"Jumping Helen"

Helen with a double-under twist; no running

3 Rounds For Time:

50 Double-Unders
21 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
12 Pull-ups

Results

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Don and Mike_Jumping Helen

Travis_DU Amanda_Swing Jeremy_PU

The Games are going to move to Los Angeles this summer! While we are sad its no longer able to be conducted in Aromas, CA it’s somewhat exciting to think it’s going to be in a bigger venue (Los Angeles Home Depot Center), with more amazing athletes than ever, and webcast live for all to see. We will be going down in July to watch and can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. Who’s up for going to the Games? 

Announcing the 2010 CrossFit Games! [wmv] [mov]

Notes:

Cinco De Mayo race registration closed today and we have a great number of SRCF members among those who registered for the 1/2 and the 8k race this Saturday. We will plan the WOD’s Thursday and Friday accordingly.

Push It

5 Rounds for Time:

400m Run
10 Push Press (95#/65#)
20 Push-ups

Results

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Late WOD Cheerleaders:

The 7pm Cheering Section

Some have noticed the WOD’s are long this week. Constantly varied! Sometimes it’s good to keep it unknown and unknowable. We’ve got to keep you on your toes somehow and vary that programming. After the last few days it was time to ensure a good push day and work in some runs. With the weather improving and the Cinco De Mayo 8k and 1/2 race coming up it’s a good bet we will try to run more up until race day. If yo haven’t registered yet make sure you sign up in the box by Monday which is the last day to pre-register and save some money.

Push It up:

Chiseled Nan Lockout_Bridget

The Finer Points of Tire Flipping” Preview with Kurtis Bowler Rainier CrossFit on the CrossFit Journal [wmv] [mov]

Notes:

Saturday schedule: No 9am WOD for the Affiliate Team. We will have a 10am and 11am WOD for everyone so sign up in the comments.  We will be able to handle 10 at 10am and the rest at 11am. It should be nice and sunny out so let’s get outside and drop some bumpers or swing some hammers! Post to comments for which time you will be at. So far I have Jana at 10am.

  Pat’s duties in the box have expanded to include Squatch Watch kids supervision. 

Use at your own discretion:

Pat showing Giana who's the Boss

Pics of the WOD:

             

Hard-Core

Strength WOD:

Deadlift

5/4/3/2/1/1/1

* Work up to 1RM (1 Rep Max)

Tons of PR’s today in the house!

Lucy DL Queen of the Deadlift Deb DL
 Jana DL Jorge DL Sangeeta DL 

Check Out WOD Immediately After:

5 Rounds for Time:
10 Hollow Rocks
10 Supermans
10 Ring Rows

Results

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Synchronized Ring Rows with Steph and Mariela: 

Ring Rows

Scaled Superwoman for Prego’s:

Scaling the Superwoman

Core work today! Not “Abs of Steel” but a solid WOD with an emphasis on the hollow position, and instruction on the Hollow Rock, Superman and Ring Row. All important movements and when linked together are good for the abs and core stabilizers. These will be worked more often along with ring supports, L-sits and tuck holds, planks, bar hangs, kipping and other fun things to get those six packs working. Oh and Shoot-Throughs! 

Also Jana had a couple great ideas for our next challenge(s) that we will start in a couple weeks; the first being “Sit-up Challenge”. Stay tuned!

Notes:

Go watch “Ring Dip Standards” from CrossFit.com [wmv] [mov

This will be the preferred method for RX. Shoulder below elbow, hip travel legit. Kipping is okay but you better have the strict ring dip in your toolbox before you pull out the kip. Practice pre or post WOD.

If you are planning to attend the 2010 CF Games Northwest Regionals on May 15-16th In Puyallup and want to volunteer along with Rona, Rob and Sangeeta go sign up here.

Snatching Nancy

5 Rounds for time: 
400m Run
3 Power Snatch (95#/65#)
15 Overhead Squats (95#/65#)

Results

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Sangeeta and a nice Overhead Squat:

Sangeeta OH Squat

This main site WOD is similar to Nancy but adds the three Power Snatches and then was supposed to move the run to last. Whoopsie, looks like you all ran first today by mistake. Consider it a treat, at least we didn’t add in burpees.

Mark B. demonstrating his awesome skills frequently as a demo boy at the CF Gymnastics Cert:

Demo Boy_2 Demo Boy_3

Today is a light post, I’m beat from the week and Day One today of the CF Gymnastics Certification with Jeff Tucker; who is an amazingly colorful and skilled coach. What do you expect from a guy from Texas who has a background that includes elite competitive gymnastics, law enforcement, EOD, firefighting, calf roping and rodeo, university level coaching, running the TCU Cheer-leading program, running a hugely successful CrossFit box and Gymnastics/Martial Arts athletic center and being the subject matter expert for CrossFit in Gymnastics? 

The day has been filled with incredible cues, tips, progressions, exercises and overall fun. When this is over expect to see a greater emphasis on a few things: better warm-ups, flexibility focus, drilling proper form vs. a fast time, and building strength to properly execute the movements we are aspiring to do as RX’d. For example, this means doing rings dips with the right range of motion (scaled or not). Or doing skill drills to enforce true push-ups, dead hang pull-ups and exercises to build core strength and the hollow position. You get strong first so you can go faster. Not the other way around. 

For those who did “The Bear Complex” watch this video of Rob Orlando performing it with 200#!

Rob Orlando does the Bear with 200 lbs [wmv] [mov]

On To The Next Round

As Many Rounds As Possible In 20 Minutes For Time:

400m Run
10 Ring Dips
10 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
10 AbMat Sit-ups

Results

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Nan running it in:

Nan Run It In

Epic race today! Rob S. and Jeremy D. going at it for round after round. These two didn’t stop:

Race is On

Notes:

My apologies to messing up Kim’s scaling on the Whiteboard, she did assisted ring dips with feet on the box, not hands on the box. 

Welcome to Warren and Sashank who started Elements Parts 1 and 2 this week! 2 down, one to go!

Watch “Insulin and Bodyweight” preview with Dr. Scott Connelly and Coach Greg Glassman for a very thought provoking discussion [wmv] [mov]

Workout ‘B’ from the Norcal Sectionals [wmv] [mov]

"Christine"

3 Rounds for time: 
500m Row 
12 Deadlift (Bodyweight)
21 Box Jump (24″/20″)

Results

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Row Coaching

Sunset Row Deadlift Duo 

What was worse? The row, the deads, or the box jump? Consensus: The Box Jump. No wonder this old benchmark has a name. It has since been modified by most to make the men’s box jump the 24″ height, which I think is more fair (outside of Fight Gone Bad which is 20″ across the board). Nothing like rowing and deadlifts to remove your ability to jump. Great job on all the PR’s from the previous time we did this one.

Christine with Pat Barber from 2007 on crossfit.com [wmv] [mov]

Coaching Tip: The Box Jump

The box jump seems obvious, intuitive, a no brainer. However the key to the box jump as RX’d is a series of movements. 

  1. Explosively jump, using your arms to build momentum.
  2. Land on the top of the box (in our gym ideally you land with at least half your foot on the top of the box; not toes on edge)
  3. Jump or step off with full hip extension or “open hip” as you jump off. If you step down ensure you first stand up on the top. 
  4. Hip should open above or at least level with the top of the box. 
  5. As you hit the ground rebound back into the next box jump.

Kim and the box jump:

Box Jump Progression_Kim - 1 Box Jump Progression_Kim - 2 Box Jump Progression_Kim - 3 Box Jump Progression_Kim - 4

The jump that doesn’t open at the hip as you come off the box or has a closed hip and opens below the top of the box is not ideal. Stepping down is fine, just less power output than rebounding. Stepping up is also not preferred unless you are scaling or working on moving towards jumping or moving up in height. While the work is the same to step (moving your mass up to the same distance or height of the box), it does not ideally achieve the purpose of training with the box jump. The movement is designed to teach hip extension. Powerful hip extension. This is something that is leveraged in so much of what we do (clean, snatch, squat, push press and jerk, wall ball, kipping pull-up, muscle-up, deadlift, kettlebell swing, etc.); and leads to better fitness and athleticism and efficiency of technique in any sport or activity we participate in.

"Baseline"

2 Rounds for Time:
400m Run
40 Squats
30 Sit-ups
20 Push-ups
10 Pull-ups

Post “Baseline” Optional Strength:

5/5/5 Shoulder Press

Results

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 “The Zohan” AKA Mark B. AKA Speed Racer vs. Racer X AKA Rob:

Speed Racer and Racer X

Time to update the Leader Board! Today was not only a day of PR’s across the board (as everyone improved in either time, level of scaling, or both) it was a day to set a new “Baseline”. What better way after wrapping up the Paleo/Zone Nutrition Challenge than to kick it off with a re-test of the first WOD everyone does when they complete Elements. The last time we did this as a gym was back in November. We will do this periodically to serve as a great gauge of fitness level and to compare and track against our previous performance. While the majority will run, a few do a 500m row each round because that is what they did the first time they started. This WOD looks easy, however when done for time it is an eye-opener. Or a potentially even a bucket filler. 

Jeremy lending Travis a helping bucket:

Lending a Helping Bucket

The morning class featured a battle worthy of Ali vs. Foreman or at least Speed Racer vs. Racer X. Mark B. and Rob ran, squatted, pushed and pulled their way to the end where every second counted. They crushed the time on this and set a whole new standard for the box and themselves as the first two to get this in sub 7 minutes. I was lucky to get the opportunity to work out with the late class and take on the challenge of chasing their times. Literally.

Chasing the leaders

 Notes:

Great googly-moogly!  Congrats to Jim C. for his 100th WOD, and also to Adriana and Deb who reached their 1 year anniversary since they started as Michelle’s first garage clients. Congrats also to Jana who did Baseline as Rx’d only a week after getting her first pull-up! 

Go watch: “Why Do I CrossFit?” with Ben Lunak; a CrossFit Journal Preview [wmv] [mov]

Then practice stringing those double-unders together…

"The Road to RX Challenge"

Mark and his “Jumpless Burpee”! Crazy mad skills!


Jumpless Burpee


Advanced Skills Test (WOD is untimed: Pass/Fail each event):


5 Front Squats 155/105 lbs    
5 Overhead Squats 95/65 lbs    
5 Deadlifts 225/135 lbs

5 Kettlebell Swings 70/53 lbs    
3 Thrusters 135/95 lbs
15 10ft Wall Balls 20/14 lbs    

5 Squat Cleans 135/95 lbs    
5 Push Jerks 135/95 lbs

3 Squat Snatches 135/95 lbs
5 Presses 95/65 lbs
5 Push Presses 135/95 lbs

5 Sumo Deadlift High-pulls 95/65 lbs

3 Chest-to-Bar Pull-up
5 Ring Push-ups
10 Kipping pull-ups

5 Pull-ups – Strict
1 Rope Climb 15′

3 L Pull-ups

3 Muscle-Up
25 Push-ups

5 Slapping Chest Push-ups
10 Bar Dips

5 Ring Dips
5 Handstand Push-ups
10 Burpees w/ 6″ Jump
10 GHD Sit-ups (touch floor and then post at top)
10 Ring Knees-to-Elbows 
10 Rebounding Box Jump 24″/20″ (Feet on box, open hip)
3 Pistol – right legs (Ankle Depth)

3 Pistol – left legs (Ankle Depth)

10 Consecutive Double-Unders (No singles)

* All reps unbroken and no rest except barbell movements and wall ball which require hands on bar/ball or to remain in rack position. For consecutive wall balls, ball must touch over 10 ft. line or no go, drop = fail

** Movement standards reviewed in box, full hip crease below parallel, full hip extension at top of all squat movements

*** Full lockout with ears in front of arms at top of pressing movements

**** Ring movements require turnout at top or lockout and turnout at bottom for MU

***** Push-ups require shoulder below elbow, pull-ups require chin over bar

Advanced Skills Challenge
 

Standard Skills Test  (WOD is untimed: Pass/Fail each event):


3 Front Squats 95/65 lbs
3 Overhead Squats 75/55 lbs
3 Deadlifts 185/115 lbs

5 Kettlebell Swings 53/35 lbs
3 Thrusters 95/65 lbs
10 9ft/10ft Wall Balls 20/14 lbs

3 Squat Cleans 95/65 lbs
3 Push Jerks 
95/65 lbs
3 Squat Snatches 75/55 lbs
3 Presses 75/55 lbs
3 Push Presses 
95/65 lbs
3 Sumo Deadlift High-pulls 95/65 lbs
3 Ring Push-ups
5 Kipping pull-ups

3 Pull-ups – Strict
1 Rope Climb 10′

1 Muscle-Up
10 Push-ups

3 Bar Dips

2 Handstand Push-ups (Floor for M; 1 AbMAt for W)
7 Burpees
10 Weighted Sit-ups 45/25 lbs
7 Knees-to-Elbows 
5 Box Jump 24″/20″ (Feet on box, can rest between reps if needed)
2 Pistol – right legs (Med Ball Target)

2 Pistol – left legs (Med Ball Target)

7 Double-Unders (Singles between DU’s allowed)

* No rest on barbell movements and wall ball which require hands on bar/ball or to remain in rack position. For consecutive wall balls, ball must touch over line or no go, drop = fail

** Movement standards reviewed in box, full hip crease below parallel, full hip extension at top of all squat movements

*** Full lockout with ears in front of arms at top of pressing movements

**** MU does not require turnout, cannot be a jumping MU

***** Push-ups require shoulder below elbow, pull-ups require chin over bar (rest between reps allowed)

Road to RX Skills Challenge


Many of you wanted to have another challenge. Well today was one. It was a challenge to see where you are with several basic, intermediate and advanced skills. The key word is skills. I emphasized skills because these require just that; skill. You cannot simply be “in shape” or a fast mover and expect to be able to do these. Inspired by CF Oahu’s similar RX Challenge; these WOD’s (both the standard and advanced) were intended by us to test the skill movements and loads that are fairly common in the majority of CrossFit programming. The exercises picked represent Olympic Lifting, basic barbell strength lifts, gymnastics skills and bodyweight skills, movements that demand core strength and coordination, and the generation of power through explosive hip drive. We substituted a few exercises in, switched loads, and after careful consideration kept or modified the standards for which reps would count. Could they have been heavier or harder? Sure. However these are the common ones that when combined with cardiorespiratory endurance exercises form the basic workout of the day that is as RX’d (Prescribed). Some may have seemed easy to you but remember how difficult these skills were after only a month or two into CrossFit?

 

This test also helped us on a few other fronts, all of them centering around assessing how you are progressing as athletes and what we need to progress and focus on as your coaches. Most importantly it should have helped you identify what specific areas are your strengths and what areas are your weaknesses. You get fitter by training your weaknesses and maintaining your strengths. If everyone was a disaster on the barbell lifts that would reflect on us. If no one could get a specific exercise then shame on us as well. If you were all outstanding across an exercise or a particular domain than that would help highlight what we have done right. 


This also helped us begin the process of selecting who will be on our Affiliate team, “Team Squatch” for the CF Games Regional Affiliate Cup Qualifier on May 15-16th in Puyallup.  There will be 30+ teams vying for 6 spots to advance to the CF Games in July. Our goal is to field a team from those who have been actively training together that is best equipped and able to accomplish any WOD that is required as a team. We cannot afford to scale, so having a team that is most well rounded across the general and advanced skill-set of CrossFit and fitness is pretty important.


So how did it go? Overall we could not have been anymore stoked with the progress all of you have made. It was so satisfying to see 20 people (Michelle and I included) buzz our way through the skills today with more “pass” than “fail” scores. Many areas showed broad improvements from those first days of Elements to where we all are now. Today helped serve as a focused coaching opportunity to remind you all about good form, proper movement standards and efficiency of technique. It was also an incredible opportunity to sit back a moment and realize we have a bunch of men and women doing pull-ups and climbing ropes, lifting heavy stuff, throwing and swinging heavy objects, sprinting with sandbags, and jumping rope like Rocky training for a fight with Clubber Lang. That’s fitness! 


We hope you had fun, we will do this one again. If you need your results we have the scoresheets in the box and can make you a copy for your logbooks or BTWB.


Post Skills Challenge there was a little fish tournament. While Jeremy may have won it doesn’t say much that he beat 5 year old Maya who racked up a mighty impressive 700+ points! If all else fails, Maya will make the team!


Results


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Maya and the Fish Game

Fire In The Hole

Strength WOD:

Front Squat

1/1/1/1/1/1/1

* Work up to 1RM (1 Rep Max)

Jeremy PR Front Squat

Travis PR Attempt

Check Out WOD Immediately After:

As Many Rounds As Possible in 10 minutes of:
10 Front Squat (95#/65#)
10 Ring Dips
10 Double-Unders

Results

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The key to the Front Squat, get your butt back and get down in the hole. Learn to fire out of it with your chest up, leading with your elbows. Weight should always be on the heels with the elbows high.

Checkout WOD

Quote from Chris Spealler (one of the top elite CrossFitters) Q: “So how do you train the mental aspect?” A: “You just go THERE.” 

So what does “going there” mean? Rather than having me try to explain it go read what Kallista Pappas wrote on the topic. This is perfectly stated. We all need to learn how to go THERE. Oh and in case you are wondering, her poster is the one framed in the box. The one that says you just got schooled by a 14 year old girl. 

Where is THERE?

Coaching Tip:

Full range of motion on a ring dip means the shoulder drops below the top of the elbow joint (As Ryan shows below) and then locks out at the top:

Ring ROM

Notes:

Reminder for the Saturday BodyFat Test. The truck will be here at 7am to 12pm and you will need to sign up in the box for a slot.  You’ll need your swimsuit and cost is $35 if it’s a re-test and $49 for 1st time.  I would encourage you to get it measured. Make it your baseline if you are new or your yardstick for seeing how you have done if you kept up with the Paleo/Zone Nutrition Challenge. Saturday class for 10am and 11am will be open and we won’t try sign-ups this week. Just to stay constantly varied (actually because so many are on vacation).