Archive for the ‘Media’ Category

CrossFit WOD Tips: 11/15/12

Posted: November 15, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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Hello Friends! There is a pretty big CrossFit Competition in Denver this weekend known as the “Turkey Challenge“. Personally, I consider it the second biggest “local” event of the year, and the turn-out will be AWESOME! (If you live in the area, you should come to MBS CrossFit Saturday and/or Sunday to check it out.)

With the event coming up, I thought I would share two different posts I’ve come across recently that will not only apply to athletes participating this weekend, but to athletes (especially CrossFitters) everywhere! The first is a list of useful stretches that we should probably all do this weekend.

This post comes from the crew at CrossFit Done Right in Rockville, Maryland, and it’s called “9 Stretches You Should Know“. It features a TON of links to videos and articles from Kelly Starrett’s Mobility WOD web-site. That site, if not already, should be bookmarked on ALL of your browsers. Hundreds of hours of stretching and mobility techniques for every part of your body!

This post features a link to info on stretches to help warm up 9 areas of the body in particular. Yeah, 9, so you can pick and choose what needs it the most!
1- Heal Cord & Calves
2- Front of Hips
3- Shoulders and Bands
4- High Groin/Hamstring
5- Hamstring
6- More Hips and Glutes
7- Feet
8- Shoulder Blade/Rib Cage
9- Neck and Traps

Please check out the page and learn at least one new stretch!

The second post is about SQUATTING. Yes. Squatting. There are a lot of people out there who argue and claim to know what is and isn’t the safe and appropriate depth to squat as an athlete. Before I share the link, let me share my own personal take. While this is highly influenced by my last 4 years following CrossFit, let me state that much of this stance has to do with my own personal experience with the movement. I feel that when performed safely and correctly, that the full depth squat (crease of the hip below the top of the knee) is one of the most effective strength and conditioning exercises known to humans.

So this post, which is called “3 Squatting Myths That Refuse To Die“, talks about…. three myths:
– Myth #1: Squatting below parallel is bad for your knees
– Myth #2: Your knees should never go past your toes
– Myth #3: Squats are bad for your back

My favorite part of the post, is that it HAPPENS to feature a picture of my good friend, Zach Krych (who had yet another INCREDIBLE video made about him and his story)!

So, do me a favor please, friends.

Check out the post above about mobility, and then read the post about squatting, and please share your thoughts with me on the two topics. I always welcome discussions about what you all think about those things, those two areas in particular.

Thank you in advance for checking out the post, the blog, and for your comments!

Thought of the Day: 11/14/12

Posted: November 14, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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This video is perfect. Why? Because it’s titled “The Science of Procrastination – And How To Manage It” and I kid you not, I’ve had it open on my desktop, waiting to blog about it, for OVER A MONTH! How ironic is that? The excuse I’m going to give is that I’ve been too busy to share it, but the truth of the matter, is that I’ve been procrastinating!

This video, from the crew at AsapSCIENCE, discusses some of the biggest explanations for WHY we procrastinate, and suggests some very simple solutions for how to minimize that habit! I’ve even tried some of these lately, and as long as you’re motivated to be more productive, I can tell you that they do work!

Take a few minutes and check out this quick video! …. or just put it off until later.

This topic also reminded me of an article written by a good friend of mine, Adam Griffin (who works at an amazing company called Full Contact). His article was titled “4 Easy Tips for Managing Your Busy Schedule“. Yep, only four! Click on the link to go straight to the article, but here’s the summary: 1- Have a plan, 2- Create time blocks and stick to them, 3- Hire an assistant like a boss, and 4- Work in Sprints. He breaks each one down into easy-to-follow suggestions, so check out his ideas and give it a shot!

Pursuit of Paleo: 11/13/12

Posted: November 13, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Nutrition
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When it comes to eating Paleo, there is ONE WORD that separates the days where I eat well, from the days where I tend to veer off course: Planning!

On the weeks where I plan, shop, and cook in advance, I’ve got meals planned out for days and don’t even need to worry about staying paleo. Instead, I just grab tupperwares from my fridge and head out the door. Doing this twice per week COULD lead to a full week of staying “clean” with my eating, but in the interest of full disclosure, I’ve SUCKED with this lately.

Then one day last week I saw a video featured on the CrossFit Journal where a friend of mine, Chris Martirano (aka, Marty), broke down some of the meals he cooks and how he prepares several at a time to accommodate his busy schedule (which definitely resonated with me). It’s called “Preppin’ for the Week”. You can link to the full page by clicking here, and there you can read about the two videos that are featured! If that sounds like too much work (lazy pants), click here for the first video and here for the second video.

Thanks to Marty’s inspiration, I hope to get back on the paleo train again sooner than later! Great video, awesome (and delicious) meal ideas, and no… to answer your question, I will NOT be instituting “Tabata Squats” in my regimen. Instead that will be time to blog more for you guys, or try to find new music to play during my coaching sessions!

To share a brief history of my friendship with Marty, here are two events where we competed head-to-head in last year’s awesome Fitness Elevated Competition in Salt Lake City (hosted by friend, and owner of Ute CrossFit, Tommy Hackenbruck).

The first event was an obstacle course, which was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done in CrossFit. It was also my first time ever even TRYING legless rope climbs, and the only event where I beat Marty all weekend. 🙂

The very next event (which happened I think less than 10 minutes later) featured a sled push, kettlebell carry, and then a sled pull… where you were in the sled. Another crazy event, and Marty destroyed me in the second half. Good times!

Moment of Awesomeness: 11/12/12

Posted: November 12, 2012 in CrossFit, Media
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Dictionary.com defines the word Kluge as “a software or hardware configuration that, while inelegant, inefficient, clumsy, or patched together, succeeds in solving a specific problem or performing a particular task.”

Red Bull, however, chooses to define this word as “let’s take some of the biggest names in extreme sports (and my future girlfriend, Lolo Jones) and put together the coolest way ever to get snowboarder Pat Moore an ice-cold Red Bull.”



As a bonus video for today, I will share my favorite Pat Moore video of all-time. It comes from my favorite ski and snowboarding video ever, “That’s It, That’s All“.

Ask Smashby: 11/1/12

Posted: November 1, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Nutrition, Training
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Wow, it’s November!

Today’s topic comes from one of the athletes at CrossFit Lakewood. I’ll paste the question below:
“Will you please explain something to me? Why do I feel so incredibly guilty for making bad food choices yesterday? Every other day I eat completely clean and once a month, for a holiday or something, I eat whatever. And still I feel guilty. (I feel sick too, but that part I can understand.) why does this guilt about food follow me?!?!”

I’ll be blunt with you guys, I provide absolutely NO scientific feedback in the video below. Instead, I just offer some suggestions as to how I would recommend NOT feeling guilty based on my own experiences, and those of people I’ve talked to about this very topic.

Does this help at all? I’m curious to what you guys and gals think.

Oh, and thanks for the question “person” 🙂

Beastmode of the Day: 10/31/12

Posted: October 31, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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Rob Orlando (Owner of Hybrid Athletics) has been featured on my blog before for his feats of superhuman strength. In this video, he performs the CrossFit Football workout Kalsu (named after Robert James Kalsu, an Army LT who was killed by mortar fire on July 21,1970 at Firebase Ripcord near the Ashau Valley).

If you know anything about CrossFit Hero workouts, they are true tests of will to complete. Their purpose is to remember those who gave their lives and show our appreciation for their service by completing a workout in their honor. These are not regular workouts.

Kalsu, for example, is “prescribed” as:

“On the minute:
Complete 5 burpees and perform max rep 135 lbs thrusters on the minute.

The goal is to complete 100 total thrusters.
*At the beginning of every minute perform 5 burpees, for the rest of the minute perform as many thrusters as you can during that minute. At the beginning of the next minute perform 5 burpees and then max rep thrusters and so on until you reach 100 total thrusters.”

Yeah, no joke. Rob Orlando decides to attempt this workout with not the prescribed 135lbs, but 225lbs instead. Unreal. Although he gives himself a 20 minute time cap, and actually does not complete the workout in that time, you can still see the amazing push he gives and the incredible strength this man possesses. I was inspired.

R.I.P., Kalsu.

Moment of Awesomeness: 10/31/12

Posted: October 31, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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“So sick. SO. SICK. WOW! That was awesome!”

Those are the words I just said out loud… to myself… by myself, in my apartment. It’s not sick as in gross. I’m “that guy” who uses words like sick and epic to describe things he thinks are cool. Think that’s annoying? Deal with it, I’m not ashamed.

Alright, gut check time. I have said a few times over the past few months that I am going to start being more real and more raw on this blog. It all started from a conversation with Alon, in which he commented on a video I made and said, “Tom… how did that topic REALLY make you feel?” As in, “you gave us SOME of the real you, but not all of it. We came to YOUR blog to hear YOUR thoughts. Give it to us, straight.”

So I’m trying.

This commercial that I’m pasting below basically embodies who I THINK I am as a coach, and I freaking LOVE feeling like that! Feeling that I can look at any athlete, regardless of their experience level, ability levels, or confidence level, and TRULY think to myself… Let’s do this. You CAN do anything.

Most (all?) of you who have trained with me know that I hate (yep, hate) phrases like “I can’t.” Instead, I prefer conversations like one that I had with the amazing Casey Polk once:

Casey- “I SUCK at running!”
Me- *Disappointed stare*
Casey- “UGH! I mean… I am excited to have the opportunity to improve my running today.”
Casey- *Sly smile because she realized how much better it felt to say it that way.*

Even typing that has me smiling like a goon over here.

So that’s why I started this blog. I started it to share, and communicate, and interact, and help, and offer resources to you guys. My “readers”, the athletes that I am lucky enough to train, my friends. And to hopefully bring a smile to your face that comes close to matching the ones that you all give me every day.

So here’s to hoping that we can continue to grow these relationships together. Because even though the main goal of this blog is to try and help you, it sure as hell helps me a lot, too! Keeping this a two-way street will make this a lot more fun for all of us. (Otherwise, I’ll just keep posting more Parkour and Snowboarding videos, since that’s what I like!…. and you’ll still get those things, I’d just like to post things YOU want to see/learn/talk about, too!)

You guys are amazing. And like I said above, I really do think you can do anything you put your minds to and believe in. Sometimes I’ll just believe in it a little more at first!

Boom.

Moment of Awesomeness: 10/29/12

Posted: October 29, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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Some of you may not know this yet, but I am originally from New York. Not Utica (no offense, Utica), but Manhattan. I’ve gone back there regularly and had family there my entire life, and have always considered myself a New Yorker. With Hurricane Sandy starting to attack the entire Northeastern seaboard as we speak, checking in with my family last night (and today), has me thinking about New York even more than usual.

You can see just by looking at my desk how I think about “the city” every single day. That’s why, when I saw this video from Red Bull (from their “Where do you call home” series), it made me think about how much of our personalities, outlooks, and aspirations may come from our “hometowns.”

New York, Smashby Training, CrossFit, Cross Fit

What I look at every day at work.

What do you think? Did your hometown help mold the person you are today? It certainly did for me!
At the end of the day, I’m unwavering proud of where I’m from (and where I grew up – Pittsburgh), and think you should be, too!

That being said, please stay safe, East Coast! I’m sending good vibes from the Mile High City.

CrossFit WOD Tips: 10/22/12

Posted: October 24, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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People often times put a lot of pressure on themselves if they have to miss training days. Whether it’s because they’re too busy, too tired, or just don’t really want to go, it doesn’t matter. A lot of us will guilt ourselves into feeling really bad about not going into the gym and I’m here, again, to try and encourage all of us to RELAX.

I’ve said this a lot, but “We are working out for fun.” Put pressure on yourself accordingly!

Thought of the Day: 10/19/12

Posted: October 19, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
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All I am going to say is that you should make the time to watch this 28-minute video as soon as possible. I’ll paste the video summary below, so you can read it for yourself, but wow. The story covers Danny Dean, an athlete who suffered a serious neck injury, and his amazing road to recovery. The perseverance of the human spirit is so inspiring to me. Videos like this also help me keep my “problems” in perspective. I wake up every day and try to be thankful for all of the things that I am lucky enough to have, and this was my morning gut check.

To answer your question… no, my eyes did not water watching this. I swear.
I’m serious! I’m not crying, it’s just raining… on my face.

All jokes aside, this is one of my favorite videos that CrossFitHQ has shared with us, to date.

Congrats on your progress so far, Danny. I’m excited to hopefully hear more updates over the next few months and years. You are an inspiration!

“After Danny Dean broke his neck eight years ago, he was only able to use 20 percent of his right side. Physical therapists told him whatever movement he regained in the next 18 months would be the most he would ever have. The former competitive wakeboarder became resigned to his fate.

Then his wife started doing CrossFit.

Thus far, there hasn’t been a week in which Dean hasn’t seen improvement under the watchful eye of CrossFit Forever Strong owner Jason Speck.

“Pathways that hadn’t been worked are starting to redevelop and starting to work again. Muscles that hadn’t known how to contract and how to pull are now contracting and pulling,” the coach says.

The two are focusing on seeing how much function they can create on Dean’s right side.

The 32-year-old says he’s never felt better since his accident.

“I had no set goals before,” he explains. “I kind of just resigned to modern medicine and technology to maybe save me one day. The outlook now on those sorts of things is totally changed. I do want to be 100 percent healthy again.”

Video by Carey Peterson.”
~Summary from the Video Page from CrossFitHQ

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