Workout of the Day
Thursday: Not a Barbell In Sight
Thursday starts off with an EMOM piece with largely “For Quality” movements to prime the system, act as recovery/pre-hab for some, and build a little accuracy & skill volume with the double unders.
Then, and I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s 15 minutes of a pure suckfest. The triplet of AMRAP movements are classic in their selection, but nasty in their rep scheme (no, the 30 burpees per round is not a typo). Sometimes you just gotta do this kind of work — start steady, fight to hold on to your pace, and do whatever it takes to keep moving (and moving well) for the entire 15 minutes.
Who’s up for it?
WOD For 09-13-18:
Alternating EMOM For 4 Rounds (12 Minutes):
1) 80 ft Single DB Overhead Waiter Carry @ pick load (40 ft Right / 40 ft Left)
2) 20 Steps of Glute Band “Monster Walk” (By Round: 10 x R/L, R/L, F/B, F/B)
3) 40 Unbroken Double Unders
-then-
AMRAP 15 Minutes:
30 Overhead Walking Lunges w/Plate @ 45/35 lbs
15 Toes-to-Bar
30 Burpees
The Rowing "Sprint Start"
There’s a method to the madness of trying to get the rower’s flywheel moving quickly, and thereby accumulating meters or calories at a faster rate - the “Sprint Start.”
Here’s a quick and simple video explaining the “Sprint Start” - try it out in Wednesday’s workout and see if you can get those cals counting more quickly:
WOD For 09-12-18:
5 Cycles of (2 Minutes Work / 2 Minutes Rest) For MAX CALORIES:
10 Deadlifts @ 245/165 lbs
15 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
MAX CALORIE Row
Your score is the total number of calories rowed.
Always Remember, Never Forget
WOD For 09-11-18:
2 Hang Power Snatches + 1 Overhead Squat:
10 Minutes to Build to a Top Set
-then-
3 Rounds For Max Reps (0:45 work per station / 0:15 rest between stations):
Hang Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs
Med Ball Sit-ups @ 20/14 lbs
Shoulder-to-Overhead @ 95/65 lbs
Med Ball Cleans @ 20/14 lbs
(Rest 1:15 Between Rounds)
This workout is 14 total minutes, including rest periods between rounds. Your score is the total number of reps completed across all 3 rounds.
Mash-up Monday: "Cindy Full of Grace"
Twelve days ago many of you felt the wrath (and fun) of the "Cindy" and "DT" mash-up. With that hotness fresh in your fitness minds we'll start this week off with another (related) crowd favorite mash-up -- the workout known as "Cindy Full of Grace."
This WOD adds up to NINE complete rounds of "Cindy" and ONE full "Grace" (30 reps of C&J at 135/95), so the volume and stimulus doesn't seem to be anything too crazy. But as many of you found out twelve days ago the combination of a fairly complete bodyweight triplet (including push, pull, and squat) paired with some explosive barbell movements can result in quite the spicy number.
We'll have some good mobility time and movement prep built-in to class so you can get your body moving and blood flowing -- so let's start the week off right with a proper dose of deft intensity!
WOD For 09-10-18:
"Cindy Full of Grace"
3 Rounds For Time:
3 Rounds of "Cindy"
10 Clean & Jerks @ 135/95 lbs
1 Round of "Cindy" is:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Air Squats
(Compare to 11-13-17, 10-25-16, 07-27-15)
The "AR September Open Gym Challenge"
We have a heck of a Sweaty Saturday Partner Special on tap for you this weekend, and then Sunday presents itself as the first opportunity to attack the newest "Open Gym Challenge" for September.
Here's the "Arena Ready September Open Gym Challenge" for all you insatiable exercisers (this one has some interesting strategy elements built-in to the workout):
With a Partner Against a 12-Minute Clock For MAX POUNDS LIFTED:
100 Burpee Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 in (facing the box is required)
Max Deadlifts @ pick load
Partners must use ONE barbell (i.e. the same weight).
Only one person working at a time, switch whenever you like (reps do not have to be split evenly).
Your score is the total poundage lifted (reps x weight chosen).
Once again, 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 score LOL (sorta kidding, I trust all of you).
On Sunday, September 30th, yours truly and a strategically chosen partner will attempt to beat the highest score -- and if we can't succeed that team gets bragging rights and an exciting prize pack valued at over 1,000 Philippine Pisos.
Come on now! Surely you can beat a 40-year-old curmudgeon and his partner who will carry him through the WOD!?
WOD For 09-08-18:
With a Partner, Against a 22-Minute Clock:
BUY-IN: 1200m Run TOGETHER
... then, in the remaining time AMRAP of...
100 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
50 Power Snatches @ 115/80 lbs
50 Lateral Bar Burpees
One person working at a time during the AMRAP, switch whenever you like (reps do not have to be split evenly). The first athlete back in the gym from the run can start on the Wall Balls immediately.
Can your team get to 2 rounds (or more)?
Friday Barbell Therapy: An "Express" Total
Friday's Barbell Therapy takes a bit of a different turn this week as we go from our usual Olympic-style weightlifting exercises/lifts to a more powerlifting focus with an "express" version of the CrossFit Total.
Why "express" you ask? Because in order to truly work up to 1-Rep Max territory in all three lifts (as the traditional CrossFit Total calls for) most people would require more time to build-up in weight, and more time to rest between sets & movements. Thus the prescription of our "express" version of this workout states "heavy single" for each movement -- meaning the heaviest single rep you can do for today, given the conditions, and given the specific time restriction. This concept is nothing new to you folks since we lift often, and lift fast most of the time. Ain't nobody got time for slow-mo fitness.
If you need some extra TLC to get your body ready to lift in this fashion then try to come in to the gym a little early to extend your own personal warm-up (e.g. row/bike/ski for a bit, roll out thoroughly, mobilize your challenge areas). But either way remember the intended stimulus of this version of the CF Total -- heavy singles with good technique, not grip-and-rip-to-max-out-bruh-cause-we-be-short-on-time-but-long-on-expectations. Your body will thank you for it over the weekend when the total poundage you lifted across the entire WOD (i.e. the actual cumulative work you accomplished) was still high, but you also felt good enough to train again on Saturday and/or Sunday... or good enough to just enjoy the weekend with some $25 eggs you didn't have to cook yourself.
Happy Friday!
WOD For 09-07-18:
"The CrossFit Total EXPRESS"
On a Strict Running Clock...
A) 0:00 - 15:00
Back Squat:
15 minutes to establish a heavy single
B) 15:00 - 23:00
Strict Press:
8 minutes to establish a heavy single
A) 23:00 - 35:00
Deadlift:
12 minutes to establish a heavy single
#TBT To "Annie" The Legend
Here's a #TBT (Throwback Thursday) to the time when Coach Sarah and Coach Amy took a few of Arena Ready's Mighty Minis to meet and train with the original badass mini, and namesake of the benchmark WOD "Annie" - Annie Sakamoto:
Split Jerks are on the agenda for Thursday and we've got three of the best in the biz at split jerking combining to coach nearly all of the day's classes (and no, I'm not talking about me). So get in the gym and get it dialed-in under the watchful eyes of one of the resident ninjas at this movement!
WOD For 09-06-18:
Split Jerk:
3-3-2-2-1-1-1
Climbing only as your technique allows
-then-
"Annie"
For Time:
50-40-30-20-10
Double Unders
AbMat Sit-ups
(Compare to 08-12-16 and 10-24-14)
Workout courtesy of CrossFit.com
Cycling Power Cleans
Here's a simple and useful video on how to effectively "cycle" the barbell during power cleans to produce what we call "touch-and-go" reps with good, safe, technically sound positions:
Once you begin to get comfortable with cycling the barbell it's much easier to produce the "smooth is fast" or "jogging with the barbell" sensation that we often talk about. You'll be ale to practice this skill in Wednesday's classes -- the only point I would add to the above video is to make sure to stand your reps up to full extension before allowing the bar to leave your shoulders (or "pop off" as the video describes). No one likes shorting reps, even if you look like a smooth criminal while doing so...
WOD For 09-05-18:
With a Partner On a Running Clock...
A) 0:00 - 12:00
2 Power Cleans + 2 Front Squats ("Touch-and-Go"):
12 minutes for both partners to build to a top set using the same barbell
B) 15:00 - 27:00
AMRAP 12 Minutes:
10 Box Jumps@ 24/20 in
8 Power Cleans @ 115/80 lbs
6 Front Squats
One person working at a time. Complete one FULL round then switch.
Yes, the power cleans and front squats should be "touch-and-go" and unbroken.
Track Day Turnout!
We had a great turnout on Monday morning for Coach Kim's Labor Day Track WOD. Over 30 Arena Ready athletes plus a bunch of kiddos (and parents) came out to start their holiday right.
Thank you, Kim, for another awesome hero WOD - can't wait to do it again next year!
After all that squatting, push-upping, lunging, and running on Labor Day we'll get back to the gym with some hinging, upper-body pulling, and rowing. You got your aerobic fill on Monday so Tuesday's WOD should feel fairly anaerobic (sprint hard, rest, repeat).
Let's go team!
WOD For 09-04-18:
5 Rounds, Go Every 5 Minutes:
21/17 Calorie Row
15 KB Swings @ 70/53 lbs
9 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
Each round is for time.
Labor Day "Loredo"
Final reminder that the gym is closed on Monday but Coach Kim is leading our Labor Day Track WOD at CCSF Track (AKA George Rush Stadium). The hero workout "Loredo" has become the annual AR tradition for Labor Day thanks to Kim's astute programming last year at this time.
Meeting time is 9:00am sharp on Monday morning and we'll all gather at the base of the parking lot (Google map 324 Havelock Street for directions to where Kim will take our head count before we make our way down to the track).
Kim will have scaling ready for all levels and has also graciously offered to run two heats so that parents can bring their kiddos and "do the switch-off" allowing both parental units to get their fitness on... boom, no excuses yo.
See you there!
WOD For 09-03-18:
6 Rounds For Time:
24 Air Squats
24 Push-ups
24 Walking Lunges
400m Run
(Compare to 09-04-17)
Workout courtesy of CrossFit.com
Saved By The Barbell
A few reminders for the holiday weekend (we are closed on Sunday and Monday, but have plenty of fitness planned for ya on Saturday and Monday):
"Saved By The Barbell" during Saturday Classes
We'll be joining CrossFit affiliates around the country (and world) in doing the CrossFit For Kids Foundation workout "Saved By the Barbell" during our Saturday morning classes. You can still officially register for the event if you like and/or donate to the cause through CrossFit's website here.
This workout is similar to the legendary WOD "Fight Gone Bad" so experienced CrossFitters know the type of lighter weight, higher rep, constant movement intensity that awaits. Be prepared to do the workout and also judge/count/cheer for one of your classmates as well, as this one is much more fun with fellow athletes screaming encouragement at you to push through the burn.
Labor Day Track WOD With Coach Kim
Coach Kim will be running her traditional Labor Day Track WOD on Monday, September 3rd - it's the hero WOD "Laredo" and is one helluva running & bodyweight workout. She will have scaling options ready to rock for all levels so get your butts out to the track to start your Labor Day off right.
The workout will take place at CCSF Track (AKA George Rush Stadium) and meet up time on Monday morning is 9:00am sharp. Google map 324 Havelock Street for directions to the base of the parking lot where Kim will gather the group!
WOD For 09-01-18:
"Saved By The Barbell"
3 Rounds For Max Reps (1 Minute Per Station):
Burpees
Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
Deadlifts @ 115/75 lbs
Medicine Ball Sit-ups @ 20/14 lbs
Hang Power Cleans @ 115/75 lbs
(Rest 1 Minute Between Rounds)
Workout courtesy of CrossFit.com
Friday Barbell Therapy Is Back!
You're welcome.
And if you cherry-picked Thursday's WOD because you didn't wan't to breathe hard then you better full snatch all these triples to start because, after all, it's your fitness... and you're only cheating yourself.
WOD For 08-31-18:
3-3-3-3
For Quality
-then-
EMOM 14 Minutes:
MINUTES 1-4:
3 Snatches, Moderate (~65-70% of 1RM)
MINUTE 5:
REST & Change Weight
MINUTES 6-9:
2 Snatches, Moderately Heavy (~75-80%)
MINUTE 10:
REST & Change Weight
MINUTES 11-14:
1 Snatch, Heavy (~85-90%)
IF NO MISSES, 5 Minutes off the EMOM Clock for up to 3 Attempts:
1-1-1 (one miss and you're done!)
Use the same weight across for all four triples, then all four doubles, and then all four singles, changing the weight only during the rest minutes.
The goal is make all 12 sets with no misses, so remember that "heavy" does not mean "max."
Percentages shown are of a 1-rep max, and are simply rough guidelines. Both power and/or full snatches are allowed (athlete's choice today). Touch-and-go for the triples and doubles is not required.
(Compare to 08-18-17, 07-08-16 and 01-22-16)