Max Effort 1k Row

Strength WOD:

5/5/3/3/1/1/1
Front Squat

* 25 Minutes total

Conditioning WOD:

For time:

Max Effort 1000m Row

Results

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View this photo

1k Row

Mark does a traditional back squat while Chris does a more advanced no hand back squat:

Back Squat_Mark N Squat PR No Hands

General announcement (RANT ALERT):

Please park correctly with your vehicle when you come to the gym. 

There are white lines outside painted on the ground in which you need to fit your vehicle in. If you are over the white lines then that is a no rep. This concept is not hard. When you go to other places in your vehicle you are required to do this procedure many times a day. When you don’t it takes two spaces. This multiplied by a few cars/trucks/SUV’s doing the same becomes several spaces and when people arrive for the next class they end up parking in front of the other businesses which then lose their allotted spots for their business and their customers. 

This creates a chain of events I call the “Ahole effect”. Similar to the “butterfly effect” one small event such as thinking you can park in two spots and will be gone in an hour or so (i.e. being an ahole) spirals out of control and someone gets annoyed and then before we know it we start hearing complaints about using far more than our number of “official” spots for our business and that there is no room in the parking lot for their employees or customers (i.e. them being aholes). This leads to potential complaints that we get that end up ranking somewhere between the severity of global warming and the zombie apocalypse.

This ends up with any potential complaints annoying me and making me have to not only respond to them and address them with our neighbors and/or property management company, it also turns me into a raging AHOLE. I hate anonymous complaints and don’t like getting them. Hate. I really hate frivolous, stupid complaints about things like “parking, noise, activity” and the like in an industrial park that is supposed to be a place where businesses conduct their business and make a living. So the less complaints I have to deal with the better. Then I don’t have to be an ahole about it. Then no has to hear about it. So thanks in advance for not parking like you are a superstar rapper or sports player or like you live in a trailer park.

If this rant doesn’t work then I will start programming things like “Parking Skill Work: 10 minutes to work up to a single attempt at pulling into a parking spot.”

** Note: If this post offends you in any way then you are probably parking like an ahole. Please go move your vehicle.

Notes:

The CF Games Open is in 5 days, around 19 hours, and 13 Minutes as I write this. Are you ready? Nicho is.

Nicho is Ready games.crossfit.com

A Word from Spealler games.crossfit.com

Gripper Chipper

For time:

10 Deadlift (275#/155#)
20 Pull-ups
30 Box Jumps (24″/20″)
40 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
50 Double-Unders
40 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
30 Box Jumps (24″/20″)
20 Pull-ups
10 Deadlift (275#/155#)

Results

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Chipper

KB Swings Deadlift

Love snatches! Watch USA Weightlifting team member Natalie Burgener put on a clinic.   

Cluster Ladder

For time:

10 Squat Clean Thrusters (95#/65#) AKA “Cluster”
Run 200m
9 Squat Clean Thrusters
Run 200m
8 Squat Clean Thrusters
Run 200m
7 Squat Clean Thrusters
Run 200m
6 Squat Clean Thrusters
Run 200m
5 Squat Clean Thrusters
Run 200m
4 Squat Clean Thrusters
Run 200m
3 Squat Clean Thrusters
Run 200m
2 Squat Clean Thrusters
Run 200m
1 Squat Clean Thruster
Run 200m

Results

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Snatch fun from yesterday:

Snatches

READ THIS: “Why The Burgener Warm-up?” by Cody Burgener on CrossFit Invictus

Sign up for the Open! 

If you are someone who is wondering about the Open, then go to the link to the left to learn what it is. For the 3rd year in a row we will be a host gym that participates in the Open. Each Thursday for 5 weeks from March 6-April 7 we will program the Open WOD for that week and everyone who comes in will complete that WOD. We will ensure that all participating athletes will have a judge (warning: be prepared to judge!) and will have a make-up opportunity on Saturday.

If you want to measure your fitness against the rest of the world of CrossFitters then sign up and so long as you RX the WOD your score will count each week. Typically the first week is something that the majority of CF’ers can complete and progressively the weights get heavier and the movements more advanced over the course of the 5 weeks. At the end the top 48 men, 48 women and 30 teams from each region around the world will advance to the next round of Regionals. 

Why do the Open? Really it’s an opportunity to compete against yourself and be a part of the biggest CF community event. It will force you to push harder and possibly do more than you thought you could. It has been a setting we have seen several people achieve PR’s and do something new by simply just competing. It also is a fun, gym building event. The season provides a focal point for making each of us cheer for one another, push each other, and police each other to give our best week in and week out. Take the chance to test yourself and you just might learn you had more in you than you thought previously. 

Sign up here

CF Games athlete Elisabeth Akinwale Urges CrossFitters to Sign Up for the Open

Matt demonstrates the “Palm Tree Cross”:

Palm Tree Cross

Reminder: MONDAYS and WEDNESDAYS…. 4:00 pm class!

We are testing out this time slot through March to see if people can make it. 
If you want to keep it, you better show up regularly. 

"Weighing in on Weighing"

Strength WOD:

3-2-1-1-1
Snatch

* 20 Minutes total

Conditioning WOD:

12-9-6-3 reps each of:

Power Snatch (95#/65#)
Burpees

Results 

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Set_Michelle

2012 Games flashback:

Froning Snatch

Quote of the day: “What we’re trying to do is get things fixed, not allow them to stay broke.” ~ Mark Rippetoe

If you are new you probably notice that we sometimes put goal times or additional instructions on the whiteboard for a workout.  This is in addition to the normal coaching we give everyone every day. Instructions include what movement to scale to if you are new, or what % or max load to lift. This forces correct scaling of weight or range of motion as well as ensures that the effect of the WOD is consistent across the board. Today the guidance on the checkout was to stay unbroken on the power snatches. It was designed to be a sprint and not a power snatch slog. Looking at the times it was just right. 

Oly Lift Technique

Schedule: 

STARTING TODAY on MONDAYS and WEDNESDAYS we have added….a 4:00 pm class!

We are testing out this time slot through March to see if people can make it.  
If you want to keep it, you better show up regularly.  

(CF Teens class is Tues/Thurs at 4:00 so we won’t be adding it then.)

Nutrition:

Teri participated in the Stop the Slop Nutrition challenge and got results in her body composition, PR’s in several WOD’s, and has stuck with many of her nutritional changes since the challenge ended. She also came to grips around her relationship with the scale. Making it a lifestyle is the whole point of our challenge and seeing the paleo approach continue well into February for her is a huge accomplishment!

Here’s her essay:

Weighing in on Weighing by Teri R.

            How much do you weigh? 
Are you 170 pounds of lean muscle or a saggy 135?  Do you weigh 150 in the dark on a full
moon?  What about 127 after having the
stomach flu?  Do you aspire to be a buck
o five?  This question used to consume
me.  While losing 60+ “baby” pounds back
in 2007-2008, I weighed constantly.    I loved saying I was down a pound.  I hated saying I was up a pound.  I have never enjoyed saying that horrible 3
digit number we call weight.  I don’t
even love saying it when it is what the world considers a “small” number.  One year ago at SnoRidge CrossFit, Tom programmed a WOD that required me to acknowledge my weight and then dead lift
it.  I hyperventilated.  I hid in the corner.  I cried. 
Tom talked me off the ledge and I ended up doing the WOD.  Although I didn’t like my weight written on
the white board for all to see, I was proud of myself because it wasn’t about
everyone looking to see what I weighed.  I
am certain no one else cared.  It was about
me working hard and getting stronger.  A
couple of days later, Tom posted an article that inspired me to throw out my
bathroom scale.  Yep, I did that.  Today I have no idea what I weigh.  Even though my family has since bought a new
scale, I do not step on it, ever.  I have
Tom to thank for that.  I am perfectly okay
with not knowing my weight.  I even turn
around so I can’t see the scale when I am being weighed in at the doctor’s
office.  For the purposes of this
January’s challenge, I chose NOT to weigh in.  Weighing in does not give real or valuable
information.  It leads to ridiculous,
obsessive behavior.  Weighing in isn’t
the only measure of progress and ultimately my goal isn’t to see a certain number
on the scale but to adopt a more healthy lifestyle.

                  First I would like to tell
you, weighing in makes me a crazy maniac. 
I begin immediately to base my self-worth on that number.  If I wake up and weigh two pounds more than
yesterday suddenly I consider myself “fat” or my personal favorite name to call
myself, “lard of the earth”.  If I wake
up three pounds less than last week, I am Olivia Wild and dang…you can’t touch
this.  These manic feelings begin to
drive me.  I begin to say things to
myself like–today stinks because I am lard of the earth, or wow, I can fulfill
any dream because today… I AM Olivia Wild. 
I begin to place too much importance on a number.  Reality says I am not lard of the earth or
Olivia Wild.  Really people, let’s get
this straight, the number on the scale does not correlate to my physical
appearance.  I have seen women who weigh 155
pounds that look “125”. Recently a woman I thought looked thin told me she
weighed in at 180.  The appearance of
these women didn’t change once I knew their weight.   These women are strong and beautiful.  Not weighing in has prevented me from turning
into obsessed Teri.  It also protected me
from my ridiculous “scale” behavior and reminded me that I am not a number.

                  Critics might ask me how I can
document my progress with-out weighing in on the scale.  There are plenty of ways.  I believe the best way to track progress is
to see how I feel each day.  Is my energy
improved?  How am I sleeping?  Where is my self-esteem?  Is my strength and flexibility (don’t laugh,
yes I am considering flexibility) improving? 
What about my complexion?  Am I
noticing improved cardio vascular health? 
It really didn’t take long for me to see all these areas improve.  Waking up and feeling great, ready to go with
lots of energy…extra energy to do all the burpees Deb McCracken invited us to
do with her… that’s progress.  Finally
after being in CrossFit a year and a half I was able to crab walk myself across
the floor, twice!  That is progress.  Walking into a work out and feeling strong
and fast (even if you come in last place) is progress.  Noticing less teenager-like acne is
progress.  Feeling great on your long run
is progress.  Another tangible way to
notice progress is through clothing fit. 
At the beginning of this 30 day challenge, I would put my jeans on and
oh boy, were they tight.  I would do
10-15 quick air squats and pray I wasn’t going to split them.  Now, when I put my jeans on, no squats are
needed and they are even a bit loose by midday. 
Loose jeans and baggy t-shirts are progress.  I can also measure my progress with
pictures.  Before the challenge, I
honestly hated the sight of myself in pictures. 
Now, I can see the progress I have made and I feel proud.  Other people are noticing a change in me too.  Many are complimenting me and saying that
they can tell I have worked hard.  That
is progress.  My husband has remarked
about my skin being less dry and a bit softer. 
People are asking me my secret. 
That is progress.  There is no
need to weigh in order to track these successes. 

                  Ultimately, I do not need to weigh
because my final goal was not to see a number on a scale.  My goal in the challenge was to make lasting
changes and gain a healthier perspective. 
The goal included giving the Paleo lifestyle a real, fair chance.  I am thrilled to say I have created new
healthier habits.  I am meal planning and
have become better about food prep.  I
even adapted some of my favorite recipes to be Paleo.  I know lasting changes take time and these 30+
days have helped me create a habit of being organized and prepared with the
right types of foods.  I am learning to
do Paleo all the way, with-out picking and choosing which “rules” to follow.  I have taken the full Paleo plunge, healthy
fats and all.  I have eaten a truck load
of vegetables cooked a billion and one ways. 
I have met my goal because I am living Paleo.  Having and reaching this goal of creating
healthier habits is far more rewarding than saying, “HEY….everyone, I weigh 110
pounds.”  I did not weigh in because a
number on the scale can’t tell me if I reached my goals.

                   At the end of this challenge, I am healthier,
happier and stronger.  I am not a
number.  I am a little less “saggy”.  I am a 40 year old woman living a Paleo
lifestyle.  Even though I know I am not
Olivia Wild, I feel amazing and have a desire to continue with this change
knowing that there will be ups and downs. 
I’ve learned how to clean up my diet. I know that when I fall, I can get
back up and I am not lard of the earth.  My
success is evident to me and that is more rewarding than a number on the scale.  Wouldn’t it be funny if I weighed exactly the
same as when the challenge began?  Would
I feel the same triumphal success if I didn’t even lose an ounce?  No one will ever know.

Class Update

ATTN:  STARTING TOMORROW, Feb. 25

MONDAYS and WEDNESDAYS…. 4:00 pm class!

We are testing out this time slot through March to see if people can make it. 
If you want to keep it, you better show up regularly.  

(CF Teens class is Tues/Thurs at 4:00 so we won’t be adding it then.)

Let us know what you think!

Bunch of Jerks

Main Class:

Teams of 2 complete:

2 Rounds for time:
30 Power Clean & Jerks (135#/95#) 
400m Run
50 Pull-ups
400m Run
70 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)

* Runs are together with your partner, otherwise alternate work on each exercise as you see fit.

Advanced RX Class:

Strength WOD:

Every 45 seconds for 6 Minutes:
1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Clean (Squat) + 1 Push Press @ 70% 1RM of PC&J

Conditioning WOD:

“2011 CrossFit Games Event 3”

Alternate the following for time:

5 Rope Climbs 15′
5 Clean and Jerks (145#/115#) 
4 Rope Climbs
4 Clean and Jerks (165#/125#)
3 Rope Climbs
3 Clean and Jerks (185#/135#)
2 Rope Climbs
2 Clean and Jerks (205#/145#)
1 Rope Climbs
1 Clean and Jerks (225#/155#)

Results 

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Games WOD

I love when a workout really helps someone overcome a fear or obstacle. When it goes beyond just gutting out a rep from sheer exhaustion; it makes you dig deep and do something that truly scares you. Today the rope climbs were a challenge for Lindsay to overcome. She has climbed the rope before. She can climb in a WOD. However the last time she did this particular WOD the combination left her unable to finish a climb and she fell. She wasn’t hurt but it was a little scary (more for her than those who saw it, but scary for all). Today she tackled it head on and didn’t flinch. She PR’d the WOD and made all of her climbs. Well done. Ring that bell!

Meredith_Pull-up

Bridges is Back by games.crossfit.com

In the Gym with Christy Phillips by Greatist.com

Adv RX Class: Hard at work?

Complex

Or hardly working?

Coffee Time

"JT"

Skills WOD:

7 minutes Handstand Push-up / Ring Dip practice

Hero WOD:

21-15-9 Reps of each for time:

Handstand Push-Ups
Ring Dips
Push-Ups

Results

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View this photo

JT

In honor of US Navy SEAL Petty Officer 1st Class Jeff Taylor, 30, of Little Creek, VA, who was killed in Afghanistan in June 2005. RIP.

Derek N. demonstrates a solid push-up:

Derek_Pushup

CrossFit Games:

The dates are announced! July 26-28. Home Depot Center, Carson, CA.

“Andy’s Muscle-up” with Dave Castro – video [wmv] [mov] [HD mov]

Human Shake Weights

Strength WOD:

1RM
Overhead Squat 

* 25 Minutes total

Conditioning WOD:

10 Minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) of:

10 Overhead Squats (75#/55#)
7 Hand Release Burpees
5 Knees-to-elbows

Results 

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OHS - 4 OHS - 1

OHS - 2 OHS - 3

Watching people attempt 1RM overhead squats and back rack jerks is like watching human shake weights before they hold their breath. Lots of PR’s today but more importantly positioning and technique is improving across the board. Snatching pays off.

The checkout WOD was intended to keep everyone moving at a constant pace (similar to an Open WOD), with the hand release throwing something new in that made you focus while tiring your shoulders a little more.

Coaching points on OHS:

  • Jerk from the back rack off your shoulders (it doesn’t count if your arms are locked out and you take a bar already in the OH position)
  • Active shoulders overhead throughout the lift 
  • Armpits forward, chest is up
  • Tighten the core and inhale with a deep breath, held during the lift (this will reduce the “wobble” effect)
  • Weight in heels, hips begin the squat by pushing back then down
  • Knees out
  • Full depth
  • Drive up with the chest or push up on the bar as you rise, exhale at the top

“Coaching The Overhead Squat” with Justin Bergh – video [wmv] [mov] [HD mov]

Checkout

CF Games Open: 

Nutrition: “Junk” Food for thought…

“Today, one in three adults is considered clinically obese, along with one in five kids, and 24 million Americans are afflicted by type 2 diabetes, often caused by poor diet, with another 79 million people having pre-diabetes. Even gout, a painful form of arthritis once known as “the rich man’s disease” for its associations with gluttony, now afflicts eight million Americans.

The public and the food companies have known for decades now — or at the very least since this meeting — that sugary, salty, fatty foods are not good for us in the quantities that we consume them. So why are the diabetes and obesity and hypertension numbers still spiraling out of control? It’s not just a matter of poor willpower on the part of the consumer and a give-the-people-what-they-want attitude on the part of the food manufacturers. What I found, over four years of research and reporting, was a conscious effort — taking place in labs and marketing meetings and grocery-store aisles — to get people hooked on foods that are convenient and inexpensive.”