Get ready for a fun week of barbells and metcons! Enjoy yourselves, and don’t forget to wear SPF.
Before you go, check out this pure elation from Quarterfinalist Brianne Cannon and one of FCCF’s biggest cheerleaders, Mike Olasov!
Congrats again to our Quarterfinalists! Friday night, Saturday morning, and Sunday morning saw this group of elite athletes (including former member, the Philly-based, Gwyn Price-Ahau!) sweating, pushing, laughing, and generally kicking butt. You’re fabulous role models for the community!
Congratulations to our athletes who qualified for the CrossFit Games Quarterfinals! They finished in the top 25% of their respective categories (Individual and/or Age Group) and will be competing for a chance to make the Semifinals (if they place in the top 40 individuals in our North American West region or top 200 in their age group worldwide).
The Quarterfinals are this week, from Wednesday, April 17th to Monday, April 22nd. There will be four workouts to complete during this competition window that will be more challenging than what we saw in the Open.
We're looking forward to cheering them on through this next stage! We'll post the days & times that the athletes are doing the workouts on Slack if you'd like to come out to support. We'll also program one of the workouts on Saturday with plenty of scaling options so that the whole community can join in.
Congratulations again to our Fog City CF Quarterfinalists. Good luck this week!
John Robinson (Age Group 40-44)
Brianne Donahue Cannon (Individual, Age Group 40-44)
Liz Terry (Individual, Age Group 40-44)
Dani Cirignano (Age Group 40-44)
Gillian Glegg (Age Group 45-49)
Anh Lewin (Age Group 50-54)
Cassie Ann Ludwig (Individual, Age Group 35-39)
Jason Marks (Individual)
And here is what we have coming up this week.
Here’s what we have on tap this week. Hope to see you in!
Happy April and Happy Easter! Here are a few notes about our upcoming programming cycle, going through the end of May.
We are starting an 8-week Snatch cycle that will be programmed every Monday following last week's baseline test. We will vary the type of Snatch lift we are doing to add complexity each week in two 4-week blocks starting with Hang Power Snatch, followed by Power Snatch, Hang Squat Snatch, and Squat Snatch. There also will be a secondary lift to focus on positional strength including Snatch Push Press, Overhead Squats, and Snatch Pulls. The last week of each 4-week block will include Snatch singles giving athletes an opportunity to go heavy if they are feeling good. This cycle will still be a good opportunity for regular CrossFit class attendees to improve Snatch technique and strength. For a true weightlifting cycle experience, we encourage athletes to go to Barbell club to maximize results in the Olympic lifts.
We will also be preparing for Memorial Day Murph with a long workout each week focusing on adding pull-up, push-up, and air squat volume so athletes are ready to test this classic hero workout at the end of May. We will fill in the rest of the week with varied metcons and strength work as we normally do.
Let us know if you have any questions and see you at the gym!
Great seeing everyone who made it out to our End of the Open Celebration!
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Open this year. It was great to see everyone competing and supporting each other. We had a lot of first-timers and athletes getting their first pull-ups, double unders, and more, which is always awesome to see!
Special shout outs to this years Open Award recipients:
Fittest Athletes: JRob & Brianne
Rookies of the Year: Landis & Alyssa
In addition, we had a number of athletes who finished above the 75th percentile and should receive invites for Quarterfinals April 17th-22nd. More info on that soon!
We also saw coaches Kate and Jason lift at Master’s Nationals in Reno and they both did amazingly well, with each making 4/6 lifts. Kate finished with a 66kg Snatch/80kg Clean & Jerk/146kg Total. Jason hit 93kg/123kg/216kg and earned a bronze medal in the Clean & Jerk! We’re incredibly proud of these two and grateful to Coach Kate for running our barbell program!
Thank you all for showing up and showing out Fog City, enjoy your week and see you at the gym!
Congratulations to everyone who completed 24.3 and wrapped up the CrossFit Open!
A quick reminder to submit your score before 5pm on Monday, 3/18.
Don’t forget about our Open celebration THIS Saturday, March 23, 3-5pm at Barebottle Brewery. We have the lounge reserved (just past the ladies’ bathroom) and can’t wait to see everyone. Please come out whether you participated in the Open or not and feel free to bring your family. Hope to see you there!!
Here’s what we have on the schedule for this week.
It’s the last week of the Open, and not-so-shockingly, there are thrusters and gymnastics.
CrossFit Open 24.3
For time:
5 rounds of:
10 Thrusters, 95/65 lbs
10 Chest-to-bar Pull-ups
-- then --
Rest 1 min
-- then --
5 rounds of:
7 Thrusters, 135/95 lbs
7 Bar Muscle-ups
Time cap: 15 minutes
Full details about all divisions and movement standards are online. Please take time to look them over before coming to the gym! (Links: RX/Scaled/Masters and Foundations)
Logistics:
Sign up for class as you normally would. When you come, you will sign up for a heat and there will be a self-directed warm-up for you to follow. Expect to work out during one of the heats and judge/cheer a friend during another. If you know you need extra time, come a bit early to get yourself warm and cheer people on.
Pull-up station preference will be given to those athletes who are officially entered in the competition.
If you happen to be in the camp of trying to get your first chest-to-bar pull-up or bar muscle-up, come in early, watch a heat before you and ask the coaches/advanced athletes for tips.
Can’t make it Saturday? Post to Slack and we’ll help find a time for you to do it with a judge before the Monday 5PM score submission deadline.
Strategy
Thrusters:
Use your legs! Save your shoulders for all the gymnastics by driving hard with your legs to get the bar up before you need to engage the upper body.
Similarly, break them up! Almost everyone will benefit from a quick break (5-5 or 6-4 on the reps) to shake it out and spend less time under tension.
Be prepared for the second weight of thrusters to feel much heavier than it actually is. Remember to stay tight out of the bottom and use those legs to explode upwards.
Chest-to-bar Pull-ups:
Focus on that good kip – tight body position and a snap from arch to hollow.
Drive the elbows back and lean back a bit as you pull your chest to the bar to make it easier to make contact.
Aim to break at least 1-2 reps before failure so you don’t risk doing a big pull, and not making it to the bar.
If you know you’ll make it into the bar muscle-ups, break up the sets up early to save your pull for the second half of the workout.
Bar Muscle-ups:
If you have these, awesome! Focus on your technique as they will feel much harder after all the pull-ups.
If you’re still working on these, here are a few tips to get your first one: jump into an arch slightly in front of the bar. Push down on the bar to elevate your hips/body (it’s a push with straight arms, not a pull with bent arms). As your shoulders move behind the bar, then start to transition over the bar (be patient here!).
Pacing: don’t come out hot!
Start slower than you think you’ll need to go. It is very easy to spike your heart rate on the light thrusters. Don’t sprint them! Pace these smartly to set yourself up for the workout.
Plan how you will split up each movement. It’s much easier to keep those breaks short versus having to stop when you’re smoked or failing.
Know yourself on the gymnastics movements. If you can do big sets of pull-ups, break them into 2 sets. If you can do 2-3 unbroken, then it’s likely singles will be best. Either way, plan these out to keep your breaks short and leave enough energy to tackle the thrusters.
When you make it out of the first part, walk around, take some deep breaths, and shake out your arms/shoulders.
Scaling
We will have scaling options for everyone! If you’re entered online, there is an official scaled version with lighter thrusters, jumping chest-to-bar pull-ups, and chin-over-bar pull-ups. Remember though, that any reps at RX beat all scores at scaled! So, if you’re able to do the thrusters at the RX weight and then want to try for some chest-to-bar pull-ups, do it! If you hit the wall on them but want to keep doing the workout, tell your judge you’re done with the RX version and switch out whichever movement is limiting you.
Congratulations on finishing the Open! We’ll see you next weekend to celebrate everyone’s successes at Barebottle (Saturday 3/23 from 3-5PM).
Don’t forget to submit your score before 5pm on Monday, 3/11.
Here’s what we have on the schedule for this week. See you Saturday for the last day of the CrossFit Open Games: 24.3!
And don’t forget about our Open celebration on Saturday, March 23, 3-5pm at Barebottle Brewery. We’ll be the fun crowd in the lounge area in the back (take a right at the entrance and walk back to the right, past the ladies’ bathroom).
Week 2 is here and it’s a long one! We’ve got a 20 minute AMRAP.
CrossFit Open 24.2
As many rounds and reps as possible in 20 minutes of:
Row, 300 m
10 Deadlifts, 185/125 lbs
50 Double Unders
Full details about all divisions and movement standards are online. Please take time to look them over before coming to the gym! (Links: RX/Scaled/Masters and Foundations)
Logistics:
Sign up for class as you normally would. When you come, you will sign up for a heat and there will be a self-directed warm-up for you to follow. Expect to work out during one of the heats and judge/cheer a friend during another. If you know you need extra time, come a bit early to get yourself warm and cheer people on.
Can’t make it Saturday? Post to Slack and we’ll help find a time for you to do it with a judge before the Monday 5PM score submission deadline.
Strategy
Row:
Standard: rower must be set to 0 at the start of each interval and count up. (Your judge should do this for you.)
If you know it, aim for your 5K pace. If you don’t, expect to go at a moderate pace that leaves you ready to get right into the deadlifts. (Test in warm-up.) Going a few seconds slower here will make a big difference on the other movements over the course of the 20 minutes.
Set your straps so they are just loose enough for you to be able to slide in and out without adjusting them.
Deadlifts:
If the weight is light, aim for unbroken or a purposeful single quick break as long as possible.
If the weight is moderate-heavy, break it up often from the start as it will get heavy fast.
There is a lot of pulling and hinging in this workout. Set your back on every rep to avoid burning out.
Listen to your body! All it takes is one bad deadlift to have a serious injury. If something doesn’t feel right with your body during the work out, call it a day.
Double Unders:
Smooth is fast here! Relax the shoulders and arms and keep breathing.
If you miss, no big deal! Stay calm and get back into it so you don’t fall into the trap of frantic repeated misses.
Place your rope down carefully at the end of each set so it doesn’t get tangled.
Pacing: keep it moving!
Pick a pace that is uncomfortable but sustainable. Think about how you’ve handled pacing during our longer workouts each week and aim for that feeling. Try to be consistent in how long the rounds take and don’t start out too hot.
Aim to pick up the pace somewhere between the 12-15 min mark, depending how you’re feeling.
Transitions matter quite a bit in this workout as there is a lot of switching between movements. Get right into the next movement and, if needed, take a short break in the middle of the set.
If you know you’ll need breaks on the deadlifts or double unders, plan when they will be. It’s easier to keep that type of break short than when you’re so tired you have to stop.
If the deadlifts and double unders aren’t too bad for you, push the pace a bit on the rower. Likewise, if the deadlifts and/or double unders are hard, use the rower as an active recovery so you can be ready to push through the other two movements.
Don’t forget to double knot your shoelaces! 😊
Scaling
We will have scaling options for everyone! If you’re entered online, there is an official scaled version. (See above). Remember though, that any reps at RX beat all scores at scaled! So, if you’re able to do some of the deadlifts at the RX weight and some double unders, do it! If you hit the wall on them but want to keep doing the workout, tell your judge you’re done with the RX version and switch out whichever movement is limiting you.
Here’s to another week of having fun, cheering on your friends, and challenging yourself.
Great job to everyone who took on 24.1 this weekend!! Don’t forget to submit your score by 5PM on Monday!
Here’s what we have on tap this week. As a reminder, we’ll be doing 24.2 on Saturday (any guesses what Dave Castro has in store for us??).
Let’s do this!! It’s week 1 of the CrossFit Open and we’re starting this off with a couplet that has a twist on the classic rep scheme. Here are the details and advice for the workout:
CrossFit Open 24.1
For time:
21 dumbbell snatches, arm 1
21 lateral burpees over dumbbell
21 dumbbell snatches, arm 2
21 lateral burpees over dumbbell
15 dumbbell snatches, arm 1
15 lateral burpees over dumbbell
15 dumbbell snatches, arm 2
15 lateral burpees over dumbbell
9 dumbbell snatches, arm 1
9 lateral burpees over dumbbell
9 dumbbell snatches, arm 2
9 lateral burpees over dumbbell
*Time cap: 15 minutes
Dumbbell weights: RX: 50/35 lbs and Scaled: 35/20 lbs
Full details about all divisions and movement standards are online. Please take time to look them over before coming to the gym! (Links: RX/Scaled/Masters and Foundations)
Logistics:
Sign up for class as you normally would. When you come, you will sign up for a heat and there will be a self-directed warm-up for you to follow. Expect to work out during one of the heats and judge/cheer a friend during another. If you know you need extra time, come a bit early to get yourself warm and cheer people on.
Can’t make it Saturday? Post to Slack and we’ll help find a time for you to do it with a judge before the Monday 5PM score submission deadline.
Strategy
Snatches:
Standard: both heads of the DB must touch the ground, get to full extension with DB over body at the top, and don’t let your non-snatch arm touch your body.
Make sure to lower your hips and keep your chest up. This will help save your lower back and hamstrings from fatiguing too quickly.
Use your legs to drive the DB up as the burpees will burn out your shoulders.
Burpees:
Standard: chest and thighs touch the ground, make sure to jump over the DB, not around it. For the jump, both feet must be off the ground, but there is no requirement to take off or land on 2 feet.
Know where to put your hands so that when you stand up, your feet are right next to the DB.
Avoid worming to protect your lower back: lead with the chest touching the ground and your butt on the way up.
Unless you’re a burpee ninja, considering stepping up quickly during the 21s and 15s to keep your heart rate in check.
Stay low! There is no standard to stand up all the way on the burpee, so don’t do more work than you need to.
Pacing: know yourself!
Pick a pace that is uncomfortable but sustainable. It might feel slow at the start, but it will get hard quickly. When you get to the 9s, go go go!
The pace of this workout is all about the burpees, so try your best to pace them from the start.
If you’re an experienced athlete, maintain unbroken DB snatches for as many sets as possible. Break only if necessary for a quick shake. Keep your burpees at a consistent pace and remember to keep breathing. Be careful of going out too hot.
If you’re newer, pace yourself on the two sets of 21 burpees. If you come out too hot, the sets of 15 will be brutal. Consider taking a few breaths at the top of each rep as a way to purposefully slow down. Then, take your time to set up on the snatches. There is no need to rush. Consider breaking them into manageable sets (e.g. 8-7-6 or 12-9 reps).
If you know you’ll need breaks, plan when they will be. It’s easier to keep that type of break short than when you’re so tired you have to stop.
Scaling
We will have scaling options for everyone! If you’re entered online, there is an official scaled version. (See above). Remember though, that any reps at RX beat all scores at scaled! So, if you’re able to do some of the DB snatches at the RX weight, do it! If you hit the wall on them but want to keep doing the workout, tell your judge you’re done with the RX version and switch to a lighter DB and finish the workout.
And, of course, have fun, cheer on your friends, and come back next week!
