The "August Open Gym Challenge"

Presenting the "Arena Ready August Open Gym Challenge"... with an early release which gives you an extra Sunday in July to complete the workout!

The rules are simple:

1) Workout must be completed during Open Gym on Sunday

2) Someone else other than you and your partner vouches for your time LOL (sorta kidding, I trust all of you)

Here's the workout:

"AR 3-2-1 Cardio"

With a Partner For Time:

3000m Row (switch every 250m)

2000m Ski (switch every 250m)

100 Calorie Assault Bike (switch whenever you like)

Only one person working at a time (obviously), and you must share the same rower, skierg, and bike. 

On August 26th Sarah and I will attempt to beat the fastest time, and if we can't succeed that fastest team gets bragging rights and an exciting prize pack valued at over 1,000 Philippine Pisos. 

Come on now!  Surely you can beat and old fart with a bionic hip and a lady who just had a baby!

WOD For 07-26-18:

Alternating EMOM For 6 Rounds (24 Minutes):

1) 4 Back Squats @ pick load

2) 8 Box Jumps @ 30/24 in

3) Max Calorie Row

4) REST

Record loading used for back squats and total calories rowed.

You pick the loading for the squats - they can be "6x4 across" or "4s climbing" as long as your technique is solid.  Still feeling Tuesday's WOD?  Then go lighter and make every rep perfect.  Didn't do Tuesday, or did but felt recovered after Wednesday's workout?  Then go heavier by feel.

The box jumps are intended to be done with measured explosiveness and not rushed.

The row is your wildcard.  Go hard and fast to make the WOD spicy.  Stay brisk and smooth if you need the recovery.

Wednesday One-Two Punch

Tuesday's WOD may have your squatting legs feeling it - so come in on Wednesday to get the blood flowing with some complimentary EMOM movements that prioritize stability and position over speed and loading.

Then, much the opposite of Tuesday, our met-con is short, fast, and sweet - with no barbell in sight.  Advanced athletes will basically be moving quickly the entire time for 7 minutes (can you say spicy?), and beginners and intermediates should scale appropriately to preserve that same stimulus of continuous movement for the duration of the AMRAP.

Enjoy!       

WOD For 07-25-18:

"For Quality" - Alternating EMOM For 3 Rounds (12 Total Minutes):

1) 0:45 Seconds Row, Ski, or Assault Bike (you pick the pace)

2) 80ft Double Kettlebell Front Rack Carry @ pick load (40ft down & back)

3) Dumbbell Turkish Get-up @ pick load (1 Right then 1 Left)

4) REST

Feeling sore from Tuesday's WOD?  Then take the row/ski/bike easy and get the blood flow going.  Didn't do Tuesday's WOD?  Then go as hard/fast on the row/ski/bike as you like, keeping in mind that position and stability in the next two movements are paramount.  

-then-

AMRAP 7 Minutes:

7 Pull-ups

7 Hand Release Push-ups

14 AbMat Sit-ups

28 Double Unders

Yes, just chin-over pull-ups (no chest-to-bar today).  Which means you should be able to go even faster.

CrossFit.com Main Site Fun

Tuesday WOD is straight from the CrossFit.com "main site" and was their workout of the day for Saturday, July 21st.  It fits quite nicely with the rest of our programmed week at Arena Ready, and as a follow-up to Monday's (non-barbell) burpee box jump/KB swing/ring muscle-up up party it uses air squats, a moderately loaded barbell, and a repeating interval format to basically give you (in many ways) a complimentary stimulus to we just did the previous day.  And it's very "in the style of AR" as far as main site WODs go, so it should be fun to hit it hard on Tuesday! 

Here's our old buddy Rory McKernan with some insight into this WOD:

WOD For 07-24-18:

TEN 1-Minute Rounds of:

25 Air Squats

Max Reps Clean & Jerks @ 155/105 lbs

(Rest 2 Minutes Between Rounds)

Your score is the total number of clean & jerk reps completed.

(Workout courtesy of CrossFit.com) 

Current Events

In recent news, Emily Abbott, the winner of the women’s CrossFit Games West Regional, reportedly failed her drug test and is banned from competing in CrossFit-sanctioned events for the next four years.

This is notable obviously because it affects our own region, but also because, as a failed drug test always does, it raises questions about the integrity of the sport, what it takes to win, what is physically possible, why someone would be in a position to cheat, etc. 

To hear Emily’s side of the story, you can listen to the Shrugged Collective podcast here.

To hear CrossFit’s side, you can watch Sean Woodland interview Justin Bergh, General Manager of the CrossFit Games here (click for the video).

In my (Sarah) opinion, CrossFit for most people is about pursuing their best and living their happiest, healthiest life. CrossFit as a professional sport (like track) brings the complications of money and fame, which for many people are sufficient temptation to risk reputation and possibly health to pursue unfair advantages. I was heartbroken when Marion Jones failed her drug test because she had represented my hope that someone with an atypical body type could actually compete that well clean (apparently not). Same in CrossFit now - I badly want what the Games athletes are doing to be a genuine result of dedication and hard work - and I hope that most of them really are clean. 

As you know, I’m a rule follower. Whether or not I agree with the rules (in this case I do), I tend to respect their existence, and it’s important to note that everyone who competes even at the Open level of CrossFit agrees to compete by the rules, including movement standards, avoiding banned substances, etc. If you take supplements in any form it’s important to know how unregulated that market is, and that generally supplements are left entirely un-policed (could even be chalk dust packaged in a musty basement alongside pet dander, and no one would know unless people started getting sick). This is why Safe for Sport, GMP and NSF certifications for supplements are important - to avoid accidental contamination and to be sure that what’s on the label is actually in the product. 

In Emily’s case it sounds like it wasn’t accidental exposure from a tainted supplement. But, anytime someone goes down and claims it was an accident, it always reminds me how careful we need to be with what we choose to put in our bodies. Even if you’re not likely to be drug tested, if you’re taking supplements it’s wise to get them from a reputable source to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth, and also to be sure you aren’t getting something you wouldn’t knowingly or intentionally take.

There are services like Labdoor.com (on instagram: @labdoor) that can assist with verifying if a supplement you're interested in actually contains the things they claim.

WOD For 07-23-18:

Strict Muscle-up:

Skill Practice & Drills

-then-

4 Rounds For Time:

12 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

21 KB swings @ 70/53 lbs

***Perform 3 RING MUSCLE-UPS EVERY TWO MINUTES starting at 0:00 (no, they do not have to be strict).

Bon Voyage Dr. Dave!

Since the institution of the Arena Ready Moratorium (click here to read the original post) over two years ago there have been several noteworthy violators that have made me both excited for their new adventures and (selfishly) sad that our little place in the world will no longer have them walking through our doors.  I stopped shouting them all out since it was too traumatic for me each time a long-standing member moved from San Francisco to some far away land for work/school/quality of life/blah blah blah.

Very recently we've had some really awesome people move away -- Milgram, Mike S, James O, Austin, Mark & Nina, and Peter & Amy D to name a few.  And this Saturday will be the last official WOD for one of our longest-standing members and someone who has been a fixture at Arena Ready for nearly five years.  After over a thousand classes (yes, you read that right), countless QoDs, lots of dry humor and witty banter, our very own Dr. Dave will say farewell to the AR community.  

So, at his request for squat cleans and pull-ups in a final hoorah, we give you the Doc's last prescription for fitness.  We'll miss ya Dr. Dave!     

WOD For 07-21-18:

"Dr. Dave's Final Rx"

WITH A PARTNER On a Running Clock...

A) 0:00 - 10:00

Squat Clean:

Using the same barbell, both partners establish a heavy single FOR TODAY (not max)

B) 15:00 - 30:00

AMRAP 15 Minutes:

10/8 Calorie Row, Ski, or Assault Bike

8 Squat Cleans @ 115/80 lbs

8 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

One athlete working at a time.  Complete ONE FULL ROUND then switch.  Tagging is NOT required (i.e. start the row as soon as your partner completes their final pull-up).

The KB Snatch

The KB Snatch can be a challenging - and at times awkward - movement for some but often it stems from a misunderstanding of the positions and sequencing (or "line of action") of the exercise.  In the video below you'll notice that the movement is initiated with a hinge (hips push back, KB reaches behind the athlete, torso comes forward while maintaining a flat back) and NOT a squat (hips drop straighter down, KB does not reach behind, torso stays relatively upright) which is a common fault.  

You'll also notice that once the hips and legs extend to drive the KB the athlete's elbow stays in close to the body (and does not extend away from the body like in a KB swing) as the bell starts to become weightless -- you can observe this in the middle image in the freeze frame below.  Then, then active "punch" overhead to catch or receive the bell must be aggressive and with a bit of a loose grip to allow for the turnover -- "death-gripping" the bell as it turns over will result in the KB flopping over and bashing the forearm until it's black & blue.

I like to think of the movement sequence as "hike the KB behind me > squeeze my butt & quads to drive it > elbow in close to ribs > punch up to raise my hand in class" -- in that exact order 1, 2, 3, 4 like you mean it with confidence.

Booyeah.  Say no to bruised forearms!

WOD For 07-20-18:

Deadlift:

5-5-5-5-5

-then-

AMRAP 12 Minutes:

20 KB Snatches @ 53/35 lbs (switch sides after 10 reps)

20 Burpee Over KB

40 Walking Lunges

#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.