Food for Thought – Page 20 – SNORIDGE CROSSFIT

Row Like You Hear Banjos…

For Time:

1000m Row
21 Power Snatches (95#/65#)
21 Ring Dips
750m Row
15 Power Snatches
15 Ring Dips
500m
9 Power Snatches
9 Ring Dips

Or Complete as a Team of 2 and go for time of 4500m Row, 90 Ground-to-Overhead (95#/65#), and 90 Ring Dips

* One partner rows while the other works until 4500m are complete, then complete remaining reps

Results

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Powerful (This is what we mean when we say “Extend” or “Jump and Shrug”):

Looking for some great Paleo recipes? Our very own Amanda L. recently submitted two recipes to Whole9 that were featured along with several others for their “Steal This Meal” Thanksgiving section. See the below links and give them a try. We sure will!

Steal This Meal: Thanksgiving Pt. II “Warm Spinach, Prosciutto, & Pistachio Salad”

Steal This Meal: Thanksgiving Pt. III ‘Roasted Beets and Pistachio Butter”

Want “barefoot” or “Pose” style running shoes? Want shoes good for all around CrossFit? While there is a great reason as an athlete and CrossFitter to own weightlifting shoes, having a pair of shoes that work for all around WOD’s is also vital. Flatter shoes help with lifting, running, jumping, and bodyweight movements in CrossFit. Running shoes with “Shox” or “Cells” or “Air” simply suck. As in they suck the stability out of your weightlifting movements and rob you of powerful explosion with a barbell and a sturdy platform to land on or drive through. They also lead to heel striking when you run with your heel landing first, sending shockwaves through your foot, knee and hips. That can mean the difference in a PR. Chuck Taylor’s from Converse are a personal favorite. Nike Free’s are popular too. There are quite a few choices, but generally look for a good minimal athletic shoe or trainer.

ShoeMart.com is a company owned and operated by a CrossFitter. See their blog for a forum specifically on CrossFit shoes they sell to include a handy Inov-8 buying guide. We also have a banner on our site (bottom left side) that if you use will get 10% off your order.

New Colors Coming Soon for Inov-8’s – The ShoeMart.com Fitness Store

Coaching Tip: Ring Dips and Ring Depth with Sangeeta

The proper depth for a ring dip is to have the shoulder below the elbow
Lower your body and let your chest dip forward of the rings, while your elbows travel “back” and not “out”
Keep the rings close to the body and feel the rings touch your chest or armpit area
Drive back out to a full lockout position
Scale with a band if you already have a strong box or parallette dip

"Trim The Turkey Part Deux"

For Time:
26 Double-Unders
26 “Gobble Gobble” Goblet Squats (53#/35#)
26 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
26 “Burp”- ees
26 AbMat Sit-ups
26 Pull-ups
26 Superman (AbMat Back Extension)
26 Wall Balls (20#/14#)
26 Dumbbell Push Press (40#/25#)
26 Double-Unders

Results

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Compare to Previous Results

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! As I sit here this morning on my rest day in my comfy chair sipping hot java I can’t help but think about those of you who were “trimming the turkey” with Coach Moe and feel a little guilty for not being there. However family time for us is just as important as workout time. This year’s version was still 26 reps (to compare your results with last year) but due to snow and ice the runs were replaced with double-unders. Nothing like a WOD before the feast of turkey, mashed sweet potatoes, and paleo pumpkin pie goodness!

Michelle and I would like to give thanks to Moe, Mark and Jeremy for coaching and teaching in our box. Your passion for CrossFit shows and your love of training is exemplified in every WOD you run. We are thankful to each and every athlete, client, and friend in our SnoRidge CrossFit community. Each one of you choosing to come into our box every day to get fitter forges an elite community and enables us to continue to slowly grow it and our business. You are SnoRidge CrossFit. We are extremely grateful for that. We hope you enjoy this day with friends, family or loved ones.

Same turkey time, same turkey channel tomorrow!

Notes:

Friday: Normal 0930 and 1130 AM class schedule; there will be NO 5pm Class
Saturday: Normal 10am class; No separate Sectionals Training WOD time due to the Kids Marathon

Jeremy visiting Desert CrossFit:

Congrats to Jeremy O. on his 4 minute plus “Fran” PR today! He clocked in a 5:42 while on vacation!

Rest Strategy

Amanda resting on the bar while Cat rests by the box:

How do you rest during a WOD? Do you wander around taking a liberal amount of time when you drop the bar or set the weight down? Do you go get water, or step outside? Do you sit on a box? Do you move so far away from your equpiment, that it’s a good 10 seconds before you even come back to it? The desire to stop grows with each passing second of every WOD. The voice in your head growing louder to tell you to quit, finish or slow down. It is part of the challenge in CrossFit. We get intense but back off sometimes when it’s too much. It’s the intensity that drives the response, the adaptation, the improved fitness; but it’s also the intensity that drives that “suck factor” to a whole new level.

There is a strategy in how you effectively rest in a WOD. Active rest such as slowing your pace on a row or air squat can mean not stopping or gassing yourself later. Staying on the equipment, such as holding the bar in the rack or the hang, or maybe racking it on your back can save seconds and even take less effort than to drop the bar. Consider that every time you drop a heavy bar from the rack position that’s one more clean to get it going again. Other methods like resting on a top of a box jump help as it can allow you to jump off and hit the ground and instantly rebound into a new string of jumps. Stopping just short of failure on a movement can actually lead to a better performance. Have you ever failed a pull-up or handstand push-up and spent more time “waiting” to get your strength back instead of stopping one rep short, giving it a quick rest and going again? Staying close to your equipment is by far the easiest one to do. Force yourself to keep your hands on the bar, or stand over it. Give yourself a short count and pick…it…up. Don’t wait, just go.

There are many types of strategies, but the thing to consider is simply having one. It can mean the difference in a PR but most importantly it will yield a greater intensity and power output which = more progress and results. Now with all that said, if you are needing to rest or drop the bar and it’s at risk of injury, then DROP the bar and rest!

Congrats to Moe on getting a couple ring dips yesterday:

Sectionals update:

We are going to kick off training for those who are interested in competing in this year’s Sectionals after Turkey Day weekend. We have 12 of us who are in from SnoRidge: Lucy, Rona, Moe, Michelle, Rob, Don, Mark B., Jeremy D., Pat, Jeremy O., Sean and I. If you are a reasonably experienced CrossFitter and you are interested, then please get with Michelle, Moe or myself ASAP.

Saturday we spent some time talking about competing in CrossFit, with some insights and observations from those of us who have done it, either via competition or judging. It was a great discussion on the topics of what to expect, how we will train, skills assessments, nutrition, competition strategy and preparation, lessons learned, and more. We just scratched the surface but it was a great talk that allowed us all to begin thinking more about what lies ahead. The biggest emphasis though was on remembering to have fun. Sure everyone always wants to do well, but having fun should be a priority. Right now the details and dates and format are all unknown. We don’t even know that there will be a Sectionals for us to sign up for, but we are preparing based on what occurred last year.

What that means is we will have a time slot or two set aside for those athletes to prepare them for Sectionals. These will be outside of the normal class schedule. It will be specifically for the purpose of allowing for skill development, strength development and better conditioning on advanced WOD’s and movements. It’s going to be hard training as well as intense training. It will also be one hell of a ride.

If you aren’t interested in competing but would like to know more about volunteering to help or possibly judge, then let us know too. There are always lots of people needed to help pull off these events and it’s a great way for us as a box to show our support to the greater CrossFit community. Last year we had several people volunteer for Sectionals and we would love to see it again!

Rob wrote a blog post on this very topic, check it out: “Sectionals Philosophy” on CrossFit Dad’s Blog

Max Rep

Post Total Reps:
10 minutes Handstand Push-ups
5 Minutes Squats
2 Minutes Pull-ups
1 Minute Push-ups

Results

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This main site WOD is one that your trainers recently did last week and really enjoyed the format. Having periods of max reps stacked on each other makes for a constantly changing training effect on the body that seems like a “Tabata Gone Wrong”. The amount of waiting and resting during the handstand push-ups builds up but still produces muscle failure before the roller coast of squats, pull-ups and push-ups finishes you off.

We received this email from Amanda after the Turkey Trot 5k this past weekend and loved it so much we had to share (with her permission of course). Congrats to Amanda on her 5k PR and also for finding that fitness CAN be challenging and fun!

“I just wanted to tell you guys – Thank You! When I joined CrossFit over a month ago I had no idea the difference it was going to make, I just knew I wanted to try something different because I was sick of forcing myself to exercise.

CrossFit has reminded me how much FUN pushing yourself physically can be – I haven’t felt this jazzed in awhile.

In addition I’ve seen definite performance improvements. I have to be honest when I was told by multiple people I could improve my running pace by just doing CrossFit I was leery. I was so used to having to do 4 to 5 runs a week to feel “prepared”. But I was at a breaking point and couldn’t fathom doing only running anymore – I was bored. So I focused on CrossFit and have only squeezed in 1 or 2 runs a week.

Well GUESS WHAT!?!? I did the 5k Turkey Trot today and shaved 2 minutes and 24 seconds off my time from last year! I’m a believer

I felt amazing after the run and the best part was – I had fun running that 5K. I had a goal to beat my time last year and I felt good doing it and was having fun. I wasn’t dreading the run. CrossFit has made ALL the difference – being physically active is something I enjoy again.

Thanks Tom & Michelle

Also please pass on to Moe since she does a great job kickin’ my butt in the 6 AM wee morning hours

Amanda”

Notes:

Why are we an obese country? The answers are many. The solution is easy. We need more things like the 50 mile challenge, personal responsibility and real nutrition practices to get things on the right path.

Read: The Fitness Divide by Greg Beato, Reason.com

Pike Push-up with Lena:

Use the Pike Push-up to begin scaling towards handstand push-ups
Keep your legs straight and walk into a pike position (or place them on a box to raise difficulty)
Lower your head forward of your hands; look back at your feet
Touch the top of your head to the floor (or AbMat if needed)
Push out and lock the arms out to complete the rep

2k Row

For Time:

2000 meter Row

Results

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Eric and Kamran with some CrossFit Maui style:

We just completed 5 days of main site WOD’s. All hard, some heavy, some new, some old. I picked this mix of programming to cover basic bodyweight movements, an Oly lift or two, a benchmark, a cardiorespiratory endurance test, and some strength/skill training. Often the WOD’s on the main site have heavier loads, advanced skills, longer time or larger task dependent variables. Usually the combination of movements are brutal and surprisingly effective. Many times the majority of CrossFitters should or do scale them. Not really different from what we normally do, but choosing workouts entirely from main page programming allowed everyone to get a taste of how following the main site can feel. We will now return to your regularly scheduled programming…

Notes:

Read: “Going RX’d Doesn’t Mean Sh**!” by CrossFit Mission Gorge

Congrats to all who ran in either the Turkey Trot or the Pineapple Classic today. I know there were several who ran. Amanda shared that she PR’d her 5k time by 2 plus minutes!

Do you eat chicken nuggets? After seeing this story will you continue to? Just what is mechanically separated meat and why in the name of Paleo would we eat it?

"Rona"

4 Rounds for Time:

200m Run
15 ft. Rope Climb (2 climbs Men / 1 climb Women)
11 Deadlifts (225#/155#)
35 Double-Unders

* Sub 8 pull-ups per rope climb to scale

Results

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Birthday Climber:

Happy Birthday Rona! Time for a little birthday WOD. She hates double unders, loves rope climbs and doesn’t mind deadlifts unless they are heavy. Today these were heavy for many. Good to see several of you tackle that rope. I saw three different leg/foot combinations tonight with Dustin, Michelle, and Sean and all were effective. While there are many different styles to climb a rope, pick one or two techniques, practice them and use those feet and legs.

Next week we will have a joint birthday WOD for Lorraine and Andrea (they shared the same birthday yesterday) so looks like I need to get creative again.

Travel Notes:

Jorge is on the road this week for work and made the website of CrossFit Fresno. He dropped in and drew one of his favorite WOD’s: “Grace”. I think I should have emailed them and asked them to make it “Griff” since we know how much he loves running.

When you travel or go on vacation it’s pretty likely you will be able to find a CrossFit affiliate nearby. Check in advance on the Affiliate Blog to see where you can visit and fit in a drop in WOD. Usually the policy of most good boxes are welcoming to drop-in’s of experienced CrossFitters, and they usually charge either a small drop-in fee or ask that you buy a shirt. Michelle and I regularly drop in at a box on virtually every single trip or vacation that we can fit in time for a visit. For sure we always fit in a WOD, but who wants to work out in a hotel “fitness” room when you can instead walk into an affiliate filled with other CF’ers who are just as eager and at the same time sick to their stomach terrified of what their daily workout is going to be? I love it precisely because of that feeling that someone else programmed the daily workout, as well as it’s a chance to meet others in the community and make new friends. For those about to go on vacations, consider a local box and drop in for a workout.

Nutrition:

We have 2 “loaner” copies to check out of The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. If you are interested, you can check them out via the SnoRidge Library. See me or Michelle. You will get 3 weeks to check it out and then it needs to come back home for the next person. I highly recommend this book. It literally can change your life!

"Jackie"

For Time:

1000m Row
50 Thrusters (45#/33#)
30 Pull-ups

Results

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Eric vs. “Jackie”:

Can you guess the 10 Most Popular CrossFit Workouts from beyondthewhiteboard.com? “Jackie” is not one of them, however it’s close. If you are wondering why it’s a benchmark just do it. As fast as possible.

From Gymnastics and Tumbling, Aviation Training, United States Navy, Revised Edition 1950:

“The word “Gymnastics”, meaning “naked art”, comes from the early Greeks. So much importance was attached to gymnastics that the gymnasium, an outdoor meeting place for athletic contests, was the seat of Greek intellectual development. All-round development of the individual was the goal sought, a perfectly trained, hardened, disciplined body, a citizen and a warrior worthy of highest Greek standards. Exercises in Greek gymnastics were based on natural movements and included running, throwing, wrestling, boxing, climbing, jumping, and work with weights. Weightlifting and jumping with weights were popular activities.”

Gymnastic movements at play in the box:

Learning Gymnastics movements – Muscle-up to Ring Handstand Push-up:

What's a Thruster?

Strength WOD:

Thruster

3/3/3/3/3

Check Out WOD Immediately After:

As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) in 12 Minutes of:

5 Thruster (115#/75#)
2 Rope Climbs (15′)

As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) in 12 Minutes of:

5 Thruster (115#/75#)
8 Pull-ups

Results

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Cathy locking out a Thruster:

Rope Climbs:

“What’s a thruster?” Quote of the day from Cristin to Michelle.

Even though she was joking and knew what it is we couldn’t help but laugh since this is probably the most popular question heard in the box. The thruster is a movement that combines the front squat with the press or push press. It involves a squat with a barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell or other weighted object and uses the momentum out of the squat to transition directly into a press or push press. Using the leg and hip drive helps propel that load up into a locked overhead position. Pausing at the rack position to rest after the rep is complete is perfectly acceptable but try not to stop before completing the thruster itself. No matter what this movement is paired with it will utterly exhaust you quickly. What sounds like an “easy” weight quickly will make you think again.

For a barbell thruster:

Start in a rack position (after cleaning the bar from the ground)
Focus on a solid front squat with hips going back, weight on the heels, and knees out
Front squat down while keeping the bar in the rack position with the elbows up to keep your chest up and to avoid contact with your knees and elbows
Front squat should reach below parallel for full range of motion
Stand tall and drive the hips open, keeping the elbows slightly in front of the bar
Move directly into an overhead press, driving the bar up in a vertical path (not around your head)
Lock out overhead with knuckles facing the sky (“punch the sky”). This gets your wrists to move flat rather than “cocked” back with a load overhead (this is tough to do as it gets heavier)
Return to the rack position
Complete the next rep. Or simply combine with pull-ups in a 21-15-9 rep scheme and do them as fast as possible.

Food for thought: “Form Matters: Do It Right Or Don’t Do It At All” from CrossFit Charlottesville

Notes:

Frankenchipper on Saturday starts at 10am! We will run waves and have a costume contest for best costume. Everyone who shows gets to vote. Winner will get a prize!

Boo!

Michelle taking everything way too seriously as usual:

Frankenchipper this Saturday! Get those costumes ready!

Schedule Changes coming:

Starting November 1st, our schedule will make the following changes:

Monday through Thursday: 5pm and 6pm classes daily!
Tuesday and Thursday ONLY: 5pm, 6pm, and 7pm class
Wednesday: the 7:30am class will move to 8am
All other classes not mentioned above (Monday to Saturday) will stay the same

What does this mean? More training friendly choices for you! After talking to almost everyone and polling around the gym and seeing what class times fit best; we decided that the evening schedule of 5pm and 6pm classes daily Mon-Thurs made the most sense. Having two late 7pm classes during the week will still allow for those days where things are running late. Wednesday 8am is a better fit for those who want to get in earlier. Monday and Wednesday the gym will close after the 6pm class to allow your coaches some time off. We will reserve those two days for Elements scheduling.

Notes:

Today we participated in a Trainer’s Nutrition Workshop with Whole9 at CrossFit Fort Vancouver. It was a great opportunity to gather in a small group with other trainers, CrossFitters, affiliate owners and Dallas and Melissa of Whole9 to discuss how we as your coaches help educate and prioritize the role nutrition and sleep plays in our health and overall fitness. Part roundtable discussion, role playing, education, and “case study” type of activities; this workshop helped us realize there are several ways we can bring more value to you as your coaches. Some of these ways include providing education, reviewing nutrition concepts, helping you set realistic goals, reviewing food logs, and generally helping fine tune what you eat to improve performance. Curious about what you can do to eat and rest properly to fuel overall good health? Reached a plateau? Want to take it to the next level or get ready for Sectionals? Just ask. Then get started. There’s no time like the present.

Resources:

The Paleo Diet.com

Whole30, Version 3.0

Whole9 Blog

The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf

SRCF, Adam – CF Fort Vancouver, Melissa and Dallas – Whole9:

Pop a Squat

Alternate the following exercises for time:

10, 9, 8, 7, 6… down to 1 of Overhead Squat (95#/65#)
200m Run

Results

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Overhead Squats – Remember armpits forward and press up!

Congrats to Sean who competed today and placed 1st in the 77kg Weight Class of the WA CrossFit Weightlifting Championships at Thrush Sports Performance Center! Sean hit a total of 191kg; with 81 kg in the Snatch and 110 kg in the Clean and Jerk. That’s a 12kg (26.4 lb) PR in competition over what he totaled just a few weeks ago in Colorado Springs!

It was a great performance and achievement and great support from his family and friends from the box who went to cheer him on.

Sean sporting his medal post-win:

Notes:

Is all Fish Oil equal? Read this post from Rainier CrossFit and then read the article that explores imported fish oil from China. We carry Barlean’s fish oil in the box and believe in their quality (which is why we take it and sell it).

Barlean’s: “Fish oil from China? We get our oil from sardines, anchovies and mackerel from the Peruvian Sea where the waters are tested for purity. We fish in relatively smaller quantities (compared to a lot of companies out there) for sustainability of the wildlife and for the freshness of the oil. We then quickly ship the fish to our plant in CA where press and purify it of PCB’s, mercury, lead and any other contaminants.”

“Labels for some fish oil capsules leave countries of origin in doubt” – Kansascity.com