Category: Events

Squat Day

Strength WOD:

Every minute on the minute (EMOM) for 10 minutes complete:
5 Front Squats – unbroken (135#/95#)

* If you miss a round in a minute, then complete the set and rest next minute. Post total rounds completed.

Checkout WOD:

3 Rounds for time of:

400m Run
25 AbMat Sit-ups 
Rest 90 Seconds

Results

View this photo
View this photo

Roll out then squat:

Bar Rolling

Front Squats_Jill Front Squats_Nan

One version of the history of the burpee: Reebok Crossfit Games: History of the Burpee

Join hosts Rory McKernan, Pat Sherwood, and Miranda Oldroydas they discuss the first week of the Open. 

Team Purple:

Team Purple

Lucy's Journey

12.1 Done and in the books:

12.1 DONE

Quote of the Day: “When I started crossfit last year I couldn’t even run a mile. The box had a goal setting speaker from Lululemon and I made a goal to do a half marathon. Today I achieved my goal and actually ran the first 7 consecutive miles which would be unheard of a year ago. I finished the race and feel amazing!!!! I stepped out of my box when joining crossfit which has made me step out of the box with new athletic activities I would never try normally!!! Thanks for having a box that makes me step out of the box!!!” ~ Angie

Congrats Angie!

Greg knocks out another burpee:

Greg_12.1

“Down. Up. Down. Up” from CrossFit Delaware Valley (PA).

Lucy agreed to share her outstanding “Stop the Slop Challenge” Essay talking about her Whole30 experience and what it meant to her. Read her very open and honest account below of what she deals with in having celiac disease and why eating clean and doing CrossFit can be truly lifechanging. Thank you for sharing your story!

My Whole30 Journey: Lucy 

The WOD for me is the easiest part. 

Don’t get me wrong I hurt and I ache and often long for it to be over. I have shed blood, sweat (lots of) and tears during WOD’s, but I can take the pain. None of that compares to the daily battle I have with myself.

Too much information I hear you shout! I’m British, we don’t like to bare our souls, or what the Brits see as ‘weakness’. But really I want to share this, because for me it is at the heart of what CrossFit and The Whole30 is and has done for my life.

I have always been ‘sporty’ from riding, swim team, cross country running, field hockey during school and rowing for University, then for a London rowing club. Being ‘fit’ , an athlete and slim was just who I was, I didn’t know any other way.

This all changed when I went to Africa in 1996. I got Giardia, while I was there and from that day onwards I didn’t feel good. Not at all! My heart would race, I started to gain weight and cellulite (shock, horror). I was lethargic and couldn’t train with my crew anymore (I was Women’s Captain of the Rowing club at the time). I would have panic attacks and bouts of depression. I couldn’t sleep. I would catch every bug going (and when you live in London, that’s a lot of bugs), I started to have IBS and had to run out of client meetings 2-3 times every hour, because I couldn’t wait. I developed a horrendous, raw, blistering, painful, swelling and rash around the eyes, which often made me look like I had endured 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. I was ashamed of my face and doing my job became hard. I itched and ached all over. My joints hurt. The week before we married I couldn’t have engagement photos taken, because my face was so swollen. On my wedding day, I didn’t feel beautiful. 

I was desperate to find answers, I was angry.

The doctors gave me steroids, told me I was stressed (too right I was), anti-spasmodic drugs for my bowel, anti depressants…the list goes on. They thought I was a hypochondriac, I lost faith in the medical profession. I took matters into my own hands and visited Nutritionists in Harley Street, Dermatologists, Gastroenterologists, Ayurvedic healers, Naturopaths, Homeopaths………all had different angles, but none of them an answer.

Finally, one day after a business lunch with lots of white bread sandwiches and cookies for lunch, I was terribly sick. It suddenly occurred to me, that I was always really ill after white bread. I started to cut it out of my diet and felt a bit better.

Over the next year or so this helped, but I still experienced periodic symptoms, sickness, general malaise and had gained weight, which I was unable to shift.

Only in 2004 when we emigrated to the US at my first doctors appt., did the doc say she thought I had Celiac disease. Hallelujah! Gluten was the enemy! From that day onwards life got immeasurably better. It took me two years to get to the heart of what I could eat and what I couldn’t and find places that sold it, but life was finally good again. I started eating a whole food diet with lots of whole grains, organic vegetables, pulses etc, plus juicing too.

In spite of this turnaround, the cost of all of this was I had lost my old self. I was plump around the edges (more than), puffy, had huge cravings food wise, either for sugar or carbs and was bloated a lot of the time. I had accepted and resigned myself to being grey, over weight and middle aged and I looked old. After all isn’t that what happens when you hit forty? I just looked like a lot of my relatives did at my age, right?

Truth is, my body was starved of nutrients, there were holes in my gut from years of consuming gluten, that were still healing but leaking stuff into my system, my blood sugar was wreaking havoc and I was still totally out of balance diet wise.

Then I met Michelle and Tom. 

They were and are bright eyed and bushy tailed and freakin’ fit! How did you look like that? How do you get like that? I asked Michelle one day, walked into their garage gym the next  and two years later I am fitter than I have possibly ever been, I am happier than I have been in a long time and I cannot imagine a life without CrossFit and my SnoRidge CrossFit family.

But, as I said, the WOD is the easy part for me.

The Whole30 was and is still the toughest challenge, but the big turning point for me. It is really hard. Hard to stick to, hard to plan, especially with the crazy lives we lead, hard to ignore the incessant craving in the first two weeks, hard to resist the pressure of family and friends to just have one drink, or just one slice of pizza, so hard not to have cream in my coffee, hard to sit in front of the tv and not comfort eat, hard to keep to the serving sizes….hard to turn down the fries….its a constant mental dialogue and battle. But, it’s so worth it.

I am still fighting to lose that last 20 lbs, my body is still healing, I still get sick if I digest even the tiniest amounts of gluten, but I know that, slowly, I can get back to optimal health and well being by eating The Whole30 way.  Only now, without all grains and dairy, is my body finally healing. When I do it and stick to it I feel amazing, there is clarity in my life, I look shiny and clean and have boundless energy. It doesn’t get much better than that. I have that fit, zippy, forty something in shorts, socks and a vest in my sights and I’m not stopping now. 

Right now, one month in, I too am bright eyed, bushy tailed and one day in the not so distant future 20 lbs. lighter. I don’t feel old anymore. I’m not angry any more. Whole30 is the only way forward for me.

I am, finally, me again.

~ Lucy

"Row Faster! I Hear Banjoes!"

10 Individually Timed Max Efforts of:
100m Row

Rest as needed between intervals, post time of each row

Post WOD:
Mobility work

Results

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Erg Sprints

Okay peeps and coaches, here’s the skinny for WOD 12.1 of the Open that we will run tomorrow. 

Complete as many reps as possible in 7 minutes of:
Burpees

You must hit your chest and thighs to deck and stand and jump to hit a target with both hands that is 6″ minimum above your full standing reach. If you miss then you just jump and re-touch (you don’t have to go back to ground).

1. Each class you will pair up and go in a minimum of 2 waves. 
2. If you are registered and competing in the Open then you will go first.
3. Judge is also responsible for counting and calling “no rep”. 
4. Only two things to judge: chest not touching the floor and both hands not hitting target.
5. Push your fellow athlete!

Target standards: 

1. You must be measured (measuring tape is on the box with the iPod and speakers) to a target at 6″ minimum above your outstretched hand overhead
2. Target options:
– You may use the cage (different height bars)
– You may adjust a set of rings and place a PVC across them (helps prevent sway)
– You may adjust a single ring to height
– You may use the adjustable pull-up bar on the cage (Kids bar)
– You may tape two pieces of tape hanging down from the pull-up cage to stop at min. 6″ above reach 
– You may loop two pull-up bands to the cage and tie them in the middle to height
3. Both hands must hit the target.

Have fun and remember burpees suck! Buck Furpees!

CrossFit Games Open 12.1

For a downloadable PDF of the workout, click here.

CrossFit Games Open 12.1 workout instructions and demo – video [wmv] [mov] [HD mov]

“2012 CrossFit Games Open Launches“

Power "Amanda"

Main Class:

Teams of 2 complete for time:

50 Power Snatch (115#/75#)
60 Pull-ups
70 Overhead Squat (95#/65#)
80 Burpees

* One bar per team, deload as you go. Go in order and split work up as desired.

Checkout WOD:

40 AbMat Sit-ups
30 Hollow Rocks
20 V-ups

Advanced RX Class: Power “Amanda“

9-7-5 Reps of each for time of:

Muscle-ups
Power Snatch (135#/95#)

Results 

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View this photo

Power Amanda

This is why you will hear us say “Armpits forward”: “The Active Shoulder” with Kelly Starrett – video [wmv] [mov]

Today was some pre-WOD instruction on the pass through, power snatch, and overhead squat where the focus was on set-up and positioning and for some limiting range of motion to maintain good overhead squat mechanics. If you were one of the “flexibility challenged” then focus on those tight areas and keep that technique strong at the scaled load and ROM. 

Common muscle imbalances that show in the overhead squat:

  • If your feet turn outward as you squat (i.e penguin feet): Likely tight outer calves and weak inner calves
  • If your knees cave inward as you squat: Likely weak adductors (groin muscles) and glutes
  • If your arms fall or cave forward: Likely tight pecs, lats and weak and tight scapular and rotator cuff muscles

Lucy OHS:

Lucy_OHS

Notes:

Schedule Change to Advanced RX Class and Update on the Open:

Beginning Sat. 2/25 (next week) we will be suspending the Advanced RX Class for the duration of the CF Games Open (ends 3/25).
Note – The 0930 Class will NOT change. Come one, come all, we will adapt and overcome! You WILL still get your ass kicked during main class regardless of how bad-ass you think you are. 🙂

**This is to have the availability to run competitors who miss the opportunity to complete the Open WOD on Thursday**

1. Each Thursday during the Open we will make that workout the WOD for the entire gym. This way everyone gets to participate and experience the workouts.
2. All should plan to be paired up during class to ensure a partner is judging. Competitors will be paired with someone who is confident in judging movement/rep counting.
3. The primary day to complete the Open WOD is Thursday each week.
4. Makeup/alternate day for the Open WOD is 11AM each Saturday after the main class time ends. 
5. We strongly encourage anyone thinking about competing in the Open to register and just try it! It’s a good test to see where you fall among the world of crazy CF’ers.

Last thing: We may change this plan as we go so please be flexible. it’s only 5 weeks long but all plans go to crap at the first sign of contact.

Saturday Team WOD Fun:

View from the top

"Stop the Slop Challenge" Winners

Winner winner. Paleo dinner!

Lincoln crushes the Stop the Slop WOD rematch:

Locked out_Lincoln

The Nutrition Challenge winner is Amy N. with 5.31% change in bodyweight over the course of the challenge. This was close as several were right over the 5% change mark. Two people who weighed in within a few days after the final deadline (Tuesday 2/9) continued to see weight loss and ended with higher percentages but as it was beyond the deadline it couldn’t factor in.

The Performance Challenge winner is Lincoln with a whopping 28.19% time improvement in the “Clean and Jerk Baseline” WOD. When he did this workout at the beginning of the challenge he was close to pukie. He crushed the rematch. 

The 30 Day Nutrition Essay Challenge winner was a tough choice. We had a few essays that were submitted that were just incredibly well written, heartfelt, and amazing for us as coaches to read. The essays were to focus on the individuals experience over the 30 days either attempting the Whole30 challenge or a cleaner diet, the performance challenge, or both. After a vote the winner of the Essay Challenge is Lorraine. 

Congrats to each of the winners! Now to get to what they win.

Each person will receive:

  1. A choice of a $125 gift certificate to either Rogue Fitness or lululemon athletica
    • Winners should check the Rogue website where for $125 you can buy a pair of Oly shoes or Reebok Nano’s or Inov-8’s, or apparel, mobility stuff, wrist wraps, or a piece of equipment (like a kettlebell or jump rope)
    • At lulu you can buy one pant leg or a sock. Kidding. You get two socks…
  2. A choice of Stronger Faster Healtheir Fish Oil (10 oz. bottle) or SFH Pure Whey Protein powder (2lb.)
  3. 5 Small Size Primal Pacs
  4. A lululemon water bottle

High fives and chest bumps to everyone who participated, even if you didn’t finish. Michelle and I completed a Whole30 and both of us dialed it back in, noticed improvements, and lost weight. We have also resolved to keep to a stricter lifestyle to maintain our improvements. If you were on the fence about participating then next challenge jump right in. For anyone who thought “why?” ask yourself “why not?”. What do you have to lose by setting positive goals to eat healthier and workout harder? (Besides weight and bad habits) Many started a Whole30 and a few finished it through. A bunch of you PR’d your re-test on the workout. Several of you have already introduced healthy eating habits that are likely to stick. That is what it’s all about. While it’s cool to lift heavy stuff and fly around during a workout, the real purpose for all the exercise that we do is to be healthier and fitter. For life. So live it and seize the day. Next time get off the damn fence.

Holmberg

Max Back Squat

Strength WOD:

25 Minutes to warm-up and then take 3 attempts to find your 1RM 
Back Squat

Checkout WOD:

10 Rounds for Time of:

100m Run 
5 Knees-to-Elbows 

Results

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View this photo

Spotter

The CrossFit Total. A WOD designed to test raw strength. Three lifts, done in order, with specific rules. Back Squat, Press, then Deadlift. You warm-up then have 3 attempts only to attempt a 1 rep max for each lift in order. Once you finish warming up and begin your official attempts you cannot get a ‘do over’. After back squat you move onto the next lift and continue the warm-up then 3 attempt pattern all the way through. At the end of the Total you add your best successful load for each lift (BS/PR/DL) and arrive at a CF Total. It’s time consuming and also taxing to find a 1RM for 3 straight lifts.

Since it’s such a time consuming workout the intent this week is to break it up over three days. Today through Thursday we will find a new one rep max for each lift but still follow the rules of 3 official attempts. While not officially a Total it will still be a great week of strength testing (with three checkouts after). Get in and get your lifts done and ring that PR bell!

Run

Notes:

Stop the Slop Challenge winners will be announced tomorrow. We are waiting until the Essays that were submitted are all voted on by the Coaches for the winner. Each essay has been amazing to read and this is a very tough choice.

If you haven’t registered for the Open and plan to then get it done and call time!

Watch: “I Am The Fittest” – video [wmv] [mov] [HD mov]
Register for the Open here

Knees-to-Elbows standard: Self explanatory, if they don’t touch then you didn’t do it.

K2E Frank

Box League NW Throwdown

Main Class:

Teams of 2 complete 5 rounds each for time:

250m Row 
15 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
20 Box Jumps (24″/20″)
25 AbMat Sit-ups

* Partner 2 cannot move on to the next exercise until Partner 1 in front of you rotates. When both athletes complete the 5th round time is complete.

Advanced RX Class:

As Many Rounds As Possible in 12 Minutes of:

3 Handstand Push-ups
7 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
10 Calorie Row

Results 

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Sandbag Team

Today Team SRCF competed in the first event of the Box League NW along with 4 other local area gyms. This inaugural event was hosted both at CF Gravity Janes and also Maple Valley CrossFit. The league was created by Gravity Janes and it’s intent is to kick off this August through December with a monthly throwdown that rotates teams on a schedule similar to your typical sports league. There are 8-10 gyms planning to participate and this event helped work out the details. 

Six of our athletes competed and made us proud today. For some it was their first CrossFit competition. Some had several competitions to draw on for experience. All of them bonded, strategized, pushed each other and became a team. Here is a recap from Rob of today’s event.

Spencer Press

“Today was the inaugural Box League event and team SRCF put their best foot forward. I was proud to captain a great team comprised of Meghann, Lucy, Deb, Josh, Spencer, and myself. For those of you that need a quick refresher, the Box League is monthly throwdown between a bunch of local boxes. It is an opportunity to hang out with some fellow CrossFitters, get your WOD on, and then maybe hang out after and get a chance to meet more of the community. This morning the team took on Gravity Jane’s and Cascade CrossFit in three WOD’s. 

The first was a 6 minute AMRAP consisting of 30 DU’s, 20 KB swings, and 10 paralette burpees. Josh, Lucy, Deb, and I put out a valiant effort and took 2nd place. The second WOD was a strength WOD were you had 10 mins to find your shoulder press 1 rep max and 10 mins to find your 1 rep max deadlift. Spencer, Josh, Meghann, and Deb took this one on and all had PR’s in both lifts; pretty badass. Even though a spectacular effort was made, we came in 3rd place on this one. Then came WOD 3, the chipper. It started with a 1 mile run where one guy and one girl would run 800 meters with a sand bag (70lbs/30lbs) and then hand off to their partner to run 800 meters. Once all 4 team members completed the run the team had to complete 200 AbMat situps, 200 thrusters (95lbs/65lbs), 200 pull ups, and finish with a 2k row. Lucy, Meghann, Spencer, and I did this one and took 1st place.

Winning

Overall this was a great event. Amy, Shannon, Lindsay, and Derek all judged today and we are very grateful that they did. We also had a good sized group of people from SRCF come and watch, too many to list, but we appreciated having a great cheering section. The vibe of the competition was good and everyone was just excited to be out there WODing with other people that enjoy the sport. There were also two other boxes, Maple Valley CrossFit and King CrossFit that competed in Maple Valley today, so it will be interesting to see how things shake out once we get their results. However it shakes out, today I saw a ton of heart, some first time competitors, lots of PR’s, a strong community, and felt the crazy amount of energy and emotion our people give out when they are cheering on one of their SRCF family.”

Box League NW_Team SRCF

Scale It

5 Rounds for time:

Run 400m
21 Deadlifts (185#/135#)
* Scale to 60% of your 1RM

Results

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View this photo

Michelle Squared. Today was apparently Twins Day:

Coach Michelle Michelle_Mums

I loved the whiteboard today. Looking at the results really made me feel good as a coach. Not because only 3 people RX’d it. It was exactly the opposite. This WOD had a large number of deadlifts. The coaching given was to scale if you had a 1RM deadlift under a certain load. The emphasis was on being able to use excellent deadlift technique and focus on sets being unbroken or sets of larger reps and getting back to the run to manage it within or near the “Goal Time” range. Everyone reviewed the deadlift, listened and really scaled appropriately. While some could have lifted that weight for that many reps; it would have been broken up for too many sets, increased the risk of injury and missed the training goal. That is the sign of an awesome gym. Ego’s were checked and everyone got down to training. 

Notes:

Congrats to Hailly for hitting her 1 year SRCF Anniversary!

On Saturday from 11am to 1pm Team Squatch is competing in the Box League NW at CF Gravity Jane’s in Issaquah. If you can make it then go cheer on Rob, Josh, Spencer, Lucy, Meghann and Debra for 3 fun team WOD’s. This is the first “test” event for the monthly league that will run later this summer between several local CF gyms. If there is enough interest we will have multiple teams.

Monday we will announce the winners of the “Stop the Slop” Weight, Performance, and Essay Challenges.

Read: We All Suck by crossfitlisbeth.com

"Stop the Slop" Re-Test

For Time:
400m Run 
40 Squats
30 AbMat Sit-ups
20 Push-ups
10 Pull-ups
20 Clean and Jerks (135#/95#)
10 Pull-ups
20 Push-ups
30 AbMat Sit-ups 
40 Squats 
400m Run

Results

View this photo
View this photo

Push Jerk_Linds

Quote of the day: “If lifting heavy weights for partial squats were of any benefit for sports, Gold’s Gym would be fielding the majority of the 2008 Olympic team.” – Mark Rippetoe

Today we officially end our 30 day “Stop the Slop Challenge”. It was a good day of pairing up and pushing each other to push hard and improve. In addition to ensuring good movement having someone count and judge was good prep for the CF Games Open. We will have make-ups available the remainder of the week if you couldn’t make it in today.

Due NLT Friday last class: 

  • Nutrition challenge you need to weigh-in ASAP
  • Performance Challenge you need to repeat the WOD 
  • Essay Challenge you need to send us your essay on your 30 Day Stop the Slop or Whole30 experience

Once that is completed we will announce winners and prizes by Monday!

Pull-Up_Deb Teamed Up

While many of you are wrapping up your WOD re-test, conducting your weigh-in, or writing your essay I encourage each of you to just not stop there! Don’t think “30 days, check.” and go back to bad habits. Continue to stay with clean, healthy choices. Be deliberate and thoughtful about what you are willing to add back into your nutrition and recognize the effects of it. If you choose to allow something back in then be good with it. Don’t beat yourself up, punish yourself, or think “I can WOD it off”. Instead think, “I’m okay with allowing this today but I will have it in moderation.” Then stay consistent with eating real quality food.

You have just completed one month of making positive changes! Where do you go from here? Spend the next month refining and adjusting how you are eating, recovering and training to increase your positive results. Tweak your ratios to see how you feel and observe your body composition. Michelle and I finished our Whole30 today and we have decided we don’t plan to reintroduce many things back. At least through the CF Open we will maintain this discipline and set aside one day or 2 meals per week to have something that is less nutritious. On that day or at those meals we might have a glass of wine, some cheese, or put heavy cream in our coffee. I might even go a little crazy and enjoy one of the most delicious things ever (a chocolate chip cookie. Or two. Or three). That said, we might not have anything. We found over the past 30 days that it has gotten significantly easier to plan and prepare delicious paleo meals. We have learned how to hunt and gather better when out of the kitchen and recognize how many “hidden” ingredients are out there, especially at restaurants. Our performance in workouts and training has improved, our bodies are leaner, and lifts are going up. Sleep is a priority and more restful. Nagging little injuries have gotten better over the past month. So we are going to be a little more strict than we have been pre-Whole30 and see where it takes us. 

If you are motivated by the changes you have seen personally then we encourage you to stick with it. Each day we practice awesomeness in the gym. Keep applying that to your ongoing nutrition and enjoy the ride!

Post Whole30 Read: 

“Ride Your Own Bike” by Whole9 and 

Notes:

“What Are The CrossFit Games” – video [wmv] [mov] [HD mov]

Register for the CrossFit Games Open 

If you haven’t done so and are thinking about competing then sign up for the Open (2/22 to 3/29)! 

After signing up join the SnoRidge CrossFit Affiliate team. Cost is $20 per athlete. Remember this is “Open” to all of you. You will get to see where you are relative to the world of CrossFitters which is a fun experience that will motivate you to train harder. Expect that the WOD will be our standard workout each Thursday in the gym and and we encourage everyone interested to participate. Every Thursday for five weeks we will brief standards and have each class pair up and judge/count one another. 

Counters

SNORIDGE CROSSFIT