Blog

Keeping Track

Today’s Workout:
A: High 2 Position Snatch (Tall, High Hang) 1-1-1
B: Mid Hang Snatch 5-7 Reps

Then:
3x 800m Run
*Rest the same amount of time as previous run

Today Coach Matt takes the reins of this blog with some thoughts on recording workouts…

One of the key aspects of Crossfit is “Constantly Varied.” Sure, we focus on certain movement groups for a period of time, such as power or oly lifting, but our WODs are always changing. Because of that, it’s sometimes difficult to know when and how much to scale. Most of us have been “that guy” that decides to go Rx and turns a lightning-quick breather into a grunt-it-out rep-after-rep slow death. Sure, that’s okay once in a while, but if that’s your modus operandi, you’re missing the point. On the other end of things, if you’re finishing first and barely breaking a sweat, it’s probably time to move up in weight or scaling.

That’s where your fitness log comes in. Everyone knows they’re supposed to keep a log, but how often do you look back through it? Sure, you can find your maxes (and if you can’t, you’ve got bigger problems), but how about when you’re trying to figure out if you should go 65, 75, or 95 pounds on a 21-15-9 thruster workout? In part, that’s what us coaches are here for, but you also have a wealth of information accumulated that you can look back through. Here’s a suggestion. Check the site before you hit the gym (and while you’re there, leave a comment!). Then check your workout log and see what you’ve done that’s similar to the day’s WOD. If you leave your notebook at the gym, come a couple minutes early to check it out before class starts. If you’ve been around for three months or more, there’s probably something similar you can base your scaling for the day on. Once you start actually checking your log, you’ll be making it worth your while to write your workouts down, and you might find better ways to organize and keep track of your info.

By Matt Recla

Saturday’s Seminar Was A Great Success

Today’s Workout:
A: Overhead Squat 5x 3-5 Reps 32×1
B1: Strict Pull-up 3x 3-6 Reps
B2: Plank Rotation

Then:
“Unbroken”
AMRAP 15
25 Unbroken Double Unders
7 Unbroken Shoulder To Overhead 95/65

Everyone who came last Saturday saw big improvements in their running and got some solid tips on how to long.

Captain America

Today’s Workout:
Mid Hang Snatch 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Then:
EMOTM 15
5 Overhead Squat 95/65
5 Ring Dips

Thought you all might enjoy seeing the other half of this photo. Yes, those are athletes from Eddie’s gym. Yes, they are pulling him on top of a Semi. Yes, that is a ridiculous America singlet. Happy Friday.

The Burgener Warmup, Part 2: Elbows High and Outside

Today’s Workout:
A: Split Squat 3x 8-12 Reps 3010
B1: Pressing Snatch Balance 3x 5-7 Reos
B2: Superman 3×10 Reps 0204/Flying Superman 3x 10, 10, 10 Reps

Then:
21-15-9 Rep Rounds For Time
Sumo Deadlift High Pull 95/65
Burpee Box Jump 20″/12″

If you are not aware of the Burgener warmup at this point you either have the worst memory ever, or I should be sending you a thank you card for the monthly donation you give CFG without ever showing up. The more you practice it the more you will understand it. The more you understand it the better your Olympic Lifting will become. It makes me very happy to see some of our athletes come in and hit it on their own. After the “Down and Up” comes “Elbows High and Outside.” The purpose of keeping the elbows high and outside is to keep the bar close to the body thus creating a bar path that is as straight as possible. You must be patient enough; however, to wait for the hips to finish opening before you allow your arms to bend. Once the arm is bent the hips can no longer effectively transfer power into the barbell.

See Part 1 here.

Running and Endurance Seminar this Saturday

Today’s Workout:
AMRAP 20:

25 Double Unders
30 Sec “L”Sit
15KBS 1.5/1 Pood

We only have a few spots left in this Saturday’s Running and Endurance Seminar from 10:30AM to 2:30PM. Endurance athletes are gluttons for punishment and often spend little to no time earning proper running technique. This is a recipe for disaster. The consequences of running improperly, especially over a long distance multiple times a week, will accumulate and cause problems with your ankles, knees, hips, back, and/or shoulders. Coach Eddie Avakoff and I will be lecturing, coaching drills, and evaluating film of each participant so that you can see where you are off and how much difference a few hours of drills makes. Similar seminars run as high as 500-600 dollars so this is an incredible opportunity to learn from a professional endurance athlete at the much less intimidating price of $50. Email me to reserve your spot ASAP if you would like to join as space is limited.

Routine is the Enemy

Today’s Workout:
A: Tall Snatch 2×2 Rest 60-90 seconds
B: High Hang Snatch 2×2 Rest 60-90 seconds
C: Mid Hang Snatch 3×2 Rest 60-90 seconds
D: High 3 Position Snatch 3×1 Rest 60-120 Seconds (use last weight from A)

Then:

1 Mile Run Time Trial

Getting stuck in a long term routine with your workouts will slow your progress. Your body is the most amazing machine in existence. It will adapt to whatever you ask it to do, so it is important to vary the duration and modality of your workouts. Variation is also a great way to avoid getting into a psychological rut. The quest for increased fitness should never become a repetitive grind, but a process that you enjoy and learn from daily. The intensity and complexity of our workouts tend to co-select for some pretty amazing character traits in our athletes. I’m willing to bet that on average the members of our box are smarter, harder working, and more dedicated to their schoolwork, jobs, families, and passions than the general population. Routines help hard working, busy people run our day to day lives, but too much routine becomes tedious and can cause burnout. It is important to take time to break from the norm every now and then to play. For your athletic career this could mean taking up a new sport or skill, maybe even doing the Pier to Peak half marathon with Team CFG this September. In the real world it means take a break, go on an adventure, or simply make time for yourself to unwind and combat the monotony of the routines that guide your life.

The Church of Pain

Today’s Workout:
A: Overhead Squat 4x 5-7 Reps 32×1 Rest 2-3 Min
B1: Strict Pull-up 3x 5-7 Reps
B2: Plank Rotation 1/3,1/2,1/3 of Max Effort Test

Then:
15-12-9
Clapping Push-ups
Box Jumps 30/24″
Clean Grip Snatch 95/65

Friday the 13th

Today’s Workout:
A: Find 1RM High Hang Snatch In 10 Minutes

Then:
For Time
500m Row
50 2 for 1 Wall Balls (20#/14#)
5 Strict Pull Ups
40 KBS 53#/35#
5 Strict Pull Ups
30 Box Jumps 24″/20″
5 Strict Pull Ups
20 Front Facing Burpees
5 Strict Pull Ups
10 HSPU

This workout is perfect for today. Remember: It doesn’t have to be fun… to be fun.

The PR Board Is Back.

Today’s Workout:
A: Split Squat 3x 12-15 Reps 3010
B1: Pressing Snatch Balance 3x 8-10 Reps
B2: “I” Superman/Flying Superman (if your Sorenson Test is over 2 minutes…)

Then:
For Time:
21-15-9 Rep Rounds
Plate Ground-to-Overhead 45/25
Box Jumps 24″/20″

The PR board is back! I don’t care if you just got your first double under or you just broke the longstanding 216kg Snatch World Record from the 80s write it up here. You should be proud every time you accomplish something that you have never done before (which is the definition of a PR). So many epic performances get thrown down in our box on the reg that I sometimes have trouble keeping track of the data so this will also help me get deserving scores up on the boards.

Night Vision 2.0

Today’s Workout:

Alternating Tabata:
Jumping Air Squats to Target
Hand Release Push-ups

Rest 4 Minutes

AMRAP 10
200m Run
10 Squat Clean Thruster 95/65

Aside from being a bad ass in the gym, Duane works on some pretty epic tools for our military with his buddies over at Raytheon. He has been kind enough to bring in his friend and coworker: Greg Hartly, who has designed a new extremely long range thermal binocular that can detect a man sized target at 2000m+ at night. Next Tuesday (April 17th) after Olympic Lifting Seminar with Team Green ends Greg will be coming in to give us a chance to see these bad boys in action. Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

Duane had this to say about Greg:

Greg is currently the Manager of the Electronics Design Department at Raytheon Vision Systems. And in his earlier life he was in the Air Force Special Operations Command as an Avionics and Guidance Control Specialist.

More info…