Thursday Triplet: Light & Fast

Great job to the groups who joined us for the "Hotshots 19" hero WOD on Wednesday!  As we move through the week of programming we'll use our Thursday training sessions to continue to build on our snatch progressions -- the last couple of weeks we've worked on the 1st and 2nd pulls (high pulls and snatch variations from the floor), and this week we dial-in the 2nd and 3rd pulls by working from the hang.  

We also go from upper-body puling via strict pull-ups on Wednesday to upper pushing on Thursday, while providing a counter-point to the long, aerobic stimulus from the 4th of July with some light and fast bursts of intensity.

WOD For 07-05-18:

Hang Power Snatch:

3-3-3-3-3

-then-

For Time:

21-15-9

Calorie Row

Hand Release Push-ups

Hang Power Snatches @ 75/55 lbs

July 4th Holiday Hero WOD: Hotshots 19

The hero WOD "Hotshots 19" has become a tradition on the 4th of July at Arena Ready, and we hope you join us for this challenging workout on Wednesday.  Please note that we've added an 8:00am class to the holiday schedule to accommodate as many as we're able to for Wednesday's WOD.  I'll take this opportunity to provide a friendly reminder that every class on the AR schedule opens for registration one week prior to the class start time (save for the occasional impromptu additions like the aforementioned 8am this Wednesday).

Please make sure to cancel ASAP if you're not able to make it in (and had previously signed-up for a class), so that someone can take your spot.  Please also make sure not to double-book yourself for more than one class - be considerate to your fellow members!

We wish everyone a safe and happy 4th of July.

WOD FOR 07-04-18:

"Hotshots 19"

6 Rounds For Time:

30 Air Squats

19 Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs

7 Strict Pull-ups

400m Run

(Compare to 07-04-17, 07-04-16 and 07-04-14)

"Because I Was Inverted"

Please note our holiday schedule for Wednesday, July 4th (click for details).

Here's a great Tuesday QoD, and a favorite from the past: "What popular movie that people always talk about/reference/quote have you never seen?"

Last year this QoD really sparked some discussion and friendly exasperation - particularly in the private Arena Ready Facebook group, where the thread on the topic had well over 150 comments/replies.  As it turns out some of you HAVE NEVER SEEN THE MOVIE TOP GUN AND HOW DOES THAT EVEN HAPPEN?!  I mean, Coach Lisa even streamed the movie at her wedding reception - yeah, that's right, she streamed it on the walls of Foreign Cinema for all of her wonderful guests to enjoy as modern cinematic art while they celebrated her big day.  BECAUSE IT'S TOP FREAKING GUN.

July 3rd is, rather conveniently, one Tom Cruise's 56th birthday - or so the Operating Thetans would have us believe.  And so, for every class on Tuesday, we'll be listening to Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins on the gym speakers and playing this clip on loop in the background:

You're welcome.  

And Happy Birthday, Tom.  May your sequel be fruitful and your Operating Thetan level be 8 (AKA OT VIII) soon enough.  

As for Tuesday's WOD it doesn't get more simple than this - and often the simple movement combos are the most challenging.  As a compliment to Monday's meaty HSPU and hip-hinge AMRAP and Wednesday's upcoming hero WOD, it will be interesting on Tuesday to see if any athletes can hold 33+ and 8+, respectively, on this alternating double trouble Tabata (particularly after some heavy back squat triples)... 

WOD For 07-03-18:

Every 2 Minutes For 7 Rounds (14 Minutes):

3 Back Squats

Week 3 of this sequence.  if possible add to your loading from 06-19-18 and/or 06-26-18.

-then-

Alternating Double Tabata:

Double Unders

Burpees

Unlike yesterday's hollow rocks, score this by the LOWEST rep round for both of the movements.

(Compare to 04-12-13) 

Fourth of July Holiday Schedule

Please note we will be open on Wednesday, July 4th, and running a holiday class schedule as follows:

Holiday WOD Class at 9:15am

Holiday WOD Class at 10:30am

Please sign-up in advance to save your spot and to allow our coaches to prepare appropriate logistics for the group size in each class.  If you've signed up for one of the classes and know you can't make it please cancel ASAP so someone else can take your place - and please do NOT double-book yourself for both classes. 

Thanks and hope everyone had a great weekend!

WOD For 07-02-18:

AMRAP 17 Minutes:

17/13 Calorie Row, Ski, or Assault Bike

17 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

17 KB Swings @ 70/53 lbs

17 Handstand Push-ups

I sometimes get the question from folks doing the workouts from afar with different equipment - "Do I do 17/13 calories on an AirDyne Bike as well?"  The answer is no, if you're using an AirDyne then do 26/20 calories instead (if you're ever unsure you can always multiply by 1.5 and then round up).

If you cannot do 17 handstand push-ups in 3 sets or less then consider scaling HSPU reps to 13 per round.

-then-

Tabata:

Hollow Rocks

Today we will score this by TOTAL reps.

A Jacket of Honor

You may have noticed some new SWAG around the gym... we wanted to shout out the fly navy jackets our coaches are wearing, and to take a moment to explain the significance.

Last year, knowing that our family would be growing (and with some real estate complications thrown in for good measure), Rob and I were acutely aware that our ability to continue running Arena Ready as the primary coaches was unlikely to be a winning strategy going forward. We needed to find outside employment to be able to support our family, and we needed to have time to raise our daughter.

Needless to say, we were afraid that we wouldn't be able to keep Arena Ready going, and spent countless nights heartbroken trying to figure out how we would break the news to our community, and even more so, how we personally would go forward without the Arena Ready community we've grown to love so much.

Enter the wearers of these navy jackets. Facing extinction, we reached out to our coaches, who in turn stepped up to save Arena Ready. In a wide variety of ways they supported us, and you, our AR community, to give us a path forward. Of course you've seen them in class teaching you how to squat better, and offering their suggestions regarding scaling and strategy, but we wanted you to know that they also kept AR on the map.

Initially, they gave us hope that things would be ok, and when things actually got real, when Rob was out for hip surgery, when we needed to run the Open even though Avery was due any minute, when the time came to physically move the gym and some of our plans fell through, they showed up to take us off the schedule when needed and to get AR through. Now, going forward, they're behind the scenes making suggestions, encouraging us, and generally supporting us, making sure we never feel alone at the helm.

To be clear, everyone at AR has been wonderful during this time, and we've never felt the importance of the AR community in a personal way nearly as much as we have in the past few months. But, our coaches stand apart for their willingness to add hours to their already busy days and facilitate workouts with enthusiasm and skill.

When you have a chance, please thank them. The jackets are a very small token of our immense gratitude.

WOD For 06-30-18:

In Teams of THREE Against a 24-Minute Clock:

A) First Complete...

3000m Row (MUST switch every 500m)

200 Med Ball Sit-ups @ 20/14 lbs

100 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

One athlete rowing while the other two athletes share the sit-ups & pull-ups with only one person working at a time -- sit-up & pull-up reps do not have to be evenly split and the two movements may be intermixed and partitioned in any fashion. The team must switch who is rowing at every 500m increment.  

B) Then AMRAP of...

3 Power Cleans @ 185/125 lbs

6 Lateral Bar Burpees

9 Med Ball Squats 

One athlete working at a time to complete a FULL round before switching.  The team's score is Rounds + Reps completed of the AMRAP.

Friday Barbell Therapy: C&Js

As we've been discussing (and doing) over the last few weeks in the current "micro-cycle" our weightlifting complexes continue to build - and today we add some complexity (pulling from the floor to start) and loading (a bump in percentages) to last Friday's Clean & Jerk complex.

So let's head into the weekend once again with some good old fashioned barbell therapy - the Arena Ready Happy Hour... the one at a different kind of bar!

WOD For 06-29-18:

Every 90 Seconds For 20 Rounds (30 Minutes):

Squat Clean + Front Squat + Jerk

*Use FOUR Weights:

ROUNDS 1-5: Light (50-60% of 1RM C&J)

ROUNDS 6-10: Moderate (60-70%)

ROUNDS 11-15: Moderate-Heavy (70-80%)

ROUNDS 16-20: Heavy but NOT max (80-90%)

*Technical Consistency! Ideally 20 of 20 made rounds, no misses!

*If you miss during Rounds 16-20 you MUST lower the weight the next round.

*Any style of jerk is allowed.

Amanda

In many ways I believe "Amanda" is one of the most elegant, effective CrossFit workouts ever conceived.  It's so simple - a harmless looking, low-volume couplet composed of two movements, each rooted in completely different athletic domains (gymnastics and weightlifting).  The level of strength, power, speed, flexibility, agility, coordination, balance, and cardio-respiratory endurance required to be able to perform this WOD as prescribed (at "Rx" or "Black" level) in a reasonable amount of time is in and of itself a true test of broad, well-rounded fitness - and a testament to a fairly high level of athleticism.

If you can do this workout as written I'm going to guess you're pretty darn fit by just about any measure.  You can probably run a decently fast mile (assuming you wanted to do such a thing to yourself), you can probably lift a decent amount of weight (in just about any lift) with fairly solid technique, and you can probably move your own bodyweight around in some fairly athletic ways.  I'm going to also guess that you can participate in just about any sport or activity you choose to focus on with proficiency and confidence.

If you're working on being able to perform "Amanda" as written then you're not alone - the majority of CrossFitters around the world are right there with you.  It may be a matter of skill and/or technique holding you back, in which case slowing down (and/or lowering the loads) to focus on the pieces of the movements can eventually lead to success and a first step toward mastery.  If it's a matter of lacking "fuel in the engine" then dedicated and consistent training with constantly varied, functional movements at high intensity will eventually increase your work capacity to the level required.  If it's a matter of strength, stability, and/or mobility then time spent training under appropriate loading, in the correct positions, with proper balance and technique, will lead you to sustainable, long-term strength gains which enable more complex movements under load.

Fitness is a lifetime pursuit.  A low trajectory toward a distant horizon.  If you're capable of a sub-5 minute "Amanda" then fantastic, keep on slaying those WODs and training for competition.  If you have a sub-12 minute "Amanda" then awesome, keep on pushing for that gym leaderboard and have fun competing with the experienced Rx crew in your community.  If you're still working hard on the pieces for a complete "Amanda" then HELL YES, keep on training every aspect of your fitness and have fun during the journey... and if you're feeling like you're still so far away from ever being able to do "Amanda" as written, take a moment to remember how far you've come, how cool it is to know that there's still so far left to go, and that when you're outside the walls of the gym it's not a stretch to bet that you're probably the fittest person in the room. 

WOD For 06-28-18:

2 Snatch (High) Pulls + 1 Power Snatch + 1 Squat Snatch:

12 minutes to build to a top set

-then-

"Amanda"

For Time:

9-7-5

Ring Muscle-ups

Squat Snatches @ 135/95 lbs

(Compare to 11-16-17, 02-05-16, 08-13-15, 04-05-14, and 08-15-13)

(Workout courtesy of CrossFit.com in tribute to Amanda Miller)

Basics

Back in college, my coach used to encourage us to spend hours on footwork. This was substantially less glamorous than throwing the hammer, or power cleaning, or doing sprints, or really anything else we possibly could have spent time doing. It was boring, tedious, and not at all my favorite.

But, it was absolutely critical to throwing the hammer well, and the more time I spent focusing on doing it to the very best of my ability, the better I got at the more fun stuff.

So often in CrossFit, it's fun to focus on the complex lifts, or the muscle ups, or the times on the board, but similar to footwork in the hammer, we fail ourselves if we overlook the basics that will pay dividends in the long run.

The athletes who are best, particularly over the long run, are those who understand the boring (but critical) nuances of a hip hinge with a neutral spine, who distribute their weight evenly in their feet, and who hold a neutral rib cage while pressing overhead. They are those who train themselves to stop on a dime when they're kipping, and make sure to recognize when fatigue is setting in and their form is breaking down.

I hated working on footwork, but I'm so thankful that my coach made me do it, and that he impressed upon me the importance of the basics. Developing an appreciation for how valuable that time actually was has served me well in CrossFit of course, but also in regular life. Rob is a fan of the saying "how you do one thing is how you do everything" and I think that's true. Those who are meticulous in their technique from the first to the last rep, those who take the warm up seriously, those who treat even "for time" workouts as "for time with the best quality possible" are also those least likely to cut corners in their everyday lives.

Not a rant, just food for thought.

Don't worry, Rob will be back tomorrow so the blog will be funny and contain pictures!

WOD for 06-27-18:

"The AR Aerobic Animal"

5 Rounds for Time:
400m Row or Ski (or 25/17 Cal Bike)
30 KB Swings @ 70/53 lbs.
20m Handstand Walk

Getting closer...

Huge thanks to Kathy, Kim and Kate for spending your Sunday afternoon helping me paint (and a belated thank you to Tony for hanging the white board and foam roller holder)! Getting closer to the finished vision. Any bets on how many more times we'll relocate the barbells?

WOD for 06-26-18:

Every 2 Minutes For 7 Rounds:
2 Back Squats
*if possible (and wise) add to your loading from last week 06-19-18.

-then-

"AR's Kool Karen"
For Time (Strict 10 Minute Cap):
150 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs. to 10/9 ft.**

** Complete 20 Double Unders every minute, on the minute, including at 0:00

Monday Motivation

"It never gets easier.  you just get better."

Hope you all had a great weekend.  You'll see some patterns building with the barbell again this week as we continue the current "micro-cycle" of strength and weightlifting complexes.  And, of course, some nice doses of conditioning (short, medium, and long pieces) peppered in as we always do.  Enjoy.

Let's get after it this week!

WOD For 06-25-18:

1 Power Clean + 3 Push Presses:

12 minutes to build to a top set

If possible, add to your top set from last week 06-18-18.

-then-

3 Rounds For Max Reps (1 Minute Per Movement):

Dumbbell Snatches @ 50/35 lbs (alternate sides)

Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

Overhead Walking Lunges w/Plate @ 45/35 lbs

(REST 1:00)

This workout is eleven minutes long, including rest minutes between rounds. There is no built-in transition time between the three movements, so hustle accordingly.  You are not required to face the box.  

Sweaty Saturday Special: Pride, Fun, Fitness, Math

Because who at Arena Ready doesn't like a little math with their workouts?  No I mean really, does anyone at AR actually not like math?

Happy weekend, all!

WOD For 06-23-18:

In Teams of THREE Athletes, As Many REPS As Possible in 22 Minutes:

Athletes A and B Complete the Triplet of:

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

15 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

15 Deadlifts @ 225/155 lbs

-while-

Athlete C Completes:

30/24 Calorie Row

*One athlete MUST always be rowing, and MUST always switch after 30/24 calories. Reps for the triplet may be split in any fashion (does not have to be equal) with only one person working at a time.

*Every calorie on the rower equals one rep added to the team's triplet total. Score is the grand total of calories rowed PLUS triplet reps completed.

Friday Barbell Therapy

You may have noticed the increase in barbell complex frequency recently as we continue building with several drills and movement combinations.  For Friday classes we re-visit the format we used last Thursday with a snatch complex, but this time for a variation on the clean & jerk.  The percentages are a bit lighter than the snatch version from last week since the 90-second intervals remain and the C&J complex will be heavier than the snatches, and more taxing in general - that 90-seconds will feel fast when the bar starts getting heavier.

Let's get get the weekend started right with some Friday Barbell Therapy!    

WOD For 06-22-18:

Every 90 Seconds For 20 Rounds (30 Minutes):

Hang Squat Clean + Front Squat + Jerk

*Use FOUR Weights:

ROUNDS 1-5: Light (40-50% of 1RM C&J)

ROUNDS 6-10: Moderate (50-60%)

ROUNDS 11-15: Moderate (60-70%)

ROUNDS 16-20: Moderate-Heavy-ish (70-80%)

*Technical Consistency! Ideally 20 of 20 made rounds, no misses!

*If you miss during Rounds 16-20 you MUST lower the weight the next round.

*Any style of jerk is allowed.