of the NordicTrack Select-a-Weight Dumbbells on a red background

NordicTrack Adjustable Dumbbell Review (2025): Are These Value Dumbbells Worth It?

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2025 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About