Workout of the Day
Looking Back: Arena Ready 15.2
Register for the 2018 Open at Arena Ready - click here for more info!
Here's a look back at Open 15.2 thanks to Brian C...
WOD For 02-14-18:
Clean & Jerk
15 minutes to build up to a heavy single
-then-
CrossFit Open 13.4
AMRAP 7 MInutes:
3-3-6-6-9-9-12-12, etc.
Clean & Jerk 135/95 lbs.
Toes-to-bar
Looking back: Arena Ready Open 15.1
The Open can be a pretty magical time - besides being a time to test your fitness, how far you've come, and whether you've practiced enough to have developed a particular skill, it's also a time to cheer for your friends, and to take a moment to admire each others' progress instead of simply working out side by side.
To help make this point, we'll be revisiting the videos the awesome Brian Campbell made in 2015 and 2016 to document this incredible experience. Please join us in taking this walk down memory lane!
WOD for 02-13-18:
Strict Press (Cycle 3, Week 3 - 1RM TEST DAY):
***Add 2.5 to 5 lbs to your Cycle 2 "Base" weight for your Cycle 3 "Base"
75% x 5
85% x 3
95% x 1
.... if form is solid, a recommended progression from there is...
100% x 1
105% x 1
110% x 1
-then-
4 Rounds for Time (18 Minute Cap):
21/15 Calorie Row OR 15/11 Calorie Assault Bike
15 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls @ 95/65 lbs
9 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
For Five Consecutive Saturdays Starting Feb 24th: The Open at Arena Ready!
Are you IN THE OPEN at Arena Ready?!
Starting on Saturday, February 24th - and for five consecutive Saturdays - our daily WOD will be the current week's CrossFit Games Worldwide Open workout (for those of you who have done The Open at AR previously you know the drill). On Saturday, February 24th we will do "Open Workout 18.1"... whatever that may be (we shall find out on Thursday, February 22rd 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 all Saturday morning 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 (or even on Sundays) during those five weeks anyway you may as well sign-up and officially participate in the fun!
It's ten days before the first workout ("18.1") 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 your affiliate and Arena Ready as 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!
As always, please let us know if you have any questions.
WOD For 02-12-18:
Back Squat:
2-4-8-4-2
Work up fairly quickly to a heavy set of 2, then climb in weight on the 4 and the 8. When going back down the ladder to 4 and 2 see if you're able to use a slightly heavier load than the previous 4 and 2.
Yes, we did this 3 weeks ago. Feel good? Then go up a bit from that last session. Not so much? Then use the same loading as you did previously or go by feel through the progression. Either is fine today.
-then-
"Helen"
3 Rounds For Time:
400m Run
21 Kettlebell Swings @ 53/35 lbs
12 Pull-ups
(Compare to 03-19-15, 08-05-14, and 02-22-14)
The classic benchmark WOD "Helen" is as elegant, simple, and effective as it gets. It's easy to want to scale up (heavier KB, make the pull-ups C2B, etc.), and at times we have certainly played with variations of this proven staple. But the beauty of "Helen" as written is that once you're reasonably fit and can do the KBS and PUs unbroken, then the only way to shave seconds off of your PR time is to run so fast it hurts (AKA much faster than you probably want to).
***The astute exercisers among us (and there are lots of you in this community LOL) will notice a slight drop in total/overall volume this week. Yes, we are giving you a bit of a "de-load" prior to the start of the Open, so you can go into next week feeling strong and fresh. Do not, however, confuse this volume decrease as it being an "easy" week -- you'll have plenty of opportunities to chase intensity (see "Helen" above as a good example), which is where all the magic happens anyhow.
More Math, More Fitness (and Register For The Open)
Saturday's WOD is going to require a lot of fitness, teamwork, communication, and arithmetic skillz (with a "Z" yo). So as not to distract everyone with a long Open propaganda post I'll keep it simple and just leave this right here:
WOD For 02-10-18:
"More MATH, More Fitness"
In Teams of THREE, For TOTAL Time:
BUY-IN: 100 Calorie Row (FMM Teams = 90 Cal / FFM = 80 Cal / FFF = 70 Cal)
... then...
A) 30 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft (EACH ATHLETE COMPLETES 3 ROUNDS)
B) Max Reps Toes-to-Bar
C) Max Reps Hang Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs
One person working at a time on the row, and calories do NOT have to be split evenly.
Once the row is completed, Athlete A completes 30 wall balls while Athlete B performs max reps of toes-to-bar and Athlete C completes max reps of hang power cleans. Once Athlete A is done with 30 reps of wall balls everyone rotates as such:
A > B, B > C, C > A
Continue until ALL THREE ATHLETES HAVE COMPLETED 3 ROUNDS OF 30 WALL BALLS, at which point time is called.
The team must continuously count the total reps of toes-to-bar and hang power cleans through the entire workout. Each rep of toes-to-bar and hang power cleans counts as one second SUBTRACTED from the team's time to complete the workout - this "adjusted" time is the team's official score.
So... go fast, do lots of reps, and be good at math. Easy, right?
(I'm not sure I'm even going to attempt to put this one into BTWB for scoring... LOL)
Got Dubs? RPM Speed Ropes Now at Sports Basement
On Thursday we hit some double unders, like we do nearly every week, and it was clear to the coaches that many folks were either making some real progress on the skill -- or at least starting to get the movement down a bit more consistently. So good work, friends!
If you're registered (or are planning on registering) for the 2018 Open at Arena Ready you're probably going to be up against some double unders at some point -- and you should really register because we're going to keep promoting The Open for the next two weeks almost non-stop LOL (not to mention the the now infamous "AR in-house tap proxy & vote" at stake this year). Just in time for 18.1 et al the good folks at RPM have now made the RPM Speed Rope available for purchase at Sports Basement:
We're also going to be giving away an RPM Speed Rope as a prize to one lucky Arena Ready athlete during the Open, but (of course) you must be entered to be eligible! If you workout on Saturdays (and/or Sundays) at AR you may as well register now since that will be the WOD for five consecutive Saturdays starting on Feb 24th!
Don't forget to select Arena Ready as both your affiliate AND your team when registering.
Happy Friday! Let's pull some PRs off the floor, shall we?!
WOD For 02-09-18:
Deadlift (Test Day):
Using your Cycle 3 Base...
75% x 5
85% x 3
95% x 1
... If your technique looks solid and you're feeling good, then here's a suggested progression toward a new 1-Rep Max...
100% x 1, 105% x 1, 110% x 1
Be smart & confident, keep your movement clean, and trust your training (assuming you've been here consistently) -- BUT don't get greedy. The weights will be here tomorrow - will you be?
-then-
With a Partner For Time:
800m Run TOGETHER
800m Row SHARED
40 Burpees Over The Rower SHARED
600m Run TOGETHER
600m Row SHARED
30 Burpees Over The Rower SHARED
400m Run TOGETHER
400m Row SHARED
20 Burpees Over The Rower SHARED
The first athlete in the door from each run may start the row immediately. Teams may share/split the row and burpees in any fashion and do not have to split them evenly.
Wife Carrying World Championships
Med ball runs and lunges, overhead KB carries, and KB farmer's carries... what the heck are we training for?!
WOD For 02-08-18:
4 Rounds For QUALITY:
3 Strict Muscle-ups
3 Strict Ring Dips
80ft Single Kettlebell Overhead Carry @ pick load (if in doubt go light & do it right!)
-then-
4 Rounds For TIME:
100m Double Kettlebell Farmer's Carry @ pick load "HAP"
50 Double Unders
25 AbMat Sit-ups
"HAP" = Heavy As Possible (without having to set them down)
Admiral Ackbar
Just as we did on Monday with a cleans, we'll work on the snatch during Wednesday classes by using a simple and effective complex that should sound familiar. The loading for the met-con may also sound familiar for those who did last Thursday's double under/muscle-up/power snatch triplet -- we'll layer in some complexity by full (or "squat") snatching the barbell from the floor this time.
To paraphrase Pat Sherwood "any workout with 115 on the bar is a trap." But this one is just two short and sweet pieces, so how bad could it really be?
WOD For 02-07-18:
Power Snatch + Squat Snatch + Overhead Squat:
10 Minutes to Establish a Top Set
-then-
"Admiral Ackbar"
A) Against a 6-Minute Clock:
400m Run w/Medicine Ball @ 20/14 lbs
40 Medicine Ball Walking Lunges @ 20/14 lbs
MAX REPS Squat Snatches @ 115/80 lbs
-REST 3 MINUTES THEN-
B) Against a 4-Minute Clock:
400m Run w/Medicine Ball @ 20/14 lbs
20 Medicine Ball Walking Lunges @ 20/14 lbs
MAX REPS Squat Snatches @ 115/80 lbs
You may support/hold the med ball in any fashion on the run and during the lunges, except on top of your head.
What Cross Country Skiing Reveals About The Human Condition
Thank you to Steven for sharing this article from the New York Times Magazine with me -- it's titled "What Cross Country Skiing Reveals About The Human Condition" (click for the full article) and is an insightful, entertaining (and quick) read.
With the Winter Olympics AND the CrossFit Open just around the corner I really enjoyed the piece, and particularly liked this excerpt (as did Steven):
"We are stranded on a planet that is largely indifferent to us, a world that sets mountains in our path and drops iceballs from 50,000 feet and tortures our skin with hostile air. There is no escaping it; the only noble choice is to strap on a helmet and slog right in. Cross-country skiing expresses something deep about the human condition: the absolute, nonnegotiable necessity of the grind. The purity and sanctity of the goddamn slog."
WOD For 02-06-18:
Strict Press (Cycle 3, Week 2):
***Add 2.5 to 5 lbs to your Cycle 2 "Base" weight for your Cycle 3 "Base" weight, then...
70% x 3
80% x 3
90% x 3+ (AKA "Max Effort" or "as many reps as you can safely perform")
-then-
"The AR Ugly Betty"
4 Rounds For Max Reps (40 seconds work / 20 seconds rest between movements):
Shoulder-to-Overhead @ 135/95 lbs
Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
Row or Assault Bike Calories
(Rest 1:20)
Arena Ready at the Kaiser 5K
Great job to the athletes who ran the Kaiser 5K on Sunday! Pretty cool to see this become a bit of an annual tradition thanks to Coaches Liz & Hillary -- and some faster times were had thanks in part to Coach Kim's track sessions!
Hope you all had a great weekend!
WOD For 02-05-18:
Power Clean + Squat Clean + Front Squat:
10 Minutes to Establish a Top Set
-then-
5 Rounds For TOTAL Time:
200m Run
11 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
7 Squat Cleans @ 155/110 lbs
1 Minute REST
The 1 minute of rest between rounds is mandatory and athletes are responsible for timing their own rest periods. Score for the workout is your total time, including the rest periods between rounds (do not add 1 minute of rest for the 5th & final round).
The 2018 Open at Arena Ready
It's that time of year again - the worldwide 2018 CrossFit Games Open begins on February 22nd and registration is live! This is one of the most exciting times of the year at Arena Ready, and this year is shaping up to be more of the same!
Experienced CrossFitters at Arena Ready know what lies ahead (well, sort of ;-p), while newer athletes/members will likely be curious what all the hubbub is about these next several weeks. We will post more detail (and many reminders) about "The Open" in the coming weeks, as well as some flashback moments from several awesome and inspiring performances over the last few years during The Open at AR.
For the time being, particularly for the newcomers, we'll leave you with the little video below - it gives you a simple summary of what The Open is all about. The level of positive self-discovery one tends to encounter in the encouraging, inclusive, and competitive environment that is The Open is something most athletes never forget (or regret).
In the last three years OVER HALF of Arena Ready's members registered and participated in The Open - a participation level much higher than just about any gym we are aware of... so this year we are looking forward to the same enthusiasm and participation from our athletes. The Open workouts are inclusive, will have an option for scaled AND masters athletes (AKA older athletes), and will challenge you to tackle your weaknesses and push hard on your strengths. And few things can beat the unbelievable energy and camaraderie that transpires over the course of The Open workouts hosted at AR.
"But I'm still pretty new to CrossFit, and I'm so far from being considered a 'high level' CrossFitter... should I participate in The Open?" Assuming you are healthy (free of major injury) and training fairly consistently (at least 3x per week on average), then the answer is likely YES! We always like to use the example of entering a 5K or 10K running race as an analogy - nearly everyone who enters a 5K or 10K (or even a marathon for that matter) knows they probably won't win, but they participate and compete anyway. Why? Because it gives them an opportunity to train for something and get better, to compete with and support friends new and old, and to learn a lot about what you're actually capable of... often times it's more than you think.
More details to come but if you have immediate questions please speak with a coach at the gym! When you register please make sure to SELECT ARENA READY AS BOTH YOUR AFFILIATE AND TEAM.
So what are you waiting for? Are you IN THE OPEN?
WOD For 02-03-18:
In Teams of THREE Athletes, AMReps*** (As Many Reps As Possible) in 25 Minutes:
TEAM BUY-IN: 1000m Run TOGETHER
... then, teams share this chipper with one person working at a time...
200 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
150 Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs
100 Medicine Ball Sit-ups
50 Handstand Push-ups
***AFTER ALL THREE COMPLETE THE RUN one athlete must ALWAYS be Rowing 25/20 Calories (or Bike 20/15 Calories) and must always switch after 25/20 Calories is completed.
*Every calorie on the rower equals one rep ADDED to the team's score from the chipper. Score for the workout is the SUM of the chipper reps PLUS the total calories rowed.
*The wall balls may begin immediately with the first athlete in the door from the run. Teams decide who rows first and how the switches happen.
*If the team finishes HSPUs with time remaining they start back on the wall balls.
NorCal Masters Comp: Coach Amy's Highlights!
Last, but most certainly not least... Coach Amy!
At this past weekend's NorCal Masters Competition Amy gave all of us a little flashback of fitness with an attitude, reminiscent of the days when she was a Top-10 CrossFit Games Regional competitor and all-star exercise stylist (Burpee muscle-ups in sparkly shoes and a row/pistol/hang clean triplet in ill-fitting aviators? Sure, why not!). Multiple surgeries (and corresponding grueling recoveries) and a Baby Woods later she's still got plenty of strength, speed, and saltiness to hang with the best of them.
On Day 1 she was tough to catch as she started out hot in the first two events, placing 2nd in both the Thruster 4RM and the Thruster/Burpee couplet (just one rep shy of the win!). All weekend she pushed the top group and battled for heat wins, only placing outside the Top 10 in one out of eight scored events. And, of course, as you might expect from Amy (and from an AR female athlete in general) she went out with a bang on the 2-minute max rep back squat event by WINNING THE WORKOUT WITH 48 REPS and looking like she wasn't slowing down at all. That win brought her overall standing to what she considered to be the "best placing possible"... 6th place overall, just one spot out of the final.
When I (only half) jokingly told her after the back squat event, "Hey, Amy, you won that one and I think you have to stick around for the final" she quipped, "Oh hell no, man, I'm halfway out the door to go hangout and eat tacos with my AR peeps!"
And that sort of sums up what you see from Amy both in and out of the gym -- some tremendous strength and fitness, a hilarious sense of humor, a competitive drive that may have no equal at Arena Ready, and a refreshingly sage perspective on it all. Her priorities and things she holds dear remind us all of what sort of athlete we want to be -- someone who works hard to be strong and fit so that she can enjoy life with the ones she loves. Well, and talk some trash and bark some orders along the way... after all, showing people who's boss every now and again never hurts.
Great job, Amy!
WOD For 02-02-18:
Deadlift (Cycle 3, Week 2):
***If your "Base" weight from Cycle 2 was UNDER 200 lbs then add 5 lbs for your Cycle 3 "Base"
***If your "Base" weight from Cycle 2 was OVER 200 lbs then add 10 lbs for your Cycle 3 "Base"
Using your new Cycle 3 Base...
70% x 3
80% x 3
90% x 3+ (AKA "Max Effort" or "as many reps as you can safely perform")
-then-
4 Rounds For Time:
10 Pistols AKA Single-Leg Squats (alternating)
20 Dumbbell Snatches @ 50/35 lbs (alternating)
10 Burpee Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 in (facing the box)
NorCal Masters Comp: Coach Alyssa's Highlights!
Next up on the highlights update from this past weekend's NorCal Masters Competition: Coach Alyssa!
If Kim was the epitome of toughness, and Hillary was an example of calm, cool, collected pro status, then Alyssa was basically an amazing combination of the two. As you might expect, Alyssa's movement was superb throughout every single event -- showing us once again that the safest movement is the most efficient movement, and the most efficient movement is often the fastest and/or accomplishes more work. Alyssa attacked every WOD with the same smooth, methodical, rhythmic cadence -- a pace that was often slower than most of her competitor's efforts at the start of each workout, but more often than not faster than theirs was near the middle and at the end. It was a lesson on pacing, negative splits, knowing yourself, and sticking to your game plan -- and few people execute on that better than Alyssa does (as we've seen time and time again).
Alyssa's strongest finishes of the weekend were the power clean/TTB/KBSn/DU/row chipper (no surprise there) and the max rep back squat event (that one may have surprised some people, but not us!). In finishing 11th on the chipper, Alyssa caught several athletes near the end of the WOD as her sustainable pace just kept on chugging along while others struggled to keep their movements clean and concise. In a photo finish in her own heat, Alyssa sprinted from behind the heat leader to nail two clutch power cleans at the buzzer, passing said athlete in the next lane who had missed three consecutive attempts after having what looked to be an insurmountable lead. It was pretty awesome, and had the AR cheering squad screaming their heads off! In the max rep back squat event that mental toughness and quality of movement truly shined -- Alyssa simply did not stop moving, and every rep from the first to last looked EXACTLY THE SAME. I think some of the bigger, "stronger" athletes were caught a bit off guard -- but the Arena Ready crew knows a thing or two about squatting, and Alyssa certainly made her mark to close out what was an impressive weekend of tough competition.
This annual event is a special one for Alyssa since it marked her "comeback" to competition last year, and to see her back again this year in an even fitter, faster, stronger form was a joy to watch. Great work, Alyssa!
WOD For 02-01-18:
3 Rounds For Time:
60 Double Unders
6 Ring Muscle-ups
16 Power Snatches @ 115/80 lbs