CF Games – Page 169 – SNORIDGE CROSSFIT

Who is Team Squatch?

Michelle: Moe: Kim:

Pat: Jeremy: Mark:

Here’s your team people! Next weekend these six will go to the 2010 CF Games Northwest Regionals to represent our box, work hard, grin and “bear complex” it, and high five their way through two days of tough team workouts. They will go up against at least 30 other teams representing affiliates from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada and Alaska that all want to earn a shot at competing for the Affiliate Cup at the Games in Los Angeles come July.

Come support them at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. It’s practically in our own backyard! How lucky is that?

I’m so stoked about coaching this team I am gonna go run or something!

"Bar and Hammer"

Dueling Bar and Hammer format:

Partner up and go head to head for max reps total:
400m Run
Front Squat (95#/65#)
400m Run
Sledgehammer Swing (16#/12#)
400m Run
Front Squat (95#/65#)
400m Run
Sledgehammer Swing (16#/12#)

* One partner squats/swings while other runs; switch up after each run
** Score total reps of both exercises
*** Outdo your partner!

Results

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Beautiful weather yesterday meant some “fun in the sun”! Great classes and the head to head format was a hit. For those who came at 1030 or 1130 our apologies that the schedule caused some confusion. It will be updated to show Saturdays at 10 and 11. Enjoy the weekend!

One week until Regionals! The schedule is here and we are all waiting for the WOD’s to be announced. If you are going as a spectator ask us about using one of Mark/Jeremy/Kim’s tickets that they had previously purchased but don’t need as they are on the team now. Also tickets at the door are cash only!

Read ‘Caveman Diet’ growing followers from EPSN

"Manmaker? More like Man-breaker"

Strength WOD:

10 Rounds of Max Effort 100m Row

* Rest 60 seconds between rounds; record fastest attempt

Jim C. and his record 15.4 second pull (9th on BeyondtheWhiteboard.com):

Check Out WOD Immediately After:

3 Rounds for Time:
40 Double-Unders
10 Manmakers (30#/20#)

Results

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The 100m row sprints came about as a WOD after recently seeing it as a max effort item listed on beyondthewhiteboard.com. A few people (your coaches included) played with it to see how fast we could go and I thought it was really fun. Stringing them together made it like running sprints and was just a different way to make rowing bearable. It also teaches how to row hard and fast for a short duration on the rower which will translate to faster row times for the longer distances.

We had a lot of derailing today and learning seat placement and a coordinated pull/return was important to staying on the rower. Jim C. and Lucy owned the day with their blazing times and no derailing off the rower in their fastest attempts. After the fun on the rowers was over, the manmaking began. Think push-ups/row/burpee/thruster on dumbbells. Now think HARD. As in they are hard to do. The combo with double-unders made for a tough WOD. If you want to see them go to YouTube and look up SealFit manmaker. And if you are mad you missed out on them don’t worry we will see them again.

Hulk SMASH!

Notes:

A short history of the CrossFit Games [wmv] [mov]

One week until Regionals! (We will be closed next weekend May 15th)

The Deadliest Snatch

For time:
Use Rep Scheme of 10/1, 9/2, 8/3, 7/4, 6/5…..down to 1/10 of:
Sumo Deadlift High Pull (75#/55#)
Power Snatch (75#/55#)

Results

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Faces of Strain:

The 2010 CF Games Northwest Regionals schedule has been announced! It’s ON! The WOD’s should be announced soon. Check out a list of some of the sponsors who will be there: lululemon athletica (our favorite gang from Bellevue Square), Forged Clothing, Life As RX’d clothing, Chef By Request, Progenex, Hot Off The Press Shirts, among many others. I can’t wait to buy more CrossFit T Shirts, I don’t have enough!

Notes:

Saturday Schedule:

9am Team Squatch training
10am Class (sign up by posting to comments)
11am Class
If the weather is nice plan to be outside. Should be fun!

Post Regionals we are going to plan a PARTY! When the weather is nicer it’s a done deal that we are gonna have a BBQ for the box at the house along with a Fish Game Tournament on the rowers. Who wants top bragging rights? Tentatively plan for a weekend in June. We may even bust out a WOD in the garage for old time’s sake.

Hang Power Snatch with Amanda:

"Shoot 'Em Up"

Strength WOD:

5 Rounds of Dead Hang Pull-ups

* Rest as necessary between rounds; work up to max reps per attempt

Check Out WOD Immediately After:

As Many Rounds As Possible in 12 Minutes:
5 Deadlift (Use 60% of 1RM)
7 Shoot-Throughs (Parallette)
10 AbMat Sit-Ups

Shoot Through’s for Two!:

Results

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Today was a different type of strength WOD and check out WOD and both were quite effective. Dead hang pull-ups are all too often neglected in CrossFit. We rely on hip drive and kipping so often that developing the strength to adequately pull our own bodyweight can take a back seat to speed and efficiency. So why train dead hang pull-ups if they are less efficient? The same reason we do one rep max lifts with the barbell. To get stronger so that when we want to go faster we can because we take longer to fatigue and can get more work done. This means more power. That means better results physically. Practice those strict dead hang pull-ups, with or without a band. You will get stronger and your pull-ups will get better.

The “Shoot Through” with Ryan:

Think “Burpee on parallettes”. I learned these at the Gymnastics Cert and they are outstanding. Part push-up, dip and jump. It teaches speed, builds strength in the arms, core and shoulders, and drains you quickly. You can do them on parallettes or scale them using boxes or something higher to allow more room to jump and to make the push-up easier. Either way, it’s still hard to “shoot it’!

Notes:

History of the Burpee according to Wikipedia: The exercise may have originated from native North American ‘Indian Wrestling’ or it may have been originated by a man named Lieutenant Thomas Burpee (1757-1839). He was an officer in the New Hampshire Militia during the American Revolutionary War and was described as “having the innate Burpee fondness for martial exercises” in A History of the Town of New London, Merrimack County, New Hampshire. Lt. Burpee may have used the combination of push ups and squat thrusts as a means of drilling, conditioning, and disciplining the troops under his command. In addition, the exercise may have also been used by the troops as a way to stay warm during the winters in wartime New England.

Quick heads up on the box schedule:

On May 15th and 16th (Sat. and Sun.) we will be closed for the 2010 CF Games Northwest Regionals competition being held at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. We will have a team of our very own competing (Moe, Kim, Pat, Jeremy D., Mark B., and Michelle) in the Affiliate Team qualifiers and myself for the individual qualifiers. If you are thinking about attending as a spectator then before you go buy tickets let Michelle, Moe or I know as a few of our team members had already purchased a ticket and no longer need it due to being on the team. Come out one or both days and watch the events. There will be a bunch of amazing people all sweating through the Master’s Qualifiers, Team Qualifiers and Individual competition that weekend! It will be exciting, fun and a great opportunity to see some of the best CF athletes our 6 state region has to offer tackle some sure to be grueling WOD’s. All for a shot at the Games!

"Yes…Tabata That"

Tabata Intervals: Perform 8 intervals of max reps for 20 seconds work followed by 10 seconds rest of the following exercises in sequence. Score lowest number of reps for a given round.

Box Jumps (24″/20″)

Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)

Air Squats

Following the WOD:

2 rounds of hang for time from the pull-up bar.

(Grip it and dead-hang for dear life)

Results

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Who thought the bar hang was way tougher than they thought?

Here’s a link to the Garage Gym throwback days for when we last did this one. We haven’t done Tabata’s in awhile ( since the March Cross-box Challenge) so it was good to put this in the mix.

Notes:

T Shirts are in tomorrow! We will bag and tag them and get them to you ASAP!

Welcome to Jenna who dropped in today to the morning class and rocked some Tabata’s! Also welcome to the gang who recently completed Elements : Annette, Michelle D., Sashank, Doug as well as Willy who is one day away from being complete. Make sure you all introduce yourselves and give high fives and chest bumps!

Congrats to Adriana and Jim M. who earned their 100th WOD status recently. You’ll see them proudly sporting their T’s.

CrossFit Games Update:

In addition to our group who is competing at Regionals in 2 weeks we have a group who are volunteering. Shout out to Rob, Rona, Lyndi, Eli, and Sangeeta who are all going to help ensure the event runs smooth!

Coaching Tip: The Air Squat with Eli

Air Squat cues:

Start upright with feet under hips and flat on the floor; toes slightly angled out
Maintain a steady gaze straight ahead
Keeping the chest up, initiate the squat by pushing the hips and posterior chain back (like taking a bow)
Squat down keeping your weight on your heels
Move your hands out in front of you, form a “window” with your hands to look through (this forces the head and chest to stay up and the weight to stay on the heels)
Concentrate on keeping your knees behind the toe box and keeping your core tight
Hip crease ideally should drop below the knee joint at the bottom
Drive out of the bottom and pull your hands back to your hips
Fully open (or extend) the hips at the top

"No Slop"

In teams of 2, complete for time:

50 Double Unders
100 Push-ups
75 Power Cleans (95#/65#)
50 Wall Balls (20#/14#)
25 Overhead Squats (95#/65#)
50 Double Unders

Results

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* One partner works at a time, if single do half the reps
** No Slop or partial ROM counts, if partial = scaled
*** Solo does half of reps
**** Strategize with partner for how to alternate reps
1. No snags count for DU’s
2. Shoulders below or minimum parallel to elbow for push-up, full lockout
3. Contact with med ball target in squat for WB and OHS
4. WB must hit above line to count rep

Curtis in shock after realizing what an overhead squat is supposed to look like:

This WOD was from CrossFit Bellevue and our own Team Squatch completed this past weekend to train for the Affiliate Cup Qualifiers. As always in any workout the focus was “no slop”. Clean reps, form first over weight and speed. Some teams and individuals embraced this today. Some, well…

Here’s the deal, whatever load you use it should be one that allows for full range of motion (ROM). Can it be challenging? Yes. Slow? Tough? Of course. However it also needs to be a load that you can still do right. The same goes for bodyweight movements. Full range of motion like in a proper air squat, pull-up or push-up. Going RX’d is a goal. But what good is it to go heavy to attempt to be RX’d to do an overhead squat with half the depth and no midline stabilization? Or to perform a wall ball without full squat depth and a throw that is consistently below the target? That won’t translate to someday waking up and having the ability to just nail a particular movement. You have to practice it, work at it and develop the strength, flexibility or coordination. Stick with a weight you can manage and be safe. Use the warm-up or post WOD to improve on your range of motion or technique with a PVC or empty bar. Remember what Vince Lombardi said: “Practice does not make perfect, but perfect practice makes perfect”.

Michelle D. and Marc M. practicing perfect:

Notes:

Highlights from the CF Games North Central Regionals [wmv] [mov]

Coaching tip: Push-up Depth with Mike H.

Shoulders should be below or minimum parallel to elbow for push-up depth. Rigid plank. Ideal is chest to deck. Full lock-out at top.

"Jumping Helen"

Helen with a double-under twist; no running

3 Rounds For Time:

50 Double-Unders
21 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
12 Pull-ups

Results

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The Games are going to move to Los Angeles this summer! While we are sad its no longer able to be conducted in Aromas, CA it’s somewhat exciting to think it’s going to be in a bigger venue (Los Angeles Home Depot Center), with more amazing athletes than ever, and webcast live for all to see. We will be going down in July to watch and can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. Who’s up for going to the Games?

Announcing the 2010 CrossFit Games! [wmv] [mov]

Notes:

Cinco De Mayo race registration closed today and we have a great number of SRCF members among those who registered for the 1/2 and the 8k race this Saturday. We will plan the WOD’s Thursday and Friday accordingly.

Hard-Core

Strength WOD:

Deadlift

5/4/3/2/1/1/1

* Work up to 1RM (1 Rep Max)

Tons of PR’s today in the house!

Check Out WOD Immediately After:

5 Rounds for Time:
10 Hollow Rocks
10 Supermans
10 Ring Rows

Results

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Synchronized Ring Rows with Steph and Mariela:

Scaled Superwoman for Prego’s:

Core work today! Not “Abs of Steel” but a solid WOD with an emphasis on the hollow position, and instruction on the Hollow Rock, Superman and Ring Row. All important movements and when linked together are good for the abs and core stabilizers. These will be worked more often along with ring supports, L-sits and tuck holds, planks, bar hangs, kipping and other fun things to get those six packs working. Oh and Shoot-Throughs!

Also Jana had a couple great ideas for our next challenge(s) that we will start in a couple weeks; the first being “Sit-up Challenge”. Stay tuned!

Notes:

Go watch “Ring Dip Standards” from CrossFit.com [wmv] [mov]

This will be the preferred method for RX. Shoulder below elbow, hip travel legit. Kipping is okay but you better have the strict ring dip in your toolbox before you pull out the kip. Practice pre or post WOD.

If you are planning to attend the 2010 CF Games Northwest Regionals on May 15-16th In Puyallup and want to volunteer along with Rona, Rob and Sangeeta go sign up here.

Team Squatch

The trials are over and its time to announce the Affiliate Cup Team for the Regionals in May and stats for those who were able to complete tryouts this past week. Without further ado, here are the results below.

The 3 men and 3 women that will make up our team are Mark B., Pat and Jeremy D. and Michelle, Moe, and Kim D.

These selections were based on the final rankings and scoring per the original announcement earlier.

Points breakdown are as follows:

I chose these WOD’s for specific reasons:

1) Based on broad and inclusive fitness that cover the ten components of fitness as defined by CrossFit

2) Needed to cover basic movements that at a minimum can be reasonably expected to be tested in a Regionals Team Competition

3) Needed to focus on the four main areas most CF Games Events have been including: strength (The Bear), met con (Christine), short duration basic skills (Baseline), and movements that are typically added to increase difficulty (The Advanced Skills Test). Rather than test 5-10 WOD’s which were logistically a nightmare I felt the advanced skills test and Baseline most covered the movements we should expect to encounter.

4) Rather than pick one lift (press, deadlift, etc.) and work up to a max, it was more fair to pick a WOD like the Bear that you determine the load as well as be required to know and perform multiple barbell movements. The more weight you can do is not only strength but reliant on efficiency of technique. Strength workouts like this are a much better test to me of what level of fitness and technique someone has over just pulling a bar off the floor 1 time.

5) The WOD’s are not overly difficult. They are basic and to compete as a team we should have the ability to navigate these types of WOD’s and/or skills based on what 4 are completing that workout. This allowed me to see where individually we are and what we need to train as a team for the next several weekends.

My plan is in addition to competing individually at the NW Regionals I will serve as your Team Coach and do my best to help you all in between my events and the Team events. From strategy to rest to pep talks I’ll do my best to be out there with you all. Let’s represent SRCF together!

I hope this has been fun for everyone and continues to be so. I want everyone who participated to know you are all Team Squatch! All of you have trained hard, stayed consistent, and reached new PR’s and levels. Your coaches are stoked for everyone and amazed at how far some have come, how all have raised their game and pushed each other, and how this team has bonded.

To everyone and anyone interested in competitions, remember we are a young box with many who are very new to CrossFit. Next years Games and competitions will be here faster than you think! There will be plenty of opportunity to train and improve your skills in the coming year so continue to stay sharp and know that next year we plan to field another team, as well as bring more to Sectionals or whatever the competition may be.