Have Fun Doing It

Eleonora enjoying her workout.

While in Montana at the 2011 CrossFit Affiliate Gathering, I was lucky enough to spend some time with a lot of great people.  Coach Glassman was there to share his insight on running an affiliate.  He repeatedly told us that having fun is a huge part of a successful affiliate.  He said  "Make people better, and have fun doing it".  He understands that having fun with your training is critical to getting better.  

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Workout:
Bench Press
3-3-3-3-3

Deadlift
1-1-1-1-1-1

Max rope ascents in 2 minutes

All Done

Nate Finished

When you finish a workout where you have pushed yourself to the limit laying down, sitting down, or walking around are all good ways to begin to recover in the moment. Later in the day it is important to drink lots of water and if you get sore try ice, it is magic.

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Workout:

For time and load
Run 800 meters
15 Hang squat snatch
Run 800 meters
15 Squat snatch from mid mid thigh
Run 800 meters
15 Squat snatch

Use It

Peter prepping for a clean

Coaching something like CrossFit is a lot about cueing. Using different words, descriptions, and demonstrations to get you into the best fit and most efficient positions. Ideally, in this photo peter is taking a breath and then he will use the bar to pull his butt down a little and his shoulders tight before lifting. I could also say he is about to sit  or rock back a bit more or pick your chest up a bit, all going after the same thing, a better line of action.

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Workout:

Five rounds of
6 Hand stand push ups
12 Chest to bar pull ups
35 Pound dumbbell walking lunge, 24 steps

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The CrossFit Games will be on ESPN 2 tonight from 5pm to 7pm.  If you are looking for a spot to watch, the Perish Pub in the Almar Shopping Center will be showing it on one of there screens.  99 Bottles downtown will alos be showing the Games. CrossFit history in the making!

Week Three

Hannah Brandt

Welcome to week three of the Do It Yourself Adventure. So far we have fifty five members on facebook and about seventy percent of them have posted or post often. We have had fun getting to know what one another are eating, getting ideas and becoming closer friends.

This week I want to up that ante a little bit. Thus far Tom has lost 18 pounds by eating zone proportions of the CrossFit prescription of; meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. This week I would like to see at least one photo of a meal that fits the prescription Tom is using. With that post please include a precise shopping list and recipe to follow. We have learned that planning ahead can be very helpful. Real Simple magazine has a four week dinner plan including grocery lists to follow that gave me the idea the we should make our own. Imagine going to the store with a shopping list and then going home with a recipe, no thinking necessary just follow the list.

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Workout

Rest Day

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Wednesday night at 5:00 The CrossFit Games will be on ESPN2 for the second week in a row.

Blauer is Coming Back

Leif focused on the task at hand.

On October 5th, starting at 5:30 PM, Tony Blauer, founder of Blauer Tactical Systems and the SPEAR system, will be holding a special FREE workshop at our box. All attending will be given the unique opportunity to learn about something many of us are sadly deficientin: combatives. Mr. Blauer will be offering up his incisive input when it comes to your personal safety. The class will include SPEAR drills, awareness of yourselfand your surroundings, as well as a combatives workout.       All of you train with the utmost intensity. You train for personal well-being. You train because you want to function in life with more power, speed, mobility and strength. You train for the "unknown" and "unknowable". But what if you find that well-being suddenly compromised by someone who intends to physically harm you? Are you prepared for that "unknown"?  For more information check Tony Blauer California Road Trip Wondering if this clinic is for you?  Watch this "Why Combatives"

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Workout:

Back Squat

3-3-3-3-3

Hold Tight

Class playing around with the hollow body position.

The hollow position the athletes in the above photo are working for is a great teaching tool for learning how to engage the entire abdominal wall and squeeze your mid-line tight. The shoulder press and the good morning are my other two favorite ways to learn what it feels like to hold tight. There is no movement we do where you should not be engaging the entirety of your spinal musculature. Except for maybe the sit up ha fancy that.

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Workout

Five rounds for reps of:
Box Jump 30 seconds
Rest  30 seconds
Kettle bell swing 30 seconds
Rest 30 seconds
Ring dip 30 seconds
Rest 30 seconds

* If you can not do 10 ring dips perform and many push ups as you can in 30 seconds.

Versatile

 Dave doing weighted push ups instead of weighted pull ups.

Dave tore his biceps tendon and had surgery a few months ago. For an athlete like Dave an injury like that could be devastating, but Dave is a trooper. He has diligently worked his rehab and made terrific modifications to the gyms workouts to suit his needs. He has been smart about doing as much of the programming as he can while challenging himself. I have been nothing but impressed with the way Dave has handled his injury and have no doubt he will come back stronger than ever.

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Workout:

Row 800 meters
45 pound Single arm snatch, 30 reps
Row 600 meters
45 pound Single arm snatch, 30 reps
Row 400 meters
45 pound Single arm snatch, 30 reps
Row 200 meters
45 pound Single arm snatch, 30 reps

Energy Spent

Laurie and Cara after winning the sandbag Fran event at the moxie madness.

As CrossFit athletes we pay close attention to what we eat. We are assiduous in our pursuit of greater fitness. However, amidst these laudable pursuits it's important not to loose focus on the other, more determinant, factors that define who we are. What we feed our minds and how we sustain our souls are just as vital in the long run as what we eat and how we exercise. More than anything else, it is our values that determine who we are as mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, students, citizens, and most fundamentally, as human beings.   As I write this post I'm reminded of a well-known parable from tribal folklore:   There was once, long ago, a tribal elder who told his grandson about the battle the old man was waging within himself. He said, "My son, it is between two wolves. One is an evil wolf: anger, envy, sorrow, greed, self-pity, resentment, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other is... the good wolf: joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, generosity, truth, compassion and faith." The boy took this in for a few minutes and then asked, "Which wolf won?" His grandfather answered, "The one I feed."   - Dahlberg

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Workout:

Rest Day

October 5, 5:30pm

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Inspired

Cara and Tyler workig for max reps in one minute.

Last night was a historic night for CrossFit. For the first time both CrossFit and the CrossFit games were shown on television. ESPN2 is airing 4 episodes every Wednesday for the next three weeks. The first 4 were epic. I was inspired by the show not because of the tremendous display of fitness that the athletes at the games showcased but rather the whole movement of CrossFit and mostly my role in it. I am proud that I have built my life around making other people more fit. I watched the show amongst a handful of the athletes I coach each day and more than ever I want to make them better at everything. Yeah for CrossFit.

-coach D

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Workout:

Front Squat
3-3-3-3-3
Press
2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2

Doing the Unthinkable

Jessie and Coach D at the Moxie Competition climbing over an 8 foot wall.

CrossFit has changed my life dramatically in many ways. Most importantly it has helped to make me accountable to improving. CrossFit is first and foremost a strength and conditioning program dedicated to making people better at everything. Improving my general physical capacity has also translated to wanting to be a better wife, a better friend and a better woman. CrossFIt has made me face my fears and afforded me the chance to surprise myself by what I can accomplish. Once upon a time it was my very first pull up and on Saturday it was an 8 foot climbing wall.

-coach D

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Workout

Four rounds for time of:

30 pound slam ball, 30 reps
200 meter farmer carry, 50 pound dumbbells
5 muscle ups

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Reminder: The CrossFit Games will be on  ESPN2 starting tonight from 5:00-7:00pm!

Hair Complex

Cary impressing us all by completing the "Bear Complex" with 185 pounds.

Competitions are great fun and a wonderful way to test the limits of our programming and overall readiness for anything. One of the most important factors come game day is what you have been eating. Today starts week two of the Do It Yourself Food Adventure. We are challenging each other to cook all but two of our meals per week for the duration of the adventure. We are taking photos of our creations and sharing them on facebook. Some of us are doing it because we want the accountability and others are doing it to role model and teach. This week we are going to up the ante; you are now required to post photos of two of your home cooked meals per day. Keep up the strong work and get creative.

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Workout:

Complete 10 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest for 8 rounds each of the following:
205 pound Power clean
315 pound Sumo-deadlift
50 pound Weighted pull-up

Rest 2 minutes between exercises.

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CrossFit is going big time this Wednesday with it's first showing on national television. This years CrossFit Games will be shown on ESPN2 starting tomorrow from 5:00-7:00pm. Be sure to tune in to witness CrossFit history in the making.

MoxieTeam Competition

The representatives

Saturday was a great day of competition in San Jose. It was an opportunity for some of our veteran competitors to shine and a chance for new ones to make a space for themselves. Cary and Karla participated in their first competition as CrossFit Santa Cruz athletes and did us proud. Cary finished 4th in the mens Bear Complex with an impressive 185 pounds. Karla was a model of composure the entire day staying positive and leading the way to a 7th place finish in the womens team sand bag Fran. Laurie and Cara took first place in the relay sand bag Fran and held up their ends on the team 395 pound barbell carry. Lucas and Tyler we impressive as they moved together to finish the team carry. Jesse stood out with a 4th place finish on the mens overhead walk and did 6 or our teams 16 wall climbs. It was a grueling and long day of fun and challenging workouts full of sweat, a little blood and just a few tears. Laurie, Cara, Tyler and Lucas finished 3rd place and Cary, Karla, Danielle, and Jesse finished 10th.

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Workout:

Rest Day
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Reminder:

This Saturday September 17th Laurie is offering three more virtuosity clinics:

11:30-12:45 The Kipping Pull-up: Get a pull-up, or make the one you have more efficient.
1:00-2:15 Handstands: How to get upside down in your best possible body position, and what to do once you get there.
2:30-3:45 Advanced Bodyweight Pulling: You say you want a muscle up? Lets work on establishing the false grip and understanding the transition. Once you have that then we can get fancy with it.

Each clinic is $20 and limited to 10 participants sign up here.

Support

Cara, Tyler, Lucas and Laurie at Moxie Madness carrying 395 pounds.

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Workout:

Complete as many Double-unders as possible in 10 minutes

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Every so often we come across a workout named after a fallen soldier, police officer or firefighter. The "Hero WOD" is meant to serve as a token reminder, a simple gesture of gratitude, for those who valued a cause or another life above their own. These workouts will always be remembered, first and foremost, for the face and story behind the name.

 

    However, sometimes I feel we can do better than this. Organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project help our returning soldiers with the same type of dedication and selflessness which, conversely, defines the lives and careers of the very men and women they serve. The work that organizations like WWPprovide is vital, especially when considering the following statistics:

 

Today, roughly 1 percent of American families experience the uncertainty and heartache associated with having a loved one serve in the military. These families bear all the burden, and sometimes pay the ultimate cost. And for those that do return, how does society repay these brave men and women? The unemployment rate among all returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan actively seeking work is almost 11 percent. The unemployment numbers for young male veterans, 18 to 24, is more distressing: 27 percent.

 

    This is a far cry from the World War II era. During my grandparents generation a majority of Americans fought and sacrificed for a cause greater than themselves: from the workers toiling in the sweltering steel mills of the Midwest, to the soldiers crossing the frigid Atlantic and beyond, to the young nurses stationed overseas who steadfastly worked within earshot of a ghastly cacophony of mechanized weaponry colliding with vulnerable bodies. This was a time of unspeakable tragedy, but also one of unprecedented unity. 

 

    Today, America is still engaged in two wars. As these wars begin to wind down and our soldiers come home, we must step up. Even if you stand morally opposed to these conflicts, or all militaristic action, there are simple things that we can all do to make the return for these men and women a little more welcoming. If you know a military veteran, police officer or firefighter don't just tritely say, "Thank you for your service." As a former West Point lecturer recently wrote, that's mere "lip service". Instead, express your appreciation through acts of gratitude: watch their kids one evening, pick up some coffee for them, maybe help with some yard work, or surprise them with a hot home cooked meal. While these actions may seem small when juxtaposed to such prodigious sacrifice, I guarantee they mean a hell of a lot more than cheap flag pins and yellow ribbon bumper stickers. 

 

- Dahlberg

Have Fun

Chris rolling around.

"It doesn't have to be fun to be fun" is an old CrossFit saying.  Since the beginning of CrossFit it has been clear that although the workout are challenging and humbling, the program is fun. Something about the feeling of a job well done and sense of accomplishment in pushing through a tough workout.  And its fun to enjoy a well deserved rest.

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Workout:

30 minutes of Handstand Practice

Then,

Clean & Jerk on the minute for ten minutes

Back By Popular Demand

This Saturday we have two teams competing in the Moxie Madness Throwdown in San Jose. We are very excited to have such great teams represent CrossFit Santa Cruz.  Jesse, Cary, Coach D, and Karla are one of our teams, Lucas, Tyler, Laurie and Cara will be our other team.  Anyone interested and going over to spectate post to comments and use the whiteboard at the gym to organize rides.

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Workout:

Deadlift with band 
1-1-1-1-1-1-1
Bench Press with Chains
3-3-3-3-3

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ANNOUNCEMENT: No CrossFit Kids class this Saturday.

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Virtuosity Clinic Next Saturday, September the 17th

Laurie Galassi will be back in the gym coaching two new pulling clinics and re-teaching the Handstand for those who missed it the first time.  

11:30-12:45 The Kipping Pull-up: Get a pull-up, or make the one you have more efficient.

This clinic will cover the technique, mechanics and shaping of the kipping pull-up.  There will be an emphasis on how to use the “kip” effectively to do a pull-up. 

There is no prerequisite for this clinic.

1:00-2:15 Handstands:  How to get upside down in your best possible body position, and what to do once you get there.

This clinic will be a second offering of the handstand clinics offered a few weeks ago.  No experience with handstands is necessary.  Topics covered will include: body alignment in the handstand, handstands against a wall, in free space and handstand walking. 

2:30-3:45 Advanced Bodyweight Pulling:  You say you want a muscle up?  What's that?  You have a muscle up, and now you want to do it more efficiently and get fancy with it?

This clinic will cover establishing the false grip, understanding the transition, the strict muscle-up, and progressions to get one, kipping muscle-ups, cycling and without the false grip and bar muscle-ups

The cost for each clinic will be $20 and will be limited to 10 participants.

Sign Up

[googleapps domain="docs" dir="spreadsheet/embeddedform" query="formkey=dFQwTFVHb2FBV0ozR2RSWEtxRlpIQnc6MQ" width="760" height="500" /]Clinic Descriptions and schedule for Saturday,

September 17, 2011:

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11:30-12:45 The Kipping Pull-up: Get a pull-up, or make the one you have more efficient.

This clinic will cover the technique, mechanics and shaping of the kipping pull-up. There will be an emphasis on how to use the “kip” effectively to do a pull-up.

The clinic format will be as follows:

• Warm-up and body positions

• Drilling and skill development

• Practice time to apply new skills

• How to make a tape grip

There is no prerequisite for this clinic.

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1:00-2:15 Handstands: How to get upside down in your best possible body position, and what to do once you get there.

This clinic will be a second offering of the handstand clinics offered a few weeks ago. No experience with handstands is necessary. Topics covered will include: body alignment in the handstand, handstands against a wall, in free space and handstand walking.

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2:30-3:45 Advanced Bodyweight Pulling: You say you want a muscle up? What's that? You have a muscle up, and now you want to do it more efficiently and get fancy with it?

Existing skills: Athletes in this clinic need to have a minimum of 1 strict pull-up, 5 continuous kipping pull-ups and 1 dip.  

This clinic will explore the kip found in the pull-up, aiming to develop a more powerful and efficient kip. We will then work on a variety of pulling movements: The pieces that come together to make a muscle up:

• Establishing the false grip

• Understanding the transition

• The strict muscle-up, and progressions to get one

Athletes with a muscle-up will look at:

• Muscle-up foundations

• Kipping muscle-ups

• Muscle-up variations: cycling and without the false grip

• Bar muscle-ups

The clinic format will be similar to the format of “the kipping pull-up.”

The cost for each clinic will be $20 and will be limited to 10 participants.

Laurie Clinic 2

Saturday, September 17th Laurie will be back in the gym coaching two new clinincs and re-teaching the Handstand for those who missed it the first time.

Clinic Descriptions and schedule for Saturday, September 17, 2011:

11:30-12:45 The Kipping Pull-up: Get a pull-up, or make the one you have more efficient.

This clinic will cover the technique, mechanics and shaping of the kipping pull-up.  There will be an emphasis on how to use the “kip” effectively to do a pull-up. 

The clinic format will be as follows:

•  Warm-up and body positions
•  Drilling and skill development
•  Practice time to apply new skills
•  How to make a tape grip

There is no prerequisite for this clinic.

1:00-2:15 Handstands:  How to get upside down in your best possible body position, and what to do once you get there.

This clinic will be a second offering of the handstand clinics offered a few weeks ago.  No experience with handstands is necessary.  Topics covered will include: body alignment in the handstand, handstands against a wall, in free space and handstand walking. 

2:30-3:45 Advanced Bodyweight Pulling:  You say you want a muscle up?  What's that?  You have a muscle up, and now you want to do it more efficiently and get fancy with it?

Existing skills: Athletes in this clinic need to have a minimum of 1 strict pull-up, 5 continuous kipping pull-ups and 1 dip

This clinic will explore the kip found in the pull-up, aiming to develop a more powerful and efficient kip.  We will then work on a variety of pulling movements:

The pieces that come together to make a muscle up:
• Establishing the false grip
• Understanding the transition
• The strict muscle-up, and progressions to get one

Athletes with a muscle-up will look at:
• Muscle-up foundations
• Kipping muscle-ups
• Muscle-up variations: cycling and without the false grip
• Bar muscle-ups

The clinic format will be similar to the format of “the kipping pull-up.”

The cost for each clinic will be $20 and will be limited to 10 participants.

Virtuosity

Laurie locking out overhead.

A recent clinic that Laurie coached has been featured in the CrossFit Journal. Handstand Virtuosity Part One highlights the importance of starting with the basics.  Laurie makes the handstand attainable and accessible to the average athlete.

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The DIY Adventure is now three days in. Any recipes that are must? 

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Workout:

Rest Day 

Sharing

 Monday class.

Our very own Coach Kristy has been working on her nutrition blog "Feasting on Fitness" off and on for some time now. She is a great writer who has done her due diligence in researching things like: grains, dairy, sugar, fat, sun exposure, stress, and child-centered nutrition. She shares delicious recipes and interesting information.

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Workout:

Complete as many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of
135 pound Push press, 10 reps
10 Single leg squats, alternating
10 Toes to bar