Great work by everyone in the past couple of months !!!
Joe and Les both reached their goals in pull ups - Joe 15 Les 8 - Congratulations !!!
One reminder - leave your ego at the door.
If you choose a certain weight for the workout - keep it. It stands to reason that the last round will be much more difficult than the first round - that doesn't mean drop the weight to make it easier. If you chose a weight that was a bit too heavy (but not enough to destroy your form or get you injured), than suck it up and finish with the same weight.
If you chose to do the advanced routine, stick with it. Don't start with advanced number of reps / sets, than change it in mid-stream because it turned out to be far more challenging than you thought.
I appreciate the fact you guys and gals want to push yourselves - but sometimes we bite off more than we can chew. It's more a problem of trying too much too soon, rather than not doing enough.
That being said, pick a weight / set / rep / time that will challenge you and lead to failure at some point. Burning through a workout because you didn't use enough weights, reps, etc does you no good. Yes, your time was great but what did you get out of it ? If everyone else is struggling through the workout and you whip right through it because the weights were too light, you've actually lost in the long run.
You have been doing this long enough to know what you can and can't do, what your limits are, what you are capable of. I don't want you to lower your expectations, but I don't want you injured and I don't want you to change the workout in the middle.
If I think you're going to heavy or doing too much, I'll tell you. If I think you can do more, I'll let you know that too. Trust me on it - I'm aware of what people can and cannot do, what they should or should not do.
Leave the ego at the door.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
185
We talk a bit about setting goals and this week we are going to see if we have reached ones that have come to expire.
And since you guys and gals are setting goals, I'm going to set one myself.
When I was on vacation, I saw pictures of me that weren't very flattering (not including the red, sunburnt belly). I was not / am not happy with the way I look - sure I might be muscular but I'm far from being "athletic" looking - too much fat.
I weighed myself this morning - a whooping 202.5 :(
So, I have set a goal - 185 lbs by June 1. For every pound I'm over on that date, I will owe 10 Burpees. That's right, 10 / lb - and I'll do them in front of class.
I do realize CrossFit is not about watching your weight, but all about performance. However, I believe that dropping 15 lbs will absolutely help my performance across the board. After all CrossFit IS about eating healthy as part of a fitness program (any fitness program is designed with diet in mind).
I will post my weight on the whiteboard so you guys and gals can keep track of my progress.
And since you guys and gals are setting goals, I'm going to set one myself.
When I was on vacation, I saw pictures of me that weren't very flattering (not including the red, sunburnt belly). I was not / am not happy with the way I look - sure I might be muscular but I'm far from being "athletic" looking - too much fat.
I weighed myself this morning - a whooping 202.5 :(
So, I have set a goal - 185 lbs by June 1. For every pound I'm over on that date, I will owe 10 Burpees. That's right, 10 / lb - and I'll do them in front of class.
I do realize CrossFit is not about watching your weight, but all about performance. However, I believe that dropping 15 lbs will absolutely help my performance across the board. After all CrossFit IS about eating healthy as part of a fitness program (any fitness program is designed with diet in mind).
I will post my weight on the whiteboard so you guys and gals can keep track of my progress.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Range of Motion
Range of motion = going all the way up, all the way down.
As we learned last week, a 3/4 squat is a much different beast than a full, thigh parallel to floor squat. You must use hip drive at the bottom to get out of the parallel squat. Plus, it's safer on the knees to get to parallel than to stop at 3/4. Same with air squats - it's much easier to do half-assed squats than to get to parallel and standing tall at the top.
Pull ups are much harder when you actually straighten your arms at the bottom. Push ups are more difficult when you get your chest to the floor and extend your arms at the top. Dips are more difficult when your arms get to parallel.
Not only are we talking difficulty, we're talking about mechanics and accountability. Practicing and using crappy mechanics leads to permanant crappy mechanics. And then we have to fix your form - again. It's my job to tell you that your mechanics are wrong, need work, or you need reminders. But if you don't listen and correct them, then really what are you paying me for ?
And don't tell me that a person who does a 20 round Cindy with poor form did as good of a workout as someone who did 15 with great form / ROM.
Be true to yourself - you will experience greater gains using full range of motion.
As we learned last week, a 3/4 squat is a much different beast than a full, thigh parallel to floor squat. You must use hip drive at the bottom to get out of the parallel squat. Plus, it's safer on the knees to get to parallel than to stop at 3/4. Same with air squats - it's much easier to do half-assed squats than to get to parallel and standing tall at the top.
Pull ups are much harder when you actually straighten your arms at the bottom. Push ups are more difficult when you get your chest to the floor and extend your arms at the top. Dips are more difficult when your arms get to parallel.
Not only are we talking difficulty, we're talking about mechanics and accountability. Practicing and using crappy mechanics leads to permanant crappy mechanics. And then we have to fix your form - again. It's my job to tell you that your mechanics are wrong, need work, or you need reminders. But if you don't listen and correct them, then really what are you paying me for ?
And don't tell me that a person who does a 20 round Cindy with poor form did as good of a workout as someone who did 15 with great form / ROM.
Be true to yourself - you will experience greater gains using full range of motion.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
So, you wanna lose weight and get lean...
Check out this article....
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/17-reasons-youre-not-losing-weight/
I'm not going to tell you what you can / cannot eat - but I can make recommendations - and they are common sense.
1. Eat fewer calories
2. No Junk food - candy, pop, etc
3. No fast food
4. No processed food
5. Workout - 3-5 times a week.
6. Get enough sleep
There are others - check out the link above...
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/17-reasons-youre-not-losing-weight/
I'm not going to tell you what you can / cannot eat - but I can make recommendations - and they are common sense.
1. Eat fewer calories
2. No Junk food - candy, pop, etc
3. No fast food
4. No processed food
5. Workout - 3-5 times a week.
6. Get enough sleep
There are others - check out the link above...
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Mind over Body
I tell you guys and gals that when you say "I can't" you have lost the battle without ever fighting. You have to believe you can accomplish the skill or workout that we throw at you. When you have a negative mindset, when you say "I can't lift that weight / do that exercise / do that many reps / rounds, etc" then you won't - it's simple. Negative "I can't" statements will lead to failure, before you ever start.
Instead, tell yourself "I've never done that before but I think I can, I'll try it" or " I can do this, I did x before, this won't be hard". You WILL accomplish the task before you. Positive thinking does wonders for your physical abilities. If you tell me you can only do x number of pull ups, I'll make you do x + 2 to prove you can do more and to stop being so damned negative towards your abilities.
Check this out....this is mind over body - and this guy accomplishes great things doing CrossFit
http://online.wsj.com/video/disabled-marine-keeps-fit-doing-crossfit/0390AB90-0A4E-4D6D-BE4E-005AAC467F5B.html
Instead, tell yourself "I've never done that before but I think I can, I'll try it" or " I can do this, I did x before, this won't be hard". You WILL accomplish the task before you. Positive thinking does wonders for your physical abilities. If you tell me you can only do x number of pull ups, I'll make you do x + 2 to prove you can do more and to stop being so damned negative towards your abilities.
Check this out....this is mind over body - and this guy accomplishes great things doing CrossFit
http://online.wsj.com/video/disabled-marine-keeps-fit-doing-crossfit/0390AB90-0A4E-4D6D-BE4E-005AAC467F5B.html
Friday, January 29, 2010
10 Ways to be a better CrossFitter ... by CrossFit South Bay (thanks)
1. Have fun – Whether it be in CrossFit or your favorite sport or shopping with grandma, make sure you try and have fun. Honestly, you can do CrossFit just about anywhere with anyone or by yourself. You choose to come to CFSB for a reason. You work hard all day, make the time at CrossFit be the one hour a day where you can be yourself and let loose.
2. Show up on time – Actually show up early and leave late. Foam roll, stretch and get rid of all that junk in your lower back and shoulders. Showing up late will only cheat you out of a sufficient warm-up. Without a good warm-up, your chance of injury increases exponentially. If you show up early you have two options, cheer on the class that is finishing or start warming up.
3. Don’t whine – It’s okay to cry, just make sure that we can’t see or hear you and remember to clean up your tears when you’re done. Maybe the song that comes on isn’t your favorite, in the immortal words of Josh Everett “If you need music to motivate you, go find something else to do”. Be careful of asking me to change the song, I might just put on Miley Cyrus’ Party in the USA on repeat. I’m your coach, not Mix Master Mike. You have a task to accomplish, so do it. Yes I know that every workout is hard and I know that you hate running and I know that the bar hurts your delicate hands, but there comes a time when we have to nut up or shut up…or both. CrossFit is constantly varied, so the odds are that you will see some workouts you hate. That’s why it’s CrossFit and not alltheshityoulikeFit. When you come to CrossFit, be ready to work. Come prepared to face all those pains and things you hate head on. Accept the suck.
4. Give it all – More than strength, speed, flexibility or endurance, effort is what matters most. I don’t care if you’re Joe Thruster with a sub 3 minute Fran, if you half-ass a workout, you’re a pussy. Grandma doing jumping pull-ups and thrusters with a PVC kicked your ass because she gave everything she had just short of a stroke. Times and weights matter, but they fail in comparison to effort. Keep pushing yourself to your most extreme limits. I don’t care if you have a 500 lbs or 50 lbs deadlift as long as you put forth the effort and don’t sandbag.
5. Listen to your coach – We are here to help you get more fit and accomplish your goals. When we say things like “you’re lifting with your back, use more hips” don’t act surprised when your lower back is sore. When we tell you that the foam roll and lacrosse ball works, we aren’t just being sadistic. We tell you to rest because you need rest, just as we tell you to get in the gym more because you need to be in the gym more. If you want to get better at something, you have to practice it. Plain and simple. Yes there are some of you who are naturally good at some things, but why not get better? Why not be the best? Our goal is for you to accomplish your goals.
6.Fail sometimes – The unique thing about CrossFit is that the only way to achieve excellence is through failure. The strength portion of our workouts are designed to where you may fail at a set. If you don’t fail you aren’t trying hard enough (see #4). CrossFit is an environment where no one will laugh at you or put a permanent letter in your file for dumping an overhead squat. Don’t be afraid to fail, there’s always next time. Pushing yourself to fail is more of a mental thing than it is a physical thing. We have conditioned ourselves to think that failing is bad and therefore don’t push ourselves in fear of failure. Take that fear away and see what you can accomplish.
7. Eat good food – The short answer is eat Paleo. If you don’t want to eat Paleo, just eat meat, some fruit, vegetables, little startch, no sugar, no grains no dairy. If you’re low on energy, then you’re not eating enough. I remember a lot of people starting off on Paleo complain of low energy then proceed to tell me that they didn’t eat anything all day because they didn’t know what to eat. Is it that hard to eat meat and vegetables these days? I ate ice cream every day and pizza every other day. If I can do it, you can too.
8. Count it – Tracking your workouts matters. That’s why we printed the log books for you. When you don’t count the reps on your workout, you lose valuable information that will keep you accountable for your progress. Make sure to record as much information as you can. Write down what you ate for the day. Everyone has those days where they ate like crap and had a crappy workout. Those are the hardest days to write down, but those will provide you with the best motivation to get better.
9. Be nice – CrossFitters are notorious for making fun of people who go to globo gyms (present company included). People achieve their personal fitness goals in their own ways. Some may like the pace of a spin or pilates class and some may like the intensity of CrossFit. Instead of pointing out their propensity for douchiness on the elliptical, try introducing them to CrossFit. You’ll get a better reaction and won’t come off like a jerk. You were once that guy on the hacksquat machine or that girl on the eliptical. If someone made fun of you and then said CrossFit was the way to superior fitness, you would tell them to go F themselves.
10. Get involved – CrossFit is more than just an hour of working out. We are a family and you can get as involved as you like. Just like anything else, you get out what you put in (TWSS). CFSB holds monthly social events (thanks Nicole) and does quarterly charitable events. Other events like our Redondo 5K team and our CrossFit affiliate team will compete this Spring. During the summer we are planning on having a co-ed flag football team, volleyball team, kickball team and 6-man team. There are many opportunities for you to get involved and if you have any suggestions, we would love to hear them!
2. Show up on time – Actually show up early and leave late. Foam roll, stretch and get rid of all that junk in your lower back and shoulders. Showing up late will only cheat you out of a sufficient warm-up. Without a good warm-up, your chance of injury increases exponentially. If you show up early you have two options, cheer on the class that is finishing or start warming up.
3. Don’t whine – It’s okay to cry, just make sure that we can’t see or hear you and remember to clean up your tears when you’re done. Maybe the song that comes on isn’t your favorite, in the immortal words of Josh Everett “If you need music to motivate you, go find something else to do”. Be careful of asking me to change the song, I might just put on Miley Cyrus’ Party in the USA on repeat. I’m your coach, not Mix Master Mike. You have a task to accomplish, so do it. Yes I know that every workout is hard and I know that you hate running and I know that the bar hurts your delicate hands, but there comes a time when we have to nut up or shut up…or both. CrossFit is constantly varied, so the odds are that you will see some workouts you hate. That’s why it’s CrossFit and not alltheshityoulikeFit. When you come to CrossFit, be ready to work. Come prepared to face all those pains and things you hate head on. Accept the suck.
4. Give it all – More than strength, speed, flexibility or endurance, effort is what matters most. I don’t care if you’re Joe Thruster with a sub 3 minute Fran, if you half-ass a workout, you’re a pussy. Grandma doing jumping pull-ups and thrusters with a PVC kicked your ass because she gave everything she had just short of a stroke. Times and weights matter, but they fail in comparison to effort. Keep pushing yourself to your most extreme limits. I don’t care if you have a 500 lbs or 50 lbs deadlift as long as you put forth the effort and don’t sandbag.
5. Listen to your coach – We are here to help you get more fit and accomplish your goals. When we say things like “you’re lifting with your back, use more hips” don’t act surprised when your lower back is sore. When we tell you that the foam roll and lacrosse ball works, we aren’t just being sadistic. We tell you to rest because you need rest, just as we tell you to get in the gym more because you need to be in the gym more. If you want to get better at something, you have to practice it. Plain and simple. Yes there are some of you who are naturally good at some things, but why not get better? Why not be the best? Our goal is for you to accomplish your goals.
6.Fail sometimes – The unique thing about CrossFit is that the only way to achieve excellence is through failure. The strength portion of our workouts are designed to where you may fail at a set. If you don’t fail you aren’t trying hard enough (see #4). CrossFit is an environment where no one will laugh at you or put a permanent letter in your file for dumping an overhead squat. Don’t be afraid to fail, there’s always next time. Pushing yourself to fail is more of a mental thing than it is a physical thing. We have conditioned ourselves to think that failing is bad and therefore don’t push ourselves in fear of failure. Take that fear away and see what you can accomplish.
7. Eat good food – The short answer is eat Paleo. If you don’t want to eat Paleo, just eat meat, some fruit, vegetables, little startch, no sugar, no grains no dairy. If you’re low on energy, then you’re not eating enough. I remember a lot of people starting off on Paleo complain of low energy then proceed to tell me that they didn’t eat anything all day because they didn’t know what to eat. Is it that hard to eat meat and vegetables these days? I ate ice cream every day and pizza every other day. If I can do it, you can too.
8. Count it – Tracking your workouts matters. That’s why we printed the log books for you. When you don’t count the reps on your workout, you lose valuable information that will keep you accountable for your progress. Make sure to record as much information as you can. Write down what you ate for the day. Everyone has those days where they ate like crap and had a crappy workout. Those are the hardest days to write down, but those will provide you with the best motivation to get better.
9. Be nice – CrossFitters are notorious for making fun of people who go to globo gyms (present company included). People achieve their personal fitness goals in their own ways. Some may like the pace of a spin or pilates class and some may like the intensity of CrossFit. Instead of pointing out their propensity for douchiness on the elliptical, try introducing them to CrossFit. You’ll get a better reaction and won’t come off like a jerk. You were once that guy on the hacksquat machine or that girl on the eliptical. If someone made fun of you and then said CrossFit was the way to superior fitness, you would tell them to go F themselves.
10. Get involved – CrossFit is more than just an hour of working out. We are a family and you can get as involved as you like. Just like anything else, you get out what you put in (TWSS). CFSB holds monthly social events (thanks Nicole) and does quarterly charitable events. Other events like our Redondo 5K team and our CrossFit affiliate team will compete this Spring. During the summer we are planning on having a co-ed flag football team, volleyball team, kickball team and 6-man team. There are many opportunities for you to get involved and if you have any suggestions, we would love to hear them!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Warm up, cool down and stretch
When I workout, I usually take about 10 minutes to warm up before the WOD, and about 5 minutes to cool down, followed by 5-10 minutes of stretching - ample time to do all of that, a WOD warm up, and the WOD in an hour.
Warming up properly is essential to having a productive workout and preventing injury. We do dynamic warm ups (for the most part - a few seconds of holding a stretch here and there) to get blood flowing and our temperature rising, and our muscles loose. We warm up our joints so they are nice and loose for the WOD - shoulders, hips, knees, lower back, etc. It also gets you in the "workout" mode - getting the heart rate and breathing rate up.
Cool down - don't just throw your stuff on and leave. Sometimes we have to hustle home but if you can stay for an extra 5-10 minutes, do so. Cool down by drinking water, walking around, a little active stretching and some static stretching. Try the self-myofascial release with the foam roller - painful but great for getting the knots out. This prevents not only soreness but tightness as well. Yes, it's fun to talk afterwards but that can be done while stretching. This also gives your body a chance to cool back down and your heart to return to a near normal heart rate.
FOCUS on both - don't just go through the motions. While you're doing the warm up, concentrate on what you are doing and WHY. Don't simply do it because you are told to. There is a reason - keep that in mind. If the workout calls for a lot of squats, and you're a little stiff in the legs, warm your legs up a bit more. Think about every stretch and movement while you are doing them. Actually concentrate on the static stretch and try to hold it there - maybe a little painful at times but worth it.
Warming up, cooling down, and stretching are an important part of your workout - they will affect your ability to accomplish the WOD and recover from it.
http://library.crossfit.com/premium/pdf/41_06_Stretch_Flexibility.pdf?e=1264602756&h=caeac9746aee76d39de27f0126a6dc4c
Warming up properly is essential to having a productive workout and preventing injury. We do dynamic warm ups (for the most part - a few seconds of holding a stretch here and there) to get blood flowing and our temperature rising, and our muscles loose. We warm up our joints so they are nice and loose for the WOD - shoulders, hips, knees, lower back, etc. It also gets you in the "workout" mode - getting the heart rate and breathing rate up.
Cool down - don't just throw your stuff on and leave. Sometimes we have to hustle home but if you can stay for an extra 5-10 minutes, do so. Cool down by drinking water, walking around, a little active stretching and some static stretching. Try the self-myofascial release with the foam roller - painful but great for getting the knots out. This prevents not only soreness but tightness as well. Yes, it's fun to talk afterwards but that can be done while stretching. This also gives your body a chance to cool back down and your heart to return to a near normal heart rate.
FOCUS on both - don't just go through the motions. While you're doing the warm up, concentrate on what you are doing and WHY. Don't simply do it because you are told to. There is a reason - keep that in mind. If the workout calls for a lot of squats, and you're a little stiff in the legs, warm your legs up a bit more. Think about every stretch and movement while you are doing them. Actually concentrate on the static stretch and try to hold it there - maybe a little painful at times but worth it.
Warming up, cooling down, and stretching are an important part of your workout - they will affect your ability to accomplish the WOD and recover from it.
http://library.crossfit.com/premium/pdf/41_06_Stretch_Flexibility.pdf?e=1264602756&h=caeac9746aee76d39de27f0126a6dc4c
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