Posts Tagged ‘CrossFit’

Moment of Awesomeness: 2/8/16

Posted: February 8, 2016 in CrossFit, Training, Uncategorized
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Traditionally on this blog, the Moment of Awesomeness posts include some sort of Extreme Sports video. Today’s post does not.

Even though this post won’t focus on those who voluntarily jump off of a perfectly good mountain, or people who just hate being safe with two feet on the ground, it will still focus on people who I think are brave and worthy of recognition!

This past Saturday I had a pretty busy day:
– Alarm goes off at 7:30am

– Make and eat breakfast, clean my place a little bit, head out the door

– 8:40am- Arrive to gym #1 where some friends were throwing down at a local Indoor Rowing competition

– 10:00am-Leave competition, head to gym #2 for CPR and First Aid Recertification

– 11:00am-1:00pm – Play with a really creepy mask, and feel more confident helping people if the situations ever arise where they need it!

– 1:30pm- Drive to gym #3 to cheer on friends competing in a CrossFit Competition

-3:30pm- Grab lunch w competing friends and celebrate their huge accomplishment

Row, Row, Row Your Boat:

Peter and Scott were good at rowing. Peter and Scott wanted to get even better at rowing. Peter and Scott did just that. After committing to sign up for an Indoor Rowing competition, my friends approached me about getting in better shape for their respective races.

I bet Peter could pull a 1:25 for a 500m row in his sleep. The dude has rowed a 1:21.8 for crying out loud! In my head,that is insanely fast. He didn’t want to race that distance, however. He wanted to step outside of his comfort zone and race the 2,000m distance, a pretty significant jump in distance for a sprinter like myself. Scott comes from a history of cycling. So, while he’s no stranger to racing or “endurance” events, rowing for sport, however, was a new concept for him. When these two approached me about getting them on a 12-week program in preparation for race day, I was stoked! Few things make me happier than watching athletes push themselves just for the sake of pushing themselves!

After nearly 3 months of row-dedicated workouts and time on the erg, we were so happy to see that BOTH of them PR’d in their respective distances! Peter (aka Birddog) rowed a 6:43 for his 2k, and Scott rowed a 1:28.3 in his 500m. Stoked for you guys!

The Rowers together!

Rowers and their cheering section!

Safety First:

I first became a lifeguard at the age of 13. That means my first CPR and First Aid Certification happened OVER 18 YEARS AGO! (Wow, that makes me feel old!) The point is that in my industry (as Head Coach at a CrossFit Gym), safety should always come first. 

While to some people, putting your face on a creepy mask and breathing into a “dummy” may not be the best way to spend an afternoon, I kept reminding myself that if something happened where an athlete collapsed or got hurt… I have been tasked with being able to do my best to help save the athletes in the gym. I remember always thinking as a teenager, “I hope I never have to use this information, but I’m glad I know it!” It’s a big responsibility, so I’m glad to have had that refresher yet again.

Creepy mask, important function

Veteran and the Rookie:

Oh, Danny and Sarah! By far, one of the most fun couples I know. Danny and I met years back competing in CrossFit competitions, and I met his wife Sarah when they came over to train at the gym where I worked. Sarah has always been Danny’s number 1 fan, showing up to events to cheer him on, these last few with their amazing baby boy in tow. When I heard that she had finally agreed to COMPETE in an event, and do it as part of a TEAM with Danny… I was beyond happy!

Not only did they compete together, work together, suffer together, and SURVIVE together… but out of FIFTY SIX (yep, 56) teams in their division, they placed THIRD on one of the events. Now THAT is awesome. Congrats to both of you, it was so fun watching you two throw down together!

 

After the final workout of the Competition!

 
 

The point of this post is to acknowledge and congratulate EVERYONE who has the courage and/or confidence to put themselves out there and compete on a public stage! In my opinion, it’s never about whether or not you win. It’s about did you put in the work to do well, and did you give it your all on Game Day! 

If you have any questions on whether or not you’re ready for a race or competition of your own, or which one you should do, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I’d be happy to talk it over together! 🙂

Smashby’s CF Games Open Strategy – 14.1

Posted: February 28, 2014 in CrossFit, Training
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THE OPEN IS HERE!!

Here are my initial thoughts on workout 14.1, which is a repeat of the first ever Open workout, 11.1.

14.1

What do you think of my advice? Let’s talk.

Thought of the Day: 1.23.14

Posted: January 23, 2014 in CrossFit, Training
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One of my friends owns the CrossFit gym, Glenwood Springs CrossFit. This post he made yesterday really rang true to me as an athlete, and a coach, and I wanted to share it with you guys.

The post is called “The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy“, and discusses a concept that I LOVE to preach often. Frequently, as a coach, we’ll hear athletes say negative things. Believing in yourself and being positive is so important, and we should all practice more of it!

I have a few “canned responses” that a lot of people know I say… and I’m sure they love hearing it every time. Here’s two examples:

1:

Athlete- “I can’t do that!”

Me- “Not with that attitude, you can’t!”

2:

Athlete- “I HATE burpees!”
Me- “What was that?”
Athlete- (usually after an eye roll and sigh of frustration) “I mean, I’m excited to have the opportunity to improve my burpees.”

EyeRoll

(image courtesy of crushable.com)

The point of the post is this, as humans, we have the ability to CHOOSE how we approach, and react to, what life gives us. If you remember this little guy in the video below, he probably has the greatest attitude of any person ever. Imagine if we ALL approached every situation with this attitude. We’d be unstoppable!

So, read the article, figure out if you’re one of those people who walks into the gym (or any other place in life, for that matter) with a negative attitude like Debbie Downer…

DebbieDowner

and if you are…… STOP BEING THAT PERSON.

My challenge to you is to take ONE DAY next week, and approach absolutely everything that life gives you with a positive attitude. One day.

Try it, and let me know how it goes. My prediction, you, and everyone around you will be happier. And who doesn’t want that!?

(Author’s note: In the interest of full discolure, as an athlete, I’m working on this very concept, myself. But I’m getting better!)

Happy Thursday!

The post again: The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Beastmode of the Day: 1.23.14

Posted: January 23, 2014 in CrossFit, Training
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Well, we tried, guys. Thanks for coming out!

Yes, I am one of those CrossFit athletes who has had a serious mancrush on Dmitry Klokov for some time. However, a 418lb. (190kg) THRUSTER!?!
Get out of town.

 

Smashby Speaks: 2014 CF Games- Team Qualifying

Posted: January 17, 2014 in CrossFit, Training
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It finally happened, everyone! CrossFit HQ has made a change to the rules that states if and when an individual qualifies for Regionals and goes as an individual, their point totals will be REMOVED from their gym’s team total, and the team will be reranked accordingly.

Here is the official post from the CF Games site:

“Athletes who accept the invitation to compete as Individuals at their Regional will have their contributing Open scores removed from their respective Teams. The Team Leaderboard will then be re-sorted and the top 30 teams will be invited to compete at their respective Regional competition.”

This addresses an issue that many CrossFit athletes felt was unfair in the past. Example, sorry to use Froning as the example, but it’s the easiest way for most of us to understand!

If he qualifies #1 in the world, that would obviously give his gym a HUGE boost in the TEAM rankings as well. If he chooses to go individual, his point totals would NOT have been removed from his gym’s Team ranking…. until now! Now, once the athlete declares that they would like to go individual, their points would then be reevaluated MINUS the totals earned from Froning.

My opinion: That is much more fair, and will open the door to several more of those “bubble” teams who missed qualifying their gym by only a few spots.

Important additional details to note (also from the CF Games article):
“Those athletes who choose to compete individually at Regionals will not be barred from returning to their team for the Games (if the do not qualify as individuals). Additionally, team competitors who sit out of the Regional to recover from injury, etc., may compete on their team at the Games.”

All in all, I say GREAT JOB, HQ! Moving in the right direction to try and make this selection and qualifying process even more fair.

 

CrossFit WOD Tips: 1/8/14

Posted: January 8, 2014 in CrossFit, Training
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In college I was a psychology major, so when it comes to the mind of an athlete, I think I’ve got a good ability to relate to people from all walks of life and with any kind of fitness goals. The part of this whole coaching thing that has been the area of the most growth for me, however, is my knowledge of human anatomy and physiology.

I constantly try to learn more about the body, how it works, and WHY certain things work to help myself and my athletes move more safely, and more efficiently. As the topic of shoulder mobility becomes more and more prevalent, I will try to share helpful resources with you all for your own help.

Today’s article is from the website BreakingMuscle.com and is called: “Why Do I Keep Jacking Up My Shoulder? A CrossFitter’s Dilemma”

I shared this piece because in a pretty short post it gives a basic description of the musculature of the shoulder, lists some common injuries, and then some basic resources and ideas for shoulder rehab/prehab. What I like most about it, though, is that author Meghan Rovig briefly mentions several other scenarios and impacted areas of the body (such as thoracic spine mobility and the labrum) which potentially impact shoulder health.

By bringing awareness to these factors, athletes can become more aware of how to take care of their bodies, and instead of just pointing to one part of their body when something hurts, they could potentially self-diagnose more effectively and get better faster!

Anyways, check out this post, and let me know what you think, please!

Moment of Awesomeness: 1/8/14

Posted: January 8, 2014 in CrossFit, Training
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Happy Hump Day, everyone!

I am a HUGE fan of trick shots. The guys at Dude Perfect are the best at it.

The shots they make, mostly with basketballs, are pretty darn fun to watch!

This time, however, they did their own “Gym Stereotypes” video, and it actually left me laughing out loud for most of it.

This is my favorite one of these types of videos out for sure. Which is your favorite? Which one are you?

Check it out, and pass it on!

Moment of Awesomeness: 1/4/14

Posted: January 4, 2014 in CrossFit
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Today’s link sharing for our first Moment of Awesomeness post of 2014 has two videos! Yep. Two.

The first is a commercial for Sony60 A7R camera, the world’s first compact, full frame, interchangeable lens machine. Now, while I am not here to push a camera, the free-falling segment they show in reallly high quality HD is awesome. I’ve never been skydiving, but I THINK (not 10000% sure…) it’s on my bucket list. Plus, the commerical is only 1:00 long.

Click on the “Sony60 A7R” text below this to watch.

Sony60 A7R from Cutting Edge on Vimeo.

The second is about cats. No, not my friends BigKat and BabyKat, aka “The Two Best Friends That Anyone Could Have”. Real, actual cats. Lions, to be specific.

To summarize the video, I’ll just use part of the explanation right from the GoPro YouTube page:
“The GoPro production crew journeys to Africa to explore the danger and beauty of Kevin Richardson’s passions for lions and their future.”

Bottom line, this dude is the “Lion Whisperer”, and basically is a member of the pride. Hugging, playing with, cuddling with them. It’s incredible. The point of the video is to share with the world, how sad it is that the lion population is so low, and the entire species is in danger or becoming extinct.

(Side note: He is also very close with the Hyena population. Unreal.)

Just watch and be amazed. This guys is awesome.

CrossFit WOD Tips: 1/4/14

Posted: January 4, 2014 in CrossFit, Training
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If I had to pick, I’d say the Clean is my favorite lift. There’s something about trying to pick up a HEAVY weight off the ground, and somehow stand with it on your shoulders… that is really fun for me!

For a great video on how to learn to Clean CORRECTLY 🙂 check out Glenn Pendlay of California Strength breaking it down.

 

Anyways, back to me being a nerd for Cleans. At one of the Seminars I’ve attended to try and become a better competitive exerciser, I got to meet Spencer Arnold.

Spencer is an Olympic Weight lifter who lifts in the 69 kilo weight class. That means he weighs NO MORE THAN 152 pounds on the day of his competitions. 152 pounds. That said, here he is Cleaning 332.898 pounds at the American Open this year. I did not type that wrong. Almost 333 pounds. At a body weight of less than 152 pounds. Cool.

 

Ok, so now you know he can lift.

On his blog, he shared an article with a great exercise for stabilizing the standing portion of the Front Squat half of the Clean. It’s called the “Front Squat Recovery Exercise”. Basically, it helps to ensure that the core is strong at the bottom, and that the torso is vertical (stacked over the hips) in order to provide a stable column to stand with the bar. Read his description, and then check out the video at the bottom of the post.

Looking for supplemental drills to improve your Olympic Weightlifting? (I’m hope the answer to that is YES, by the way!) Well, there’s one.

Link to his post with the Front Squat Recovery Exercise

Keep tuned into Spencer’s blog, too. He posts tons of great content, and definitely knows his stuff.

Thoughts on the drill? Let me hear it, people!

Thought of the Day: 1/2/14

Posted: January 2, 2014 in CrossFit, Training
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Happy-New-Year-Wishes-2014-Wallpapers
(picture from techbeasts.com)

HAPPY FREAKING NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!

I can’t believe we’re already into 2014, but I will tell you what, I’m stoked for what I’m confident will be one of the best years. Ever.

As many people come out swinging with their New Year’s Resolutions, I’m sure that will mean a new wave of athletes walking into CrossFit gyms all over the country for the first time. Now unlike some, I try not to “hate” on people who are making a positive change in their lives. So if your goal is to lose weight, get in shape, or Clean and Jerk 300lbs, more power to you. If CrossFit is something you’re giving a shot for the first time, welcome to the family! For those of use who are already in the CrossFit world, let’s gear up for another awesome year in the gym!

Now one of the things I love sharing on my blog are articles out there related to CrossFit in general. “Why it’s so dangerous”, “How to deal with your changing body”, “How to eat like a champion”, etc, it’s all fun for me to read and share. And knowing how many people read this blog who are all at different stages in the CrossFit “career”, I figure at least one person out there will be able to relate to at least one of the posts that I share. And if it helps even ONE person, it’s worth it for me to put it on my blog. Even if it’s not the most relevant topic for you, you probably know at least a few people who are starting CrossFit, and can benefit from the “10 Things to Know Before Starting CrossFit” type articles.

So, without further ado, the first “Link Drop” of CrossFit-related articles of 2014. Like em? Share em! Which ones do you like the most and why? Excited for the feedback from you guys and gals.

Article 1-
Is CrossFit ‘Destroying the World?’ 10 Tips to Make Sure It Doesn’t

Good reference for the new CrossFitter, with some things to look for when trying to pick your gym.

Article 2-
Finding Success in 2014

Great post, for athletes of all ability levels, with 5 key pieces of advice on how to reach your goals this year: Direction, Motivation, Dedication, Believe, and Enjoy. The last two alone make this post worth reading.

Article 3-
Crossfitters: You may be in Danger!

A more satirical post from yet another person who was frustrated at all the articles being released telling us how DANGEROUS CrossFit is for people. The findings are accurate, but it’s a light read. Check it out.

What do you think, friends?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

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