Why you need to use performance tracking tools in the box

You show up to the box, you see the day’s WOD, and you do it. That alone should be enough to get you the results you’re looking for, right? Wrong.

You can’t improve things that you don’t measure, and athletes will never know where they’re going if they don’t know where they’ve been. These are just a few of the reasons why using performance tracking tools is so important.

First of all, what do we mean by performance tracking tools? One type of performance tracking tool looks at the analytical — writing that day’s weight and reps, and then noting how you felt about that day’s workout. That’s where software apps like Wodify come in. Athletes who belong to boxes who use Wodify can log how they did in that day’s WOD, monitor their progress over time, and feel part of the gym’s culture of accountability. While it’s easy to compare today and yesterday, it’s a lot harder to get a look at the big picture without a tracking system.

The other part of performance tracking is visual. Software apps like Coach’s Eye can help you see faults in your lifts or reps that you didn’t feel on your own. This is especially true in environments like CrossFit gyms, where there are famously no mirrors. A coach can tell you to shrug your shoulders more, but sometimes a visual is what you need to really understand how to make that change.

Helping improve athlete performance is one reason to use performance tracking tools. Here are three more:

1. Get to know the athletes at your gym. Whether written or visual, performance tracking tools help you get to know the people at your gym. These apps can be used at home, at work, or on the go — ensuring you’re never too far away from being able to see others’ progress.
2. See if your programming is working for you. With performance tracking tools, you can tell if one week’s programming made you feel strong while another week burned you out. You’ll be able to see patterns in your performance, and adjust your training accordingly.
3. Think outside the box. Training doesn’t happen just inside the box. It’s about what you eat, how much drink, how many hours you dedicate to catching some z’s. Maybe you don’t drink enough water over the weekends and every Monday you feel that the WOD is extra difficult. Track it. Maybe you had a great few days of eating, and it showed through your performance? Track it.

You won’t be able to optimize your training without performance tracking, and these tools make it simple and quick to do so. What changes have you noticed in your performance since you started tracking?

We caught up with Jenny Lutkins a masters athlete from CrossFit Talon in Franklin, Tennessee. CrossFit Talon boasts some pretty impressive stats. Home to 3rd place Central East Regional finisher Will Moorad, masters athlete Dennis Cheatham who qualified for the games and owns CrossFit Talon with his wife Tara, and a newly obtained USAW affiliation. This box has something for everyone. It also has the space for everyone, check out their noon WOD!

Jenny has her own story as well, we fired off a Q&A and she opened up. Learn more about CrossFit Talon and Jenny in this #SnatchWeek feature!

CrossFit Talon Noon WOD

Coach’s Eye: When did you get into CrossFit?

Jenny: In 2008, I hit a low in my life.  I weighed over 240 lbs, was depressed, and was a new mom struggling to keep it together.  I hired a personal trainer and began to get my life back under my control.  After a few years and 70lbs lost, a friend thought I’d love CrossFit, and she was right.  I joined CrossFit Talon in 2011, and only great things have happened since.  One of the greatest of those things is learning to care more about the weight on the bar than the weight on the scale.

Coach’s Eye: Damn good philosophy. How long have you been competing? Continue reading →

Jenny:  I didn’t even know what a snatch was two and a half years ago, but after learning the Olympic lifts, I decided I wanted to learn it all.  I obtained my USAW Level 1 Coaching Certification in December of 2012, and it wasn’t until this December (2014) that I decided to focus solely on Olympic Lifting in my training.  My first Weightlifting meet was this past February.  My second meet was the National Masters Championships in Shreveport – go big or go home, right?  Crazy enough, I placed second in my age/weight division and my total was exactly enough to qualify for the World Masters Championships in Copenhagen.  Unfortunately, that’s a little far away to travel for my fourth meet ever.  I’m hoping that next year it will be closer to home and I will have a more competitive total.

Coach’s Eye: What makes CrossFit Talon home?

Jenny: CrossFit Talon in Franklin, TN is my home away from home, my training facility, and my “office.”  We have so many dedicated members, some dedicated to staying healthy, some fierce competitors, and all I consider family.  CrossFit Talon is owned and operated by husband and wife team, Dennis and Tara Cheatham.  Dennis qualified for the CrossFit Games in the Masters 45-49 age group this year.  CrossFit Talon is also home to Will Moorad, who clinched the coveted third place spot at the CrossFit Games Central East Regional.  I cannot wait to watch these amazing gentlemen at the Games this year!  On the Olympic Lifting side, we just affiliated with USAW, and I hope to cultivate a competitive Weightlifting team from Talon Weightlifting Club. I am a little partial to my masters athlete, Ann White, who has competed in Olympic Weightlifting twice after only six months of training for the sport.  Our goal is for her to qualify with me for the National Masters next year.

Ann performing an Olympic Lift Side by Side

Coach’s Eye: What is one thing you want everyone to know about you?

Jenny: I used to be a recording engineer, and actually have some cool album credits, but lifting heavy stuff is way more fun than making records!

Coach’s Eye: Who is your coach?

Jenny: The man, the myth, the legend, Dennis Cheatham has programmed all of my training and analyzed hours of my Coach’s Eye videos (well, several minutes anyway).  His wife, Tara Cheatham took me to Shreveport and kept me from having a conniption before I even got to lift.  Those two people have done so much for me, I couldn’t begin to thank them enough

Coach’s Eye: What is your favorite movement?

Jenny: I love the strongman type stuff – sled drags, farmer carries, and just straight up back squatting.  I can move weight!  Now, ask me to do it gracefully, that’s another story.  I can never pick an Olympic Lift as my favorite, I guess I like whichever one I set a PR on that day!

Coach’s Eye: What movement do you struggle with?

Jenny: After watching my videos back, SNATCH!  LOL.  I really struggle with the gymnastics movements in CrossFit.  I just got my first kipping pullup during the Open this year, and I cried like a baby.

Eric is a young lifter out of Columbus with huge potential. His coach sent his information and he made the #SnatchWeek feature. Read more about him.

Coach’s Eye: Why did you start Olympic lifting? How long have you been competing? Continue reading →