Archive for the ‘CrossFit’ Category

The Numbers: 1/23/11

Posted: January 25, 2011 in CrossFit, Training
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Jamie came in after a weekend of friends in town and was ready to get back to CrossFit! After a warm-up we were off to hit Overhead Squats, working towards a 5-rep max. We’ve been working on Jamie’s flexibility, and even with room for improvement, when he gets down in the hole, his shoulder strength really helps him push that bar all the way up in the air! It’s looking better every day, Jamie! (Just make sure we keep that weight back on our heels, as that helps improve everything… Chest Position, Knees Out, Bar Overhead, etc)

The workout for the day would be a new variety for Jamie! There were three rounds, each one lasting 5 minutes. The goal was to complete a 500 meter row (with the Damper/Resistance set at 10!) as fast as possible. Let’s say that took 2:00, then he would have the remaining 3:00 of the 5 minute round to do as many Wall-Balls as possible. The goal of the workout is to complete as many Wall Ball Tosses as possible! I’m not sure if you’ve ever hopped off of a rower (hard “pulling”) and ran straight over to Wall Balls (hard “pushing”), but it’s a pretty gnarly combination. Great job, Jamie!

Workout of the Day:
3 5:00 Rounds of-
Row 500 meters / As many Wall Balls as possible in remaining time

Athlete Results:
Overhead Squat – 5 rep max
Jamie- Final Set 80lbs

WOD
Wall Ball Tosses by round-
Jamie- 27 / 25 / 38!

2011 CrossFit Games: Qualifying Information!

Posted: January 24, 2011 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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The first announcement, of what will surely be many in the coming weeks, has been released!

From the CrossFit Games website comes the following news:

“The CrossFit Games Open is a six-week competition that will begin Tuesday, March 15th at 17:00 PDT. This competition is the first step in qualifying for the 2011 CrossFit Games. Each week, one event will be announced each Tuesday, and everyone has until the following Sunday at 17:00 PDT to complete the event and record their scores.”

There are two ways that people will be allowed to qualify:
1. Compete at a Registered Affiliate: Attend a workout session at a registered affiliate and submit your score for the affiliate to validate.

2. Compete Anywhere: Perform the workout as prescribed anywhere you can or want, and videotape it. Submit your score and upload your video.

It’s crazy to most CrossFitters to imagine how they’re going to organize, validate and report back on what could be hundreds of thousands of entries from around the entire planet, but I’m sure they’ll find a way!

I’ll keep you posted, as always, when more information is released. Until then, keep training…..

The Pursuit of Paleo: “On Being Strict”

Posted: January 24, 2011 in CrossFit, Nutrition
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My friend Herm “Old School” Blancaflor shared a pretty awesome article from the “Paleo Chronicles” blog.

The article is called “On Being Strict”, and the author discusses the mental implications of telling yourself that you “need” to maintain a “STRICT” Paleo diet in order to gain results or to be healthy.

At no point is it suggested or encouraged that we deviate from a clean diet in order to see optimal results. However, (and this is a huge point) what ends up happening when we approach eating Paleo like this, is we tell ourselves that if we “cheat” on the diet, we are bad people or that we are doing something wrong. We approach our diet, and the “concept” of food, as something that can so easily become riddled with guilt. I don’t know about you, but I know for a fact that I’ve been there (and still am there sometimes). “Oh man… why did I eat that? I messed up. I’m bad. I have no self control.” Those reactions may be a little drastic, but I think you know where I’m going with this. A great quote from her post:

“I suppose it is the motivation behind the words that bothers me. Strict implies discipline. Strict implies willpower. And strict implies compliance. You are forcing yourself to NOT do something, and that PRESSURE is not sustainable. Because it is motivated by FEAR… Fear is not a sustainable motivator. If it was, no one would smoke. There are labels on cigarettes that tell you they will KILL you.”

Don’t approach your diet, or your nutritional choices as I prefer to call them (as “diet” just sounds too temporary), as a system based on punishment and limitations. My advice is to simply learn what foods are good to eat, and have every meal you eat consist of those foods as often as possible.

I’ll refer you to the CrossFit website for a minute. When giving people advice on how to start the program, they’ve had a little “saying” for years. They call it “World Class Fitness in 100 Words.” The CrossFit program starts it’s most basic instruction of all, by addressing diet first. Greg Glassman (CrossFit Founder) says:
“Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar.”

That’s it. Don’t tell yourself how “strict” you need to be for every meal you ever eat. I’ll leave you with one more quote from the post:

“You don’t need to discipline yourself, I guarantee that what you really need is to love yourself. Then when you are deviating, if you even do so at all, you do so with a clear conscience: no baggage, no guilt.”

What do you want from me?!?

Posted: January 23, 2011 in About Tom, CrossFit, Media, Nutrition, Training
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Ok, maybe that post title is a little dramatic….

But I’m serious!

I want this blog to be a place you want to visit! My goal is for the material to be informative, relevant and FUN!

Let me know what types of things you would like to see more of, less of, and everything in between!

Consider this post your “Comment Card” that you get at the end of a course. I’m always looking for honest and constructive feedback!

Ready… go!

Oh, and as a thank you for your participation, here’s a pretty awesome demonstration of ALL of the 10 Physical Skills (Cardiovascular/Respiratory Endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Accuracy and Balance) we improve through CrossFit training! Amazing stuff.

The Pursuit of Paleo: Breaking It Down

Posted: January 23, 2011 in CrossFit, Nutrition
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Ricky Frausto Jr. is the co-owner of CrossFit Omaha. He is an elite-level CrossFit athlete, the affiliate team from his gym (which he was on) finished in 2nd at last summer’s CrossFit Games and he is also a writer for SicFit.com. Basically, Ricky is someone that when he talks, it probably wouldn’t hurt if you listened!

Last week he posted an article entitled “Health, Happiness, and Food for Thought” on the SicFit blog, and it’s a very good read.

He does a great job of breaking it down in this post. We could talk for hours on what food to eat, how much of it to eat and why you want to eat that specific food. I also think there are times when it’s appropriate to do that. Sometimes, though, you just need to break it down into it’s simplest form.

Eating right, working out, and being happy is supposed to be fun learning experience. What do I mean? I mean, explore. Learn about what is allowed and not allowed. Learn what others, who have come before you, have learned by reading about their stories.

He’s right, you know. I try to share links to wonderful blogs with you guys so you can see how different people think, hopefully get some fun ideas for recipes and hopefully make eating well a lot easier! Some great resources (just to name a few) are Robb Wolf’s blog, Mark’s Daily Apple, Everyday Paleo and Whole 9.

Add those links to your “Favorites” and check them out every once in a while. You’ll have “constantly varied yet constantly delicious” ways to keep the fuel you put in your body as clean as possible (go ahead and borrow that slogan, it’s free)!

Another great message from his article:

You are not a rabbit. Don’t eat like a rabbit. You’re not a bear either. Don’t eat like a bear. Eat like a human. A human should eat as much food as they want so long as it is clean. Meats and veggies, oils, some nuts and seeds, very little fruit, and no starch or sugar. That being said, that is quite the variety contrary to what you may think. If you only see boring then how do you ever get by with a few movements in CrossFit? Mix and match in as many ways as you can think.

Great post, Ricky! Thanks for the great information!

CrossFit Blog Central: 1/23/11

Posted: January 23, 2011 in CrossFit, Media
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Alec Hanson is hilarious.

If you saw some of the posts I’ve put up about Alec Hanson and his blog in the past, and if you’ve watched any of those videos, you’ve already see what this guy is all about. (there was this post when I posted an article he wrote, and then this one where we had a little back-and-forth dialogue on Self Worth. They’re both awesome, trust me.)

Well, a video he posted the other day, “Drive Time #97”… made me laugh out loud. You may have A.D.D. Alec, but you are also hilarious. I hope that some of the people who check out my blog go out and subscribe to your YouTube channel. There, I said it. Happy now? I just blatantly plugged your blog.

And now… I will call you out. MAKE AND POST THE “50-Subscriber Drive Time Lovefest” VIDEO ALREADY!
(and let’s go ahead and not mention “the word” on the blog again, please!)

Next discussion on Drive Time? I’ll give you a topic:

CrossFit Games Training
Most people will never make it past the first round of qualifiers for the CrossFit Games, yet thousands of people from around the World still train for it. For me, this is different from training to run a marathon (which I have done) or complete a triathlon (which I have also done) because in my opinion, most people set aside a specific training period for these events. I hear “I’ve got my 12-week Marathon plan” a lot more than I hear “I’ll start training for Sectionals in a few weeks.” For most people I know who want to, or who do, compete in CrossFit events, there is no off-season. Why are people devoting so much time, in and out of the gym (regular training, proper nutrition, etc), for something/an event that they’ll probably never win? I have my theories, but I’m interested in what other people think.

Discuss.

Not just you, Alec. Everyone chime in. Why do you think that is the case? Do you guys even agree with me?
Alec’s reply can be seen below!

The Numbers: 1/20/11

Posted: January 21, 2011 in CrossFit, Training
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These weekday classes are so much fun! The house is packed, and the energy is so positive.

Today’s workout started off with some Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (SDLHP) as the warm-up/strength portion of the day. It’s an exercise that is not used as often as some others in CrossFit, but you’ll be able to see by watching Clayton in the video, it’s definitely a full-body movement. Thanks to the trainers at CrossFit Headquarters, one of the things I try to tell athletes when performing it is to imagine someone is recording you doing the SDLHP, and go back and play the video forwards and backwards. When done properly, it should look exactly the same played in either direction. No pausing at the “hang” position. This video shows that very concept! Clayton did this really well!

Workout of the Day:
5 Rounds for Time of-
15 Power Cleans / 18 Box Jumps / 21 Kettlebell Swings

I just noticed that the video has the wrong date! I’ll fix that tonight!

Athlete Results:
5 Rep Max Sumo Deadlift High Pull
Clayton- 135lbs

WOD
Clayton (65lb Power Clean / 16kg KB)- 21:39

Moment of Awesomeness: 1/19/11

Posted: January 19, 2011 in CrossFit, Media
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My friend Tom Nugent at SnoRidge CrossFit does it again! Where do you find these amazing links?

The incredible story featured in the video below is about Zach Krych, an Olympic Weight Lifter who suffered an injury with 160kg (or 352 POUNDS) on the bar during a training session. It goes over the initial diagnosis (not ever being able to lift more than 100lbs overhead), the recovery process and then… well let’s just say the ending is pretty uplifting.

It’s an awesome story and an awesome video!

CrossFit Blog Central: 1/17/11

Posted: January 18, 2011 in CrossFit, Media
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CrossFit was mentioned again in the New York Times 2 weeks ago. The article is about Kristen Silverman, who is a “35-year-old chief operating officer of Nandana, a private resort in the Bahamas”.

The article breaks down her intro into CrossFit, some of the details of her lifestyle and work schedule and tricks she’s used to continue on a relatively “Paleo” diet, even through the Holiday season.

From the article: “Ms. Silverman conquered the holiday party circuit by keeping bags of almonds in her purse. “I try to stay away from that ‘hunger state’ that leads to poor decisions and if everything at the buffet is bad then I’ll enjoy the party and eat when I get home.”

“Find a fitness class that challenges you and even though it’s hard, it will ultimately become a confidence booster. Days I workout I feel so much more driven and find I get a lot more work done,” Ms. Silverman said.

It’s a great read, check it out!

The Numbers: 1/17/11

Posted: January 17, 2011 in CrossFit, Training
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Tonight was a big night at the gym. We just combining the evening classes, so my traditionally smaller Monday Nights (usually Kristin, Jamie and Clayton) now turned into a 12-person class that Orion and I coached together! What a change, huh? The energy in the gym was great, though, and I think everyone had a great time!

The first part of the workout was 5 sets of 5 back squats. The folks who used to train with me usually had an entire rack to themselves, but tonight worked in with 3 or 4 other athletes. Again, despite the change, everything seemed to go very well from my perspective. I think we even had some pretty big numbers put up, too!

Workout of the Day:
3 Rounds for Time of-
50 Air Squats / 10 Power Snatches / 15 Pull-Ups

For some of my folks, it was their first time doing more high-rep snatches in a workout, and I think that you all did an awesome job! Also, breaking down the rep schemes for higher rep Air Squats really seemed to help make the workout manageable. I was proud of you all for doing so well in front of such a large audience.

Athlete Results:
5×5 Back Squat
Kristin- 95lbs x 5
Jamie- 155lbs x 5
Clayton- 175lbs x 9!

WOD
Kristin (35lb Snatch / 1-Banded Pull-Ups)- 10:50
Jamie (65lb Snatch / 4-Banded Pull-Ups)- 16:02
Clayton (70lb Snatch / Unassisted Pull-Ups)- 13:48

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