Workout of the Day
Barbell Maintenance & Barbell Etiquette
Barbell Maintenance
You may have noticed on Wednesday during your snatches that the barbells were more "spinny" (I think that's the word someone used in class) than usual - it wasn't your imagination! Yes, your snatching probably got better as well... but Sarah also serviced all of the gym's barbells this week to get them spinning like new. She took them all apart, cleaned out the build-up, lubricated the bushings & bearings, and put them back together. You may notice that the tape markers are also replaced, indicating their newly serviced status:
Old tape marker on top, new tape marker on the bottom. Boom!
Sarah doing her thing. Apparently glove are for noobs.
Barbell Etiquette
We heart Coach Hillary. The other day as a class was ending she told the entire group that she heard a few empty barbells hitting the floor when people were unloading their plates, and that every time she hears that sound it makes her die a little inside.
Me too, Hill. Me too.
Here are a few friendly reminders regarding barbell use and etiquette in the gym. A few items can go a long way for helping to keep the barbells spinning well (and lasting a long time), and you and your fellow athletes safe. We're fortunate at Arena Ready to have mindful and courteous athletes/members, but a little reminding never hurts anyone.
First, regarding the barbells and bumper plates themselves:
- Please do not drop an empty (unloaded) bar, or allow a loaded bar to skip into the wall or pull-up rig. Yes, I know they drop empty bars in the training room at the World Championships, but like many things you've seen on Youtube that you shouldn't do yourself, this move is not OK. When we coach at Nationals or Americans some of the lifters do it there too, and they all look like assholes. Dropping the empty bar breaks the bushing/bearing thereby rendering it unable to spin during the lifts (snatches, cleans, etc), and that can present some major safety issues for athletes. What's the big deal about the bars spinning you may ask? Try snatching or cleaning with a cheap bar from a commercial gym and let me know how that goes for you (kidding, don't actually do that).
- Wipe off any blood, skin, excessive sweat, etc with a disinfectant wipe immediately after barbell use. And if you notice you're bleeding during a workout please tend to it immediately (i.e. before continuing the WOD) - there is Bactine spray, bandages, and athletic tape next to the gym desk. Just let a coach know you need them and we're happy to help. Contrary to what you might see on social media, bleeding all over the place during a workout is not badass, it's just gross... and unsafe.
- Put the collars (AKA "clips") on for all your lifts, and load the heaviest plates on the inside.
- Use as few plates as possible. I know it's fun to load seven 10s on each side, but it makes you look like a noob - so please roll out the bigger plates when you take your jumps in weight. This is where it helps to lift with a buddy and share the task of loading and unloading plates.
- Dropping a bar from overhead loaded with just a pair of 10s will eventually bend and break the 10s, so please refrain from doing so. If you have a bar loaded with just a pair of 10s then lower it to thigh-level under control and then drop it. Too tired to do so? Then it's too heavy for you.
- The Olympic-style weightlifting kilo plates (think rainbow colors) and accessory equipment on/near the platforms should be used for only that - Olympic weightlifting on the platforms (when they're down).
- There is an Eleiko competition bar on the floor behind the weightlifting platforms. If you have competed in a national-level Olympic weightlifting meet, or have posted a competition total high enough to do so, then feel free to use it for your lifts. If not, please leave it alone (yes, it's supposed to be stored lying flat on the floor like that). If I see it leaning against a wall vertically, racked in a squat rack, stored on the wall racks with the CrossFit/Rogue bars, or being used in a CrossFit WOD my head may actually explode and the gym will thus be closed indefinitely.
Second, regarding lifting the barbells in class with your fellow athletes:
- Don't ghost ride the bar. We drop (loaded) barbells like ladies and gentlemen at Arena Ready. Control it down or follow it with open hands and settle it on the first bounce. People who ghost ride bars in CrossFit are like people who drive big ass trucks in order to compensate for lacking in other areas. They should wear T-shirts that say "My ghost riding barbell expresses what my lifts cannot."
- During a lifting session or barbell class try to avoid walking directly in front of someone taking a big lift. It's distracting and shows poor form. Safety-wise please also avoid walking next to, or directly behind, someone taking a big lift. In CrossFit WODs the etiquette is a bit different, since we're on the clock and often have to quickly transition between different movements - in this case we simply ask that you be a good neighbor and look out for one another.
- High five or fist bump your fellow athletes when they hit a PR. Or clap. Or cheer and shout. Then tell them to hit the PR Gong. After all this is supposed to be fun, and we're lucky enough to have a bunch of cool and interesting people to train with and become better.
- Anytime someone hits the PR Gong (and you hear that unmistakable sound) you MUST immediately stop what you're doing and respectfully bow, with hands pressed together. Bow to respect the PR. Bow to respect the hard work it took for your fellow athlete to achieve the PR. Bow because dammit it's funny as hell when a room full of people in a noisy ass gym stops everything and bows at the same time. Coaches reserve the right to issue burpee penalties to non-bowing athletes.
Any questions? Feel free to ask away or pick our brains at the gym. We are always happy to help and I'd rather you ask us than wonder if something is acceptable or not.
Happy lifting!
WOD for 07-29-16:
Alternating EMOM For 5 Rounds (10 Minutes):
MINUTE 1: 2-5 Unbroken Muscle-ups
MINUTE 2: 3 Thrusters, climbing
-then-
"Thruster Buster 2.0"
15 Minutes For Completion @ 75/55 lbs:
MINUTE 1: 15 Thrusters, then 1 Burpee
MINUTE 2: 14 Thrusters, then 2 Burpees
MINUTE 3: 13 Thrusters, then 3 Burpees
etc...
MINUTE 15: 1 Thruster, then 15 Burpees
If you cannot complete the work within the given minute the workout is over. Score by minutes completed plus any reps in a final partially completed minute (e.g. "7 minutes + 11 reps)".
(Compare to "Thruster Buster" from 09-30-15 which started at 13+1 instead of 15+1)
10 Years of The CrossFit Games
For anyone who geeks out on the CrossFit Games here's a cool little video highlighting the 10 year anniversary of the competition - from the early days of just a few dozen people on a ranch in Aromas, to the crazy spectacle that currently draws tens of thousands of spectators to The Home Depot Center in LA (and airs on ESPN in the months that follow).
WOD for 07-28-16:
2 Power Snatches + 1 Squat Snatch:
5 Sets of (2+1)
Climbing
Add to your top set from 06-23-16.
-then-
2 Rounds For Time:
600m Run
60 Air Squats
12 Power Snatches @ 155/105 lbs
24 Toes-to-Bar
The Fittest On Earth + Lost & Found Reminder
"The Fittest On Earth"
About thirty Arena Ready members gathered at the gym this past Saturday at our 2016 CrossFit Games Viewing Party to watch several of the events set to determine "The Fittest On Earth." After taking second place two years in a row, Mat Fraser finally claimed the title so many had assumed he'd win three years ago, while Katrin Davidsdottir became only the third athlete ever to repeat as champion. You can check out a summary of their victories here, and if you missed all the action but want to get caught up you can stream the archived events (from every division) on CrossFit's YouTube channel (click here) or on ESPN3 (click here and select "CrossFit Games"). The edited versions of many of the Individual events will also be re-aired on ESPN and ESPN2 several times over the next several months.
Lost & Found Reminder
A friendly reminder (as mentioned last week) that we'll be collecting what's left unclaimed in the gym's Lost & Found at the end of this week and donating the contents to charity. So please make sure to take a peak at the goods the next time you're in the gym to see if any of your stuff is in there waiting for you. Thanks for your attention!
WOD for 07-27-16:
Strict Press:
4-3-2-1
Push Press:
4-3-2-1
Push Jerk:
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 heavy single in four sets.
An example of performing this workout Rx is as follows:
Strict Press 4x135, 3x145, 2x155, 1x165
Push Press 4x175, 3x195, 2x210, 1x220
Push Jerk 4x225, 3x235, 2x245, 1x255
(Compare to 08-19-15)
Arena Ready Around The Globe: Summer Edition 3.0
The snapshots of Arena Ready athletes traveling around the world and getting their fitness on at a local CrossFit affiliate continues! We can't get enough of these summertime travel updates, and love that our people are representing AR wherever they go. Keep sharing, friends, and safe travels to all of our Arena Ready family!
Jess & Mayra getting their WOD in at S2S CrossFit Bali in Indonesia!
Charles dropping-in at Champlain Valley CrossFit in Vermont, home gym of Mat Fraser AKA the 2016 CrossFit Games Champion! That's Dani Horan, co-owner of the gym, who is also a former CrossFit Games competitor, and was part of the demo team at this year's Games.
WOD for 07-26-16:
Front Squat:
5-5-5-5-5
Climbing
Add to your top set of 5 from Tuesday 07-12-16.
-then-
For Time:
5-4-3-2-1
Front Squats @ 225/155 lbs
50-40-30-20-10
Double Unders
Take the front squats from a rack. Yes, the squats should be unbroken in order to achieve the intended stimulus.
Coach Hillary & The Squirrel LIFT ALL THE WEIGHTS!
A big congrats to Coach Hillary and Kate "The Flying Squirrel" for their terrific performances at "The Alameda Weightlifting Comp" in San Jose on Sunday! With the loudest cheering section in the building, both athletes put up some impressive numbers on the competition platform. Hillary went 5/6 in her lifts, highlighted by a PR total of 170kg/375lbs and HUGE PR clean & jerk of 100kg/220lbs which tied the PWA Masters Record! This was a longtime goal for Hillary and we're thrilled that she was able to check it off of her already impressive list of lifetime athletic achievements.
Kate went 3/3 on her snatches, ending with a huge PR of 65kg/143lbs - a MONSTER lift at a bodyweight of 52kg. On her final clean & jerk attempt she easily stood up with 75kg/165lbs but just couldn't quite lock out the jerk - the lift would have given her the qualifying total for the 2016 American Open Championships. We're confident she'll smoke that lift the next time around, just as she's done in training - and we're so proud of her gutsy performance!
A big thank you to all the supporters in the Arena Ready cheering section who came out to watch our athletes compete - a few of them are not in the picture below (including myself, as I was apparently taking Bo out for a stroll, heh), but we were grateful for your shouts of support and good vibes!
WOD for 07-25-16:
4 Rounds For Max Reps:
Row for Calories
Box Jumps Overs @ 24/20 in
Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
This is 0:40 (forty seconds) of work per movement, with 0:20 of rest/transition time between movements. There is 1:20 rest between rounds. Score is total repetitions across all four rounds.
-then-
Tabata:
Hollow Rocks
The Tabata interval is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 8 rounds (4 total minutes). Score by your lowest round.
Reminder: Arena Ready Weekend Events!
Saturday: CrossFit Games Viewing Party
Join us at Arena Ready on Saturday (starting at 12:30pm) to watch the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games. We'll be snacking, and drinking, and watching some of the finest competitive exercise in the world - so bring something to share if you like, and hang out with your AR buddies as we watch "The Fittest on Earth" throw down against each other.
If you're attending an early morning Saturday class and want to head upstairs earlier than 12:30pm you're more than welcome to get the viewing started - just expect most of the others to join-in after noon or so. Bring a camp chair to sit on if you prefer that over our chairs/sofa/floor. Kiddos can come too, just as long as parents bring whatever snacks & food they might specifically need, as I'm sure most will have the adult beverages and snacks covered, haha.
Sunday: The Alameda Weightlifting Comp
Coach Hillary and Kate "The Flying Squirrel" will be representing Arena Ready Weightlifting on Sunday at "The Alameda Weightlifting Comp" in San Jose. Join some of our barbell club lifters, Arena Ready members, and coaches to watch Hillary and Squirrel lift some big weights on the competition platform. Location details and session start times for the meet are included below - come out and support our athletes!
As is AR tradition we'll be heading out to grub on some delicious BBQ following the meet (meat?) - so if you're planning on coming down to spectate, plan on eating and drinking with your AR buddies afterward as well!
"The Alameda Weightlifting Comp" Meet Location:
Donny Shankle Weightlifting (access via CrossFit Silicon Valley)
1345 The Alameda
San Jose, CA 95126
Session Start Times:
Hillary - 10:00am
Squirrel - 1:00pm
Happy weekend, all!
WOD for 07-23-16:
Five 4-Minute Cycles For Max Reps:
400m Run
13-11-9-7-5 Ground-to-Overhead @ 135/95 lbs
Max Rep Lateral Bar Burpees
Rest 2 minutes between cycles. Ground-to-overhead reps decrease by 2 each cycle. Score is total number of lateral bar burpees completed.
CrossFit Games Viewing Party: Saturday 12:30pm
As mentioned previously we'll be hosting our annual CrossFit Games Viewing Party at Arena Ready on Saturday (July 23rd), and will start the official festivities at 12:30pm following the Gladiators class. Come by and join us to watch the top CrossFitters in the world compete for the title of "Fittest On Earth" - we'll view/steam the live events and will play some of the archived events as well, so as not to miss anyone's favorite athlete, team, or workout from the week's competition! If you're attending an early morning Saturday class and want to head upstairs earlier than 12:30pm you're more than welcome to get the viewing started - just expect most of the others to join-in after noon or so.
Please feel free to bring snacks/drinks/food to share if you like (bringing treats or eats is appreciated but not required), and we'll have some refreshments on hand as well. You're also welcome to bring a camp chair to sit on if you prefer that over our chairs/sofa/floor. Kiddos can come too, just as long as parents bring whatever snacks & food they might specifically need, as I'm sure most will have the adult beverages and snacks covered, haha.
WOD for 07-22-16:
Back Squat:
5-5-5-5-5
Climbing
-then-
Weighted Box Step-ups:
8-8-8 (per side)
For Quality
Use dumbbells or kettlebells, a box just above knee height, and do NOT alternate - the lead leg should stay on top of the box and the descent must be controlled.
-then-
Weighted Plank Hold:
3 x 0:45
Rest 1:00 between sets
Add to last week (07-12-16) if possible.
Lost & Found Summer Purge
The gym's Lost & Found has reached a near overflow, and quite random (haha), status. Gym clothes, shoes, wrist wraps, lifting straps, Tupperware, baby clothes, opened but apparently undesired FedEx packages, bags of donated (adult) clothes, water & shaker bottles, and kitchen utensils are some of the items that are currently looking for owners. We will consolidate the items in the Lost & Found bin (or next to it) on Thursday so that potential owners can claim their stuff- anything left over at the end of next week will be donated to charity.
Thanks for your attention!
WOD for 07-21-16:
Skills & Drills:
Handstand Push-up
-then-
On a Running Clock...
A) At 0:00 For Time:
20 Calorie Row
20 Deficit Handstand Push-ups @ 4/2 in
100 Double Unders
10 Muscle-ups
B) At 12:00 For Time:
20 Calorie Row
20 Deficit Handstand Push-ups @ 4/2 in
100 Double Unders
10 Muscle-ups
The CrossFit Games Are Underway!
The 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games are officially underway, and competition started on Tuesday with the various Teens and Masters divisions. You can stream all of the divisions and events online via the CrossFit Games website (click here), and archived events are posted so that you can go back and watch the events you wanted to see but may have missed live. The Individual (men & women) and Teams divisions start Wednesday and Thursday, respectively (with a couple of "mystery" events slated for the individuals on Wednesday). A full schedule of events can be found here on the CFG site.
Don't forget that we're hosting an Arena Ready CrossFit Games Viewing Party on Saturday afternoon (July 23rd) just like we do every year. Come by and join us to watch the top CrossFitters in the world compete for the title of "Fittest On Earth" - we'll view/steam the live events and will play some of the archived events as well, so as not to miss anyone's favorite athlete, team, or workout from the week's competition!
Please feel free to come by with snacks/drinks/food to share if you like (bringing treats or eats is appreciated but not required), and we'll also have some refreshments on hand. We'll post the party's start time here on the blog later this week once the full team & individual event schedule is announced.
WOD for 07-20-16:
7 Rounds, Start Every 3 Minutes:
7 Deadlifts, pick load (same weight across)
7 Box Jumps @ 30/24 in
200m Sprint
(Compare to 07-29-15)
The Alameda Weightlifting Comp: Sunday, July 24
Coach Hillary and Kate "The Flying Squirrel" will be representing Arena Ready Weightlifting this Sunday, July 24th, at "The Alameda Weightlifting Comp" in San Jose. Join some of our barbell club lifters, Arena Ready members, and coaches to watch Hillary and Squirrel lift some big weights on the competition platform. Location details and session start times for the meet are included below - come out and support our athletes!
As is AR tradition we'll be heading out to grub on some delicious BBQ following the meet (meat?) - so if you're planning on coming down to spectate, plan on eating and drinking with your AR buddies afterward as well!
"The Alameda Weightlifting Comp" Meet Location:
Donny Shankle Weightlifting (access via CrossFit Silicon Valley)
1345 The Alameda
San Jose, CA 95126
Session Start Times:
Hillary - 10:00am
Squirrel - 1:00pm
WOD for 07-19-16:
Power Clean + 2 Front Squats + 2 Push Jerks:
5 Sets of (1+2+2)
Climbing
-then-
"Mini Macho Man"
EMOM For as Long as Possible:
3 Power Cleans @ 155/105 lbs
3 Front Squats
3 Push Jerks
(Compare to 07-24-15)
Motivation Monday: Lisa G
A couple of days ago Lisa G wrote a great post on her blog regarding motivation. You can find her original post here, and we've shared a good portion of it below for today's Monday Motivation:
After yesterday’s workout, I was talking to my fellow classmate, Darrell. We got into talking about what’s going on with life, and got to talking about motivation. Darrell checks into our gym on Facebook every time he visits at 6AM. At first, it seems like Darrell is just a fitness enthusiast at early hours. But digging a little further, Darrell told me that he checks in on Facebook to motivate his friends to go to the gym. By showing up early in the morning, when his friends are going through the internal debate of going to the gym or not, they’ll see his check-in as motivation.
Darrell’s story really resonated with me, so for today’s Fitness Friday, I had to think about what motivates me. I could write a blog post every week about what motivates me. I realized that I’m fortunate to have so many motivators. I have an amazing group of coaches who push me to work harder, move safer, and unleash my athletic potential. My husband motivates me to continue to pursue my fitness goals on a daily basis. I have a whole closet full of workout gear and shoes that tell me that I need to make that investment worthwhile. My sister tells me to not give up, despite the mental strain this sport and CrossFit causes. And finally, there’s my gym.
My gym is my motivation. It’s my new arrival friends who come with the willingness and eagerness to try something new like CrossFit. It’s my seasoned veteran friends who define the meaning of hard work and never settle for second best. It’s my friends who juggle having a job and a family, who show up at 6AM because they want to. It’s the friends who use the gym as a way to get away from the stress the workplace brings, and it’s the friends who show up despite fighting nagging and stressful injuries.
My gym is my motivation, and serves as a good reminder how much I want to keep showing up to make them proud. For this weekend, I hope you go to your source of motivation, whoever or wherever they may be. Keep on keeping on friends!
-Lisa G
WOD for 07-18-16:
Hang Squat Snatch:
2-2-2-2-2
Climbing
-then-
For Time:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Unbroken Pull-ups
Unbroken Wall Balls @ 2014 lbs to 10/9 ft
Burpees
"Unbroken" means the athlete does not break the set, on purpose or accidentally. A missed wall ball target, inadvertently dropped med ball, or accidental chin not going above the plane of the bar are all examples of breaking a set, albeit not on purpose. Accuracy is key. The athlete is welcome to start a set over if he/she breaks, but really... who wants to do that?!
(Compare to 07-06-15)
Arena Ready Travels Continue!
The summertime travels for our members continue and the snapshots of dropping-in at other CrossFit affiliates for a workout are rolling in! We're loving the shots of our athletes representing Arena Ready and getting their fitness on all over the world.
Safe travels to all of you who are planning summertime adventures this season. Go out and get a WOD in wherever you're staying!
Gary and Desiree dropping-in while in Japan
Chef Bob throwing up the Westside at GSR CrossFit in upstate New York
Quick reminder that Monday 7pm Yoga is back on for July 18th - Dani is back from her travels and is looking forward to seeing you all for some restorative movement. Keep your strong bodies moving well and recovering properly for your workouts, and for your everyday life!
WOD for 07-16-16:
With a Partner For Time:
400m Run
42 Thrusters @ 115/80 lbs
42 Toes-to-Bar
400m Run
30 Thrusters
30 Toes-to-Bar
400m Run
18 Thrusters
18 Toes-to-Bar
400m Run
Partners both run together, and then split/share the thruster and toes-to-bar reps in any fashion (with only one partner working at a time). The thrusters cannot start until both partners have completed the preceding run, and the next run cannot start until the preceding toes-to-bar reps are completed.