Workout of the Day
"Sweaty Saturday Team Special" and Coach Lisa on Being Better Than Yesterday
Coach Lisa wrote another great piece on her blog (as part of her on-going Fitness Friday series) titled "Better Than Yesterday" - check it out on her site by clicking the link (we've also included it below).
Thanks for sharing all your thoughts and perspective, Lisa! it's inspiring to hear about how you've dealt with the comeback from serious injuries (sustained prior to your AR days, thankfully) and less serious set-backs alike. Hopefully these lessons can help other athletes looking to come back fitter and better, little by little, each day.
FITNESS FRIDAY: BETTER THAN YESTERDAY
For today’s Fitness Friday, I’m talking about injury recovery (again). We all know that injuries suck. They beat us up both physically and mentally, and we work hard to overcome them. I’ve had a number of both large and small injuries, and each time the hurdles get higher. One of the things I beat myself up over while I’m recovering is comparing my current progress against my pre-injury levels and numbers. As I was recovering from back surgery, I would get down on myself. I’d get depressed if I couldn’t hit the same numbers before my procedure.
It sounds crazy right? If it were any one of my athletes in class, I’d tell them they’re crazy for wanting to make that comparison. But when it comes to myself, it’s so easy to forget. I recently was front squatting and was a little down on myself for not reaching the weight I wanted. I sort of beat myself up for it, and spent time thinking about what went wrong. What I took away from it was that I should be really proud of what I did.
I’ve had to hurdle this ankle injury that’s lingered on since the Open. And even today, I can’t say that it’s completely 100% healed. Over the last few months, there were a few weeks where I could hardly walk on it. And even after being able to walk, I could barely do an air squat. So to front squat a weight that hovered around my one rep max that was sent earlier this year is pretty damn impressive.
THAT “A-HA” MOMENT
The same goes for my friends who recently had shoulder surgeries. Two of my friends were disappointed they were unable to do high volume handstand push-ups or pressed a weight significantly less than what they had done before. As they started to go down the path of being sad, I said , “Say it with me out loud, ‘You had surgery where they cut you open and had to structurally fix you.'” Their reaction was, “Oh, well when you put it that way, I guess that’s pretty good!” Exactly!
The point is, we’re working on being better than yesterday. Past PRs, things that we were able to do once are great things to aim for. But if we’re coming back from something that physically challenges us, getting better than yesterday is really the first step forward. Getting caught up in the ghosts of our past isn’t worth revisiting. In some cases, the habits or steps we took to reach those PRs may have ultimately led to the injury that was sustained. So for this weekend, hopefully you’re able to put your best foot forward and be better than yesterday. Happy Fitness Friday!
WOD FOR 07-29-17:
In Teams of THREE Athletes...
AMRAP 30 Minutes:
12 Calorie Row
12 Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs
12 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
12 Lateral Bar Burpees
Only one athlete working at a time. Each athlete sprints through ONE FULL ROUND then switches to the next teammate. The next athlete may start the row once the previous athlete completes his/her final lateral bar burpee (tagging hands is not required).
And yes, we will of course scale loading and reps to maintain the intended stimulus for ALL levels. Another way of saying this is "if you choose to go heavier and/or Rx on reps but are not capable of sprinting through the four movements at a fast pace with good technique, then you will look like the struggle bus that everyone else is waiting on."
Enjoy!
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Friday "Tempo Back Squats"
How'd y'all like the ol' smoke-and-mirrors routine that got a lot of you to a PR or near-PR front squat single "out of nowhere" on Tuesday (even with all the volume and down sets)?
Huh.
Hopefully you scaled appropriately on Thursday's light-ish deadlifts so that your tempo session on Friday is fruitful. Happy Friday, friends!
WOD FOR 07-28-17:
2-2-2-2 @ 30X3
Climbing. If possible add to last week's 3s. Once the weight is challenging consider that your first work set of four.
For an explanation of the tempo notation click the "Tempo Back Squat" link above to be directed to the appropriate blog post.
-then-
3 Rounds of 0:45 ON / 0:15 OFF For Max Reps (12 Total Minutes):
Toes-to-Bar
Double Unders
Hand Release Push-ups
REST
Score this workout by total reps completed for all three movements. Record your reps for each movement during your rest period, which is 1:15 total rest between rounds.
Thursday "Light Deads"
Looks so simple, how bad could it be?
WOD For 07-27-17:
3 Rounds For Time:
20 Calorie Row
30 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
20 Deadlifts @ 185/135 lbs
30 Walking Lunges
-then-
Tabata:
Hollow Rocks
Wednesday "Running Clock" WOD
Do more during your hour in the gym than most people do all week. Boom.
WOD For 07-26-17:
On a Running Clock...
A) From 0:00 - 12:00
Hang Power Clean:
12 Minutes To Establish a Heavy Double
B) From 15:00 - 27:00
AMRAP 12 Minutes:
15 Lateral Bar Burpees
12 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
9 Hang Power Cleans @ 155/110 lbs
C) From 30:00 - 36:00
Weighted Plank Hold:
3 x 0:45 (Rest 1:00 Between Efforts)
Add to last week 07-20-17 if possible
Tuesday "Heavy Day"
Enjoy!
WOD for 07-25-17:
Strict Press:
5-5-3-3-1-1-1
Use the rep scheme to build to a heavy single for today.
-then-
Front Squat:
1-3-1-5-1-7
The goal is three heavy singles, each followed by a “down set” of multiple (and ascending) repetitions. The athlete should build to their first single with 3-4 warm-up sets, and then once the first single is taken there should be no “in-between” or “test” sets during the SIX total work sets. Since this type of session requires the athlete to “go by feel” some will inevitably ask for advice on loading - here is a rough idea of what a typical progression might look like for someone who squats approximately 250 lbs as a 1RM (keeping in mind that athletes will vary!):
Empty Bar + Three to Four Warm-up Sets, then…
1 @ 225 lbs
3 @ 205 lbs
1 @ 235 lbs
5 @ 200 lbs
1 @ 240 lbs
7 @ 195 lbs
Keep your rest strict at approx 1:30 - 2:00 between sets. There is no “rule” about the singles going up or down in weight, and the same goes for the sets of 3, 5, and 7 (they can go slightly up, go slightly down, or stay the same) - it all depends on the individual athlete and how they feel today. Take what’s there today, come back tomorrow.
(Compare to 09-21-16)
Lisbeth Darsh's Words & AR Blog "Inside Voice"
I loved what Lisbeth Darsh wrote about recently when reflecting on Chester Bennington and her early experiences with CrossFit. I was never a big fan of Linkin Park but having started CrossFit in 2009 I can recall some of the same feelings she describes, as I remember gyms playing "Bleed It Out" like it was on repeat (this was before I could dictate the playlist during my own workouts):
"Bennington’s singing has always felt athletic, determined, wildly urgent."
That's exactly how it felt. I think for a good year or two in the early glory days of CrossFit -- 2008/2009 -- I played "Bleed It Out" every time we did "Fran" (and we did Fran waaaaay too many times back then).
But it was exhilarating. Here was this thing that people feared, this workout that combined things with an intensity that scared people, even those of us doing it. Who knew that such discontent lived in our souls and could bleed into those barbells and pull-up bars? But the glorious thing was not our admittance or expression of pain, but that we were willing to go somewhere not nice inside of ourselves and live through it ... and then use that knowledge to improve not just our fitness, but ourselves as human beings. And in our rising as individuals, many of us somehow managed to help everyone around us. I can only speak for myself, but what I learned in that pain made me in a new way and I think others made themselves anew as well.
To this day, just hearing that opening riff of "Bleed It Out" makes me a Pavlovian CrossFit dog of some sort, eager to grab a barbell, start those thrusters, and dive deep into the well of pain for few minutes, and then emerge on the other side, hacking and humbled and full of a hard-won knowledge that helps me to live another day.
R.I.P., Chester Bennington, your music influenced more people than you ever knew.
-Lisbeth Darsh
The AR blog will take a bit of a quieter tone over the next several days while Sarah and I are away in Colorado. Not to worry, the daily WOD will still be posted as usual so you can see what's in store for you at the gym - and our team of amazing coaches will be holding down the fort in style. Consider it as the blog using its "inside voice" for a little while ;-).
Hope you all had a great weekend!
WOD for 07-24-17:
2 Power Snatches + 1 Overhead Squat:
5 Sets of (2+1)
Climbing as technique allows
-then-
AMRAP 8 Minutes:
21 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
12 Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs
(Compare to 10-14-16)
Sweaty Saturday: The Summer of The Erg
Happy weekend, friends!
WOD for 07-22-17:
In Teams of THREE Athletes, AMRAP 22 Minutes:
Athletes A and B Complete The Chipper of:
50 Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs
50 Burpee Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 in
50 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
50 Burpee Box Jump Overs
50 Kettlebell Swings
-while-
Athlete C Completes:
25/20 Calorie Row
*One athlete MUST always be rowing, and MUST always switch after 25/20 calories. Reps for the chipper may be split in any fashion with only one person working at a time (does not have to be equally split).
*Every calorie on the rower equals one rep added to the team's score from the chipper. Score for the workout is sum of the chipper reps plus the total calories rowed.
Saturday Classes: Gap Times (and Adjusted Class Start Times)
Last Saturday's "gap times" (15 minutes between classes) seemed to work quite well, so we're continuing the schedule for this Saturday's classes as well (class start times will be 8:00am, 9:15am, 10:30am, and 11:45am for Gladiators).
The feedback has been all positive thus far, and the gap time seemed to help with ease of parking for our athletes, and for organizing the groups for our coaches. I think the next phase of experimentation with gap times will be coming in the next few weeks to the evening and/or morning weekday classes as well - so stay tuned, and as always please let us know if you have any questions or feedback regarding the topic.
Thanks!
WOD for 07-21-17:
3-3-3-3 @ 30X3
Climbing. If possible add to last week's 4s.
For an explanation of the tempo notation click the "Tempo Back Squat" link above to be directed to the appropriate blog post.
-then-
For Time:
21-15-9
Hang Squat Cleans @ 135/95 lbs
Handstand Push-ups
Welp, See You Later!
Summer feels like it's in full swing and we've had three energetic, well-attended days of training so far this week. It's been awesome to have so many folks in the gym getting after it with full force, and the place has been hoppin' for sure. So it begs the question... after reading what's below, shall we plan on seeing you on Friday?
Remember that showing up on the days you wish you could skip (assuming your body feels OK) is exactly how you get better. Plus, look at how much fun Coach Lisa is having in this picture...
WOD for 07-20-17:
Row Technique:
Skills & Drills
-then-
Row Intervals:
5 x 500m
Start every 5 minutes.
Each interval is for time.
Note your delta between the fastest and slowest intervals.
-then-
Weighted Plank Hold:
3 x 0:45 (Rest 1:00 Between Efforts)
Add to last week 07-10-17 if possible.
A Chipper-Style AMRAP & The Fight For The 12-Pound Ball
This one's going to feel a little "Open-like" for many of us. Enjoy your mid-week mash-up of fitness!
WOD for 07-19-17:
"Angela's AMRAP: Fight Over The 12-Pound Ball"
AMRAP 15 Minutes:
5 Ring Muscle-ups
10 Deadlifts @ 255/175 lbs
20 Toes-to-Bar
40 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
80 Double Unders
Oh The Joys of Gym Mysteries
Unlike the GREAT ARENA READY HOLIDAY MYSTERY OF 2016 I think this gym caper has been solved rather quickly. Well played, devoted morning athlete... well played indeed.
WOD for 07-18-17:
3-Position Power Snatch (high hang, knees, floor):
5 Sets of (1+1+1)
Climbing as technique allows
-then-
With a Partner For Time:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Hang Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs
Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
Only one athlete working at a time. Partner A completes one full round of the couplet (e.g. 10 hang power snatches & 10 box jumps), partners tag hands, then Partner B completes one full round of the couplet (e.g. 10 hang power snatches & 10 box jumps).
Federer: The GOAT?
This past weekend Roger Federer won his 8th Wimbledon title, which was also his 19th career Grand Slam tournament win. He did this at the (over?) ripe age of 35. It's quite simply an amazing accomplishment near the end of an incredible athletic career - one that must be considered among the best bodies of achievement in any major sport.
As a former tennis player I sometimes get asked questions about the game and about current-era players - and it's always fun to chat about a world that I was once so immersed in for much of my life. Tennis, like many other sports (particularly individual ones), often has constant discussion and debate surrounding who is the best player ever... or as it's sometimes put the "GOAT" (greatest of all time). As someone who doesn't necessarily consider himself a Roger Federer fan per se, I have a hard time denying that he's the best ever. He's just that good, and has been so for such a long time. In fact, earlier this year when he won the Australian Open I made the following post on my Facebook wall:
When someone tells me that Roger Federer is not the greatest tennis player of all time, I ask who they think is. The only acceptable answers are:
Serena Williams
Martina Navratilova
Steffi Graf
If they say Jimmy Connors I vow to never speak to them again.
I still stand by that statement, and with this latest Wimbledon win I think maybe a few others who may have been on the fence now agree with me. Anyone out there disagree? Happy to banter about it with anyone who's interested, but don't even start with that Rod Laver talk, LOL...
WOD for 07-17-17:
Alternating EMOM For 4 Rounds (12 Total Minutes):
Minute 1: 3 Clusters, climbing in load
Minute 2: 3 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups / 6 Push-ups / 9 Air Squats
Minute 3: 12/9 Calorie Row, climbing in pace
-then-
Against a 12-Minute Clock For MAX REPS:
32/24 Calorie Row
8 Rounds of "Chest-to-Bar Cindy"
MAX REPS Clusters @ 115/80 lbs
ONE round of "Chest-to-Bar Cindy" is:
5 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Air Squats