Video Analysis

IMG_5866Capturing the moment.

Watching video is a great way to develop a coaches eye. Slow motion and repetitive viewings set the stage for a better understanding of movement. When it comes to the olympic lifts video analysis can be intense. Iron Maven is great resource for videos and analysis. Check out her YouTube Channel, and don't miss To Be Young Again.

Workout:

4 Rounds for time of:
15 Tire Flips
20 inch box jump, 30 reps
3 Rope Ascent
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The First Santa Cruz Affiliate Competition is this Saturday at CrossFit Santa Cruz Central. Details can be found HERE.

Carpooling is highly recommended, parking is limited.

Getting Good

IMG_5770 Dawn with a nice squat.

Coach Burgener always says "everybody has a different body".  Meaning each athlete is going to have their own set of issues and limitation.  Coaching can be seen as a kind of triage done on an athlete's movement starting with gross mechanics and safety (back and knee position, on the heels) and moving to less important items.  It is important for coaches to cue and correct the gross mechanics first.  

In the photo above you can see Coach D performing her triage on Dawn's squat.  At this point in Dawn's training, Danielle is clearly not worried about any of the gross mechanics.  She is assessing the smaller details to work on for the next squat.

Workout:

Hang Squat Clean
3-3-3-3-3-3-3

Far Away Friends

Yeah Burpees

IMG_5827 Laurie getting it done.

The burpee is a simple exercise.  Get flat on the ground, jump to your feet and then jump and touch and object 1 foot above your reach. Coach Burgener has athletes yell when they jump in the air. The CrossFit Games standard used a clap over the head while in the air.  By completely opening the hip and knee, getting entirely straight in the air with arms extended move the body through a large range of motion, making a simple movement torturous.

Workout:

Rest Day

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Check it out Chris made the NEWS

Pain Free

Luarel Run

Laurel running strong

Laurel is 13, she came to us because she had pain anytime she ran.  No longer able to run cross country she was looking for a way to stay active and hopefully find some tools to help alleviate her symptoms.  We taught her the squat and the deadlift. She diligently worked on her flexibility while developing good midline stabilizing strategies. After 3 months of hard work, CrossFit and some help from Dr. Kelly Starrett she no longer has knee pain.

We are very proud of Laurel, A+.

Laurel's success is inspiring and we are hoping to have many more stories just like hers. Getting your child started with CrossFit is now even easier with our new Kids classes starting this week.

Workout: Frago "YBF"

21, 15, 9 reps of:
Double Unders
Thrusters 45 lbs
Ring Dips
Air Squats
Squat Cleans 45 lbs

Deadlifts 100 lbs

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CrossFit Kids classes are starting!  After the success of our August classes, Kristy and Dave are excited to offer weekday classes!  So spread the word and let's get kids off the couch and playing again.  

Here is our schedule, starting September 8th:

CrossFit Tots (ages 3-6) Mondays and Wednesdays 2:15-2:45pm and Saturdays 11:15-11:45am.  
CrossFit Kids (ages 6-12) Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:15-5pm and Sundays 11:15am-12pm. 
CrossFit Teens (ages 12-16) Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 4-5pm.  

A New World

IMG_5621Everyone inverted.

"The quick and obvious analysis as to hand balancing's benefits would include improved balance and increased shoulder strength, and though accurate, ending the analysis here doesn't speak to the singularly unique advantages to this training.

There are countless successful protocols for increasing shoulder strength and balance, but training the handstand and presses to the handstand improves proprioception and core strength in ways that other protocols cannot. Let's examine this claim more closely.

Being upside down exposes the athlete to, what is for many, a brand new world."

-Greg Glassman CrossFit Journal Article "The Handstand"

Workout:

21-15-9
Body weight Back Squat
Burpee

Team Building

IMG_5533Diana on her heels.

Diana is going to be a competitor in the upcoming affiliate competition. To date we have 2 complete teams and 2 teams near completion. On Monday September 7th we are asking everyone who is on a team to show up to our special 10am class. We will run a team workout so everyone can have a chance to workout together and bond as a team.

For everyone not competing we will be holding a 9am and 11am class also. To support our teams we are asking everyone to show up at 10am and provide a cheering section.

Workout:

Rest Day

Managing Discomfort

IMG_5466 Tim working hard.

Making gains in CrossFit takes hard work. Increasing our max lifts requires dedication to technique and consistency, in other words lift heavy often and make it good. We also need to improve our metabolic conditioning, really pushing the limits of our comfort zone. Intensity creates discomfort.

In an article for the the Games site Chuck Carswell describes how Miko Salo deals with the discomforts of a workout. Judging Miko

Workout: "Eva"

5 rounds for time of:
800 meter run
2 pood KBS, 30 reps
30 Pull ups

Ice is Good

IMG_5478Post workout cool down.

After a hard workout our bodies need some tender loving care. The beating our bodies take day after day must be mitigated to prevent injuries. Proper warm up and an adequate cool down are both mandatory for any serious athlete.

In our freezer we have dixie cups filled with water. Use them after a workout to calm the inflammatory process and help you body recover. 5 minutes of a dixie ice massage is equal to about 20 minutes of a standard ice pack. Please remember that if you use a cup replace it with a new one.

Workout: CrossFit Total

Back Squat
1-1-1
Shoulder Press
1-1-1
Deadlift
1-1-1