WOD 7/19/10

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50m Lunges
21 Thrusters (95/65)
21 Pull Ups

50m Lunges
15 Thrusters
15 Pull Ups

50m Lunges
9 Thrusters
9 Pull Ups

Yes, a Lunging Fran. Good times!

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Greetings from Afghanistan!

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WOD 7/17/10

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20m AMRAP

5 Bear Complex
200m Run

Bear Complex = Full Squat clean - Thruster - Lunge Left - Lunge Right - Back Squat - Thruster = 1 Rep

Do a full squat clean, come up and go back into a thruster. Rack the bar on your back and do the lunges, then a full back squat, then a thruster off of the back. That's one.... Enjoy!

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The CrossFit Games are on! Check out the CF Games 2010 site for live coverage and info on the event!

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Congrats to Deanna Miller on checking off her goal of 10 full ROM, unassisted pull ups! Deanna has been working at them little by little and after getting a couple out unassisted a couple weeks ago, she finally strung together two complete sets of 10! Awesome work, Deanna.

What are your goals and where are you in achieving them??

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Happy Birthday!

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WOD 7/16/10

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“THE CHIEF” 

5 Rounds – Max. Reps in 3 minutes – 1 min rest between rounds 

3 Power Cleans (DB's - 55/35)
6 Push Ups
9 Squats

All power cleans are from the floor each rep. We will be doing these with DB's instead of normal Cleans for a change of pace! Squats are bodyweight only.

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On Ramp starts Monday, July 19th at 7 PM. If you or someone you know is interested in joining CFC, now is the time! Please contact Allison ASAP to reserve your spot with pre-payment!

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CFC's Cindy Pecotich will be competing in Eppies Great Race this weekend! Cindy has been with us for the past couple months and is making great gains. Please wish her luck in person or send best wishes her way on race day! If you can make it out, cheer her on. Good luck and have fun, Cindy!!

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Also kicking off this weekend are the CrossFit Games 2010 in Los Angeles. Check the CrossFit Games site for updates and info as the event kicks into high gear!

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WOD 7/15/10

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5x3 - Deadlifts

Rest

500m Row
100m Sprint

rest 1 Min

300m Row
200m Sprint

rest 1 Min

100m Row
400m Run

Deadlifts up front. 5 sets of 3 reps, then MetCon. Again we are working in interval format to put you in the Phosphative and Glycotic pathways a bit more and keep output high.

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We will be kicking off another CFC Paleo Challenge starting August 1st. This is a 6 week challenge with a $20 buy-in. Allison will be running the show so if you are interested get ahold of her PRIOR to August 1st. We will be posting info about the challenge in the forum, so go there to get more info as we progress. If you are serious about better health, weight loss and improved fitness, then do this challenge. Don't be the person who doesn't do it then complains about not losing weight or be the wanker who does it half-assed and complains about no results. Be disciplined and enjoy the fun! You might win something green!

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Many of you in the afternoon class know Tricia Dodd. She is a constant, hard working fixture no matter what, but you already knew that. What you didn't know is that her younger sister, Laurie Dunlap is a combat medic currently deployed to Afghanistan. PFC Dunlap is going to be away from her family and home soil for a while and is doing a job many people wouldn't remotely have the guts to tackle. We at CFC are going to support Laurie and her unit by gathering donations to buy them the things they want/need on their wish list. Some of it is basic stuff, other things on the list are shades of home that bring comfort in a hard, gritty and hostile land far away from home. I am committed to making them one helluva care package and I am asking those of you out there who care to make a donation of any size to help out PFC Laurie Dunlap and her unit while they are gone. CFC is throwing down $100 to start this party off right. I don't care how much you can put in, something is better than nothing.

I will post the "Wish List" at the gym for all of you to check out. There will be a donation box at the gym you can drop some scrilla into if you feel like it. I will also be making up a PayPal donation link on the website to donate electronically for those of you who are not part of the gym or would rather do it that way. At the end of August, we will empty the coffers, hit the stores, and crate it up to go overseas.

I don't give a rat's ass what side of the political fence you are on or what your views on our current foreign combat policy is. This is about making a person feel better while they do the job they signed up for in an effort to help and protect others. I think we can all relate to that.

Are you in?

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WOD 7/14/10

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“CRUELTY TO ANIMALS” 

10 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (135/95)
1 Handstand Push Up
9 SDLHP
2 HSPU
8 SDLHP
3 HSPU
….Cont’d…..
1 SDLHP
10 HSPU

This is fun. Heavy SDLHP's and HSPU. If you are not up to RX'd weight, then please scale accordingly. You should all know how to scale HSPU's, if not you will need to do HEAVY presses with dumbbells.

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So what really went on at the 2010 CFC Summer Bash?? Check HERE to get a glimpse, but like Las Vegas, what happens at CFC, stays at CFC!

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The next On Ramp Class will start on Monday, July 19th at 7 PM. The class is two weeks long and meets every M/W/F night at 7 PM. The cost is $125 and the class is all inclusive. If you or someone you know is interested, contact Allison ASAP to reserve a spot.

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WOD 7/13/10

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5x3 - Push Press (Increase from last session)

Rest

4 Rounds - 1m Rest between rounds

1m Max Reps - MedBall Squat & Toss with a partner (20/14)
1m Max Reps - MedBall Sit Up & Toss with a partner (20/14)

Do your 5 sets of 3 reps of Push Press. Rest and then do the MetCon. If you have a partner and a Medicine Ball, you are in luck. If all you have is a Med Ball and access to a wall, you can still do this one. The Squat & Toss is basically wallball without a wall. You and your partner will stand about 10 feet apart from each other and drive the ball up and over, back and forth for reps. From there you will need to drop into a sit up position with your feet about 2 feet apart from each other. You will hold the MedBall on your chest in the prone position, come up and toss the ball to your partner across from you, who should then go back into a sit up and then come up and repeat the process. Do max reps for one minute. You will have 1 minute of rest between rounds.

If you are flying solo, just do Wallball and MedBall sit up tosses against the wall. If all you have is an attractive partner, perhaps you can find something else to do than this craziness...  ;)

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"Sweet racks, bro! Now what can I do with them?"

Many of you have obviously noticed the power cages in the gym over the past couple months, courtesy of BW Products in Elk Grove. These are custom made power cages to accommodate our taller folks with their presses and overhead movements inside the cage. I know some of you know how to use them, but I have also seen a few folks who are using them in a manner that basically negates their purpose and effectiveness. So, in order to keep my clients looking cool like they know what they are doing and avoiding the possibility of being laughed at by Buddy Holly, I am putting forth this primer on Power Cages.

The cages are multi dimensional in that they offer folks lifting really heavy stuff a safety factor not found in floor racks and offer more opportunity to address weaknesses that may be impossible to work on with a standard floor rack. The hooks (where the bar sits) are moveable and can be put inside or outside the rack. You can see both set ups in the picture above, although I would prefer you weren't on the outside - more on that in a second. Hook height should be slightly below start level of the movement. For presses and squat, you should have to "get under" the bar slightly to lift it off of the hooks. Some people set the hooks too high and when your spine is being compressed by a heavy load, you don't want to be trying to get up on your tippy toes trying to get the bar re-racked. This can lead to a dumb disaster by missing the  hook entirely on one side.

Underneath the hooks are the "pins", or "bailout bars", "safety bars" or whatever else you want to call them. They are your life preserver and should be used EVERY time you get into the cage to lift. As obvious as it may seem, make sure the hooks and bailout bars are even with each other prior to lifting potentially life ending weights. They are there to catch a heavy miss or to start a partial or set depth pull/press/squat from.

Okay, so now, in or out? The racks are primarily designed to be lifted inside of. It doesn't matter if the hooks are on one side or the other on the inside of the rack, as long as you are always facing the hooks and bar when working in there. Once you are inside the rack, the next thing to do is set the pin height. This means for squats they should be just a couple inches below your bottom position, so if all else goes wrong you can lean it forward, dump it off the back, or sit down and the bars will catch the loaded barbell without a spotter and/or no crashing weights into the floor. If you are pressing, push pressing, or jerking (push jerking that is...I better not catch any perverted wierdness going on inside the racks...), then the bailout bars will be set below your bottom height of shoulder level or the bottom height of your maximum dip position in the push press or push jerk. If all goes wrong, voila, the bars catch your barbell and prevent catastrophe. If you are benching, same thing. Set them just slightly below inflated chest level. If it goes to crap, you can exhale and the bar should rest on the pins and prevent you from a slow, agonizing and relatively stupid death. Then just squirm yourself out from under the bar and act like nothing happened and hope no one saw you. If the bailout bars aren't set low enough, you will find out when you bounce off of it at the bottom and it gets all crazy on you on the way up. Rack it, lower the pins, go again.

As an extra bit of safety, ALWAYS press with a fully closed grip. This means thumbs around the bar. If it goes over your head, chest or throat, grab the damn bar like your life depended on it!! The only thumbless grip we will have in our gym is while holding the bar in place during back squats where a thumb would improperly load the wrist, prevent a positive position on the scapula and can get in the way if a bar slips or dumps. Otherwise it's thumbs around the bar. Don't be the like the chucklehead football guy who dropped a fully loaded bar on his throat while bench pressing and damn near died (I still love his trainer telling everyone "I was spotting him"....yeah, okay. You did a great job there ace....how about spotting safety factors too?!) . If you are really into the whole pressing thumbless thing, I can take care of that for you with some pruning shears and get rid of that pesky thumb. Come see me after class....

Of course you can use the racks with the hooks placed on the outside of the racks, but realize you negate the safety effect of the bailout bars helping you in a bad case. If you are using really light weight, that might be acceptable. If you are lifting really heavy weights and have two very trustworthy and strong spotters who know what to do and when, then you can get away with it outside. I still think it's dumb since you would be taking up a cage from someone who might need it while you do something that could have been done on a floor rack. This is really true if you are using steel plates only or doing squats or bench press by yourself - get inside the cage and be safe! This will also avoid needless dumping of weights on the ground which pisses off my whiney neighbor and wears equipment out prematurely.

There is also a pull up bar at the top of the cage that you can use, however, I would not recommend kipping pull ups on the cages since it would probably stress the hell out of the floor anchors. Weighted or strict pull ups are all good. You can do band work in the cages, and deadlift variations in the cages as well. Come talk to one of us if you have questions about that stuff.

In regards to using the cages, please feel free to do so when others aren't using them or don't need them. You can do almost anything inside of them (except the full Oly lifts due to lack of room). Just use them correctly. That means don't be like the lamebrains at Cal Fit using the cage to do curls in - I will judo chop you in the gullett if I catch you doing that....

There you go, a full primer on how those crazy looking "towers of power" work. Now go forth and conquer!

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In Memoriam

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WOD 7/12/10

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400m Run
21 Push Ups
21 Deadlifts (225/155) 
10 Burpees

Rest 2 Min

400m Run
15 Push Ups
15 Deadlifts 
10 Burpees

Rest 2 Min

400m Run
9 Push Ups
9 Deadlifts
10 Burpees

Interval based work to maintain high power output and reset the metabolic systems each go 'round. My gift to you!

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A belated congrats to Trent and Jennie, a couple of our newest Level 1 CrossFit Trainers. You have probably seen them in the box taking over classes lately, but I am lame and forgot to throw them some love. It's awesome to have to great athletes, smart and friendly people on board to help us out!

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WOD 7/11/10

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REST DAY!!

Enjoy the day off. It's still pretty hot outside so don't get worn out and dehydrated in the sun. We will see you in the next go'round!

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I still need/want feedback from interested parties for a 70's Big Seminar to be held at CFC in August. I have about 5 folks so far and I would like at least 5-10 more. Even if you are from another gym or not a CrossFit person, but want the info, please let us know. It is a one day lecture based seminar with Justin and AC from 70's Big.com. The cost will be $85 per person. Shoot me an email or leave a comment regarding your interest.

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WOD 7/10/10

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The Alley Cat is running the box today, so beware!

20m AMRAP

15 Thrusters (65/45)
21 Jumping Pull Ups

It's not as easy as it looks, so keep it light and do the J-pull ups as RX'd.

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Need some VS Oly lifting shoes? How about some MRM All Natural Whey Protein? If so, see us. We have protein in stock and shoes one day out at low prices for high quality stuff! See Ian or Allison if you are interested.

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WOD 7/9/10

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3 Rounds

19 Wall Ball (20/14)
19 Box Jumps
19 Durpees (115/75)

Anyone guess how old Lauren is today? Lauren has been an integral part of CFC, helping us tremendously in making CFC run smoothly as she watches kids and helps us out around the gym without hesitation. Thanks Lauren and Happy Birthday!

What is a Durpee you may ask? Well, as it was explained to me a while back it is a Deadlift and Burpee combo. Do a D/L, then when the bar is set on the ground, hold onto it, kick the feet back into a push up plank position, do a push up on the barbell, jump the feet back up and do another D/L to start the cycle all over again. Fun stuff... I think....

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The 70's Big Semnar wants to stop by the gym in August. So far I have 5 interested people but I need abouyt 5-10 more to make it worth everyone's while. If you are interested and wish to learn about strength training in a one day, lecture based seminar, please let me know. The cost is $85 and is open to anyone regardless of whether they belong to CFC or not. Please get back to me or leave a note in the comments ASAP so I can let Justin know. Thanks!

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