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bootcamp photos

Crossfit Birthday parties

Yesterday we had our first crossfit birthday party. Brad turned an undisclosed age. So we conducted a regular WOD and then after a brief time period he was presented with the birthday challenge.
Brads birthday challenge:
Row 500m for time
rest time = time for first 500m
repeat for a total of 4 rds
calculate the total difference in seconds and that number should be less than your age. for example:
rd 1) 1:41
rd 2) 1:47 (difference 6 seconds)

add total difference from initial pull.... and don't sandbag the first pull its a max effort.

I think even though a birthday is just another day, mentally it can be significant. So people make a big deal, and others not so much.
I typically am reflective of the past year on my birthday more so than on new years.
for the past 4 years i have run my age in km's I don't take a watch, or any electronic device... just use it as reflective time, but usually i giver

Happy birthday Brad

getting closer to open

gym progress updates

The flooring is almost complete, and I should soon have the pullup bar in place. I'm hoping to start running classes for monday, and have a grand opening in the new year

12 Days of CrossFit

WOD from crossfit Seatle!

A one hundred yard Sprint

Two Bear-crawls and a one hundred yard Sprint

Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Six Knees to elbows, Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Seven Kettlebell swings, Six Knees to elbows, Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Eight Hanging leg-raise, Seven Kettlebell swings, Six Knees to elbows, Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Nine Ring-dips, Eight Hanging leg-raise, Seven Kettlebell swings, Six Knees to elbows, Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Ten Squat-thrusts, Nine Ring-dips, Eight Hanging leg raise, Seven Kettlebell swings, Six Knees to elbows, Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Eleven Pull-ups, Ten Squat-thrusts, Nine Ring-dips, Eight Hanging leg-raise, Seven Kettlebell swings, Six Knees to elbows, Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Twelve Rocking pistols, Eleven Pull-ups, Ten Squat-thrusts, Nine Ring-dips, Eight Hanging leg-raise, Seven Kettlebell swings, Six Knees to elbows, Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

achieving the unobtainable

When you have reached your wildest goals, where do you go from there.
you may be in shock for a while that "holy shit I did that!!!"
If your below average performance is enough to make a mockery of even the best of athletes then what? if you Find a place where you are the best in the group of people, it means that you need to bring more skill to the table. There are always athletes that are better than you especially when we get to the sport specific plain. Challenge yourself to compete with that domain as well as others... re-establish goals and keep pushing forward in the same way. (Step by Step) Take a realistic look at yourself, and realizing that you will need to compete at a higher level is a very important choice to make during training progression. Surround yourself with the best and you will be the best. It's all to easy to hang around lazy people and become lazy with them.

Mental Endurance

Me and Chris G in New Mexico... WOW that seems like a long time ago... i can't wait to go back when I'm 40 and beat my time!

I would like to say that physical state has nothing to do with endurance performance, but I can't. I beleive that the mind is a very powerful tool, and that slight changes in mental preparation, can make dramatic effects in the outcome. Physical readiness will make it mentally less challenging if you don't have to push as close to your maximums.

I have ran many km's in training for endurance races, and they played an important role in mentally preparing me to know that I can complete further distances. The interesting thing that I've found is that the shorter high intensity workouts put me on the mental/physical edge of quiting much quicker and much more often that the traditional LSD (long slow distance) training.

Crossfit has really amped up my metal readiness. I really love the aspect of being prepared for the unknowable task. It's been my experience as a naturally good runner with a great running base, to have success getting faster at longer distance without a large focus on it and getting much stronger in the process.

"In the martial arts, the mental state should remain the same as normal. In ordinary circumstances as well as when practicing martial arts, let there be no change in the state of mind- with the mind open and direct, neither tense nor unfocused, calmly relax your mind, and savour this moment of peace." - Five Rings

Managing stress and disorientation over long periods without panic or confusion and the pressure of potentially failing is a skill to develop.

many athletes will lose track of a simple count during a high intensity workout....what other basic thought processes do you lose during a maximal effort?

something to think about....

mood and performance

Steve after his first full moon workout...look at the smile... I think he likes it!


I had a really good day today. I noticed that I was willing to try some stunts that I haven't done before at gymnastics. Being in a good mood makes me willing to try new things.(the daring I'm trying to build) The gym was empty and this gave me the freedom to have room to move and try stuff, without eyes watching, or as many.

I also know when I'm having a bad day that, I am more determined when I have a bad day, regardless of result. I can focus negative energy to do something great in some cases.

The more I zone and the more I progress closer to goals, the more I'm determined to get there.... if i feel myself as close to something watch out, because I will near kill myself to get something new.

How does your day to day affect your performance?

another day in the zone

Thanks Again for all that came out to the performance eating seminar, good luck zoning!

[] = block

blocks are totaled as Carbs/Protein/Fat as per the 9/7/3 standard

8am:
8oz water,
3 eggs = 3P[], 3F[]
1oz cheese = 1P[]
4cups spinach fresh = 1 C[]
1/3 cup onion = .5 C[]
1/2 cup tomato = .5 C[]
1 apple = 2C[]
15 cashews = 5F[]

total 4/4/8

11:30am:
8oz water
4oz cooked chicken breast
Large salad (romaine, celery, tomato, cucumber)
4TBS of salad dressing

1 cup of grapes

total 4/4/8

2:30pm
16oz water
2oz chicken = 2P[]
2 cups celery =1C[]
1/2 avocado =4F[]
pepper for flavour =0

2/3 cup rasberries =1C[]

total 2/2/4

4pm WOD:(heavy lift normally I have more water)
3/4 liter of water from pre/post workout

5:15pm
8oz water
4oz Chicken =4P[]
2 Cups broccoli raw =1C[]
2 cups cauliflower raw =1C[]
1 small banana =2C[]
8 macadamia nuts =8F[]

total 4/4/8


9:30pm
2oz cheese = 2P[]
12 crackers =2C[]
12 cashews = 4F[]

total
2/2/4


Days total
16/16/32

THIS IS A 2X fat Rx...

Post your day in the zone for all to see.... !

perfection

Post workout on monday!

The quest for perfection means that you will have to make some sacrifices to get yourself there. If perfection is a 400lbs deadlift, but your current state is a 100lbs deadlift, continually trying to lift 400lbs is way beyond your means. Taking small gradual steps to get to your goal, and being honest with yourself will be the best thing for long term success.

NEWS:
I have been hunting for my first location and I've quickly realized that perfection isn't going to happen. I'm fairly sure that I'm going to have a 90% solution. I've decided that a 90% solution now is better than looking for something that doesn't exist. I will give everyone an update when I know more.

I want to know what your looking for in YOUR gym.

Post personal fitness priorities, and times that you would like to train. feel free to post anonymously, the more that post the more I will have to work with.

I'm looking at making different classes based on fitness ability, so there will be a crossfit test to make it into each new level. thoughts????

Coach

Gourmet food in the zone

Many people that are successful zoners are committed to just eating ingredients. Simply having something for Carbs, Protein, and fat. This is a simple approach and will get you great result, but may leave you wanting more. Instead of going out to eat were oil,salts and many other things that you may or may not realize are being added into your food, why not either make nicer food for yourself within zone requirements. Or just step back to zone principles for the night (which is going to keep you closer to success)

With some fairly simple prep, this meal was made quickly,And as always I pre-cook my protein for the next day...

Ingredients:
Boneless skinless chicken breast
Pre-cooked spinach
Fresh garlic
olive oil
Feta cheese
plain yogurt

Instructions:(makes enough to stuff aprox 4 chicken breasts

carefully fillet a pocket into aprox 4oz chicken breasts.
In a bowl Mix finely mined garlic 1 large clove. Add and entire package of precooked strained spinach. Crumble a few oz's of feta into the mixture (more if you like). add a splash of olive oil, and 2 spoons of plain yogurt (yogurt being a substitute for mayo, and because mayo is mainly oil we add the olive oil)
Mix all together and season with pepper.
the pockets for the chicken will need to be covered, or pinned together. typically they will say to wrap in bacon. I chose to use more filleted chicken to cover the holes. pin them down with water soaked toothpicks so the pocket is, for the most part sealed. Turkey bacon would also be a good option.
cook at 375 for aprox 45-60mins or until chicken is no longer pink inside.

Serve with a Large salad and have some fresh fruit for desert.

Bon Appetite!

who do you want as your strength coach!

getting to a distance goal!

Me running the Bataan Death March in March of 2004. 43km with rucksack in New Mexico (500ft of elevation during the race, and 2 miles of loose sand) Read more about the race at www.bataanmarch.com


As of recently my fitness spirit has led me to obtaining a great 500m rowing time. (1:30... currently I'm at 1:34.8) There are many ways to train for a goal, but sometimes the way you track something or time it, can change the way you think.

for example
Standard: the way in which most people will time an even. Press Start and GO and then move and press stop when complete. this gives you an idea of how much longer than your goal it takes you.

Reverse: If you have a goal time this will give you a better example as to how much time you have left to complete the task. Set time to goal time and watch those seconds disappear. Track how far you have left and close that distance. (excellent on the track and dead simple on the rower)

Pace: If you have the luxury of running with someone that can make your goal time, give it a try and see how long you last. On the rower set your pace boat and try to keep up!

With all distance training, even sprints there is a method to the madness. They are tactical events and should be treated at such. Even though you have me beat from the line I will have more energy to pass you at the end. Negative splits, meaning that the second portion of the race is ran/rowed whatever faster than the first. This strategy will lead to drastic time improvements. Remember that the end of the race, is the important part to be ahead at.

disease

Any diseases and conditions that cause illness in humans is nutrient related. They may include deficiencies or excesses in the diet. Obesity and eating disorders, and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, and diabetes are cause by intake. Nutritional diseases also include developmental abnormalities that can be prevented by diet.

Chinese medicine has been using natural methods to prevent disease for thousands of years successfully. I beleive in eating real foods, that are unprocessed to accomplish this task.

Why is this not commonly known information???? Large groups such as the FDA in the US have determined that diseases are to be cured by drugs, even though they themselves admit that ALL disease is caused my nutritional intake. Scurvy is the best example of this. I could go and eat oranges and be 100% cured from scurvy, but I would be prescribed Vitamin C..... now in this case I would say both are equal solutions. In many scenarios they are not. Side effects from drugs are typically unknown or considered acceptable.
Do you accept unknown side effects.

many times drugs usefulness are very ineffective are fixing problems. Cold medication is a perfect example of this.

There are no side effects to eating properly, only side benefits.

Any of my zoners out there post your experiences in how you feel day to day, or how about how long you have been on the diet and when the last time you were sick was (and how long it took before you were better).... It's amazing how simple this is and that the food that makes you perform better will make you lengthen your life, and prevent disease.

Eat and perform like a champion, live a long and full life!

Put yourself to the test!

Mixing testing weeks into your training can be a realistic wake up call. Many crossfitters use the crossfit north fitness standards sheet. This is a very interesting read and has been a great challenge for me to overcome my one dimensional athletic skills. The best part about being conscious of your short comings is that you can adjust your training to overcome these.

An example of this is that many people will feel that strength is their weakness and will add more strength days into their training (1 out of 3 days will be heavy lifting)
This strategy can be used for sport/works specific goals.

A big part of the testing is the attitude of setting personal records and not just saying I know I can do this or that. Do it.... and set a record! DON'T CHEAT YOURSELF

Fitness skills test sheet

Good luck, and feel free to post or tell me your results.
Set new goals based on test results!!!!!!!

logdriver

Logdrivers are hardcore... they exude many things that many athletes of today couldn't perform for 15 seconds and they do it everyday all day, and lets not forget they please their women completely!
keep that in mind if thats what your training for!

many men with naturally great grip strength usually share a common trait. Their daily life will involve a thick handled tools (sledge, axe...) Thick handled objects in training will improve your grip significantly. kettlebells, sledge hammers. Grip can be a common failure for many athletes and they aren't even aware of the weak hands being the failure.
Grip can be broken down into a few catagories:
crush grip, pinch grip, and support grip
working all of these into your training will unleash power you didn't even know you had. remember that because the muscles are very small relative to limbs, it will take a long time for the muscles to grow. be patient, tendentious can creep up on you if you aren't careful with training each equally.

if you don't have badass clauses then the chances of you having great grip strength in my mind is pretty slim. A grip workout when done properly can give you the same DOMS effect that an other workout will do....

cardio respiratory endurance, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy and toughness
are the 10 physical skills that we train to be a crossfit athlete.... use these to plan your individual training. Train hard and obtain the skills and at least then you can fall back on being a logdriver!

Reading

There are many books on many subjects, many of which get lost in form rather than function. With crossfit training it can be difficult to seek out "expert" advice from specialist trainers. When talking with an Olympic lifting coach, the typical response to crossfit is that its interesting and has good principles but will ultimately slow the progress that one would make Olympic Lifting. YES it will but the sacrifices made by not training in one domain of fitness, allows the crossfit athlete to be better at all other domains than the one dimensional athlete. Making you ready for the unknowable task and making daily life, combat, and sporting an easier experience.

How do I interpret what I read. There are basic principles that crossfit follows. When a specialist info breaks these rules (for example to increase a maximal deadlift typically a powerlifter will widen the foot stance to shorten the distance the weight travels) this breaks 2 rules 1.) increase ROM 2.) athletic position is somewhere between hip and shoulder position for the feet, this is where we jump and run from, and we should also train from.
the goals are different. The power lifter just wants more Lbs lifted when the crossfitter wants more strength and more strength will be made , by increasing the work load .

Many times we will take the form from the expert or high performance athlete in that genre of sport. We will take the spirit of their best workouts , and then add crossfit principles by increasing the ROM and increasing the intensity.... the effect tend to be quite dramatic.

I personally have done 21-15-9 years before crossfit was around Greg Glassman did not invent that. What he did do, was remove the expectation of rest, making this dramatically different.

he also made up pukie the clown!

books that are well received in the crossfit world.

-Starting Strength - Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore
-Gymnastics and Tumbling - United States Navy (1944) review available on crossfit.com, in the free journals section
-Entering the Zone - Dr.Barry Sears

The Abmat

The Abmat is an excellent training tool. It's purpose is to put or back int he correct position and ensure full range of motion during a regular sit up. I don't feel like giving it all the hype like they do on television and say that you'll get a six pack from using it, so I won't. What I will say is that this WILL help develop abdominal power and co-ordination at a low cost. (or free I will mention at the end)
as with the GHD sit up we have learned that we don't need to bring our sternum closer to our pelvic bone to create great "core strength" or mid line stabilization. There is a powerful set of movements you can do by keeping your back in a flexed position during the situp.
Opening your hips into a butterfly position will be even more powerful.
All of these movements will enforce a FULL ROM which is often cheated without even knowing it during a regular sit-up. I have personally felt the power of these helping to alleviate daily back pain, in combination with some other movements.
By cushioning the lumbar, the Abmat forces you to rely solely on abdominal effort to move your torso through the full range of motion. The opportunity to engage your hip flexors for that initial “umph” at the beginning of the movement is gone. Instead, your lower abs alone are left to do ALL of the work.

If something is injured it will require rest time, but at some time you will need to SLOWLY and gradually strengthen it again, so that you can avoid re-injury.

for more information here is an article from backbuilder.com click here
this article is a great break down of the mechanics during both traditional and abmat situps.

Free abmat:
The thickness is aprox 2 inches at the max height. I found folding and rolling a towel to be semi effective. With time and numerous reps you will have to re-adjust the folding and rolling, But a great substitute for no money. My towel has pushed me to purchase these for the gym... I suspect people will be asking me for them after a couple weeks.

Nasty girls

3 rounds for time of:
50 Squats
7 Muscle-ups
135 pound Hang power cleans, 10 reps

Nasty Girls Video

Many people will tell me that the first crossfit video that they watched was "Nasty girls". Is it the title that draws the attention, or the performance in the video, or just the good music. It's inspiring to see women doing what most men can't do, I think.
The first time I did this workout I was just proud to finish it (muscle-ups being the toughest portion) Now although a tough workout, it isn't so much of a religious experience. I've been crossfitting for a while now and if I look back to when I saw this video the first time and thought OMG thats impossible, to now where I am competitive to the ladies times, I have come a long way.
Crossfit is a journey, that isn't an easy one. The only promise is, if you work hard you will get results. who would have thought!

Brand X scales it as such:
Big Dawgs:
as Rx'd
women 95#

The Porch:
3 rounds for time of:
50 Squats
14 Jumping Muscle ups
115# Hang power cleans, 10 reps

or

3 rounds for time of:
50 Squats
35 pull ups
35 dips
115# Hang power cleans, 10 reps

women 80#

Pack:
3 rounds for time of:
50 Squats
10 Jumping Muscle ups
95# Hang power cleans, 10 reps

women 65#

or


3 rounds for time of:
50 Squats
35 pull ups
21 ring dips
95# Hang power cleans, 10 reps

women 65#

Puppies:
3 rounds:
20 Squats
10 Assisted Pull ups
10 Assisted Dips
10 Hang Power Cleans 25-35#

Buttercups:
3 rounds:
20 Squats
10 Assisted Pull ups
10 Assisted Dips
10 Hang Power Cleans PVC-20#