July 1, 2009

4 rounds for time:
200 m sprint
25 abmat situps
5050- 78-78-78
Reminder: we are closed on Saturday, July 4. Go eat some barbeque, rest, relax, recover, and enjoy yourselves!!!
And, here's a question- currently 19 people (I haven't double checked to see if it's just Annemarie voting 19 times ;) have voted that they want a 530 am class... yet that class has dropped off considerably lately... where are you people?

June 30, 2009

"Eva"
Five rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
2 pood Kettlebell swing, 30 reps (Tustin substitute med ball cleans)
30 Pull-ups
5050- 77-77-77
Um, hello- am I the only one that missed that Kim got a muscle-up!!!?!!! Amazing! :) And, after getting her first one 2 weeks ago, she did 7 today. I'm fascinated, in awe, and disgusted all at the same time! :P (I wonder if they make an emoticon for that?...)
BTW, the baby is definitely stealing my brain. The Grace Challenge is moved to the 25th, not the 23rd like I wrote yesterday. Sorry guys- the 23rd is a Thursday = no bueno. Grace is the 25th at 10 am!
A whole bunch of people signed up for the KB workshop in Tustin... what up, Long Beach?

June 29, 2009

Front Squat 3-3-3-3-3
5050 Club- 76-76-76
Don't miss the heavy days! Go heavy or go home :)
Are you keeping track of your workouts? No? Then how the heck do you know if you're improving? Put Crossfit to the test- see if your weights are going up and your times are going down.
Important things to keep an eye on:
1. Sign up for the Kettlebell seminar. You can now pay via paypal right on the blog- see that button over there on the right? Click it and sign up. Much like Crossfit (which includes KB training), KB experts note that life does not respect the difference in your training. Think how many daily activities don't just include running (you're often running while carrying something) or just include lifting (because you have to continue moving after you lift something, don't you?). Kettlebells are an important part of a well-rounded training regimen that is performance based, such as ours. And, PS, for all of you guys who think they're experts because you've done Helen a few times, boy, are you wrong... Like Crossfit, KB takes quite awhile to become proficient at. This seminar will give you a good base from which to start.
2. The Grace Challenge date has changed to accommodate the KB seminar- Grace will now be held on July 23 at 10 am in Long Beach.
3. Check out the poll on the right hand side of the blog. And don't bother voting 3600 times from the same computer to make sure your time "wins;" I can see that in the breakdown...
4. I'm waiting on pics of the Tustin shredder so I can post them :)

June 27, 2009

TUSTIN SHREDDER!!!!!!!
10 am!
Nutrition Seminar at 11 am!
Don't forget- Cherry is closed, so go to Tustin :)
5050- 73-73-73

June 26, 2009

For time:
Walking lunge 100 ft.
15 Kb swings
15 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
12 Kb swings
12 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
9 Kb swings
9 Sit-ups
Walking Lunge 100 ft.
6 Kb swings
6 Sit-ups
5050- 73-73-73- Hey 5050 club, you guys are definitely getting there!!!
Reminder, Cherry is CLOSED on Saturday, because we'll all be at Tustin doing the shredder at 10 am. Come on over, bring your friends, and stick around for the great Nutrition Seminar that Julie will be doing at 11 am :)
Oh- and here is why you should take the KB seminar! This is Peter Lakatos, the person who will be instructing. The beginning of this vid is some crazy pullup work, but keep watching, because it turns into some AMAZING kettlebell movements!

June 25, 2009

For time:
Run 800 m
10 ring dips (or negatives or regular dips)
Run 400 m
20 ring dips
Run 200 m
30 ring dips
5050- 72-72-72
Great energy at Cherry last night, guys- and I heard there was great energy at Tustin too! Isn't working out so much better when you've got people there to cheer you on?
Just want to give Lily a shout-out-- she's doing kipping pullups regularly now, which is awesome. Also, Jason Hanks' thrusters looked flawless yesterday. Great work guys!

June 24, 2009

"Fran"
21-15-9
Thrusters (95#M; 65#W)
Pullups
5050- 71-71-71
Don't forget about the shredder & nutrition seminar at Tustin this Saturday! The fun begins at 10 am. Bring your friends and enemies! Cherry will be closed because we'll all be at Tustin! Who's in?

June 23, 2009

5 rounds for time:
60 seconds max rep wall balls
60 seconds max rep box jumps
30 seconds rest
5050- 70-70-70
What's your number one excuse (or at least the most creative one you have) for not making it to the gym when you miss? My number one is usually that I'm tired. Boring, but often true. I am not creative (unless we're talking creating torturous workouts), so I won't even bother trying to make something up...though it probably would involve in some way blaming the baby. Another personal favorite is "Well, I've already eaten a Hershey bar today, so I may as well not work out and go home and watch reruns of CSI." Totally counterintuitive, and not the advice I would give anyone, but alas, these are the demons I battle in my head... you guys?

June 22, 2009

"Coretastic!"
Complete as many knees to elbows, hollow rocks, Abmat sit-ups, back extensions, GHD sit-ups and supermans as you can in 30 minutes. The catch: you must have an equal amount of reps done for each exercise at the end of 30 minutes.
5050- 69-69-69 (I'm sure this will engender some comments...)
Tustin: today is the LAST day to register for the Matrix! We need 2 more bodies to keep the class alive- otherwise you're out of luck for another couple of months...
I repeat: who is going to the Crossfit Games???

Crossfit360 June 19, 2009

Right, I know it's super-early in the day for me to be doing this, but I'm down in San Diego presenting at a conference, and I want to get this up while I can...
"Kell-en"
4 rounds for time:
400 m run
21 box jumps
21 KB swings or dumbbell swings
"Kell-en"- get it? A hybrid of Kelly and Helen. :)
5050- 66-66-66
What is your favorite Crossfit slogan? Mine vary. I'm looking at a lot of them right now because I'm trying to design the new t-shirt. And yes, everyone, it will come in another color besides black, and yes, it will be softer cotton. Jeez. You guys better buy these after I make them after criticizing my fashion design abilities all the time ;)
So- a few of my favorites = "The only easy day was yesterday," "Smoke you like cheap crack" (though perhaps that's not so good to make a T-shirt out of), " "I am Crossfit," "I do the impossible," and, again perhaps objectionable on a T-shirt "Fit as f*ck." I'd love to hear yours guys- the decision hasn't been made on which slogan to use yet...
Aaron's Profile:
1. Why did you start Crossfitting? I started crossfitting because I'm a glutton for punishment.

2. Favorite WOD? Fran

3. Least Favorite WOD? The one where we had to do 50 GHD situp's, 50 back extensions and then a 400, 3x's. I despise that one.

4. Favorite movie line? You're so money and you don't even know it. (Swingers)

5. Last book you read? Do textbooks count? Then it would be Spreadsheet Modeling and Decision Analysis.

6. Bad manners or hooligan behaviors that drive you crazy? People that complain.

Hang Power Cleans
1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps
5050- 65-65-65
'Nuff said.

June 17, 2009

Let's wrap up this time trials gig-
100 pushups for time
100 squats for time
(and if you didn't get to your situps yesterday, 100 situps for time). Hey, at least if you come in the 5050 is taken care of ;)
Since it's a light(er) day, why not do some skill work after you knock your wod out-- practice your kip, try strict, work on form with a 45# bar, try the Burgener with the bar (only do this if you've been coming regularly for awhile).
5050- 64-64-64
Late breaking news = Jahn upped his Crossfit Total from 555 to 690 (thank you, Matrix program and fabulous coach Julie) and Lori got her first kipping pullup! Hello!- that is amazing. She's been coming for what, like 2 minutes? Lori is a great example for us girls- you know why?- I think Jesse said this-- she has no preconceived ideas about her own limitations, which is RAD! I think a lot of women, myself included, struggle with that issue, particularly when it comes to lifting. Rock on, Lori!
Who is going to the Crossfit Games?-- I've created a link in the upper right hand corner of the blog. C'mon guys- support the team, support Kim-- caravan and have an AWESOME time! Alan's going to have a booth there for IKMF (and there might even be beer tasting at our booth- seriously). Who's in?
BTW- don't forget the shredder on the 27th in Tustin!

June 16, 2009

Five rounds for time of:
75 pound Thrusters, 21 reps
21 Double-unders
There is no listed rx'd female weight- so let's say based on Fran weight, it's 45# (20 pounds less than Fran weight, just like the men's).
Plus, continuing with time trials- 100 situps for time.
5050- 63-63-63
I've noticed the beginner class at 5 pm has been very light. Newsflash, people-- and I want you all to read this-- EVERYONE should be taking that class. There is perhaps a percentage of a percent of people at our gym that don't need to work on form-- and that percentage basically consists of Kim. Last week we had someone try to take the Advanced class who had only been training for about 5 weeks... Guys, we need to recalibrate. Listen up. Crossfit is a SKILL, it's not like going to the globo gym and working machines in which you strap yourself in and your movement is isolated. Did you know that Russian Olympic weightlifters, when they first begin training, practice with a PVC pipe for between 3-5 YEARS before ever lifting any weight? How many of you don't have pullups yet? How many get shrieked at to keep their backs straight, weight in their heels, etc. etc. Come to the beginner class. You should WANT to come to that class to get better at this, particularly if you have long term goals within Crossfit. If your instructor suggests you make it, make it. Don't let your ego get in the way-- that's the best thing about our joint, guys-- that we don't have MMA weirdos with big egos running around (sorry, MMA weirdos). Alan says that if I had called it something else, like "Skills training," people would come more willingly. But don't tell me you guys are susceptible to such cheap psychological techniques!
Now, here's a girl who doesn't need form training... Kris Clever shows us all how it's done this past Saturday.

June 15, 2009

Hmm... I think we need to break in the new pullup bar system. Plus, it's time once again for... Time Trials!
100 pullups for time.
5050- 62-62-62
Saturday was sheerly and completely awesome. The Socal 7 (minus Katie) really showed us how it is done- heart, determination, boldness, and bravery! I had one of Oprah's a-ha moments when listening to Kris; her level of focus and commitment to Crossfit is awe-inspiring. Becca knocked out her last set of pullups while literally bleeding on the bar, while Val did pushups that would put any Navy Seal to shame (sorry, Tom). Michelle's amazing drive was evident from beginning to end, and what words can describe Linda's unbelievably positive spirit? I do have a word (or two) for our very own Kim-- relentless in pursuit of a goal. Kim, I don't doubt that whatever you decide you want to go for, you will achieve. I really believe that unless Skynet is sending a Terminator, Socal will bring home the individual women's cup from the Crossfit 2009 Games. I hope that you all got as much out of their performance as I did; ladies, we are forever indebted to you. You truly exhibit the spirit of the athlete, but more importantly (in my opinion), you all do it with grace and individual style. Thank you for coming to visit us; you are welcome ANYTIME!
The next time you guys are thinking about starting off too light, or pussing out on a final round, or not giving anything in life your all, I hope you remember these women.
Truly though, the day wouldn't have been what it was without all of the people from our place and from surrounding gyms who showed up to workout and support the Socal 7. You guys make me so proud- you are so friendly, welcoming, and encouraging to everyone who walks in the door-- your loud cheering (even though at times it was under duress), clapping, high fiving, and words of encouragement I'm sure put Sunday's Laker game to shame.
"Circumstances do not make the man; they reveal him."
Pics and video to follow!

June 13, 2009

Socal 7 Day!!!
The girls work out at 10 am, followed by a team or partner wod for the rest of us at 11 am, followed by beer! Nice!

June 12, 2009

Run Day!
3 rounds:
Run 800m for time.
Run 400 m for time.
Sprint 200 m for time.
Rest 2 minutes.
Yay- happy pullup bar installation day everyone!
Don't forget to be there tomorrow at 10 am, either, kiddos!
5050- 59-59-59

June 11, 2009

"Mary"
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5 Handstand Push-ups
10 One legged squats, alternating
15 Pull-ups
Remember your possible substitutions for handstand pushups-- handstand attempts, elevated pushups, or even heavy dumbbell shoulder press. See the vid for what one-legged squat looks like (and you're doing 10 total each round, not 10 each leg). And, btw, one-legged squats or "pistols" are really f*cking hard. Take your time, expect to fall over, perhaps plan on squatting to the point that you are sitting on the tire with your leg out in front of you or holding onto something stable as you try to execute them.
5050- 58-58-58
Don't forget this Saturday at 10 am guys-- be there! :) The Socal 7 and Beer- who could ask for more?
Also, the Matrix program is coming to Tustin, AND we will have a shredder in Tustin on 6/27!

June 10, 2009

"Kelly"
5 rounds for time:
400 m run
30 box jumps
30 wall balls
5050- 57-57-57
Here's a topic for you: Are you over-training? And what exactly IS over-training? How much is too much? It seems from the research I did, the threshold is different for everybody. Here's an excerpt from something I found on the web: "Athletes and fitness enthusiasts must put in long hours of strenuous training to achieve success. But there is a fine line between optimal training and overtraining--crossing this borderline can mean the difference between success and failure.

Many believe that the harder they train, the better they will perform, although evidence shows that this is not true. A vicious cycle sets in as poor race times are interpreted as indications that more training is needed. Other factors-such as poor nutrition, drug use, lack of sleep, inadequate rest, irregular lifestyle, work pressures, emotional conflicts, and mental stress-can each exacerbate the effects of overtraining.

Many terms have been used to describe the syndrome of symptoms associated with excessive training, including overtraining, overreaching, overexertion, staleness, burnout, and chronic fatigue."
Have you been hitting it a little TOO hard lately, not getting sufficient rest? When you turn up your workouts, you need to turn up your rest. And a vacation from exercise, periodically, is a really good thing. Here are some symptoms of overtraining; I'd love to hear your thoughts, guys.
-Unusual fatigue throughout the day-lethargy, listlessness, tiredness
- Impaired performance and difficulty in getting through workouts
- Person looks drawn, sallow
- Difficulty in concentration; impaired academic performance
- Lack of interest in everyday tasks; loss of enthusiasm and drive
- Mood swings; emotional instability; easy irritation
- Increased susceptibility to injury and infection
- Loss of menstruation (amenorrhea)
- Increased fluid intake at night; thirst
- Loss of appetite; gradual loss of weight
- Loss of joy of and thirst for competition
- Insomnia; sleep that is not refreshing
- Sore muscles; heavy leggedness
- Swelling of lymph glands
- Nausea; diarrhea

June 9, 2009

Push Press
3-3-3-3-3
(Tustin- I think you should be OK-- but you may have to do Shoulder Press. See how it goes).
5050- 55-55-55
So...will we be seeing everybody on Saturday? I hope so!
Check out Deeanna, Superstar and member of the Affiliate Team!
1. Why did you start Crossfitting? Because you did away with two of my favorite things; Body Pump and Boot Camp. Luckily Crossfit combines the best of both, without the super lame ass music.
2. Favorite WOD/movement? WOD's like Medball Madness, Black Jack, Gamblers Choice and Annie.
3. Least favorite WOD/movement? Anything with running in it of course. My new least favorite is Farmer Walks.
4. Favorite movie line? "I immediately regret this decision." Ron Burgandy in Anchorman
5. Last book that you read? "Something Blue" by Emily Giffin
6. Bad manners or hooligan behaviors that bug you? Douchebags who talk as loudly as they possibly can on their bluetooth, while sitting in a restaurant. Is this really necessary? Didn't their mothers ever teach them it's not polite to speak with their mouths full?

June 8, 2009

Ah, it's good to be home. Bet that most of you didn't realize I was in Florida since Wednesday-- good times visiting the grandparents, fishing, and being in a thunderstorm approximately every hour on the hour. :)
"The Chief"
Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
135 pound Power cleans, 3 reps
6 Push-ups
9 Squats
Rest 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.
Post rounds completed for each of the 5 cycles.
Never done a power clean before or not quite up to par?- today's the day to work on that form. We'll be drilling the progression in this video instead of the Burgener today. Don't be surprised if you are doing relatively light weight on your power cleans or maybe even the PVC- we want your form to be top dog before we get you going with serious weight. Remember, mechanics, then consistency, THEN intensity! I promise, it will suck just as much :) Hey- this is Superstar Kim Ball's favorite wod-- so do her proud!
5050- 54-54-54
This Saturday at 10 am the Socal 7 (top 7 girls who competed at the Socal Qualifier for the Crossfit Games) will be doing a sick wod! Come and support them. Regular class is moved to 11 am, and the Matrix will continue as scheduled. It'll be kinda crazy, but we'll all be buds and share the equipment together!!!!!!
Be sure to come at 10 though- seriously, it's gonna be crazy!- you've GOT to see these athletes in action.
Do you do Krav too?- stick around on Saturday. Alan will be doing a Krav seminar for them around noon!

June 6, 2009

RMS!
Monday's wod is a good one to make up if you missed it...
Oh and Jim?- This one's for you... ;)

June 5, 2009

5 rounds for time:
Sprint 200 m
20 dumbbell thrusters
20 abmat situps
5050- 52-52-52
And no puking! :)
You'll be amazed at how you need to do less weight with dumbbell thrusters because of the multitude of stabilizing muscles involved. Remember, palms face in toward your ears, not out- so you'll be holding the dumbbells parallel to each other.
Everybody should read Jay's and Mustafa's posts in the comments section from 2 days ago. Very inspiring.

June 4, 2009

This is one of the last chance qualifier wods:
3 Rounds for time of:
10 Deadlifts (275lbs men / 185lbs women)
50 Double-unders
Don't even THINK of doing rx'd unless your form is TIP TOP SHAPE. You *will* defer to your instructors on this.
5050- 51-51-51
Remember- tonight the 7 pm class is for advanced students only. You must receive the approval of the instructor in order to participate. DO NOT just show up. If you are coming to the advanced class tonight, bring your running shoes... muahahaha!
And um, btw... this girl is 15 years old!

June 3, 2009

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
7 L pull-ups
7 box jumps
7 wall balls (M:20#/W:14#)
Can't do an L pull-up? Don't sweat it! Do whatever kind of pullup you can. Kipping or band pullups- 2:1 ratio, jumping pullups-3:1 ratio.
5050: 50-50-50 Halfway there! (Sort of...)
A friend of mine is writing a book about body image. I was telling her that at our place, we focus on performance versus appearance (we emphasize times and weights, and describe the weight loss as a nice side effect). I think that by focusing on performance rather than appearance, I know that I personally have seen an increase in my confidence. Think of how many ways a poor body image holds us back; some people take it to extremes and actually miss out on doing things that they want to do because they feel too insecure. Our conversation then turned to acceptance, and that got me thinking-- how much acceptance is too much? Meaning, I agree that it's horrible that so many people feel terrible about themselves. I've even heard it in our gym-- "Oh, I'm always last," "I'll never lift as much as this person," and things like that. And that is truly ridiculous- if you compare any one of our members, even the very slowest, to the average person walking around- you guys are in super-shape. On the other hand, acceptance of where we are- can it make us too comfortable? Is it good to decide "this is as good as it gets?" I don't know... I know that it's definitely against the Crossfit mentality, which is all about pushing our limits, pushing beyond them, actually. Any thoughts?

June 2, 2009

Now you guys get to walk around the building :)... (people who were in yesterday understand).
Walk 100 m with a weighted barbell overhead four times for time. Rest as long as you need to between efforts. You must make it all 100 m in order for the attempt to count- you drop the bar, you start over. 100 m at Cherry is around the building once; 100 m at Tustin is TBD, but Steve will know once it's time for class.
This...is a lot harder than it sounds. Be careful when you turn around especially- don't turn around too fast or you may fall over (seriously).
5050: 49-49-49
In the news:
Ken got a muscle-up!!!
And, Harry improved by 26 pushups on his PT Test!!!
Bow down to their awesomeness :)
What motivates you? What movie or song or book gets you fired up? Come on- be honest... we ALL have them. For me, it's Rocky IV. Seriously. Admittedly it falls apart somewhat at the end with the "if I's can change, and you's can change..." speech, but I love the utter cheesiness of the music, the scene at the top of the mountain when Rocky yells out Drago's name, and of course, the crumbling of Drago's picture...