#TBT Track Day

Throwback Thursday to that time we took a REALLY BIG group down to the track for some good old fashioned conditioning work.  We might be due for another one of these soon!

WOD For 07-19-18:

3 Rounds For Quality, Go Every 3 Minutes:

2-10 Strict Pull-ups (you pick the number of reps)

2-5 Kipping Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups (you pick the number of reps)

2-5 Kipping Pull-ups (you pick the number of reps)

*Each round is completed as one continuous set without dropping

*ONLY gymnastics kip allowed (NO butterfly kip today)

-then-

For Time:

21-15-9

Power Snatches @ 135/95 lbs

Ring Dips

Air Hopping

Who remembers the deck-to-pistol-stick-jump-over (or as I used to call it the "burpee pistol jump")?  Click on that hyper-link for a little refresher courtesy of "Air Hopping."  

If you can do one deck-to-pistol-box-jump-over and completely clear your box when doing Wednesday's AMRAPs then you get to skip all the box jumps and pistols for that round and go straight to hang power cleans...

I'm KIDDING.  Sort of.

WOD For 07-18-18:

Hang Power Clean:

3-3-3-3-3

Climbing

-then-

A) AMRAP 6 Minutes:

9 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

6 Pistols (alternate)

3 Hang Power Cleans @ 185/135 lbs

... Rest 3 Minutes, Then...

B) AMRAP 3 Minutes:

9 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

6 Pistols (alternate)

3 Hang Power Cleans @ 185/135 lbs

Re-start the AMRAP in part B and score this as two separate AMRAPs (i.e. not a continuous or cumulative score).

Laziness Does Not Exist

I read this piece Laziness Does Not Exist by Erika Price recently and found it interesting in several ways.  Click the link here to read the full essay - I've pasted one of sections below for a small taste...  

People love to blame procrastinators for their behavior. Putting off work sure looks lazy, to an untrained eye. Even the people who are actively doing the procrastinating can mistake their behavior for laziness. You’re supposed to be doing something, and you’re not doing it — that’s a moral failure right? That means you’re weak-willed, unmotivated, and lazy, doesn’t it?

For decades, psychological research has been able to explain procrastination as a functioning problem, not a consequence of laziness. When a person fails to begin a project that they care about, it’s typically due to either a) anxiety about their attempts not being “good enough” or b) confusion about what the first steps of the task are. Not laziness. In fact, procrastination is more likely when the task is meaningful and the individual cares about doing it well.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the piece and on some of the points the author makes. So go unbroken on those wall balls, row HAM like you mean it, and then chat about the pitfalls of moralizing other people's life decisions.  You know, normal intellectual CrossFit stuff for a Tuesday...

WOD For 07-17-18:

Alternating EMOM For 4 Rounds (12 Minutes):

1) 10 Single Dumbbell Overhead Squats @ pick load (5 Right / 5 Left)

2) Row For Calories @ increasing pace each round (easy > medium > faster > fastest)

 3) 10-20 Hollow Rocks (pick the number of reps you can do with good position)

-then-

FIVE 90-Second Rounds For MAX CALORIES:

25-23-21-19-17 Unbroken Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft

MAX CALORIE Row

(Rest 90 Seconds Between Rounds)

This workout is 90 seconds of work then 90 seconds of rest repeated five times.

The wall ball reps start at 25 in the first round and decrease by 2 every round (the fifth & final round starts with 17 wall balls). Unbroken means no dropping of the ball, resting by stopping your movement (e.g. catching & standing/pausing before squatting), or missing the target (i.e. "accidental" no reps).

Score is total number of calories rowed. 

Monday Toes-to-Bar (Among Other Things!)

I'm a big believer in the fact that a different voice saying virtually the same message can sometimes help an athlete reach an "A Ha!" moment.  Sometimes the slightly different phrasing or the way the information is presented can make things click... sometimes it's just easier to listen to a different person for whatever reason.  Regardless, if it helps then I'm all for it! 

Here's a nice video from the good folks down at Invictus covering tips to help with toes-to-bar.  Maybe it will help some of you find an 'A Ha!" moment on Monday!

WOD For 07-16-18:

1 Power Clean + 3 Push Presses:

12 minutes to build to a top set

If possible, add to your top set from 06-25-18.

-then-

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

Toes-to-Bar

Push Presses @ 95/65 lbs (no rack)

Dumbbell Snatches @ 50/35 lbs (alternate sides)

(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.

Sweaty Saturday Partner Especial: 100-10-5

A BIG SHOUT OUT to all the athletes who PR'd their (squat) clean & jerk on Friday!  Coach James and Coach Mike's afternoon/evening sessions were jammin' and I know Coaches Kim and Kate witnessed some big lifts in the morning and noon classes as well -- so props to all of you who came in and put some heavy barbells over your head.  Few things give you that same feeling accomplishment!

Saturday shifts to (as we usually do) a big dose of conditioning and some sweaty & spicy movement combos with a buddy.  How many teams get through this entire sequence and make it back to the rower to start a second round?   

WOD For 07-14-18:

In Teams of TWO Athletes, AMRAP 23 Minutes:

100 Calorie Row (FM Pairs = 90 Cal / FF Pairs = 80 Cal)

10 Rounds of "You Go, Then I Go CINDY" (each partner completes one FULL round then switch):

5 Pull-ups

10 Push-ups

15 Air Squats

5 Rounds of The Triplet (one partner working at a time, split however you like):

21 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls @ 95/65 lbs

15 Overhead Squats

9 Lateral Bar Burpees

Friday Barbell Therapy: Heavy Singles

Ever wonder what goes through the minds of high-level weightlifters when they're attempting a heavy (or even max effort) clean & jerk?  Luckily for you at Arena Ready there are several of them you can ask firsthand -- I'm willing to bet they'll all give you a different answer.  But I think one universal theme will appear (much like my universally nervous look in the background of most of these photos) -- they try not to overthink the lift, but rather to trust their technique and training up to that point, and let their body do what it already knows how to do. 

From top to bottom: Hillary, Sarah, Amy, Lisa, Kate

(I didn't have a photo of Kate competing at a meet readily available so instead here's a pic of her doing the worst jerk ever)

If you've been coming in consistently over the last month (or more), and making all of the Friday barbell days in particular, it's likely that you've set yourself up well for some heavy weights in today's workout.  In fact, you basically performed a variation of a weightlifting cycle woven into the background of (at times) a seemingly un-related CrossFit program.  But alas, the same squat volume maintenance, upper body push & support, lower body pull, speed work, GPP, and accessory exercises were used in a similar fashion than we would for any of the above pictured athletes preparing for a weightlifting meet.  Specificity and exact prescription of percentages and movements may not have been explicit since we're NOT ACTUALLY preparing you for an Olympic weightlifting meet, but rather we're preparing you to lift some heavy weights in the gym, have fun doing so, and enjoying kicking ass in life thanks to being fit and strong. 

So, if you've been a model of consistency then you've earned the right to attempt some heavy lifts with that beautiful technique you've worked so hard to repeat over and over and over again every week.  Now, as the weights go up even more, let your body do what it already knows how to do.

Friday barbell therapy, giddy up!

WOD For 07-13-18:

Every 90 Seconds For 20 Rounds (30 Total Minutes):

ROUNDS 1-5: Light (55-65% of 1RM C&J)

Squat Clean + Front Squat + Jerk

ROUNDS 6-10: Moderate (65-75%)

Squat Clean + Jerk

ROUNDS 11-15: Heavy-ish (80-90% CLIMBING WITH NO MISSES ALLOWED)

Squat Clean + Jerk

ROUNDS 16-20: Heavy (90%+ CLIMBING WITH "2 MISS RULE" IN EFFECT)

Squat Clean + Jerk

*The "2 Miss Rule" = miss twice during Rounds 16-20 and you're DONE!

*Any style of jerk is allowed.

July On-Boarding Starts This Sunday the 15th

Reminder that our free July "On-Boarding Series" for newcomers starts on Sunday (July 15th) with the Introduction to CrossFit class at 11:30am.  The second class of the two-part series, Beginner's CrossFit, will be held the following Sunday (July 22nd).  This will be the final On-Boarding Series of the 2018 Summer so if anyone you know has been wanting to join as a newcomer make sure to spread the word -- we'll be closing our capped membership once again after this July On-Boarding Series concludes.

For more details on how & why we on-board newcomers in small groups at carefully chosen intervals throughout the year click here to read last month's "June On-Boarding" post which details a bit of the background on our philosophy.  To lazy to read it?  OK then, here's the basic scoop: we do what we do to maintain quality, an ideal coach-to-athlete ratio in every class, and a caring community composed of like-minded people who consider fitness a sustainable, long-term lifestyle (how's that for some alliteration?!).  

So tell your friends and family to sign-up for this Sunday and get started at Arena Ready (click here for more details and to reserve a spot)!

WOD For 07-12-18:

"The Arena Ready 20-20 Bar Nate"

AMRAP 20 Minutes:

20/15 Calorie Row

20 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

3 Rounds of "BAR Nate"

1 Round of "BAR Nate" is:

2 Bar Muscle-ups

4 Handstand Push-ups

8 KB Swings @ 70/53 lbs

(Compare to 10-30-17)

"Little Frandy"

There we go again, messing with classics and remixing things that were just fine the way they were -- this one should be fun so get in here and give it a go!  

WOD For 07-11-18:

3-Position Power Snatch (mid-thigh, below knees, floor):

12 minutes to establish a top set with sound technique 

-then-

"Little Frandy"

For Time:

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

Power Snatches @ 75/55 lbs

Thrusters

***You must perform 4 Lateral Bar Burpees AFTER each rep round is completed (e.g. 10 Power Snatches, 10 Thrusters, 4 Lateral Bar Burpees, 9 Power Snatches, 9 Thrusters, 4 Lateral Bar Burpees, etc...).  Time is called after the tenth & final set of 4 Lateral Bar Burpees (1 Power Snatch, 1 Thruster, 4 Lateral Bar Burpees).

Congrats Coach Kim!

A big congrats to Coach Kim for a job well done in the 2018 Kill Cliff Granite Games Qualifier!  Kim finished 16th overall when all was said and done, which is one heck of an achievement considering she is still on her path back from shoulder surgery and a partially torn Achilles (apparently she's WELL on her way according to this result!).

The Granite Games is one of the country's most high profile functional fitness events and the finals that take place every year in Minnesota are always filled with big-name, high-level CrossFitters from around the world.  CrossFit Games athletes, CFG Masters and Teens, and CFG Teams all flock to the event to prove their fitness against a stacked field - and in 2016 many of you cheered on Kim from afar as she fought her way to an impressive 7th overall finish at the Granite Games finals (click here to read more about it).

Kim's 16th place finish in the qualifier this year put her only 6 spots out of a return trip to Minnesota, so we know that with another year of rehab & training under her belt she's going to be a force to be reckoned with at the 2019 Granite Games and beyond. 

PS - if any of you newer Arena Ready members have seen the "Kim Tom Eye Chart" shirts at the gym but didn't understand the reference, here's a little history lesson for ya (click for details). 

#MiniMighty #FittestOptometristinSF #IfYouDontKnowNowYouKnow 

WOD For 07-10-18:

Every 2 Minutes For 7 Rounds (14 Minutes):

3 Back Squats

Week 4 of this sequence.  if possible add to your loading from 07-03-18.

Quickly warm-up to a working weight prior to the first round, then either climb in small jumps or stay at a challenging weight across several (or all) of the seven rounds.

-then-

3 Rounds For Max Reps (0:45 Seconds Per Movement / 0:15 Seconds Rest Between Movements):

Pistols (alternating)

Toes-to-Bar

Single Dumbbell Hang Clean to Overhead @ 50/35 lbs (switch sides whenever you like) 

This workout is 9 minutes long - there is no rest minute between rounds.  Score is total reps completed across all 3 rounds.

Monday Deads and Dubs

This one might hurt your soul a little but it shouldn't hurt your back.  And just as we did last Monday we hit back side then front side by following-up with a Tabata Hollow Rocks scored by total reps.  Those hollow body positions should be getting dialed-in for many of you by now!

Hope you all had a great weekend. 

WOD For 07-09-18:

AMRAP 3 Minutes:

3 Deadlifts @ 315/225 lbs

15 Double Unders

AMRAP 3 Minutes:

3 Deadlifts @ 275/185 lbs

25 Double Unders

AMRAP 3 Minutes:

3 Deadlifts @ 225/155 lbs

35 Double Unders

Rest 3 minutes between AMRAPs.  Change the weight during your rest periods.

(Compare to 10-26-17, 09-29-16)

-then-

Tabata:

Hollow Rocks

Just as we did last week we will score this by TOTAL reps.

Sweaty Saturday Special (With Running!)

Thanks to the big groups on Wednesday who helped us test a little running during the hero WOD classes.  Let's try some running again in a different format -- a little break from the barbell after four consecutive days of barbell work, and a Team Sweaty Saturday Special that's going to feel fairly aerobic after Friday's clean & jerk session.

Happy weekend, all!

WOD For 07-06-18:

3 Rounds For Quality:

20 Seconds of Bird Dogs

20 Seconds of Plank Hold

20 Seconds of Rest

20 Seconds of Single Leg Glute Bridges RIGHT

20 Seconds of Single Leg Glute Bridges LEFT

20 Seconds of Rest

-then-

AMRAP 20 Minutes in Teams of THREE Athletes:

Athletes A & B Complete the Triplet (with only one person working at a time)...

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

22 KB Swings @ 70/53 lbs

11 Burpee Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 in (must face the box) 

Athlete C Completes...

400m Run

One athlete must always be running and must always switch after 400m.  Reps for the triplet may be divided in any fashion and do not have to be split evenly.  The team's score is rounds + reps of the triplet completed.

Friday Barbell Therapy: C&Js and Jock Jams

We've been building for the last few weeks and will take a slight increase in the percentages this Friday before we see our heaviest session next Friday.  I know this video makes you want to bench with your homies in some Calvins, but we'll stick to the clean & jerk (extra front squats for lifting complex funsies). 

Get in here, we'll turn up the horrible Jock Jams radio, and then let's lift some weights! 

WOD For 07-06-18:

Every 90 Seconds For 20 Rounds (30 Minutes):

Squat Clean + Front Squat + Jerk

*Use FOUR Weights:

ROUNDS 1-5: Light (55-65% of 1RM C&J)

ROUNDS 6-10: Moderate (65-75%)

ROUNDS 11-15: Moderate-Heavy (75-85%)

ROUNDS 16-20: Heavy but NOT max (85-90%)

*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.