NO CLASS TODAY!

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Classes will resume as normal on Monday!

Pictures from our 12 Days of Crossfit workout! Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a BIG thank you to both the am and pm class for the generous gift. We really appreciate it.... watch out, more equipment to torture you with!

WOD~
5x3 Snatches

Then...

3 Rounds:
20 kb swings (55/35#)

40 push press (65/45#)

60 air squats

*Compare to 8/7/09

Post time and weight to comments.

Above Bob is captured through various stages of the turkish get-up.

AMRAP20min:
10 weighted dumbbell box step ups
10 box jumps
10 elevated push ups

*Compare to 9/28/09

Post time and weights to comments.

NO CLASS TODAY!

EVEN SANTA LOVES THE KETTLEBELLS!

Just a moment to wish our Crossfit family Merry Christmas and happy holidays. We feel very blessed to have each and every one of you in our lives. You have helped enrich our lives in more ways than you can imagine. It has been a wonderful year and we cannot wait to start the New Year and help each of you get fitter, stronger, and achieve your personal goals! Merry Christmas, you are forever in our hearts.

Classes resume as normal on Monday!

Happy holidays to our Crossfit family!

New for 2010!!!! Pictured above, our new Christmas gear workout line, inspired by Under Armour. Remember to wear your festive clothes to class today! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

WOD~ "12 days of Crossfit"

1- Plank (5 sec hold)

2- DB thruster

3- AB mat sit ups

4- pull ups

5- BURPEES

6- box jumps

7- push ups

8- kb swings

9- DB squat clean and press

10- Jumping lunges

11- KTE

12- DU

So the first round is just one Superman hold. Then the second round is 2 dumbbell thrusters and 1 Superman hold. The third is 3 AB mat sit ups, 2 db thrusters and 1 Superman hold. This continues so that the 12th round incorporates all 12 movements.

Post times and weights to comments!

Welcome Home Stacey!

Welcome home Stacey! We are SO glad to have you back! You have been missed!

Pictured above, the morning crew muscling through their workout. Looking good!

WOD~
Back Squat 3x5

Then....
200m rowing sprints x10

Post times and weights to comments.

Get up!

Turkish get ups are a drill of strength and coordination. It strengthens and improves your core (mid-line stabilization), major muscle groups, stabilizer muscles, connective tissues, tendons and ligaments. Not only will the turkish getup build strength, but it also aids in balance, coordination, flexibility and shoulder rotation. Overall, it is a power packed punch to your body. That being said, any guess what today's workout is going to include??? :)

WOD~
5Rounds
5 Turkish Get Ups each arm (35/25#)
10 pull ups
10 push ups

Post time to comments.

WOD~
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Deadlifts (225/185#)
Push ups on bar

Post times and weights to comment.

Mini Daniel

WOD~
"Mini Daniel"

25 pull ups

200m row

12 thrusters (95/65#)

500m row

12 thrusters

200m row

25 pull ups

Post time and weights to comments.

FYI: Dedicated to Army Sgt 1st Class Daniel Crabtree who was killed in Al Kut, Iraq on Thursday June 8th 2006.

KB Juggling

Above is a video of Jeff Martone from Tactical Athlete demonstrating the elite levels of kettlebell training. Jeff is an extremely knowledgeable guy, great athlete, and an extremely amazing person as a whole. We saw this demonstration last year during the KB certification we took. Amazing stuff! (The good stuff starts around 1 minute, 30 seconds into the clip. Fast forward to then if you don't have a lot of time. It's worth seeing!)

WOD ~ "Love Your Kettlebell"
3 Rounds:
30 KB clean and press (15 each side)
20 KB front squat
10 KB swing

Post time and KB weight to comments.

Jeremy

This is the website that we were talking about. Play the video and look at the middle poster in the background around 30 seconds into it. Dina is displayed on a HUGE poster at Crossfit Hollywood doing pull ups with Hailey around her waist.

http://www.crossfithollywood.com/citisearch.html

Many of you ask us where the names of the Crossfit workouts come from. They began using the names of the most deadliest storm, which are typically named after women, for the Crossfit WODs. In addition, WODs are named after fallen military, police, and firefighters. Many of which were in the Crossfit community. Occassionally, there are a few WODs named after the Crossfit icons, such as Kelly Moore, Nicole Carroll, and Annie Sakamoto. However, today's workout is none of the above. Read the post from HQ about "Jeremy":

Three year old Jeremy Bloniasz lost his life in a tragic accident Thursday, July 6th (2006). To Jeremy's parents, Kelly and Jeremy, the entire CrossFit family offers our deepest sorrow. In young Jeremy's honor the following kid's workout will be known from here on as "Jeremy."

WOD~
"Jeremy"
21-15-9
Overhead Squats
Burpees

Post time to comments.

Cindy

Steve practicing some gymnastics skills on the parallettes. Parallette training is fun and highly developmental. Without gymnastics training we are missing the crucial body movement components: coordination, accuracy, agility, and balance which are available to athletes. Parallettes training is an important addition to your gymnastics development.

WOD~
"Cindy" AMRAP20
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats

Post total rounds to comment.

Gary, Tai and Diane were last weeks winners in the group rowing competition! Way to pull away from the crowd! Below are pictures of the rest of us struggling to breath and stay in the competition!





WOD~
AMRAP20
10 Deadlifts (135/95#)
10 Hang Power Clean (135/95#)
10 Jerks (135/95#)

Pick a weight and stick with it through the entire workout.

Post weight and times to comments.

Determination

Do you ever walk in, see the WOD and say, "no way, there is no way that I can do this". Yet, about a half hour later, you somehow managed to survive and succeed? It's that little thing called determination and we all harbor it somewhere deep inside us. Whether it is our inner being trying to prove that we can keep up with the young folk, or our desire to loose a little weight, or even just to feel that satisfaction of knowing you can still kick ass. Either way, we all have this little invisible force that drives us to be something more or something better, to prove to ourselves that we CAN do this. It IS hard and we all need that extra push from our coach every now and again. However, bottom line is that at the end of the day (or wod), you are the one in charge. So when those negative feelings begin to creep up on you while doing a wod, remember that you are in control. Find a way to shut that negative little devil up and kick his little butt. Find a motivation that will drive you towards success because we all have it in us. Sometimes, we just need to remember who is in charge. YOU!

Okay, so now for the cheesy moment from your sponser (aka: me): I look at each one of you and I am so impressed with the drive and determination you all hold. Yet, each one of you is different in your motivation and the direction that you take that determination. Each one of you inspires me to find a deeper drive within myself. Thank you! Don't stop ... I won't either, because I have each one of you to inspire me.

WOD~
Push Jerk 3x5
Then....

10 box jumps, 1 ring dip
9 box jumps, 2 ring dips
8 box jumps, 3 ring dips
and so on until you have reached
1 box jump, 10 ring dips

Post the weight of sets for the PJ to comment along with your time from the wod.

The Deadlift

Deadlifts are another core eliment to building back, leg, and forearm strength as well as developing the skills necessary in maintaining a straight lower back against a load of weight. Scapula alignment and keeping your back straight is critical to avoid injuries when lifting heavy objects off of the floor. Once the lower back rounds, it increases the potential of spinal injuries. Above, Mike completes a body weight Deadlift. Way to go Mike!

WOD~
Deadlifts 3x5
Then.....

Tabata alternates on
Push ups and pull ups

Post weights on each set of your deadlifts, along with total count from tabata.

HAIL THE MIGHTY KETTLEBELL

Joe kneels down to hail the almighty kettlebell. Never forget the power it holds!!

Bob has great intensity and determination as he fights through his thrusters.WOD~ "Mary"

WOD~"Mary"

AMRAP20
5 Handstand push ups
10 alternating pistols
15 pull ups


Post time to comments.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We wanted to take a moment to let you all know that we are very thankful for you.  You all are like family to us, so we hope that everyone has a happy turkey day.   Enjoy your time with your family and friends.  We will see you tomorrow to work off some of the extra stuffing.  ;)

Paleo vs. Zone

WOD~
Front Squat 3x3
Then...

4 rounds:
500m row person 1
500m row person 2
**Two person team so that each person goes 2,000m.

Post times and weight to comments.

Paleo vs. Zone
I know you have heard us discuss both of these nutrition methods before. So which is which? How are they different? Which one should you choose? Well, truly it is a personal preference. However, a blend of the two may be just what the doctor ordered. A very simplistic way to approach the two is that Paleo tells you what foods to eat and the Zone explains how much food to eat. Think of quality and quantity. That is why a combination approach may be the best choice for you. I will preface this with: I am not a doctor, professional nutritionist, nor expert. I know that all diets do not work for everyone, me included. So, you need to find what will work for you specifically, especially as we approach the holiday seasons. That is why I am going to attempt to break down the two plans in order to give you more background knowledge that will help to fuel your decision. ???????????????
(Note: For the record, I HATE the word diet. It often has many negative innuendos attached. When in reality, we are talking about making healthier choices when it comes to our eating habits. It is a lifestyle…not a diet; no one is being punished here!)

Paleo: The Paleolithic Diet stems straight from our ancestors, the cavemen, which survived off the method of hunting and gathering lifestyles. During this time the food supply consisted almost exclusively of lean wild meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seed. These items provided all the nutrients necessary to support the caveman lifestyle and the way that humans are genetically constructed. Therefore, their bodies were able to digest and break down the daily intake of food with extreme efficiency, thus leaving very little disease or obesity problems. Therefore, a diet of lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds is now considered to represent a Paleolithic Diet.

Therefore, when you are trying to figure out what foods you should be eating, resort to our Paleolithic ancestors. “Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar.” ~Gregg Glassman, founder of Crossfit. Eating these foods will provide the largest benefits and minimize numerous risk factors with your health and well being, not to mention that it will optimize your performance.

Notice, there is no mention of eating dairy or grains. NONE! The main reason for this is that our bodies are not well adapted to consuming these products, which in turn makes them potential irritants to your system. As irritants, they place stress on your digestive system and body as a whole. Stress on your body will lead to risks such as obesity, inflammation, allergies, and opposing actions to your immunities. In addition, grains are high glycemic foods, thus having a large effect on your insulin release. Insulin resistance is a culprit in numerous health issues, the largest being obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Therefore, by selecting foods that are Paleolithic in nature, you are minimizing the mentioned risk factors and reducing the insulin release by eating low glycemic foods. This in turn will reduce the amount of stress that is placed on your body, especially your digestive system. With the Paleo Diet, you are not required to weigh or measure your foods. Basically, you are able to eat as much food as you want, within reason. Hence for my analogy that Paleo Diet = what foods to eat (quality).

Zone: The Zone is based on a 40:30:30 ratios for 5-6 meals throughout the day. What that means is that you should be eating 40% of your calories from carbs, 30% from protein and 30% from fat. I know that already some of you are freaking out with these numbers! I can already hear you yelling at the computer screen, “Well how am I supposed to figure that out?” Well, the Zone designates a “Block System” to help you achieve these proportions, even if you are not good with numbers. They did the work and have it all laid out in front of you.
The block system is based upon your lean body mass (LBM) and activity level. The Zone tells you how many grams of each macronutrient (carb, protein, fat) you need. It then turns these grams into a number of blocks. For example:

9 grams of carbs = 1 Carb Block

7 grams of protein = 1 Protein Block

1.5 grams of fat = 1 Fat Block

Then depending on how many grams of each you need, all you need to do is eat an equal number of protein, carbohydrate, and fat blocks in a day. Obviously, your total blocks are split among the 5-6 meals that you will be eating throughout the day. (You can find a block calculator at http://www.drsears.com/ZoneResources/BodyFatCalculator/tabid/414/Default.aspx)

I know it sounds confusing and honestly, it somewhat is at first. However, once you have your blocks determined, it gets far easier because you only need to look up the food in the reference section and measure or weigh out the correct amount. It’s actually pretty simple once you get into it, but it’s really important that you don’t get all obsessive compulsive about things. A block out of place here and there won’t matter in the long run.

As far as food selection goes, The Zone is less restrictive than Paleo. There is a list of “favorable blocks” and “unfavorable” choices, but you are not restricted from any dairy, legumes, or starchy carbs. However, in all reality, the majority of the foods you eat while Zoning should be Paleo-friendly in the first place. It is not in your best interest to find your blocks based on bread, crappy meats, trans-fats and beer. Despite the fact that Brett has his beer blocks down to a “T”. Simply put, it is a system that is designed to help you keep track of what you eat in a day.

So which to choose? It is worth noting that the Zone and Paleo style diets are very similar. There is nothing wrong with selecting one over the other and seeing how it works for you. In MY opinion, I would suggest that you first make the shift to healthy, clean foods (Paleo). By shifting to clean foods, your body will begin to have the right fuels for weight loss, optimal health and performance. You will be reducing the impurities and toxins that are entering your body. Once your shift to eating clean and healthy foods has been made, you are able to tweak your quantity by measuring and weighing you foods (Zone). Adding the zone for a bit will help with the learning of food portions, how much or little your body needs to operate in a functional means.

Personally: Many of you have experienced my “lectures” on nutrition. I originally began as a hard-core Zoner. However, after awhile, I found myself becoming obsessive with my measurements. (I’d get really hard on myself for grabbing a few extra almonds. So I’d eliminate blocks to make up for it. Really? Seriously now….that is NOT healthy!) So for me, sticking to the Zone plan on a daily basis was way too neurotic, so I ended up switching to Paleo. I personally was a lot happier. I was eating healthy, but I was not worrying about every little ounce and gram. However, that being said, since I had a lot of experience on the Zone, I am well aware of my proportion amounts and to this day, I still try to stick by them. I still weigh and measure some of my foods, but my leash has loosened. SO…… for me a Paleo/Zone combination has been of the most benefit for me. Brett on the other hand thrives on the Zone. If he could carry a scale and measuring cups in his brief case, he would! It is what works for him. So, when it comes to you, what should you do? Simply, try them out and see which method works best for you.

Tho Shall Do The Dance

This past Saturday, we were fortunate enough to attend a Blauer Tactical PDR seminar. Tom and Joe were amazing coaches who shared such useful knowledge on how to protect ourselves and to stay safe in hostile environment (ie: a personal attack). Many thanks to them for taking the time to share this wealth of knowledge with us. Also, to our friends at Bulldog Crossfit, thank you so very much for arranging this amazing seminar for us! It is always wonderful to see you and we are grateful to have such inspiring and amazing friends!

Now, onto Tai! Below, Tai creates his own warm up prior to a workout. Someone affectionately named it his "Fairy Dance" as chalk was flying off his hands as he danced.

WOD~
Row 500m
21 thrusters
21 pull up
Row 500m
15 thruster
15 pull up
Row 500m
9 thruster
9 pull up

Post time and weights to comments.

Dirty Thirty (Filthy 50's little sis!)

Amazing transformations! Just look at what we can do! Stick with it gang and you too can see the progress! :)

WOD~ "Dirty 30" (This is the little sister of the Filthy Fifty)

30 Box jumps
30 Jumping pull ups
30 KB swings (55/35#)
30 Walking lunge

s
30 KTE
30 Push press 45/35#
30 Back extensions
30 Wall balls (20-14#)
30 Burpees
30 Double unders (Good thing we have been practicing these!)

Post time and weights to comment.

Brett and his quirky comments....

Brett's comment on this picture: "Here is John attempting to crap out another kettlebell." When in reality, John is demonstrating an excellent substitution for pistols.

Below, Sue demonstrates full extension on her kettlebell swings. Looking good Sue!

KISS THE SCALE GOODBYE! After numerous discussions, Brett and I have decided to kiss our Wednesday weigh ins goodbye. Many of you are making amazing gains in your strength, endurance, and abilities. However, you are noticing that your weight is stagnant or that you may have actually gained some weight. The scale is a false sense of security, as it is normal to have fluctuations from day to day. It is a lose-lose proposition because we are noticing that some of you are getting disappointed without a loss, and some of you may be using a weight loss for the means of ‘celebrating’ (using food). In addition, several of you have lost the weight needed and are now actually gaining muscle. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat!

Although weigh ins can be useful to track and monitor your diet and fitness regime, in the end…the numbers do not matter in the whole scheme of it. Your health is what matters the most. How you feel, look, and your ability levels are the critical factors here. I know that we have had this discussion numerous times during our times together. However, we now realize that we need to completely part with the scale to make you believe us.

We are going to continue to stress to you that rather than using weight as a measure of your progress, use other benchmarks. When you beat a previous time on a wod, PR by several pounds on a lift, successfully do an overhead squat with additional weight, etc. These are all positive means in which to measure your progress. When it comes to diet, measure your progress by accomplishments. For example, going an entire week eating Paleo without any cheats, giving up that cookie each day, or adding more vegetables to you diet.

Let’s come together to refocus and celebrate these benchmarks, because ultimately, that is what we want to achieve!

AMRAP20

Run 200m or row 250m

21 SDHP (95/65#)

15 pull ups

Post time and weights to comment.

Welcome Chief!

The Conviction welcomes new member Steve, "Chief", to our group classes. Not only is he a hard worker, but he makes a mean power bar! Yummy!

MaryAnn returns to our little group just in time for thrusters and burpees! Perfect timing!!!!

WOD~ "Christine"

3 Rounds

500m row

12 Body weight deadlifts

21 Box jumps

Post time and weights to comment.

Change of schedule (unexpected, sorry!): There will be NO class Monday night, instead we will hold class on Tuesday evening. So, this week is Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5:30pm. Morning class will be held as usual. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility with this, we sincerely appologize for any inconvience.

The hopper deck draw was a success! The evening crew fights through overhead squats, knees to elbows, and elevated push ups. Way to go gang!

Hopper Deck!

What is today's workout????

We don't know yet! Today, we will be picking the workout from our Hopper Deck. It is filled with all of the favorites; Fran, Michael, Murph, Badger, Filthy Fifty, Helen, etc. That is the wonderful thing about Crossfit. Crossfit is a strength and conditioning system built on constantly varied, if not randomized, functional movements executed at high intensity. That includes real life skills such as standing, sitting, throwing, pushing, pulling, lifting, and running. So, just like life, you never know what you're going to get. What will we get today????? 3-2-1 Bring it!

Post the wod along with results to comment.

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE SERVED AND ARE SERVING!

Steve taking a moments rest.

WOD~

40 Box jumps

30 KB swings (55/35#)

20 Thrusters (95/65#)

10 Burpees

5 Pisols (each side)

10 Burpees

20 Thrusters

30 KB swings

40 Box Jumps

Post time and weights to comments.

Frustration with double unders

Many of us get frustrated with double unders.   They are a tough skill to master, however, all of us are making progress.   We are working on smaller jumps (no high jumping) and keeping our hands close to our bodies, remembering that the key is simply quicker wrist rotation.   Easier said than done....believe us....we know!   We too need to work on this skill.   But, as always, embrace the suck!   Play the video below for a preview of the skill we will be working on this week. 

WOD~  "Clean Ladder"
1 clean the first minute (135/95#),
2 cleans the second minute,
3 cleans the third minute, etc.
until you reach failure. 
You may choose power or squat cleans, but which ever you select, stick with it the entire wod.

**Compare your times to 4/6/09 or 8/28/09**

Post rounds and weight to comments.   Any PRs?