Mad Max

Max Reps in 10 minutes of:

Front Squat (75#/55#)

Results

Front Squats (Note the various positions of elbows, wrists, knees, and chests):
JimC_Front Squat DebL_Front Squat JimM_Front Squat
Justin_Front Squat

Wrist flexibility. It’s a key to good form and technique in Olympic weightlifting or any type of barbell exercise. In the squat movements it allows you to receive that bar into the proper rack position and safely hold the bar in a natural “shelf” on your upper chest and shoulders with the fingertips loose to control the bar. Many of you complained of how your wrists hurt mid-way through the WOD. Stick with the “elbows up” and the bar back on your fingertips, it will improve and the flexibility will come. 

Front Squat cues:
  1. Stance = Shoulder width
  2. Bar racked on “shelf” of upper shoulders 
  3. Elbows high, wrists cocked back with loose fingertips holding bar 
  4. Maintain lumbar curve
  5. Squat back and down below parallel 
  6. Think “Chest Up!”, fight falling forward by keeping elbows up 
  7. Stand up with open hips
  8. Eyes on horizon 
Deb and Adriana did their first WOD RX’d today! Congrats! It takes time and a little patience to progress up in weight, range of motion or technique to get to a RX’d WOD. Scaling is a good thing. Just as you learn anything in life, it takes practice.

Here’s a link to a good front squat demo (with horrible music) on the CrossFit Exercises and Demo section: [mov] [wmv]

This should give you a visual of what is good and what is poor form.

Notes:
We start moving equipment this weekend. The bulk of equipment will go over tomorrow late afternoon. On Monday we are planning to host a 10am morning WOD. That will be the only WOD for Monday due to the holiday. Please come and afterwards we all plan to invade either Mike’s Grill or one of the coffee shops for a bite to support our local businesses.

Last but not least, Deb S. finally passed the kidney stones that have been causing her pain. Click here to see them: View this photo

Burpees are back

Quote of the day post WOD: 
Bridget, “Lucy, you make me want to throw up!”
Lucy: “I’m think I’m flattered, but I’m not sure.”

For Time:

21/15/9 reps of the following exercises
Row for Calories
Box Jumps (24″/20″)
Burpees

Results
Elements Results

Jana Box Jumps Jorge Yay Burpees
This was a fast WOD that taxed the cardio respiratory endurance and worked the legs. It was supposed to be heavy push presses instead of box jumps but we ended up including box jumps (due to a miscommunication). At least this way you get to practice them for Fight Gone Bad in a few weeks. (Plan on attending 9/26 and also keep getting donations). Speaking of box jumps, congrats to Jana for getting her first box jumps tonight! Not only that but after the WOD she worked up from 12″ to 17″. It’s all in the head sometimes.

We also want to welcome Molly and Caroline who dropped in for the morning class as well as Bonnie and Tom who started Elements with us tonight and will be back for more tomorrow. Way to get through that first eye-opening WOD! 

The pull-up cage shipped. We also got the third rower and new box jumps in. More to come. Thanks to everyone for the offers of help and donations for our kids area. This will be a busy weekend but our plan is to hold a WOD on Monday at 10am. Stay tuned!

"Happy Birthday Neil"

Neil’s Birthday WOD. Happy belated (It was last week)!

4 Rounds for time:
8 Dumbbell Thrusters (40#/25#)
22 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
36 AbMat Sit-ups

Results
It’s your birthday!
Neil Running
The birthday WOD. You will find them probably at any affiliate. They are our gift to you. Really they are a present; a surprise even. Think about it. You drive to the gym, unknowing what’s in store. You come in, do the usual meet and greet, and feeling the butterflies you look at the whiteboard. Then you see “Happy Birthday: Your Name Here”.  Written beneath it is a tough WOD with at least one or two things you dislike and one or two things you do like along with numbers you likely don’t see much in a workout. The programming is usually based on the month, day, and year as well as your age. We try to be creative and we make it hard. How is that NOT a great present?
Jim C., Lucy, Deb L., and Bridget put their hands up for Neil!
Neil BDay WOD AM class
Speaking of surprises, the new box was inspected today so it’s one step closer to moving equipment. We are working with the city for an updated license so if it works out then on Monday we are going to host the first class there. Monday’s schedule will likely be one AM time slot to run a large class since it’s a holiday.

Deadly Duo

For time:
21-15-9 reps of the following exercises
Deadlifts (225#/135#)
Pull-ups
Results
Lots of improvements on deadlifts and banded pull-ups today. We will spend more time in the days to come on practicing the kip with the band.
Jim Deadlift
Notes:
Monthly dues are due for those who pay on the 1st. Starting next month (October) we are going to introduce a discount for an additional family member (unlimited monthly membership only). More to come.
For those who want track your WOD’s, join beyondthewhiteboard and then search for our gym. You can request to “join” SnoRidge CrossFit and then each day you can post your results from our daily WOD to track your workouts. It has some useful tools in addition to tracking your workouts such as diet logs, max efforts (run/row/lift/bodyweight movements), other affiliate workouts, benchmark tracker, and more.
Posting this pic just because. Deb rocking a handstand (with a little help):
Deb Handstand
Maybe it’s time to do some handstand push-ups!

Racer X

Rest Day.
Congrats to Lyndi who ran the Newcastle 5k race yesterday and kicked some serious butt! She beat her time from the Snoqualmie Railroad Days just last weekend and clocked in at the 34:34 minute mark. We are proud of ya!
Railroad Days Race 2009 - 04

Floored!

That’s pretty much how we feel after getting the mats in this afternoon. We had quite a late start but Michelle and I were able to get the mats down this afternoon. For time! Thanks to all of you who offered to help and don’t worry we will call you on it next week when we hopefully are moving equipment. That way the two of us don’t kill one another!

Matting the floor
Post Mat Photo Op
Notes:
Tomorrow we will be test subjects (AKA guinea pigs) for the CrossFit Level 2 Certification at Rainier CrossFit. We will be helping as some of the people that other coaches will be using as “clients” to teach the foundational movements  to pass their test. These are the same movements that you all learned in Elements.
Check out a short video previewing the comeback of 2008 CF Games champion Jason Khalipa in this year’s Games. After finishing close to dead last in the 1st WOD (72nd place after a 7.2km trail run from Hell), he battled back to finish in 5th place!

Video:
[wmv] [mov]

King Plank and our Friends at King CF

Alternate the following for time:

10, 9, 8, 7, 6… down to 1 of Overhead Squat (95#/65#)
200m Run (every round)

Results

Curtis is the king of planks (from yesterday). He held his for 3:32 the other day outlasting all others (including Sherry who was hanging in there at 3 min.).

Plank King
Speaking of King’s, we attended King CrossFit’s pre-Grand opening get together tonight. We had a great time meeting up with other affiliate owners and seeing their new box. If anyone is interested go to their open house tomorrow which is from 10-4 in Renton. Address is on their website.
Group picture:
King CF, Foundation CF, and SnoRidge CF
Pictured (L to R) Us, Ron, Arvin, Glen, Allen (all King CF), and Andrew (Foundation CF)
The Box:
King CF

2K Row

For TIme:

Row 2000m

Results
Lyndi happily discovers her new thing, rowing:
Top Rower Lyndi
Jim and Curtis go boat to boat:
By a stroke

We’ll make rowers out of everyone somehow. Congrats to all of you for some great row times. Lyndi and Sherry took 1st and 3rd place respectively on our leaderboard for women’s times (Michelle 2nd). Curtis retained 3rd place on the leaderboard for men over Jim by only 2 seconds. Everyone rowed sub 11 minutes today and really went after it. This WOD is a crusher. At least for some of you. Lyndi felt so good after her 2k that she rowed about 1500m more with Fran so she wouldn’t be alone! That’s hardcore.

Mats were delivered today to the new space:
MATS!

"Elbows Up"

Strength Focus: Squat Clean

3/3/3

The Goal: 
After warming up, work up to three consecutive sets of your three rep max of the Squat clean. Each round attempt to increase and reach your max weight while maintaining good form and technique. Failed rep means failed round. Post PR’s and record weight used to results.

After completion of strength WOD complete the following:

As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) in 12 minutes of:
3 Squat Clean (95#/65#)
5 Push-up
7 Knees to Elbows

Results

Jim D. showing good body awareness. 
(As Michelle told him and Curtis likes to razz him about):
Jim D_Power thru the middle_Squat Clean
Note that in the picture above Jim has explosively jumped, shrugged and opened his hips before he has bent his arms. He is generating power through his middle to “float” the bar up and then quickly rotate the elbows and body around the bar underneath to receive it in the front squat.

Gif


Fight Gone Bad fundraiser workout:


We will be participating as a gym in this fundraiser on September 26th. Click on the link above for rules, get registered and go get some pledges for two good causes (A few of us have already created our own pledge pages). We are working to make this a good event by hopefully partnering with CrossFit Redmond. We would host in the new box and they would join us. Also several friends and CF’ers from the Dupont area will be joining us.

"Jump Up, Jump Up, and Get Down"

3 Rounds for Time:

50 Box Jumps (24″/20″)
40 Kettlebell Swing (53#/35#)
30 AbMat Sit-ups
400m Run

Results:

Take your turn Leigh and Deb Swing
No we weren’t mad at you! Oh and it wasn’t just my idea to do this WOD. Despite Michelle telling you all it was my idea. Seriously this WOD was designed purposefully to train at high intensity in a longer time zone. They can’t all focus in that short sub 15 min. range. Think constantly varied. The other interesting thing we found is each of you had a different answer today on what was the toughest part of this WOD.
The 2:57 Fran video of Heather Keenan yesterday was pretty inspiring. It also helped one of you better visualize the kip. Well how about kipping 100 in a row? Sound insane? Impossible? Think again.
Watch Chris Spealler in the video: The Quest for 100 Pull-ups
Notes:
Zach and Eli completed Elements this week and will be joining you all for classes. Make sure you welcome them and avoid the burpee penalty…

LuLuLemon Athletica Classes!
We will be the CrossFit “studio of the month” gym that will be holding free introductory CF workouts each Sunday in September for the Bellevue Square lululemon location! WOD’s will be on Sunday 9:30am every Sunday for September only and free to all. Please come support us! (Location will be the park across the street from the mall). We will post more details.

Mats and more equipment are on order! We will be outfitting the new space starting this weekend and next week to get ready for the big move.