Compared to the early days of CrossFit, the average athlete in the sport is now expected to perform a wider array of gymnastic movements at ridiculously high volumes. It’s amazing to watch and it’s even cooler to sit back and think about how far these athletes have come in such a short period of time. But with expectations and demands still increasing, I have found myself wondering if we have forgotten the value that a strong foundation has on improving performance and preserving the athlete.

In the sport of CrossFit your ability to perform gymnastics, perform gymnastics well, and perform gymnastics for a shit ton of reps is pivotal. I have seen so often athletes jump stages in their training which ultimately leads to a “functional ceiling” created with in their abilities. This “functional ceiling” is referring to how many reps they can essentially perform and sustain within a workout. So, why does this functional ceiling get created? Basically it’s from a lack of proper progression while building their gymnastics skills. So, below I am going to outline three ways to not only improve your CrossFit gymnastics capacity, but also continually work to improve your functional ceiling.