WOD – Page 683 – SNORIDGE CROSSFIT

"Blue Collar Workout"

Week of the Games Day 3:

Inspired by the CF Games 2009 WOD #4 by the same name. Instead of sledgehammers and a 4 ft. spike we subbed in ball slams.

For Time:

500m Row

100m Sprint

100 Ball slams (20#/14#)

100m Sprint

500m Row

Results

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The med ball slam subbed as a sledgehammer. The sprint kept the heart rate up after the row and simulated running with the hammer to pound in the stake. The competitive spirit certainly came out today. It was nice seeing some of you go head to head while cheering each other on. Big props to Jorge edging out his fiance Jana by a second. Every second counts!

Notes:

We have 10 plus people signed up for the 5k Snoqualmie Railroad Days Race. We suspect some more of you and also a few friends from down south will join us. Potluck BBQ at the house afterwards. Make sure you register for the run! Run details can be found here.

Trail Run and Deadlift Ladder

Day 2 of our “Week of the Games”. This WOD was our take on WOD#1 and #2 in Aromas. Our version featured a shorter run. We did throw in the brutal heat, and the deadlift ladder afterwards with minimal rest working towards your one rep max (1RM).

For Time:

2 mile Trail Run (2 loops 1600m, plenty of small hills, and one log obstacle on the trail)

* Rest approximately 5 minutes after the run and complete:

Deadlift Ladder

5/4/3/2/1

Take 1 minute rest between rounds to load bar.
Progressively add weight to get to your 1RM.

Results

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Deb and Adriana on the trail loop:

Jim on his way to 325#:

Today we mixed it up. The run was new. The trail was a challenge and capping it off with some heavy deadlifts was different. It gave us all some new perspective on the Games 7.2km trail run and 20 bar deadlift ladder workouts.

Everyone pulled a good amount of weight and kept their form. No rounded backs and strong PR’s all around. Before we know it you’ll all be crushing these numbers.

"Big Balls and a Good Snatch"

Vulgar maybe. Accurate, yes. Welcome to our week of the Games! Each day will be a WOD inspired by this year’s CF Games. Today is CrossFit Games WOD #4.

3 Rounds for time:

30 Wallball (20#/14# ball at 10 ft. and 9 ft. target)

30 Hang Squat Snatch (75#/55#)

Results

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The (squat) snatch, hang snatch and power snatch are all pretty new movements. So is the Burgener warm-up. What better way for you to learn them than to pile them on in one day! As Lyndi said “I should be better after 90 of them.” Everyone did well today learning a highly technical lift. Many scaled to get the technique down and for most the hang power snatch was the norm over a squat. That’s great too as we will be doing plenty of these in WOD’s to come.

The bigger challenge was the heat. It was Africa hot. Or Aromas hot (site of the Games). It was oppressive. It sucked it out of you. It was almost a third part to the WOD. In tonight’s class I had the privilege of watching all of you overcome the effect of it. Curtis ignored it and simply asked “what weight did Michelle do?” and then gutted it out with power snatches. Jorge asked for more weight each round despite being gassed, and Amanda fought off a bout of nausea for the last two rounds and did not give up. It was inspiring to say the least. Only four more days to go and Wednesday is supposed to reach a 100.

Here’s a slideshow from today:

Notes:

Saturday WOD for all. It will be the final WOD for “Games Week”. We will meet here at the gym and head over to the site on foot. Don’t worry, it’s really close.

Don’t forget to register for the Snoqualmie Railroad Days Race (either the 5k or 10k) on 8/22. We have a bunch of you now committed. To register go here. Potluck BBQ at our place afterwards and we will show “Every Second Counts” the CrossFit movie, let the kids run amok, and all share in some paleo beer and mixed drinks (Paleo only because we will hunt for alcohol and gather to drink it).

Let The Games Begin!

This week will be WOD’s inspired by the 2009 CF Games. A little tinkering here and there due to equipment limitations such as 20 loaded deadlift bars, the lack of a GIANT 7.2km hill climb, no sledgehammers and spikes to drive, and other minor details have led us to get somewhat creative.

Don’t worry though. We promise you will get a workout, have fun, and not do them all over two days!

Picture taken by Curtis after a great family hike to Twin Falls.

Pose Method Running

Pose Method: Defined on posetech.com as efficient, injury-free movement taught through poses. Use this technique to prevent injury and to dramatically improve athletic performance.

I have taken a Pose Running seminar before by Michael Collins. It drastically helped illustrate the effect of “heel striking” while you run and the toll it takes on the body. It also helped point out that the majority of running shoes on the market promote heel striking. Heck look at most running magazine pictures and they almost always are about to land heel way out front ahead of the body. Why is this important? What does this have to do with CrossFit?

In CrossFit we emphasize efficient movement that generates the most power. We want to produce as much work in as little time but do it so that we are leveraging technique, form, and intensity for greater output. If every time we take off on a 400m, 800m or longer run we strike the ground with our front foot in a position that acts as a “brake” on our body we are being inefficient. We are fighting our own momentum and potentially going to cause injury.

Pose method running is a technique that emphasizes a few key points.

Proper body position (i.e. forward lean).
Pulling the foot up at the heel under the hip, not kicking back or a big push off.
Ball of your foot should land directly under your center of mass with each strike.

Think of it as “falling forward” and taking advantage of gravity. Each foot lands under the hip and the steps are short and quick. Don’t land on your toes, land on the ball of your foot. Arms are tight and shoulders are loose. “Pose” as if you are in a controlled fall. When you run think of “pulling” your foot off the ground each time, not “pushing” your foot and body forward. Read more about Pose technique on the CrossFit Journal.

Ever notice when you run barefoot you really have no choice but to use this method? Give it a shot each time you run. We may also incorporate some drills into our movement prep. It will take some getting used to but it will make you a more efficient runner.

Typical running magazine photo on the left, Pose running on the right:

Nike Running Camp: If CrossFit makes this their running cert would you go?

Rest Day

Take one.

Next week we plan to follow the lead of a few other affiliates and program five WOD’s that are Games inspired. All week. Just not five in one day like it was done at the Games. Should be fun.

Déjà Vu

Today was supposed to be an “every minute on the minute complete a squat clean plus one rep WOD”. However a few of you who weren’t here yesterday boldly elected to do the chipper WOD “Deb”. Which is totally cool.

Results

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More evidence that maybe we are some sort of cult! Which leads me to a question for you. Is CrossFit cult-like? How do you explain it to your friends, co-workers, family, or loved ones?

I frequently get asked “what is CrossFit?”. Not so easy to come up with an explanation. Saying “constantly varied, functional movement done at high intensity over broad time and modal domains” really will quiet a room pretty darn fast or put people to sleep. Going into long winded discussions about workout methodology that combines weightlifting, gymnastics, plyometrics, cardio-respiratory exercises, blah, blah, blah doesn’t always do it justice either. “Brutal fun” does some it up in two words or less. “Getting fit for life” is another way to say it.

How do you really explain that it’s fun to push to the point of pain or exhaustion day after day thinking, “Can I do this?” Each of us know that you don’t quite get it until you’ve got a few WOD’s under your belt. How do you convey the intensity, the feeling of accomplishment, of progress, or actually getting it done in a CrossFit WOD. Many of you must do a good job judging by the number of friends and family that have joined us or started CrossFit somewhere.

So if you have a different way, share it. It may help the rest of us.

Post your thoughts to comments.

Be Careful What You Wish For…

because you just might get it.

For Time:

400m Run

50 Wallball (20#/14#)

25 Pull-ups

50 Kettlebell Swing (53#/36#)

25 Dumbbell Clean and Jerk (40#/25#)

50 Walking Lunges

25 Knees to Elbows

400m Run

Results

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So Deb S. has been asking for a “chipper” style WOD since we did the “Dirty Thirty”. Every time she comes in and sees the WOD it’s like “awww no chipper”. Some people like to just git ‘er done and move on. Deb is one of those people. So for Deb, we put this together. Hope ya liked it. If not, now you know who to blame…

Curtis mastering Knees to Elbows:

A few milestones worth mentioning today:

Neil moved up to 20# wallballs, 44# kettlebells, and banded pull-ups.

Deb and Adriana moved to banded pull-ups.

Curtis back-to-back RX WOD’s.

Jim, Jana, and Lorri are more than halfway through Elements.

Notes:

Our CF Games video the other day on Josh Everett deadlifting was strange timing. Today on the CrossFit Journal Games site they posted this video. Better quality, different perspective. Login, Watch and enjoy.

Monday nights are growing crowded! We may need to run two waves but we can accommodate. As for parking, please try to park a little further down from normal on the street at the 400m turnaround (the court where there are no houses built). This will proactively avoid any neighbor complaints if we have too many cars stacked outside our place. Run up to the gym and get your warm-up started early.

Wake the Dead

AMRAP in 15 Min. of:

10 Deadlift (225#/135#)

500m Row

Results

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15 minutes is more than enough. The warm-up allowed each of you to work up in small sets to find a working deadlift weight that was tough but still allowed for good form. Every one of you managed three to four rounds using a deadlift that felt heavy and two went RX’d. At four rounds consider that you rowed 2k and completed 40 deadlifts. That is strong work!

Notes:

We are going to be on vacation and closing the gym from 8/10 through 8/14 (M-Fr). We will prorate everyone’s August dues for that week. We also will make sure to post bodyweight WOD’s for the week that all of you can elect to do on your own (or suffer through together).

"Yes…Tabata That"

Tabata Intervals: Perform 8 intervals of max reps for 20 seconds work followed by 10 seconds rest of the following exercises in sequence. Score lowest number of reps for a given round.

Box Jumps (24″/20″)

Kettlebell Swings (44#/36#)

Air Squats

Following the WOD:

2 rounds of hang for time from the pull-up bar.

(Grip it and dead-hang for dear life)

Results

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Big welcome to our new members Leigh, Lorri, Jana, and Jim! All four of them are in Elements and will be moving onto classes soon. Make sure you say hi!

Notes:

The revised class schedule and pricing for punch card add-ons is posted. The punch card is intended for additional classes as you see fit if your schedule prevents you from committing to the extra visit each week. Click here.

Make sure you let us know if you are in or out for the Snoqualmie Railroad Days 5k or 10k (and kids 1k) on 8/22. Everyone is invited to go run, have a good time and then get together for a BBQ. For registration click here. Most people seem to be leaning toward the 5k.

Last note, here are some Games related links on the CrossFit Journal. If you don’t get the Journal, it’s $25 a year and has great content updated daily.

Watch a news style recap video from behind the scenes of the Games, click here.

For a Games highlight reel by CrossFit Overload, click here.