Smashby's Training Blog

Workout of the Day-

Row 1000 Meters for time

THEN go right into

4 Rounds for Time of:

10 Ball Slams (20lb ball)

10 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (12kg Kettlebell)

10 Burpee Jumps (at top jump HIGHER than a regular burpee)

Athlete Results-

Carolyn: 4:08 on 1000m row, 14:08 Total Time

Melissa: 4:16 on 1000m row, 14:31 Total Time

Kristin: 4:20 on 1000m row, 14:25 Total Time

This workout allowed for form to break down pretty fast if you let it, but the girls did a great job of keeping it together.  The ball slams get really hard because the last thing you want to do after throwing a 20lb ball to the ground is to drop with it and catch it on one hop, but you guys did a great job.  On those burpee jumps, though… be careful!  The point is to jump higher than usual.  I’ll let you guys get away with it this time!  Great job pushing through.

Award of the day goes to Timbers, though!  At the end of both the row and the 4 round workout, she really turned it on and finished fast.  We’ll assume since it was the first time I’ve seen it, that she wasn’t sandbagging and just had a rush of adrenaline to catch the other girls.  Right, Kristin?

Great job, and fun pictures below!

Powering through 1000 meters for time!

See? All smiles again after the workout!

Workout of the Day-

Tabata Something Else:

To explain this one, I’ll reference CrossFit when they post this classic workout on their website.  They go through it the best-

“Complete 32 intervals of 20 seconds of work followed by ten seconds of rest where the first 8 intervals are pull-ups, the second 8 are push-ups, the third 8 intervals are sit-ups, and finally, the last 8 intervals are squats. There is no rest between exercises.  Post total reps from all 32 intervals to comments.” (www.crossfit.com)

Now most athletes, especially those new to CrossFit, can’t complete non-stop pull-ups for the majority of a 4-minute period.  I almost always have my athletes who can’t sub in jumping pull-ups.  May sound easy, or at least easier, but I assure you that you are taxing plenty of other muscles in the time that you’re moving, don’t worry!  This workout is no joke, yet most people underestimate it due to the fact that it’s comprised completely of body-weight movements.  However, by the third of fourth round of push-ups roll around, most people are gasping for air and shocked at how tired they are already.

Tonight was Dave DeHart’s first CrossFit class, and I was so glad he came down to give it a shot!  Dave just finished the entire P90X program, and I can tell you with complete honesty, it worked really well for him!  He lost a ton of weight, is noticeably more fit and active, and just seems happier with life in general.  I was so proud that he stuck to that program almost to a “T” for the full 90 days.  He kept telling me that once he completed it, then he would come down and give my gym a shot.  He is a man of his word, so thanks for coming down, Dave!

Athlete Results:

Jumping Pull-Ups- 21-21-21-21-18-18-18-18= 156

Push-Ups- 10-10-6-6-4-3-4-3= 46

Sit-Ups- 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10= 80

Air Squats- 12-11-12-10-10-12-10-15= 92

Total Score: 374

Not bad at ALL, Dave!  Those last few sets of Air Squats were inspiring, too.  He pushed through a TON of pain to round out the workout with his highest round of that exercise.  So cool to see!!

Dave powering through one of the last sets of push-ups like a champ!

Now I just need to pressure him to come down and give the gym 30 days to see how he thinks it compares to his last routine.  See you next week, Dave?

Workout of the Day-

For time:

20 Thrusters

40 Jumping Pull-Ups

60 Ball Tosses

80 Walking Lunges

100 Double-Unders

Sunday Night’s drop-in class can be a good one, I think this was no exception.  Caro came to class tonight and really did a great job!  For someone who is rehabbing their foot, she is maintaining proper form on all of her lifts, and I can already tell that she is gaining more and more strength and stability by the week.  That is exciting, to watch someone gain more and more physical independence, by actually using the body part they’re trying to recover.

CrossFit preaches “Technique, Consistency, then Intensity” which means that we’ll scale the workouts for anyone until they can perform movements safely enough to not injure themselves!  First learn the form, then do it right often, then we can ratchet it up a notch.  Caro is following the prescription perfectly.

For this workout, here’s how we broke down the movements:

Thrusters- A Thruster is a front squat that goes from a Front Squat straight into a Push Press.  Caro used a PVC pipe.  The goal was get proper depth on every single front squat, and then hold the bar overhead so one could see your ears in front of your arms from the side view.  It may sound complicated, but it’s really not.  Here is a video from Crossfit (www.crossfit.com) on how to perform the movement properly http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_BBThrusters.mov

Jumping Pull-Ups- Just make sure that your chin goes over the bar, and that your arms reach full extension at the bottom.  The movement should be FAST!

Ball Tosses- Grab a medicine ball, turn so you’re about 3-5 feet from the wall, with your feet perpendicular to it.  Turn your hips and throw the ball against the wall, only to catch it and do it again.  Should involve aggressive hip turning, your arms are just kept straight, and are used to throw and catch the ball.

Walking Lunges- Take a lunge forwards, the back knee touches the ground, that is one step.  The section is 40 steps with each leg, 80 total.

Double-Unders- We are sticking with single jump rope jumps for a while, so she did 100 of these.

The goal is to get through all of the movements as fast as possible.

Athlete Results-

Carolyn’s time for the workout today was 9:53.

Well done, Caro!

Workout of the Day-

Triangle Tree Run:

In teams of three – All team members must start with their hand on the tree, and all three must touch the next tree before beginning on the following rep schemes:

Tree to Tree run – 150 Push-Ups – Tree to Tree run – 150 Air Squats – Tree to Tree run – 100 Burpees

After we did that once, we rested for about 4-5 minutes… then did it AGAIN!

The only rules of this workout were that:

All team members need to touch the tree where they start, and then the one they’re running to before reps can begin.

Only one person can be performing reps at a time.

Athlete Results-

Team 1 (Mel, Caro, Tom): Rd 1- 12:32 / Rd 2- 12:38

Team 2 (Jenny, Edy, Brooke): Rd 1- 12:35 / Rd 2- 13:44

Team 3 (Kristin, Danielle, Jamie): Rd 1- 13:42 / Rd 2- 14:44

(Did I get the teams right, everyone?)

We had 9 total people show up to Wash Park for this one!  What a blast it was, too.  Of the 9, three were CIA CrossFit newcomers!  I love seeing these new faces, and every single one of you did SO well!

Needless to say, we got some stares from people while we furiously did burpees and cheered each other on, but it was definitely worth it.  I’ll probably do the free Saturday sessions at least a few more times, so bring your friends who are looking for a good workout with great people!

Next time we need a group picture, too.  Someone remind me!

Workout of the Day-

The “Heel-Toe Special”

3 Rounds for Time of:

40 Double Unders

30 Overhead Squats

20 Tire Burpees

10 Wall Balls

Athlete Results-

Carolyn Nairn (40 single jumps/PVC pipe for Overhead Squats/Jumped over jump rope for burpees/10lb Ball): 19:59

Melissa Onstad (40 single jumps/PVC pipe for Overhead Squats/Jumped through 2nd biggest tire for burpees/10lb Ball): 23:19

Wow.  That workout was super intense.  I don’t think any of us expected those tire burpees to hit so hard, but did they ever.  Carolyn is still recovering from her broken foot, so we didn’t want her jumping too much, leaving the jump rope on the ground for her to clear every time.   That meant Mel got the big tire all to herself.  It was the 2nd largest one we have at the gym, and she did a total of 60 jumps through it, followed by a burpee on the other side.  GREAT JOB, girls!

For the first time, I implemented the “butt-to-ball” technique here in class.  That meant that for every single Overhead Squat and Wall Ball, there was a medicine ball behind each of the girls.  When they went down for each rep, they would know they went deep enough when their butt lightly tapped the ball.  It’s a great way to keep people honest, and their reps looked great.

By the second round, it was all about finding an easy way to break down the sets, and each of you two did an awesome job at sticking to your numbers.  4-5 burpees at a time, 5 wall-balls at a time, jumps all the way through!  It was really inspiring to watch you guys push through, and do it with proper form, too.

I thought of calling this workout the “Heel-Toe Special” since for the jumps and burpees you spend a lot of time on your heels, and a lot of time on your toes for the Overhead squats and burpees.  Not super clever, but it certainly sums it up.

I did this right after you two left, and it was a brutal workout for sure.  Great job, and I hope this was a good way to start the weekend for you guys!

Workout of the Day-

Team WOD #1:

For 16 Minutes, One person at each station at a time of:

• 400 Meter Run
• Kettle Bell Swing
• Push-Ups
• Rest

The way this workout goes is person 1 leaves on the 400 Meter Run. While they’re out, person #2 is performing as many reps of KB Swings as possible, person #3 performs as many Push-Ups as possibe, and person #4…. ready for this… RESTS!  That’s right, I intentionally gave you rest!  You’re welcome 🙂

One thing I love about this workout is the fact that you are only working at the Swings and the Push-Up stations for as long as it takes your teammate to run their 400 Meters.  Compete with someone who runs faster, and you have less time to workout.  If your teammate is a slower runner, prepare to do more.  It’s great motivation for you to not let your teammates suffer… at least that what it sounded like tonight! (“Hurry up and get back in here!”)  The goal of the workout is less about getting through more rounds, and more about trying to complete as many reps as possible at stations 2 and 3.  Results are in the order from the first person who ran, down through  the person that started at station 4, and numbers will alternate from KB Swing rep totals to Push-Ups totals.  All girls used an 8kg KB.

Athlete Results-

Carolyn Nairn (started w/ the run, first number is a Swing total): 36 / 31 / ? (she didn’t count!  let’s say 30) / 35 – 4 Run laps – Total Score for Reps – 132

Kristin Timbers (started w/ the swings, first number is a Swing total): 38 / 28 / 39 / 28 / 25 – 3 Run laps – Total Score for Reps – 158

Melissa Onstad (started w/ the push-ups, first number is a Push-Up total): 26 / 30 / 23 / 30 / 15 – 3 Run laps – Total Score for Reps – 124

Katie Mathison (start w/ the rest station… mostly because it was her first day!  First number is Swing total): 34 / 28 / 17 / 16 – 3 Run laps – Total Score for Reps – 95

THEN

60 Seconds of Max Rep Sit-Ups (2 at a time, partners held feet down)-

Carolyn: 42

Kristin: 38

Melissa: 39

Katie: 40

Another newcomer today in Katie Mathison who put on a strong showing!  Running is obviously a strength for her, and her teammates definitely appreciated it when she was back inside in no time after her 400 Meters.  Everyone, remember on those Swing to have a VIOLENT extension of those hips.  The arms are just ropes carrying that weight up and down.  Let’s not make it harder than it is, and each of you had a lot of perfect reps!

The sit-ups, like everything else it seems, turned into an amazing race between athletes.  The first team of people to go only finished one rep apart, and the second team 2.  Way to push each other.  Tonight was awesome!

Workout of the Day-

The first workout I’ve named – “The Grip Tester”

4 Rounds for Time of:

15 Deadlifts

15 Ball Slams

15 Knees to Elbows

30 Double-Unders (w/ a Jump Rope – or 60 Single Jumps)

(Prescribed weights are 225lbs for Deadlifts and 40lbs for Ball Slams)

Carolyn Nairn (65lb Deadlift / 20lb Ball Slam / 60 Single Jumps): 17:33

Kristin Timbers (65lb Deadlift / 20 lb Ball Slam / 60 Single Jumps): 17:47

This workout was the first time we used the Olympic lifting bars to do something in my class, and you guys did a great job!  Chests stayed high, knees stayed pushed out, and lumbar curves were maintained.  That’s how you prevent injury and get stronger!

Over the next few weeks, we’ll spend some time working on technique for Double-Unders.  Once you get the hang of it and find a rhythm, it cuts down on the jump rope time significantly.

Way to move those weights around!

Workout of the Day-

Hero Workout – “Michael”

3 Rounds for time of:

Run 800 Meters

50 Back Extensions (Supermans on the mat)

50 Sit-Ups (Unanchored sit-ups, knees up)

Athlete Results-

Jenny O’Neil: 19:30

Lara Canham: 19:55

Kristin Timbers: 20:38

Melissa Onstad: 20:59

Carolyn Nairn: 27:06 (1000 Meter Row subbed for run)

THEN

90 Second L-Sit (from pull-ups bars)- Hang from bars with straight arms, and hold legs as close to 90 degrees from your torso as possible.  Each time you drop, that counts as one rep.  Goal is to complete the 90 seconds in as few “sets” as possible.

Jenny: 5 sets

Lara: 3 sets

Kristin: 5 sets

Melissa: 7 sets

Carolyn: 7 sets

This time Carolyn wasn’t able to make the class, so she did this a few days later.  Due to her ankle rehab, we subbed in a 1000 Meter Row for the 800 Meter run.  In my opinion, that distance of a row equals a bit more work than the 800 meter run, and she did a great job at holding her pace even when she was tired (splits were 4:46 / 4:47 / 5:03).  Great job, especially with me screaming at you since no one else was in that class!

For the girls that did it together, they were all with-in a few reps of each other for the entire workout.  That’s 20 minutes of nearly identical pacing.  So proud of you all for staying together.  Boom!

On the L-sits… they get easier, trust me!  That is an incredibly tough position to hold, especially from the pull-up bars.  I’ll show you guys soon how we can develop that strength practicing parallette L-sits.

Workout of the Day-

As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) in 12 Minutes of:

10 Shoulder Presses

20 Parallette Dips

25 Meters Right Leg Hop Sprint

25 Meters Left Leg Hop Sprint

200 Meter Row

Athlete Results-

Melissa Onstad (35lb Bar): 3 Full Rounds

Jamie Barkell (45lb Bar): 2 Full Rounds + 80 meters of the 3rd Round

Kristin TImbers (35lb Bar): 3 Full Rounds

THEN

Tabata Squats- :20 seconds on / :10 seconds rest for 8 Rounds.  Your score is the lowest number you get in any round

Melissa: 12 / 11 / 11 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 12 = 10

Jamie: 12 / 10 / 13 / 11 / 11 / 11 / 10 / 11 = 10

Kristin: 13 / 13 / 12 / 12 / 11 /12 / 12 / 14 = 11

Kristin wasn’t able to make the class on 7/18, so she actually came in the next night to complete it.  I didn’t tell her what the workout would be, and I didn’t tell her what her training partners got, yet the times and results still ended up being super competitive!  You guys all work really well together.

This workout was the first time some of you had done a real Shoulder Press (with no assistance from the legs to push the bar overhead).  By keeping your cores tight, it became an incredibly solid movement!  I agree that Tabata Squats are not the preferred post-workout exercise, but I really want to drill in the importance of the squat.  If you maintain form on some of those key points we talk about (chest up, knees out over the toes, hips back, drive through the heels) when you’re tired, it will translate into more effective technique when you’re rested, too!  Great job!

Workout of the Day-

Before each movement, go out the front door with a ketlle bell in each hand and make an immediate right to take the shortest possible loop around the building.  The goal is to make it around the building as fast as possible, and to never need to set the kettle bells down.  Using the time it took you to complete the loop, complete as many repetitions as possible of the following movements in order:

• Tire Jumps (“Box Jump” onto the largest tire)
• Push-Ups
• Wall Balls
• Burpees

Loop times – :56 (seconds) / 1:30 / :55 / :55

Athlete Results-

Melissa Onstad (used 12kg kettle bells): 19 / 18 / 12 / 8

Kristin Timbers (used 8kg kettle bells): 21 / 25 / 12 / 10

Nikki (used 8kg kettle bells): 17 / 25 / 13 / 14

THEN

Max Jumping Pull-ups in 60 Seconds-

Melissa: 39

Kristin: 38

Nikki: 27

GREAT first workout!  None of you set down the kettle bells at all on the laps around the building, and throwing that 12lb medicine ball to that bottom line on the wall is no easy feat!  Remember that at the bottom of the wall-balls, we should always go into that full squat position where the crease of the hips go below the level of the top of the knee.

The jumping pull-ups were a great way to end the class.  Reaching full extension at the bottom, and getting the chin above the bar of every rep is no easy task.  Especially when you’re tired from an intense workout moments before.  Awesome job, team!