Workout of the Day
Camp Sparkle Saturdays
Parents working out on Saturday mornings at the 8am or 9am class can take advantage of "Camp Sparkle" AKA Coach Lindsay's kiddo supervision. Check out the Arena Ready private Facebook group (click here to request to be added) and search "Camp Sparkle" to pull up the threads with relevant details (contact info, how & when to reserve for your little one, etc.). You can also post any questions you might have in the comments section.
Happy Friday, athletes!
WOD for 08-12-16:
On a Running Clock...
A) From 0:00 - 12:00
Snatch Balance + Overhead Squat:
5 Sets of (1+1)
Climbing ONLY as technique allows
B) From 12:00 - 27:00
Back Squat:
15 Minutes For a Heavy Set of 5
Add to your top set from 08-02-16 and 07-22-16
C) At 30:00, For Time
"Annie"
50-40-30-20-10
Double Unders
AbMat Sit-ups
(Compare to 10-24-14)
Every Time You Don't Hook Grip...
...a clean or a snatch, a little piece of me dies inside. Seriously.
The other day a fairly experienced athlete at the gym (who shall remain nameless) said to me something to the effect of, "Huh, we don't really cover the hook grip that much. Plus it hurts my thumbs, so I don't really do it anymore (insert chuckle here)." I almost started crying.
I pointed out to said athlete that we've posted about the kook grip many times over the years, including THIS RECENT POST HERE, that we coach it (in varying degrees) in nearly every class that includes snatches or cleans, and that I've actually seen him/her hook gripping the bar previously... on multiple occasions. Said athlete then looked at me with sadface and pleaded, "Well, yeah sometimes I do it, but it still hurts. But, like, what about my thumbs?"
WHAT ABOUT MY DYING SOUL?!
Kidding. Sort of. But seriously folks, I know the hook grip can be uncomfortable but it really does help, and it becomes quite essential when snatching or cleaning with any weight (or rep scheme) of significance. I realize that some athletes have small hands, but before you start feeling too sorry for your small hands and little thumbs consider this:
That little guy weighs 123 pounds and there he is snatching 289 pounds. I'd be willing to bet his hands are much smaller than any other gentleman in our gym, but trust me he did not lift that weight without a hook grip, and that barbell has the same 28mm diameter as the "red bars" we use.
As mentioned in the linked post above you can tape your thumbs to help with the initial discomfort, and we can show you how (that linked post has a video showing how most of us do it) - we provide free tape at the gym so use it (but please don't abuse it)! You can also stretch your thumbs to help adjust to the position required in the hook grip - come to class on Thursday and we'll show you a little stretch that might do the trick over time.
Still not convinced? Ok, have fun with the hang power cleans on this one then...
WOD for 08-11-16:
Alternating Every 90 Seconds For 4 Rounds (12 Total Minutes):
100m Kettlebell Farmer's Walk, HAP (pick load)
40m Bear Crawl
HAP = "heavy as possible." Yes, the farmer's walk should be unbroken.
-then-
For Time:
15-12-9
Hang Power Cleans @ 165/115 lbs
Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
Olympic Coverage & Female Athletes
Anyone who has spent some time at Arena Ready knows that we have some pretty badass women in our community - strong, fast, fit, successful, intelligent, you name it. They're everywhere! They're also annoyingly humble and do a fairly poor job (IMMO in my man opinion, or "manpinion" if you will) of pointing out said badassery & legit status to others. So while I would love to take full credit for every example of their impressive fitness achievements, and then mansplain their significance to anyone willing to listen, I try my best to actually give credit where credit is due.
(I hope everyone can sense my tongue firmly in cheek when reading the last couple of statements, save for the part about giving credit where it's due... you never know, since serious to sarcastic then back to serious is a risky blog undertaking)
While watching coverage of the Olympics this week, and marveling at many of the performances by both male and female athletes alike, I found some of the commentary surrounding female athletes surprising - some of it laughable, some of it offensive, some of it perhaps taken out of (intended) context, but much of it just plain perplexing. More than a few times I found myself thinking, "did they just really say that?!" It made Hoda Kotb's frequently awkward (yet often harmless) commentary during the opening ceremonies seem almost refreshing by comparison:
"Every four years someone gets to say it, and now it's my turn... CHECK OUT Djibouti!!!"
Yes, Hoda, thank you. Check it out indeed. It's OK, I squat semi-regularly.
Anyhoo, New York Magazine posted a recent article on the topic of commentary around female athletes at the Rio Olympics, and you can read it here ("The Media's Olympic Overage Reminds Us Just How Taxing It Is To Be a Female Athlete") - below is an excerpt:
The Summer Olympics — that series of sporting events that whips spectators into a patriotic frenzy every four years — started just four days ago, but several media outlets have already reminded us exactly how taxing it is to be a female athlete.
The first offense came from NBC commentator Dan Hicks. When Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszú won a gold medal and broke a world record in the 400-meter individual medley, the camera panned to her husband, who was watching in the stands as Hicks said, "and there's the man responsible." Hicks later apologized for his phrasing and, "wished he'd said things differently," but not before Twitter could drag him...
What are your thoughts on it all? We'd love to hear about it in the gym.
WOD for 08-10-16:
On a 30-Minute Running Clock, Split With a Partner...
A) From 0:00 - 24:00
BUY-IN: 2000m Row, then...
AMRAP in Remaining Time of:
24 Toes-to-Bar
48 Overhead Walking Lunges w/Plate @ 45/35 lbs
400m Run
Only one athlete working at a time. Reps/work are shared and can be split in any manner the team sees fit. Score is the team's total rounds + reps completed of the triplet. If time expires while on the run, credit the partial run based on the last 50-meter marker passed.
B) From 24:00 - 28:00
Rest 4 Minutes
C) From 28:00 - 30:00
AMRAP 2 Minutes w/Partner:
Medicine Ball (or Bumper Plate) Russian Twists, pick load
Only one athlete working at a time. Scale intelligently if you are new to these - nobody sees your summer abs if you can't sit-up to get out of bed in the morning.
GRID TV: 2016 Season Live
The 2016 NPGL season is drawing near, and those of you who came out to watch the San Francisco Fire's matches in-person last year to cheer on Coach Sarah know how exciting the sport of GRID can be!
For the upcoming 2016 season the NPGL is flying all the teams and athletes to Utah for training camps, regular season matches, and playoffs during the months of August and September. They have partnered with Nike to be the league's official footwear and apparel sponsor, and while the matches will be recorded, edited, and broadcast at a later date on NBC (a la American Ninja Warrior), fans can watch all of the action LIVE on GRID TV. All 15 matches of the 2016 season will be streamed live and be made available for archived replay - click here for more details, including a discount for the first 500 subscribers.
Get excited GRID fans!
Some of the Arena Ready contingent at last year's NPGL season opener. Sarah and the San Francisco Fire beat the Phoenix Rise in thrilling fashion!
WOD for 08-09-16:
On A Running Clock...
A) From 0:00 - 16:00
2 Front Squats + 1 Split Jerk:
5 Sets of (2+1)
Climbing as technique allows
B) From 16:00 - 31:00
Front Squat:
15 Minutes For a Heavy Single
C) From 34:00 - 40:00
Weighted Plank Hold:
3 x 0:45 (Rest 1:00 Between Sets)
Add to 07-12-16 and 07-22-16 if possible
Monday Motivation: Be The Egg
The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's not about the circumstance, but rather what you're made of.
-Unknown
WOD for 08-08-16:
AMRAP 7 Minutes:
Deadlifts @ 225/155 lbs
Strict Handstand Push-ups
-REST 5 MINUTES THEN-
AMRAP 7 Minutes:
Power Cleans @ 155/105 lbs
Pistols, alternating
(Compare both AMRAPs to 10-08-15)
Lavinia's Weekday Warriors Fitness Program
The community at Arena Ready has always been so supportive of Coach Lavinia's amazing efforts with her Weekday Warriors Fitness Program at James Denman Middle School (where she is also a P.E. teacher). She's at it once again, helping to give her kids access to quality fitness programs by raising money to purchase equipment for the after-school club, and she would love any support you can give. They will be hosting a "Bubbles For Barbells" raffle at Triple Voodoo Brewery on Sunday, August 21st from 1-4pm, and prizes include FitBit wearables, golf at the Olympic Club, and a weekend stay at a San Francisco B&B!
You can click here for more info on the raffle or to contact Lavinia regarding donating to the program and/or offering raffle prizes you may want to contribute.
Thanks, all, for your attention and happy weekend!
WOD for 08-06-16:
In Teams of Two Athletes...
SIX 2-Minute Cycles (EACH Athlete) for Max Row Calories (24 Total Minutes):
200m Sprint
20-18-16-14-12-10 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
Max Calorie Row
(Rest 2 Minutes)
Only one athlete working at a time. Each athlete completes six cycles for a team total of twelve cycles. Athlete 1 completes one full 2-minute cycle then rests 2 minutes while Athlete 2 completes one full cycle, etc. Athletes alternate until both have completed six cycles (24 minutes). Wall ball reps start at 20 for cycle one and then decrease by 2 every cycle. The team's score is total number of calories rowed.
Happy Happy Day
Happy Birthday, Sarah! Thanks for all that you do to make Arena Ready possible. The gym is a special place for all of us, and it's your unique vision that has guided our awesome little community over these last several years.
I think I speak for everyone at AR when I say that we hope this year brings you health, happiness, and lots of PRs!
WOD for 08-05-16:
2 Hang Power Cleans + 2 Hang Squat Cleans:
5 Sets of (2+2)
Climbing as technique allows
-then-
For Time:
21 Hang Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs
21 Lateral Bar Burpees
100 Double Unders
15 Hang Power Cleans
15 Lateral Bar Burpees
75 Double Unders
9 Hang Power Cleans
9 Lateral Bar Burpees
50 Double Unders
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).