Workout of the Day
New Year. Old Stuff.
Count this as Year Six in my promise to never hit you with a "New Year. New You!" blog post.
But I will give you a "New Year. Old Stuff." post which shall serve as a reminder that the growing pile of forgotten belongings in our Lost & Found bin deserves some 2018 love and consideration. Make sure to take a peak and check out what's in there to confirm that none of it is yours. Anything near the Lost & Found bin that is clearly marked and/or sorted in bags is likely there for pick-up by a specific person (e.g. for Lavinia's kiddos at her school program), so leave those be, por favor.
Anything not claimed by the end of next week will be sent for donation. Or perhaps claimed by one of the in-house athletes (who shall not be named) who have been eyeing specific items in the bin and asking me for weeks to please post about the Lost & Found because OMG that awesome (fill in the blank) has been in there for like 4 months and IT DESERVES SOMEONE'S AFFECTION.
WOD For 01-03-18:
AMRAP 15 Minutes:
3 Strict Ring Dips
6 Burpee Box Jumps @ 30/24 in
9 Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs
-then-
Tabata:
Medicine Ball Sit-ups
Bring on 2018!
Heading into 2018 with my #swolemates by my side like...
Bring it on, AR Family!
WOD For 01-02-18:
Strict Press (Cycle 2, Week 1):
***Add 5 lbs to your Cycle 1 "Base" weight for your Cycle 2 "Base" weight, then...
65% x 5
75% x 5
85% x 5+ (AKA "Max Effort" or "as many reps as you can safely perform")
-then-
Front Squat:
5-5-5-5-5
Climbing
-then-
Row Capacity Test:
3 Minutes For Max Calories
(Compare to 06-19-15)
The Chief: A Brief History
Please note our Holiday Schedule (click here for details).
New Year's Eve Track Day WOD With Coach Kim!
Missed the last Track Session with Coach Kim and want to get your aerobic capacity work on?! Get down to the track on Sunday morning at 9:00am with some of your AR buddies and get your New Year's Eve workout on!
Check Kim's weekly post in the private Arena Ready Facebook group here for details, or message one of us coaches and we can get you the details!
One of the last of our Arena Ready Holiday Traditions - "The Chief"...
One of the coolest parts about CrossFit is that its workouts, and your personal results, are measurable, observable, and repeatable. So once you've performed a WOD more than once you're able to look back and see how much better (i.e. fitter) you've become - either you went faster, used more weight, or achieved more rounds/reps. It's not an anecdotal measure of your fitness level (e.g. "I think my pants look sexier on me this month" or "I'm pretty sure my abs look better now in the right light"), but actual data that supports your increased work capacity. And sometimes, in the midst of all that nerdy exercise data, you weave a little story around certain WODs that just hold a special place in your heart.
If you've been a member at Arena Ready for a while you knew it was coming... "The Chief." We do this WOD every year at this time because it's one of my favorite workouts of all time, and since Jan 1st is my birthday it has become somewhat of a "Rob's pre-birthday tradition" at AR. We also ran this WOD on my (and Sarah's) wedding day in 2013, and a few other times over the last 5+ years (we're good for it once or twice a year, haha).
The WOD itself is a spicy one - it has pulling, pushing, and squatting all included... and the rep scheme and work/rest ratio allow you to keep moving at a pretty fast pace for a fairly long (by CrossFit standards) period of time.
The first time I did this WOD about eight years ago I remember getting 16 total rounds, laying out on the floor in exhaustion after the final cycle, and thinking there was no way I could ever move any faster. About thirty minutes later I watched Big Tony casually get 32 rounds (exactly double my score) and I thought surely he wasn't human. Since then I think I've done the workout at least ten more times, and my goal for the WOD has evolved over the years. Initially the gold standard of 20 rounds was what I wanted... after I hit that I aimed for 25 rounds... and after I made that goal I set my sights on 30 rounds, thinking it would be awesome but would probably never happen. In 2014 I hit 29+ rounds twice and was SO CLOSE to the seemingly impossible (for me) goal of 30, and that's when I decided it HAD to happen in my lifetime. New Year's Eve 2015 and 2016 was also just short of 30 rounds for me.
Since I'm currently four weeks post-hip surgery I won't be able to chase the 30-round mark this weekend, but trust me when I say that my quest will continue into 2018 - and once I'm back to full speed I'll give it another go with you all (i.e we'll program it again at some point during 2018 before New Years).
Either way, I turn 40 on Monday and I ask all of you to come in on Saturday to do the WOD I have come to love (& hate) over the years - the one WOD I continue to measure myself against above nearly all others... "The Chief."
After "The Chief" on our wedding day in September 2013
WOD For 12-30-17:
"The Chief"
Five 3-Minute Cycles For Max Rounds:
3 Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs
6 Push-ups
9 Air Squats
Each cycle is 3 minutes or work, and there is 1 minute of rest between cycles. We will score this continuously, keeping one running count for total rounds, because that's how I like to do it (and it's how we've always done it) and it's my birthday. So, in the end, your score is one number of total rounds + reps completed.
(Compare to 12-31-16, 12-31-15, 12-31-14, 06-30-14, 12-31-13, 09-28-13, 06-18-13 and 12-31-12)
Deadlift Cycle 2 Begins!
Keep the additions to your Cycle 1 "base" weight (the weight you used to calculate your percentages for the last four weeks) reasonable! We recommend +5 lbs if your base was under 200 lbs or +10 lbs if your base was over 200 lbs. After the addition use that new Cycle 2 "base" weight for your calculations.
Enjoy!
Please note our Holiday Schedule (click here for details).
WOD For 12-29-17:
Deadlift (Cycle 2, Week 1):
***If your "Base" weight from Cycle 1 was UNDER 200 lbs then add 5 lbs for your Cycle 2 "Base"
***If your "Base" weight from Cycle 1 was OVER 200 lbs then add 10 lbs for your Cycle 2 "Base"
65% x 5
75% x 5
85% x 5+ (AKA "Max Effort" or "as many reps as you can safely perform")
-then-
For Time:
8-6-4-2
Ring Muscle-ups
40-30-20-10
Double Unders
AbMat Sit-ups
That Moment When...
... you just finished a tough partner AMRAP and you start realize that you might have been sprinting a little harder than everyone else at the end.
(Cue the golf clap)
Please note our Holiday Schedule (click here for details).
WOD For 12-28-17:
With a Partner, On a Running Clock...
A) From 0:00 - 17:00
AMRAP 17 Minutes:
50 Calorie Row*
40 Front Rack Barbell Lunges @ 95/65 lbs (alternate sides)
30 Lateral Burpees Over Barbell (step-over allowed)
20 Toes-to-Bar
*Row Calories per round are modified as follows:
Male-Male Pairs = 50 Calories
Male-Female Pairs = 42 Calories
Female-Female Pairs = 35 Calories
*Only one athlete working at a time, and reps do NOT have to split evenly.
B) From 20:00 - 30:00
Back Squat:
10 Minutes for BOTH Partners to Establish a Heavy DOUBLE For Today (NOT a 2RM)
*Partners use the same rack & barbell - clips/collars must be used for every set.
*If possible with GOOD TECHNIQUE and NO MISSES, add to your heavy triple from last week (12-20-17).
C) At 30:00
NOT For Time:
400m EASY Cool Down Jog
*Both partners run 400m simultaneously.
What Makes Muscles Grow?
WOD For 12-27-17:
Against a 16-Minute Clock:
BUY-IN...
1000m Run
50 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
25 Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs
THEN, in the remaining time AMRAP of...
10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
10 Hang Squat Snatches @ 115/80 lbs
-then-
Tabata:
Medicine Ball Russian Twists (pick load)
The Tabata interval is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times (for a total of 4 minutes). Your score is the lowest rep round completed.
A Post Christmas Double Dose For Max Pounds!
Please note our Holiday Schedule (click here for details).
We hope you all had a great holiday weekend!
WOD For 12-26-17:
Strict Press (Cycle 1, Week 4 - "Deload Week"):
Using 90% of your top lift from 11-29-17 or 11-23-17 as your "base" weight...
40% x 5
50% x 5
60% x 5
Just like with the deadlifts on Friday, this is very, very light. In fact, we won't even use the racks (just power or muscle clean the bar from the floor). That's what a "deload week" means... enjoy it before the weights go up next week for Cycle 2.
-then-
A) Against a 4-Minute Clock For MAX POUNDS LIFTED:
33/25 Calorie Row
33 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
MAX Power Cleans @ "You Choose The Weight"
... REST 4 MINUTES, THEN...
B) REPEAT!!!
The Arena Ready "Twelve Days of CrossFit" WOD
Please note our Holiday Schedule (click here for details)!
The AR 12 Days of CrossFit
As many of you were expecting per our yearly tradition, here is our version of the "12 Days of CrossFit" - complete with tons of snatches and cleans (what else would you expect from an Arena Ready holiday WOD?). Enjoy!
Coach Kim's Christmas Eve Track Workout!
Join Kim and some of your other Arena Ready buddies for a Christmas Eve track workout on Sunday at 9:00am. Click here for the details she posted on the private Arena Ready Facebook group!
An awesome card we received from Lisa G a few holiday seasons ago - it fits the theme of Saturday's WOD so well. Thank you, Lisa!
WOD FOR 12-23-17:
"The Arena Ready Twelve Days of CrossFit"
For Time, Performed Like The Song*:
1 Run @ 200m
2 Power Snatches @ 135/95 lbs
3 Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs
4 Handstand Push-ups
5 Kettlebell Swings @ 53/35 lbs
6 Box Jumps @ 30/24 in
7 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
8 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
9 Double Unders
10 Pistols, alternating
11 Burpees
12 Thrusters @ 135/95 lbs
This workout is completed like the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Start with 1, then complete 2-1, then 3-2-1, then 4-3-2-1, etc. until reaching 12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.
(Compare to 12-24-16, 12-24-15, 12-24-14, 12-24-13, and 12-24-12)
Holiday Week Schedule
Please note our Holiday Week class schedule for the period between December 23rd through January 2nd:
Saturday, December 23rd:
Normal Saturday Class Schedule (Annual "AR's 12 Days of CrossFit" Holiday WOD)
Sunday, December 24th & Monday, December 25th (Christmas Eve & Christmas Day):
Gym Closed
Tuesday, December 26th through Friday December, 29th:
CrossFit classes at 7am, 12pm, 4pm, 5pm
Saturday, December 30th:
Normal Saturday Class Schedule (Annual "The Chief" Holiday WOD)
Sunday, December 31st & Monday, January 1st (New Year's Eve & New Year's Day):
Gym Closed
Tuesday, January 2nd:
Normal Class Schedule Resumes
Please let us know if you have any questions. Happy Holidays, all!
WOD For 12-22-17:
With a Partner (Or Two Partners) On a Running Clock...
A) From 0:00 - 10:00
Deadlift (Cycle 1, Week 4 "Deload Week"):
Using 90% of your top lift from 11-25-17 or 02-02-17 as your "base" weight...
40% x 5
50% x 5
60% x 5
Yup, that's it. It's light. Really light, in fact. That's what a "deload week" means... enjoy it before the weights go up next week for Cycle 2.
B) From 10:00 - 37:00
For Load and Total Calories:
10-8-6-4-2
Bench Press, "climbing"
*Follow each bench press set with 1 Minute MAX Row Calories (for a total of five 1-min row sets).
*Rest as needed between sets (but keep your eyes on the clock lest you run out of time to complete the five full sets).
*Record bench press loading used and calories rowed.
TBT: Clean Ladder at SPS
John Konye put together a cool "vlog" earlier this year covering the awesome STRONG women's clean ladder at SPS Gym in Oakland. This clean ladder included the same weight increments that were used in the 2012 CrossFit Games Women's Clean Ladder, and they even had Elisabeth Akinwale in the house (the athlete who won that event in 2012) to run the ladder along with Coach Sarah, Coach Hillary, Cassie, and some of our other strong friends from the area.
Check it out for some good footage of Cassie, Hill, and Sarah!
WOD For 12-21-17:
1 Power Snatch + 2 Hang Power Snatches:
5 Sets of (1+2)
Climbing as technique allows
-then-
3 Rounds For Time:
400m Run
15 Toes-to-Bar
10 Hang Power Snatches @115/80 lbs
Functional Fitness Realized
During Saturday's holiday party someone astutely said to me, "I don't think I've ever seen so many successful attempts at the Bottle Game without the bottom partner eating a face full of floor."
To which I replied, "Weighted Plank Holds."
I then proceeded to drop my crutch and walk away. Boom.
WOD For 12-20-17:
With a Partner, On a Running Clock...
A) From 0:00 - 15:00
AMRAP 15 Minutes:
50 Calorie Row*
50 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
100 Double Unders
*Row Calories per round are modified as follows:
Male-Male Pairs = 50 Calories
Male-Female Pairs = 42 Calories
Female-Female Pairs = 35 Calories
*Only one athlete working at a time, and reps do NOT have to split evenly. Can your team start out hot and hold on for three full rounds (or more)?
B) From 18:00 - 28:00
Back Squat:
10 Minutes for BOTH Partners to Establish a Heavy Triple For Today (NOT a 3RM)
Partners use the same rack and barbell for the squats. Clips/collars must be used for every set.
C) From 31:00 - 37:00
Weighted Plank Hold:
3 x 0:45 Seconds (Rest 1:15 Between Efforts)
2018 AR Holiday Party Bottle Game dominance starts now.
Thruster Fallout
That feeling you get when there are thrusters programmed into the WOD (like on Monday) and someone next to you says, "I actually LIKE doing thrusters!"
WOD For 12-19-17:
Strict Press (Cycle 1, Week 3):
Using 90% of your top lift from 11-29-17 or 11-23-17 as your "base" weight...
75% x 5
85% x 3
95% x 1+ (AKA "Max Effort" or "as many reps as you can safely perform")
For example, if you lifted 100 lbs on 11-29-17 then use 90% of that (90 lbs) as your "base" weight:
75% x 90 lbs = 68 lbs x 5 reps
85% x 90 lbs = 77 lbs x 3 reps
95% x 90 lbs = 86 lbs x 1+ reps ("Max Effort" or "as many as you can safely perform")
-then-
AMRAP 13 Minutes:
27 Walking Lunges
21 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
15 Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs
9 Strict Handstand Push-ups