Quote of the day: ”The only way you can hurt the body is to not use it. Inactivity is the killer, and remember, it’s never too late.” ~ Jack LaLanne (RIP)
I program a special WOD for my wife’s birthday and this is the thanks I get:
Nothing like a brutal birthday WOD to kick off the week. This one is looking like it’s becoming “epic” and earning quite a reputation.
The CrossFit Games Open begins March 15th! For those wanting to compete in the Open Sectionals read on and get ready for some fun.I’m hoping we get more info soon but plan on a few things: we will “opt-in” as an affiliate for our peeps, we will give those competing all the opportunity to do the WOD’s and we will be in the new space come hell or high water.
Stop the Slop Challenge:
Stick with it! Turn in your nutrition logs! Email us or bring them in we need to see them. For those using btwb.com keep it up. We are checking them.
Got an iPhone, iPad, or an Android? Do you eat paleo but feel stumped on what to order when you are out? If so you may want to try this app for finding restaurants and choosing menu items for making them paleo-ish: paleogogo.com
Monday is a two-fer birthday WOD for Michelle and Cathy! “Newbies” scale # of rounds to two and load, “Standard” scale load on both movements, “Advanced” scale barbell load, “Smells Elite” category goes as RX’d. However you choose to go, go after it!
M and Moe sharing a laugh:
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday 1/25: Nutrition Discussion with CFHQ Trainer Todd Widman
If you are in the “Stop the Slop” challenge so far use this to take the time and go learn and get re-energized!
Several of us in the box are planning to go to Imperial for this. Let us know if you are in. It’s worth it!
Saturday 2/5: The Sat WOD(s) will be a field trip to Cascade CrossFit for a WOD. Time will be from 9am until everyone is done. You can come later depending on your schedule. They will be hosting SnoValley CrossFit, Sculptor CrossFit, and us for a community building workout. We will program and run the workout in advance here in the box to allow you to get familiar with it. There will be no cost and all levels are encouraged to come and REPRESENT!
Cool video from Jim C. with a message that applies to many sports and CrossFit:
Just another day at Camp Awesome. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the weights and bodies were flying. Everyone helping one another and skills being developed, refined and strengthened. The mood for Sectionals training was focused and very fun. The way it should be. The main class was just the same. Saturday mornings are my favorite as group after group rolls in and hits their workout and the gym is buzzing pre-WOD with conversation, laughs, coaching and tunes. Once it starts it is like any other day and everyone pushes themselves through and encourages each other but afterwards the Saturday mood is just a little more relaxed. Usually people stick around and work on skills, have fun or just chat. It almost always ends with the coaches getting coffee. Like I said, Camp Awesome.
Zumba Warm-ups with Michelle:
Ninja or Monkey with Matt?
Slop Stoppers:
Searching for Paleo recipe ideas? Try looking on Rob’s CrossFitDad.com site. Rob gathered 52 Paleo Recipes off Facebook from a post on Rogue Fitness’ page the other day. He posted a recipe for Paleo Sloppy Joes that won him a T Shirt and then he complied everyone’s entries. If you pick one you like share it with the group so we can all try it. Tonight Michelle is making the Pina Colada Chicken & Calypso Confetti Cauliflower that Laura shared recently.
Coaching Tip:
The Ring Push-up with Jeremy O.:
Stabilize yourself on the rings in the push-up position with arms fully locked out.
Lower your body in a plank so that your shoulders dip below your elbows
Ideally the rings touch the inner part of the upper pec.
Squeeze the rings together as you push up in a plank.
Ensure you open the elbows and lock the arms out at the top.
Great video below on the mindset and approach to scaling. Just because you can do one of something doesn’t mean you can suddenly do a whole WOD with them. All movements, range of motion and exercises can be scaled or subbed. Weight, load, and workouts too. It takes consistency and experience to progress to “RX’ing” a WOD; earning a RX once doesn’t mean you will then RX them all. Remember: WOD’s can and will be programmed to find and expose weaknesses. Common sense prevails, build your technique and work capacity first!
Tony Budding from CFHQ on scaling, GHD Edition – video [wmv] [mov]
Notes:
9am Sectionals Athletes Training; 10am Regular Class
Please do you best to put things away where they are supposed to go! While the corner by the rowers may seem to be a logical spot to you to put your med ball or jump rope, that’s not where it belongs. Dumbbells and kettlebells may seem better organized by randomly grouping them in any weight order or stacking method, but really it isn’t. Most importantly, keep the PVC’s in the bucket when you are done and not in places like the bathroom. While it’s arguably functional to practice with the PVC while taking care of business, we actually don’t encourage that type of efficiency!
This is how we will make everyone sign waivers from now on:
* EMOM complete 4 burpees; with remaining time in each minute complete:
20 Thrusters (95#/65# Barbell for all movements) 20 Sumo Deadlift High Pull 20 Push Jerks 20 Overhead Squat 20 Front Squat
* To start complete 4 burpees before moving onto the barbell exercises. Stop every minute to complete 4 burpees and only move on to the next barbell movement after completing 20 reps. Athlete may rest only after completing 4 burpees for the minute.
For a WOD description and comparison to the last time we did this see previous results. The crux of this WOD is you start in a hole and have to dig yourself out as the sand keeps pouring in around you.
Nadia endured the AF WOD Solo! Not only that she rocked it:
We are almost 2 weeks into our “Stop the Slop” Nutrition and Performance Challenge! The efforts at better reps and better eats are going to pay off. Believe it and stick with it! Your coaches have been reviewing food logs, fielding questions, and hearing very similar experiences. These topics range from weight loss, body comp changes, recipes, falling off and climbing back on the wagon, energy swings, and more. It’s all good to talk about and all things that have happened to those who have cleaned up their diet before. If we haven’t given you feedback on your logs yet keep documenting and we will follow up.
Stay strong, don’t reinvent the program and don’t “okay” each cheat meal or slip. Simply acknowledge it, get strict and test your willpower. Watch the video below and imagine how much willpower USA Weightlifter Zach Krych must have to come back from such a devastating injury. Think about how much discipline and “never” quit attitude this guy must display. If he can do that then you can give up bread, beer, and pasta and eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Oh and drink plenty of water.
Read Lindsay’s insightful and humorous email she sent us about her recent “Faileo” Weekend and the “aha” moment she had. If you have fallen off the wagon, take Lindsay’s advice and climb back on and drive that damn wagon off into the sunset!
“What I Learned When I Fell Off the Wagon”
“Hey Guys,
What I’m about to say is mildly shameful, and certainly an admission of guilt. This past weekend was the first time I ventured out of my Paleo bubble since my husband and I have made some major life changes. I started a new job, we both started Crossfit (he re-started; I was brand new) and both made the choice to eat (and live) cleaner, healthier and more simply, with the most recent declaration coming in the form of our “Stop the Slop” challenge.
My guilty admission? The slop stopped me. I had a near-total failure of a Paleo weekend.
However, I say near because, while I ingested an obscene amount of inflammatory factory food, I learned a valuable lesson. And as I traveled home last night, I thought that maybe this lesson would be good to pass on to my fellow Slop-Stoppers.
My lesson: In the midst of my Paleo nose-dive, my new “way of life” was affirmed. I had a moment of clarity. For the first time in memory (maybe ever), I looked into an everyday, run of the mill pantry and didn’t find a single thing that was worth eating. I recalled what I had consumed in the last 2 days (broccoli cheddar soup being one of the worst offenders) and felt total shame. In that moment, I realized the difference between food and fuel. If I had looked into that pantry 3 months ago, I would’ve grabbed that box of Smart Start cereal or that whole grain bagel and peanut butter jar and told myself “Great choice! Healthy choice! One point for Team Lindsay!” Tasty? Yes. Wholesome? Duh, yeah. Now…well, I know better. After rummaging through my friends’ fridge (and not finding a single piece of fruit or vegetable) I found a lone banana on the kitchen counter and ran away with it.
This Faileo weekend could derail me and send me into a deep fried potato bender. I could drown my missteps in a pool of maple syrup or at the bottom of a Coke can. But I don’t want to. I want to be better than that. It isn’t failure that defines you; how you chose to recover from it defines you. So I am choosing to use my cheese and sugar whiplash as motivation to not only get back on the wagon, but to drive that damn wagon into a fiery red sunset.
In the months ahead there are several events, challenges, field trips, Sectionals, and races out there. Here are some of them. Details to follow!
Feb. 5 (Saturday) from 9am to ? will be a field trip WOD for our box as Cascade CrossFit is hosting a WOD and meet and greet with us, SnoValley CrossFit and Sculptor CrossFit. This is a good chance to get out and meet CF’ers in the local community. The WOD will be open to all and announced in advance, they will run waves and it will be a good workout for everyone whether you are training for Sectionals or just wanting to get a good butt-kicking. We plan on going and would love a great turnout so let us know if you are interested! Let’s make this our first box field trip! After this one we hope to organize ones to several other boxes.
Mar-Apr: Tentative dates for the 2011 CF Games Sectionals Open Qualifiers. Details to come.
We are planning to bring a group to compete and/or judge, let us know if you are interested
Competitors must register at the above link
Most important is our own Grand Opening of SnoRidge CrossFit version 3.0! We are working to finalize on getting keys to the new space hopefully by this weekend to start work. Once we move in (by early Feb) and get settled we are targeting a late Feb. “Grand Opening” weekend. Details to come!
Why 21 Minutes? The 21st is his birthday. We did it early to ensure he made it. If we went with his age we would all still be doing the WOD. Happy birthday to the longest “tenured” dude in the box! In a year and a half we’ve managed to somehow teach Curtis how to touch his shoelaces (not quite toes), jump off the floor, split his shorts during a WOD, and channel his rage just enough to not scare the living daylights out of the kids.
Quote of the Day: “Rest is the sweet sauce of labor” ~ Plutarch
Jenna had her baby shower today. Check out this CrossFit cake!
Mikko Salo completes “Fran” in 2:17 – video [wmv] [mov]
From Moe: “Attention Early AM Squatchers…this week starts the Monday, Wednesday 6am schedule (no more Tues/Thurs)! Come on in and experience early morning Happiness in the Pain Cave!”
Hope everyone had an active rest day today. Or at least you did some Euro Training. Time to kick off another week of training. Who’s birthday WOD(s) are we doing? What benchmark may make an appearance? Will Jeremy D. showcase his Dance Central rump-shaker skills somehow before the 6pm WOD on Friday? More importantly will we start seeing some “Euro Training” work it’s way into the box? I am a FAN! Combine with shake weights and watch the results fly.
Today was FRAN-TASTIC! Congrats to all the first timers who hit this Benchmark “Girl”, as well as to all who PR’d! The intensity was high right from the warm-up for the early group training for Sectionals Qualifiers and carried on through the morning class. There was a great vibe of coaching, cheering, concentration, and support in the box the entire morning. Ensuring everyone had a judge/coach was vital to eliminating “slop” and making sure only good reps were counted. Way to kick Fran in the ass and send her on her way!
