Sun. Sept. 13th, 2009

Rest Day

Today I thought I would talk about the Firefighter Combat challenge. In November, we have some of our own members (including myself) competing at the Combat Challenge World championships in LasVegas. I am mentioning this because of the similarity between the Combat Challenge and CrossFit. I came across this great article that discusses the relationship between the two and the gains that firefighters have had with CrossFit in terms of the Challenge. Here is an exerpt:

The Firefighter Combat Challenge is about power and functional movement. So is CrossFit. Mike Warkentin talks to Dr. Paul Davis and elite firefighting athletes about what that means for the future of fitness. “The whole point of this thing is to sort of beat you down. When it’s all said and done, you’re moving very heavy masses and trying to move them fast.” Dr. Paul Davis isn’t describing CrossFit. He’s talking about the Firefighter Combat Challenge, an event he invented in the ʼ70s to predict the success of the men and women who run into burning buildings and carry out the people trapped inside. It took several years for Davis to discover that his challenge was more than just a way to measure true fitness—it was a way to encourage it. “In 18 years of having run this competition, we’ve got a lot of misconceptions still,” Davis says. “People misconstrue the constructs and dimensions of fitness. They come back and they’ll say, ‘I added 75 lb. to my bench press,’ and I go, ‘OK, and that does not translate into high performance.’”
Davis says his sport is about power—moving a lot of mass in a short time. Sound familiar? Given that so many of his athletes speak so highly of CrossFit, Davis has been compelled to research the program and its methodology. After all, he sees its efficacy at every Challenge. “The proof is in the pudding, because it’s pretty evident that a lot of our standout athletes regularly engage in (CrossFit),” he says.

http://library.crossfit.com/premium/pdf/CFJ_Warkentin_FirefighterChallenge.pdf?e=1252835864&h=cb2e785e3ece7606ed1f267387171144

I said I will be closed today, but I decided that I would get a workout in after shift. So....I will be at the box from 8:30-9:00 to 10am. Anybody is welcome.

Otherwise Monday's hours will be as follows:
6:30am
9am - 11am
1pm - 4pm (by appt only)
4pm - 6pm

Sat. Sept. 12th, 2009

Today's W.O.D.
Make up Day.

Many are using today as a rest day. If you missed a recent workout and want a make up, today's the day.

Today's hours:
6:30 only

Fri. Sept. 11th, 2009

My son Joey showing me his CrossFit combat skills.

W.O.D.
25 Double Unders
400m run
6 rounds for time

**Just a reminder - classes begin on the hour. If you are going to be late, give me a call and we'll try and adjust. Thanks**

Today's hours
6:30am
9am - 11am
1pm - 4pm by appt.
4pm - 6pm

Thurs. Sept. 10th, 2009

I talk a lot in terms of "benchmarks" and "scaling" weights/reps. Scaling allows for the beginner athlete to work towards reaching the benchmark W.O.D.s. I found a great article by Clea Weiss on this exact subject. Check it out:

Clea Weiss explores a few good ways to scale CrossFit effectively. Scaling is an important aspect of Crossfit, but one that’s often misunderstood. Correctly altering and customizing workouts can increase your work capacity, make training more gratifying and keep your Fran times well under 20 minutes—all good things. The simple fact is that the WODs posted on CrossFit.com are designed for elite athletes with CrossFit experience, and almost all new CrossFitters will have to scale their workouts. But scaling properly isn’t easy. So how do you scale to achieve the best results? There are various ways to scale. How to elicit the most effective response is both subtle and complex. You don’t always scale by reducing the duration of workouts, for instance. Scaling correctly will increase work capacity more efficiently than attempting to complete workouts as prescribed before you’re ready for them. Properly lowering the weight and achieving a faster time will actually yield a higher level of power. It’s also critical to scale weight on workouts. You need to evaluate the point of the WOD. In CrossFit, one-rep max days exist for a reason: to build strength while struggling with a heavy load. If the WOD calls for 30 clean and jerks at 155 pounds, it’s clearly a met-con WOD. If you turn the workout into 30 single reps with a minute rest between them, you’ve missed the point. Lowering the rep count, altering the movements themselves, and tinkering with round and rep prescriptions are other options.Careful scaling works—but it takes planning and experience. Track your progress, evaluate the results of your scaling and correct your mistakes. Talk to other coaches and athletes and ask for advice. Think, plan and educate yourself. Most importantly, keep at it.

http://library.crossfit.com/premium/pdf/CFJ_CleaWeiss_Scaling.pdf?e=1252619549&h=84b45c7e5bbcfb3c1c28e669d4ed5577

**

Today's W.O.D.
5 -Thrusters 95lbs
10 - Burpees
15 - Knees to elbows
AMRAP in 20 mins

Here's a little refresher on the thruster:
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_BBThrusters.wmv

Today's hours:
9am - 11am
4pm - 6pm

Wed. Sept. 9th, 2009

Everyone having fun with Angie.

Today's W.O.D.
"Angie"
100 Pull-ups
100 Push-ups
100 Sit-ups
100 squats
For time

Today's hours:
6:30 only

Tomorrow's hours:

9am - 11am

4pm - 6pm

Tues. Sept. 8th, 2009

Another change for those who read my earlier blog.
We will be will open this afternoon from 4pm - 6pm. Again, sorry for the inconvenience.

Today's W.O.D.
"CrossFit total"
Back squat, 1 rep
Shoulder Press, 1 rep
Deadlift, 1 rep

Check out this article by Mark Rippetoe in the Dec. 01, '06 CrossFit journal:

http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/52-2006_CFTotal.pdf

The CrossFit Total reflects an athlete's functional strength capacity more accurately than any other test, writes Mark Rippetoe, author of Starting Strength and owner of The Wichita Falls Athletic Club/CrossFit Wichita Falls.
The CrossFit Total is the sum of the best of three attempts at the squat, the press, and the deadlift. All three lifts are done while standing on the floor. They require minimal and inexpensive equipment. They are not technique- dependent to the extent of the Olympic lifts, yet they require technical proficiency beyond mere passing familiarity. They are safe when performed correctly, since they can all be performed without spotters—alone in a garage if necessary.
There is no time limit for each lift or for the length of the session in which they are all performed, but they must all be performed during one session—i.e., you cannot leave the area to rest or perform other activities between the three lifts.
Anyone in a position to attempt a legitimate CrossFit Total should be familiar enough with their capabilities on the lifts to have a fairly good idea of just what might be possible for a one-rep max (1RM). This number is what you warm up intending to do. A meet situation will involve three attempts, and this is a good way to determine a true 1RM.
The first attempt would be a weight you know you can do for a heavy set of three. The second attempt would be a weight you know without any doubt that you could do for a single, having just done the first attempt. And the third attempt is the weight you want to do, based on your performance on the previous two attempts.

Today's hours:
4pm - 6pm

Tomorrow's hours:
6:30am only

Mon. Sept. 7th, 2009

Labor Day

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. In a nutshell, it is the celebration of the importance of hard work in terms of its value in everyday life as Americans.

I will have one class today at 9am. I'll be getting off shift and would like to offer a chance to get a workout in (including myself).

Today's W.O.D.

"Elizabeth"
Clean 135 pounds

Ring dips

21-15-9 for time

Today's hours:

9am (hopefully I won't get a late call)

Tomorrow's hours:

6:30am - 11am

1pm - 4pm (by appt only)

4pm - 6pm

Sun. Sept. 6th, 2009

Rest Day

Proper nutrition and CrossFit? It will make the difference when it comes to human performance. In the May, ’04 issue of the CrossFit journal, Coach Glassman states, “Our clinical experience proves the Zone Diet, by Dr. Barry Sears is the best nutritional model for optimal performance.” The Zone Diet, when properly followed, can accelerate an athletes performance. I've included a few articles on nutrition during the past few months. Many of you have the same questions regarding proper nutrition and CrossFit performance.

Here is an exerpt from the May 11th, '09 CrossFit journal:

Robb Wolf is the co-owner and founder of CrossFit NorCal. He has also been studying nutrition for a long time and offers nutrition seminars all over North America. In this video, which is a basic introduction to the Zone, Robb explains that the most acute benefit of the Zone approach to food is the accuracy and precision with which food is consumed. There are three macronutrients that greatly affect the workings of the body: Protein, carbohydrate, and fat. With the Zone block system, you can know exactly the ratio of each at all times throughout the day. Zone blocks normalize the various differences in macronutrient effect, such that one block of sugar affects insulin to the same degree that one block of zucchini does. No matter which approach to managing your blocks you follow, following a precise system of managing food is essential to understanding the effects of food on all levels of performance, fitness, and health.

Check out the video in the May 11th, '09 CrossFit journal:
http://library.crossfit.com/premium/video/CFJ_Wolf_ZoneIntro.wmv?e=1252298635&h=126a6a2970af2a033c9f3accb2132b3b
If you couldn't access this video, you may have to subscribe to the CrossFit journal. The journal is a great resource on every aspect of CrossFit. I highly recommend it. If you have any questions, please let me know.

http://journal.crossfit.com/nutrition/

Today we will be closed. Have a great Sunday....try to stay dry.

Tomorrow's hours:
9am only