The 9 months Partner WOD

Sep 13, 2017

(Disclaimer: This post is not intended as medical advice. Every situation and every pregnancy are different, so please consult your doctor for guidance.)

The biggest myth of all time that women cannot exercise during pregnancy.

When a woman gets pregnant., all of a sudden all the “Do’s” become “Don’ts”.

“Don’t move”

“Don’t drive”

“Don’t lift heavy groceries”

“Don’t Run”

“Don’t swim”

“Exercise?? Are you crazy? Hell No!”

So why not just tie her in bed for the next 9 months until she “safely” delivers her baby. Seriously?! Of course women should and must exercise during pregnancy. They could swim, do yoga and even CrossFit. “Crossfit you say?” Oh yes indeed.

Here are the answers to your questions on how to make your 9 Months Partner WOD with your baby an enjoyable safe one

What are the benefits of exercise during pregnancy?

When should I start? Do I need my doctor’s green light?

What CrossFit exercises can I do and how intense can they be?

Benefits of exercise during pregnancy

Help reduce backaches, constipation, bloating, and swelling
Boosts your energy and mood
Improves your posture and your self-image
Promotes muscle tone, strength, and endurance
Reduces stress and helps you sleep better
Reduces pregnancy discomfort and prepares your body for labor
It will make it easier for you to get back in shape after your baby is born.
You’ll get a lot of positive attention from everyone at your box. They’ll support you and you’ll inspire them.

When should I start? Do I need my doctor’s green light?

You can start from your first trimester if you feel comfortable doing so and if your doctor gave you his/her approval. It is always recommended you consult your doctor before you start any workout routine and s/he will guide you on what to do and what not according to your case.

If you were physically active before you were pregnant, it is likely safe to remain active during pregnancy. But if you were NOT active before getting pregnant then it is NOT recommended to start a new workout routine your body is not used to before getting pregnant.

Your doctor will tell you to remain active, as long as it is comfortable and there are no other health conditions affecting you or the baby.

Guidelines to do CrossFit during pregnancy

When it comes to CrossFit, The most common doctor recommendation was to, “do whatever felt comfortable but not over exert or try to make any gains or PRs, because after all, the baby should be the body’s number one priority.”

Lets put some ground rules before we proceed:

Limit potential falls
Slow down
Scale down

1. Limit potential falls

Always listen to your body. If you feel dizzy, faint, unusually exhausted, or nauseous, take a break. Always hydrate even you it’s not hot or you’re not thirsty. Don’t allow your core temperature to get too high.

2. Slow Down

Don’t go all out. Skip the high intensity until after you deliver.

Do not train to exhaustion because that will limit the baby’s oxygen supply.

Run and row until you can’t anymore and take break when you’re breathless.

3. Scale Down

Running/ Double Unders: You can row, power walk as long as you feel comfortable.

Thrusters/Squats/ wall balls: Don’t go below parallel. You can sit down on a box or a med ball and then stand up. You can press with a KB or a dumbbell

Pull ups: No kipping, you can do strict or ring rows instead.

GHD sit-ups/ Sit-ups /hollow rocks: You can do knees-to-elbows, hanging knee raise, reverse crunches or Planks.

Push-ups: You can do elevatedpush-ups on a box or against the wall.

Burpees: You can do No-push up burpees (belly doesn’t hit the ground). You can also place a pillow below your tummy on the floor.

Cleans and snatches: You can do the cleans and snatches from the hang position. You can also use dumbbells and kettlebells instead of barbells.

Bench press: You can do shoulder presses or elevated push-ups

Box Jumps: You can modify it to step ups on a stair step instead of box.

Rope climbs: You can substitute rope pull-ups beginner rope climbs. It is not worth the risk of falling

Handstand pushups: You can press or push press using a barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell.

Here’s a sample workout from The High-Performance Pregnancy, Crossfit Journal