Sumo Deadlift High Pull (75#/55#) Push Jerk (75#/55#)
* Sumo must end with clear pull under chin and elbows above bar ** Push Jerks must be a jerk then fully stand; no press or push press or it’s a no rep!
This WOD specifically calls for Push Jerks to train the jerk. Thus the reason we enforced the rule of no pressing it up, even if it’s light. Training correctly at a lighter load should lead to a better technique when going heavier. The key to the jerk is not jumping up; it’s jumping under the bar and locking out in one distinct motion.
Click on the linkto the picture of the day on CrossFit.com and the explanation beneath it for how you should finish overhead in a fully locked out position. Minimize that tendency to over exaggerate the lumbar curve when finishing and pushing the head “through”.
Watch this video of a good split jerk at heavy weight. James Hobart at 305 pounds split jerk [wmv] [mov]
Notes:
Congrats and good luck to the group of you who officially started the Whole 30 Challenge today! It takes guts to make the commitment and discipline to see it through. Read here for what it is if you are unfamiliar with Whole9and their approach to clean eating and healthy nutrition. If you want to jump in it’s never too late to start now!
Pet Peeves, “Tom-trum” Rant of the Day or things I hate: Airlines that suck. Specifically airlines that suck at the following: a) Flying b) Flying you to your destination when they say they will c) Flying all of your belongings that you checked at the counter along with you to your destination. d) After losing your belongings showing that they care and will get off their personal cell phone call to explain why your bag is getting a nice tour of the bowels of DFW airport all night
Have a happy Thursday everyone! Be fast, be strong, and be epic!
How often do we complete a WOD that goes backwards? I’m not talking about running backwards either (which by the way you have to see Kim’s crazy backwards running jump rope 200m run). Most WOD’s count down. Or the rep count stays the same each round or interval. Some are ladders where one exercise decreases while something else increases. For WOD’s that add a rep each minute on the minute those present a unique challenge in counting up but aren’t the same as going backwards. So in programming the week I thought we should try it. Make up a WOD (I wanted to test core and grip strength while using the run to spike the heart rate), then reverse the typical rep count order and see what it does.
My two cents? It works. It’s tough, it’s different. By starting with smaller reps early the ability to move through exercises either quicker or even unbroken drives up the intensity and pushes you harder. Being fresher allows you to complete the early rounds fast and turn it into somewhat of a sprint. For me the thought process changes from the typical “soldier on” to “don’t stop or drop it”. Judging by how gassed people felt, we will try this format again.
Want to work on your flexibility? Improve your range of motion? Rehab those pesky tight or painful muscles? Check out MobilityWod by Kelly Starrett and get your mobility on!
Laura working the Knees-to-Elbow:
Notes:
In case you missed yesterday’s post, we have updated our pricing. Check it out!
Our troops and sailors use CrossFit. Other armies should try it. I’m not quite sure that the Iraqi army is ready yet…
After careful deliberation and review of our business we are happy to announce that we will implement a reduced monthly pricing structure as of September 1st (if we decide to raise rates in the future we will keep existing members at the lower rate). We feel this is fair yet takes into account the broader economic picture while also allowing us to effectively offer a CF Kids program soon for our members.
The new rates will be as follows:
Monthly Unlimited Classes: $135 / month plus 9% tax (reduction of $15 per month)
Unlimited Couples Discount rate: $240 / month plus 9% tax (reduction of $30 per month)
Limited Monthly Classes 2 x /week: $90 / month plus 9% tax (reduction of $10 per month)
– Both members must be unlimited to receive couples discount – Works out to ~ $8/class for unlimited rate – Works out to ~ $11/class for limited rate
Military/LEO/Fire/Student discount of 20% available
Drop-in rate will remain $15 (for experienced CrossFitters) or just buy a shirt
Elements will remain $150 for new members and include the first month unlimited classes
Mish and Lena high five the new pricing while Don simply shakes his head in disbelief:
A Commitment to Value:
Add up what you pay for a gym membership plus a trainer and it simply doesn’t compare. We base our pricing on what we feel is a fair value. In our box, we value a safe and supportive training environment, good coaching, solid programming, and community. We provide an atmosphere that challenges the athlete in each of us while focusing on technique and safety first. We don’t want to just make you a number, we care about you. If you haven’t been in then we will email, call, and generally just harrass you! We will hold you accountable until you tell us otherwise. We get to know each of our clients and their strengths and weaknesses to know appropriate scaling of movements and loads. We monitor your progress and celebrate your milestones. Our workouts are thought out, tested and structured to fit into a bigger picture. We provide various outlets to share information, offer training guidance and education, and interact among members through our active website and social media page. We work to consistently offer, organize and participate in monthly events, races, challenges, clinics, workshops, and other competitions both within our gym and the broader CrossFit community. We value being active within the CrossFit community because we solidly believe that much of the great part of what it offers is just that, a community of like minded fitness enthusiasts that know that hard ass fitness is earned through intensity, sweat and work. We seek out gyms with core values such as ours and look for ways to share best practices, implement new training ideas and forge lasting friendships.
Most of all, Michelle and I (as well as all who coach at SnoRidge) live CrossFit. We have a pure passion for what it is and how it can benefit us and want to share that with others. We compete, we learn, and we teach. It’s not just about writing something on a whiteboard and starting a timer; it’s about seeking out and tackling a physical and mental challenge head on everyday and learning something about yourself in the process. It’s about high fiving, chest bumping, and having fun while doing it. When you join our box, you join our family. Each and every one of us brings something to the mix that motivates, inspires and benefits all of us. That makes us better CrossFitters and better people! We feel that is value. I personally haven’t found that many gyms out there that offer the same.
Remember: Anyone can be cool, but awesome takes practice. Keep practicing daily, we sure will!
Short video clip of our Fit 5 Fashion/CrossFit demo this past week:
We are hoping to get a more official video of the event soon that is being put together to show all of the performance highlights. If you want to see some pics then go to www.brickhousephotos.com; click on order prints and then select the lululemon event.
With a continuously running clock perform 1 burpee the first minute, 2 burpees the second minute, 3 burpees the third minute, and so on, continuing to add 1 each minute until you cannot complete the required number of reps in the given minute.
Score total rounds and reps in the last round completed.
Don going airborne. Now that’s the way to finish the burpee!
Quote of the Day: “I finally figured out how to go down properly…wait that sounds bad!” ~ Rona
Yay burpees! Cristin asked me yesterday if we had a specific day every week that we programmed in burpees so she could avoid that day. Knowing today was “death by burpee” I could not lie. So I told her the truth, “NO there is not a SPECIFIC day. We mix it up. I’ll see you tomorrow!” I think she was not very happy when she came in today. She did however survive!
Proud parent moment. Ashley tonight did the WOD with the late crew. Staying to the back of the box, we matched burpee for burpee as each minute passed and I did the counting. Surprising me and maybe herself, she got into the 11th minute! And they were pretty darn good burpees all with a good jump and clap! To top it off after writing her name and result on the whiteboard she went and wrote my result up there.
Notes:
Reminder that Thursday all PM classes are cancelled this week 8/26. We will be performing in the lululemon 5 Fitness Fashion function in Bellevue. Details on the right hand side.
CrossFit Basic is also joining us for Fight Gone Bad V on September 18th. That’s four boxes total including us! (CrossFit Belltown, CrossFit Redmond, CrossFit Basic)
This article has great cues, pics, video and what “not” to do. Read up and translate it over to your squats, cleans and thrusters. One note: Unless the arms are broken, no Cross-Arm grip allowed. Ever. Period.
Front Squatting with Mark B. (who hit 315# today!)
Have you been asked “Can you really get a workout in under 5 minutes?” If you have done “Fran” or “SQT” that answer is absolutely yes! Anyone doubting how you can really do a CrossFit WOD in that short of time and feel gassed is a great candidate to try this one. Just invite them over, tell them to lift something heavy (and safely) as fast as they can from ground to overhead 10 times, then do some shuttle sprints for a total of 3 rounds. I bet they never doubt you again.
Want to lose weight, burn fat, get ripped, gain muscle, build endurance, and get faster? All of the above? Do sprints! Sprinting is both aerobic and anaerobic and chock full of benefits:
Read a great interview with Chris Spealler, one of the top CrossFitters out there and just an amazing athlete. A veteran of all 4 years of the CF Games as well as a top 10 finisher in three of them (including 3rd this year); he was also the recipient of the “Spirit of the Games Award” for embodying the character of CrossFit. He is pretty legendary within CrossFit and has set a great example for many as not only a competitor, but also as a coach, HQ trainer and affiliate owner.
If you plan to participate in Fight Gone Bad V on 9/18 at the box, then you need to create a fundraiser page (link on the right under “Upcoming Events”) and raise some money for some great causes. My friend Derek from CrossFit Morristown (who just visited and many of you met) has been pushing people in his box to raise funds and they are now at almost $11k raised! What about us? Well, SnoRidge has $1300 raised. Ummm, it’s GO time people!
Choice day! Pick either double wall balls (also called 2 for 1’s since you throw it up to the target and then complete 2 squats) with double-unders or do 50 of them for three rounds with 150 double-unders. Either way this ones mean.
See that little blurb in the upper right corner of the site? The one that says “World Class Fitness in 100 Words”? Ever read it? If you do read it how much of it do you follow? The last sentence is one (along with nutrition) of the things that most of us CrossFitters likely don’t do. It’s the part that says “Regularly learn and play new sports.” The CrossFit Journal is kicking off a cool new series devoted to learning and playing new sports. It’s called the Sport Series. If we are going to train to be generally prepared physically for most challenges as well as call it the Sport of Fitness, then why not apply it to new sports? By the way, anyone want to try stand-up paddleboarding?
Speaking of sports, tomorrow morning we will see several of you at the Railroad Days Race. Meet on the corner near the gazebo at the Rail Museum. Kids 1k is at 8:45am and the 5k/10k starts at 9am.
Mark and Kim will be running a class WOD at the box at 10am. Show up and get your thruster on!
Tara tackles Hang Snatches while Scott swings the Kettlebell:
Bionic is a unique WOD. Moving from a wide stance and narrow grip to neutral stance and grip to narrow stance and wide grip each round can cause a little confusion from movement to movement. It is also typically limited by the amount of weight that you can Hang Power Snatch. Put on too much weight and that becomes a hang muscle snatch or even worse a hang power “anyway overhead” lift. Dialing it back to ensure a load that allows you to do it correctly is the way to go and also will force you to move faster and generate greater power.
This Saturday is the Railroad Days 5k/10k race. We have at least 6 runners I know of that are running it with me (Marc, Laura, Lucy, Moe, Sangeeta, Jim M.). There are also a couple kids doing the 1k too. Anyone else in? There will be one class at 10am with Mark as well.
Attention! Fight Gone Bad V: We are hosting FGB V on 9/18 (Saturday) with CrossFit Belltown, The Compound, CrossFit Redmond, and the Chamber! The plan is to start at 10am.There will be waves and sign up times as we get closer. If you are planning to participate the rules state you must register, create a fundraising page and raise donations. Please consider this and help raise money for some valuable causes (Livestrong, The Wounded Warrior Project among them). For details on registration go to the FGB V site and click on the register link. When and if you register, pick our box as your “team”.
If you are thinking it’s too much to ask someone to donate, consider that one latte for $5 is more than enough to ask for. Or a happy meal. I would think most people understand that donating a few dollars for cancer research or for a veteran who is permanently disabled for defending our freedoms is worth forgoing a coffee or two.
With a continuously running clock perform 1 pull-up the first minute, 2 pull-ups the second minute, 3 pull-ups the third minute, and so on, continuing to add 1 each minute until you cannot complete the required number of reps in the given minute.
Score total rounds and reps in the last round completed.
Today we went over two methods to use when back squatting; the high bar and the low bar back squat. See our last post with links that explain how to do both. Either way is fine. Do one or do both. Try them, see what you prefer and use it. What’s more important is that whichever you pick, do it right and learn to squat.
After the strength WOD it was time for death by pull-up. Focusing on good pull-ups should be the key and making sure you have good arm extension, a strong pull, and the chin reaching over the bar. Use a band, a kip, or a dead hang. Then feel the minutes and pull-ups pile up!
Pat repping out some back squats while Mark spots:
Ashley showing off some mad skills and a backwards double-under!
Notes:
Welcome to Cristin who started elements with us tonight and knocked out “Baseline” ahead of her goal she set before the WOD. Setting and achieving a goal on her first WOD is a great way to start CrossFit!
Watch and practice: Burgener warm-up with Sage Burgener and Coach B [wmv] [mov]
Sign up for the Railroad Days race before Saturday! Racers plan to link up at the gazebo by the Railroad museum prior to the race.
