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28 posts from February 2011

02/28/2011

Great classes today; all around awesome day! Big shout out to the 7am and 8am morning classes! They were absolutely rockin' today. Great energy and great work out of everyone.


Sorry for the short post. I had some good pictures today, but left everything at the gym.


There will be pictures up in the morning.

 

 

 

Many of you who are wondering what to eat for breakfast before a morning workout. I'll start with an example of what not to eat...

The ultimate FALEO breakfast... too unreal not to post (Careful watching at work with language):


  

Workout for Tomorrow:

  
  

Work the Power Clean for at least 20 minutes

 

 

Team or partner up:

 

For Time....Row 500 meter's 

immediately after 

Max distance prowler push without stopping (this will have a lot of weight on it) Should be about 30-50 feet tops

      

Complete the above for 4 rounds each person 

 The bottle neck will be the rower's, not the prowler's since as soon as you stop its over.  


02/27/2011

I hope that everyone had an awesome weekend!

 

Let's discuss some goals!

I had talked about bringing this up around February. I think it is time to start thinking about short and long term goals for your fitness. We will definitely make this more structured very soon. These goals can reflect any aspect of fitness. Here are a couple of examples of what I am working towards. In the short term, be able to do 10 handstand pushups, unbroken (for some reason, these are absolutely killer for me). For the year, I'd like to have a 300lb clean and jerk. Just some ideas to spark some thoughts. What are your goals??? Post any goals to comments. If you need inspiration, check out the similar post and comments on the Santa Clara page.

 

 

Interested in watching the CrossFit Games in SoCal?

Last Chance for the Early Bird Special on CrossFit Games Tickets.

I'd recommend purchasing the tickets now since they are $10 cheaper. We had a group of about 40 people last year head down and we all had a blast!!! Root on Jason and potentially, a few other members at our gyms! Either way 40 or 50 for three days is a great deal!


 

A couple of pictures from the weekend:

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Great energy from the Saturday Crew!


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The Sunday team workout.

 

Birthday WOD for Tomorrow:

  

 

Tabata Air Squats

 

 

2 Rounds:

10 DL @ 185#'s
10 Box Jumps  24"
10 V Ups 

Rest 1 minute 

3 Rounds:

10 DL @ 185#'s
10 Box Jumps  24"
10 V Ups 

Rest 1 minute 

5 Rounds:

10 DL @ 185#'s
10 Box Jumps  24"
10 V Ups 

 

 


 


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Kale chips.....they taste amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Simple directions. Tear the leaves off the stem, drizzle a little olive oil and a tad of sea salt on them, bake for 12-14 min @ 350 degrees. Enjoy!

 


02/26/2011

Want to compete in an endurance-based CrossFit event tomorrow (Sunday, February 27)???

Crossfit_black_logo

Many local, bay area affiliates have come together and set up a competition series that invites endurance athletes and CrossFit athletes to test their skills. The goal of these events is to help bridge the gap between these two types of athletes and hopefully help everyone realize that their respective sports and training styles are both equally beneficial and challenging. Plus, it is a chance to compete! 

 

http://www.thresholdracinginc.com/multi-sport-challenge.php

 

 

Another great Saturday Class!!! Check out some of the action:

 

Warm up for the Saturday Class

 

Saturday class workout

 

 

 

Schedule for tomorrow:

 

11am team workout in Santa Clara!

 

 

 

Workout for tomorrow:

 

Team workout designed by Sal

 

 

 

02/25/2011

Tomorrow is our free intro class hosted in our Santa Clara location at 9am. This is a great way to be introduced to CrossFit and check it out for the first time.

 

 

Great workout today!!! The classes were a ton of fun! Check out some of the action...

 

Tim joins the 400 club!

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Some action from the classes, everyone working hard:

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7am class

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8am class

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5:30 class

 

 

 

Workout for Tomorrow:

 

 As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:

 

10 Super Pull Ups (pull up and jump to the bar attached above it)

10 Right Arm snatches with either a heavy KB or DB

10 Left Arm snatches with either a heavy KB or DB

10 Front Squats with the object you are using for the snatches

 

Can't do a super Pull Up? No worries, perform regular pull ups. Can't do a pull up? No worries, use a band or do jumping pull ups.

 



02/24/2011

The max height box jumps were great today!

I know that there is a bit of an inherent fear factor with something like that. Most of you did a great job committing to the task and conquering that fear! That is the good stuff!!! 

 

 

Let's talk about the mindset going into a 1 rep max... anything:

It is absolutely imperative that you have confidence in your ability and your movement in order to get the work done. Have a positive mental attitude!!! Your mindset has a lot to do with your performance!!! For example, if you think the weight is too heavy, it will be too heavy. Trust you athleticism, your skill, and your technique to get it done. Believe that you can do it. Worst case, drop the bar. Obviously, safety and quality movement are a prerequisite.

Most of you are way stronger than you think you are. You need to be 100% committed or it wont happen. A lot of times, we tend to learn from missed reps. You understand what it feels like and then you can teach yourselves what you need to do to get it done. You prove a lot to yourselves when you commit to something and the results follow. I saw a lot of this today, as well as some really great teamwork. Keep it up!

 

 

My favorite pic of the day:

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Brian firing a few fist pumps after a big time 52" box jump!!!

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Workout for Tomorrow:

 

 

Going heavy on Deadlift's (what type??? to be decided) 

 

 

Lets have some fun, our conditioning workout will be decided on the spot by the instructor!

 


02/23/2011

 

Awesome job lifting heavy objects over your heads today!

 

I was pumped to see everyone working together and pushing each other to hit a PR and establish a 1 rep max. There were a lot of PR's today! Good work all around.

 

Vijay's PR:

 

 

A few pics of a fun filled day:

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Sprints and kettlebell swings

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Lifting heavy objects overhead

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Prowlers and sleds


 

 

 

Workout for Tomorrow:

 

Find your 1 Rep Max Height Box Jump (see video below for motivation)

 


5 Rounds for Time:

10 Power Snatches 95#'s

20 Wall Ball Shot's

 

Should this be done unbroken???? Yup!!! Lets see it tomorrow.


 

 

02/22/2011

The workout today was really cool! The incentive to earn your rest made everyone push really hard. Although, some of you made the wall sits look easy. Check out this picture of Scott below. I had to make them a little tougher on him. He must not ever use chairs; it literally looked like he could do this all day.

 


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Scott showing the wall-sit who's boss.

 

Breakdown of the Split Jerk (from Jason):

 

Lets talk about the Push Jerk or Split Jerk as demoed below.

 

The goal of a "Jerk" is to get a heavy object locked out overhead from the rack position. 

 

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Let's talk about the rack position. On a jerk our grip widens slightly and our elbows raise up slightly (compared to the shoulder press) to allow for the bar to sit comfortably on our shoulders. Keep in mind that unlike a shoulder press, we are creating energy through our body that eventually wants to transfer through the bar. To make this happen, the bar must be resting on our shoulders. A wider grip helps for a decreased distance to travel and easier ability to pop your head through in the finish.

Our midline is tight, we take a deep breath in and maintain a "hollow" position from start to finish of this movement.

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The Dip. Your butt, back and head are in a straight line. Your knees slightly shoot forward but keep in mind that the angle of your hip is decreasing here. That decreased hip angle will then re-open in a second to cause the upward momentum on the bar. Some athletes may want to slightly toe out their feet and track them with their knees to keep their torso more vertical easier.

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The Drive. I have now fully opened my hips, driving through my heels, and squeezing my butt creating elevation on the barbell. This barbell is almost as high as it should be at this point. It is now weightless and floating upward in space. 

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The Catch. Once reaching full extension of the hip in the previous picture, I immediately re-close that hip and drop under the load locking out my arms on the way down. The load never goes up past the previous picture (or very little) I instead drop under it and use my legs to drive it up. Keep in mind that I am doing a split jerk here but the push jerk would be identicle however my feet would simply move out to my squat stance instead of my split stance. Many people prefer the split stance because it allows them to keep their torso more verticle in the catch.

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You finish with both feet under your body, arms locked out, rib cage down and tight, head through the arms. 

  

 

Workout for Tomorrow:

  

 

Split or Push Jerk for a 1 Rep Max (stay tight!!!!!!!!!)

Wear a belt if needed on heavy heavy loads.

 

 

7 Minutes of "GO"

  

On "GO" you sprint about 50 feet and back (should be done outside, weather permitting)

Complete 1 KB swing 2 pood

Sprint 50 feet and back

Complete 2 KB swings 2 pood

Sprint 50 feet and back

Complete this cycle for 7 minutes.

 

Immediately after 7 minutes are up........

Partner/Team Prowler Push (3-5 a person)

 

 




02/21/2011

We will be resuming our normal tomorrow!

 


The athlete's heart (that's you, CrossFitters!!!):

Here is an interesting article I came across about the size and ability of an athletic individual's heart. Here is an excerpt from the article:

"Athlete's Heart"

Conditioning causes physical and electrical changes in the heart, creating a beneficial condition called "athlete's heart." Aerobic training, such as running or swimming, causes your heart to develop larger heart chambers. Participants in anaerobic sports, such as weightlifting, increase the thickness and strength of their heart muscles. Mixing the two types of training creates both types of heart improvement. During intense exercise, the hearts of highly trained athletes pump as much as twice the volume of blood as the hearts of untrained people.

Doesn't that type of training sound very familiar???

Here is the article in its entirety:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/385209-why-do-athletes-have-a-lower-heart-rate/

 

My interest in the subject of the heart was sparked while reading the book, The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf a while back. He discusses how the "athlete's heart" is now seen as a medical anomaly (much larger and more muscular and can pump far more affectively), whereas the "normal heart" is much smaller in size and much less functional. It is pretty sad that we have accepted the smaller, weaker heart as the norm. It is no wonder why heart disease is the number one killer of Americans, by far! To quote Mark Rippetoe (weightlifting coach), "Strong people are generally harder to kill."

 

If diet and exercise is the remedy for heart disease and type 2 diabetes, why isn't this promoted as the normal way of life? You all should feel proud that you are engaged in a healthy and sustainable lifestyle that will lead to greater long term health!!! Give yourselves a HUGE pat on the back!!!

 


 

 

Workout for Tomorrow:

 

Complete as many rounds as possible in 4 minutes of:

 

5 Power Cleans @ 155#'s

5 V Ups

5 Deadlift's @ 155#'s

5 Push Ups (with a release if you are more advanced)

 

Immediately after the round is over hold the squat position against the wall for as long as possible with a maximum of 2 minutes.

 

The time that you hold the squat dictates the amount of rest you get before your next round. Yes, you could game it and not do any squat holds (not encouraged and not the goal)...this would mean you would automatically be right back on the bar for the workout though. The squat hold is a mental test, see how hard you can push yourself!

 

We will complete this for a total of 4 rounds. This workout may change depending on how effective we feel it is. 

 

A picture from the "Old CrossFit Santa Clara" from the way-back machine... this is what the wall squat holds look like.

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02/20/2011

Limited Schedule tomorrow!

12:00pm, and 5:30pm only. Normal schedule resumes Tuesday.

 

 

Cool picture of Dana and Davie after their workout on the beach today. If you are ever traveling, get creative! Your only limitation is your imagination. The movements are what matter; you can make equipment out of anything... Photo-46

  

 

Mobility Certification information:

https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=934551

  

  

Pretty Cool video promoting the Crossfit Games


Remember the 2010 CrossFit Games? - video [wmv] [mov] [HD mov]

 

 

 

 

Workout for Tomorrow:

 

 

Tomorrow is Jeff's Birthday, thought we would do something special for him.

 

 

Run 1 mile 

50 Back Squats @ 135#'s

Row 1k 

50 Back Squat's @ 135#'s

 

Goal= Less than 20 minutes for sure!

 

 

 


Schedule for Monday:

  

12pm and 5:30 only

 

 

Schedule for Tomorrow:

 

Mobility Class has been cancelled

 

11:00am Normal Class

 

 

 

Workout for Tomorrow:

 

Team Workout! 

 

 


An example of an awesome breakfast!!

 

Veggies don't have to taste bad, mix it up and try new seasonings. Today I tried truffle oil on the mushrooms, awesome!

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