Iron Major CrossFit: July 2013

Thursday 08.01.13

15 minutes AMRAP of:
15 Medicine Ball Cleans (20/14)
5 Wall Climbs
Sprint 200m

Post time to comments and the whiteboard.

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0700, be ready to "Go" at these times)

This would be a great one to do outside. Use the brick walls of the main Harney building for the wall climbs though, not the Bubble. Sprints can either go south thru the parking lot in the standard direction to the turnaround point or use the field on the north side of Harney to incorporate a hill into the sprint.

Training Videos.

Never done wall walks? Here is a demo. Get ready for a shoulder smoker!

Wednesday 07.31.13

Swim intervals, 1:00 rest after each effort:
1 x 200 yd
2 x 100 yd
4 x 50 yd

Finish with 25 yd swim sprints, EMOM until form/pace deteriorates.

Post total time for intervals and number of sprints performed.

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0700, be ready to "Go" at these times)

The Harney pool is 25 yards long for your calculations so that first interval will be 8 lengths or 4 laps.

We have three lanes reserved in the Harney pool from 0500-0700. Usually other lanes are open as well that time of morning. Please be considerate of other IMCF athletes and others who may be in the pool this morning swimming their own workout. Share lanes and give way to the right for a left to left pass as needed.

Tuesday 07.30.13

For time:
Row 1000 meters
30 shoulder to overhead (135/95)

Post row time and overall time to complete to comments and the whiteboard.

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0700)

So first we are going to place a metabolic demand on our system with the row and then go right into a weightlifting movement where mechanics are key. Depending on your strength in the shoulder to overhead movement, you may use a strict press, a push press or a push jerk or combination of all three. If 30 reps may come unbroken for you at the Rx'd weight then consider a plus up to challenge yourself.

Regardless of the type of press, remember to set a stable shoulder before you load up. Shoulder should be back in the socket, tight midline, glutes on, feet screwed in to the ground, elbows in and knees out in the dip of the push press or jerk.

Training Videos.

Here is a good demo of the shoulder to overhead progressions to illustrate how each subsequent movement allows you to achieve more work once you have reached the point of failure at the previous.

Monday 07.29.13

First, one max set of dead hang pullups. Rest, then...

21-15-9 reps of:
Hand stand pushups
Box Jumps (24/20)

Afterwards, spend 20 mins on a gymnastics skill.

Post pullups and METCON time to comments.

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545 and 0630)

Gymnastics today across the board. For the pullups, use the dead hang technique with no assistance from a kip, a band or a butterfly. Straight up, straight down with no opening or closing of the shoulders means the shoulder and back musculature are doing all the work, which is a good thing!

Rx'd for the HSPUs will be unassisted with either a kip or strict in the near vertical and the box jumps RX'd will be a jump up (no step up) and hips fully open while on top of the box. Scaling for the box jump can be step ups or a jump to a lower height. Scaling for the HSPUs includes a couple options: less than pure vertical on the wall such as a 45-75 degree incline, piked off a box or double-band assist. Scale up for the HSPUs could be deficit HSPUs using parallettes or plates on the floor. Below are two examples of scaling the HSPUs. Scale the HSPUs to ensure full range of motion, full extension at the top and down to the point that your head touches the floor or passes below your hands in the case of deficit HSPUs.

Piked off a box. Using two bands off a pullup bar.

Training Videos.

Can't do gymnastics without checking in on some tips from the Pocket Gymnast.

Some basic HSPU mechanics are covered here. Regardless of what technique you use, keep your midline tight like the tiger.
And how often do we Pull Up with our feet together, legs straight with good spinal alignment from top to bottom?

Sunday 07.28.13

Great turnout for our CrossFit Hope for Cures on Saturday morning. Over 35 participants and great effort on everyone's part. Thanks to Jacob for organizing the event and to everyone who supported it by either competing, cheering or fundraising. Below are a few pics, expect to see more photos from the Hope WOD later in the week.

A few events to let everyone know about in the week ahead, IMCF is not conducting any of these events at the Bubble but we wanted to make sure word got out there in case anyone wanted to participate.

31 Heroes WOD, 03 August 2013. In August 2011, Extortion 17, a CH-47 in Afghanistan went down with 30 servicemembers and 1 military working dog onboard. For the past two years the 31 Heroes Project has conducted a hero WOD to raise money and to serve as a memorial to the lives lost that day. Local boxes that are conducting this WOD include Combat CrossFit in Liberty, MO, and Solution 1 CrossFit in Shawnee, KS. For more information visit www.31heroes.com.
2nd Annual Spencer C Duncan Make It Count 5K, 03 August 2013. For information visit http://www.makeitcounttoday.org/5k-run. Specialist Spencer Duncan was from Olathe, KS and was a member of the Extortion 17 flight. His family holds a memorial 5K down at the New Century Air Center in Olathe, KS to raise money and serve as a tribute to Spencer.

Saturday 07.27.13

Kate Foster (right), has become the worldwide face of this year's CrossFit for Hope event. Jared Sloan (left) of IMCF visited CF Rockford, Illinois over the 4th of July and did a WOD with them. Kate completed the Hope WOD earlier this month with only one leg, so what's keeping you from coming out on Saturday?

CrossFit Hope for Cures

3 RFT of each of the following movements for one minute:
Burpees
Power Snatch (75#)
Box Jump (24")
Thruster (75#)
Chest to bar pullups
Rest one minute

Do each movement for 1 minute, then immediately rotate to the next movement. Rest for one minute at the end of each round for a total of 17 minutes of work.

Post total number of reps to comments and the whiteboard.

Coach's Notes.
We will be running waves on Saturday morning at 0900, 0930, 1000 and 1030. Please contact Jacob Heppner to let him know you are coming out and what wave you prefer to start in.

We will brief each wave on the movement standards prior 3,2,1 Go. Athletes will also have time to set up their equipment for any adjustments to weight or height and find a person to keep their score during the 17 minutes.

Athletes can scale weights or height as needed or complete the WOD as RX'd.

Friday 07.26.13

First off...remember our CrossFit Hope for Cures event goes on Saturday from 0900-1100 in the Bubble. The event is free but also is a fundraiser for St Jude Children's Research Hospital. Visit http://hope.crossfit.com/cures for more info. Please contact Jacob Heppner for details of our event and to let him know you are participating. Consider a rest day if you are coming in for CF for Hope on Saturday, it will be a smoker. If not resting then your choices are:

Nancy
5 rounds for time:
400m Run
15 Overhead Squat (95/65)

...or...

Jeremy
21-15-9 reps of:
Overhead Squat (95/65)
Burpee

Post your choice and your time to comments and the whiteboard.

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0700)

Overhead squat...active shoulders, solid midline, depth below parallel. Any slip in mechanics for the OHS will cost you in terms of energy spent somewhere else, i.e. you will be less efficient. More hip opener drills ahead of the WOD will help.

As for the run, be deliberate in your warm up to program yourself for a good stride. If you Pose run then wire your brain for it ahead of time with some Pose drills (see below). Regardless, your stride should be tight and upright from the first step. We often do these sprints under metabolic load and tendency is to step out in an inefficient, broken position and just plod along down the road due to fatigue. Be desciplined and step out that door in an organized stride.

Training Videos.

Pose Drills version one.
Pose Drills version two.

IMCF "Hope for Cures" - Saturday, 27 July

This Saturday (27 July), Iron Major CrossFit will host a CrossFit For Hope event in the Harney Bubble gym from 0900-1100. All the donations and money we raise for this event will go straight to St. Jude Children’s Hospital to support the work they do in curing childhood cancer. Joining in on the “Hope” workout is completely free though, and all are encouraged to come and join in -- family members included! We will be running through heats every thirty minutes, so don’t feel like you have to be there for the whole duration of the event, 0900-1100. As usual, this workout is completely scalable.

Ultimately, our goals are to come together and tighten the fibers of the IMCF community, raise some awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and get in a good workout in recognition of a worthy cause. Any funds raised for St. Jude are just extra sweet icing on the cake. Post to comments if you have any questions!

How Can I Support the Effort?

Do the WOD. Come out and share in the experience with us.
Spread the word! Talk it up -- bring your friends and family along.
Make a personal donation. Cash donations can be made on site, or sponsor an athlete through the official IMCF fundraising portal HERE.
Raise additional funds through outside donations. Use the same site to create your own donation portal under IMCF and publicize the event through your social media sites. Raising $321 will earn you a sweet shirt.

Bottom line -- 100% of your donation goes toward the fight against catastrophic children's illnesses.

More Infomation...

What makes this event so meaningful for IMCF? Learn about the life changing impact St. Jude has made on the Heppner family.
Click to read more about the Crossfit For Hope and Hope for Cures campaigns.
For information on St. Jude's role in combating childhood illnesses, visit their website.

Thursday 07.25.13

Don't forget our Crossfit Hope for Cures WOD this Saturday from 0900-1100. Contact Jacob or Noah to let us know you are coming. Details on the flyer in the Bubble.

"Cindy"
20 min AMRAP:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats

...or...

"Barbara"
5 rounds, each for time:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats
Rest precisely 3:00 between each round of Barbara.

Post choice of WOD and number of rounds (C) or time for each round (B) to comments and the whiteboard.
Compare Cindy to 04.09.13.

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0700)

Anybody up for Cindara? Or Barbindy? If not, then two options again today, both of them chock full of gymnastics movements. If your legs are hurting from the thrusters on Wednesday then spend some time warming them up with some rolling and what else...squats. Pullups can be scaled same as with Fran...bands or jumping. Pushups can be done from the knees but strive to keep a solid core and a good shoulder position.

Training Videos.

KStar has some thoughts on the knee pushups here and why they should be avoided. Food for thought.

Wednesday 07.24.13

"Fran"

AM Results - click to view

21-15-9 reps of:
Thrusters (95/65)
Pull ups

Post time to comments and on the whiteboard.

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0700)

The WOD everyone loves to hate (or heart. Get it? I heart Fran? The Tshirt? Come on people!) Of all the benchmark WODs in the CF inventory, this one is by far the most reviled and the most feared, but also the one people most want to improve on every time they do it. CrossFitters measure themselves and each other based on the simple question, "What's your Fran time?" If after doing Fran you feel like a Mack truck ran over you then welcome to the club, everyone has that feeling. But, if you persist with functional fitness then I guarantee your time will be better the next time you attempt this WOD. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?

But, all we are concerned about for Wednesday are good, smooth mechanics and an all out effort. Your warm up should get your heart rate up to near max for at least a short interval in preparation for the demand you are about to place on the CVRE system and the major muscle groups of your body. See second link below for tips on what to mobilize the night before or in the morning. Focus on shoulder and hip capsules.

The thruster is a front squat and push press blended into one seamless, wonderful total body movement. Movement standard is a squat below parallel at the bottom and a fully locked out position overhead with the bar at the top. Prescribed pullups can be kipping, butterfly, dead hang or one armed but must be full extension of the arm(s) at the bottom and chin above the bar at the top. Pullups can be scaled with the bands or jumping from the floor or jumping off a box. Have a coach show you the scaling options if unfamiliar with the pullup variations. Thrusters should be scaled with a lower weight, strive not to do less than 45 reps and heaven forbid do not scale the range of motion.

Also, for those unfamiliar with the phenomenon that is Fran, just Google "Fran CrossFit" and see what the internet produces for you. Caution, vomiting seems to be prevelant.

Training Videos.

Two of the original firebreathers, Annie and Greg demo sub-three minute Fran, this was probably filmed circa 2007, back when board shorts were still the CF standard for men.
From last year's Games Open, KStar and Mobility WOD offer mobility tips to prepare you for thrusters and pullups.

Tuesday 07.23.13

"Annie"

Early AM Scores

50-40-30-20-10 reps of:

Double Unders (DU)
Situps

Afterwards, play around for 20 minutes with other skills you want to practice.

Post time to comments and to the whiteboard.
Compare your Annie time to 08.08.2012.
Substitution for DUs is 3:1 singles i.e. 150 singles, 120 singles, 90 singles etc.

Coach's Notes. (standard start times of 0545, 0630, and 0700, warmup prior to that time)

Grab your jump rope and get to the gym. No seriously, grab your jump rope! We usually have a healthy supply of jump ropes in the Bubble but the DU challenge back in June must have taken its toll on our community ropes as we have only 2-3 working ropes in there currently. If you have more than one please bring them in to share.

The DU is a skill that not everyone has at first. That is okay, it comes with practice. That is why we substitute 3 single jumps for every double under. See first video below for a demo of the double under and also some good tips on DU development.

Annie goes quick and starts with 50 DUs (or 150 singles), 50 situps, 40 DUs (or 120 singles), 40 situps etc. Recommend using an AbMat for your situps, place the fatter end of the mat in the small of your back. You can either anchor your feet with weight in the standard situp position or open up the legs to disengage the hip flexors and make it an abdominal only movement.

Training Videos.

Here is a DU Demo courtesy of Practice CrossFit.
And an abmat situp demo showing the legs opened up to remove the hip flexors from the situp.

Monday 07.22.13

First off, welcome to all of our On Ramp participants who took the time to come out on Saturday morning. This week's programming will get after all the concepts and themes you heard on the whiteboard this weekend in addition to using many of the fundamentals of the 9 foundational movements you practiced. Please do not find these WODs to be daunting, we believe anyone can and should do these movements. The experienced coaches in the Bubble are there to help you determine what is appropriate for you based on your skill level and your comfort level. The WODs will challenge you, but if you persist and stay with it you will see improvements and hopefully be inspired to pursue functional fitness.

And we invite anyone and everyone to join our online blog, just click the Comments link below. Ask questions, post concerns, arrange or request someone to meet you for a workout time, post results, encourage one another. It is just another way the IMCF community interacts. And the blog can also serve as a record of your workouts. You can easily go back and research previous times, recall your last personal record (PR) or see how many rounds you did in a WOD six months ago. So with that...for Monday we have a choice between two great WODs...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KAREN

AM results (click to view)

150 wall balls for time (20/14)

...or...

ISABEL
30 snatches for time (135/95)

Post time to comments and post to the whiteboard in the Bubble as well.

Compare Karen to 01.09.2013 or to your Open 13.3 time.
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Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545 and 0630, for additional times please hit the blog)

Okay, let's start with Karen. We last saw her back in March during the CrossFit Open although she had some double unders and muscle ups with her. This is just plain ol' Karen. Prescribed weight for men is a 20# medicine ball thrown to a 10 foot spot, the prescribed weight for women is a 14# medicine ball thrown to an 8 foot spot. Both heights are painted on our south wall in the Bubble. However, scaling is always available and in this WOD we have three options...scale the weight, scale the height or scale the number of reps. Absolutely one aspect we do not want to scale is the range of motion. No matter what you choose, ensure you use full range of motion no matter how many reps you accomplish.

So what is this wall ball? You start with a medicine ball in a front rack position (i.e. held in front of the chest), perform a front squat to a depth below parallel and then throw the ball up to the desired height and then catch the ball back in a front rack and repeat. Do that 150 times and you have met Karen. See the video link below for a demo on wall balls.

One note on strategy for Karen...if your gameplan out of the gate is to just wall ball a max unbroken set until you red line and succumb to muscle failure; resting and then repeating another max unbroken set you may find yourself absolutely smoked before you even get to 75 reps. Consider sets of some number that does not push you to exhaustion. Example...do 1-20 unbroken, rest for 15 secs, do 21-40 unbroken, rest for 30 secs and continue that scheme until you can't make that target number of unbroken reps. Then set a goal for sets of 15, then sets of 10 etc. Leave some gas in the tank when you complete those early sets and take a breather, you'll need that gas later!

As for Isabel, the prescribed weights are 135# for men and 95# for women. The snatch is one of the two Olympic lifts (the clean & jerk being the other) and it demands good mechanics and explosive power especially at these weights. If the snatch is not a movement you have experience with then consider Karen as your goal for today. It is a great lift and incredibly effective at developing speed, power and strength but can be too complex for inexperienced lifters. See the second video below for a snatch demo.

Lastly, both of these WODs today require a lot of 'work'. Take some time to warm up, mobilize, cool down, and maybe roll around on a foam roller. Follow the workout with a lot of water and the proper foods and it will aid your recovery. It is only Monday and there is a lot more work coming in the WODs later this week. You don't want to be miserable by the time Tuesday morning comes around.

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Training Videos.
•Here is a Wall Ball demo courtesy of CrossFitOneWorld.
•Here is a Snatch demo courtesy of CrossFit Connect.

Weekend Notes

Huge thanks to all that braved the torrential rain and made it out to the Fundamentals / On-Ramp course Saturday! It was one of the larger classes in recent history, with over 50 in attendance. Hope to see a good chunk of you at our morning sessions and posting results to the blog. A quick review of some tips for getting started.

The Workout of the Day (WOD) posts at 1800 the day before execution. If you have ANY questions that aren't answered by the Coach's Notes, post to comments or ask a trainer in the gym.
Our most established and regular groups are 0545 and 0630. Recommend linking up about 20 mins early for warmup and to discuss the WOD.
This week's programming is composed entirely of "Girls" (click here), named workouts that capture the essence of CF programming and serve as valuable benchmarks to gauge your development. These workouts are easily scalable, and will be a great way for you to assess your fitness level as you start a new training program. Hope to see you in the Bubble!

20 Jul 13 - On-Ramp Group Photo

A special thanks to the trainers that supported the event. This stuff just isn't possible without your continued help. Last, I am planning my revenge on Charles for making me do "Broken Promises". Great WOD, click for a few pics of participants and results. What a lovely B-day present for Allan!

Strength Training Discussion - Wendler 5/3/1

Here's the second in a series of posts from Jake on strength training. He's been studying up on a number of the "gold standard" strength programs out there, and sharing executive overviews of the methodologies. You can locate this and other related articles using the "Strength" tag in the category search at right.

Any questions, experiences, or insights to share? Post to comments!

II. 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler

"What would Conan do?" - Jim Wendler

The 5/3/1 program is very simple compared to the Westside methodology (and that's pretty simple minus the bands and chains). Here's a quick overview:

Team WOD & Upcoming Events

First, thanks to the small but spirited group that made it out for the WOD this AM. Fridays are for Team WODs, come out and join the fun! We realize schedules are goofy with Furlough Fridays in effect all over post. Coordinate later group starts if that fits your schedule better.

Calendar Review. Lots of stuff going on. Here are the 25m targets:

On-Ramp - Reminder, On-Ramp is tomorrow (Sat) at at 0830 and we are expecting a healthy crowd. If you are planning on attending and haven't registered please contact Charles. Instructor linkup at 0745 to finalize assignments. AIs, come prepared and we'll work you in wherever you feel comfortable.
"Pain and Suffering" - also tomorrow, we're doing a pilot run of Slider's Signature WOD. Setup immediately following the on-ramp, with a 1300 start. Someone bring some motivational tunes!
"Benchmark Week" - heads up! Next week, we are programming nothing but Girls. Purpose is twofold: a) they are a great intro for new athletes as to what CF "looks like", the purpose of scaling, and as an initial assessment; and b) if you have been at it a while, time to measure your progress. If you think we are getting through next week without a certain 4-letter F word, you are fooling yourself.
"Hope for Cures" - Next Saturday (27 Jul 13) is our fundraiser and community WOD benefiting Crossfit for Hope and St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Heats start at 0900 and will kick off every 30 mins. Please come out and support the cause, registration info here (TBD - updating).

Friday 07.19.13

“Release the Beast”

In teams of 3, perform AMRAP in 20:00:

~150m Hill sprint

30 Hand release push-ups

Post number of rounds (# sprints / any additional HRPU) completed.

Coach's Notes.
Friday is Team WOD Day! Posting early so you can plan ahead -- standard Team WOD start time of 0600. Looking for a mass start, make it if you can and bring a friend! Linkup at 0540 at the bottom of the Riverside Rd hill (the one near the post chapel, on the way down to the airfield). There is parking all over the place at the top and bottom of the hill, and in the middle by the power station. WOD brief and form teams at 0550, and "3,2,1...Go!" at 0600.

WOD Format. On “Go”, one athlete performs a hill sprint to the designated finish point and returns to the bottom of the hill. In the meantime, the other two athletes begin performing HRPU, but only one can do work at a time. The team must complete a total of 30 HRPU before the next runner can begin their sprint. If the runner returns before the HRPU are finished, he/she can chip in to help "release the next beast".

Quick visual of the area. The push-up area and start point is in the flat grass by the monument, the planned sprint finish point is at the 3rd telephone pole on the left, about halfway up the hill.

If performing solo, recommend finding the steepest hill you can find and charting a course that will take about 1:00 out and back. Perform as a 15 min AMRAP with 15 HRPU between hill sprints.

Training Videos.

"Movement Demo: HRPU" - Reebok CF One shows proper form. Note -- this is not a Crossfit Pushup or Crossfit Standard Pushup. It is a specific movement to work ROM, slow down cycle time, and activate some different muscles in your core and upper back/rear delts.
"Release the Beast" - triumphant return of the Retro Jukebox! Heading back to 1980 with the band Breakwater. This is the funkiest, most badass jam you have never heard before. I nominate this as Charles' official theme music before he transitions to "Beast Mode" on any WOD. Hope to see you at the On-ramp tomorrow, or the 1300 WOD immediately after.

Thursday 07.18.13

Back Squat 3-3-3-3-3

rest as needed, then...

10 minutes to establish a Max Height Box Jump.

Post loads and best box jump effort to comments.

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0800)
Strength day! Get a good general warmup in, focusing on mobilizing the hips and ankles. Then partner up and knock out some warmup sets as you build up to your working sets. Have a coach provide some feedback on your setup and execution: midline stability, proper depth, knees over toes, and driving through heels. Your choice of technique, low bar or high bar -- know the difference, and their purpose.

Quick review of approaches to such a WOD. You can work straight sets across, or build up to a 3 rep max. By the book (or more accurately, Prilepin's Chart), if you are doing straight sets across you should be working around 80-90% of your 1 rep max (1RM). If you are working toward a 3RM, start counting sets when it starts to feel like work and add weight to arrive at your current 3RM around set 4. Gauge your final effort based on how that works out.

Shake it out and then take turns jumping on big things. Use the soft plyo boxes, or stack plates on a wooden box (no light plates on top...they'll skid off). Two keys to sticking a high box jump...you can jump higher (duh), or you can bring your legs up higher relative to your hips to land in a deep crouch. Kind of like a clean...you can pull the bar higher, or you can go lower to get under the bar. Do them both and you're golden.

Training Videos.

"Mic'd Instructor: Back Squat" - Again Faster vid reviews fundamentals with in-depth explanations of both major squat variations (HBBS and LBBS).
"Max Height Box Jump Day" - fun vid from CF St. Kilda showing hits and misses. Really highlights the mental aspect of it...you eventually reach a point where your body just seizes up and balks. Find that point and work through it.

Wednesday 07.17.13

“Eva”

It could always be worse...

5 rounds for time of:
800m Run
30 Kettlebell swings (2/1.5 pood)
30 Pull-ups

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0800)
You know "Helen", right? Maybe you've seen her a few times and the two of you have gotten comfortable with each other...good for you. Now it's time you met her ugly sister, "Eva".

Pacing is key, you need to be steady and just grind this one out. Have a plan for each exercise (9-8-7-6 works out nicely) and try to stick to it. Take care of your hands! Ripping callouses is not cool, it can mess with your ability to work for days. Take the rough edges off tonight, and keep your hands dry with a little chalk. Recommend bringing a towel as well. I've never been a fan of taping, but to each their own.

Scaling -- try to keep the rep scheme, if you need to reduce volume cut rounds first. For KBS, go lighter than Rx'd or sub Russian swings (just above parallel) for American (overhead). For pullups, this is a great candidate for jumping pullups (check with a coach) or of course you can use bands. RECORD your scaling technique and results, so you can gauge progress on your next date with this sweetie.

Training Videos.

"WOD Demo: Eva" - LA Crossfit vid showing a variety of scaling techniques. DON'T do kipping PU with a band though, that's just goofy.
"KBS Movement Demo" - courtesy of CF Hampton Roads, shows proper form and common flaws.

Tuesday 07.16.13

5 rounds for time:
5 Squat cleans (135/95)
10 Pistols (Alternating)

Post time to comments.

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0800)
A dastardly little W/G (weightlifting/gymnastics) couplet for you today that will test your ankle mobility, leg and core strength, and really spotlight the bottom position of your squat. Spend some time getting loose with some easy runs and strides or rows (you probably got enough of those yesterday) and spend time hanging out and moving around a bit at the bottom of your squat before Go.

Scaling guidance. Treat today's WOD as "For time" only if you are rock solid on form in both exercises. Otherwise, ease up on load and pace and fight for good reps, every rep.

Squat Cleans -- first step, go lighter on load. If you struggle with a low receiving position, catch crisply in the lowest position possible, meeting the bar, and then complete a front squat. If your front squat is still a work in progress, power cleans only...but spend time working the rack and FS afterward.
Pistols -- lots of ways to self-assist. Use the rig uprights or box for balance, or use a ring/heavy band for additional support. You can also perform them on the edge of a box to work full ROM without being constrained by flexibility. New athletes, consider sets of 20 alternating step-ups instead...discuss with a coach.

Training Videos.

"Squat Clean Demo" - quick down and dirty (~1:00) from Northstate Crossfit.
"Mic'd Instructor: Squat Clean" - Jon Gilson gives the clean the Again Faster treatment. Methodical, detailed instruction and tips (11:00).
"How to Clean: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3" - OK, I am going overboard but this is a great series from Glenn Pendlay. Guy knows his stuff a little bit.

Monday 07.15.13

4 rounds for time of:
500m Row
50 Double unders

Rest exactly 3 mins between rounds.

Post total time and time per round.

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0800)
Rower damper and drag factor settings are constant sources of confusion and debate for both new and experienced athletes. Bottom line is you need to find the settings that maximize output for your technique, but there are guidelines to help get you there. Two quick resources here...ask a trainer if you have questions.

"How to Set Your Drag Factor" - CFE article by Erin Cafaro, with links to excellent vids.
"C2 Drag Factor: A guide to what you may not know" - helpful article from the CF discussion board.

The row repeats are the training focus here, the DUs are in there to add a little technical spice and improve your ability to perform them while fatigued. With that in mind, if 50 DU is out of reach, a few scaling options below:

Pick a tough but achievable goal and try to hit it every round...maybe 2 x your personal best on unbroken double unders.
Perform 1:00 of max DU, and track the number completed per round.
Sub 100 singles (2:1 instead of the normal 3:1).

Training Videos.

Just for kicks, here's a vid of 17 y/o Ryan O'Rourke rowing 500m in 1:18.1, setting an American record for his age group. He didn't do any double-unders after, though...what a slacker.
And, IMCF alumnus Dave Hudson was on mainsite yesterday if you missed it. 700 burpees??? Beast mode for a good cause.

Weekend Discussion - Strength Training

"Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general."

- Rippetoe

CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program that seeks balanced adaptation and improvement across the 10 physical domains. This balance is crucial to the concept of developing general physical preparedness (GPP) and competency at all physical tasks. IMCF's (and CrossFit main site's) base programming is designed with this GPP in mind, and includes activities to cause adaptations across the board, including strength.

That said, you could make a convincing argument that strength is one of the highest priorities for development. A solid strength foundation enables development in the other domains, and strongly factors in an athlete's ability to generate power and speed. Many programs and athletes, including some of our own, supplement or cycle their traditional GPP training with additional strength training.

Keep in mind that for most (especially new) athletes, this kind of specialized training is not needed. You will make tremendous gains performing our base programming consistently and with intensity. However, as your fitness objectives evolve you may choose to add this form of bias into your training. If you are going to do it, you may as well do it intelligently.

Our own Jake Atkins has been reading up on some of the "gold standard" strength programs out there, and sharing executive overviews of the methodologies with our programmers. Posting them here to help spread some knowledge...you can locate this and future articles using the "Strength" tag. Any questions, experiences, or insights to share? Post to comments!

I'm starting this discussion because strength by and large will make you a better CrossFitter. There is a lot of information out there from sources with different degrees of legitimacy. I am no expert, but I am interested in getting stronger - a lot stronger. So my intent is to provide some reviews of solid strength programs outside of normal CrossFit work. Basically, I'll read a book and give you the nuggets free o' charge. Hopefully this will pique your interest and perhaps lead you down the path of getting stronger. Other reviews to look forward to the next few weeks include:

5/3/1 by Jim Wendler
Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe
The Bulgarian System

Again, I'm no expert -- just looking to share information and start a productive dialogue.

Chalk Up,
Jake Atkins

I. Westside Barbell's Book of Methods.

"It’s important to understand the Westside system is, first and foremost, designed to develop strength. It was not created for optimal fat loss or to improve general health. Plain and simple: Westside trains for strength. If this doesn't fall in line with your goals/area(s) of interest this may not be the optimal training system for you." ~ Jordan Syatt, from Syatt Fitness

Louie Simmons' Westside Barbell gym and system has, quite simply, produced some of the strongest men and women in the world. For those interested, here is roughly what they do:

Friday 07.12.13

“1/2 Mile of Hell”

Morning Session Times

In teams of 2, for time:
2 x 100m Burpee broad jumps
2 x 100m Walking lunges
2 x 100m Bear crawl
2 x 100m Reverse bear crawl
400m Buddy run

Post time to comments.

Coach's Notes.
Friday is Team WOD Day -- one single mass start at 0600. Try to be at the track by 0540 to start
warming up, we'll do a quick WOD brief and form teams around 0550. Should be lots of new arrivals, partner up with someone new. Coordinate any later times on the blog.

Partners relay in leapfrog fashion, taking turns on each exercise and completing the entire 100m leg. On completion of a leg, athletes jog forward to the next transfer point and wait for a tag from their partner. Finish with a 400m buddy run, you must start and finish at the same time as your partner.

If scaling is required, a) partners switch whenever and as often as needed or b) reduce the distance for one or both partners. NOTE -- hands should be fine on the track, but no one will make fun of you (too much) if you wear some kind of gloves.

Training Videos.

"Demo - Burpee Broad Jump" - just like it sounds. Bigger broad jump = less burpees.
"Demo - Walking Lunge" - quick CF One vid. Trail knee kisses the ground, drive through the heel.
"Demo - Reverse Bear Crawl" - and,just like it sounds.

Thursday 07.11.13

Perform 8 rounds, every minute on the minute:

3 Deadlifts (60-70% of 1RM)
40 yd sprint

Follow with 10 minutes minimum of gymnastics skill work.

Post loads and skill work to comments.

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0800)
WOD. Grab some partners, a bar, and plates and head outside to a grassy area. Every minute, execute 3 crisp, unbroken DLs, drop the bar, turn and immediately perform a sprint. All out, max effort on the sprint with a focus on explosive acceleration. Wear cleats if you have 'em. Easy jog back to the start, and reset for the next round.

If you miss an EMOM, rest an extra minute and continue. If you miss two, increase the rest period to 2 minutes. Either way, finish out your 8 rounds.
DLs should be light, you'll have very little recovery time. Not trying to build your capacity to move heavy weight here. Pour your intensity into the sprints.
Partner up. Given the scheme, you should be able to get 2 or 3 athletes of similar ability in the same lane on the same bar.
Recommended locations are on the back side of the Bubble (start at the N end, sprint the length of the Bubble) or the gentle hill next to Harney (sprint 4 x brick walls...you'll see what I mean).

Skill Work. For the gymnastics work, pick something you avoid or suck at. A G-goat. Some potential options are HS holds, L-sits, pistols, toes to bar. Practice your kip variations. Or get on the rings and practice muscle up transitions, skin the cats, and levers. Lots of ideas in the movements/progressions sections of the GWOD library.

Training Videos.

"Movement Demo - Deadlift" - quick one from Reebok CFOne that reviews basic points of performance.
"Mic'd Instructor: The Deadlift" - comprehensive tutorial from Again Faster. Again, we're not going heavy today, but the principles are universally applicable.

July Upcoming Events

Some info on upcoming events for this month:

Friday Team WOD. Reminder, Fridays are typically Team WOD days. Next one is this Friday, 12 July at 0600, linkup at the track (on Cody Ave just down the street from the Bubble). Shooting for a single mass start...WOD brief at 0550, and "3,2,1..Go" at 0600. It's going to be awesome. Bring a friend, neighbor, classmate, coworker, your teenager kids...bring your Grandma (with a note from her doctor), she'll love it too.

July On-Ramp/Fundamentals. Next one is Saturday, 20 July, 0830-1230 at the Bubble. If you're just getting into the workouts, or are interested and want to know the basics of CrossFit, you can't miss the On-Ramp class. We'll cover the basic concepts, movements and nutrition foundations which underpin all CrossFit training. There is no obligation from completing these classes. To reserve your slot, send an email to Charles at cscharlesslider4@gmail.com. For current athletes interested...Charles is also planning a test run of his "IMCF signature WOD" concept afterwards, come join the fun.

Save the Date -- Crossfit for Hope. The CrossFit community regularly conducts fundraisers for a variety of worthy causes. Proceeds from the current effort, Hope for Cures, benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to help in the battle against cancer and other childhood illnesses. IMCF will sponsor its local Hope for Cures event on Saturday, 27 July from 0900-1100. Keep your ears to the ground, additional details coming soon. In the meantime, listen to Greg Amundson and get motivated.

Wednesday 07.10.13

18:00 AMRAP of:
6 Hang power cleans (155/115)
12 Bar-facing burpees
24 Double unders

Post rounds completed to comments.

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0800)
Yup, going heavy on the Rx weight for the cleans. Check your ego and your training log, if your 1RM from the floor is 185 then you're going to be scaling today. Looking for power output here...choose a load that will allow you to minimize rest and perform the majority of your reps unbroken and all with sound technique.

Bar-facing burpees are standard burpees with a jump over your clean bar between reps. Start each rep facing the bar, and make sure you jump off and land on two feet. If that sounds confusing, see the vid.

Standard 3:1 sub on singles for double unders.

Training Videos.

"WOD Demo - HPC" - Miranda performs heavy sets of 3. Good demo with coaching tips along the way. Note the warm-up with light, full squat cleans.
"Demo: Bar-Facing Burpees" - old CF Open movement standard video. He makes it look easy, huh?

Tuesday 07.09.13

"Michael"

Some Early AM Results

Three rounds for time of:

Run 800 meters
50 Back Extensions
50 Sit-ups

Post time to comments.

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0800)
"Michael" was one of the earliest Hero WODs, composed in honor of Navy Lieutenant Michael McGreevy, 30, of Portville, NY, who was killed in Afghanistan on 28 June 05.

As with any Hero WOD, work hard but work smart. Movement standards and scaling guidance below:

Run. Standard route, out the door and down DFAC road. The 400m turnaround point is down the hill at the end of the big 'ol parking lot, watch for the curb markers. If you hit the stop sign, you have gone too far. Recommend you recon the route on an easy jog during warmup.
Back Extensions. Honestly, these should be hip (not back) extensions. To review the difference, see the vid below. 150 reps will tax your hams/glutes/lower back heavily. Movement scaling options include good mornings (weighted/unweighted), reverse hypers, or supermans. Discuss with a coach if needed.
Sit-ups. No specific variation on this one. Recommend an Ab-mat, your choice of butterfly/bent-leg and unanchored/anchored feet. Either way hit full ROM: shoulder blades to the ground at the bottom, body to full upright position. Or, touch the floor and your toes with your hands.

As always, the WOD can be scaled by reducing the rep scheme. Most of us should finish in the 20-28 min range. If the gymnastic exercises break you down on round 1, have a plan to finish the WOD in this time span.

Training Videos.

"WOD Demo: Michael" - good HQ vid with Jeremy Kinnick, includes movement descriptions and some scaling options.
"Back and Hip Extensions" - Paradiso CF explains the difference. On the hip extension (1:24), note the GHD anchor point is mid-thigh. Lock in a good lower lumbar curve, and all the action comes from the hip.

Monday 07.08.13

Press 5-5-5
Push Press 3-3-3
Push Jerk 1-1-1

Then, 10 minutes to establish a Max Reps Set of Unbroken DU

Post loads and DU reps to comments.

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0800)
Start off with a solid warmup -- run/row, then focus on the shoulders with some mobilization and empty bar movements, but don't neglect the knees and hips. Get some lunges and some light OHS in there as well.

If you have a good feel for your capacity on each movement, shoot for 90-100% of your max for each movement/rep scheme. Use your training log to plan your approach. Otherwise, start conservatively and look to add weight every round. Push or split on the jerk, your choice. No need to rush, pair up in groups of 2-4 with a coach and rotate through...2-3 minutes between lifts, providing feedback on form.

This WOD is a great example of the Core to Extremity principle in action. Your midsection provides a critical role in stabilization for all 3 movements. And, as you sequence through the increasingly complex and athletic movements, your hips provide the extra drive needed to move a progressively larger load.

Double unders -- OK, let's see what you've got! Sequence doesn't really matter, you can do them before your overhead movements as part of your warm-up if you prefer. As many attempts as required in the 10 minute cap, your goal is to leverage the practice from the DU challenge and set a new unbroken PR. If you still can't string a couple, get some tips from someone who has them....unless you opted not to participate in the challenge. If that's the case, shame on you...do burpees.

Training Videos.

First, a quick vid from CF HQ (:20) showing all three movements side-by-side, showing the differences between the three.
"Press, Push Press & Push Jerk" - Jason Khalipa breaks down all 3 movements from today's WOD.

Friday 07.05.13

Run 10K.

Post time to comments.

Coach's Notes.

Compare to 04.22.13. Everyone will be on a 96, but if you want to propose a start time and starting location, post to the blog.

5k Run Routes - reference here for on-post routes, run 2 laps or reverse direction.

Off Post 10k Routes - a change of scenery is nice. Two ideas for out & back routes in town.

Thursday July 4th, 2013

100 Bottle Rocket Burpees

Post time to comments.

Coach's Notes.
Gym is on holiday hours, 0800-1800. If you are planning to head in for the WOD, post to comments to coord any group starts.

What better way to celebrate our independence than by doing burpees. It's what the founding fathers would have wanted! And, the burpees require no equipment, no gym and no chalk. You don't even have to put real clothes on.

So, a bottle rocket burpee is a burpee that turns 180 degrees with every jump. It is optional whether you shout 'bang', 'pop' or some other firework imitation at the top of each burpee.

Wednesday 07.03.13

"Grizzly Fran"

AM Results

15-12-9 reps of:
Pull up
Thruster (65/45)

After each set of thrusters, bear crawl from the pull-up rack to the Bubble garage door and then back to the pull up rack. If not at the Bubble, bear crawl 60 feet down and 60 feet back.

Post time to comments.

(DU Challenge - Day + 30)

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0800)

A slight variation on the CrossFit classic. Shoulders are going to feel every rep of these movements today so prioritize mobility of the shoulder capsule. Banded distraction, lacrosse ball smash, first rib smash are all good places to start. Consult your free physical therapist at mobilitywod.com for more.

UPDATE -- today is the final day of the DU Challenge...knock 'em out! If you have made through from Day 1, congrats. Post your start and end rep values to comments today. You will have the opportunity to exercise your newfound DU prowess on Monday.

Coaches' Clinic - reminder, yesterday's clinic is rescheduled for Wed at 0600.

Training Videos.

Which of these folks do you think has done the Bear Crawl before?

Tuesday 07.02.13

5 rounds for time of:

15 push press (45/35)
Sprint 200m

Post time to comments.

(DU Challenge - Day +29)

Coach's Notes. (standard times of 0545, 0630, and 0800)

ADMIN -- Due to a conflict, the Coaches Clinic planned for today at 0600 is rescheduled for Wednesday at 0600.

Pages

How Can I Support the Effort?

More Infomation...

II. 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler

I. Westside Barbell's Book of Methods.