Monday, 4/2/12

Nutrition and Depression.

If I could, I would definitely make this a part of REQUIRED READING before joining CFCC.

April 23rd marks the beginning of CFCC’s next Body Composition Change Challenge – SWIMSUIT EDITION! (more details to come soon – save the date!)

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If you’re new to CrossFit what you may not know is that every one of the “slow” lifts (Back/Front Squat, Deadlift, Press, Overhead Squat) that you do is actually a lift that is meant to prepare you for one of the “fast” lifts – or, the Olympic Lifts (Snatch, Clean and Jerk).  So, when you front squat you are actually creating stability and strength out of the landing position of the clean.  Likewise, when you Overhead Squat you are creating a kind of muscular history for remembering exactly what it feels like to catch a barbell over your head when you land in the bottom position of the Snatch.

So, what is the purpose of the simple military press?

First off, you can recognize that the top position of the Clean and Jerk bears a strong resemblance to the top position of your prettiest press.  Secondly, you can imagine that for the average budding beginner it’s sometimes not enough to develop stability for the jerk by simply doing it – it helps to develop strength throughout the entirety of the path of the jerk. How close should the barbell be from your forehead as it passes in front of you?  How should your shoulder blades feel right out of the gate at the bottom of the press?  What should the top position REALLY feel like?  These are all things that are possible to determine when you are not busy trying to CATCH the weight in it’s final position and are instead, taking the time to reinforce the pathway it takes to get there. Thirdly, developing some kind of strength in the shoulders can ABSOLUTELY help you to catch more weight overhead.

As you press today, know that this is a movement that is not done just for the sake of doing it – as with ALL of our programming – each movement has a purpose for performance, body composition, and ultimately your overall health (and happiness?  I think we can tag happiness on there).  And remember, if you ever have a question about your training – just ask! (erin@crossfitcc.com)

It’s Monday, folks!  Get after it!

-e.

From HookGrip (ask Nat what it is): Mia Jackson (75kg National Champion) celebrating after C&Jing 115kg to give her a 200kg total. Check out that default overhead position!

SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE: Lax Ball Lower Traps, 2 minutes. Lax Ball Pecs, 2 minutes.
MOBILITY: Band Assisted Pec Stretch, 1 minute each side. Band Overhead Stretch, 1 minute each side. SCM/Trap Stretch, 30 seconds each side.
POSTURAL ACTIVATION: Handstand Hold, 1 minute each side.
DYNAMIC WARM-UP: Duck Walk around for a minute. 🙂 Then, review the barbell thruster so you know what you can handle later in the session.
STRENGTH: Press, up to a peak of 3.
METABOLIC CONDITIONING:

50 thrusters, 45lbs or 35lbs (barbell)
15 L-Pullups
40 thrusters
12 L-Pullups
30 thrusters
9 L-Pullups
20 thrusters
6 L-Pullups

*If you don’t have L-pullups, sub a strict pullup.

The last time we did this workout was a LONG time ago – but for those of you who keep records (GOOD FOR YOU!) February 11, 2010 was the day!

Tuesday, 1/17/12

Eczema and Gluten?

Have questions about the “restrictions” of the Paleo Diet? – check out the Whole9 Resources Page.

Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Miller showing off a great top position for the press.

SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE: Foam Roll, 5 minutes.
MOBILITY: Wall Quad Plus Overhead Reach, 1 minute each side. Band Overhead Stretch, 1 minute each side. Band Pec Stretch, 1 minute each side.
DYNAMIC WARM-UP: Kettlebell Snatch Review – all members of CFCC who haven’t been members for more than a month may stay with the two armed russian kettlebell swing for the workout and simple perform 21, 15, 9 swings total. If your bell is still crashing during skill work, perform the two armed russian kettlebell swing for the workout.
STRENGTH: Press, peak set of 3. DO NOT GO TO FAILURE.  DO NOT ATTEMPT SETS THAT YOU DON’T REALLY BELIEVE YOU WILL GET 3 REPS OF.  Just saying. 🙂
METABOLIC CONDITIONING: “Sprocket” 21-15-9 reps of: Kettlebell Snatch (1.5/1), Pull-ups.

Two great tips on the Kettlebell Snatch.

Sunday, 8/7/11

There are no regular CrossFit sessions today… but there is CROGA at 1pm with Tim! Come out and get mobile for the week! Gymnastics is also at 12pm!

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What one thing would you love to be better at – CrossFit or otherwise? Post to comments!

Also, if you feel like you absolutely must do a Workout of the Day today… please don’t forget that we have a whole HOST of Travel Wods available – some of which I (Erin) am probably attempting at this very moment! If you do hit up a travel WOD we’d love to see a picture of it – make sure you do that really typical CrossFit thing and let us know what you’re up to!

Failure seldom stops you. What stops you is the fear of failure.
-Jack Lemmon

Strong Mary is getting stronger!

GYMNASTICS at 12pm:

Skills: Rolls & Free Standing Handstand
Metcon: 4 Rounds for Time:
15 Burpee Tuck Jumps
15 Inverted Burpees

Tuesday, 7/12/11

CFCC’s PROM is this Saturday, from 8-11pm, RSVP.

Interested in competing? The Competitor’s Meeting is this coming Wednesday at 730pm.

Our new cycle begins today!  Here’s what the next three weeks will look like:

Monday: Front Squat

Tuesday: Press

Wednesday: Recharge

Thursday: Weighted Pull-up

Friday: Back Squat

Saturday: Specialty Classes

Sunday: Partner Workouts

“What do you first do when you learn to swim? You make mistakes, do you not? And what happens? You make other mistakes, and when you have made all the mistakes you possibly can without drowning – and some of them many times over – what do you find? That you can swim? Well – life is just the same as learning to swim! Do not be afraid of making mistakes, for there is no other way of learning how to live!” – Alfred Adler

Wanna learn how to handstand? Sammy’s teaching ’em at Gymnastics at 730pm tonight!

SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE: Lax Ball to Shoulders, 2 minutes per side.  Do this in between your sets too! Don’t forget your pecs!

MOBILITY: Back in Quadness, Baby, it’s gonna take 12 minutes.

POSTURE AND STABILITY: Handstand Hold, 1 minute.

STRENGTH: Press, up to a peak of 5.

METABOLIC CONDITIONING: Tabata Single Leg Squats – (you MUST alternate legs, after you do a rep on your weak leg, you must use your strong leg, and vice versa).

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ON RAMP, at 6pm with Erin:

Skill: The Deadlift

Metcon: AMRAP in 10 minutes: 1 minute Knees to Elbows, 1 minute Medball Slams, 1 minute rest.

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GYMNASTICS, at 730pm with Sammy:

Skill Work: Rope climb & walking handstand
MetCon:
20ft walking handstand (scale: 20 handstand thigh-slaps)
25 knees-to-elbows
20ft walking handstand
20 knees-to-elbows
20ft walking handstand
15 knees-to-elbows
20ft walking handstand
10 knees-to-elbows
20ft walking handstand

Friday, 7/8/11

Come to Sammy’s birthday party/CFCC PROM! 🙂 If you’re a member, you’re invited – RSVP here!

Like Team Workouts? Come out this coming Sunday at 12pm for a fun one!

Neha at the top of a press.

SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE: Lax Ball to Shoulders, 1 minute to each pec, 1 minute per side of area between shoulder blades.
MOBILITY: Shoulder Range and Positional Inhibition, spend about 3 minutes on each side.
DYNAMIC WARM-UP: 3 Rounds of: Arm Swings as needed, 10 Glute Bridges, Press 50ish% of your max 3 times focusing on max speed out off the shoulders and maximal contraction of the lower body for the entirety of the movement. Don’t know what I mean by maximal contraction, read more here from Mark Reifkind (imagine reading it with a Russian accent – it’ll be way more effective).
STRENGTH: Press, up to a peak of 3.
METABOLIC CONDITIONING: 30 Burpee Box Jumps (24/20) for time.