Workout of the Day
"Speal vs Khalipa"
Any of you old-schoolers remember this video?
WOD for 02-21-17:
For Time:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
Clean & Jerks @ 155/105 lbs
Complete 1 round of "Cindy" after each set of clean & jerks (for a total of 10 rounds of "Cindy").
*1 Round of "Cindy" is: 5 Pull-ups / 10 Push-ups / 15 Air Squats
(Compare to 02-06-16, 11-29-14, 06-10-13, 01-24-13, 10-11-12)
AR Yoga: Get That Body Flexy For 17.1
Are you IN THE OPEN and looking forward to Open Saturdays at Arena Ready? Are you already driving yourself a little batty trying to guess what Open WOD 17.1 will be??? Perhaps you should start your week with a little time dedicated to getting more flexy (you know, supple... mobile), and maybe even a bit more mindful (slowing things down can help prep you for speeding things up, after all).
Monday evening Yoga Class at Arena Ready is available to all AR athletes as a part of your membership (there is no charge to attend!) - we simply ask that you sign-up for class in advance so that Dani knows how many to expect, and bring your own mat if you have one (we have a few to borrow if you don't). All levels of experience are welcome!
WOD for 02-20-17:
Back Squat:
15 Minutes To Establish a Heavy Set of Eight, then...
7 Minutes For Two Drop Sets:
1x8 @ 85% of your top set
1x8 @ 80% of your top set
-then-
For Time:
21-15-9
Unbroken Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
The Open: What We measure We Improve
NOTE: The gym will be closed on Sunday (Feb 19th) so that we can prep the gym for the Open which starts the following week. We have a few little tweaks to be made in anticipation of the workouts and the big group who will be doing the Open at Arena Ready.
Speaking (again, sorry not sorry) of the Open - are you registered? Click here and here to read the main details of how we'll run the Open at Arena Ready, and then head over to the CrossFit Games page to register (please select Arena Ready as BOTH your affiliate and your team).
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 - and who use The Open as a measure of exactly how far we've come, and how far we still have to go. 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 2015 and 2016 Opens, a percentage much higher than any other CrossFit gym I know of. 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 its 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 "17.1" pops up again (after this year) you'll be able to see how much you've improved, and how far you can still progress.
WOD for 02-18-17:
With a Partner, 2 Rounds For Time:
50 Calorie Row
50 Handstand Push-ups
50 Thrusters @ 95/65 lbs
50 Power Cleans
Only one person working at a time. Reps do NOT have to split evenly.
Flashback Friday: 16.2 at Arena Ready
Are you IN THE OPEN at Arena Ready?
There's still plenty of time to register (a little over a week in fact), so come and be a part of the fun these next 5 weeks!
Check out Brian's video of 16.2 during last year's Open at AR, and couple of Jenny's awesome shots...
Happy Friday!
WOD for 02-17-17:
"Hopping's Friday Fiesta!"
AMRAP 14 Minutes:
40 ft Walking Lunges
40 Double Unders
4 Muscle-ups
80 ft Walking Lunges
80 Double Unders
8 Muscle-ups
120 ft Walking Lunges
120 Double Unders
12 Muscle-ups
... Etc.... continue the sequence until 14 minutes expires.
-then-
Tabata:
Hollow Rocks
For 5 Consecutive Saturdays Starting Feb 25th: The Open At Arena Ready!
Are you IN THE OPEN at Arena Ready?!
Starting on Saturday, February 25th - and for five consecutive Saturdays - our daily WOD will be the current week's Open workout (for those of you who have done The CrossFit Games Worldwide Open at AR previously you know the drill). On Saturday, February 25th we will do "Open Workout 17.1"... whatever that may be (we shall find out on Thursday, February 23rd at 5pm, along with the rest of the world). Every Thursday at 5pm the Open workout will be released, and the following Saturday we will do the WOD as a gym during Saturday classes.
Each Saturday class during this five week time period will consist of multiple heats of the Open workout, and each athlete should expect to do the WOD during one of the heats and also judge a fellow athlete during another heat. You are, of course, welcome to stay for as long as you like to cheer on other athletes as they tackle the WOD, or continue to help with judging. These "Open Saturdays" are pretty energetic and are really fun days at the gym - and many AR members like to hang out for a few hours to watch, judge, and cheer for their friends. We will continue to ask you to sign-in for class, just like any other Saturday, to save your spot during that hour.
If you're not formally entered in The Open you can still do the workouts at AR, and you'll participate in heats just like those of us who are registered for the event. But if you plan on working out on Saturdays during those five weeks anyway you may as well sign-up and participate (officially) in the fun!
It's one week before the first workout ("17.1") is announced, and it's not too late to register for this awesome worldwide event which you'll be able to participate in with your fellow friends and members at Arena Ready. You can still register for The Open through the CrossFit Games website here (registration cost is $20):
When registering yourself please be sure to select Arena Ready CrossFit as BOTH your affiliate and your team, so that your profile appears on our team roster. There are several of you who have already signed-up and are currently registered under our affiliate but NOT under our team - so please double-check!
s always, please let us know if you have any questions.
Brian C documented "Open 16.1" at Arena Ready last year.
WOD for 02-16-17:
"Sid & Nancy"
With a Partner, 5 Rounds For Time:
800m Row
33 Overhead Squats @ 95/65 lbs
Only one athlete working at a time. Reps may be shared in any fashion and do NOT have to split evenly. Partners MUST tag each other in for every switch.
The Kipping Toes-to-Bar
We've posted this video a few times but it's always worth sharing again for those of you still working on toes-to-bar (and who isn't?). Here's Chris Spealler, who Coach Sarah used to work with on the CrossFit HQ Seminar Staff, talking through some efficiency tips for the kipping toes-to-bar movement:
WOD for 02-15-17:
One-Arm Dumbbell Overhead Squat:
5-5-5-5-5 (each side)
For Quality
-then-
"The Burpee Wave"
EMOM For 7 Minutes:
1) 14 Burpees to Target
2) 16 Burpees to Target
3) 18 Burpees to Target
4) 20 Burpees to Target
5) 14 Burpees to Target
6) 16 Burpees to Target
7) 18 Burpees to Target
The athlete starts standing, and then moves from flat on the floor to touching a target 6 inches above their max reach with both hands.
-then-
AMRep 5 Minutes:
Max Reps Toes-to-Bar
Sit Up Straight!
In the gym we're constantly trying to get athletes to maintain good positions, whether it be during weightlifting, bodyweight movements, or even mono-structural conditioning elements (running, rowing, jumping, etc). The cues you hear of "chest up" or "chest out" or "set yourself big and proud" are really just tools we use to get athletes in better positions to move external objects or their own body through space. And really, posture is just a proper-sounding word for position.
Good posture in the gym hopefully leads to an increased awareness around better general posture in one's daily life outside of the gym. The folks at TedEd made this little video about the benefits of good posture - check it out:
WOD for 02-14-17:
Alternating EMOM For 4 Rounds (12 Minutes):
1) 15/12 Calorie Row
2) 7-5-3-3 Deadlifts, climbing to your working weight
3) 200m Run
Treat this as an extended warm-up, not as a conditioning piece - thus the easy target numbers on the row. Deadlifts should climb in weight up to (or just past) your working weight for the workout below, and the run should be a brisk stride.
-then-
5 Rounds For Time:
20 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
15 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
10 Deadlifts @ 245/175 lbs
Why Fear The Open?
When people start talking about stressing out during the Open, trust me, I get it.
I think stress during the Open in prior years may have actually shortened my life. But is that the Open's fault? NFW.
I think the Open can be stressful for three primary reasons:
1) I'm not as good as I want to be
2) I'm worried I'll let people down
3) I'm worried my friends will be mad if I beat them
If I'm not as good as I want to be it's typically because I have unrealistic expectations and/or because I haven't put in the work. If I've been inconsistent in my training, or in working on my weaknesses, that will become painfully clear in the Open. My weaknesses will be thoroughly exposed for all the world to see.
The truth is, I've learned that for the most part the world doesn't really care how I do, neither do my friends or my family. They will only be let down if I don't try, and/or if I'm devastated by my results. And truth be told, even then they won't really be let down, they'll just be hoping I stop talking about it soon.
My friends probably will be a little mad if I beat them, but not because I beat them, but because of #1 above for them - they aren't as good as they want to be. And same in the reverse when I lose. Nobody likes to lose, but channeled properly losing can be a great motivator.
So, is the Open stressful? Sure, if you focus on the wrong things, or if you've been shorting reps and range of motion and you actually have something to hide (note that you're the only one who thinks no one notices).
The Open is actually a wonderful opportunity to see how far you've come, how far you have to go, and, most importantly, to enjoy the camaraderie that comes from shared ambition, experience, exhilarating success, and devastating failure. It exposes our strengths and our weaknesses, and gives us a chance to support each other through it all.
An awesome video Brian C. put together of the first workout (15.1) of the 2015 Open
at Arena Ready.
WOD for 02-13-17:
2 Power Snatches + 1 Squat Snatch:
12 Minutes to Establish a Top Set (NOT Max)
-then-
AMRAP 7 Minutes:
3, 6, 9, 12, etc. Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs
3, 6, 9, 12, etc. Chest-to-Bar Pul-ups
The reps for both power snatches and C2B pull-ups increase by 3 every round until 7 minutes expires.
Doctor's Orders
With so many physicians and healthcare providers as members at Arena Ready, I couldn't help but watch this video and think how awesome it is that we have doctors, nurses, PAs, and NPs that lead by example and place a high priority on their own fitness. Many of them are, and have been, in the Open year after year.
The 2017 Open is two weeks away and we want you to be a part of the fun at Arena Ready. What are you waiting for? Click here to read an earlier post, and if you have questions feel free to ask a coach at the gym - more details will be posted in the coming week.
If you already know you're ready to rock, then join so many others at AR and register for the Open today: https://games.crossfit.com/
Be sure when registering to select Arena Ready CrossFit as BOTH your affiliate AND team!
WOD for 02-11-17:
With a Partner For Time:
800m Run (TOGETHER)
80 Calorie Row
40 Burpees Over Rower
40 Kettlebell Swings @ 53/35 lbs
600m Run (TOGETHER)
60 Calorie Row
30 Burpees Over Rower
30 Kettlebell Swings @ 53/35 lbs
400m Run (TOGETHER)
40 Calorie Row
20 Burpees Over Rower
20 Kettlebell Swings @ 53/35 lbs
The runs are performed TOGETHER, with both partners running simultaneously. The rows, burpees, and KB swings are shared in any fashion (does not have to be equally split), with only one athlete working at a time. The row cannot start until both partners have completed the preceding run.
Flashback Friday: The Fittest Games Event 2
Caleb Kerr Photography caught a nice little moment after Event 2 at the Fittest Games a couple of weeks ago in Austin, TX. Also, check out new Austin residents, and Arena Ready alumni, Lesha and Ashley in the shot!
Happy Friday, everyone!
#Swolemates
(Photo courtesy of Caleb Kerr Photography)
WOD for 02-10-17:
On a Running Clock...
A) At 0:00
NOT For Time:
800m Run (Easy Stride Pace)
B) At 8:00
"2016 CrossFit Games Regional Event 3"
For Time (6 Minute Cap):
104 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
52 Pull-ups
C) From 18:00 - 30:00
Push Press:
12 Minutes to Establish a Heavy Triple (no rack, cleaned from the ground)
Evans Avenue Parking
A big CONGRATS to the athletes who got their first ever STRICT muscle-up on Wednesday during class - James O., Diego, and Seiji. Nice work, gents! We also had a handful of athletes who are SO close, and could get over the rings and through the transition with the tiniest little spot - Chris E., David G, and Bianca, to name a few. Keep working at it folks... the strength, stability, and mobility gains are paying off, and your positional awareness is getting better in the transitions!
Wednesday classes had me talking about the Evans Avenue parking option at the gym, since Wednesday 12pm and 4pm classes can be the toughest times during the week to find parking immediately next to the gym (thanks mostly to street cleaning up the hill). One option that's usually a great alternative (whether it be Wednesday or not) is parking on Evans Avenue, just off of Cesar Chavez.
Evans Avenue puts you just 1,000 feet or so away from the gym (through two crosswalks), and there's almost always plenty of free parking available - check out a visual orientation by clicking here:
WOD for 02-09-17:
Pause Back Squat:
3-3-3-3-3
Climbing as technique allows. Pause is 3 seconds in the bottom.
-then-
AMRAP 9 Minutes:
30 Dumbbell or Kettlebell Walking Lunges @ 35/25 lbs (per side)
25 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
20 Medicine Ball Sit-up & Throw @ 20/14 lbs
Deadlifts, HSPUs, and MUs, Oh My!
Since it's Open season, the deadlifts and HSPUs in Wednesday's WOD remind me of that time in 2016 when we saw 55 reps of each in "Open Workout 16.4." Thankfully some of us got it together enough afterwards to take this happy photo under Jenny's careful direction...
We're just over two weeks out from the announcement of the first Open workout, so the propaganda will continue until registration numbers improve (LOL). DO IT!
WOD for 02-08-17:
Strict Muscle-up:
Skills & Drills
-then-
For Time:
21 Deadlifts @ 225/155 lbs
21 Handstand Push-ups
3 Strict Muscle-ups
15 Deadlifts
15 Handstand Push-ups
3 Strict Muscle-ups
9 Deadlifts
9 Handstand Push-ups
3 Strict Muscle-ups