Useful Links – Page 51 – SNORIDGE CROSSFIT

Hang Loose

As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) in 20 Minutes of:

15 Hang Power Cleans(115#/75#)
12 Ring Dips
21 AbMat Sit-ups

Results

Jorge “Gets Busy Living”:

Why “Hang Loose”? Specifically think “loose” as it relates to your grip on the bar in the clean when receiving it in the rack position. Many who learn the clean relate how at first it hurts the wrists and that the elbows can’t come up because of a lack of shoulder flexibility. If you can stick your arms out in front of you and bend your elbows to touch your shoulders with either your fingers or your thumbs then you are likely more flexible than you think. While you can work on improving wrist and shoulder and tricep flexibility, the often overlooked point is to avoid that “Death Grip” on the bar. That will result in a very poor rack position, as well as keeping the bar in a position that makes squatting or jerking the bar inefficient and counter productive. Having the bar out in front with the death grip will pull the chest forward and the athlete’s weight on the toes rather than the heels during the clean. It also usually results in a reverse curl and barbell swing to get the weight up. The last and most important effect of a poor rack position is a loss of a stable midline or “core”. Add a little more weight to the bar and it simply will = epic fail.

Finish the clean with a relaxed grip and open up those fingers. Let the bar rest on the chest position and push those elbows up as you OPEN the fingers. Once you realize that you can open the fingers the elbows will follow. The below pictures illustrates the two positions.

“Tight Grip” keeps elbows down and bar out in front vs. “Loose Grip” allows the Elbows up and bar in the Front Rack:

Coaching Tip: Work the “Rack” position and Front Squat to improve the Clean

With a PVC or barbell:

Put the bar on your shoulders in the rack position and stick your hands straight out in front
Bend your arms and touch the bar with the top of your fingers (palms face the floor)
Front Squat and keep your chest up and weight on the heels
Next stick your hands straight out in front of you and keep them level to the ground
Balance the bar and Front Squat and keep your chest up and weight on the heels
Last bend the arms and touch the bar with the first few fingers on each hand (palms face the sky)
Front Squat and keep your chest up and weight on the heels

High-Hang Power Clean video

Hang Power Clean video

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?

"Annie"

“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” – Elmer Davis

For time:

50/40/30/20/10 reps each of:
Double Unders
AbMat Sit-ups

Results

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“Main Site Week” continues with Annie:

Welcome to Jule from CrossFit New England (doing AbMats above in the yellow shirt) who dropped in today with Don for the WOD and crushed it!

Veterans Day:

Veterans Day, also known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falls on the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. United States President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919 by saying, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with lots of pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.”

Notes:

This Sunday is “Movie with A Mission” at the North Bend Theatre, to benefit the CARES Foundation. Why are we telling you this? Nan close friends’ child suffers from Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. She also asked us to promote awareness and donate something to the silent auction for the benefit (we donated a “Elements package”).

Here’s the background in Nan’s own words:

“I wanted to forward you some information from my very close friends Dawn & Mark — Their son Wyatt was born with a condition called CAH, or Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia – and each year they choose a venue to raise funds to donate to the CARES Foundation, working for a cure for CAH. A few years back Dawn and I hiked 38 miles in 24 hours for “Hike for a Cure” — This year they’ve rented out the North Bend Theatre on Nov. 14th for a family-friendly movie and silent auction, all proceeds going towards CARES.”

“Movie With A Mission” Details:

What: Herbie the Love Bug movie and support a worthy cause at the same time!
When: A silent auction will be held at 1pm followed by the movie around 2pm.
Cost: Admission is $10 per person at the door and includes popcorn and drink
Benefits the CARES Foundation
Buy tickets on-line
Sneak peak at our Silent Auction prizes…Salmon fishing for three, ski tickets, duck hunting experience, Lobster experience, massages, hair cuts, a month of CrossFit, ski and bike tune-ups, box of games and more…
Click to see the full list of auction items

Bring the kiddos to see Herbie the Love Bug and help a worthy cause at the same time!

"Lumberjack 20"

Honor a veteran on this Veteran’s day. In fact honor one everyday!

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

~ President Ronald Reagan

Lumberjack 20

20 Deadlifts (275#/185#)

400m Run

20 Kettlebell Swings (70#/53#)

400m Run

20 Overhead Squats (115#/85#)

400m Run

20 Burpees

400m Run

20 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

400m Run

20 Box Jumps (24″/20″)

400m Run

20 Dumbbell Squat Cleans (45#/30#)

400m Run

Results

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On Nov. 5 at 1:34 p.m., a terrorist named Major Nidal Hasan attacked fellow soldiers and civilians at Fort Hood, Texas. When the shooting ended, he had killed 12 soldiers and one civilian and wounded 43 others.

Spc. Frederick Greene, 29, of Mountain City, Tennessee, Pfc. Aaron Thomas Nemelka, 19, of West Jordan, Utah, Pfc. Michael Pearson, 22, of Bolingbrook, Illinois, and Spc. Kham Xiong, 23, of St. Paul, Minnesota, along with eleven of the wounded were active CrossFitters in the 20th Engineer Battalion, home to Lumberjack CrossFit.

This workout is in honor of these soldiers, and those killed in the murderous rampage.

Snatch-tastic!

Strength WOD:

Snatch one rep every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.

Score highest and lowest loads (Sub Power Snatch and Overhead Squat if you cannot perform a full Squat Snatch)

Immediately after complete the following Checkout WOD:

5 Rounds for Time of:

4 Overhead Squats (95#/65#)
20 Double-Unders

Results

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Justin PR’d his snatch today:

CFHQ Trainers James Hobart, Chuck Carswell, and Heather Bergeron demo the Snatch WOD [wmv] [mov]

The Snatch is one of the two Olympic weightlifting movements and the most technical of them all. It takes great skill, practice, concentration, speed and commitment. It also requires an ounce or two of courage. Pulling under a heavy bar can seem scary, but if you build on the right technique and cues at lighter loads and ingrain those movements then over time fear will be replaced with confidence. For those not ready for the snatch, work on the power snatch or hang snatch and then the overhead squat. Be patient!

Today we tried a recent main site WOD format that we have never done. A twist on the “every minute on the minute” format this one also allowed for staying at one rep but continually pushing to establish that 1RM and manage your weight changes in a tighter time. It turned out to be a truly fun format and one we will use again. After that strength work we ran through a quick checkout to build on overhead squat technique that will translate to stronger snatches.

Basic steps to success on the Snatch:

Good set up stance and start position (feet under bar, shoulders in front of bar, wide grip, elbows out, back flat, deep squat)
Clear your mind and picture success, take a deep breath
LIft off: Weight on heels, hips and shoulders rise together, elbows out, stand
Passing the knees: Shins are vertical, head neutral, pull to extension
Triple extension: extension of knees, ankles, hips while arms are still straight
Pull under: Jump aggressively under bar as arms bend
Catch: Feet hit while hands and arms lock bar overhead, ride into overhead squat
Stand: Drive up out of the squat with feet coming in line and bar locked overhead

Olympian Chad Vaughn and the Snatch:

Sean snatches:

Mt. Rainier's Strongest Man and Woman

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” ~ John Wooden

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure…than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. ” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Yesterday was Mt. Rainier’s Strongest Man and Woman, a fundraiser for Fragile X Research held at Rainier CrossFit in Puyallup:

Event #1: 1RM Axle Deadlift: 3 attempts (20# progressive load)

Event #2: 2 Rds for time of: 200m Run/5 Stone Loads /16′ Rope climbs (2 Men / 1 Women)

Event #3: 3 Rds for time of: 7 OH Log Press / 21 double-unders

Event #4: Sprint / Heavy Farmers Walk / Sprint / Heavy Sandbag Carry event (~ 30 ft. all distances)

Full Results

Pat, Moe, Sean, Mark B., and I all competed yesterday for Team Squatch.

Pat finished 3rd out of 7
Mark finished 4th out of 11
Moe finished 6th out of 8
Sean finished 9th out of 15
Tom (me) finished 2nd out of 11

As Mark said it was a day of doing epic shit! After spending last night after the event eating a big meal, drinking a margarita (or two), soaking in an epsom salt bath, and sleeping in I can safely say I am sore, tired, and absolutely stoked! Yesterday’s event was an amazing day. Team Squatch went down to Rainier for the MRSMW 5 event and threw down for charity. This annual event is a meaningful cause to raise funds to help find a cure for Fragile X. This directly benefits Rainier CrossFit in that Kurtis and Laurie’s son Casey has Fragile X. So this event is essentially for Casey. Every dollar raised, donation made, and entry fee paid goes to help fund research for a cure. Personally while the competition is truly fun and intense, it’s made even more meaningful when you know that the community is coming together to benefit something real. That’s why events like this, Fight Gone Bad or Amazing Grace are more fun than Sectionals or Regionals.

There were four Strongman/CrossFit blended events and unique from what we typically do in the box. A few of us were able to work at least once in the past couple weeks to learn the new movements we had never done. Things like stone loads, log presses, and heavy farmer’s walk; while some on the team learned or gained more experience with rope climbs and fat bar lifts. These events proved unique and challenging. They were very well programmed WOD’s that were deceptively hard in their own right, as even if you could do all the movements and loads as prescribed they were very physically taxing when done for time. Strongman events are typically very short duration, max power, anaerobic type events. The movements require enormous strength and technique in their own right, but adding things like runs, rope climbs or double-unders elevates your heart rate, and makes it even more of a challenge. This blend of CrossFit and Strongman was really effective and over the course of the day and kicked all our butts.

I am honored to have sweated and bled (yes bled) with some very good athletes and friends. Our hard training at SRCF paid off as we all represented ourselves well. Are there things for each of us to work on? Of course. Now are there things we did yesterday that we couldn’t probably do just a few short months ago? Absolutely. Did we all have fun and contribute to something important while doing it? Heck yes. That makes it one successful day.

My personal recap:

I loved these WOD’s. The fat bar deadlift is different for most (Mark is the inhuman exception as he is seemingly capable of deadlifting anything that happens to be in his way). Knowing you only had three attempts with predetermined jumps meant you also had to think about strategy and not get greedy without being too conservative. At the end I tied my normal bar deadlift and finished tied for 3rd. I could have maybe pulled more. Lessons learned all around.

The stone load/rope/sprint triplet was deceiving yet really a blast. For me it felt like “Fran” when I was done. Going all out was my strategy without missing a 200 lb. stone load. Taking active rest during the WOD and knowing when to chalk (like before the “3-2-1 Go”) helped save seconds. Climbing fast and sliding down the rope was crucial in a WOD and field that every second clearly mattered. During that second round the stone got real heavy and the forearms got really tired. By the time this was over I was in 2nd for the WOD and left wondering if I would be able to keep my post WOD recovery meal down. I also think I want to buy some stone molds!

Log presses and double-unders are a good couplet. Learning to lift/roll the log up (you don’t clean it) and then move your head out of the way to lift it makes what seems a manageable weight quickly feel like you are lifting a small tree. For me this WOD was a blast as I got to go head to head with the defending Strongman champ for my weight class from last year’s event (Paul – a truly great dude). As the shoulders and legs quickly fried, and the double-unders flew by, I realized I was still slightly ahead of Paul. Knowing he would not slow down, I kept the log in my hands during round three despite wanting to drop it. Finishing just seconds ahead of him in 1st meant a lot as my wife, daughter and friends were cheering us both on. It ranked up pretty high as one of my all time favorite workouts.

The final event was short yet important. There was no room for error. Trip, fall (more on that), or fail and your placement in this WOD suffered. As each heat went by it was obvious that it would be heavy and that falling or diving over the line was getting to be common. For me I knew I had to win the event to at least tie for 1st. The sprint across the gym was short and you had to turn and step (or jump) into your farmer’s handles. The loads were heavy (210 lbs. each hand for me) and walking a real hurdle. Short choppy steps was the key as I made it across with no issue. As soon as I sprinted back and grabbed the 200 lb. sandbag I knew I just had to keep moving to maybe get the fastest time. Moving too fast as I neared the finish I went splat and fell face first in front of the finish line which lost a few precious seconds.

Overall I finished 2nd for my class. I had tons of fun and look forward to next year already!

Read the recap of the MRSMW event from Moe and Mark’s perspectives on their own blogs:

Moe’s Beef

Mark’s Training blog

Team Squatch (pictured L to R are Sean, me, Moe, Mark, Pat):

Rowing for Dummies

* Not you all, the dumbbells!

For Time:

21 Dumbbell Push Press (40#/25#)
500m Row
18 Dumbbell Push Press
500m Row
15 Dumbbell Push Press
500m Row

* Post Warm-up instruction/practice Turkish Get-ups with Kettlebell or Dumbbell or Barbell

Results

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“Get UP!”

Who liked Turkish Get-ups? These are good for building functional strength, strengthening the shoulder girdle, legs and midline, and developing coordination. Read the link above, and work them before or after a WOD. Start light and learn the movement before adding weight.

Turkish Get-up Variations – Jeff Martone [wmv] [mov]

Both of “The Paleo Solution” books are officially claimed to be checked out (Rob and Maria). As soon as they are read and returned I will post it for whoever is next.

Push/Pull:

Notes:

Saturday class tomorrow is a Team WOD (teams of 2) and Michelle will be coaching. Bring your game face!

Tomorrow is also the Mt. Rainier Strongest Man and Woman, a fundraiser for Fragile X Research to be held at Rainier CrossFit in Puyallup from 10 am until around 5:30. Come watch the events in RCF’s huge new box!

Representing Team Squatch will be Pat, Moe, Sean, Mark B., and I. Go to the site to read more but there will be four events that are strongman/CrossFit blended events and unique from what we typically do in the box.

Tentative Schedule:

8-9 Athlete check in/ registration/ weigh in
9-9:30 MANDATORY rules meeting. Athletes MUST be present

10am Deadlift event
11:30 Run/ Stone/ Rope climb event
2pm OHP/ double under event
4pm Farmers walk / sandbag event

5:30 awards

If you are interested in donating to the cause you can donate at the event or just buy some food or drink which proceeds will go to FRAXA. For those who are Microsoft employees (like myself), please don’t forget that Microsoft will match any donations. Doris Buffet of the Buffet family has pledged that if FRAXA can raise $500,000 as an organization she will match that amount!

"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!

Get Strong Overhead

3 Rounds for Time:

50 Ft. Barbell Overhead Walk (155#/105#)
20 Wall Balls (20#/14#)
15 Box Jumps (30’/24″)

Results

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Overhead carries and Farmer’s carries are two examples of ways to make you stronger. Any lifts that involve picking something up, stabilizing your midline, and carrying it quickly will work your midsection far more than you might suspect. Every time you stabilize something either overhead or as a heavy load that you must carry; you must activate the muscles that surround your spine. Those include the rectus abdominus, spinal erectors, and obliques. Hip flexors and hip extensors provide stability and locomotion while allowing you to control the weight overhead with your shoulders and midline. As in other weightlifting movements that we do in CrossFit, these are yet another effective way that we work on “abs”.

Notes:

Last night to vote for best Frankenchipper WOD costume before we declare a winner!

A Dumbbell’s Guide to CrossFit and Weightlifting – Washington Post

High fives to Jana for quietly going about her 1st 15′ rope climb post WOD!

"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: