RIPS AND TEARS!

We have been pushing your grip to the limit with gymnastic, barbell and kettlebell movements. These movements can really take a toll on your hands. You will develop callouses, this is normal...and even desirable. However, if you don’t take proper care of your hands, you’ll get blisters, raw skin and, finally, rips and tears. So the trick is, how can we effectively manage our calloused hands to keep them functionable and pain free without any tears.

Ah yes, the dreaded hand tear! How can you prevent it. Well, everyone has there opinions and wants to cash in their ideas. However, growing up as an avid gymnast and now an avid Crossfitter, I have a few tips that have worked for me personally. Rips and tears can occur when your hands are either:

A. Too soft with little callouses

B. Too calloused up with numerous rough bumps and ridges

So, the tricky part is finding a happy medium with your hands. You need callouses to protect your hands, yet also keep them smooth enough so that they aren't prone to tearing.

So here are my tips. After a hard and grueling wod, soak your hands by taking a long and hot shower. You will notice the hard, dead skin begin to turn white. Use a regular pumice stone to help grind down the rough callouses. When this is done, apply the thickest, creamiest, gooyist lotion out there to your hands.

If that doesn't seem to be working, I may have another suggestion. My mother (the cosmetologist) suggested that I try the Microplane. http://us.microplane.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=10 It is super weird to get used to at first, in fact I even called my mom up and complained that I felt like I was using a cheese grater on my hands and feet. Once you get over that..... it has worked wonders.

This type of maintainance should be done at least once a week. In doing so, you will tear/rip a lot less and it will really help to keep your performance up. Taking a week off of training due to a rip is no fun, nor does it help to get us closer to our goals. So take care of those hands!

WOD

Continuous count on:

5 min squats

4 min box jumps

3 min push ups

2 min kb swing (55/35)

1 min sit up

Post total count to comments.

Buelller? Bueller? Anyone?

Bueller? Bueller? Anyone???? Anyone else signing up for the Fight Gone Bad Fundraiser????? There is NO minimum amount to raise, but remember, this goes towards two phenominal causes: wounded veterans....people that fight for our freedom and prostate cancer, which I know many of you know people in which this effects them and their families. It will be a fun time (totally scalable!) and then a fun cookout and dip in the pool at our house afterwards! Please join us in helping to raise money for this excellent cause!

WOD 7/30/09

1 pull up, 1 push up, 1 squat

2 pull ups, 2 push ups, 2 squats

3 pull ups, 3 push ups, 3 squats.....

STRATEGIZE and plan wisely to make it as many rounds as possible. You may rest as much as needed inbetween each round and there may be slight rests taken between movements. HOWEVER, once you are unable to complete a round unbroken, you are finished. (EX: If I cannot finish 11 pull ups and need to drop, I am then finished with my rounds) If paced and played correctly, this is an excellent physical and mental challenge! Go get some!

Post rounds to comment.

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!

**CALLING ALL ATHLETES..... We already have 5 people signed up and $295 dollars raised to help wounded vets and to fund prostate cancer research. WE NEED MORE ATHLETES! Remember, this is really just a typical Crossfit workout! We can scale it and it will be something that you will be able to do at your own level! There is no minimum amount to raise, but remember, it is a tax write off :o) SIGN UP NOW! The link to our team is: http://athletes.kintera.org/fgb4/conviction

AMRAP20 (As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes)

5 Deadlift 70/50#
5 Hang Power Clean
5 Front Squat

5 Push Press

5 Back Squat

IT'S OFFICIAL!

WE WILL BE HOSTING "THE 2009 FIGHT GONE BAD FUNDRAISER" AT THE OCPD ON SEPTEMBER 26th!

Fight Gone Bad is an annual fundraiser that helps to raise money through the Crossfit foundation. All the money raised goes to support our wounded veterans, as well as prostate cancer research. Both of these topics hit close to home for me, so I for one am proud to be a part of helping raise money for these great causes. COME FOR A GREAT WORKOUT WITH A GREAT TEAM OF PEOPLE AND THEN ROLL ON OVER TO OUR HOUSE FOR A COOKOUT AFTERWARDS! Here is our team link: http://athletes.kintera.org/fgb4/conviction

RULES AS INDICATED BY http://www.fgb4.org/.

The CrossFit workout is ‘Fight Gone Bad.’ In this workout you spend one minute at each of five stations, resulting in a a five-minute round after which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. This event calls for three rounds. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of ‘rotate,’ the athletes must move to the next station immediately. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower, where each calorie is one point.

The stations are:
Wall-ball, 10 ft target (Reps)
Sumo deadlift high-pull (Reps)
Box jump (Reps)
Push-press (Reps)
Row (Calories)

To compete in the workout, all participants must complete each of the following:
Register with their team (The Conviction) by Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Register at http://fgb4.org by Wednesday, September 23, 2009

If you raise $150 or more in pledges by 6 am PDT on Sunday, September 27, 2009, you will receive a free t-shirt. You do not need to raise this amount to participate however. We welcome as little or as much as we can raise.
All donations counting toward the awards must be received by 5 pm PDT on Monday, September 28, 2009

If you'd like to participate as competing nationally, the divisions are listed on the website and we are happy to help you achieve that!

TEAM WOD 7/22/09

Welcome back, Kristen! Kristen doing her front squats with a kettlebell! Looking good!

Maria gives an awesome attempt at the tabata rowing competition and takes 2nd place with 47 calories. John Kanter came in 1st place with 55 calories! Now that's some rowing!

TEAM WOD 7/22/09

In teams of 2:

Run 400m together at same time... you cannot begin the next portion until you are both back from the run, so you might as well do it side by side.

Then:

100 thrusters (65/45#) --- only one person works at a time

100 pull ups --- only one person works at a time

100 box jumps --- only one person works at a time
Then:

Run 400m together at the same time

**The score is when the last person in your team crosses the line after the last run. Post times and weights to comment.... Who will be our team champions???? Da-da-duh- duh.... (suspenseful, huh?)

A GOAL HAS BEEN MET!

CONGRATULATIONS, STACEY!

Stacey got her unassisted pull up recently!

whoo-hooo! (Okay, so I know it's a bad picture and I clicked a little too late but she got it none the less.) That is a great accomplishment. Way to obtain one of your goals! That is a reminder for us others....how are we doing at reaching our goals? What are your goals? I know I have many, many goals. Goals are what keeps us going and pushing ourselves to the next level. It is also great when others know of your personal goals, that way our little community can team together to help us reach them.

Post a few of your goals to comments. I know I will be posting mine shortly.

WOD 7/20/09 We've got legs and we know how to use them!

Steve determined to get through his OHS....way to fight through it Steve!

Morning group on the box jumps while Joe is working through a round of OHS.

WOD 7/20/09.... this one is all about the legs!

21-18-15-12-9-6-3
kb front squat 55/35#
lunges

Finisher: Tabata rowing....winner has the most calories at the end of the 8rds.
Post times and weight to comments.

WOD 7/17/2009

Gary on the mend from a broken foot. Welcome back to our group and it's great to see you fighting through the alternative wods! Don't worry, we will get there!

Mike.....WOW! What improvements you have made! You simply blow me away each day. I bet if I told you a year ago that you would be doing handstand push ups, pull ups and jumping on the big box.... you would have laughed at me! Now look at you! You are a true machine and your spirit and determination is amazing! Keep moving on!

Gio..... here's an ice cream picture just for you. (Sorry gang, had to throw it in for chuckles with our Chicago affiliate friends.)

It is great to watch so many of you making these HUGE improvements and accomplishing so much more than where you started! That is truly what it is all about! Making the improvements to better yourself and trying new things that will challenge you both physically and mentally. You are amazing and inspiring! Keep it up!

WOD 7/17/2009

3 Rds:

9 overhead anyway (135#/95#)

12 push ups

15 pull ups

**Overhead anyway means you can clean/press, clean/push press, clean/jerk, or snatch....just get it from the ground to a locked overhead position....safely and with good form!

Go get some and post times and weight to comments.

Wed. 7/15/09

My brother, better known as "Uncle T", doing some overhead work while waiting in line at Disney.

Time to get back into full action!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOD 7/15/09

Run 400m

21 box jump (24 in)

21 OHS (95/65#)

Run 400 m

15 box jump

15 OHS

Run 400m

9 box jump

9 OHS

Post times and weight/heights to comment.