Strength:
Deadlifts
5-5-5-3-2-5
Metcon:
3x
5 pullups
10 kb uppercuts 24/16kg
15 clapping pushups
20 kb swings 24/26kg
Short and sweet!!!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Love Half Way Around The World
Howdy Crossfit family!
Just wanted to pass along a post garage sale update to let you all know that it was a hugesuccess, and tosay a very sincere thank you for all of your support and donations! We received so much support from you all, friends & family with donations, purchases, set up & clean up volunteers, and encouragement.Wewereabletoraiseover $4,000 toward our adoption expenses leaving me dumb struck and speachless with renewed love and respect for the people in our lives. This event wouldn't have been nearly as successful withoutyouall.Lauriewent intomore detail on her blog (see link below) including some pictures of the insanity that was the garage sale.
http://lovehalfwayaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/
Again, thank you for everything!
Travis, Laurie, Ella & Avery
Just wanted to pass along a post garage sale update to let you all know that it was a hugesuccess, and tosay a very sincere thank you for all of your support and donations! We received so much support from you all, friends & family with donations, purchases, set up & clean up volunteers, and encouragement.Wewereabletoraiseover $4,000 toward our adoption expenses leaving me dumb struck and speachless with renewed love and respect for the people in our lives. This event wouldn't have been nearly as successful withoutyouall.Lauriewent intomore detail on her blog (see link below) including some pictures of the insanity that was the garage sale.
http://lovehalfwayaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/
Again, thank you for everything!
Travis, Laurie, Ella & Avery
Tuesday 28, June 2011
Tuesday tabata anyone?
Strength:
Back squats
5-5-5-3-2-5
Metcon:
Tabata legs
Pistol squats
Goblet squats AHAP
Air squats
To finish it off just for fun 800m run.
Monday 26, June 2011
This was a little longer than I had programmed, but the movements were a great combination, even Jason said so.
Strength:
Strict press
5-5-5-3-2-5
Metcon:
10x
10 ring push ups
5 tire flips
10 burpees
Next time look for this as a 7 rounder.
Strength:
Strict press
5-5-5-3-2-5
Metcon:
10x
10 ring push ups
5 tire flips
10 burpees
Next time look for this as a 7 rounder.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday 26, June 2011
Partner WOD today..
Karen's Purgatory
150 wall balls
150 double unders
150 sledge hammer swings
150 burpees
Each team mate does 75 of each, first person done does flutter kicks till partner is done, then move on.
Thanks Richard for mentioning it was Sunday, and you were looking forward to an "easy" day. If not, we all would of done 15 of each.
Karen's Purgatory
150 wall balls
150 double unders
150 sledge hammer swings
150 burpees
Each team mate does 75 of each, first person done does flutter kicks till partner is done, then move on.
Thanks Richard for mentioning it was Sunday, and you were looking forward to an "easy" day. If not, we all would of done 15 of each.
Saturday 25, June 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Kicking The Metcon Habit
The below article is a great read, for some of us (yes me) it embodies the very nature of what goes on in our heads. Knowing CrossFit and out strength training is a great tool for our overall fitness level and life. At the same time reflecting on eating, sleeping, taking time to rest, and learning that the more we over train, or over react to what we think is the best it desired result may be the factor that is sabotaging us.
I don't think there are many of us in the gym wanting to be that next professional competitive weight lifter, but its a way for us to look and see that training anymore than that coveted 3 days on, 1 day off, maybe too much. Especially for my ladies eating less than they should, and poor food choices I'm just saying, eat clean, rest, recover, lift heavy, run fast, BE HAPPY with your self, and LOVE IT!!!
Kicking the (metCon) Habit Jocelyn Forest
June 14 2011
The first step is admitting you have a problem. This article is about how I kicked my habit; my metcon habit. When transitioning to the sport of weightlifting, particularly when coming from a GPP addiction, it can be tough to let go. First, let me tell you how it all began.
HOW I GOT HOOKED
“You should be a weightlifter. You would be so good!”
These were the words spoken to me by my then CrossFit coach Aimee Anaya Everett. It was 2010 and I was on a CrossFit high. As most stories go, I had found CrossFit one year earlier (before meeting Aimee and Greg at Catalyst Athletics). After just one workout I fell head over heels in love with it- after all, I was good at it, and it left me on the floor in a pile of my own sweat (must be a great way to get into shape right?) Not to mention in those first 6 months I became stronger, leaner, more confident, and found out that I could use it as a competitive outlet since there was something called the CrossFit Games.
As a previously competitive athlete (College and Professional Softball) with experience in Strength & Conditioning I had a knack for the movements and enjoyed the general competitiveness of it all. Although I entered this new world somewhat out of shape (I mean I had only been doing heavy squats followed by sprint interval workouts on the treadmill- you can’t get fit on a treadmill right?), I vowed to make it to the CrossFit Games that year.
And I did just that. After just 6 months of doing CrossFit, leaving behind my heavy lifting and cardio interval workouts, I won the 2009 Nor Cal Regional with flying colors. I was off to the 2009 CrossFit Games.
In preparation for the Games I continued to educate myself on the CrossFit way. I realized I needed to be better if I were to do well. I attended every CrossFit Cert I could. I watched videos of Greg Glassman giving lectures on nutrition and Dave Castro talking about how important it was to work in the longer, 25+ minute time domains more often if you wanted to be competitive; and I complied. I began a Zone Diet, just 12 blocks per day, weighing and measuring my food obsessively. I made sure to take long runs every week and practice longer, high rep workouts with wall balls and burpees and air squats. I took my fish oil and sported my flair: tall socks, bandana, and tattoo art T-shirts (skins and kinesio-tape weren’t yet in style) like every good CrossFitter should.
But then I started having some issues. I was working harder than ever, yet my gains began to dwindle. I started to get pudgy around my midsection so I thought maybe I should drop my blocks down from 12 to 10 while adding even more running to my workout regimen, yet I was tired and hungry all the time. I began having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep and soon I found it difficult to lift my feet to walk upstairs or simply stay standing during the day. The answer in my mind was to work through it and simply do more: more running, more volume, more long metcons. In retrospect, I can’t be certain if I was overtrained or simply overreaching. Overtraining syndrome is clinically recognized by reduced performance despite the same or an increased level of training. It is the result of an accumulation of stressors that exceed an athlete’s finite resistance (1). However all of the classic symptoms were there: Sudden drop in performance, decrease in training capacity/intensity irritability, insomnia, lack of energy and enthusiasm for the sport, a compulsive need to exercise, just to name a few.
Even though I was doing everything I thought I should be, I was feeling and performing worse than ever. I began to get nervous as the Games approached but I figured that once I got there my competitive nature would take over and things would be fine.
I was wrong. That was the last year the CrossFit Games were held at “The Ranch” and it began with a 7.2k trail run. I barely made it through the run and although I made it through all five workouts on Saturday (athletes were eliminated throughout the day) including a Deadlift PR of 325lbs, I did not make it on to Sundays final 16 which was far worse than I and many others expected. I was utterly disappointed to say the least.
A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
After spending some time practicing my Olifting with Greg and Aimee at Catalyst Athletics, and being inspired by what previous Games winner Jolie Gentry had accomplished, I asked Aimee to put together my new CrossFit program. I was upset about my 2009 Games defeat, was not currently getting better, but desperately wanted to be. Luckily for me Aimee obliged.
The program was quite different than what I was accustomed to. It consisted of a strength training and Olympic weightlifting progression followed by short, intense metabolic conditioning consisting of mostly non-technical movements (ie: sandbag shouldering, box jumps, pull ups, short sprints, etc.). Strength and technical work like the Olympic lifts, hand stand pushups, and muscle ups, were for the most part performed and developed separately from metabolic conditioning. However, they would be put in to the conditioning workouts periodically for testing under metabolic stress. Besides the strength training progression, rather than randomized training, one of the biggest differences in my program was the lack of endurance type conditioning. Most of the time my workouts were very short (3-12 min) and often consisted of unusual movements (think barbell carries or sand bag half-moons) and 400m, 200m repeats or 100m row sprints. Though every once and a while we would test my 5k run.
Another major change was my diet. Long gone were the days of starving my body of nutrients with low quality food while following The Zone. Instead I cut out all sugar (even in the form of fruit), anything processed or that contained gluten, and most dairy. Instead, I fueled with meats, veggies, and fat… period; and man did I eat. I wouldn’t be surprised if I ate 120+ grams of protein per day, 70+ grams of fat, and exceeded 3000 calories fairly regularly. But I don’t really know because I didn’t count. I simply ate all of the quality food I could get my hands on.
I have to admit all of this eating combined with tons of heavy lifting and such short metcons all the time worried me. I was somewhat leery and wasn’t totally sure how this was going to prepare me to compete in CrossFit. I certainly didn’t want to get any pudgier (which is just my nice way of saying fat). But just as Aimee had urged me to do, I put my faith into the program and did the best I could in whatever I was asked to do.
Then there was change. I started to get stronger than ever. Within a couple of months my Snatch went from 123lb to 153lb, C&J from 165lbs to 195lbs, and Back squat from 245lbs to 275lbs just to name a few. Yet I became leaner than ever. Because I was lean, comparatively light, and had extensively practiced my skills separately from metabolic conditioning, I could string together multiple muscle ups for the first time and complete 20 hand stand pushups without batting an eye. And though I was rarely doing long metcons when I tested my 5k it went from 30 minutes, to 25, to 21. I looked better, I felt better, and I my performance was top notch. I was becoming the fittest I had ever been. At open gym one day, as I PR’d on my Snatch Aimee turned to me and said, “You should be a weightlifter. You would be so good!”
Greg enthusiastically agreed.
“Can’t I do both?” I asked hopefully? I was sure I could.
“No you can’t.”
Aimee was blunt. She went on to explain what most of us already know but somehow don’t let penetrate our skulls and secretly hope to defy. Strength and cardio endurance are at opposite ends of the fitness spectrum. Though you can be relatively good at both, if you train for GPP you will always have to compromise the extreme ends. In other words, although you can become pretty strong while also spending time getting metabolically conditioned you will never reach your maximum strength potential.
See, high intensity (heavy) strength training results in an increase of protein synthesis and accretion of contractile proteins, both of which are potent stimuli for muscle cell hypotrophy (2). Conversely, an oxidative endurance training stress (ie: distance running) causes the opposite response, breaking down and sloughing myofibrillar protein in order to maximize oxygen uptake kinetics (3). Yet even knowing this I was still somewhat skeptical that quitting GPP training all together to focus solely on Olifting could possibly vault me to the next level as a weightlifter as quickly as Greg and Aimee seemed to think. They made a good pitch however, because the conversation ended with my agreeing happily that I would give weightlifting a real shot as soon as my current CrossFit season came to an end.
The 2010 CrossFit Southwest Regionals came and went. I competed in the best shape of my life having balanced my abilities across a broad fitness spectrum: I could lift heavy, run, execute gymnastics and feared nothing. I truly felt that I was physically prepared more than I ever had been in my life for anything that could come my way let alone at a GPP competition. Yet with the heartache of my coach(s) recent and infamous fallout with CrossFit HQ and thus their forbiddance to be present at my meet, combined with my new excitement for a different future, my heart was already in a different place. The talent and competition was incredible and I simply missed the mark that weekend. And so, it was time.
THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
As I started my new Olympic Weightlifting venture Greg took over my programming and kicked things off with a pretty intense strength cycle. I was excited to be involved in a new sport, one that both he and Aimee believed I had a future in. I decided that if I was going to do this right I would have to put all of my faith and trust into the program and simply do whatever was called for as best I could. But that didn’t mean I didn’t have fears. In fact I had lots of them.
My brain raced with worry and if you could have been inside it you’d have heard: “I know I’m going to get strong but what if I get fat? I really don’t want to get fat again, I finally just leaned out. How can I possibly stay lean without doing metcons? I swear, if I start to feel out of shape and I can’t do stuff anymore, or like I’m getting huge I’m going to sneak in some running. If I hate my body, I’m going to quit.” Even as I recount these initial thoughts it’s funny to see how aesthetically driven I was by my need for metcon even though both scientific and anecdotal evidence demonstrated that strength training and mastering quality movement provided better results in every way: performance, well-being, sleep, recovery- even aesthetics.
I was, however, excited about getting stronger and becoming competitive in the sport so I dove in to the training with a vengeance. The workouts proved to be very intense. I was regularly lifting heavier weight than ever before, and executing a substantial amount of repetitions in the technical lifts compared to anything I was used to. Metcon was not allowed. Greg also made me work to be strong in specific postural positions at different points in the lifts that at first seemed foreign to me and were extremely taxing. Rarely did I complete a workout in less than two hours and I often had to train in a gym (on non-Catalyst days) where no one understood what I was doing or why I was doing it. I was often told by other trainers “you’re just strong, but you’re not fit.” It was both physically and mentally demanding.
But then came even more change. My numbers skyrocketed. My snatch went from 153 to 182lbs, C&J from 195 to 227lbs, and Back Squat from 275 to 308lbs. In my first USAW sanctioned meet I qualified for both Americans and Nationals placing 7th at Americans (Nationals is coming up in July). Furthermore, while performing all of the heaviest lifting I had ever done, no metcon programed (or allowed) into my training schedule, and my continued unrestricted diet of un-weighed/unmeasured meat, veggies, and quality fat I became the leanest I had ever been while participating in exercise or sports competitions. My legs became thick solid muscle. I could actually see my abs.
RELAPSING
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to convince everyone that they should be a weightlifter (although you should, it’s awesome) or stop exercising altogether particularly if being a generally fit person is what you’re passionate about. Being able to do a lot of different physical things is just plain fun and I’ve had a few relapses of my own-mostly because I just wanted to see if I still could and also to silence the naysayers. Interestingly, during my relapses I found out that after 8 months of exclusive weightlifting I could string together 4 muscle ups with ease, perform 27 hand stand pushups unbroken, and turn in a 9:30 “Helen” with an extended 450m run (oh man, that last one might get me fired by my coach). I was elated that by getting strong and proficient in movement I could jump in without skipping a beat and in fact felt even stronger than before. I could easily envision being competitive in the CrossFit world again if I so desired.
The point is that doing more isn’t always better, if ever. Whether you are training for GPP and/or the CrossFit Games by running yourself into the ground day in and day out, sometimes multiple times per day, by randomly and regularly programming aggressive conditioning, distance running, heavy technical metcons, etc., chances are it’s going to eventually cause problems with recovery and worse, it won’t prove sustainable for your competitive career. It’s likely in your best interest to seek out a smart coach who can properly periodize your training and tailor it to your specific needs.
Weightlifters, masters of the Snatch and the C&J who aim to be as strong as possible, and often also as big as possible, arguably need to kick the habit all together. At Catalyst, us weightlifters joke about Greg threatening to fire us if word gets back that we’ve been doing “stupid shit” because he knows how much it will hold us back from making the strength gains he’s helped us work toward by creating specific programs with our ultimate strength potential and competitive interest in mind. It all comes back to the scientific fact that if you want to be your absolute strongest, you will be sabotaging your gains if you insist on also doing aggressive metabolic conditioning or cardiovascular endurance training.
1) Halson SL, Jeukendrup AE, Does overtraining exist? An analysis of overreaching and overtraining research. Sports med 34: 967-981 2004 2) Dudley, G.A., P. A Tesch, B.J. Miller and P. Buchanan. Importance of eccentric actions in performance adaptations to resistance training. Aviat. Space Environ. Med. 62: 543-550 3) Klausen, K., L. b. Anderson, and I. Pelle. Adaptive changes in work capacity, skeletal muscle capillarization and enzyme levels during training and detraining. Acta Physiol. Scand. 113: 9-16, 1981.
Jocelyn Forest is a former collegiate and professional MVP softball pitcher and is now a competitive weightlifter for Catalyst Athletics.
I don't think there are many of us in the gym wanting to be that next professional competitive weight lifter, but its a way for us to look and see that training anymore than that coveted 3 days on, 1 day off, maybe too much. Especially for my ladies eating less than they should, and poor food choices I'm just saying, eat clean, rest, recover, lift heavy, run fast, BE HAPPY with your self, and LOVE IT!!!
Kicking the (metCon) Habit Jocelyn Forest
June 14 2011
The first step is admitting you have a problem. This article is about how I kicked my habit; my metcon habit. When transitioning to the sport of weightlifting, particularly when coming from a GPP addiction, it can be tough to let go. First, let me tell you how it all began.
HOW I GOT HOOKED
“You should be a weightlifter. You would be so good!”
These were the words spoken to me by my then CrossFit coach Aimee Anaya Everett. It was 2010 and I was on a CrossFit high. As most stories go, I had found CrossFit one year earlier (before meeting Aimee and Greg at Catalyst Athletics). After just one workout I fell head over heels in love with it- after all, I was good at it, and it left me on the floor in a pile of my own sweat (must be a great way to get into shape right?) Not to mention in those first 6 months I became stronger, leaner, more confident, and found out that I could use it as a competitive outlet since there was something called the CrossFit Games.
As a previously competitive athlete (College and Professional Softball) with experience in Strength & Conditioning I had a knack for the movements and enjoyed the general competitiveness of it all. Although I entered this new world somewhat out of shape (I mean I had only been doing heavy squats followed by sprint interval workouts on the treadmill- you can’t get fit on a treadmill right?), I vowed to make it to the CrossFit Games that year.
And I did just that. After just 6 months of doing CrossFit, leaving behind my heavy lifting and cardio interval workouts, I won the 2009 Nor Cal Regional with flying colors. I was off to the 2009 CrossFit Games.
In preparation for the Games I continued to educate myself on the CrossFit way. I realized I needed to be better if I were to do well. I attended every CrossFit Cert I could. I watched videos of Greg Glassman giving lectures on nutrition and Dave Castro talking about how important it was to work in the longer, 25+ minute time domains more often if you wanted to be competitive; and I complied. I began a Zone Diet, just 12 blocks per day, weighing and measuring my food obsessively. I made sure to take long runs every week and practice longer, high rep workouts with wall balls and burpees and air squats. I took my fish oil and sported my flair: tall socks, bandana, and tattoo art T-shirts (skins and kinesio-tape weren’t yet in style) like every good CrossFitter should.
But then I started having some issues. I was working harder than ever, yet my gains began to dwindle. I started to get pudgy around my midsection so I thought maybe I should drop my blocks down from 12 to 10 while adding even more running to my workout regimen, yet I was tired and hungry all the time. I began having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep and soon I found it difficult to lift my feet to walk upstairs or simply stay standing during the day. The answer in my mind was to work through it and simply do more: more running, more volume, more long metcons. In retrospect, I can’t be certain if I was overtrained or simply overreaching. Overtraining syndrome is clinically recognized by reduced performance despite the same or an increased level of training. It is the result of an accumulation of stressors that exceed an athlete’s finite resistance (1). However all of the classic symptoms were there: Sudden drop in performance, decrease in training capacity/intensity irritability, insomnia, lack of energy and enthusiasm for the sport, a compulsive need to exercise, just to name a few.
Even though I was doing everything I thought I should be, I was feeling and performing worse than ever. I began to get nervous as the Games approached but I figured that once I got there my competitive nature would take over and things would be fine.
I was wrong. That was the last year the CrossFit Games were held at “The Ranch” and it began with a 7.2k trail run. I barely made it through the run and although I made it through all five workouts on Saturday (athletes were eliminated throughout the day) including a Deadlift PR of 325lbs, I did not make it on to Sundays final 16 which was far worse than I and many others expected. I was utterly disappointed to say the least.
A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
After spending some time practicing my Olifting with Greg and Aimee at Catalyst Athletics, and being inspired by what previous Games winner Jolie Gentry had accomplished, I asked Aimee to put together my new CrossFit program. I was upset about my 2009 Games defeat, was not currently getting better, but desperately wanted to be. Luckily for me Aimee obliged.
The program was quite different than what I was accustomed to. It consisted of a strength training and Olympic weightlifting progression followed by short, intense metabolic conditioning consisting of mostly non-technical movements (ie: sandbag shouldering, box jumps, pull ups, short sprints, etc.). Strength and technical work like the Olympic lifts, hand stand pushups, and muscle ups, were for the most part performed and developed separately from metabolic conditioning. However, they would be put in to the conditioning workouts periodically for testing under metabolic stress. Besides the strength training progression, rather than randomized training, one of the biggest differences in my program was the lack of endurance type conditioning. Most of the time my workouts were very short (3-12 min) and often consisted of unusual movements (think barbell carries or sand bag half-moons) and 400m, 200m repeats or 100m row sprints. Though every once and a while we would test my 5k run.
Another major change was my diet. Long gone were the days of starving my body of nutrients with low quality food while following The Zone. Instead I cut out all sugar (even in the form of fruit), anything processed or that contained gluten, and most dairy. Instead, I fueled with meats, veggies, and fat… period; and man did I eat. I wouldn’t be surprised if I ate 120+ grams of protein per day, 70+ grams of fat, and exceeded 3000 calories fairly regularly. But I don’t really know because I didn’t count. I simply ate all of the quality food I could get my hands on.
I have to admit all of this eating combined with tons of heavy lifting and such short metcons all the time worried me. I was somewhat leery and wasn’t totally sure how this was going to prepare me to compete in CrossFit. I certainly didn’t want to get any pudgier (which is just my nice way of saying fat). But just as Aimee had urged me to do, I put my faith into the program and did the best I could in whatever I was asked to do.
Then there was change. I started to get stronger than ever. Within a couple of months my Snatch went from 123lb to 153lb, C&J from 165lbs to 195lbs, and Back squat from 245lbs to 275lbs just to name a few. Yet I became leaner than ever. Because I was lean, comparatively light, and had extensively practiced my skills separately from metabolic conditioning, I could string together multiple muscle ups for the first time and complete 20 hand stand pushups without batting an eye. And though I was rarely doing long metcons when I tested my 5k it went from 30 minutes, to 25, to 21. I looked better, I felt better, and I my performance was top notch. I was becoming the fittest I had ever been. At open gym one day, as I PR’d on my Snatch Aimee turned to me and said, “You should be a weightlifter. You would be so good!”
Greg enthusiastically agreed.
“Can’t I do both?” I asked hopefully? I was sure I could.
“No you can’t.”
Aimee was blunt. She went on to explain what most of us already know but somehow don’t let penetrate our skulls and secretly hope to defy. Strength and cardio endurance are at opposite ends of the fitness spectrum. Though you can be relatively good at both, if you train for GPP you will always have to compromise the extreme ends. In other words, although you can become pretty strong while also spending time getting metabolically conditioned you will never reach your maximum strength potential.
See, high intensity (heavy) strength training results in an increase of protein synthesis and accretion of contractile proteins, both of which are potent stimuli for muscle cell hypotrophy (2). Conversely, an oxidative endurance training stress (ie: distance running) causes the opposite response, breaking down and sloughing myofibrillar protein in order to maximize oxygen uptake kinetics (3). Yet even knowing this I was still somewhat skeptical that quitting GPP training all together to focus solely on Olifting could possibly vault me to the next level as a weightlifter as quickly as Greg and Aimee seemed to think. They made a good pitch however, because the conversation ended with my agreeing happily that I would give weightlifting a real shot as soon as my current CrossFit season came to an end.
The 2010 CrossFit Southwest Regionals came and went. I competed in the best shape of my life having balanced my abilities across a broad fitness spectrum: I could lift heavy, run, execute gymnastics and feared nothing. I truly felt that I was physically prepared more than I ever had been in my life for anything that could come my way let alone at a GPP competition. Yet with the heartache of my coach(s) recent and infamous fallout with CrossFit HQ and thus their forbiddance to be present at my meet, combined with my new excitement for a different future, my heart was already in a different place. The talent and competition was incredible and I simply missed the mark that weekend. And so, it was time.
THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
As I started my new Olympic Weightlifting venture Greg took over my programming and kicked things off with a pretty intense strength cycle. I was excited to be involved in a new sport, one that both he and Aimee believed I had a future in. I decided that if I was going to do this right I would have to put all of my faith and trust into the program and simply do whatever was called for as best I could. But that didn’t mean I didn’t have fears. In fact I had lots of them.
My brain raced with worry and if you could have been inside it you’d have heard: “I know I’m going to get strong but what if I get fat? I really don’t want to get fat again, I finally just leaned out. How can I possibly stay lean without doing metcons? I swear, if I start to feel out of shape and I can’t do stuff anymore, or like I’m getting huge I’m going to sneak in some running. If I hate my body, I’m going to quit.” Even as I recount these initial thoughts it’s funny to see how aesthetically driven I was by my need for metcon even though both scientific and anecdotal evidence demonstrated that strength training and mastering quality movement provided better results in every way: performance, well-being, sleep, recovery- even aesthetics.
I was, however, excited about getting stronger and becoming competitive in the sport so I dove in to the training with a vengeance. The workouts proved to be very intense. I was regularly lifting heavier weight than ever before, and executing a substantial amount of repetitions in the technical lifts compared to anything I was used to. Metcon was not allowed. Greg also made me work to be strong in specific postural positions at different points in the lifts that at first seemed foreign to me and were extremely taxing. Rarely did I complete a workout in less than two hours and I often had to train in a gym (on non-Catalyst days) where no one understood what I was doing or why I was doing it. I was often told by other trainers “you’re just strong, but you’re not fit.” It was both physically and mentally demanding.
But then came even more change. My numbers skyrocketed. My snatch went from 153 to 182lbs, C&J from 195 to 227lbs, and Back Squat from 275 to 308lbs. In my first USAW sanctioned meet I qualified for both Americans and Nationals placing 7th at Americans (Nationals is coming up in July). Furthermore, while performing all of the heaviest lifting I had ever done, no metcon programed (or allowed) into my training schedule, and my continued unrestricted diet of un-weighed/unmeasured meat, veggies, and quality fat I became the leanest I had ever been while participating in exercise or sports competitions. My legs became thick solid muscle. I could actually see my abs.
RELAPSING
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to convince everyone that they should be a weightlifter (although you should, it’s awesome) or stop exercising altogether particularly if being a generally fit person is what you’re passionate about. Being able to do a lot of different physical things is just plain fun and I’ve had a few relapses of my own-mostly because I just wanted to see if I still could and also to silence the naysayers. Interestingly, during my relapses I found out that after 8 months of exclusive weightlifting I could string together 4 muscle ups with ease, perform 27 hand stand pushups unbroken, and turn in a 9:30 “Helen” with an extended 450m run (oh man, that last one might get me fired by my coach). I was elated that by getting strong and proficient in movement I could jump in without skipping a beat and in fact felt even stronger than before. I could easily envision being competitive in the CrossFit world again if I so desired.
The point is that doing more isn’t always better, if ever. Whether you are training for GPP and/or the CrossFit Games by running yourself into the ground day in and day out, sometimes multiple times per day, by randomly and regularly programming aggressive conditioning, distance running, heavy technical metcons, etc., chances are it’s going to eventually cause problems with recovery and worse, it won’t prove sustainable for your competitive career. It’s likely in your best interest to seek out a smart coach who can properly periodize your training and tailor it to your specific needs.
Weightlifters, masters of the Snatch and the C&J who aim to be as strong as possible, and often also as big as possible, arguably need to kick the habit all together. At Catalyst, us weightlifters joke about Greg threatening to fire us if word gets back that we’ve been doing “stupid shit” because he knows how much it will hold us back from making the strength gains he’s helped us work toward by creating specific programs with our ultimate strength potential and competitive interest in mind. It all comes back to the scientific fact that if you want to be your absolute strongest, you will be sabotaging your gains if you insist on also doing aggressive metabolic conditioning or cardiovascular endurance training.
1) Halson SL, Jeukendrup AE, Does overtraining exist? An analysis of overreaching and overtraining research. Sports med 34: 967-981 2004 2) Dudley, G.A., P. A Tesch, B.J. Miller and P. Buchanan. Importance of eccentric actions in performance adaptations to resistance training. Aviat. Space Environ. Med. 62: 543-550 3) Klausen, K., L. b. Anderson, and I. Pelle. Adaptive changes in work capacity, skeletal muscle capillarization and enzyme levels during training and detraining. Acta Physiol. Scand. 113: 9-16, 1981.
Jocelyn Forest is a former collegiate and professional MVP softball pitcher and is now a competitive weightlifter for Catalyst Athletics.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Love Half Way Around The World
Calling all Battleborn CrossFit family members!!!
Some of you may or may not know, Coach Travis, his beautiful wife Laurie and his family are in the process of adopting a baby or babies from Etheopia.
All proceeds from the event are going to offset the cost of the adoption.
Let's go family, show up, support, or if you can't make it there is an envelope at the gym if you just want to help out.
A few pics of what they have been collecting, haha wow thus will be a fun sale!
Saturday and Sunday June 25th and 26th
7am-3pm both days
1727 Back Country Court
Reno, NV 89521
Some of you may or may not know, Coach Travis, his beautiful wife Laurie and his family are in the process of adopting a baby or babies from Etheopia.
All proceeds from the event are going to offset the cost of the adoption.
Let's go family, show up, support, or if you can't make it there is an envelope at the gym if you just want to help out.
A few pics of what they have been collecting, haha wow thus will be a fun sale!
7am-3pm both days
1727 Back Country Court
Reno, NV 89521
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Wednesday 22, June 2011
So, Coach Jason said my neurotic nature has been rearing its head the past few weeks, so he went over this weeks workouts and made a few adjustments. :-)
Strength:
Back squats
5-5-5-3-2-5
Metcon:
3x
12 kb swings 33/24kg
9 kb snatch each arm 32/24 kg
6 ring dips
200m sprint (yes, Jason approved the run)
Strength:
Back squats
5-5-5-3-2-5
Metcon:
3x
12 kb swings 33/24kg
9 kb snatch each arm 32/24 kg
6 ring dips
200m sprint (yes, Jason approved the run)
Tuesday 21, June 2011
Hybrid lady WOD today.
Nice programming Coach Jason!
Strength:
Deadlifts
5-5-5-3-2-5
Metcon:
Cindy LOVES Deadlifts
Odd minutes
1 round of Cindy (rest whatever time is left of minute when done)
Even minutes
10 deadlifts 102.5/80kg (rest remainder of minute)
Keep going until you can't finish the work set in the alloted minute.
20 minute or 10 rounds time limit.
Nice programming Coach Jason!
Strength:
Deadlifts
5-5-5-3-2-5
Metcon:
Cindy LOVES Deadlifts
Odd minutes
1 round of Cindy (rest whatever time is left of minute when done)
Even minutes
10 deadlifts 102.5/80kg (rest remainder of minute)
Keep going until you can't finish the work set in the alloted minute.
20 minute or 10 rounds time limit.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday 20, June 2011
Monday, Monday, Monday!!!
Strength:
Clean and jerks
3-3-3-3-3
Metcon:
800m run
45 clean and jerks 42.5/30kg
600m run
35 power clean 42.5/30kg
400m run
25 squat cleans 42.5/30kg
200m run
Strength:
Clean and jerks
3-3-3-3-3
Metcon:
800m run
45 clean and jerks 42.5/30kg
600m run
35 power clean 42.5/30kg
400m run
25 squat cleans 42.5/30kg
200m run
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday 19, June 2011
15 years ago had you of asked me if my life would be where it is now, I would of laughed and thought you were crazy. 9 months sober from using way too many drugs, working a job for cash under the table, loosing my home, single, 22 and scared to death. Ummm, the answer would of been no.
What a wake up call he was and is everyday. I strove for more than I thought possible, to make sure my son knew there are no limits, if you want it, go for it, if you think you can't, you can!
To break the cycle, to raise a person better than myself.
Funny, Evan has taught me these very lessons, as I was trying to teach him.
Well not to go into it too much more than that, no matter what you believe Evan was a gift from god for me to wake up and become the person everyone but me knew I could be.
Thank you Boo Berry, you make me proud every moment of everyday. Your an amazing young man with the drive to succeed and be more than anyone ever thought. You my son, are my HERO!
With that said, let's kick his butt on his 15th birthday.
1500m row
then
6x
19 deadlifts 80kg (his weight)
96 air squats
Saturday 18, June 2011
Holy sh#@ Batman. Chris has a birthday today, he came up with a Saturday workout for his birthday that rivals my crazy weekend metcons!
6x
18 OHS 42.5/25KG
85 double unders
26 wall balls
400m run
Oh my!
6x
18 OHS 42.5/25KG
85 double unders
26 wall balls
400m run
Oh my!
Friday 17, June 2011
Strength:
Overhead squats
3-3-3-3-3
Metcon:
"Lizzie"
12-9-6-3
Power cleans 85/65kg
Ring dips
Overhead squats
3-3-3-3-3
Metcon:
"Lizzie"
12-9-6-3
Power cleans 85/65kg
Ring dips
Friday, June 17, 2011
Thursday 16, June 2011
Holy freaking crap after yesterday I'm so destroyed....
"Nancy"
5x
400m run
15 ohs 42.5/30kg
Strength:
Bench press
5-5-5-5-5
"Nancy"
5x
400m run
15 ohs 42.5/30kg
Strength:
Bench press
5-5-5-5-5
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Wednesday 15, June 2011
Kalsu
On the minute:
Complete 5 burpees and perform max rep 135 lbs thrusters on the minute.
The goal is to complete 100 total thrusters.
*At the beginning of every minute perform 5 burpees, for the rest of the minute perform as many thrusters as you can during that minute. At the beginning of the next minute perform 5 burpees and then max rep thrusters and so on until you reach 100 total thrusters.
Post the total number of minutes it took to reach 100 thrusters.
Robert James Kalsu (April 13, 1945 - July 21, 1970) was selected as an Oklahoma Sooner All-American Tackle in 1967. As an eighth-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills in 1968, he started eight games at Guard and was voted the team's top rookie in 1968. He began fulfilling his ROTC obligation with the US Army following the '68 season and started his tour of duty in Vietnam in November of 1969, where he served with Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 11th Artillery, 101st Airborne Division. His MOS was 1193-Field Artillery Unit Commander. LT Kalsu was killed by mortar fire on July 21,1970 at Firebase Ripcord near the Ashau Valley.
On the minute:
Complete 5 burpees and perform max rep 135 lbs thrusters on the minute.
The goal is to complete 100 total thrusters.
*At the beginning of every minute perform 5 burpees, for the rest of the minute perform as many thrusters as you can during that minute. At the beginning of the next minute perform 5 burpees and then max rep thrusters and so on until you reach 100 total thrusters.
Post the total number of minutes it took to reach 100 thrusters.
Robert James Kalsu (April 13, 1945 - July 21, 1970) was selected as an Oklahoma Sooner All-American Tackle in 1967. As an eighth-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills in 1968, he started eight games at Guard and was voted the team's top rookie in 1968. He began fulfilling his ROTC obligation with the US Army following the '68 season and started his tour of duty in Vietnam in November of 1969, where he served with Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 11th Artillery, 101st Airborne Division. His MOS was 1193-Field Artillery Unit Commander. LT Kalsu was killed by mortar fire on July 21,1970 at Firebase Ripcord near the Ashau Valley.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Tuesday 14, June 2011
We have a few benchmark/lady WODs this week.
Starting the week of just right we have....
"Diane"
21-15-9
Deadlifts 102.5/80kg
HSPU
Metcons first this week, be sure to log on your card or in your WOD books.
Starting the week of just right we have....
"Diane"
21-15-9
Deadlifts 102.5/80kg
HSPU
Metcons first this week, be sure to log on your card or in your WOD books.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Three rounds for time of:
Row 1000 meter
50 Burpees
50 Box jumps, 24" box
Run 800 meters
U.S.ArmyStaffSergeant MarcSmall, 29,ofCollegeville, Pennsylvania, assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rdSpecial ForcesGroup (Airborne), basedin FortBragg, North Carolina, diedon February 12, 2009, from wounds sustained when insurgents attackedhisunit with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and small arms fire in Faramuz, Afghanistan. He is survived by his father and stepmother,Murray and Karen, mother and stepfather, Mary and Peter MacFarland, and fiancee Amanda
Sunday 12, June 2011
So, I know Sundays we do a nice easy resting recovery workout....
5x
5 tire flips
10 GHD situps
50 double unders
15 wall balls
20 push ups
Haha yeah right!!!
5x
5 tire flips
10 GHD situps
50 double unders
15 wall balls
20 push ups
Haha yeah right!!!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Friday 10, June 2011
Strength:
Deadlifts
5-5-5-3-2-5
Metcon:
"Moon" my version
7x
10 right arm kettlebell snatch
1 rope climb - 15 feet
10 left arm kettlebell snatch
1 rope climb - 15 feet
Thursday 9, June 2011
Clean and jerks
3-3-3-3-3
Metcon:
3x
5 clean and jerks 60/40kg
10 strict chin ups
15 heavy kettlebell swings
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Wednesdsy 8, June 2011
Strength:
Back squats
5-5-5-3-2-5
Metcon:
Tabata bottom to bottom push ups (10 second rest is held in the bottom hold)
Tabata bottom to bottom squats
800m run
Tabata bottom to bottom squats
Tabata bottom to bottom push ups
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Tuesday 7, June 2011
Strength:
Strict press
5-5-5-3-2-5
Metcon:
50-40-30-20-10 pull ups
10-20-30-40-50 burpees
Performed as a "ladder"
Yayayayayayayayay burpees!
Monday 6, June 2011
Ahhhhh back from the weekend, the Odyssey, back in the box!
Strength:
Snatch
1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps if going for new PR
or
3-3-3-3-3 reps for skill/technique work
Metcon:
15 min AMRAP
3 snatch 50/30kg
5 ohs 50/30kg
7 clean and jerks 50/30kg
9 box jumps 24/20in
Strength:
Snatch
1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps if going for new PR
or
3-3-3-3-3 reps for skill/technique work
Metcon:
15 min AMRAP
3 snatch 50/30kg
5 ohs 50/30kg
7 clean and jerks 50/30kg
9 box jumps 24/20in
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Reno Tahoe Odyssey - 2 teams, 3 vehicles, 21 runners
Once again, BBCF was blessed to have two teams compete this year.
We had veteran BBCF runners, new BBCF runners, veteran Odyssey runners from other teams, WE HAD A BLAST!!!
BBCF team #1
Alena
Brian
Chandler
Dan
Matt
Mel
Scott
Tegg
Travis
Ran the race with 9 runners, 1 RV, and Steph, our part time driver, and resident hand stand performer.
Each member ran 4 legs, and did so in record times.
Total time 23:58
Average pace 8:05
Overall place 25th
Division place 10th
BBCF team #2
Betsi
Brandon B.
Brandon C.
Chris S.
Cory <3
Gene
IA Dave
Jody
Jordan
Louie
Michael
Tyler
Team 2's performance was so outstanding they got held up for 90mins in Tahoe, they were just kicking that much ass! Even after a delay of game, and having to sit around, once the gates were opened the runners picked it up again, and finished in an amazing time.
Team 1, breathing down their necks the entire time - we will catch you next year. :-)
Total time: 26:54
Average pace: 9:06
Overall place: 100th
Division place: 34th
We had veteran BBCF runners, new BBCF runners, veteran Odyssey runners from other teams, WE HAD A BLAST!!!
BBCF team #1
Brian
Chandler
Dan
Matt
Mel
Scott
Tegg
Travis
Ran the race with 9 runners, 1 RV, and Steph, our part time driver, and resident hand stand performer.
Each member ran 4 legs, and did so in record times.
Total time 23:58
Average pace 8:05
Overall place 25th
Division place 10th
BBCF team #2
Betsi
Brandon B.
Brandon C.
Chris S.
Cory <3
Gene
IA Dave
Jody
Jordan
Louie
Michael
Tyler
Team 2's performance was so outstanding they got held up for 90mins in Tahoe, they were just kicking that much ass! Even after a delay of game, and having to sit around, once the gates were opened the runners picked it up again, and finished in an amazing time.
Team 1, breathing down their necks the entire time - we will catch you next year. :-)
Total time: 26:54
Average pace: 9:06
Overall place: 100th
Division place: 34th
Friday 3, June 2011
In honor of your 21 BBCF members running the RTO this weekend, we have a in honor of WOD.
5K run
I was told and saw some of you walked in, and left - we only get better by doing these metcon's, runs, rows, whatever. Come on guys, push through, and show yourself you can!
5K run
I was told and saw some of you walked in, and left - we only get better by doing these metcon's, runs, rows, whatever. Come on guys, push through, and show yourself you can!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Thursday 2, June 2011
Day before RTO - are you excited?
Another year, another awesome experience!
Strength:
Back squats
5-5-5-3-2-5
Metcon:
30 burpee clean and jerks 60/40kg
If you don't have that awesome Fran taste in your throat after this you didn't go hard enough.
Another year, another awesome experience!
Strength:
Back squats
5-5-5-3-2-5
Metcon:
30 burpee clean and jerks 60/40kg
Wednesday 1, June 2011
Ummm isn't June considered a summer month??
I'm not sure who pissed Mother Nature off, but please just apologize already.
Strength:
Deadlifts
5-5-5
Metcon:
4x400 (love this one)
4 rounds
400m run
400 single jump ropes
400m row
I'm not sure who pissed Mother Nature off, but please just apologize already.
Strength:
Deadlifts
5-5-5
Metcon:
4x400 (love this one)
4 rounds
400m run
400 single jump ropes
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