April On-Boarding Starts This Saturday

Most of you who are members at Arena Ready know that we only on-board a small number of new athletes every few months as membership spaces become available (usually because a couple of existing members moved for a job/school/etc).  We're lucky to have a community of members with very little turnover, and we have dozens and dozens of folks who have been with us for 2, 3, and even going on 4 years.  This creates the sort of unique and welcoming atmosphere we have at the gym... a close knit family of like-minded people from all different walks of life, who support and encourage each other in the pursuit of getting better.  While we receive inquiries every day for new people to join Arena Ready, we keep the intake & on-boarding process deliberate in order to keep our membership at a constant number - putting us in that sweet spot of knowing everyone in the gym, and being able to coach each athlete in a personal manner that ultimately leads to real progress.  

Our April on-boarding process starts this Saturday (April 9th) with the "Introduction to CrossFit" class and continues the following Saturday (April 16th) with the "Beginner's CrossFit" class.  Both 90-minute classes are free, and the completion of both allows a prospective athlete to then select a membership and start taking group classes as a member at Arena Ready.  Existing members who would like to sit-in on the first half of the "Introduction to CrossFit" class are also welcome to do so, as the first 45 minutes cover the methodology of CrossFit and our specific approach to the application of that methodology at Arena Ready (a great way to get a refresher on that info if it's been a while since you've given it any thought).

Why am I telling all of you this?  Because I want you to help us continue to build Arena Ready with the sort of amazing people we already have in the building.  I want your significant others, your family members, your friends, your neighbors, your loved ones - those are the folks we want to be a part of this incredible community, and those are the people who tend to stick around and really make fitness a lifestyle... because they already have you as a built-in advocate and support system.  That's not to say we don't love the complete strangers who find their way to us and eventually become big parts of the AR family - we certainly have our fair share of those stories as well.  But since so many of you ask us on a regular basis when the next on-boarding opportunity will be - because you have someone special in mind who you think might really enjoy it and benefit from the program - I figured I would post here to let everyone know.  

So send them our way and help us fill the place with the incredible people in your life.  They can register for the free classes on our website here!  Existing AR members who would like to sit-in on the first half of the "Introduction to CrossFit" class can simply show up and hang out - no need to register for the class online.

WOD for 04-06-16:

ON A RUNNING CLOCK...

A) At 0:00

1000m Run at an "Easy" Pace

B) From 5:00 - 22:00

Overhead Squat:

7-7-3-2-2

C) From 22:00 - 39:00

Back Squat 7-7-3-2-2

The run should be at an "easy" pace just a bit faster than a conversational jog.  Warm-up sets may be taken for both the OHS and BS prior to the first set of 7, but once the work sets have started there should be no "in-between" sets during the 7-7-3-2-2 rep scheme (i.e. the athlete must go from their second set of 7 directly to their set of 3, etc).

What Happens When We Don't Scale

The good folks at Practice CrossFit in Ohio once posted a blog article regarding scaling workouts - it's appropriately titled "What Happens When We Don't Scale."  It's a great reminder for all athletes, even those of us at Arena Ready who are generally smart about scaling and maintaining the intended stimulus of each day's WOD. 

Here is the blog post in its entirety:

I said ten-minutes and I meant it.

Most needed only eight.

“Ten-seconds,” I warned the only athlete in a class of a dozen still moving.

“Time.”

He spiked the bar, kicked the bumpers like they were flats and clawed at his belt. The rest of his class, a team victorious and eager to celebrate a hometown win, high-fived each other and avoided the pouting child of a man as if he had leprosy.

“I trusted you to pick the right weight, not necessarily the weight on the board,” I said. “Fail me again and I’ll load your barbell for you every time.”

Annoyed at himself and wanting to punch my audacity in the teeth, he said,”I know … I didn’t think I could do it, but I wanted that RX.”

We’ve all been there, tempted by two little letters, desperately hoping to improve. But performing the workout as “RX” isn’t always the way to get better. And when it’s all said and done, better is exactly what we want. Because my friend refused to scale his jerks–a movement he struggles with–he turned a Metcon into a Skill: exactly what I said not to do.

We may surprise ourselves when we don’t scale tomorrow’s training. Records may be broken and we may do things we’ve never done. But most of the time, like my irritated friend who let his desire overcome common sense, we miss the point entirely.

When we don’t scale, we turn fragile knees into smoldering coals.

When we don’t scale, we take 20-minutes to do a 10-minute workout.

When we don’t scale, tomorrow becomes a rest day when we should be training.

Fitness can be a fortress built on good decisions, or a shack plagued by shortcuts. You decide.  

-Josh Bunch, Practice CrossFit

WOD for 04-05-16:

Alternating EMOM for 6 Rounds (12 Minutes):

ODDS: 3 Hang Power Cleans, Climbing

EVENS: 6-10 Pistols, Alternating

-then-

Against a 7-Minute Clock for Max Reps:

40 Calorie Row

40 Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 in

Max Reps Hang Power Cleans @ 185/125 lbs

2016 Open Award Winners

Thanks so much to everyone who came out on Saturday evening to celebrate during our annual "Post Open" Get Together!  We had over 60 folks come by to say hello, hang out, eat/drink, and socialize with friends outside of the gym, and a fun evening was had by all.  For those who were not able to make it you were certainly missed - we'd like to list the "awards" we handed out during the evening to fill you all in, and to give the winners another shout out on this forum:

Top 3 Open Finishers - Men (by placement in the NorCal Region):

1) Cody R.

2) Walker T.

3) Tony M.

Top 3 Open Finishers - Women (by placement in the NorCal Region):

1) Kate "The Flying Squirrel"

2) Hillary H.

3) Lindsay "Sparkle"

"Rookie of The Year" - Male:

Gordon "G-Dub"

(Honorable Mention: Jason Y.)

"Rookie of The Year" - Female:

Yami R.

(Honorable Mention: Amy D., Mayra D.)

"Spirit of The Open" - Male:

Zach "The Natural"

"Spirit of The Open" - Female:

Sarah D.

"Inspirational Performance of The Year":

Kim T.

(And congratulations, Kim, on your second consecutive advancement to the Master's Qualifier... which we'll be covering in a separate blog post soon!)

Great work to all of our award winners, and to each athlete who participated in the Open this year!  For yet another year well over half of our gym's community engaged in this event, the world's largest fitness competition, and we couldn't be more proud of the effort of our members, and the support we all showed each other as a collective group.   

We also want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to Chad for being AR's 2016 Open Super Judge - he was there for every Open Saturday for five weeks, from the opening of the gym until the final heat was scored.  He helped run logistics, coordinated equipment set-up, and kept things running smoothly, and without his help the 2016 Open would not have been nearly as much fun for everyone involved.  So thank you, Chad, for all your efforts!     

WOD for 04-04-16:

Alternating EMOM for 6 Rounds (12 Minutes):

OODS: 3 Push Presses, Climbing

EVENS: 10 Hollow Rocks

-then-

For Time:

40 Push Presses @ 95/65 lbs

400m Run

10 Burpee Muscle-ups

400m Run

40 Push Presses @ 95/65 lbs

Brian Documents 16.5

First off, for those of you who looked at yesterday's WOD and thought (perhaps for a second day in a row) "Oh hell no!" and bailed on training... well, Happy Belated April Fool's Day.  Hopefully you came in anyway and were pleasantly surprised by getting your power clean & jerk and sprint met-con fix on to start your weekend right!  Did you really think I would do that to you?!  I'd like to think I'm not that mean (or stupid, I hope).  Originally I thought the 50-40-30-20-10 portion in the middle was enough to tip most people off that it was a prank, but adding 1 MILE OF WALKING LUNGES AS A BUY-IN was my way of hopefully making it obvious enough that no one actually skipped class entirely out of pure fear (or disgust) alone.     

Secondly, a quick and final reminder to please join us for the "Post Open" Get Together on Saturday evening - check out Coach Sarah's thread in the private Arena Ready Facebook group here for details on exact location and time, or chat us up in the gym on Saturday morning so that we can fill you in on the specifics.

And finally, we leave you this weekend with what could be Brian's finest work this year during the Open - his film documenting 16.5 at Arena Ready.  It's pure awesomesauce.  We are so lucky to have these moments and memories captured by both Brian and Jenny, and we're grateful to have them as a part of the AR community.  Enjoy! 

WOD for 04-02-16:

IN TEAMS OF THREE...

AMRAP 18 Minutes:

30 Deadlifts @ 135/95 lbs

20 Front Squats

10 Shoulder-to-Overhead

Athlete 1 and 2 start on the triplet, with only one working at a time. Athlete 3 starts on the rower and rows 500m before switching with a teammate. One teammate must always be rowing, and must always switch after 500m.  Score is total rounds + reps of the triplet completed.

"Post Open" Get Together This Saturday

Reminder to all Arena Ready members to come join us on Saturday evening for our annual "Post Open Get Together."  We'd love to see your face, along with any family and/or friends you want to torture by bringing them into social interaction where everyone talks about exercise, so please come by and hang out (whether or not you did this Open this year)!

For exact location and time check the thread on the private Arena Ready Facebook group here, or chat us up in the gym on Friday or Saturday so we can fill you in on specifics.  We look forward to seeing you all there!  

WOD for 04-01-16:

"The Deluxe 15.5/16.5 Remix"

For Time:

BUY-IN: 1600m Walking Lunges

50-40-30-20-10

Calorie Row

Thrusters @ 135/95 lbs

Bar Facing Burpees

BUY-OUT: 1600m Run

What We Measure, We Improve

James Clear - entrepreneur, weightlifter, and travel photographer - once wrote a blog post on the value of measuring important areas of our life.  It's a quick read and an important message that resonates with those of us who follow CrossFit as an observable, repeatable, and measurable training & fitness program.  The concept can extend beyond your training, and into other areas of your life which you deem important.

The blog post is published here, and is included below in its entirety:

Imagine this…

Someone walks into the gym, warms up, does a little bit of this exercise, does a little bit of that exercise, bounces around to a few machines, maybe hops on the treadmill, finishes their workout, and leaves the gym.

This isn’t a critique of their workout. In fact, it’s quite possible that they got a nice workout in. So, what is notable about this situation?

They didn’t measure anything. They didn’t track their workout. They didn’t count reps or weight or time or speed or any other metric. And so, they have no basis for knowing if they are making progress or not. Not tracking your progress is one of the six major mistakes I see people make in the gym.

But here’s the thing: We all have areas of life that we say are important to us, but that we aren’t measuring.

What We Measure, We Improve

Count something. Regardless of what one ultimately does in medicine—or outside of medicine, for that matter—one should be a scientist in this world. In the simplest terms, this means one should count something. … It doesn’t really matter what you count. You don’t need a research grant. The only requirement is that what you count should be interesting to you.

—Atul Gawande, Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance

The things we measure are the things we improve. It is only through numbers and clear tracking that we have any idea if we are getting better or worse.

• When I measured how many pushups I did, I got stronger.
• When I tracked my reading habit of 20 pages per day, I read more books.
• When I recorded my values, I began living with more integrity.

Our lives are shaped by how we choose to spend our time and energy each day. Measuring can help us spend that time in better ways, more consistently.

It’s Not About the Result, It’s About Awareness

The trick is to realize that counting, measuring, and tracking is not about the result. It’s about the system, not the goal.

Measure from a place of curiosity. Measure to discover, to find out, to understand.

Measure from a place of self-awareness. Measure to get to know yourself better.

Measure to see if you are showing up. Measure to see if you’re actually spending time on the things that are important to you.

You Can’t Measure Everything

Critics will be quick to point out that you can’t measure everything. This is true.

• Love is important, but how do you measure it?
• Morality is important, but can it be quantified accurately?
• Finding meaning in our lives is essential, but how do you calculate it?

Furthermore, there are some things in life that don’t need to be measured. Some people just love working out for the sake of working out. Measuring every repetition might reduce the satisfaction and make it seem more like a job. There is nothing wrong with that. (As always, take the main idea and use it in a way that is best for you.)

Measurement won’t solve everything. It is not an ultimate answer to life. However, it is a way to track something critical: are you showing up in the areas that you say are important to you?

The Idea in Practice

But even for things that can’t be quantified, measuring can be helpful. And it doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.

You can’t measure love, but you can track different ways that you are showing up with love in your life:

• Send a digital love note to your partner each day (text, email, voicemail, tweet, etc.) and use the Seinfeld Strategy to keep track of your streak.
• Schedule one “Surprise Appreciation” each week where you write to a friend and thank them for something unexpected.

You can’t measure morality, but you can track if you’re thinking about it:

• Write down three values that are dear to you each morning.
• Keep a decision journal to track which decisions you make and whether or not they align with your ethics.

The things we measure are the things we improve. What are you measuring in your life?  

-James Clear

"It's Not About The Result, It's About Awareness."

I love that part.  

Well over half of our gym's community signed-up for the 2016 Open, a percentage much higher than any other CrossFit gym I know of... and it wasn't the first year that happened either.  So I know we are a group of individuals who value, among other things, the process of measuring our progress.  The beauty of the awareness that comes with measuring is the discovery of what you're capable of with consistent effort applied over long periods of time.

I, of course, would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to encourage every one of you Arena Ready members to PLEASE USE Beyond The Whiteboard to record your progress.  We pay for it so you don't have to.  Don't know what Beyond The Whiteboard is?  Well then read this old post and then email/message us so we can add you to our group.

No, the BTWB system isn't perfect and it's app can sometimes be a bit difficult with some of our more creative workouts, but it is a powerful tool when used consistently (you can even see where you stand in popular workouts against the tens of thousands of other users in the world... even if privately to yourself after making your privacy settings as such).  Make it a habit - get on it, and when 16.5 (AKA 14.5) pops up again you'll be able to see how much you've improved, and how far you can still progress.   

WOD for 03-31-16:

"Oh Hell No, Helen"

4 Rounds For Time:

400m Run

15 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

15 Hand Release Push-ups

15 Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs

2016 Open: Some Closing Thoughts

The 2016 Open has come to a close, and we want to thank all those who participated as competitors, judges, cheerleaders, and supportive partners for making it another great year.  Thank you to Jenny and Brian for the awesome documentation, and to the Arena Ready coaches for keeping everything running smoothly each week.  Thanks also to Super Judge Chad, and everyone else who volunteered their time to validate each of the competitive performances.

As always, the close of the Open brings a lot of opportunity to reflect on the year, and evaluate things we did that were awesome, and also some of the things we could have done, wish we had done, or didn't do quite as well as we thought we did.

First off, every year the Open reminds me of when Rob and I decided to open Arena Ready following the 2012 Regionals.  We wanted to create a place where we could develop and share our passion for people, and our accumulated knowledge about sports and fitness with other like-minded people.  Four years later, we couldn't be more thankful that Arena Ready is a reality, and filled with all of you.  Watching each of you develop as athletes and competitors, especially putting yourselves out there in the Open over these past five weeks, has been a great source of joy for us, and as always, thank you so much.

Second, there were tons of awesome competitive moments this year during the Open, and we'll post about this more once the scoreboard has settled and we can see how everyone ended up.  In short, we were so proud to see so many first-time Rx'ed scores, so many first bar muscle ups, toes to bar, and chest to bar.  So many of you learned that you can move heavy weight more times and faster than you thought, and you looked great lifting it!  We were stoked to see you succeed.

Next, as most of you know, this year was personally very challenging for me, especially in the last few months.  I want to thank you for being patient with me as I was sometimes overwhelmed, stressed out, and distant.  Thank you for giving me so many things to be proud of you for, and for offering me grace in some of the moments I didn't really deserve it.  I've never been through anything this difficult, and it's been really nice to be part of our community and to benefit from your support.  I may not always act like I notice, but I'm very grateful.

Finally, there are likely some of you who, like me, will reflect on this year and wish you had trained a little harder, tackled a few more weaknesses, been a little more consistent, and generally arrived at the Open a little fitter.  While it's easy to look back on the year and second guess yourself, it's far more productive to look at the year ahead and evaluate whether you want to make any changes now to drive a different outcome in a year.  If you're happy with how you spend your days, and your priorities are aligned, be proud of the choices you make, and try to brush off the fact that you finished a bit below where you would have liked.  If, on the other hand, you're actually motivated to make some changes and be in a better place next year, speak with a coach about what you need to do to improve at a faster rate.

Again, thank you for participating in the Open, and thank you for being a part of Arena Ready.  We hope this has been a good experience for you, and that you'll also enjoy getting back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Please plan to join us for an End-of-the-Open Party on Saturday evening, April 2.  We'll announce the time and location on the private Facebook group and in class - we hope to see you there!

WOD for 03-30-16:

Alternating EMOM for 7 Rounds (21 Minutes):

MIN 1: 2 Front Squats (across)

MIN 2: 15/12 Calorie Row

MIN 3: 30 Double Unders

Jenny Captures 16.5

She does it once again, capturing all of the amazing moments of 16.5 this past Saturday at Arena Ready - the emotion, the effort, the pain faces, the cheering and smiles, the aftermath, the community.  Click here to view her incredible gallery - thank you SO MUCH Jenny, you are a rock star!

WOD for 03-29-16:

Hang Snatch:

12 minutes to build up to your "opening weight" for Part B below...

-then-

"Rob's 16.6 Leftovers"

ON A RUNNING CLOCK...

A) From 0:00 - 8:00, AMRAP 8 Minutes:

10 Overhead Squats @ 95/65 lbs

10 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

B) From 8:00 - 16:00, 8 Minutes For Max Load:

Hang Snatch 1 RM (power or squat allowed)

16.5 Monday Reminders

Here it is, the FINAL blog post of this sort until this time next year!

A couple of 16.5 reminders for our Open Athletes:

1) Your 16.5 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 16.5 during any of the Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday times (and you are officially entered in the Open) your last chance is on Monday during the added 1:00pm time slot (please sign-up for "The OPEN" class on the schedule as you would for any other class, and expect to do the workout and also judge another athlete).  Performing 16.5 during Monday's morning (6am, 7am), noon, or 4pm classes is not permitted.  Thank you for your attention!

WOD for 03-28-16:

Deadlift:

3-3-3-3-3

Climbing

Superset:

3-5 Strict Toes-to-Bar

-then-

"Sugar Momma"

For Time:

200m Run

15 Deadlifts @ 275/195 lbs

15 Strict Handstand Push-ups

200m Run

12 Deadlifts

12 Strict Handstand Push-ups

200m Run

9 Deadlifts

9 Strict Handstand Push-ups

16.5 Thoughts & Strategy

It's the final week of the 2016 Open at Arena Ready, and our final Saturday Open WOD brings us thrusters and bar facing burpees!  It’s a re-test of Open workout 14.5, and those of you who did the Open in 2014 likely remember it well.

Like we say every week - whether you're signed-up for the Open and will be competing on Saturday, or you're just doing the workouts for fun & fitness - and to be a part of the Saturday energy at AR -please watch the 16.5 standards video (I have re-posted it above) and read the workout details here on the CrossFit Games website.

Now, some logistics and then a little strategy.

First, logistics:

Heats Stations

For some this will be the longest Open workout of 2016, as there is no official time cap.  For those who are not officially entered in the Open, we will enforce a 20-minute time cap.  Additionally, if you are entered in the Open (whether doing the workout Rx or scaled) but your performance and movement deteriorates to the point of unsafe levels WE WILL CUT YOU OFF. 

Due to the task priority (versus time priority) nature of this workout, we will run on-going stations instead of group heats.  Each station will have a stopwatch to keep the official time for that individual station.  We will run stations of the workout during all Saturday morning classes.  If you haven't signed-up for a class please do so now, and expect to do the workout and judge one station/athlete within that hour.  Plan on showing up 10-15 minutes early for class so you can get yourself mobilized and primed, and so that you can sign-up on the running station list on the whiteboard.

We have official scorecards printed and clipboards ready for the judges.  We will re-brief you on all the standards, and will have certified CrossFit judges acting as roving judges during the workout, keeping the stations moving.

You Stash of Stuff & Warm-up Prep

Per our SOP we'll stage AR North with warm-up rowers, PVC, foam rollers, lacrosse balls, etc. so you can all throw your stuff in there (to keep the AR South gym floor open for athletes and judges) and start getting your mind right and your body ready with a thorough warm-up.  We'll detail a suggested, self-directed warm-up on the board in AR North, and you're welcome to follow that or do your own warm-up to get yourself ready to go.

Second, some thoughts on strategy:

There's not a lot to it this week, folks.  Some sources have over-complicated the strategy element of this workout to the point where I think they're just making up rhetoric in an effort to sound smart.  Chances are you've done these two movements hundreds of times before... so assuming you already prioritize movement over all else as your default mode of operation, let's talk about some items that may help you maximize efficiency:

1) Shocker..... pacing is key.

Smooth and steady is fast.  Smooth and steady is fast.  Smooth and steady is fast.  Trying to go out hot is a recipe for disaster.  Some of you saw two Games Champions and a (likely) future Champ do the workout live on Thursday evening, and at no point did any of them look like they were sprinting.  So pace it nice and easy early on, and just don't stop moving.  

Breaking up the thrusters into sets is a matter of specific athlete ability.  There are a few of you that shouldn't put the bar down at all, some of you that will benefit from big sets (think 2, or maybe 3 sets in the rounds of 21, 18, and 15), and many who will need to split it up into smaller sets early and often.  You need to know yourself as an athlete and do what it takes to keep the engine under the redline.

Regardless of your strategy on thruster sets, the strategy on burpees is pretty basic... don't stop moving.  Pick a sustainable pace and keep your body in constant motion.  You will NEVER fail a burpee rep, you will ALWAYS be able to get back up.  Just keep getting back down on the ground, and keep moving and breathing.  It's like running - one foot in front of the other, constant movement, slow down or speed up if you need to, but don't ever stop.  It's always harder to re-start once you stop.  The vast majority of the time spent on this workout is on the burpees - it's not even close, and for most it’s two-thirds of the total workout time or more.  So while the thrusters look like the sexy movement, and will draw a lot of attention by many on how to approach the workout, the real key to a good performance is your constant movement on the burpees.   

Don't waste any reps by skipping over the bar, separating the feet, and getting no-repped.  Make sure to jump off of, and land on, two feet.  Step-up to the bar before jumping if you need to, just don't waste any reps.  Also, make sure to clear the bar with your feet and your face.

2) Warm-up all the movements but don't go crazy.

You want to get some aerobic work in so the workout is not a shock to the body, but no need to do the workout before doing the workout.  Get the heart rate up, get a little sweat going if that works for you, and then let it come down a bit before you start.  Beyond that, and some focused mobility and movement prep, you don't need much else.  This is not the time to make up for lost technique work, lest you end up doing half of the workout before you even start the workout.

Speaking of mobility and dynamic movement prep...

3) Hips, Shoulder Girdle, Wrists, and Upper Pecs.

Get these guys ready.  You know what your body needs to get blood the pumping and your tissues unglued.  We will write some suggested mobility and movement prep items on the warm-up board, but feel free to do the ones you like to make sure you're good to go.  Your hips (and ankles too) need to be ready for the bottom position of the thruster, and your shoulders need to be ready for all the pushing you'll be doing, both off of the floor and over your head. 

4) If you need help at the bottom of the squat position put the weightlifting shoes on.

This is assuming they're not an older pair that weigh as much as a brick.  They will help you sit into the bottom with a more upright torso, which will save you from smoking your quads, low back, and shoulders.  A relatively modern pair is not likely to hinder the jump over the bar. Use knee sleeves if you have them and you're used to them.  They can support your knees in the thrusters, and provide a bit of padding on the burpees. 

5) Embrace the suck. 

This is supposed to be hard.  That's exactly why you do it.  If it were easy it wouldn't be worth doing.  So when the suck factor sets in try to remember that this is exactly where you want to be... exactly where you knew you would be.  Embrace it.  Get comfortable with uncomfortable.  This is what makes you better.  This is why you're here. 

WOD for 03-26-16:

"Open 16.5" (AKA "Open 14.5")

For Time:

21-18-15-12-9-6-3

Thrusters @ 95/65 lbs

Bar Facing Burpees

(Compare to 01-29-15 and 03-29-14)  

16.5 Is Upon Us

Open workout 16.5 is officially upon us... and oh boy, what a (repeat) treat!  This workout was also known as "14.5" and those of you who did the Open in 2014 remember it well I'm sure.  You're about to get an opportunity to see exactly how much better you've become over those two years (well, at least for this very specific test of fitness), so giddy up!  We're looking forward to another awesome "Open Saturday" at Arena Ready to close out the 2016 Open.

If you're planning on completing the workout during Saturday classes please make sure to read the workout info here and watch the standards video below so that you're familiar with the details of the WOD.  Thanks folks!

WOD for 03-25-16:

Weighted Strict Pull-up:

3-2-1-1-1

(Compare to 10-22-15, 03-27-15, and 11-14-14)

-then-

"Partner Boat Race"

3 Rounds for Total Time*:

PARTNER A

500m Row

400m Run

then

PARTNER B

500m Row

400m Run

*One partner working at a time (one works while the other rests).  One athlete must complete their entire round (500m Row + 400m Run) BEFORE the other athlete can begin his/her round.  BOTH partners complete 3 total rounds of 500m Row + 400m Run each. 

Arena Ready Blog Sent To Your Email!

Thanks to Kathryn for the following instructions on how to get the Arena Ready blog posts automatically emailed to you!  Get on it so you don't miss the daily WOD and/or gym news that you've been missing:

Today someone mentioned not reading the blog. Gasp! For those of you that don't read it because it's hard to remember to go to a website, you can have it emailed to you automatically!

The blog software puts out a computer-readable feed, called RSS, and you can subscribe to that feed using different apps or services. I use IFTTT ("If this, then that") to link it up to my email. The RSS feed URL is: http://www.arenaready.com/blog?format=RSS

I published the "recipe" so if you sign up for IFTTT you can just add this recipe with your own email address: https://ifttt.com/recipes/400363-arena-ready-blog-to-email

If you missed this message from Kathryn then perhaps you're not in the Arena Ready private Facebook group (which we also use for communication... and some good old fashioned fun)  - if that's the case then make sure to send a request to be added! 

What's 16.5 gonna be?  We'll find out what the FINAL WOD of the 2016 Open brings us at 5pm on Thursday, along with the rest of the CrossFit world.  The live head-to-head battle immediately after the announcement of 16.5 features the reigning CrossFit Games Champion, Ben Smith, the four-time individual champ, Rich Froning, and the 2nd place finisher the last two years, Mat Fraser... so it should be awesome battle to watch.  Join us at Arena Ready for the live stream, and as with previous weeks, if you're not able to make it in on Saturday for the Open you're first shot at completing the workout will be on Thursday evening at the 7pm Gladiators class.  

Thrusters?  Overhead squats?  Box jumps?  Ring muscle-ups?  A max lift (YES PLEASE!)?

WOD for 03-24-16:

Back Squat:

4-4-4-4

Climbing

-then-

For Time:

BUY-IN: 500m Row

Then, 3 Rounds of:

100m Double Kettlebell Farmer Carry, pick load

20m Bear Crawl

20m Walking Lunges

BUY-OUT: 400m Run