WOD – Page 626 – SNORIDGE CROSSFIT

"Jackie"

For Time:

1000m Row
50 Thrusters (45#/33#)
30 Pull-ups

Results

Day 44 of the Burpee Challenge. As I type this I realized that I forgot to finish them at the gym. Be right back…

…and done! Whew! Only 6 days to go.

The night crew getting really serious about this WOD:

Who likes Jackie? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller… Bueller? This one looks easy to some before trying it that first time and then you get off the rower and realize right then that the Earth isn’t flat and the moon isn’t made of cheese. The forearm burn from this one is similar to Fran and even Bridget got the dreaded “Fran cough” afterwards. Which also reminds me that Jim C. sent something he found on the CrossFit.com forum regarding the cough that was pretty interesting. To counter that post super-intense WOD cough, try to continue right after the WOD to move and work at a mild intensity to decrease the effect. Do some sit-ups or squats or jog a 200m if you can summon the willpower. I’ll try it next time so I don’t hack like a smoker.

Here’s a video on “Jackie” of some of the CrossFit HQ Training Staff vs. Greg Amundson AKA the “Original CrossFitter”:

[wmv] [mov]

Oh and if you think you need a rest day, then you probably need a rest day. That’s a future topic to address but rest and recovery is as important as intense training and nutrition. Overtraining will get you nowhere fast.

Notes:

Post to comments if you are attending the 10am or 11am Saturday class. First 8 fills the 10am. For the Affiliate team plan to come Saturday at 9am.

Do you want to get better at Olympic Lifting? We are able to get 12 people into a hour and half session at Thrush Sports Performance Center in Sumner WA on January 16th at 3:30pm. TSPC is a first class Olympic Lifting gym that has hosted basic clinics for CrossFitters on ways to improve their O Lifts. The session will be led by John Thrush and his staff and focus on the various cleans, front squat, jerk and snatch and correcting form. Both Michelle and I have been able to attend and felt the instruction was beneficial and translated to better technique. Cost is $75 per person payable to them. There are only 6 spots left so post to comments if you are attending. Six spots have been filled by our affiliate team already (Lucy, Lorri, Travis, Curtis, Jeremy, and Jim C.) so let us know if you want in for sure.

Shirts are in so if you ordered them come get them. If you want one and missed out we will be submitting an order for more shirts with the Brutal Fun design and including hoodies and thermals. We also have some extra “Squatch Swing” shirts from this order.

Bonnie has volunteered to be our Affiliate Team “Mom” or “Pit Crew” for the upcoming sectionals. She will be using my spectator spot. If you are planning to compete be sure to thank her for being willing to put up with all of us b*tching and moaning about two days of WOD’s! Also if you are registered but are not using your free spectator spot please let us know.

Rings and Things

4 Rounds for time of:

40 Push Press (65#/45#)
30 Squats
20 Ring Dips
10 Double-Unders

Results

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Day 43 of the Burpee Challenge. DON’T QUIT!

You all thought Monday was the hard day? Just when you thought you had things figured out!

Push Presses are getting better and several of you are getting the vertical dip and drive overhead without pushing the bar around the face. Keep those feet centered under the hips, dip a few inches and drive the bar up in a vertical path to a lockout overhead. Keep the chest up and the elbows in front of the bar in the rack position. Oh and don’t rest overhead!

The ring dip is new for many so a perfect opportunity to work on assisted dips while getting full range of motion. Using the bands to help lessen the load on the chest, arms and stabilizers while still allowing you to get deep enough to have the elbows above the shoulders in the bottom position (Like Erin above) is the goal. Your weight should drop you deep enough while the band helps to push out of the bottom position. As you get stronger in this dynamic plane of movement you can move to a band that offers less assistance while still staying safe and controlled. Once you move off bands the focus should be on quality reps even if they are a few at a time. Ring dips are very taxing and quickly fatigue you so don’t be discouraged if you only can crank out a couple at a time. Like handstand push-ups they are hard. You also need them to get a muscle-up so focus on these and pull-ups before more advanced ring movements.

Notes:

Here’s a cool video of two athletes tackling “Barbara” from CrossFit.com. For those asking look at their butterfly pull-up form and how the kick and pull works.

Pat Barber does the benchmark “Barbara” at CrossFit New Zealand: [wmv] [mov]

Back to Basics

Strength WOD:

Deadlift
5/5/5/5

Immediately after:

As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) in 10 Minutes of:

25 Double-Unders
5 Handstand Push-ups

Results

View this photo Pt.1
View this photo Pt. 2

Day 42 of the Burpee Challenge. Are people dropping like flies or hanging in there?

Getting back to basics or Michelle teaching the Chicken Dance:

Mike 5RM Deadlifts:

This week has started the New Year off with a back to basics approach. We are focusing on using our warm-up and movement prep time to spend a little time with group instruction on the basic fundamentals. This week is the air squat. Call it squat therapy. Spending those few minutes of talking through technique, providing cues to remember and finishing with coach led reps should lead to better movement. We want to ensure standards stay consistent as well as keeping the focus on form and intensity first rather than what the clock says. Sometimes we get so competitive or worried about what is RX’d we forget that we should be focused more on if we are moving correctly, is our range of motion full, and are we getting the full training benefit of the workout? If we do that then we will be more efficient in our movement and the fast times will come as we amp up the intensity level.

There were so many PR’s today they were too numerous to count. Congrats to all who PR’d either a 5RM or a 1RM deadlift or got a full handstand push-up. Chest bumps if you got better at double unders and props to all of you for trying various forms of handstand push-ups progressions, from piking on a box to using the wall with AbMat(s) under head. I know many came in thinking “no way” on the handstand push-ups but all of you left with a little more confidence about getting there. You also hopefully had fun too. Just think in only two days this week you have practiced a one legged squat, jumped rope and tried standing on your hands while trying to touch your head to the floor. It’s like being a kid again. Maybe tomorrow we will do monkey bars for time.

Notes:

Want to attend the CrossFit Sectional Qualifiers competition for free in February for Washington? Then register as a volunteer and you can not only see everything you can help out. Go here for more info. Event is Feb. 27-28 at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds.

Various pics of all of you getting stronger today:

"Nan-Non"

3 rounds for time:

Run 400m
38 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
40 Pistols (20 per leg)

Results

View this photo

Happy Birthday Shannon and Nan!

Quote of the day: “Another birthday WOD? Man, people have to stop getting older in here.”

Today was pistols for Nan and kettlebell swings for Shannon. They both are runners too so for them I hope they loved this WOD. It was better than overhead squats I guess. For anyone who is new to the birthday WOD, we will help you celebrate your special anniversary of entry to this life by designing a WOD that might possibly make you or others want to keel over and end it all.

The pistol or one-legged squat is a movement that challenges the legs far more than the basic air squat. Unassisted bodyweight pistols require leg strength, balance and coordination (far more than the overhead walking lunge). There are several methods to scale this movement, from squatting to a box of varying height, to using a pole or post for balance, or to performing a “rocking” pistol where you rock onto your back and then roll your foot onto the floor and spring up into one legged squat. Whether you scale to one level or another, it matters not. What matters is you practice them to the best of your ability and be patient as you build up to a more advanced progression from one step to the next.

Pistol Sequence:

Notes:

Day 41 of the Burpee Challenge. 9 to go. Oh and don’t look now but despite joining the challenge late Jim M. is catching up!

Michelle is working with lululemon athletica to coordinate a date this month for the “Trunk Show”, please be sure to let her know ASAP if interested. The first choice is hold it Friday afternoon, if not then Saturday after classes are over. They will bring very expensive articles of tight clothing and pants that every woman I have ever heard swears have magic powers at making them feel like a supermodel.

Our next Paleo Challenge will commence after the Burpee Challenge. This time we will tweak it with some great inputs from CrossFit Seattle that we are excited to implement. Oh and before and after pics will be required!

Last but certainly NOT least tonight I was inspired to watch Jim C. complete a very hard benchmark WOD as RX’d. He did “Grace” which is 30 clean and jerks for time at 135 lbs. (for men). Let me rephrase that, he absolutely crushed “Grace” in 3 minutes and 15 seconds. That is unreal for a 1st attempt. Way to go Jim!

Jim clean and practically push pressing all 30 reps!

Only ten days to go!

Day 40. Do Burpees…

The barbell overhead walking lunge. I picked up this exercise from Morgan of CrossFit Tacoma and realized recently how we haven’t used it. I also realized yesterday how much I like it. Why? Because it is tough. It requires balance, coordination, and strength to walk and kiss your knee to the ground, all while keeping that bar safely and firmly supported overhead. It helps develop your overhead squat, another lift we need to do more of. So expect to see more of the overhead walking lunge. Which sucks for the rest of you…

Michelle demonstrating the barbell overhead walking lunge as well as how thrilled she was to do this WOD in the rain yesterday:

Anyway Overhead Anyhow, part deux…

Affiliate Team WOD:

10 rounds each for time:

10, 9, 8, 7, 6… down to 1 each of:
Power Snatch (95#/65#)
Overhead Walking Lunge (95#/65#)
End each round with a 200m Run

Results

View this photo

Zombie Workout:

Main Class WOD:

As a Team of Two, men lift 11,000 lbs. and women lift 7500 lbs. anyway overhead for time:

Choose one bar from below weight options, then alternate with each partner to complete (use clean and jerk, snatch, thruster, etc.):

Men:

96 Reps Anyway Overhead (115#)
116 Reps Anyway Overhead (95#)
147 Reps Anyway Overhead (75#)

Women:

90 Reps Anyway Overhead (85#)
119 Reps Anyway Overhead (65#)
167 Reps Anyway Overhead (45#)

Results

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Mark displaying his enthusiasm for Power Snatches:

Sometimes it just feels really good to throw a bunch of weight overhead. Today both WOD’s focused on quickly moving a large load overhead. In one WOD that method was the power snatch, in the other the decision of how much and what method to get a load overhead was up to each team. The most common method was the clean and push press, although the snatch was a close second. Either way speed and efficiency were the deciding factors. Remember that whether it’s a clean or snatch, keep the barbell close to the body, move fast, explode to reach full extension and open the hips before the arms bend. At the point where the barbell has accelerated to its max height due to momentum begin moving the barbell overhead as you drop under it. Land at full extension (in a partial squat if needed) with active shoulders and the arms locked out overhead.

Notes:

Day 39 of the Burpee Challenge! Don’t give up now, there are only 11 days left!

Cross your fingers for Pat who tried out for Survivor today! Like a true Survivor he wouldn’t accept that there weren’t any numbers left to stand in line so he bargained his way into a chance by buying someone else’s spot in line. Let’s hope he is one of the lucky few so we can watch him do burpees at tribal council.

Several of us went sledding and tubing this weekend at the Summit with the little ones. It was a great time for both groups and we will do our best to help coordinate a group trip in January or February when the snowfall has piled up.

The St. Patty’s Day 5k Dash is this March on the Ridge. Registration info is on the right hand side. Get signed up and let’s run for the pot o’ gold.

It has been great reading and hearing about several of your resolutions and goals for the coming year. Be sure to write them down. We can’t wait to see you achieve them. I am most personally stoked about the prospect of being able to compete side by side with Michelle in Sectionals and Qualifiers. Regardless of how we do, competing together will be a victory in itself!

Happy New Year! Now write your goals!

Day 38 of the Burpee Challenge. Happy New Year!

Do your burpees and then stretch.

New Year’s Resolutions:

It’s that time. The start of a new year. The time when most of us vow to do something we have put off, something we have always wanted to do or talked about doing. It’s that time when hope is eternal and the possibilities of the coming year are filling our minds of ideas and goals we want to achieve. It’s the time of the resolution. I have to say I personally am not one for New Year’s resolutions as I think when its time to set a goal you should set it and start marching towards it rather than waiting year after year. 3-2-1 Go or Just Do It seem to make much more sense to me. However not everything in today’s world is instant, most things take time, a plan, and a path. They take commitment and hard work and dedication. For that I say the New Year’s Resolution is perfect.

So what are your goals for the gym? Is it losing weight, changing your nutrition habits, running a race, getting a muscle-up or pull-up, or competing in an event? Is it completing a WOD as RX’d, setting a PR, lifting a certain weight or learning that long sought after movement or technique? Maybe you want to get on the Leaderboard, or best a time in something you did before or learn a new sport or get better in one you play now. Well, now is the time to commit to it. Write it (or them) down. Either in your book at the gym or on the goals board. Writing your goals down means you have to either start to work towards them, erase them, or stare at them all year. Take the first step and write them down, no matter how ambitious, then make sure you keep coming in and let’s get you closer to crossing each one off.

Here are some of mine for this year: get out on a snowboard, run a half, PR a 5k, compete in the Sectionals, field and compete with our team for the Regionals, get 30 muscle-ups for time in under 5:29, beat Michelle in max consecutive double-unders, get a CF Gymnastics certification, break a 1000 for my CrossFit Total, PR my deadlift, and most importantly continue to grow our box, have fun and watch this community get fitter and fitter. Now its your turn, if you have any you want to declare then post to comments.

Notes:

Here is a CF Journal preview video of Mikko Salo documentary where he is training and completing Chest to Bar “Fran”. This workout was one of the 2008 Games WOD’s. It was 95# thrusters and chest to bar pull-ups (21-15-9 reps each). He does this in a mind blowing time that is faster than most of the fastest Fran times (which is normally regular pull-ups). Note how clean his reps are and how consistent his form is. What’s more amazing is at the end he not only doesn’t seem winded, but two of the reps were not counted and he had to repeat them. I can truly understand how he won the 2009 Games. He exudes willpower.

[wmv] [mov]

"2 Minute Drill"

Affiliate Team WOD:

As a Team of Two, complete 10 rounds each for time:

1 Power Clean (135#/95#)
3 Hang Squat Clean
2 Push Press or Push Jerk
30m Sprint

* Results to be posted (forgot to take picture)

New Year’s Eve WOD:

As a Team of Two, complete one round for tIme:

800m Run together
Then alternate with each partner completing:
31 Kettlebell Swing (135#/95#)
31 Wallball (20#/14#)
31 AbMat Sit-up
31 Dumbbell Push Press (35#/20#)
31 Dumbbell Walking Lunges (35#/20#)
End with 800m Run together

Results

View this photo

Day 37 of the Burpee Challenge. It just keeps going and going and going…

Happy New Year’s! Stay safe and be responsible tonight! Tomorrow the gym is closed but Saturday will be the same schedule as today: 9am Affiliate Team training, 10am Class, 11am Class. First 8 to post on the blog (Bonnie is #1 so far) get a spot for 10am.

Notes:

Our fearless Pat is trying out for Survivor this Saturday at the Snoqualmie Casino! If you can make it after the WOD on Saturday then head over to show your support and tell the casting folks he is a no brainer. I picture him on an island happily doing 100 burpees a day while winning all the challenges and introducing CrossFit at tribal councils!

Here’s a video that is flat out amazing for the time of this workout. “Angie” is a benchmark of 100 each of pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups and squats. It is hard. A sub 20 minute time is great. Watch Chris Spealler of CrossFit Park City record one of the fastest times I have ever heard for this. Simply astounding.

“Angie” by Chris Spealler [wmv] [mov]

No More Pull-ups!

10 Rounds for time:

10 Pull-ups
10 Burpees

Results

View this photo

Curtis and Nan demonstrating the two components of “Burpee Hell”:

Today was our first cross-gym CrossFit affiliate challenge brought to you courtesy of Outer Edge CrossFit. They are to blame for the pull-ups and burpees that hit us in the middle of our burpee challenge and only two days after “Chelsea” had us swearing off pull-ups forever. Whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger right?

A total of 6 boxes agreed to rotate picking a WOD for all to do each month on the last Wednesday of the last week starting today. We will tally up the total time for our gym and divide by all who completed it today to determine the average WOD time for SRCF. Once we have a final result for the top gym I’ll let everyone know. Next month another gym will get to pick so we will have our turn. Great turnout today and way to represent! This one crushed the chest (I am still coughing) and made your legs feel like lead and your arms feel like rubber. Can’t wait until next month!

Don demonstrating the common post-“Burpee Hell” position:

Notes:

Today is Day 36 of the Burpee Challenge! We are under two weeks to go. Stick with it.

New Year’s Eve WOD schedule:

9am Affiliate Team Pull-up Training: Kidding! No Pull-ups!
10am class roster: Bridget, Mark, Steph, Nan, Rona, Maria, Sangeeta
11am class: Open to all

New Year’s Day: The gym is closed. For those interested Jeremy and Pat have invited all to come run with them along the golf course. Let them know tomorrow. We can ask them to accommodate a shorter route for those interested.

For those with kids: Snow Tubing at the Summit at Snoqualmie on Friday night, New Year’s Day. Pat and Jeremy are taking their kids to the 6pm – 9pm tubing session as it beats the crowds (he has experience with this so trust him). If interested get your tix and let us know! We are planning to join them.

Mad Max Pt. 2

Max Reps in 10 minutes of:

Front Squat (75#/55#)

Results

View this photo

It’s back! We did this one back in September and it proved to be a tough front squat challenge. Once again for several the wrist and elbow flexibility was a limiting factor. Read the post from September for front squat cues to focus on. If you did this WOD back then compare results to see if you improved.

Oh and don’t forget it’s Day 35 of the Burpee Challenge today! Post to comments if you are still in. We most definitely are.

Notes:

New Year’s Eve 12/31 we will have two “go” times: 10am and 11am. If you want the 10am slot then post to comments and the first 8 get a locked spot. Otherwise show up at 11am. It will be a team WOD. For the Affiliate Team if you can make 9am then let me know.

On New Year’s Day 1/1 we will be closed to mull over our Resolutions and to continue our burpees.

Last but not least, tomorrow is our cross-box WOD challenge with 6 other CF gyms in the Seattle area. Show up and represent SnoRidge!