Movable Type – Page 72 – SNORIDGE CROSSFIT

CrossFit for Hope

We are hosting CrossFit for Hope on June 9th and will join CrossFitters around the world in the new “Hope” workout for a great cause. 100% of money collected goes to St. Jude Children’s Medical Research Hospital. Sign up today!

Details:

When: Saturday 6/9
- Heats will run approximately every 30 minutes with the first time being 0945 to show up and get loose. I will be running OnRamp from 0830 until 0930.
- Sign up for 0945, 1015, 1045, 1115, 1145, 1215, 1245, 1315
How: Sign up on the whiteboard. Come in that morning at your time and warm-up quickly.
- We will run groups of 8. (Limited due to chest-to-bar pull-ups being in the workout)
Can I donate?
- Yes! Register at the link above or donate here to help raise funds for the children. While we won’t require it, we are asking that anyone participating register and donate a small amount or just search at the link above and donate to someone in the gym who has created a fundraising page of their own.
What’s the WOD?

3 rounds of 1 Minute each of Max Reps:
Burpees
Power snatch (75#/55#)
Box jumps (24″/20″)
Thruster (75#/55#)
Chest to bar Pull-ups

“Hope” has the same format as Fight Gone Bad. In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of “rotate,” the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep.

Team Dynamic

Main Class:

In Teams of 2, Complete 3 Rounds of the following for time:

400m Run
50 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
40 AbMat Sit-ups
30 Medicine Ball Cleans (20#/14#)
20 Burpees
10 Handstand Push-ups

* Both athletes must run together and then alternate reps for remaining exercises. Split up the reps however you wish.

Advanced RX Class:

Alternate the following exercises and reps for time:

50/40/30/20/10 Double Unders
5/4/3/2/1 Power Cleans (225#/135#)

Results

View this photo
View this photo

Big team class today but good fun and a lot of work. Today we said goodbye to Scott H. as he and Jill are moving out of state. We wish them all the best and I’m happy to hear they have already found a new affiliate to join with their family in OH. Jill will be in for another WOD this week. Take care and train hard!

Another “Team Week” was requested so we may have to plan that out after the Games when the weather is reliable.

For the advanced class it was a day to get really heavy. Heavy power cleans after double-unders effected the jump and required that extra focus on reaching triple extension and pull under the bar.

No one in the gym is better on full extension and fast pull under a barbell than Sean.

Next weekend (Saturday 6/9) is CrossFit for Hope. If you are planning to participate please register or donate. CrossFit for Hope supports research and treatment for catastrophic children’s illnesses.

Nutrition:

Coming this month on Amazon.com: “It Starts With Food” by Whole9

We received an advance copy of this book and I’m loving it so far. It covers in common sense language the healthy and unhealthy choices of what we eat, the Paleo diet, the science behind it, the Whole30 program, and how to make it real. If you are ready to make nutrition a priority in your life and get your health dialed in, I recommend you give this a read.

Rope Climb Friday Returns

For time:

20 Overhead Squats (95#/65#)
4 Rope Climbs (15′)
20 Overhead Squats (105#/70#)
3 Rope Climbs
10 Overhead Squats (115#/75#)
2 Rope Climbs
5 Overhead Squats (135#/95#)
1 Rope Climb

* Sub 2 Supine Rope Climbs or 6 Ring Rows per rope climb. Must change out weight as you go.

Results

View this photo
View this photo

Congrats are in order. Chest bumps to Natalie for getting her first rope climbs in a WOD today as well as to Lindsay, Dustin, and Rob W for passing and dominating the Advanced RX Skills Challenge tonight!

Weight Change WOD’s present a new strategy. Active rest makes for a faster time.

CrossFit For Hope, next Saturday on June 9th, 2012

All funds raised support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. CrossFit for Hope supports research and treatment for catastrophic children’s illnesses.

Scroll down to a few days ago for details on how we will run this.

Video: Europe Diaries: Day 3 – CrossFit Games

Nutrition:

“Cooking Smothered Pork Tenderloin” with Michele Vieux CrossFit Journal preview video [wmv] [mov]

WOD-ible

Strength WOD:

2/2/2/2

Squat Clean (Every Minute on the Minute perform two cleans. Re-grip allowed. Use 65-75% of 1RM)

Checkout WOD:

5 Rounds for time:

10 Deadlifts (225#/155#)
10 Box Jumps (24″/20″)
10 Toes-to-Bar

Results

View this photo
View this photo

Today Mother Nature forced us to call an audible (or WOD-ible) as rain combined with running and rope climbs made for the potential for human hail inside of the gym. That would have been a mess to clean up and I already covered the “Tom is a neat freak” topic on the Facebooks today (also below). With that said bring your long socks tomorrow and your best overhead squat.

Good work on squat cleans. Just like the snatch this weightlifting movement is based on speed, technique, efficiency, and power.

For those who missed the Rules Rant:

Housekeeping Announcement! It’s getting way too sloppy for my anal retentiveness in the gym.

Please take the time to put things away in the space they correctly go. Bumpers are stacked by 10’s, 15’s, 25’s etc. Bars are grouped together in the holder by lightest to heaviest (or short training bar to men’s bar), KB’s are in order, wallballs on shelves, rollers on racks, boxes stacked by type etc. Chalk balls stay INSIDE the buckets! NOT on the floor or balanced on little ledges.

Also please do not THROW the bumpers onto the stacks. For some reason even though some can lift a bumper plate when it is attached to a bar, that same person cannot carry the bumper and place it neatly on the stack. We now have a nice drywall hole in the stack of 35# plates. I always wanted one of those but don’t need another…

Please clean your stuff off after use and put it back. The person at the next class greatly appreciates it.

Corrective behavioral motivation techniques include: A week of burpees in every WOD and warm-up, lots of running with odd objects, and random punches to the throat.

Fitness Lonnie at the North West Regional

Event:

This Sunday at North Bend Theater there is a fundraiser for a local camp that helps kids who are burn survivors.

Camp Eyabsut is a camp that for over 15 years has helped kids who have suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns come together to teach them they are not alone, help them learn new skills and find a sense of belonging. Funding has meant that kids attended free but it has been cut for this year and to help raise money there is a special screening of Men In Black 3 at the theater. Proceeds will go to the camp. Cost is $10 per ticket and showtime is at 5pm this Sunday 6/3. There are flyer’s at the gym with more details. We are planning to see the movie and help support this cause. Thanks Tricia for bringing awareness to this fundraiser.

"Bionic"

5 Rounds for time:

6 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (95#/65#)
6 Burpees
6 Front Squat (95#/65#)
6 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
6 Hang Power Snatch (95#/65#)

Results

View this photo
View this photo

Another day of “Bionic” world records in the books. Congrats to James on his 100th WOD today!

Video: Looking Back: Regionals 2012 – CrossFit Games

This is a team. These guys and gals are the best of the best:

Fort Vancouver’s Teamwork Keeps them in the Lead. CrossFit Fort Vancouver demonstrates clear organization and teamwork going into Event 4, at the North West Regional.

Events:

“CrossFit for Hope”

Details:

When: Saturday 6/9
- Heats will run approximately every 30 minutes with the first time being 0945 to show up and get loose. I will be running OnRamp from 0830 until 0930.
- Sign up for 0945, 1015, 1045, 1115, 1145, 1215, 1245, 1315
How: Sign up on the whiteboard. Come in that morning at your time and warm-up quickly.
- We will run groups of 8. (Limited due to chest-to-bar pull-ups being in the workout)
Can I donate?
- Yes! Register at the link above or donate here to help raise funds for the children. While we won’t require it, we are asking that anyone participating register and donate a small amount or just search at the link above and donate to someone in the gym who has created a fundraising page of their own.
What’s the WOD?

3 rounds of 1 Minute each of Max Reps:
Burpees
Power snatch (75#/55#)
Box jumps (24″/20″)
Thruster (75#/55#)
Chest to bar Pull-ups

Dip, Drive, Press

Strength WOD:

3/3/3/3

Push Press (60 sec rest between sets)

Checkout WOD:

For time:

Row 300m
20 Push Press (135#/95#)
Row 300m
15 Push Press
Row 300m
10 Push Press
Row 300m
5 Push Press

Results

View this photo
View this photo

“This is going to be my last year.” ~ Chris Spealler

CrossFit Games Update: Regionals Week 5, Day 2: CrossFit Games

Spencer Hendel’s Snatch Ladder Performance: North East Regionals

NW Regionals Wrap-up

Just like that the Regionals are over and done. Ancient history. 6 weeks before the CF Games kicks off and crowns the fittest man, woman and team in the Sport of CrossFit. Before we shift focus to that, I wanted to write about where Mark ended up and my reflections on the Open and Regionals.

Mark spent the past year after the 2011 Regionals training hard. Practically never missing a workout with the exception of a planned rest day; he showed tremendous discipline every day coming in and getting fitter. He also focused on nutrition, mobility and recovery and got ready for the Open. Week after week Mark stayed in the top 60 with strong performances but as the last week of the Open approached and the final WOD loomed he slightly injured his back during some deadlifts. It was bad enough that the final workout was immediately in question. He quickly got it treated that week, rested properly and was able to still set a PR on WOD 12.5 from last year’s Open; securing his spot in the top 60.

After the Open was over Mark completely dialed in his nutrition and stepped up the training to focus on the upcoming Regionals. It paid off. This past weekend he finished in an outstanding 25th place in the 2012 Northwest Regionals out of 43 men and 6 states! Building off of 2 PR’s for him in the first 2 workouts he went on to stay in the top 25 spots through the last three workouts. It was a weekend in which we saw Mark give his all in each WOD and push himself past his limits against a field of some seriously fit and strong beasts. He represented himself (as well as SnoRidge) well and all of his hard work and training paid off in a finish that was better than his finish in last year’s Regionals. I am personally stoked for him and we are all proud. A highlight for me was that so many of the SRCF crew was there to cheer him on and show your support. For both Michelle and I it was satisfying to see the family that has been built come together to volunteer, cheer, and enjoy this sport side of CrossFit and cheer on one of our own.

As I judged this weekend I was able to get a different perspective on Regionals and where the sport of CrossFit has changed over the past 5 years that I have been a CrossFitter, then affiliate owner and coach. CrossFit has evolved down two roads; the primary road being that of simply the best method out there to getting truly fit and healthy as well as the off ramp to the less travelled road that turned CrossFit itself into one of the coolest sports around. Okay THE coolest sport around. Over those years I have seen: Weights that were heavy are now light. Movements that were seen as advanced are table stakes to simply compete. Skills once thought off limits to the top CrossFitters are now the average. “Impossible” workouts are regular WOD’s. Times on benchmarks are half what used to be considered fast. Every year the best of these CrossFitters defy the doubters and redefine work capacity. There are now seriously high level athletes coming out of the woodwork and turning to this sport and taking it further. Local events are practically every weekend, the Open is drawing over 65k people, and Regionals are ridiculously competitive worldwide. Just when you think the best are already known, a new person emerges.

Having competed twice in Regionals before (and trying furiously to get back each year), I have seen it grow from an old hangar in Seattle to a Sectionals/Regionals format in a horse arena, to the new fancy ShowPlex Arena in Puyallup. Events are now a lesson in first class organization and management coordinated with Regionals around the world. Each year it gets better and better, bringing more and more people in to the world of CrossFit. Gone are the days of makeshift platforms, workouts in the dirt pit, and handmade signs and welded racks. It’s all about equipment packages; media, judges, equipment, scoring, and medical crews, and improving the “fan experience”. In two more years it will only get better.

As I talked to someone in our gym on Monday during a wave of “Murph” I was asked what I thought about the chances of our gym fielding an affiliate team. The discussion led to me explaining the fact that you must a have a team of both well balanced male and female athletes who place very high in the Open and have arguably very little weaknesses in their game(s). With many of the top 30 teams who qualify having at least one Regional male and female level athlete the challenge is a tough one. You also must have two more each of male and female athletes on a team that are close to qualifying or in the top 100 to 125. That said it’s achievable. The question was asked if I would “throw down the gauntlet” and issue a challenge to our gym to qualify a team. Initially I said “yes”! After thinking about this the past two days though I changed my mind on flat out issuing a challenge.

Here’s why. The challenge is already there. It’s called the CrossFit Games. You must excel in the Open, make Regionals, and do unbelievably well there to advance to the Games. You have to train your ass off, eat right and beat a ton of anonymous other CrossFitters. You don’t need (nor should you want) to have me throw out another challenge. The challenge should come and has to come from within. Athletes who choose to make CrossFit their sport and seriously want to be out there at Regionals as either an individual or team must have that burning inside of them. CrossFit as a competitive sport is an altogether different thing than CrossFit as a functional fitness program. CrossFit as a sport at that level is a lifestyle. The majority of people do this to improve their fitness. I wholeheartedly applaud that as that is truly why we all do this in the first place. It’s to stay as “young and healthy” as possible for as long as we live. It’s our major motivation to owning a gym. It’s Michelle’s and my passion to help people get healthy.

For those who want to compete and win, that is a different thing. To earn the spot to enter the arena you have to willingly want to pursue what it takes. It takes training consistently and daily and with intensity. It takes a hardcore discipline of proper nutrition. It takes a focus on managing your rest and recovery. It REQUIRES a self driven and intelligent approach to improving your weaknesses, building on your strengths, and facing new obstacles head on. You must own this, and you must be prepared to fail but be determined to succeed. That determination must be persistent and patient, as when it’s late November and its raining, cold and dark and you don’t want to train you still must walk in the door and throw down. You must learn how to prioritize and balance your life to make room for training. You have to set both long and short term goals that are both realistic and achievable. You must be honest with yourself that you are committed to it.

Both Mark and I have made past Regionals. Each year we will tell you it is getting more competitive. A bigger challenge. That is fun for us. All of the athletes who qualify all want it and make it their priority. I want to get back to Regionals individually as well as qualify a team badly. I also know and am realistic about what my personal obstacles are. A full time job completely separate from a second one of owning and running this affiliate and a family to juggle make for very little training opportunity that I know I need. That said I march to a very consistent schedule that sacrifices needed sleep for needed training. There are certainly days where I don’t “feel it” and want to mail it in. I can’t let myself give into that or it throws off my training. My hope is that this pays off each year and I am able to achieve my goals in CrossFit.

If you are one of those who wants it then this is the only challenge I am throwing down:

Declare your goal. Do it to your coaches, your friends, your loved ones. Tell us (and them) to hold you accountable.
Make it happen. Like any other sport you must practice, train, eat properly, and listen to your body.
Follow the programming and be consistent. Come in even when the WOD has something you hate. Don’t cherry pick the workout or skip it. Ignore the “RX” and push yourself intelligently. Do it right but go hard every time. Diligently work your weaknesses and crush them. Make them your new strengths. Before you know it “RX” will be up there almost every time.

If you do these things then you will get stronger, fitter and faster and we can qualify a team. I believe that we can and I promise you we will do our part. We will coach you, push you, hold you accountable, teach you everything that we can, and keep the program CrossFit. We will work just as hard as you do. You simply have to want it, then do it. That is my challenge.

As Fitness Lonnie says, “Let’s get it!”

Highlights from the North West Regional: games.crossfit.com

"Murph"

For time:

1 Mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 Mile Run
* If you have a 20# Vest or Body Armor wear it. Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run.

“Half Murph”

800m Run
50 Pull-ups
100 Push-ups
150 Squats
800m Run

Results

View this photo
View this photo
View this photo

“In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.

This workout was one of Mike’s favorites and he’d named it “Body Armor”. From here on it will be referred to as “Murph” in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.” ~ from CrossFit.com

“Murph” was a Hero and Navy Seal who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry in action during Operation Red Wings. LT Murphy died while leading his team and risking his personal safety repeatedly to call for support for his team while involved in a heavy ambush by Taliban forces. The battle claimed the lives of 11 Navy SEALs and 8 US Army Nightstalkers from TF 160 SOAR. Two CrossFit Hero WOD’s are dedicated to two of those fallen (Murph and Michael).

Today we honored our fallen veterans with “Memorial Day Murph”. 47 of us came in and honored our heroes (including our CF Teens). 2 more completed it on their own yesterday (that I know of). Thanks to all who came and supported one another and the outstanding effort and first class determination that each of you showed.

God Bless our fallen Veterans. Thank you to all who served and all who made the ultimate sacrifice.

For more information and to purchase a Memorial Day Murph T-shirt you can go here: Memorial Day Murph

Operation Red Wings:

"Isabel"

Strength WOD:

2/2/2/2/2

Snatch (Work up to 75%-80% 1RM)

Benchmark WOD:

30 Reps For Time:

Snatch – Full Squat (135#/95#)

Results

View this photo
View this photo

Quote of the day: “You can’t make fun of me in the middle of my snatch.” ~ Hailly

The Regionals venue is set-up and it’s go time! I want to wish Mark the best of luck this weekend as he once again enters the arena of competitive exercising. Go forth and dominate!

If you are going to the Regionals this weekend find a fellow squatcher, give some booty slaps and make for good times. Remember we are closed on Friday and Saturday. If you somehow show up to the gym for class then that means a) you don’t know we have a website, b) you don’t come to class enough, or c) both a and b.

Video: NorthWest Setup – CrossFit Games Regionals

"Pushing Helen"

3 Rounds For Time:

400m Run
21 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
12 Handstand Push-ups

Checkout WOD:

Choose a movement for a max rep 2 Minute Challenge and set a WORLD RECORD! (Lindsay did)

Results

View this photo
View this photo

This “Handstand Push-up” Helen variant hits your shoulders and feels very different from the forearm explosion of regular “Helen”.

Coaching Tips – Handstand Push-up:

Maintain a “hollow” position, think feet over hips over chest over hands, core tight with hips pulling into abs slightly.
Hands are flat and shoulder width to just slightly wider, fingers are splayed apart. Thumbs towards the wall.
Point toes to the sky.
Hold the breath tight, lower yourself with top of head to floor (not forehead) and push up similar to a press, exhaling at the lockout position.
Head should go forward of the hands so that elbows and hands form a “tripod” with the head on the floor.

Scale using:

Pike floor push-up, keeping your legs as straight as possible, touching head to floor.
Perform a strict press using two kettlebells or two dumbbells (one each hand) to build on shoulder/tricep and pressing strength. Building shoulder strength through a full range of motion is the most important area to focus on in developing handstand push-ups (similar to a dead hang pull-up over a kipping pull-up).
Pike push-up off of a box, keeping legs straight, top of head to floor. Adjust the height higher and walk your hands in closer to the box to increasingly place a larger load on the hands and shoulders to press or push-up. This will train the feeling of being inverted.
Work your way to pike push-ups with feet on a wall then gradually being inverted with a full range of motion.

Ever hear your coach say “get lower” on your squat? If you have then it means your range of motion is limited. Lighten the barbell and train full range of motion. It will pay off.

Read: WHEN A SQUAT IS NOT A SQUAT by CrossFit One World