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Andrew Deal

On Virtuosity

A look between CrossFit and Programming

In 2005, Greg Glassman, the outspoken CEO of CrossFit, wrote an article encapsulating a very concise, yet incredibly potent idea called virtuosity.

The beauty of virtuosity is that it can be distilled to a single phrase: performing the common uncommonly well.

It took me awhile to internalize what this meant. Of the many great conceptual revelations to come from the early days of CrossFit, this one takes the cake.

I started my foray into CrossFit back in 2008, when virtuosity had yet to crystallize in my mind. Only after the hundreds, dare I say thousands, of subsequent hours I spent practicing movement, did this powerful concept begin to take on meaning.

After almost 8 years, I have developed a fairly keen awareness of how I move in the Olympic Lifts, Power Lifts, and the remaining gamut of CrossFit movements. I have found that how well I move in any facet is tied directly to my increasing mastery of the simplest movements found in the sport. The logic goes:

  • If your air squat mechanics are very good, your back squat will be solid (in time).
  • If your back squat is awesome, your front squat will follow suit.
  • If your front squat rocks, the bottom position of your clean will be a sight to hold.
  • If the bottom of your clean is the beez-neez, your clean will come to dominate.
  • If your clean is absolutely sound, you’ll be able to chance an attempt to get that clean & jerk PR you’ve had your sights on for a while now.

A great air squat can positively affect a whole series of other intermediary movements. It is one of a handful of movements that form the basis of many others. If you can knock out a perfect squat, you are well on your way to perfecting other, more complex movements.

For me, performing the common uncommonly well has come to mean the world over. A top-notch air squat stands out fathoms more than a heavy snatch. But maybe that's just the old coach in me.

As I mature in my programming experience, I can’t help but ponder the significance virtuosity can hold in a different, yet remarkably analogous, realm. Although there are exciting frameworks like React JS or technologies like Web Sockets, I am skeptical in placing too much emphasis on acquiring the know-how behind these tools at the start. Out of habit, I encourage those looking to get their feet wet with programming to inquire about the basics.

Some parting thoughts:

  • What are the common/basic skills great programmers possess?
  • How do they adapt as their skill(s) improve?
  • What roadmap do these greats have to commandeer the transition from basic forms of programming to more complex forms?

Perhaps it’s my bias to assume that virtuosity plays a significant part in domains other than human movement. However, my intuition strongly points me to believe that any great feat, whether in sports or intellectual pursuits, is comprised of many smaller, more fundamental components. And it is in these atomic units, when done correctly, where the magic lies.