We're pretty big fans of odd object training here at CrossFit No Boundaries. Barbells are excellent tools, and they allow athletes to load the system with heavy weights, but the very qualities that allow them to be used with such heavy loads also limit their applicability. Barbells are built to be easy to use. A small diameter allows the weight to stay close to the user's center of gravity, knurling makes for easier gripping, even weight distribution makes for easy balance and control, spinning collars allow the bar to freely rotate without having to handle the torque of heavy weights, and the list goes on. Odd objects, on the other hand, tend to have few (if any) of the above mentioned "easing" qualities. They are intentionally awkward, intentionally bulky, hard to hold, uneven, and challenge the body in ways that a barbell simply cannot. Odd objects are, in a word, inconvenient to move around. And that's what makes them such a powerful implement.

In life and in sport, we rarely find a situation in which we must move or manipulate an object so conveniently designed as a barbell. This isn't to say that the benefits of barbell training can only be expressed on a barbell—we recognize the value of developing top-end strength for everyone from the elite field athlete to the senior citizen—but rather that it's key to develop strength in inconvenient positions as well. This is where our odd objects shine. We've also found that working with odd objects has this magical way of getting people to move with efficiency and force. We talk about tension, hip extension, and explosive hip drive until we're blue in the face, and somehow these movement patterns and qualities continue to elude even the best of us in barbell training. But ask even a relatively new athlete to move a heavy atlas stone from their lap up to their shoulder, and with minimal instruction, we observe tension, hip extension, and explosive movement all suddenly happen without the need for technical jargon and talk of triple-extension-this and posterior-chain-that. Like I said, magic.

If you're new to our gym, you may notice that we have quite a few of these odd objects laying about. These are not props, they are not gimmicks, and they are not reserved only for the 400lb men with large muscles who pull trucks with their teeth. They are some of the most basic and effective tools of fitness, and they are a cornerstone in our pursuit of helping you become a more physically prepared human.

- Preston Sprimont

10/21/16

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  Determine 1rm stone over bar, then go down 3 stone sizes and complete max reps stone over bar in 60s

  
  

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  3 rounds

  
  




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  20s max double KB shoulder to overhead (53/35)

  
  


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  40s rest

  
  


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  20s max sandbag to shoulder (¾ bw / ⅔ bw)

  
  


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  40s rest

  
  

*record total reps