Wednesday, June 19, 2013

"Ensign" WOD

(6) 3 min rounds; 1 min rest between rounds

3 Power Cleans

6 Push-ups

9 Squats

Monday, June 17, 2013

A Mental Process for Returning to Exercise by David Lipson

For many reasons people take a break or are for the first time getting back into exercise. Life happens, women get pregnant, jobs get hectic, people get sick and responsibilities take us away from being able to stay on top of maintaining a good level of fitness. Too often I see the status quo of mediocre health and performance accepted as good enough…then life hits, the wheels come off, and people quickly slip closer to sickness without having a buffer to counteract these predictable periods.

I always find it comical when people tell me, “Dave I want to get back into training with you, I just need to get back in shape first!” I tell them fitness is like saving for retirement: The best time to start is 20 years ago, and the next best time is right now!”

You need help to make your transition back to the gym successful and, even more importantly, sustainable. Remember, most health and fitness clubs survive on the fact that you will realize your need to get back into shape. They then proceed to lock you into a yearlong contract that you seldom use after the third month because there is no accountability, efficacy or efficiency in that type of fitness model. No one is watching you to make sure you are progressing or coming in on a consistent basis. It’s very myopic: Just put on your ear buds, do what you are comfortable doing and try not to embarrass yourself in front of the hot people. Not very fun or effective. Then rinse and repeat every January in time for your New Year’s resolution and try to convince yourself that this most recent club fitness gym with a new logo and nicer bathrooms will provide a different result.

Here are some steps to take to help provide more results and sustainability:

Work out with a coach, partner, or group of people.
This will let you feel at ease with possibly looking or feeling uncomfortable. Everyone looks weird and goofy together. If you are struggling, wheezing or grunting, it’s fine because you are in the trust tree, as everyone can do these things together. Also the shared suffering will build community, camaraderie and accountability. You can cheer each other on, push each other to work harder or create friendly competition with the guy you know you should beat.

Don’t feel bound to performing as you once did or as an elite athlete does.
Everyone enters at a different level. A former D1 athlete will probably have a quicker road to fitness than someone who has been relatively sedentary their entire life. What’s important is that in every session you push yourself to get a little uncomfortable as you work at the limits of your mental and physical thresholds. Too much intensity too soon will create a miserable experience and possible injury; not enough intensity will not yield adequate results.

Track your results.
You want to be able to quantify your fitness in a very real, measurable way. This means tracking weights, reps and times of different physical tasks and workouts, then repeating them as a re-test. Increased weights, decreased times and work mean an increase in your fitness.

Take baby steps.
You are not going to go from zero to hero in a single day. Fitness is a slow assent to a distant horizon. As you re-enter the gym, first start by trying to be consistent with your attendance and recording where you are with your scores. You are already jumping leaps and bounds just by being there, because something is dramatically better than nothing. Then start to increase the frequency of your training and push the intensity a little more each day. Finally, try to take a more comprehensive approach by considering dietary and lifestyle factors that can improve your performance. But this will not likely all happen at once.

Best of luck getting back in the gym, and remember: The best time to start was 20 years ago and the next best time is right now!
— David Lipson

Crossfit Tips for Beginners by Journeyofadreamer.com

Ever since my first CrossFit experience I have been wanting to put together a post for others who may be interested in CrossFit and want to know more (of for those of you who are curious about “those crazy people” lol).

First of all, let me be totally honest with you… I had zero desire to try CrossFit when I first started hearing about it. After all, I was a runner. I didn’t need CrossFit, just the open road and my Nike’s (insert elitest runner voice here). The truth is, I had been running consistently for 2 years and while I saw some improvement, I knew I needed something else. I started getting into weight training a little bit. I kept hearing about CrossFit, but kept brushing it off mostly because I didn’t want to join in on a “fad”

Plus, weren’t all those people who did it crazy obsessed? Didn’t you have to be in great shape already? Didn’t they eat that weird Paleo diet? And if I work out like that won’t I get bulky?

There are a ton of questions,myths, and misconceptions about CrossFit. I’m going to try to address a few of them here, and I’ll also link up to some other posts from some great bloggers about CrossFit.

Aren’t people who CrossFit crazy obsessed? Isn’t it like a cult or something?Sure, there are some people who are pretty obsessed with it… but it’s just like any other type of workout or hobby. Runners seem “obsessed” with running… crafters are considered “obsessed” with crafting… Everything is going to have those kind of people. Just like with everything, you have to find balance. It is by no means a cult, just a community promoting functional fitness.

Don’t I have to be in shape to start CrossFit?As far as being in great shape goes, that one is obviously FALSE. You don’t have to be in great shape to start CrossFit… but if you do CrossFit long enough you will probably start getting in great shape! There are super elite CrossFit athletes who compete for a living. There are also runners, swimmers, football players, etc who compete for a living. Everything in CrossFit is scalable. They have “Rx” or prescribed workouts, but if you can’t do those they always have ways for you to modify it to your scale level. And just because you scale a workout to your level doesn’t mean you aren’t working just as hard as someone who might Rx a workout. I scale everything right now, and I can tell you that I still get a killer workout!

Will I get hurt?Let’s face it, you can get hurt doing anything. Driving, Flying, Running, playing softball. Like any sport there are risks, but in my opinion there are a lot more risks to sitting on your butt doing nothing! You have to learn to listen to your body and find that line between pushing yourself too far and using it as an excuse not to push yourself. It is absolutely imperative that if you’ve never done these kinds of workouts before that you go to a reputable gym with a trustworthy trainer. Learning the basics of lifts like Deadlift, Push Press, Snatch, Power Cleans, etc can be tricky if you don’t have good instruction. Need help finding a local box? Check Here.

What are the classes like?Again, I have to say all CrossFit Boxes are going to be different since they are independently owned. When I go to CrossFit I plan on being there for about an hour. We start with a warm up, usually a 400m jog or row, then some group warm ups. Then for about 15-20 minutes we usually work on strength or skill. My favorites are when we work on lifting. We practice our deadlifts, push presses, clean and jerks. Then we do the WOD or Work Out of the Day.

It is usually either for time (as fast as possible) or they give us a time limit and we do AMRAP, As Many Rounds As Possible. After the WOD we usually do a stretch/mobility or depending on the intensity of the WOD maybe a finisher like planks. Even though the actual WOD is usually 10-20ish minutes, you still get a great workout!

Do I have to eat Paleo?
No! Obviously it is what they recommend, but its not for everyone. (Paleo is a type of eating that basically focuses on what our early ancestors could have hunted or gathered. So basically lean meats, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables). We are eating pretty close to Paleo, but still allow ourselves beans and some dairy. I will say this has worked well with me because of my Hashimoto’s I also have a gluten sensitivity. Avoiding the grains has helped my stomach and digestion quite a bit. I have found so many delicious alternatives to my normal gluten filled foods, like my favorite Paleo Pancakes!

If I lift weights like that won’t I get bulky?
This one is primarily for the ladies. I see so so so many women go to the gym and spend an hour on the treadmill or elliptical and walk out. When you ask them why they don’t go use the weights they typically respond “I don’t want to get all bulky and manly.” I have to admit I was one of the girls who didn’t really use the weights for a long time. Mostly because I was intimidated by them. This one is so not true. You will not bulk up like a body builder by picking up a barbell! From everything I have learned over the past few years, lifting weights is one of the best ways to get trim. Muscle burns more calories than fat, even after you stop working out. Stop with the treadmill and pick up a barbell! One of the reasons I love CrossFit is that it gives me a safe area to learn how to properly use the weights, rather than being intimidated by all the builder guys staring at themselves in the mirror in front of the free weights.

“Learn to Never Quit”

Lastly, let me remind you that CrossFit isn’t for everyone. Some people love it, some people hate it. I can’t argue with the results I’m seeing in my body and in how strong I feel. But please, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!

Want more info? Check out these great posts

CrossFit Q & A from CarrotsnCake
My First CrossFit Class from FittingItAllIn Before You Drink the CrossFit Kool-Aid by A Renaissance Woman CrossFit For Beginners from Rock The Dogs CrossFit Questions from Undeterrable The World of CrossFit by TheJourneyTv

Would you try CrossFit? If you have tried it, any tips for beginners?

Crossfit Tips For Success by Jeff Jucha

I’ve been involved in CrossFit for years as a participant and a coach. In that time, I have made some mistakes, some rookie, and some that I just should have known better. In my ever-expanding attempt to create a great community of fitness, I think it would benefit CrossFitters everywhere to hear some things to avoid from a wise voice.

1) Your background is not your destiny, (but it’s what you have today).

Unlike Coach Charles, I am not a former gymnast. I did a bunch of endurance sports like soccer, swimming, running, etc. This meant that I wasn’t all that strong. I could run for days, but having a 400lb dead-lift was not in my arsenal. It wasn’t until the beginning of my second year that I got a muscle-up, which made me realize that I could do things I thought were impossible (or didn’t like). But during that first year, I spent a lot of time secretly comparing myself to others and feeling like I wasn’t making enough progress. .. Mistake

Stop comparing yourself to other people. OK, you can do it a little tiny bit for inspiration, but not to run yourself down, and definitely not as an excuse to quit. If, like me, your background is in running, then you probably need to work on strength and comparing yourself to Donny Shankle., Olympic weightlifting beast, who has been diligently lifting for years is DUMB.

2)For the ladies, Don’t ever use the word “bulky”. Ever.

This is a special message for the women new to Crossfit. You will not get bulky. Just…you won’t. Cut it out. Stop using this as an excuse to not get in great shape. You have to lift like a bodybuilder (and juice like one too), to get bulky and that ain’t Crossfit. While I obviously dont fear bulking ( as I am right not to, because I wont bulk unless I eat a cow) I have been training female athletes and stay at home moms long enough to know that stigma is still very much alive .

“I was afraid of getting bulky, so lifting heavy weights wasn’t for me.”

Said no girl with the body you want….ever.

Look around. See that woman with the body you would love to have? She lifts weights. End of discussion.… so get off the elliptical, please.

Also: below I tell people not to act like Godzilla with every workout. That is for the men. Women, this is never your problem. Use more weight.

This is Christmas Abbott. She can be seen competing in the CrossFit Games on espn…and she lifts heavier than most men.

3) Get in the box

CrossFit once or twice a week is beneficial. Will it get you the results you want in a month? probably not, because nothing performed twice a week for a month will.

Get in the box doesn’t just mean come to workouts, it means get into the CF way of thinking. I have to put in hard work multiple times per week, I have to rest, I cannot eat crap, like bread and pasta or drink excessively.

We are about changing peoples lives, not making you lose 10 lbs by shear force and gaining it back again because it was done in an un-maintainable way.

-Dedicate yourself-

Mediocre effort equals mediocre results. No ifs, or buts. Dont nit-pick workouts, dont eat a burger or snack on ice cream 3 times a week if you have 20 lbs to lose. Get dedicated.

4) Not every workout is a competition; embrace training to improve.

You should be pushing past your limits in your workouts when your brain is telling you to stop (and not because of pain, see #7). Why else would you be sick enough to do Crossfit?

However, improvement doesn’t occur just because you flail about with abandon and race to the finish every time we start a stopwatch. Whether you like it or not, at some point you have to start taking ownership of your workouts.

In order to improve and do WODs rx’d, I decided to do these things:
a) Get Stronger, by loading the bar when appropriate.
b) Scale as Needed to complete the movements with the best possible form and range of motion.
c) Show Up Consistently, even if I didn’t like the workout or was feeling a little tired or sore.

I improved, but like most of us, never felt satisfied with the gains I was making. They seemed soooo slow in comparison to everyone else around me and I had my weaknesses! See next point…

5) You will never be good at everything. Get over it.

My biggest problem has always been that I like to do everything – and I want to be a master at everything I ever tried. So I get it when you tell me how you are trying to improve your snatch, max back squat, muscle ups, and strict press all while trying to set a new PR on Fran. That’s how it works, right? Nope. Only patience will get you there, and respect for form and technique and consistency.

6) Listen to your coach.

Find a coach at WLRCF who can answer your questions and whose cues you can follow. The coaches want the best for you. We want to help you progress. So listen. Seriously, get your chin over the bar! Squat lower!

7)Avoid injury

All skills are improved with persistent and regular work. If you get injured you have to lay off and your training suffers.

So stretch and work on your mobility. Today, not tomorrow. Coaches Josh Saavedra and Wes Wilson stretch religiously. Are they ever out for 4 weeks for an injury..no. I didn’t stretch religiously, and guess what? I would be down for 2 months out of the year due to injury, muscle strain, or overtraining. Now I do, and not only do I feel better, I break all of my old records because I can continue to train hard.

Scale. Challenge yourself, but don’t let anyone cajole you into weight that you’re not ready for or that might injure you. Crossfit isn’t (despite what some people think) about impressing other people. It’s about your progress to better fitness, and health, and being able to show up tomorrow is more important than those twenty extra pounds on the bar that send you to the couch for three weeks.
Get help. If your shoulder is still bothering you after 3 months, go get it checked out. Don’t be an idiot by ignoring it and doing a WOD with 200 kipping pull ups. Pain is different than discomfort during a workout; make sure you learn the difference and pay close attention if you are bordering on pain.

Vance Cornelison is the WLRCF Chiropractor. His doors are always open to us and is a stones throw form the box, there is no excuse to skip getting your bum knee or shoulder looked at.

8) Be humble.

Hey, there is a lot to learn in Crossfit. Some of it you can learn fast, some of it takes years to master. Take your time, and be respectful of those who have been at it longer, and especially of those who are newer than you. Be careful in the advice you give and always remember that you are a student no matter what level you’re at.

9) More is not always better. Also, Rest.

Two-a-days before and after work. Marathon sessions of lifting, with several met-cons. Always heavy and always hard. Rarely a day off. Is this you? And exactly when are you going to squeeze in that “recovery” stuff where all gains are made? Learning more about the term “Mimimum Effective Dose” as applied to workouts really stopped me in my tracks a year ago. Really, you should be doing exactly what you need to make gains – once that stops working then change what you are doing or try to increase the workload just enough to see gains again. Too often we get into the mantra of “More!” when it is simply just that, not better.

10) Are we having fun yet???

If you are not having fun, you seriously need to reexamine your priorities and expectations. If you are spending countless hours doing an activity that is making your life more stressful or is keeping you frustrated over your “lack of progress” then you are missing out. The fun is the training and the community. It is not the PRs, and it is not about winning competitions (though I’ll admit those are nice too). CF is a life-changer, your life outside the box will need to change in order to really experience what CF can offer, The friends (I call them CrossFit Family) that you make at the box, are the people who carry you through the rough patches and make real, lasting progress happen.

The best part of my CF experience, hands down, has been the long-lasting friendships I have made through the Box. There are people enriching my life as of now that I never would have known if it weren’t for this place.

You won’t find that if you have your headphones on while jogging on the treadmill. I’ve already tried.

Jeff Jucha

REGIONAL BREAKDOWN-By Lindsey Mathews

Are you an athlete competing at any of the CrossFit Regionals?

Based on my experiences at the past two Regional events, I have come up with an outline of where to direct focus and how to approach certain events. I am not an individual coach, nor do I want to be one. Rather, I specialize in playing smart, from preparation to recovery. I support the athlete and his or her individualistic needs.

Here’s my breakdown of the events:

Jackie
- Start at 80 to 90 percent intensity and be ready to turn it up full speed after about 10 thrusters. Thrusters and pull-ups must be unbroken if you want to win.
- Warm-up: Posterior chain and core. Your glute muscles and hamstrings are going to provide the biggest, most efficient power output for rowing and the thrusters. If your hip flexors are too tight, they will inhibit your glutes. Activate and engage your core not only for the pull-ups, but the thrusters as well.
  - Good mornings
  - Wall lunge
  - Hollow rocks
  - Shoulder taps while in plank

OHS and Muscle-Ups
- 3 reps of OHS in 7 minutes
  - Do not try to PR in this event. Do not even start at your PR. The minimum work requirement is to complete three reps at the opening weight.
  - For example, if your OHS personal best is 175 pounds, then I would advise you to start at 155 pounds. Play it smart and get the points.
30 burpee muscle-ups in 7 minutes
- Depending on how many squats you did in the OHS Complex, you will have had sufficient time to rest or only the allotted two minutes to rest. Be aware of this coming into these two afternoon events.
- Find your rhythm and keep going. Do not stop and stare at the rings. Try to avoid coming out of the gate too hot or you will be stuck waiting while everyone else is moving.
Warm-Up: Shoulder stability. Yes, glutes and core should be warmed-up as well, but your shoulders need to have a full range of motion as well as stability.
- PVC pass-throughs and windmills. Super band work for increased mobility
- Plank with arm taps
- Scapula push-ups
- Handstands

100s
- A hundred reps of anything is not pleasant. This is a mental workout. Pick sets that will support your mind. Give yourself little mountains to conquer.
- For example, if chest-to-bar pull-ups are not your jam, then do small manageable sets of three or four. Reps are not gained hanging on the bar. If the dumbbell snatch is a bit heavy for you, then do sets of four or five.
- Warm-up: Mobilize and activate everything
  - Deep lunges and squats
  - Mobility bands and PVC pass-throughs
  - Jog or row for five to seven minutes
  - Scapula pull-ups and hollow swings from bar
  - Good mornings with barbell or dumbbell
  - Deadlifts and Box Jumps
    - This is a fast, explosive workout. To win this workout, you have got to have clean reps with very little time off the bar.
    - Breaking up the set of 21 into two sets is okay, but aim to get 16 to 18 on the first set. Breaking up the set of 15 into two sets is okay, but aim for eight and seven. If you have to break it up into three sets, then remember to be quick back on the bar.
    - Warm-up: Get hot and explosive. Activate your posterior chain and do a dynamic, track-style warm-up.
      - Glute bridges, good mornings and squats
      - Deep lunges, butt kickers, high knees and skips
      - Squat hops, broad jumps and box jumps

Chipper with Axel
- I call this the gut-check workout because it will hurt. You’re on day three, you’re sore, and this workout is long enough to make you not want to do it. Time to ask yourself, “How bad do I want it?”
- The lunges with the axel in the front-rack position were the game changer. I witnessed competitors have a significant lead and fall five or six places because of this movement.
- Warm-up: Core. Your core is going to save you in this workout. If you have a sloppy core, you will have a sore back and/or shoulders after this workout.
  - Plank, side plank and mountain climbers
  - Hollow holds and hollow snaps
  - Superman holds
  - Handstands and HSPUs

Rope Climbs and Squat Cleans
- This event will go quicker than you think. Yes, you must be able to climb a rope, but you also must be able to lift substantial weight efficiently.
- If you want to win, then do the first (and maybe second) set of squat cleans unbroken. Fast singles are great if you spend no time resting.
- Warm-up: full body. I would warm-up similar to the 100s workout, but with a little more explosiveness. Your deep squat has got to be dialed in.
  - Glute bridges and hollow holds
  - Burgener warm-up
  - Fast elbows into squat
  - Squat cleans and rope climbs

Remember, this is just an outline. I’ve worked with specific athletes on their needs and desired outcomes. Each competitive athlete is different. If someone has a prior shoulder injury or back injury, they will definitely have to give more attention to certain body parts in the warm-up. This outline only covers how to approach workouts. Don’t forget, recovery is just as important. Have fun and play smart.

By Lindsey Mathews

FITNESS’ BARRIER TO ENTRY: ROM-"Range of Motion"

Without sounding too much like a motivational poster, there really isn’t much standing in the way of you and exceptional fitness. Other than your own excuses, there’s no real valid argument as to why you couldn’t achieve it. There’s so much education available for free. In addition, so much is possible with little or no equipment that one can get extremely fit even on a low-income budget.

The minimalist revolution CrossFit has ignited in the fitness community has not only made elite-level fitness possible without tens of thousands of dollars in the latest fitness machines, it has brought beauty to training simply.

In addition, there aren’t enough hyperlinks in the world to share all the stories of folks who were too sick, old, injured or limited to get fit that, well, have. So, being that human performance is the egalitarian beast that it is, there’s isn’t a real barrier to entry to high level fitness…

…except one.

I better add the disclaimer now before I have to go back on my word. You see, luckily, this barrier to entry is one that can be overcome. It’s just one of those halting type issues that, regardless of willpower, quality coaching or nutrition, nothing can make up for it. It’s required.

That barrier to entry is your range of motion. The most ruthless glass ceiling on any athlete’s potential is his/her ability to achieve the positions required to yield exceptional fitness gains. For example, all of the Paleo/Zone diligence in the world can’t help an athlete who is too inflexible to squat get strong. Similarly, the road to elite fitness is halted in even the most motivated athlete whose immobile shoulders cannot bear load overhead.

This should being a flashing Vegas-Strip-esque sign that’s telling you that if your flexibility is impeding your range of motion in any critical lifts/positions, your life’s goals just got a new item in the top spot. Priority number one for any athlete ought to be to achieve and/or maintain the ability to achieve positions necessary to train for and compete in his/her sport. It’s that important.

So, go ahead and set a big hairy fitness goal. Whether it’s to lose 60 pounds, get a bodyweight snatch or a double-bodyweight front squat, I’ll tell you, “The sky is the limit (if you’ve got the flexibility)!”

— Logan Gelbrich
@functionalcoach