Workout of the Day

Jenny Morgan 6/14/17 Jenny Morgan 6/14/17

Throwback Thursday: Dumbbell Snatches

Is it too soon to consider Open 17.1 a throwback?

NOTE: A heads-up that this Sunday's yoga class will be re-scheduled for Monday, June 26th, at 7pm.

WOD for 06-15-17:

Split Jerk:

2-2-2-2-2

Climbing as technique allows

-then-

AMRAP 9 Minutes:

50 Double Unders

25/20 Calorie Row

25 Dumbbell Snatches @ 50/35 lbs (alternating)

Jenny Morgan 6/13/17 Jenny Morgan 6/13/17

M, C, I...V Revisited

This is a great post that Coach Sarah wrote several years ago, and it's a nice little piece due for a revisit. Enjoy!

Some thoughts on the evolution of a CrossFitter...

Step 1: Mechanics
Learn the movements. Learn the difference between what the movement is supposed to feel like and what it is not supposed to feel like. What does the coach mean when they say "get tight"? Which muscles drive your knees out, and why should you do that? What about chest up? Or elbows fast? Or external rotation? All of these words and phrases should be meaningful to you (and you should be able to apply them to your movement before you consider moving on to consistency in those movements).

Step 2: Consistency
They say that practice makes perfect, but the truth is only perfect practice makes perfect. Not until you understand what you should be doing should you strive to make what you are doing habitual. But, when you do, each movement in CrossFit should become like breathing. You should practice so much that you are able to execute a perfect air squat without a demonstration or description, without thinking about it, and honestly, without even warming up. Same goes for every other movement (unweighted). Every time you execute a movement it should look and feel the same.

In addition, consistency applies to consistency of workouts. If you are working out inconsistently (i.e. 4 days on, 17 off, or 1-2 on, 4-5 off), you should hold yourself at this level. If you aren't working out consistently, you don't know how your body will respond to workouts, you don't know how hard you can push yourself on any given day, and you can't expect your joints and muscles to withstand a beating in which you're trying to make up for lost time. Establish a workout schedule and stick to it so that you can earn progression into Step 3.

Step 3: Intensity
Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, defined CrossFit as "constantly varied, functional movements executed at high intensity." Some make the mistake of thinking that that means everyone from newbie to competitor should approach each workout with maximum fire and enthusiasm, fighting for each and every rep, rolling on the floor afterwards. The truth, in a better executed scenario, is that intensity must be earned. If you don't have the mechanics nailed down in a movement consistently, you have no business doing that movement with intensity. If you aren't working out consistently, you can't expect to safely push your limits (since you don't know where your limits are at any given point in time). Now, let's say there's a workout involving burpees, power snatches and situps. Let's say your burpees and situps are at Step 3, but your power snatches are still well at Step 1. In this case, you may want to push yourself super hard on the situps and burpees (to maximize your performance and results), but hold back, slow down, and concentrate hard (at light weight) for the power snatch.

Step 4: Volume
At Arena Ready, we program with the expectation that people will work out AT LEAST 3 and as many as 6 days per week. We believe that most people who CrossFit less than 3 days per week will fail to achieve meaningful results, will struggle to learn and properly execute the movements, and will likely not get sufficient volume. We believe that people who CrossFit more than 3 days in a row are likely to experience the symptoms of overtraining - insufficient recovery marked by consistent fatigue, susceptibility to injury, and declining performance. In between is a sweet spot of consistent improvement due to thoughtful training and recovery.

Many among us at Arena Ready are solidly in Steps 1-3, and that's fantastic. If you find yourself primarily in one of those steps, your goal should be to build your understanding of the mechanics, begin to consistently execute on them, and finally, to start pushing yourself by adding increasing levels of intensity to your workouts. Another way to measure your intensity besides how hard you feel you're working, is to check where your times/scores rank on the board, and at what level you typically perform workouts. For most people, working to be in the top half of scores consistently within the black or red level is all the fitness you need to meet your goals and win at life. That's awesome, and that's what we recommend for the majority of our clients: strive to perform all workouts at the red or black level with competitive times or scores, and be here 3-5 times per week consistently.

Some Arena Ready members are at a point where the above is true, and they are able to work out 5-6 times per week and still feel like they need or want more training in order to meet their goals of becoming competitive CrossFitters. This is the competitor group for whom we sometimes program extra strength, skill, or accessory WODs. If you are in (or want to be in) the competitor group, the above all remains true. Every element of all workouts should be performed with consistently good or excellent mechanics, and as fast as possible.

Finally, what are Gladiators class(es) all about? These classes are designed to prepare our Rx-level competitors for CrossFit competition. If you're an aspiring competitor not yet consistently at the black level, or even just a CrossFit fan, you're welcome to hang out and watch a session, and see what some of our top athletes can do! You may notice that some of our athletes go by their "Gladiator name" - as such, ALL Arena Ready members are encouraged to select Gladiator names independent of level. If you haven't already noticed, we love nicknames at AR! And we're all in this together after all, as the Arena is a metaphor for life, not just the CrossFit arena!

WOD for 06-14-17:

4 Rounds For Time:

400m Run

24 Overhead Walking Lunges w/Plate @ 45/35 lbs

6 Muscle-ups

-then-

Tabata:

Hollow Rocks

Jenny Morgan 6/12/17 Jenny Morgan 6/12/17

BTWB & Facebook: Get Dialed In!

We have a handful of new folks, and even some old vets, who have yet to start using BTWB, and who may not be connected with us via our private Facebook group. So it's about time for some friendly reminding & encouragement!

BTWB (Beyond The Whiteboard)

If you're a member at Arena Ready and you're not taking advantage of tracking your progress in Beyond The Whiteboard then get on it!

One of the coolest aspects of CrossFit training is that it's a measurable, observable, and repeatable means of increasing one's general fitness and physical preparedness. And utilizing BTWB as a tool to track your progress is crucial to realizing how far you've come, and how far you can still go! Please email us if you aren't already using BTWB so we can send you an invite to create your account.

We pay for the BTWB service so it's available at no cost to our members. There's also a mobile app included so you can log your results on your phone before you even leave the gym. When you joined the gym we had the BTWB system email you an invite (it should have arrived on the same day as your "Welcome to Arena Ready - Getting Started" email from me), but if for some reason you overlooked it just let us know and we can re-invite you.

AR Private Facebook Group

We often use the private Arena Ready Facebook group (this is separate from our public Arena Ready Facebook page) to communicate gym news, organize events, or just have fun posting things for our friends and fellow athletes & coaches. If you're not already in the group please contact us so we can add you.

WOD for 06-13-17:

"Khan"

10 Rounds of 1 Minute for Max Reps Lateral Bar Burpees:

8 Deadlifts @ 135/95 lbs

6 Hang Power Cleans

4 Front Squats

2 Push Jerks

...then, in the remaining time within the minute...

Max Reps Lateral Bar Burpees

(REST 1 Minute)

This workout is 1 minute of work, then 1 minute of rest for 10 rounds (20 total minutes). During each work minute the athlete must complete the reps for the four barbell movements then use any remaining time to complete as many lateral bar burpees as possible. Score is total number of lateral bar burpees.

(Compare to 03-14-16 and 08-05-15)

WOD for 06-13-17:

"Khan"

10 Rounds of 1 Minute for Max Reps Lateral Bar Burpees:

8 Deadlifts @ 135/95 lbs

6 Hang Power Cleans

4 Front Squats

2 Push Jerks

...then, in the remaining time within the minute...

Max Reps Lateral Bar Burpees

(REST 1 Minute)

(Compare to 03-14-16 and 08-05-15)

Jenny Morgan 6/11/17 Jenny Morgan 6/11/17

Jenny Captures Regionals

Check out the gallery of incredible images from Jenny captured during the 2017 CrossFit Games California Regional a few weeks ago. Amazing as always!

Click here for the full gallery.

We hope everyone had a great weekend!

WOD for 06-12-17:

2 Hang Squat Snatches + 1 Overhead Squat:

12 Minutes to Establish a Top Set (Heavier Than to Be Used Below)

-then-

2 Rounds For Time:

600m Run

21 Hang Squat Snatches @ 115/80 lbs

21 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

(Compare to 10-20-16)

Jenny Morgan 6/10/17 Jenny Morgan 6/10/17

Sweat The Small Stuff

Loving this blog from Coach Lisa titled "Sweat The Small Stuff" which she posted on her site yesterday as part of her regular "Fitness Friday" series. Thanks as always for sharing your insights with us, Lisa!

FITNESS FRIDAY: SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

It’s Friday and I’m so relieved. It’s been another really stressful week at work and to be honest, I’m tired. I slept about 8 hours for the first time yesterday for the first time in awhile. I’m not going to lie, it felt really good. Sleep is something I’ve had a hard time with. I don’t get enough of it, and I’ve worked hard to just get an average of 7 hours. For today’s Fitness Friday, I’m talking about how important it is to keep the details in mind. Details like sleep, mobility, post-workout stretching and more are so critical to our success.

So what exactly am I getting at? Think of the details I’m talking about as your plumbing or electricity in your house. You need it to keep your house functioning, and you rely on it every day. Conversely, when it goes out, it’s a catastrophe and a half. The small stuff that we sometimes tend to ignore during our workouts or work week is no different. If we forget to mobilize, stretch, drink enough water, or get enough sleep, our body can’t compensate fast enough.

Similarly, if there’s a small leak in the plumbing and it isn’t addressed, it can balloon up to a major problem later. The same goes for our pre and post-workout habits. If you’re not stretching or taking care of your body, all it takes is one bad stormy day to set you back. What I’ve found is that these things are cumulative in its effect. When I’m not able to get enough sleep, I’m stressed out as hell, and I’m running on fumes for a workout, that’s when I’m most prone to injury.

THE SMALL BUT MIGHTY DETAILS

It’s easy to forget about some of these small but mighty pieces of our fitness. My workout buddy Kim still has to remind me to stretch my ankle after class. But I mean it when I say that the devil is in the details and the details are important. Taking a few minutes to foam roll your low back after deadlifts, getting your pecs stretched after ring dips, or drinking some water after a long slog of a chipper is so important.

So for this weekend, hopefully you get around to reminding yourself about the little things. It can take a long time for habits to form, but I’m confident that you can do it. If I can do it, anyone can certainly do it as well! Happy Fitness Friday friends and have a wonderful weekend!

-Lisa G

Happy weekend, all!

WOD for 06-10-17:

"Be Mine"

With a Partner, For Time:

BUY-IN: 800m Run (TOGETHER)

then, BOTH partners complete...

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Deadlifts @ 225/155 lbs

Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

then

BUY-OUT: 800m Run (SPLIT)

Both partners must run together for the 800m buy-in, and the round of 10 deadlifts cannot start until both partners are in the door. Both partners must complete the 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 sequence, with one partner working at a time to complete a full round before the other partner starts their full round (e.g. Partner A performs 10 deadlifts and 10 burpee box jumps, then Partner B performs 10 deadlifts and 10 burpee box jumps). The 800m buy-out can be split in any fashion the team desires, and time is called when a total of 800m has been completed.

(Compare to 09-15-16 and 02-13-16)

Jenny Morgan 6/8/17 Jenny Morgan 6/8/17

Singles To Doubles

For those of you still working on your double unders, here's a video we've posted previously that may help your progress. Get those ropes ready for Friday - sorry folks, those double under workouts just won't go away, no matter how hard some of you wish they would!

WOD for 06-09-17:

Pause Front Squat:

3-3-3-3-3

(Week 4)

The pause is a full 3 seconds at the bottom, with no "bounce" following the pause. This is all about posture, balance, and upright position - so prioritize those three things over loading (no, you don't have to add to last week's load). Use a rack for these sets.

-then-

Against a 9-Minute Clock:

BUY-IN: 500m Run OR Row

... then, in the remaining time, AMRAP of...

9 Hang Squat Cleans @ 115/80 lbs

45 Double Unders

Jenny Morgan 6/7/17 Jenny Morgan 6/7/17

Throwback Thursday: Muscle-up Moments

Throwback to that time a couple years ago when Lindsay (AKA Coach Sparkle) smashed some muscle-ups in the Open, much to her coach's delight:

PS - BIG SHOUT OUT and CONGRATULATIONS to Sarah D for getting her first muscle-up AND her first bodyweight snatch ON THE SAME DAY recently! Even though you're currently three time zones away you'll always be Arena Ready... and your AR family is so excited that all your hard work paid off!

WOD for 06-08-17:

"Nate"

AMRAP 20 Minutes:

2 Muscle-ups

4 Handstand Push-ups

8 Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs

Jenny Morgan 6/6/17 Jenny Morgan 6/6/17

Row Pro: Meters Vs. Calories

Following last week's "Murph" WOD we had 4 of the last 5 days of programmed workouts in the sub-10 minute time domain. Thus for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week you're seeing a longer average time domain across the WODs - although the stimulus for each day is very different via the variance in movement domains, rep schemes, and loading. With back-to-back WODs including the concept of "rowing for calories" I thought it appropriate to share this article from the CrossFit Journal titled "Row Pro: Meters Vs. Calories" (click here for the entire free article).

Too lazy to read that much material? Then read this quick blog from Shane Farmer of Invictus/Dark Horse Rowing which briefly covers some of the same principles. Here's an excerpt:

The first question to answer is whether or not we row differently for calories versus other units. And the answer is no.

The most important part of rowing is that you are efficient and that you are able to connect to the machine. Speed comes from your ability to connect to the machine and not from any gimmick or change in technique. What you should strive for is to optimize your connection to the machine which will allow you to apply as much force, acceleration, and distance as possible...

... When the monitor is measuring for calories what it is actually measuring is calories per hour which correlates to power output which is measured in Watts.

Watts and calories per hour are related in a linear fashion meaning they move together. So when you row for calories you are rowing for power output.

If you wanted to move twice as fast as you were currently rowing, it would require eight times as much energy when rowing for watts or calories. This isn’t meant to scare you but to help you understand the relationship of what is required to go faster.

What this means is that to go that much faster there is an exponential increase in output needed, which reduces both time and the distance necessary to accomplish the required calories.

This concept also works in reverse though. So if you row too slowly, you are punished with an exponentially increasing amount of time and distance.

I like to simplify it all and think of it this way - when rowing for calories you're rewarded exponentially for going faster

WOD for 06-07-17:

Alternating EMOM For 4 Rounds (24 Minutes):

1) 20/16 Calorie Row

2) 40ft Single Dumbbell Goblet Walking Lunges (pick load)

3) 15 Burpees

4) 15 Toes-to-Bar

5) 200m Run

6) REST

Jenny Morgan 6/5/17 Jenny Morgan 6/5/17

Summer On-Boarding: June 11th & 18th

Arena Ready's Summer 2017 On-Boarding Series for newcomers starts on Sunday, June 11th!

Most of you who are members at Arena Ready know that we only on-board a small number of new athletes every few months as membership spaces become available (usually because a couple of existing members moved for a job/school/etc). We're lucky to have a community of members with a very high retention rate, and as such we have dozens and dozens of folks who have been with us for 3, 4, and even going on 5 years (from the very beginning!). This creates the sort of unique and welcoming atmosphere we have at the gym... a close knit family of like-minded people from all different walks of life, who support and encourage each other in the pursuit of getting better. While we receive inquiries nearly every day from new people looking to join Arena Ready, we keep the intake & on-boarding process deliberate in order to keep our membership at a constant number - putting us in that sweet spot of knowing everyone in the gym, and being able to coach each athlete in a personal manner that ultimately leads to real progress.

Our Summer 2017 On-Boarding Series starts on Sunday, June 11th, with the "Introduction to CrossFit" class and continues the following Sunday, June 18th, with the "Beginner's CrossFit" class. Both 90-minute classes are free, and the completion of both allows a prospective athlete to then select a membership and start taking group classes as a member at Arena Ready. Existing members who would like to sit-in on the first half of the "Introduction to CrossFit" class are also welcome to do so, as the first 45 minutes cover the methodology of CrossFit and our specific approach to the application of that methodology at Arena Ready (a great way to get a refresher on that info if it's been a while since you've given it any thought).

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

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

Thanks, and let us know if you have any questions!

WOD for 06-06-17:

"Mini Zeus"

3 Rounds For Time:

20 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft

20 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls @ 75/55 lbs

20 Box Jumps @ 20 in

20 Push Presses @ 75/55 lbs

20 Calorie Row

20 Push-ups

10 Back Squats @ Bodyweight

Use a rack for the back squats. No rack for the push presses. Box height is 20 inches for both men and women.

(Compare to 01-05-16)

Jenny Morgan 6/4/17 Jenny Morgan 6/4/17

A Look Back

A look back at a couple of last weekend's awesome Regional events - first, Cassie in Event 4 showing some smart strategy/pacing and blazing fast handstand walking (and almost catching Lindsey Valenzuela at the finish!):

And Sarah in Event 6 hitting the gas pedal and not letting off of it:

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

WOD for 06-05-17:

3-Position Power Snatch (hip, knees, floor):

5 Sets of (1+1+1)

Climbing as technique allows

-then-

For Time:

20 Power Snatches @ 115/80 lbs

20 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

20 Thrusters

10 Power Snatches

10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

10 Thrusters

5 Power Snatches

5 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

5 Thrusters

Jenny Morgan 6/2/17 Jenny Morgan 6/2/17

Sweaty Saturday Team WOD

Happy weekend, all!

WOD for 06-03-17:

In Teams of Three Athletes...

For Time:

BUY-IN: 1000m Run TOGETHER

... then, SPLIT with one athlete working at a time...

1500m Row

100 Burpees Over Rower

100 Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs

50 Push Jerks

All three athletes run the 1000m buy-in TOGETHER, then SPLIT the remaining movements thereafter with only one person working at a time. The first athlete finished on the run may start the row immediately, and does not have to wait for the other two athletes - however, burpees, power cleans, and push jerks cannot start until the preceding movement is completed. Split reps may be shared in any fashion (does NOT have to be equal).