Workout of the Day
Brian Documents 16.1 & 16.2 Is Upon Us
Congrats to Laura K. on her first ever ring muscle-up on Thursday! She did 4 total, and the gym erupted in cheers each time. This feat was six years in the making, so Laura is a great example of an athlete continuing to consistently do the work, putting the time in on the little details that eventually add up to hitting those big goals - GREAT WORK, Laura!
Brian C. once again captured the Open at Arena Ready by documenting 16.1 from last Saturday. Check out his amazing video below - thanks so much for your hard work and creativity, Brian!
Lastly, 16.2 is officially upon us, so if you're going to be completing the workout this weekend at Arena Ready (either during our Open Heats during all Saturday classes, or during Sunday Open Gym) then please start by reviewing the workout details here and watching the standards video below - thanks!
WOD for 03-04-16:
Turkish Get-up (Alternating):
1-1-1
(Compare to 12-04-15, 05-08-15, 09-12-14, and 04-28-14)
-then-
For Time:
200m Run
25 Shoulder-to-Overhead @ 95/65 lbs
400m Run
25 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls @ 96/65 lbs
600m Run
25 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
400m Run
25 Lateral Bar Burpees
200m Run
Got Numbness?
Several of us, myself included on my second attempt, reported numb arms/hands/fingers/thumbs during and after 16.1. As a I was quite frustrated by this during the workout, and especially when it came back during my workout the next day, I asked my smart friend, Zach Greenwald of Strength Ratio, if there was anything I could do to make it go away faster.
Thankfully, he shared some advice in the video above, which he kindly said I could share with Arena Ready. I did the things he suggested, directed at reducing tingling in the thumb side of my hand and much of my left arm, and it seemed to be very effective as I felt no tingling or numbness during the workout tonight. I wanted to pass it on in case any of you are also feeling this residual effect of 16.1. He also shared the below video which could be helpful in reducing tingling on the pinky side of your hand.
To be clear, these videos are intended to be quick, easy fixes to a minor, easily resolved problem. As always, if you have a more serious problem, and/or these quick fixes don't work, we highly recommend you seek professional advice, and make sure you mention it to your Coach before class.
WOD for 03-03-16:
Skill Focus:
Kipping Muscle-up
-then-
"The Bonus Baseline"
For Time:
50 Calorie Row
40 AbMat Sit-ups
30 Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs
20 Kettlebell Goblet Squats @ 70/53 lbs
10 Muscle-ups
Jenny Captures 16.1 at Arena Ready
The amazingly talented Jenny has done it again by capturing so many of the incredible moments of Open 16.1 at Arena Ready (a full gallery can be found here). Thank you so much for all you do, Jenny!
WOD for 03-02-16:
Power Snatch:
3-3-3-3-3
Climbing
-then-
AMPAP (As Many POUNDS As Possible) 10 Minutes, With a Partner:
60 Calorie Row
60 Burpees Over The Rower
then in the remaining time...
Power Snatches for Max Total Poundage, pick load
Partners must share the same barbell and choose their loading for the workout (the loading cannot be changed once the workout starts). Partners may share the reps in whatever fashion they like, and reps do not have to be evenly split. Score is total poundage lifted by the team - e.g. if a team uses 95 lbs and completes 71 power snatch reps, their score would be 6,745 lbs (95 x 71 = 6,745).
Got Lunge Legs? Squat.
No, really.
You know, assuming you came in on Monday for the WOD, or at least tried to move around a little in the last couple of days. If you did neither then Sigfried and Roy (Angela's new kittens) have no sympathy for you, because every day is leg day when you're running from your feels.
WOD for 03-01-16:
Back Squat:
15 Minutes to Establish a Moderately Heavy Set of 5
-then-
5 Rounds, Start Every Four Minutes:
400m Run
5 Back Squats @ 85% of Top Set From Above
12 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
Focus on being explosive on the box jumps immediately after the back squats, rather than cycling the box jump reps as fast as possible. Want to add intensity? Run faster.
(Compare to 12-07-15 and 05-06-15)
16.1: Thank You & Reminders
Wow, what a weekend of 16.1 awesomeness! We'll share some thoughts and highlights in the next couple of days, once all final heats have been completed, you all enter your scores (see reminders below), and we've had a moment to digest it all.
A HUGE thank you to Coaches Liz, Hillary, and Alyssa for running most of the show along with "Head Judge" Chad on Saturday! What could have potentially been a nightmare of logistics and chronically late-running heats ended up being a well-oiled machine, with most of our heats actually starting a bit ahead of schedule. It was amazing to watch such gutsy performances by our athletes without having to worry about the schedule/timeline of the competition day turning into a hot mess. Big thanks as well to the Friday night set-up/logistics crew including Coppertop, Flying Squirrel, Coach Cody, Coach Lindsay, and Coach Jon - they provided a ton of help in mapping things out, and deciding how the flow of events should occur. Without you folks we couldn't have run such a smooth weekend of heats of what could possibly be the most logistically demanding Open WOD in history (knock on wood).
A few reminders:
1) Your 16.1 score is due by 5pm (Pacific Time) on Monday. You must submit your score on the CrossFit Games website, as we cannot enter it for you (we can only validate it once it's been entered). DO IT NOW!
2) If you were not able to complete 16.1 during any of the Thursday through Sunday times (and you are officially entered in the Open) your last chance is on Monday during the added 1pm time slot. Doing 16.1 during Monday's morning (6am, 7am), noon, or 4pm classes is not permitted.
WOD for 02-29-16:
Hang Power Clean:
3-3-3-3-3
Climbing
-then-
4 Rounds for Time:
21 Air Squats
15 Handstand Push-ups
9 Hang Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs
16.1 Strategy
There are a number of categories to consider:
1. "I can't safely attempt even 5' of walking lunges as prescribed." This group should confirm with a coach that you really can't/shouldn't make an attempt, just in case you have too little faith in yourself, and once/if confirmed you'll set up the scaled version of the workout. Otherwise, you're probably in group 2.
2. "Walking overhead lunges are impossible, but I think I can manage 5 feet/2 lunges." This would equate to a score of 1 rep, and would rank higher than all scaled efforts on the scoreboard. If you can manage 5' safely, do the workout as prescribed. If you can get 25' done safely (even if you have to break it up) do 25'. Then of course you can do 8 burpees (assuming you can safely jump), and you might be able to make it back another 25' safely. Then you face pull-ups, and may find yourself in category 3, 4 or 5. Prepare for pull-ups just in case, and also set up a modified station in case you reach the max Rx'ed score you'll be able to get for the day prior to the 20 minute cap.
3. "I can do the lunges and the burpees, but I'm still working on getting my chin over the bar for pull-ups." If you're in this group, it's not likely you can safely attempt chest-to-bar pull-ups quite yet. If you're in this camp, please allow me to suggest that you file pull-ups as an area for improvement for next year, and set up a modified station in addition to your Rx station.
4. "I can do the lunges and the burpees, but chest-to-bar pull-ups? I've never even done one of those, or if I have, I'm not sure I can do 8!" These people have kipping pull-ups and can probably get at least one C2B tomorrow, even if they haven't done one quite yet. These people have pull-ups on the radar, have been practicing, and are getting close. If you're in this camp, dig deep, file your hands, and get to work. Tomorrow will be a day to test yourself, and hopefully get more C2B pull-ups than you expected! Maybe you'll even find yourself in category 5!
Please note: in category 4, you may hit a threshold beyond which you probably shouldn't continue attempting - either you get too tired to hold on or to safely descend, your hands are ripping, or you're just over it. After this point, you'll switch to the modified version of the workout for the remainder of the 20 minutes - you'll need to have both prepared ahead of time just in case.
5. "I can get one round, but I'm not sure how long I'll be able to hold on." If you're in this group, carefully assess each movement, and how long you think one round would take you fresh. Add about 50% to that time, and plan to pace yourself roughly according to that time frame per round. (i.e. one round top speed would take you 2 minutes, so pace yourself at 3 minutes starting out). I believe the biggest mistake people will make in category 5 is to go out too hot, and feel less fit than you are because you hit redline too early. This is a 20 minute workout. It can't be won in the first five minutes, but it can easily be lost in the first 2.
6. "I'm going to crush this thing." If you're in this group, set a goal, divide 20 by your goal rounds, and pace yourself about 10 seconds per round faster for the first two rounds, then try to settle in and hold it from there. Know yourself, your strengths, and how much each of the movements affect your heart rate, and try to stay calm and focused for as long as possible. It will burn, but you can do it. Accept your fate, stay in the game, and make each rep count.
A few more notes:
A. Please don't ghost ride the bar (i.e. carelessly drop from overhead). We've tried to create stations for everyone to have enough space, but if you are "so tired" that you carelessly drop the bar, you will likely hit your friend or the wall. This is not inevitable. At 95/65 pounds, almost no matter how tired you are, this is a careless, thoughtless choice, and people will judge you for it. Please put the bar down like you care about your classmates and take pride in our gym. Holes in their shins or the wall are forever.
B. As a spectator, please cheer for you friends from a safe place. The front of both sides is a good option, and it's possible pockets of space will be available in the back as well. Please be cognizant of your surroundings.
C. The modified workout will be much the same as the official Open workout, but will be as follows:
20 min AMRAP (or if you're in category 2, 3 or 4 the time domain will be the remainder of 20 minutes after you move on to the modified version):
8 Overhead Walking Lunges With a 45/35 lbs Plate
8 Plate Burpees
8 Overhead Walking Lunges
8 Ring Rows or Jumping Pull-ups
The lunges and burpees will take place wherever you feel safe and out of the way of the Rx'ed and Scaled lanes. This will be somewhat dependent on each heat's configuration, so if you're unsure ask a coach to point you in the right direction.
Red level: 35/25, Grey level: 25/15,White level: 15/10 or no plate.
D. If you're planning to judge (thank you!) please review the workout and movement standards in advance.
E. Please remember that our coaches are athletes too, and may be prepping for their own competition. Sarah, Rob, Alyssa and Cody will be on hand and not competing on Saturday, so they are free to help at any time. Everyone else, including Hillary and Liz, is planning to compete at some point on Saturday (as far as we know), but will probably be too nice to act busy, so as the clock ticks later please leave them to their own mental games if you sense they might be starting to prep!
Good luck, have fun, and be safe! Open 16.1 starts now!
WOD for 02-27-16:
"Open 16.1"
AMRAP 20 Minutes:
25ft Overhead Walking Lunges @ 95/65 lbs
8 Bar Facing Burpees
25ft Overhead Walking Lunges
8 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
16.1: A Great Test of Fitness, and Sort of Like Tetris
So, when we suggested everyone sign up for the Open, we have to admit we weren't anticipating walking overhead barbell lunges over a 25' distance for 20 minutes. That said, this first workout (AKA "16.1") is going to be a great test of fitness, and we're still excited for everyone to participate. We do sort of wish the gym were about 5' wider, haha.
In the best configuration we've come up with so far, we can accommodate six athletes at a time in this workout, 3 on each side, and we should be able to start a new heat every 25-30 minutes. This means 12 people will be able to work out per hour, which means we'll be 6 athletes per hour shy of our usual 18 person per class Saturday capacity. Have no fear - we'll have 12 spots available in each of the 8am, 9am, 10am and 11am Saturday classes, and we're planning to add formal heats on one side of Open Gym and continuing at 11am on Sunday as well.
We're Open (ha, pun intended) to running heats on Saturday (12pm, 1pm) if needed, and to extending Open Gym on Sunday by an hour or two, but we need to be organized, or trust us when we say this will not be much fun for anyone.
Because of the logistics of this particular workout, and the space constraints it imposes for Saturday, for this week only (barring additional unforeseen circumstances in future weeks) we will also be running heats at 6pm on Friday and 1pm on Monday to try to create a few extra opportunities for people to compete. If you are on the wait list for any class you are welcome to show up anyway, but you may have to wait quite awhile for a spot in a heat, so please sign up early.
If you didn't show up tonight (Thursday), and are not available Friday evening, Saturday or Sunday basically all day, or Monday at 1pm, we won't be entirely sure why you signed up for the Open if you ask us for additional accommodation, so you may detect that in our expression. It doesn't hurt to ask, but please try to make the aforementioned times work, especially given the complexity of this particular workout.
Those of you who are not formally entered in the Open should likely expect to do walking lunges with a plate overhead instead of a barbell - it'll still be a good & challenging workout, but will take up much less space. For those of you who are entered, please make sure to watch the 16.1 standards video below and read the workout info so that you are familiar with the the movement standards and requirements - it will help immensely if everyone knows what they're generally doing ahead of time.
Thank you for your attention!
WOD for 02-26-16:
A) Against a 6-Minute Clock:
800m Run, then AMRAP of...
30 AbMat Sit-ups
40 Double Unders
-Rest 2 Minutes-
B) Against a 5-Minute Clock:
600m Run, then AMRAP of...
30 Push-ups
40 Double Unders
-Rest 2 Minutes-
C) Against a 4-Minute Clock:
400m Run, then AMRAP of...
30 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
40 Double Unders
Open Logistics: When, What, How
The Open starts this Thursday, February 25th, and continues through Monday, March 28th. During these five weeks there are some notable items for our Arena Ready members:
Thursdays, 5pm - Live Open Workout Announcements
These will take place at 5 predetermined locations, and will feature top-level CF Games athletes going head-to-head against each other. We will live stream the announcements at Arena Ready for anyone who wants to share the excitement & anxiety with AR friends.
Thursdays, 7pm - Gladiator Test Run / Traveling Competitors Open Workout
This is a time intended for people who are approaching the Open as a competitive event to pre-test the workout. If you'd like to participate, but don't typically attend Gladiator classes, please speak with a coach prior to attending. Athletes who are officially entered in the Open but are traveling over the weekend (and cannot complete the workout on Saturday or Sunday) can potentially do the workout during this time period.
Saturdays, 8am, 9am, 10am, 11am - Open Workouts During Class
These classes will be of a slightly different format than our typical Saturday classes, and similar to what we've done for the past three years. Athletes will be asked to sign-up for a specific class time, and once at class, to sign-up on the board for a specific heat time. We'll provide a self-directed warm-up, you'll have a chance to complete the workout, and then have a chance to judge/count for a classmate. If you're interested in completing the Online Judges Course that would be much appreciated, but it is not required.
Sundays, 9am, 10am - Open Gym
Athletes who cannot complete the Open workout on Saturday with the rest of the gym may complete it on Sunday during Open Gym. We ask that you pre-arrange for a gym buddy to serve as your judge, and sign-up for class as usual to save your spot.
Mondays, 5pm - Open Workout Submission Deadline
All workouts must be completed, and all scores must be submitted by this time, no exceptions. We can't submit your scores for you, so please make sure you get them in by the deadline!
***Athletes who are entered in the Open but cannot complete the week's workout on Thursday (at 7pm), Saturday (at 8am, 9am, 10am, or 11am), or Sunday (at 9am or 10am) should contact Coaches Sarah & Rob to see if another date/time can be arranged. Doing the workout during another day/time is not allowed without clearing it with us first - this is intended for athlete safety, respect for the group classes, and maintenance of the integrity of judging & movement standards.
You can still register for The Open through the CrossFit Games website here (registration cost is $20):
When registering yourself please be sure to select Arena Ready CrossFit as BOTH your affiliate and your team, so that your profile appears on our team roster. There are a couple of you who have already signed-up and are currently registered under our affiliate but not under our team - so please double-check!
WOD for 02-25-16:
Strict Press:
3-2-1-1-1
-then-
For Time:
BUY-IN: 50 Calorie Row
21-15-9
KB Swings @ 53/35 lbs
Toes-to-Bar
BUY-OUT: 400m Run
Why I'm Doing The Open
The 2016 CrossFit Games Worldwide Open officially starts on Thursday with the 5pm announcement of the first of five workouts ("16.1"). As we've covered previously we will be doing the Open workouts as rolling heats during our Saturday classes over the next five weekends (just as we have done in previous years), so the energetic "Open Saturdays at Arena Ready" will be in full swing this next month or so.
We've shared many stories of AR members and coaches, and athletes from other affiliate gyms, in regards to why they are doing The Open - and why exactly they want to take part in the largest global competition of fitness. I thought I'd share my thoughts as well on the eve of the 16.1 announcement.
I'm doing The Open for many reasons.
First of all I'm doing The Open because I believe in measuring things. What gets measured gets done. What doesn't get measured becomes anecdotal speculation - "I could have...", "I would have...", "I was this..." or "I was that..." blah blah blah. In those cases you'll never really know. It's kind of like Uncle Rico saying he could throw that football over those there mountains, and if only coach would have put him in they woulda' won state. I don't want to BS myself, I want to know. I want to see where I am at this point in time, what I'm able to accomplish, and what I still need to work on moving forward - I want real numbers, not talk. I understand that my scores don't define me as a person, they are simply data points which tell me how I'm doing right now - relative to others in the fitness world, relative to my friends at the gym, relative to my buddies in the broader CrossFit community, and most importantly relative to myself. Am I fitter than I was last year, three years ago, five years ago? Can I point to things/events/developments in my life that have influenced my training and fitness in positive or not so positive ways? Can I rationalize that major life events had an impact on my fitness, and am I ok with that or do I want to change the course of things moving forward? Some years have been better than others for me, and I would say that the last few have been some of the most challenging (read: I laid a few eggs in the last 2-3 years in The Open). But every year I play anyway, because I want to look at that board and see what I'm capable of... even if I think my best is still ahead of (or behind) me. Sitting on the sidelines isn't my style, even if I can't be the star.
This will be my sixth consecutive Open (I've participated in them all), and before my first one I even participated in the Sectional qualifier competition which, at the time, was the feed-in for the Regional level. I was fortunate enough to compete on a Regional Affiliate Team twice, even though I look back now and think I still had no idea what I was doing in many ways. Thanks to the Open and the Sectionals, and the workouts/events they challenged me with, I can tell you what my fitness looked like every year for the last six - I know what I could do well and what just crushed me. I remember movements seeming impossible that now seem routine, and alternatively I remember certain workout combinations being great for me that perhaps today, for whatever reason, are harder than they should be. It's safe to say that I'm more skilled in movements now than I ever was, that I move better across the board, that I understand strategy and pacing and training better than I did, but that my engine (my ability to "go" or to hit that 2nd or 3rd gear) and strength levels have seen peaks and valleys over the years. And I'm OK with that. I'm not a CrossFit Games athlete, far from it. I'm not even anywhere near the universe of a Regional-level athlete anymore. Some days I entertain the idea of competing as a Masters athlete in a couple of years when I hit 40, but I'll need to step-up my training big time if I ever want to take that seriously. For now I'm cool with my athletic competition career taking back seat to my coaching career, as my ability to teach and understand fitness has improved immensely even as my ability to compete (or just hang) with the big boys in CrossFit has declined proportionally. But hey, I'm still 38 years old and can run a sub-6 minute mile, deadlift 2.5x my bodyweight, and can play for days (assuming the activity or sport is not in the water) - I'm the fittest one by far in my circle of friends I grew up with (you know, normal people... non-CrossFitters, haha). I want to celebrate that, be thankful for it, and continue to make small, incremental gains for as long as I can... even as life sometimes makes that difficult.
I'm doing the Open because I love the sound of my wife's voice when she tells me, "good job, babe" as I'm lying on the floor in exhaustion after giving everything I had. I can hear the sincerity in her tone. She's the elite CrossFitter, not me, but she knows that regardless of level, or how fit I am versus how fit I once was, that this stuff is hard as hell... and she appreciates that I still do it so that I can be a better version of me. She is my reason, not my excuse.
I'm doing the Open because Arena Ready is my home, and it's also home to a lot of people I care about deeply. Just as I can hear the proud tone in my wife's voice when she's telling me I did great, I can also hear the supportive cheers and screaming of my friends who understand the pain of being uncomfortable - and who understand the growth and change that comes with putting yourself in that situation over and over again. Without challenge there is no change. This is my my crew - I've been to their weddings (and once was even honored to officiate); I've traveled near and far with them to compete, cheer, coach, and support; I've spent years with them, learning and understanding, trying to make us all better. These are the people I would call if ever I needed real help in life - and no doubt they would be there for me. This is my family. No fucking way I would ever miss this experience with them. I want them to hear my proud voice too, because I know the challenge they are undertaking. Being comfortable with uncomfortable is a noble pursuit, and I stand in their corner.
I'm doing the Open because I like to talk shit to my friends, and I like it when they return the favor. Sometimes I flirt with the idea that JUST MAYBE every single workout will have muscle-ups and/or handstand push-ups and thus I'll somehow finish ahead of Tony for once when all is said and done (ain't gonna happen). And even though Grant has moved and will be submitting (ahem) questionably high scores from somewhere else (video or it didn't happen buddy), and Julian has otherwise been occupied courtesy of the NFL, Cody is here now to continue to remind me that there's always someone younger and more athletic than you are - so, thanks jerks, really appreciate that. My boy Walker and I will probably do battle for an AR podium spot again, and I wouldn't have it any other way - he's been an Arena Ready supporter from day 1, and like so many of the folks here he's a great friend (with poor taste in football teams). Sadly for me, much like Grant, Walker hasn't really dropped off on his training all that much despite new fatherhood, so being an awesome and fit dad pretty much throws a wrench into my plans. I could go on and on about the men and women at AR that push me, and how much I enjoy jabbing at them in good fun, but this post is already too long and I don't want to start naming the other dozens of people who should be mentioned.
Finally, I'm doing the Open because I was taught that NO MATTER WHAT YOU KEEP SHOWING UP, especially when it comes to something you love. So even though my fitness may not be where I want it to be, and even though there is a laundry list of things I still want to be better at, I'm ready to participate and do my best. I can't wait to cheer, and coach, and high five, and I feel blessed to able to experience it all in our own gym. I'm ready to try hard, not take myself too seriously, and be happy for my friends that may beat me (after I insult their shitty taste in shoes or ugly workout face of course). I could get wrapped up in the "stress" of The Open that people sometimes create for themselves, but I've never really been that type of competitor. This is my Open, and my fitness, and my journey. And really, the journey is all there is.
Bring it on, 16.1.
WOD for 02-24-16:
7 Rounds, Start Every 3 Minutes:
3 Power Cleans, pick load
7 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
200m Run
Want to up the intensity? Run faster.
Tuesday: All the Squats!
WOD for 02-23-16:
Overhead Squat:
4-3-2-1
Front Squat:
4-3-2-1
Back Squat:
4-3-2-1
If performing this workout Rx/Black-level the goal is to increase the weight every set, for a total of twelve climbing work sets (i.e. the bar only goes up in weight). If that is unreasonable (be honest with yourself!) decrease the weight when starting the next movement, then climb back up again to a single in four sets.
An example of performing this workout Rx is as follows:
OHS 4x135, 3x155, 2x175, 1x195
FS 4x205, 3x225, 2x245, 1x255
BS 4x265, 3x280, 2x295, 1x305
(Compare to 04-21-15)