Building Blocks

Strength WOD:

Deadlift
5/5/5/5/5

Checkout WOD:

4 Rounds for Time: 
5 Deadlift (225#/135#)
10 Knees-to-Elbows
15 Burpees

Results

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Mish_DL PR

The deadlift is one of the building blocks to getting strong and developing a solid core. Done consistently the gains will more than pay off across the board in other strength exercises and WOD’s in general. The deadlift forms the core lift we use any time we pick up a barbell, dumbbells, med ball, kettlebell, etc. Get strong so you can go faster and lift heavier. 

Talk about getting strong, here are a few examples of some of you who smashed some PR’s today from the last time we did a 5RM deadlift: Eli who went up 30 lbs. from 175 to 205 lbs., Rob who went from 205 to 285 lbs. and Michele B. (Mish) who went from a 1 rep max at 205 lbs. to a 5 rep max at 205 lbs.!

Coaching Tips: The Deadlift with Rob

  • Think “Stance, Grip and Position” on every single lift
  • Stance: Feet under hips, bar is around 1″ from the shins
  • Grip: Symmetrical on the bar, use either parallel, alternate or hook
  • Position: Lumbar curve, core tight, shoulders in front of bar and scapulae over bar, head straight ahead, weight on heels
  • The Lift: 1) Hips and Shoulders rise together 2) Weight stays on heels 3) Arms are straps (no bend) 4) Stand straight up 5) Bar travels up in a straight line along the legs 6) Stand tall, open hips and don’t hyper-extend by leaning back dramatically

Rob_Deadlift - 1Rob_Deadlift - 2Rob_Deadlift - 3Rob_Deadlift - 4

Notes:

Welcome Maria and James who both finished Elements this week!

“Questions” with Jason Khalipa – a CrossFit Games video [wmv] [mov]

Watch the best explanation for how to butterfly kip I have seen yet. If you cannot already do dead hang or kipping pull-ups well then stay patient and focus on those. The butterfly is an advanced technique to progress to once you have a very solid kipping pull-up. 

The Butterfly Kipping Pull-up explained with Chris Spealler:

   

"Power Clean Cindy"

For Time:

10 Power Cleans (135#/95#)
5 Rounds of Cindy
10 Power Cleans
5 Rounds of Cindy
10 Power Cleans

* 1 Round of “Cindy” = 
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats

Results

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Quote of the Day: “That was horrible… I loved it!” ~ Jana post-WOD

PC Cindy with Nan and Jeremy O:

PC Cindy_Jeremy O and Nan

Rob and Rona rocking pull-ups together:

Couples Pullups

Hope you all liked this one today. We didn’t like the original modified Cindy we had programmed so we made up this one yesterday after looking at a WOD called “Grindy” that follows this format. That one is a combo of clean and push jerks to make it “Grace” and “Cindy”. Seeing as we just recently did Grace and then threw in thrusters this week we thought power cleans would be perfect. Judging by the feedback we got I think you agree.

Watch Eli continue his Jedi-Ninja training with new skills:

   

Jedi Eli from Tom Nugent on Vimeo.

Notes:

We still have some spots for the Whole 9 Workshop so get back to us ASAP.  We have also opened it up to our CrossFit friends and it is filling up fast. Let us know if you are in by shooting us an email. If you have emailed us already you are a “3-2-1 Go” for a spot.

Watch “CrossFit: Not Your Average Gym” on CNN Video

"Pushing Helen"

3 Rounds For Time:

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

Results

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All warmed up and ready to go…

Ready Line

Synchronized Swings:

HSPU Helen

Handstand Push-ups and their variations:

  • 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.
  • 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.

Scale using:

  • Pike floor push-up, keeping your legs as straight as possible, touching head to floor.
  • 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.
  • Work your way to pike push-ups with feet on a wall then gradually being inverted with a full range of motion.

John and Jenna demonstrate:

John_HSPU  Jenna_HSPU off Box

Notes:

It’s not everyday you open the local paper and read about one of your clients. Autumn is a local web-lebrity! Read about her and her business partners endeavor with Macaroni Kid in the online version here.

If this video clip doesn’t get you motivated to hit the wod then what will?

The 2010 CrossFit Games, “Are You Ready?” [wmv] [mov]

Perseverance

For Time:

10 Thrusters (95#/65#) 
Run 200m
9 Thrusters
Run 200m
8 Thrusters
Run 200m
7 Thrusters
Run 200m
6 Thrusters
Run 200m
5 Thrusters
Run 200m
4 Thrusters
Run 200m
3 Thrusters
Run 200m
2 Thrusters
Run 200m
1 Thrusters
Run 200m

* Advanced Goal: Go Unbroken or Go Heavy

Results

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“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination” ~ Tommy Lasorda

Mary tackling the Thruster:

Mary_Thruster 1st Group WOD

Tonight I watched perseverance in action. Imagine you are Mary: You have just completed elements and walked into a group WOD for your first time. You see a whiteboard that says “Thrusters and 200m Runs” in some weird combination of 10 reps down to 1 and running in between each round. The board is filled with names and numbers and times. People are warming up all around so you fall right into it. Warm-up run, box step-ups, pass throughs, no problem. You start practicing a thruster and instantly have a coach standing in front of you giving cues and tips that likely seem like driving directions to a strange place you’ve never been. After getting some adjustments, coaching, scaling and further practice on a thruster you feel more relaxed. “I can use this bar” you think and move to set up your spot outside with the rest of the crew. Before you know it though you literally have to thrust yourself into the workout at the count of 3-2-1 Go! 

Bodies and barbells begin to fly around you, people dumping weights and zipping past, many screaming “Round” every once in awhile. Music is thumping, people are moving and you are just chipping away. You have that same coach giving cues and tips (wider stance, toes out, touch the ball!) and you just keep on lifting the barbell and then running. As people finish around you it must cross your mind “I’m barely halfway through and people are done!” You ask him if others have ever struggled and if others have ever felt sick. “Yes” he says. “People struggle, people have been sick. Breathe. You can do this.” You walk back to the bar, pushing one rep at a time. Round after agonizing round goes by. Everyone is almost done. Then something happens. The coach offers you the chance to call it a workout if you want, asking if you want to stop or if you think you can keep going, but your answer is instantly “No, I am finishing, I will do this!”. You move to walk/run, but someone says they will go with you. You finish the next round of thrusters, then another person runs with you, and then both of them. One is your friend, the other a stranger. Round after round, they run with you even though they are done. You think it is taking forever. But before you know it, you are done too. Done with the workout. All of it. 

This is what I imagine Mary might have felt tonight. It’s partly what I saw and also what I thought might be her experience. Tonight I saw one of the things that makes CrossFit so cool, community built through shared struggle and determination. Mary didn’t want to quit. No backing down, no giving up. She set her mind on it, had some help along the way and just did it. High five’s and chest bumps all around to Mary for completing her first group WOD; and to Michelle D. and Jana for running with her!

Also speaking of perseverance, I want to give a huge congrats to Steve who dropped in from Level 4 Fitness tonight and after the warm-up got not only his first but also his second muscle-up! What a huge accomplishment, no doubt you’ve been working on this one. Be proud!

Finding My Way” with Coach Greg Glassman (CF Founder), a CrossFit Journal Preview video [wmv] [mov]

Notes:

The Whole 9 Nutrition Workshop is “ON”. We are stoked and super excited! Michelle is emailing updated info to all. We took into account the Fall City 5k/10k race that morning as well as the Saturday WOD and are able to hold the workshop from 1pm until 5pm. Afterward we will have a Paleo BBQ for all at the box to celebrate our recent 1 year anniversary as an affiliate (May ’09). Oh and the C2 Rower Fish tournament too! Look for an email with further details on the Whole 9 workshop.

Whole 9 Nutrition Workshop Details:

  • Date: Saturday 6/19
  • Time: 1pm to 5pm (4 hour workshop – no kiddos)
  • Cost is $75 per person
  • RSVP via email or blog
  • Learn what you should eat, how you should eat, when you should eat, and why you should eat optimally for your health and fitness
  • Limited to 40 people
  • Paleo BBQ after open to all (Kids welcome, bring a Paleo friendly dish if you can)
  • C2 Rower Fish Tournament – Row like you hear banjoes! 

Rona runs while Cathy lifts:

Running Rona Cathy Thruster

Recharge and Refuel

Kid-Vest Training is all the rage:

Done

Do your double-unders to close out this week. Starting tomorrow you get to add to the total per set!

Pics from yesterday’s Benchmark Saturday:   

  

Attention CrossFitters:

We are working to schedule a nutrition workshop at our box with Whole 9 founders Dallas Hartwig and Melissa Urban. Details below:

  • Date is Saturday June 19th (short notice we know but make it work people!) 
  • Time is TBD but it will be a 4 hour workshop
  • Cost is $75 per person
  • What does it cover? Click here
  • Learn what you should eat, how you should eat, when you should eat, and why you should eat optimally for your health and fitness
  • Limited to 40 people

Before you come up with a reason to say no; I’d ask you to consider this: 

  • In the time it takes to go to a movie, you can learn valuable information to literally change yours and your families eating habits. 
  • $75 for this is far better than a month’s worth of latte’s; or a Mariners game ticket, food, drink and parking; or one lululemon top or CrossFit T-shirt plus shipping!
  • These people are experts, this is what they do, we are lucky enough to get them to our box while they are traveling to do workshops at CrossFit affiliates around the country, so you can’t just pick a future date.
  • If you have been struggling with diet and what to eat then it’s time to use this as a starting point.
  • Even if you haven’t been struggling use this to learn how to fine tune your nutrition and eat for an excellent fitness level.

Michelle is sending a mass email out today so stay tuned and the first 40 who commit get a seat!

"Grace or Isabel"

“Grace”:

For Time
30 Clean and Jerks (135#/95#)

Or:

“Isabel”:

For Time
30 Snatch – Power/Squat or Split (135#/95#)

Results

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On to the next one:

Grace and Isabel - 22

Grace and Isabel - 24 
Skills and Drills - 4

I love these two benchmarks. Grace is one of my favorites. Fast, hard, heavy, effective. I also like them both because it doesn’t feel like Fran during and after! Both Isabel and Grace are workouts that take most CrossFitters a large amount of time to work up to in strength and technique and when they do it’s a great feeling to do it as RX’d. Like most of the “Girl” WOD’s when you see it you think “that doesn’t look hard” and then they show you why they are named after women cause as Coach Glassman said “after it’s over you find yourself flat on your back gasping for air and asking what the f*ck just happened to me?”

These two WOD’s are meant to feel heavy. Ideally they are also done with good technique at a “grip it and rip it” speed. If the weight isn’t necessarily heavy then they better be darn fast but done right. I emphasize done right because there are countless videos out there with slop form showing fast times. Other variations are “Heavy or Fat” Grace at 155# (M) /105# (W), Log Grace, Sandbag Grace, Throwing Grace, Squat Snatch Isabel, you get the idea. If you even more inclined for some brutal fun you can do both back to back for “Isa-Grace”. 

Josh Everett, Isabel from CrossFit.com [wmv] [mov]

“Isagrace” with Josh Everett from CrossFit.com [wmv] [mov]

Notes:

Big chest bumps, fist bumps and double high fives to Graham who got his 1st muscle-up today post WOD! Some of us missed it as we were running the second class outside but suffice to say the cheering coming from inside the box afterwards was pretty epic. 

We are working on another deep dive nutrition lecture/discussion in the gym from the folks at Whole 9.  Not sure yet but stay tuned for details if we can hopefully make this happen!

Double-Under Challenge. Don’t forget to do them…

Rings and Things

As Many Rounds As Possible in 20 Minutes of:

5 Ring Dips
10 Medicine Ball Clean (20#/14#)
15 AbMat Sit-ups

Results

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Erin and the Med Ball Clean:

Erin Med Ball Clean

Big thanks to Jeremy D. for running the morning WOD’s to cover for us Friday! It’s always great to mix it up with different trainers to learn new techniques and hear new cues. Today was time to get back on the rings. We haven’t been on them all week and they seemed lonely hanging up on the bars. Ring work and handstands have been neglected. That just won’t do. Looks like it’s time to find our inner gymnasts starting next week.

As for Saturday, we are going to see how the recent emphasis on snatches, cleans, jerks, and presses have paid off.  We are going to have a choice again. This time it’s “Grace” or “Isabel”. Either 30 heavy clean and jerks or 30 heavy snatches for time. Good form and technique is crucial and should be a primary focus for all of us. Pick your benchmark, scale accordingly and let ‘er rip!

Medicine Ball Cleans with Andrew Thompson on CrossFit.com – video [wmv] [mov]

"Harder Than It Looks"

5 Rounds for Time:

20 Box Jump (24″/20″)
20 Kettlebell Swing (53#/35#)
20 Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift High Pull (53#/35#)

Results

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Jeremy O. Kettlebell Swing:

Harder Than It Looks_Jeremy O

Laura, Eli and Warren let fly!

Harder Than It Looks_Laura Harder Than It Looks_5pm Crew Warren KB Swing

This WOD is deceiving. Lots of cardio and plenty of hip extension. The key to the kettlebell swing is ensuring you use your hips more than using your arms. Think “mini” air squat to propel the bell up and lock out the arms and bell at the top before either pushing it down or letting gravity take it’s course. Make sure to grip the kettlebell tight and not to hyperextend too far when locking out overhead. Work towards obscuring the ears at the top but only when feeling more comfortable with the swing. For the sumo DL high pull it’s no different than using the barbell. Wide stance, pull hard and forcefully open the hips to continue the KB’s path up under the chin before returning to the ground.

The 2010 CF Games Season: A Perspective

Notes:

Tomorrow Jeremy D. will be running both of the morning classes and Moe will run the 5pm (as usual). Come in and get your AMRAP on!

Saturday schedule is normal sign-ups for the 1000 and 1100 classes. First 9 to sign up by posting to comments get priority at 1000.

Don’t forget your double-unders if you are in the “On the Double Challenge”!

"Push Over"

Strength WOD:

Push Press (Find your 3 rep max; 3RM)
3/3/3/3/3

Checkout WOD:

For Time:

10 Push Press (Use 55% of 3RM) 
1 Lateral Jump Burpee
9 Push Press
2 Lateral Jump Burpee 
8 Push Press
3 Lateral Jump Burpee
7 Push Press
4 Lateral Jump Burpee
6 Push Press
5 Lateral Jump Burpee
5 Push Press
6 Lateral Jump Burpee
4 Push Press
7 Lateral Jump Burpee
3 Push Press
8 Lateral Jump Burpee
2 Push Press
9 Lateral Jump Burpee
1 Push Press
10 Lateral Jump Burpee

Results

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Nan 3RM with outstanding hip drive:

Nan_3RM Push Press

Quote of the day: “You just had to find a way to make burpees harder?” ~ Sherry on the lateral jump burpee

Jenna and Nan in the Checkout and Jorge hitting a PR on his 3RM:

Checkout_Nan and Jenna


Jorge 3RM Push Press

Congrats to Mark N. and Don who hit their 100th WOD today! That’s at least 6 people in the last month who hit that milestone. We are getting shirt sizes for the next order of 100th WOD shirts. These should be faster than last time since the screens are done and it’s a re-order.

Also several of you started the DU challenge today (Check yesterday’s post for the rules). Let’s see how far we all get and how our DU’s improve by month’s end.   

Notes:

Sectionals and Regionals are all complete. In a little over one month the CrossFit Games will happen in Los Angeles at the Home Depot Center (7/16-7/18). We are going to be down there that weekend to see some amazing athletes do epic sh*t. Latest update: “All eyes on the Games

"Where's My Legs?"

Four Rounds for TIme: 

400m Run
50 Air Squats

Results

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John and Michele run…

John_Run and Squat Michele_Run and Squat

While Rob and Travis squat:
Squat Race Squat Race 2

Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer Go! Some of you today clearly had extra “go juice” for this WOD. Especially Erin! Mad props to being pregnant and blazing through this! 

We are starting a new daily challenge to improve everyone’s skills with a jumprope:

“On the Double”: The Double-Under Challenge

  1. Get a jump rope.
  2. Starting tomorrow and for the 1st week, each day perform 5 sets of consecutive double-unders for 5, 10, or 15 reps. Singles in between, snags or missed reps means that set DOES NOT count.
  3. After the 1st week, increase the number of reps for each set by 5, completing 5 unbroken sets per day.
  4. Continue to add 5 per set every week through week 4.
  5. At the end of June, we will have a WOD that will test your double-under skills!
  6. If you cannot do 5 in a row to begin with, don’t sweat it! Just pick your current PR to start with (i.e. 5 sets of 3 reps). If you can’t do more than 1 consecutive rep without a single in between, pick a number that you can still perform with alternating singles and doubles. Add 1 rep to that number per week. 

Who’s in?

Notes:

Welcome to Michele who joined the 7pm crew for her first WOD tonight. Michele is coming to us from our good friends Nadia and Eric over at CrossFit Belltown where she has been training for quite some time. We are lucky to have you!

The Men’s Competition at the Northeast Regionals by CrossFit Again Faster – Video [wmv] [mov]

Coaching Tip: The Box Jump with Jeremy O.

Box Jump_Jeremy O - 1 Box Jump_Jeremy O - 2

  • With each jump land with 3/4 of your feet firmly on the box (not just your toes)
  • Jump off and forcefully push your hips forward to the “open” position as you come off the box (see above)
  • If you cannot jump off and open the hip then stand tall on the box and step or jump down
  • Do not get in the habit of keeping your hips “closed” or “muted” as you come off the box; that negates one of the primary benefits of the box jump (training powerful hip extension)
SNORIDGE CROSSFIT