Wednesday, April 30, 2014

3 deep breaths, GRAB THE BAR AND GO!!!!!

Just work.

Every time you hear the starting beeps and reach down to grab the bar for the first time, or the handle on the rower, or you crouch down for your first burpee - it's time to get some work done.

It's not time to game the WOD, to analyze how much you put on the bar, how quickly you can do the reps or even how bad it is going to hurt.

It is time to work.

 It is time to keep moving and get through rep after rep.

It is time to block out all of the voices, to let the music move you - to go into your dark place.

When you hear GO! it is time to stop thinking, and start working.

You can think about it before you step up to the bar; you can think about it as you are laying on the floor.

You can analyze how you did after, you can game your pace for next time, later.

For now, however, just work.

Alcohol - If you are going to drink, what do you choose?

Alcohol, one of America’s favorite poisons, is among the most celebrated and demonized substances in existence. While an excess of alcohol can be highly detrimental to health – and even deadly – a small amount can provide substantial benefits, especially if you choose the right variety.

Too much
As most of us have been told all our lives, drinking too much is no joke. According to statistics compiled by the CDC, roughly 88,000 deaths in the US each year can be attributed to excessive alcohol use. Besides addiction, poor judgement and death by alcohol poisoning, drinking too much, especially on a regular basis, can lead to high blood pressure, kidney disease and liver damage.
 An overabundance of alcohol can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, a condition in which scar tissue begins to replace healthy tissues. If cirrhosis continues for too long, the liver can fail entirely. Alcohol can also cause inflammation in the liver, due to the oxidative stress caused by it working too hard. Long-term drinkers are likely to develop a fatty liver. This occurs when liver cells become oversaturated with fat and as a result cannot function normally.

Drinking in excess can also wreak havoc on your complexion, because as it impairs the liver, the liver’s ability to detoxify the rest of the body, including skin cells, is compromised. According to Dr. David Colbert, the founder of New York Dermatology Group, “it may make us feel good, but alcohol is a hepatotoxin… what does someone look like who is dying of liver failure? They’re sallow, they’re pasty, they’re cold, their pores are huge.”

Just enough
While too much alcohol can lead to terrible consequences, a large body of evidence suggests that having one or two drinks per day can be very beneficial to health. One drink per day for women, and two drinks per day for men (according to USDA guidelines) has been found to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis (the hardening of the arteries), which can lead to heart attacks and heart disease.
A 2010 study published in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, analyzed eight studies from Europe and North America, which included 192,067 women and 74,919 men. The researchers found that, “an inverse association between alcohol and risk of coronary heart disease was observed in all age groups.”
The study authors added, “alcohol is associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease in younger adults; however, the absolute risk was small compared with middle aged and older adults.”
Any kind of alcohol can deliver these health benefits, however, some varieties have additives and other compounds that are detrimental to optimal health.

Red wine – the healthiest option
It should come as no surprise, given the recent influx of reports on the health benefits of red wine, that this type of alcohol is our number one recommendation for your daily glass. The grapes used to make red wine contain an antioxidant known as resveratrol, which has been connected with improved memory, lowered blood sugar and blood pressure levels and longevity. Red wine also contains an array of polyphenol antioxidants, which are heart healthy, and may assist in lower LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol levels.
According to Dr. Jessica Krant, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, “red wine contains more antioxidants than white, which may help to counteract some aging processes. I would say the best single drink to have to support skin health and minimize aging risks is a glass of red wine.”
Although red wine offers an array of benefits, the tannins that it contains can lead to a nasty hangover if you drink too much, or drink on an empty stomach. To avoid this, limit yourself to a glass or two, drink with a good meal, and make sure to rehydrate yourself with plenty of water. To get the most benefits from red wine, choose an organic variety, to avoid exposure to chemical additives.

Distilled, clear liquors – a good choice if you’re careful
High-quality, thoroughly distilled, clear spirits such as vodka and gin are gluten-free, and contain the least additives of any other types of alcohol. For this reason, they are the least damaging to skin. They are also the mildest as far as hangovers are concerned, because the distillation process reduces the number of congeners, chemicals which are produced during fermentation that have been associated with hangovers.
With any liquor, the risk is that it is easy to overdo it, since they are very potent, so be sure to exercise caution and monitor your intake closely.

Beer – some ups, some downs
On the upside, drinking beer has been linked a reduced risk of developing kidney stones, as well as to increasing bone strength due to silicon content. Beer also contains essential B-vitamins. As far as the downside, most beers are high in carbohydrates, which can lead to excess weight over time. Most beers also contain gluten, though there are gluten-free varieties available.

Brown liquors
Brown liquors such as bourbon, brandy and whiskey have been linked to the nastiest hangovers. Even a drink or two, if consumed on an empty stomach, can leave you regretting it the next day. If you choose these spirits, make sure to drink them with food, and follow with plenty of water.

The worst – sugary mixed drinks
Most of the fun, flavored cocktails you find at your local bar are laden with sugar. Many involve sodas, which are all-around horrible for health, and those that utilize flavor syrups often contain artificial colors and flavorings, as well as chemical preservatives. The sugar content of these beverages also heightens a hangover, and can add a sugar headache on to the misery of the morning after.
Sugar has been linked to a wide array of health problems and chronic illnesses, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and even certain cancers. It can lead to system-wide inflammation, wreaks havoc on the skin and accelerates aging.

A few words on hangovers
Hangovers are caused by several factors, including dehydration, nutrient depletion, the methanol and acetone compounds in some drinks, and the body’s withdrawal from the alcohol itself. The absolute best way to avoid one is to stick to one or two drinks per day – no more. Also, drinking slowly, and making sure you have something to eat with your beverage, can keep you hangover-free.
If you happen to have a crazy night, overdo it, and find yourself sick in the morning, there are natural ways to nurse the pain. First of all, drink lots of water. If your body is dehydrated, replenishing those lost fluids is of the utmost importance.
alcoholAs soon as your stomach is able, a good, nutritious meal consisting of healthy protein and fresh fruit can work wonders. Homemade broth and bananas are two great foods to eat, as they can replace the potassium that too much alcohol seeps from your body.
Raw honey and freshly-squeezed fruit juice can also help curb a hangover, and many people swear by a cup or two of coffee to reduce the headache – just make sure to drink extra water to compensate for its diuretic properties if you go this route.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:http://www.thealternativedaily.com/saint-patricks-day-choose-spirits-wisely
http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm
http://www.11points.com/Food-Drink/11_Alcoholic_Drinks,_Ranked_By_Hangover_Severity
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/24/alcohol-skin_n_4146391.html
https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/check-the-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/effects-on-the-body/alcohol-and-your-liver
http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/cardiovascular/heart/alcohol-good-for-your-heart.htm
http://www.beekmanwine.com/prevtopas.htm
http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/5-natural-hangover-remedies
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/121/14/1589.short

Monday, April 28, 2014

Paleo - Tequilla

HEART - Even if you don't see it, I see it in YOU everyday!


Heart.


This is what gets you through your WOD or your skill or your strength section when the going gets tough.

It is what guides you through the dark place, the place where all of your demons are screaming at you to stop.

That dark place where your demons are screaming at you to forget your goals, to forget your dreams, to forget what you told yourself you could do when you walked in the door.

Your heart silences them.

Your heart keeps you holding on for one more rep, it helps you have the confidence to add the 2.5# plates and get under it, it pushes you out of the bottom of your dip or gets your chin over the bar.

Heart is what makes you drive harder, push faster and pull stronger.

It is not something that you can change overnight, you do not just wake up one day and have the ability to push through any amount of pain.

Heart is won in many small battles against yourself. It is won when you take one less break, hold on for one more rep, row just a few seconds faster, lift just a few pounds heavier.

Heart is won when you sit on the floor crumpled, gasping for air and shaking, when you look back and know you could not have tried any harder.

Heart is won when you lay it all on the line, win or lose, you give it every last drop in your tank.

"A constant struggle, a ceaseless battle to bring success from inhospitable surroundings, is the price of all great achievements."
-Orison Swett Marden




Saturday 26, April 2014

Normally I don't post our Saturday WOD's, cuz I don't want to scare off the new people looking at our AWESOME GYM!

But today we did a memorial WOD here at BBCF and I will post it, along with a thank you to everyone who showed up from the lake and the surrounding areas.

It was awesome to have you all here - pictures to follow (I'm retard when it comes to posting stuff from my phone to web pages like pictures. HAHA)

"Manion" - originally posted 7-9-2011 on CF Main

7x

400m run
29 back squats 60/40kg

First Lieutenant Travis Manion, 26, of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, assigned to 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Camp Pendleton, California, was killed by sniper fire on April 29, 2007 while fighting against an enemy ambush in Anbar Province, Iraq. He is survived by his father, Colonel Tom Manion, mother Janet Manion, and sister Ryan Borek.

TravisManionHero_th.jpg

Friday 25, April 2014

Skill:

I told you all week - LOGGGGGG IT!

Repeat your hardest day of the week

Strength:

Power snatch
15 singles getting heavier

*Hook grip
*Form
*Receiving stance
*Hip pop

Stabilizer:

Same

Metcon:

OOOOOOPPPPPSSSSS I said no more running this week

200m run
20 strict press 40/30kg
300m run
30 push press 50/40kg
400m run
40 push jerk 60/50kg

Safety - What, this is a CrosssFit gym...

Safety. Technique. Intensity

In our fight to get better, to get faster and stronger we often forget the order of things.

We push so hard, thinking only of intensity that we don't care when we drop a heavy bar from overhead and walk away huffing and puffing.
We forget that the bar is bouncing, moving into another athletes area, banging into a wall (or worse, into a shin).
We don't listen to the calluses or nails ripping away - we just push harder.

We neglect to use our hips, to keep our knees out, to keep our backs tight.

We don't care about the depth or the ROM, we only care about getting that rep ticked off, about stopping the clock.

We only give thought to putting it all on the line each and every time, to finishing fast, to having the highest intensity or the craziest WOD story.

But
there is an order. An order that must be followed if you want to be hitting WODs next year, or in ten years.

You have the option of running your body supercharged now; for the moment - or to run it right for the rest of your life.

Which will you choose?

What order will you follow?

 

 



Thursday 24, April 2014

Skill:

3x ME
strict pull ups
strict wide grip pull ups
strict chin ups
rest 60-90 sec
LOG!!!!

Strength:

Hang snatch
15 singles

Focus on hook grip
Focus on hip pop
Focus on receiving position

Metcon:

4x
3 muscle ups
9 snatch grip deadlifts 80/60kg
200m farmer carry 24/16kg in each hand

Wednesday 23, April 2014

Skill:

3x ME strict chin ups
LOG!!!

Strength:

Back squats
5x3 @ 80% of 1 rep max

Metcon:

"Tosh"

3x
200m run
rest amount of time it took you to run the 200
400m run
rest the amount of time it took you to run the 400
600m run
rest the amount of time it took you to run the 600

Tuesday 22, April 2014

Check out the new warm up

Skill:

3x ME wide grip strict pull ups
60-90 sec rest
LOG!!!!

Strength:

Jerks
15 single reps getting heavier
*figure out what feels right for YOU - split or squat receiving position

Stabilizer:

Same for the week

Metcon:

1 min of double unders
1 min of KB snatch 24/16kg
2 mins of double unders
2 mins of KB snatch 24/16kg
3 mins of double unders
3 mins of KB snatch 24/16kg

Score is total number of KB snatch

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

SUGAR - MMMM we love it, but why and what is it doing in our LOVE????

The “Holiday Hangover” and 4 Other Strange Ways Sugar Impacts Your Body

 
 
How many candy eggs or chocolate bunnies did you consume this past weekend? Perhaps you had one too many – as most people do. Maybe it was your intention to stop at the ear, but you went ahead and ate the whole bunny!!
Humans have always had a love affair of sorts with sugar. About 10,000 years ago, the closest thing to a Starburst the people living on the island of New Guinea (the birthplace of sugar) got was chewing on a piece of raw sugar cane.
Priests sipped sugar sweetened water from a coconut shell, and popular myths even included one about a man who made love to a stalk of sugar cane, creating a whole new human race.
Today, these and other such religious ceremonies have been replaced by social gatherings focused around soda, donuts and lattes. The first processing of raw sugar cane happened around 500 AD in India. The cane was turned into a powder and used medicinally for stomach problems, impotence, headaches and more. For a very long time, sugar remained a secret that few knew about, until wealthy Persians in 600 AD treated guests with a variety of sweet treats.
The Arabs perfected sugar refinement and created an industry around it – although it was a very brutal and physically challenging process where workers labored in the fields and in smoke-filled rooms to make the fine powder.
The minute the British and French tasted sugar, they fell in love, but only the wealthy could afford it, and deemed it a spice.
When Columbus set off on his second journey, he brought sugar cane with him to the Caribbean islands. Soon after, the age of big sugar production and slave plantations began. Mass production of sugar was in full swing, and before long was accompanied by production of XXL clothing and a surge of modern illnesses.
Compared to our ancestors who may have consumed about an ounce of sugar a day, we gobble up almost seven ounces a day – much without even knowing we are doing so. Dietary guidelines established by the American Heart Association indicate that men should not consume over nine teaspoons of sugar a day, and women should not consume more than six. Sadly, we are consuming a whopping twenty-two teaspoons a day on average.
Would you be surprised if we told you that of the 600,000 or so foods that are manufactured and consumed in the United States, over 80 percent of them contain added sugar? But, you say, you don’t see sugar listed as an ingredient on the label. Well, the food manufacturers have it covered – sugar actually has over 50 different names, meaning that the food industry can easily pull one over on us by listing each of these ingredients separately.
Furthermore, as they list these ingredients on the label, they may appear as ingredient #3, #4, #7 and so on – so even if they are not the #1 ingredient, when you total up their presence, they do in fact become the #1 ingredient. Pretty crafty, aren’t they? The US Department of Agriculture reports that Americans consume about 156 pounds of added sugar annually, or over 31 five-pound bags per person.
Most of this sugar is probably consumed without the consumer even knowing it. If you eat packaged, bottled or canned foods with more than five ingredients, or ingredients you cannot pronounce, chances are you are eating extra sugar.
While the debate ensues as to whether or not sugar is actually toxic, most health professionals agree that it offers no nutritional value and may be alarmingly dangerous when consumed in large amounts.
Many who have done research on the evolution of sugar note that the evolution of illness seems to parallel this white powder. Nephrologist Richard Johnson from the University of Colorado – Denver states that one-third of all adults have high blood pressure today, while in 1900 only five percent suffered.
In 1980, 153 million people had diabetes, today that number has ballooned to 347 million. Right alongside the development of these, and other serious lifestyle illnesses, has been an increase in the use of sugar in the food manufacturing industry. Seems just a little too ironic, doesn’t it?
If you are not yet convinced to pay close attention to your sugar consumption, pay close attention to these five (only five of many) ways that science has proven sugar insults your body. Perhaps after you read this you will feel differently.
Sugar makes your internal organs obese
So, if your organs are obese will you appear obese on the outside? Not necessarily – and this is what makes this insult so incredibly dangerous. Fructose, a part of table sugar, along with high-fructose corn syrup, causes the liver to store fat in strange places.
Prolonged, high consumption of fructose can least to globules of fat building up around the liver – this is a precursor to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Interestingly enough, this condition was rarely seen before 1980.
Sugar makes your blood vessels tense
Excess sugar prompts the body to release excess insulin into the bloodstream. This extra insulin wreaks havoc on our circulatory system and arteries. If insulin levels remain high for long periods of time, it causes the smooth muscle cells around blood vessels to expand rapidly – much faster than normal. When artery walls become tense, it puts you at a much higher risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack.
Sugar ages your skin fast
Sugar is right alongside smoking and unsafe sun exposure as the top three ways to age your skin fast. Collagen and elastin are skin support structures that get broken down from sun or other free radical exposure – this process works well when we are young, but as we age it slows down.
When sugar is present in the skin, it forms cross-links with amino acids that may have been damaged by free radicals. These cross-links are like roadblocks to the repair process. Dermatologist William Dandy, MD, states that once they are formed, the cross-links do not unhitch. Over time, your skin will look much older than it should.
Note: Consider adding cinnamon, ginger, cloves and garlic to your diet. These spices seem to slow down the cross-linking process.
Sugar makes you crave more sugar
Author of the book Salt, Sugar, Fat, Michael Moss, says, “our bodies are hard-wired for sweets.” Research just released out of Connecticut College seems to agree with Moss. After conducting an experiment involving Oreo cookies and rats, researchers are making the bold claim that the cookies are as addictive as cocaine.
This probably comes as no surprise to those of you who find that you can’t just have one Oreo. Professor Schroeder, study supervisor, remarked that the rats who ate the cookies, loaded with unhealthy fat and sugar, experienced a reaction in the same pleasure center of the brain as the rats who were exposed to cocaine or morphine. In fact, the Oreos more strongly impacted the pleasure center than did the cocaine.
“Our research supports the theory that high-fat/high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do,” Schroeder said. “It may explain why some people can’t resist these foods despite the fact that they know they are bad for them.”
While this study picks on Oreos, it is important to note that there is nothing inherently different about these cookies over other high sugar processed foods including ice cream, cake, candy and such. What the study did confirm was what Moss said: the body is definitely hard-wired to love sugar.
Too much sugar causes a headache
The sugar headache is often called the “holiday hangover,” because it seem to happen right after major holidays such as Christmas, Easter, birthdays – or any other time when we consume excessive amounts of sugar. The symptoms are similar to an alcohol-induced hangover, including a pounding headache, irritability and fatigue.
When you consume large amounts of sugar at one time, the body pulls fluid from different places to balance out the impact it has on the blood. When this happens, the head suffers most, and this can lead to a headache.
Sugar headaches may also be a warning of something much more dangerous – diabetes. If you have headaches often, reflect back on what you have eaten – was it a lot of sugar? If you also have problems with frequent urination, excessive hunger or thirst, see a medical practitioner for a blood sugar test.
no sugarTips
  • Be very careful of processed “whole grain” products, although they may be marketed as healthy. If you think switching from white bread to whole wheat bread is a healthy option, you may want to reconsider. The wheat kernels in commercial whole grain products are smashed to a dust, which causes the same type of sugar spike that happens when we eat white bread. Best to stay clear of all wheat products – whole or otherwise.
  • Stop drinking sugar-laden drinks and replace them with fresh water, fresh juice or healthy organic teas. If you want something sweet, stick to the sugar found in natural fruit. An orange contains 12 grams of natural sugar, while a glass of orange juice contains 22 grams. Be careful of so-called healthy products like commercial smoothies – they can contain as much as 14 teaspoons of added sugar.
  • Fill your body with whole foods rich in healthy fats and organic fruits and vegetables. A well-nourished body craves less sugar/processed fat than one that is nutrient-deprived. Start your day with a savory breakfast – a hearty breakfast that contains healthy saturated fat will help keep the cravings at bay. Choose an omelet with real butter from grass-fed cows over a dry cereal or a bagel.
One step at a time, you can get a handle on your sugar consumption, and before long, you will notice a tremendous difference in how you look and feel.

Nutrient Timing???

End of your workout, 
you've trained intensely for 45 minutes, 
the weights drop to the ground as you've hit your last set...
and you run to the locker room like your life depends on it 
to get in your whey protein & fast-acting carbs recovery drink. 

Don't want to miss that anabolic window of opportunity and 
lose all of those gains from all that effort you just put in your workout right? 
Maybe not.
 
As more and more research is being done, it appears 
the less important that 'anabolic window' becomes 
and that it may actually be much longer than originally thought.


The level of importance really depends on YOUR goal. 
Here's a fantastic visual by the highly respected Alan Aragon 
on the relative important of nutrient timing.
 

Image

And here is a fantastic new article by my good friends at Precision Nutrition 
on the importance of nutrient timing echoing my thoughts exactly:


 
My No BS thoughts:


If you want the results of the top 1% and be leaner 
and have more energy than 99% of the population, 
it will matter more.  
For the average population, no.
Because I'm not a fan of average and mediocrity, 
I'd say, go for the BEST that you can be, 
and have a post-workout protein shake anyways.


It will not harm you if you do not. 
It may only be better for you, 
and even if it does not, 
you lose nothing!
Just don't get caught up in how fast afterwards you have to take it.
Take your time. 
LIVE! 
1-2 hours after is ok! 
If you prefer something other than whey protein, 
that's cool too.
We should always remember that as the research gets better, 
we may draw new conclusions.


When it comes to body composition 
- fat loss and muscle gain - 
total calories, macronutrient ratio's, micronutrient intake 
are all much more important though.
 
What's even more important are the habits that you create. 
If consuming a protein+carbs beverage after your workout 
helps you get in your required additional proteins + carbs 
in for that day, then continue doing that.


I personally only have protein/carb recovery shakes on workout days, 
and consuming them after my workout helps 
create consistency and habit
which is what matters in the long-term. 
Keeping it up!


Plus it's kinda like a reward for a good workout. 
Love the taste. 
It varies my protein intake source. 
I want the BEST results. 
And it's cheap, easy, convenient.
 
For the science geeks, the new conclusions are based on this study:

How Many Times Have You Been Guilty of This???

I suck at this.

"I'm so out of shape"

"I am so slow"

Words often muttered when something tough comes up, maybe it's DU you suck at, or you are slow cranking out pullups, or you get winded after an 8 min mile.


But guess what - for someone in the room with you, all of those things are hard - some are even out of the realm of comprehension and current ability.

Someone in the room wishes they had your "slow" pullups; someone in the room wishes they had ring rows.

Someone will get winded after a 10 min mile, or a 12 min mile.

Maybe you are coming back from an injury, or a baby, or a long vacation and you aren't where you used to be.

Maybe you are someone who always thinks they aren't doing well - who is always wishing for the next level.

That's fine.

Just stop saying it out loud - because for the person next to you, who looks up to you, who wants to have even half the skills you have will feel pretty crappy about their level if you berate your own.

Even if you are the athlete in the room scaling the WOD the most - there is still someone out there who is wishing they could do what you do each and every day.

Just think about that next time you want to talk about how "bad" you are.

 

I can tell you, I am my own worst enemy and a lot of the time I vocalize it as well, and I know I need to stop - I wont stand it from you, so why do I allow myself to say or even think these things?

If you catch yourself being vile in your own head, stop, regroup, and find the positive, if you hear it from your fellow athlete, look at them and let them know that their head is F'ED up and reiterate how good they are.

 

I love you guys!

Monday 21, April 2014

LOTS OF CHANGES THIS WEEK!!!

New Warm up!!!

New Olympic Lifting Cycle starts

New Skill work that will last for 30+ days!!!

Skill:

We are starting a "strength" skill cycle on strict pull ups... As a coach and CrossFitter I have watched the lifestyle of fitness I love change from year to year, hell month to month and some changes I embrace and some make me cringe. With that being said I remember being that new CFer that couldn't wait to get a kipping pull up - I am a girl, and getting a pull up of any sort was the most amazing yet elusive sounding skill set ever.  Well of course, like all my girls and guys I got kipping pull ups and was content with that being the best for me for a long time. Then I started looking at things a little different, more as a coach and less as a clock whore - realized there are some fundamental things being missed or used improperly. This is my take, and my take only in terms of programming for my athletes - you can disagree or agree, it makes no difference to me, this is my gym and my culture!
We don't do weighted back squats in a metcon - unless it is something fun like Sally Up, Sally Down with low weight, we rarely do deadlifts in a metcon anymore and when we do it is very low reps and or very low weight, my job as your coach is to promote health and happiness in the other areas of your life, not break you so you cant enjoy the activities OUTSIDE the box you should be enjoying.
So, with that I want you stronger, I want you to know that kipping pull ups are GREAT for a quick WOD, but for what we do and promote which is STRENGTH, you need to start working strict pull ups, and be comfortable once again with a failure or sticking point on something you felt you mastered with kipping.
With that being said we will be doing variations of strict pull ups everyday for skill - I WANT, no I NEED YOU TO LOG YOUR PROGRESS DAILY - band, no band, one rep, ten reps, I want you to see your self getting stronger, and knowing that woman, man, you can do a strict pull up, and you can do it well!!!

5x
max strict pull ups
90 sec rest in between

Strength:

Work on HOOK GRIP
Power cleans
15 single reps - getting heavier

Stabilizer:
For the week
50 four count flutter kicks
50 four count mountain climbers
50 half sit ups

Metcon:

20 min AMRAP
10 Knees 2 elbows
20 KB swings 24/16kg
30 Jumping Squats 20/15kg

Monday - Make this week Limitless!!!

Limits.
They are a myth. They are self imposed and self fulfilling.

They label you and put you in a box. A box with check marks of what you can and can't do.

Limits put you in a box that helps you step up your game in what you are good at, but conveniently ignore what you are not.


A box that makes cherry picking an easy way out of the hard.

It is easy to fail when you can fall back on your "limits", when you can blame them, when you can let up in a WOD because "you've reached your limit".

Take a Open WOD like 13.3, definitely has a skill set involved. We aren't all born whipping out double unders and muscle ups.

Maybe you are thinking how the workout is really just going to be Karen, because you can't do double unders.

Maybe you are just going to fly out of the gates to finish your DUs first, since you can't do a MU.

But let me ask you this:

Who is going to be getting their first double unders or muscle ups this week?

Who is going to be limitless?

You are.

You are going to push further and harder than before, because you are ignoring your self imposed limits.

Today, they are invisible.

You are going to get a new first - be it finishing Karen or managing to lock out your arms above the rings.

You are going to be a rockstar this week.

Limits? What limits?

Friday 18, April 2014

Skill:

Get ready for WOD

Strength:

If you missed CF Total this week
If you want to re do a 1 rep max
If not mobility

Stabilizer:

Your choice

Metcon:

7x
1 rope climb
3 Turkish get ups 24/16kg
5 man makers 35/2lbs
100m SPRINT

Thursday 17, April 2014

Skill:

10 mins Turkish get ups

Strength:

OHS

3-3-3-3-3

Stabilizer:

100 half sit ups

Metcon:

8 min AMRAP

12 hang cleans 60/40kg
12 chin ups

rest 2 minutes

5 min AMRAP

25 evil wheels 60/40kg
25 wall balls 20/16lb

Pendlay talks about CrossFit

Glenn Pendlay on CrossFit. 


As weightlifters, or those that use weightlifting movements in training, squat deep, and worry more about lifting more weight than about how defined our arms are (I would guess this describes most on this board)… what did we used to complain about?


1. No place to train with bumpers and chalk.
2. Getting hassled about dropping weight
3. “Trainers” at the local globo gym telling us squatting deep was gonna ruin our knees.
4. Girlfriends not wanting to squat because she is afraid she will get “bulky”
5. For the competitive weightlifters among us, getting asked “how much ya bench?” after telling someone you are a weightlifter.
6. Trying to explain what a snatch is to someone, usually ending with a pantomime then the words “you know, like they do in the Olympics”
7. If you ever tell someone, hey you should try it its fun, being told “oh no, I could never do that”
8. Being surrounded in any gym by folks that think eating red meat or fat is the enemy of good health or a good looking body.
9. Curls in the squat rack.
10. Pink dumbells.

So with Crossfit you get…

1. 2000 + more gyms around the country with bumpers and chalk.
2. Most Crossfitters would think you were weird if you DIDN’T drop weights.
3. They may debate where to put the bar on their backs, but they all squat deep.
4. Crossfit girls squat heavy and are proud of getting a rounder butt from it.
5. Most Crossfitters don’t bench press, they might ask you how much you squat instead.
6. Most Crossfitter’s snatch, those that dont certainly know what it is.
7. Crossfit is filled with people people who not only want to try new things, but are willing to work hard to learn and won’t be put off by falling on their butt a few times.
8. Crossfitters, as a whole seem to be proud that they not only eat meat, but are able to eat GOOD (meaning eat a LOT) and still look good because they train so hard. A couple cookouts at Crossfit boxes remain the only two times I have seen women bragging about how many ribs they ate. And not fatties. Young, in shape women.
9. Crossfitters are the ones who will make fun of YOU, if YOU do curls in the squat rack.
10. Crossfitters only use pink kettlebells.

Are their assholes in CF? I am sure their are, but off the top of my head I can’t think of many that I have met, and, there are certainly assholes in the weightlifting community also.

Are their elitists in CF? Yes, there are. But what is a common criticism of the weightlifting community? That we are elitist. And just like in CF, yeah, there are elitists among us. I don’t think its the norm, but they are there.

The fact that CF has exposed quite literally hundreds of thousands of people to weightlifting aside, do you know what I most like about Crossfit?

They appreciate what we do. I quite often find myself in front of a group of crossfitters with someone like Donny, or Jon, or Caleb demonstrating a heavy snatch or clean and jerk. And you know what, these people appreciate what they are seeing. They appreciate what it took to accomplish it, the work, the years of work, the athleticism, the strength and power. The years of pain, the sacrifice. And for these lifters, there is finally a community, a rather large one, that appreciates what they do, that admires them for it. And that is a beautiful thing. Especially when the average person watching someone do a 140kg snatch has about the same ability to appreciate it as someone who doesnt know how to play chess does to appreciate what they are seeing if they watched a Bobby Fisher chess game.

Weightlifting finally has a fan base. And it’s growing. And that is gonna open up all sorts of new opportunities for the sport.

I will leave you with one last thought. Donny Shankle has been able to drop most of his personal training clients, while finally getting the access to chiropractic, massage, etc, that was always financially tough to get when he needed it. Why is he able to work much less, rest and train more, and still financially swing all those little things that help him?

To a large extent, its been Crossfitters. Now I don’t want to ignore others who have helped, and even donated. But it’s the Crossfit boxes that are holding fund raisers for him, its the Crossfit websites that are encouraging their members to go to his blog and hit the donate button that are the most active in raising money.

You can certainly find the bad in anything. But I prefer to say the glass is half full. In this instance, maybe even 3/4 full.