Sleep, Stress, and Fat Loss

As a sort of "part two" following yesterday's "All About Sleep" post, we wanted to share another useful article from Precision Nutrition regarding sleep - "Sleep, Stress, and Fat Loss (click here for the full article)."  It's another great read for anyone looking to improve performance, recovery, and quality of life (and really, who isn't?!).   The first few paragraphs may even strike a chord with many of you:

Some of my friends are having trouble losing weight.

I usually ask about their workouts and diets. They’re exercising regularly, and eating healthy.

Then I ask about how much they sleep they get, and if they are feeling stressed.

Turns out they sleep fewer than 4 hours a day and have stress oozing from their eyeballs. I suggest they sleep more, take yoga, and meditate. They snort with laughter.

"Stress makes you a warrior! Sleep means quitting your job and becoming a hippie! I can’t sleep eight whole hours! I have Things To Do! I have to have a 50-child, 3-story-cake, 2-clown, 1-pony, birthday party for my 1 year old. What kind of parent would I be if I didn’t?"

-Helen Kollias (Precision Nutrition)

WOD for 08-04-16:

Power Snatch + Hang Squat Snatch + Overhead Squat:

5 Sets of (1+1+1)

Climbing as technique allows

-then-

For Time:

30-20-10

Overhead Squats @ 95/65 lbs

Pull-ups

All About Sleep

The good folks at Precision Nutrition published an article titled "All About Sleep" which is a helpful piece covering several of the critical aspects of shut-eye.  You can read the full article by clicking here, and we've included the intro below - it's definitely worth 5 minutes of your time!     

People will go to great lengths to ensure that they have a smart and well structured exercise program, nutritional plan and supplementation regimen.  Yet they often forget about or abandon their sleep and sleep quality.

Sleep is essential to health and survival. Even if you don’t eat very well, you can still expect to live around 75 years. But if you don’t sleep, you’ll likely check out in a couple of weeks — the Guinness World Record for sleep deprivation is 11 days. (For more reading on this, check out Scientific American: How Long Can Humans Stay Awake?)

Most of you aren’t going to try to break that record any time soon, even though medical students and parents of newborns might feel as though they are inadvertently trying. But even if you meet the basic requirement for sleep, are you sleeping optimally? And if not, what does poor sleep quality do to your body composition and eating habits? Are late nights in front of the TV, computer, or fridge leaving people fatigued, overfed, and with little ability to make nutritious food choices each day?

-Ryan Andrews (Precision Nutrition)

WOD for 08-03-16:

"Pokemon NO"

AMRAP 20 Minutes:

200m Run OR Row

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc... Rounds of "Pikachu"

1 Round of "Pikachu" is:

3 Muscle-ups

6 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

9 Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs

 

This workout is ascending rounds of "Pikachu" preceded each time by a 200m run or row.  The athlete will progress as follows:

200m

1 Round of "Pikachu"

200m

2 Rounds of "Pikachu"

200m

3 Rounds of "Pikachu"

etc...

...until 20 minutes expires. 

 

Score by total rounds of "Pikachu" completed, plus reps in any final partial round.  Athletes may alternate run & row as desired.

Congratulations, Gordon!

Congratulations, Gordon, for becoming the newest member of the body weight snatch club!  This is a great accomplishment for any athlete, and Gordon's consistent, hard work in the gym is really starting to add up to bigger numbers, faster times, and just plain old impressive fitness.   

A body weight snatch - what's the big deal (some of you may ask)?  The answer that follows is largely adapted from a blog I wrote in the spring when Megan achieved the body weight snatch milestone...

The bodyweight snatch is a milestone for many CrossFitters, and even some Olympic-style weightlifters - a gold standard of proficiency and one of the hallmarks of the beginning of mastery.  By my count I believe Gordon is the nineteenth athlete at Arena Ready to snatch his/her bodyweight (I believe the men's count is now fourteen, and the women's count is at five... with several ladies very close to being the next in line), which is pretty cool considering we are a fairly small gym that predominantly runs a CrossFit program in our classes (not a pure weightlifting program).   

The snatch is (as just about all of you know) a very complex movement, and an athlete's ability to snatch relatively heavy weights can often tell a lot about said athlete's abilities in other areas of fitness.  If an athlete can snatch his/her bodyweight it likely means that he/she is pretty darn strong, powerful, flexible, coordinated, agile, fast, and has a sound sense of both balance and accuracy.  Coincidentally those are 8 of the 10 "General Physical Skills" as defined by CrossFit in their classic, 14-year old article "What Is Fitness?" and it's arguable that snatching relatively heavy weights can also be a tool in helping to build capacity with the other two skills they define, cardiorespiratory endurance and stamina (assuming the athlete is spending time training other modalities and domains, and not just weightlifting).  In Gordon's case I think the argument is pretty solid - not only can he snatch his bodyweight, but I'm pretty confident he can run a 6-minute mile if pressed to do so, do big sets of strict pull-ups and bodyweight back (or front) squats, pick up heavier objects than most men & women, run a respectable half marathon time (if for some reason he wanted to do that to himself on purpose without anyone chasing him), beat most of his friends in a test of vertical or broad jump prowess, and probably embarrass more than a few people in a pick up game of his choosing.  Last Friday it was clear that his ring muscle-ups are among some of the best in the gym, even though he wouldn't consider himself "regularly practicing" that complex movement on an on-going basis.  Coincidence?  I think not. 

What does this mean for many of you?  Well, since we love to teach weightlifting at AR we have a membership base that generally likes to snatch (and clean, and jerk, and squat, etc) and appreciates spending time getting better at the movement.  But there's always some folks who just don't quite understand the point of trying to learn how to do this awkwardly dynamic movement, and who may not appreciate what it does for herself/himself when they build proficiency in such a seemingly novel pursuit like the snatch.  I can guarantee you that the better you are at snatching the better you will be at an overwhelming majority of physical tasks in your life - carrying your kids, moving your furniture, hauling luggage in an airport or on an airplane, skiing, surfing, running, jumping, playing catch with your grandchildren, chasing your dog, telling snot-nosed bag boys at the grocery store that "No thank you, I don't need help out... these aren't actually that heavy for me."     

Who will be number twenty at Arena Ready for the body weight snatch?  

But first, squats... duh...

WOD for 08-02-16:

Back Squat:

15 Minutes to Establish a Moderately Heavy Set of 5 (not 5RM)

For most athletes this is roughly in the 80% of 1RM range, and/or within +/-5% of your top set from 07-22-16.   

-then-

For Time (Using 80% of Your Top Set of 5 From Above):

800m Run

15 Back Squats @ 80% of top set from above

600m Run

12 Back Squats

400m Run

9 Back Squats

(Compare to 04-08-15)

(Actually) Take Your Yoga Pants To Yoga

Or your gym shorts.  Or whatever it is you generally wear to work out.  It's just funnier to say actually take your yoga pants to yoga.  It sort of reminds me of this little gem:

Yoga is FREE for all Arena Ready members and is held on-going on Monday evenings (from 7-8pm).

Dani, whom many of you have worked out with here at Arena Ready, teaches the 60-minute class in the lounge in AR South (main gym side).  Here's Dani's description of what to expect during her Therapeutic Yoga class:  

Therapeutic yoga is probably very different from what most people think of when they think of yoga. Not quite restorative, definitely not vinyasa, you can expect some stability work, standing poses, twists, and a whole lot of laying on the floor connecting to a deeper breath. I teach a slow practice, and will encourage a mind - body connection by asking you to pay attention to the more subtle aspects of the body (breath, skin, muscles, bones). 

Moving in this slower way helps reveal both strengths and weaknesses you might not be able to connect with during more intense workouts. This awareness translates to every other area of life, including kicking ass in the gym. I'm a stickler for alignment, and as someone who injured myself practicing a more popular yoga style it is important to me that people practice yoga in a safe way. I play fun music, I don't chant, and I promise I'll leave your chakras alone. Besides, where else in your life to you get express permission and encouragement to slow down, breathe, and CTFO (chill the f*ck out) for an hour? 

FINALLY: I often hear people say they can't do yoga because they're not flexible. Frankly, that's like saying someone shouldn't do CrossFit because they can't do a muscle up :) All bodies are welcome and this is appropriate/accessible for everyone at AR. 

I hope to see you there!

~Dani

Please sign-in just as you would for any other class, and let us know if you have any questions.

WOD for 08-01-16:

Alternating EMOM for 5 Rounds (10 Minutes):

MINUTE 1: Strict (Supine Grip) Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups, pick reps

MINUTE 2: 5 Push Presses (No Rack), climbing

-then-

4 Minutes For MAX REPS:

500m Row

80 Double Unders

MAX REPS Push Presses @ 95/65 lbs (no rack)

REST 2 MINUTES THEN...

4 Minutes For MAX REPS:

500m Row

80 Double Unders

MAX REPS Push Presses @ 95/65 lbs (no rack)

CrossFit Journal: An Open Letter To Cheaters

This article was published in the CrossFit Journal about a week ago, and you can find that original post here.  Thankfully at Arena Ready we don't deal with too much of an issue around cheating, as it's clear (that for the most part) the culture here values integrity and honesty - but I think this perspective is valuable to share regardless.  Here's the post in it's entirety for those who want an entertaining read: 

Admit it: You’ve shaved a rep.

Maybe you’ve even shaved entire rounds off workouts. You might have even lied about loads or times.

Guess what: Your coach noticed. And so did the other people in the class.

Thankfully, cheaters are relatively rare in CrossFit, perhaps because “so much of repugnant behavior is about trying to get something for nothing, and the CrossFitters inherently don’t believe that it’s possible,” as CrossFit Founder and CEO Greg Glassman said in 2009.

But physical suffering can erode loosely rooted morality, and we all know cheaters exist. By bending or breaking the rules, you can reduce or end the pain and perhaps take a whiteboard win, which can be very tempting when a grueling workout demands everything you have and some things you don’t. All athletes have come face to face with the moral dilemma of the 145th wall-ball shot that didn’t quite hit the line during Karen. A choice must be made at that point, and it’s sometimes hard to make the right one. But everyone in the community expects you to man and woman up by replacing the short shot with a good rep.

Coaches most definitely understand that sometimes you forget which round you’re in. It happens. We know that sometimes you accidentally write the wrong load or time on the whiteboard because your brain isn’t functioning correctly after a screaming match with Fran. We’re aware that you can’t always tell if you squatted below parallel exactly 300 times during Cindy. These are honest mistakes made by honest people.

But some athletes cheat. On purpose. Regularly.

And when you cheat, it is most assuredly noticed.

Maybe your dishonesty wasn’t noticed right away, and maybe you didn’t hear the discussion after you put your score on the board and left. But eventually your peers and your trainers figured you out. It doesn’t take too many “weren’t you ahead of him?” conversations to solve the mystery without the crime lab.

Here’s some info: Facebook hosts a group for CrossFit affiliate owners, and it’s almost 10,000 strong. In that group, trainers discuss all sorts of things, from cleaning gym mats to teaching muscle-ups. Despite the overwhelmingly large number of honest people in any gym, you usually don’t have to scroll very far to see a post like this: “An athlete at my gym is cheating, and members and coaches are starting to complain. It’s ruining the atmosphere. What do I do?”

Let it be said again: If you cheat, your coach noticed. You have fooled no one.

How did your coach catch you? Coaches know approximately how long it takes to complete certain workouts. Coaches also know your current abilities and level of fitness. When an athlete posts a score outside the expected range, a coach notices. That score might mean an athlete suddenly had a breakthrough—like Awkward Dude’s legendary set of 50 unbroken double-unders that came from nowhere and cut a full 10 minutes off his Filthy Fifty time. But in general, athlete progression follows a pattern any coach can see, and anomalies stand out. Big time.

Coaches also know how long it takes to do 21 thrusters, for example. It’s just an ability we’ve acquired after watching 2 million reps. Beyond that, we know every movement has a maximum cycle time. Even Ben Smith can only go so fast. When you’re working through 30 wall-ball shots to 10 ft. and you roll on to the next movement after 35 seconds, alarm bells go off in our heads because physics won’t allow that time. We’ve also coached three classes in a row, so we know that your rest break couldn’t possibly allow you to beat the guy who went unbroken two hours ago.

We sense disturbances in The Force, young Jedi.

Further, competitive athletes always count each other’s reps, either by absentminded habit, as a spot check or as part of an attempt to game your time and beat your ass. If you’re training at the end of the 5-p.m. class, it’s guaranteed your reps are being counted by a rival who arrived for the session at 6. Believe it, and rest assured that someone noticed your set of 17 kettlebell swings in the final round of Helen.

Some coaches attack the problem head on and simply tell athletes their scores aren’t correct. This, of course, addresses the issue but often leads to emphatic denials, arguments and bad feelings. Other coaches soft-sell it by questioning the athlete to see if the correct score was written on the board, which often leads to resentment and bad feelings. Some coaches ignore the issue because the athlete is ultimately cheating only him- or herself, but this, too, leads to bad feelings in members who note injustice on the leaderboard. Some coaches stand beside suspicious athletes and count their reps out loud, which usually leads to bad feelings and a lack of attention paid to other clients in the class.

The obvious point is that cheating causes bad feelings. You’re breaking the contract that binds all members of the community: We put a number on the board, you do that many reps, then you tell us how long it took. Accept a high five and have a protein shake. Same time tomorrow.

But some people cheat. They cheat because they’re lazy, they cheat because they want to win, they cheat because they lack moral character and don’t see the problem, they cheat because they’re embarrassed about their current fitness level, and so on. The reasons are endless—and they’re all bullshit.

So let it be said once more: We all notice when you cheat. And we want you to stop.

-Mike Warkentin (The CrossFit Journal)

WOD for 07-30-16:

In Teams of Three... 

3 Rounds For Time:

50 Deadlifts @ 225/155 lbs

70 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

90 Calorie Row*

*One athlete MUST be in a static deadlift hold at the top of lock-out (hips and knees fully extended) in order for another athlete to accumulate row calories.  If the static deadlift bar drops the row MUST STOP immediately and cannot resume until a deadlift bar is once again at the top of lock-out.  

The reps for all three movements are shared, with one athlete working at a time (not including the athlete holding the static deadlift during the row). 

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:

1. 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).
2. 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.
3. Put the collars (AKA "clips") on for all your lifts, and load the heaviest plates on the inside. 
4. 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. 
5. 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.
6. 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).
7. 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:

1. 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."
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.