Karabel

REMINDER: Holiday Party This Saturday From 5-9pm (click for details)!

Depending on the type of athlete you are this could either be considered as “ruining Karen” or “ruining Isabel” — but I prefer to view it as the colliding of two worlds to form a superworld of fitness and fun. Because if we can’t all complain about delayed onset quad soreness and shoulder fatigue together at the Holiday Party in two days then did we even work out?

You Loved One Who Doesn’t Do CrossFit (at the Holiday Party): “Everyone is complaining about some woman named Karabel.”

You: “Damn right. That’s called community.”

WOD For 12-13-18:

Power Snatch TRIPLE:

8 Minutes to Quickly Build to Something Heavier Than To Be Used in “Karabel” (NOT a 3RM)

-then-

“Karabel”

6 Rounds For Time:

5 Power Snatches @ 135/95 lbs

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

(Compare to 04-09-16, 08-08-15)

AR Holiday Party: This Saturday, Dec 15th

Holiday Party: Saturday, Dec 15th

Another friendly reminder that the 7th Annual Arena Ready Holiday Party is this Saturday, Dec 15th! We plan on getting started around 5:00pm, hopefully allowing those who have other parties or obligations later that evening to attend.  We'll probably wind things down around 9:00pm.  Due to the popularity of the party over the years we expect that the space may get fairly full at times so please leave the furry friends at home.

Potluck: Paleo or Not!

Back by popular demand we will continue the tradition of making the party a potluck-style shindig, so feel free to bring a dish/treat/drinks to share if you like.  Healthy options are of course appreciated but by no means required, and for small fee I’m available for text message reservations of perennial favorites that go fast (e.g. Mini Rex Spam Musubi, K&K Asian Chicken Salad, Ribs De Paris, anything Chef Bob makes, DLee Dungeness Glass Noodles, etc, etc, etc… there are far too many to list).

Bring The Fam!

Our holiday parties, like many of our events, are generally family friendly - so bring your loved ones (including little ones) if so desired. I hear that the coaching team has some hilarious trivia format planned (rumor has it that Coach Hillary has even created an Excel sheet with pivot tables and algorithms to organize said trivia).

Due to several close calls over the years, which nearly gave my wife a heart attack on a couple of occasions, we’re likely retiring the infamous “Bottle Game” from AR Holiday Party service. To pay our respects here’s a tribute to many years of near misses, broken belts, ripped pants, belly flops, and out-of-context inappropriate snapshots… RIP BOTTLE GAME.

SOUND ON to hear the crowd since most of them are behind the camera (smart, LOL)

PS - how many of you thought the Tuesday workout looked so easy on paper and then were surprised at how rough it got (assuming you scaled appropriately)? I saw exactly zero on-site completions of the 9 hang squat cleans for all 4 rounds at Rx, and only one from a remote athlete who “barely” made it by hanging on for dear life. If you made it all the way through I wanna hear about it! Put it in BTWB!

#SimpleNotEasy

Now how ‘bout an all-out sprint for the skilled among us at double unders? Well, let’s pull some triples first… because, you know, we’re in a triples kind of groove these days (for those keeping track at home).

WOD For 12-12-18:

Deadlift:

3-3-3-3-3

-then-

5 Rounds For Time:

11 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls @ 95/65 lbs

55 Double Unders

Can the competitors go completely unbroken for all five rounds? If so there’s a chance we might see a sub-5 minute time…

"Rockett" Science

WOD For 12-11-18:

Hang Squat Clean Triple:

8 Minutes to Quickly Build to a Top Set (Heavier Than to Be Used Below)

-then-

Alternating EMOM For 4 Rounds:

1) 21/17 Calorie Row

2) 15 Toes-to-Bar

3) 9 Hang Squat Cleans @ 165/115 lbs

4) Rest

*This workout is scored much like a "Tabata" WOD

*For Rx start at 21/17, 15, and 9 reps and attempt to hold that rep count (or as high/close to it as possible) for the four rounds.

*Your score is the lowest rep round for each of the three movements.

Monday 10-to-1

You know the drill with 10-to-1 workouts — we’re talking 55 total reps for each movement, and once you’re done with the round of 8 you’re basically halfway finished. If you can do HSPU with good, safe movement but the reps might take you a while then Monday’s time cap will allow you to chip away at those HSPUs for a decent amount of time as long as the coach sees solid technique. If you’re a HSPU ninja then make all 55 reps STRICT to add another layer of difficulty to this triplet.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

WOD For 12-10-18:

Strict Press:

3-3-3-3-3

Climbing to a top set

-then-

For Time:

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

Handstand Push-ups

Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs

Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

Sweaty Saturday Partner WOD Needs a Name

Could this be a new partner tradition to replace the once heralded “Zach’s Eight Crazy Nights” solo workout? And if so, what should it be called?

WOD For 12-08-18:

With a Partner, 3 Rounds For MAX REPS:

(1:15 Per Movement / 0:15 Transition Time Between Movements)

Thrusters @ 95/65 lbs

Partner Med Ball Sit-ups @ 20/14 lbs

Hang Power Cleans @ 95/65 lbs

Lateral Bar Burpees

Row, Ski, or Assault Bike For Calories

(Rest 1:15 Between Rounds)

*Only one person working at a time, switch whenever you like

*Score is the team’s total reps across all 3 rounds

Friday Light & Polite

Just because it’s lighter and more polite-er don’t think it won’t be spicy if you push the pace (with good technique of course). Because your posterior chain will remind you that sometimes light can be deadly. You know, in a good for you sort of way.

Happy Friday!

WOD For 12-07-18:

ON A RUNNING CLOCK…

A) At 0:00

For Time:

600m Run

50 Walking Lunges

400m Row

30 Deadlifts @ 185/125 lbs

B) At 15:00

REPEAT!!!

The Real 6am MVP

This is what next-level mindfulness looks like.

Any guesses as to who it is???

The astute among you have sensed a reduction in overall volume this week and you would be correct. The trend continues on Thursday but (as to be expected) we still provide opportunities for heavier loads overhead and skilled intensity should your current state allow for either or both.

And yes, I just referred to a week that includes yesterday’s wall balls as a “reduction in overall volume.”

WOD For 12-06-18:

Push Press:

3-3-3-3-3

Climbing. Add to last week 11-26-18 if possible.

-then-

6 Rounds For Time:

16 Single Dumbbell Push Presses @ 50/35 lbs (switch sides after 8 reps)

8 Box Jumps @ 30/24 ln

4 Bar Muscle-ups

Mid-Week Squats Are Just The Ticket

I know you may still have pistols in your legs from Monday, but Tuesday’s all-power-all-the-time program should have provided some relief and shake-out for your poor stems. So no time like the present to squat triples from the back rack and then follow it up with a challenging AMRAP that will require smart sets and mental toughness on the wall balls to get you back around to said wall balls in round 2.

Happy Hump Day, fitness friends!

WOD For 12-05-18:

Back Squat:

3-3-3-3-3

Climbing. Add to last week 11-27-18 if possible.

-then-

AMRAP 10 Minutes:

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

100 Double Unders

50 AbMat Sit-ups

50 Double Unders

Tuesday Partner ABC

I love a good partner piece (or three!) early in the week. It’s like a weekend fitness treat on a regular ol’ workday.

That little 7 and 7 is going to sting, friends. Enjoy.

WOD For 12-04-18:

With a Partner On a Running Clock…

A) 0:00 - 10:00

Hang Power Snatch Triple:

10 Minutes For Both Partners to Establish a Top Set of 3 Reps

*Partners use the same barbell and load/un-load weights between sets accordingly

B) From 13:00 - 24:00

In 11 Minutes:

BUY-IN: 70 Calorie Row (FM Pairs = 63 Cal / FF Pairs = 55 Cal)

… then, in the remaining time AMRAP of the couplet…

7 Hang Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs

7 Lateral Bar Burpees

*This is “you go, I go” format (i.e complete one full round of 7&7 then switch)

*Score = total rounds + reps of the couplet

C) From 27:00 - 30:00

AMReps in 3 Minutes:

Max Calorie Row

*Partners share the same rower (again) and switch whenever you like

*Quick transitions will be key!

Chalk & Raider Nation

The power cleans & C2B pull-ups on Monday, combined with the currently squeaky clean floor (thank you, Coach Kate), have reminded me to remind our athletes that overdoing the chalk is: a) an easy way to cause a mess and get on my sh*t list, 2) usually counterproductive as too much chalk can actually compromise your grip at some point, and D) a good way to make you look like THAT GUY (or GAL).

You know, this one:

Yes, our old school members have seen that one before... and yes, that's our old buddy, and everyone's favorite Arena Ready hype man, Julian.  He's been away from the gym the last couple of years because he's working for the Raiders these days, and his demanding schedule and poor choice of where he chooses to live makes it hard for him to come in as often as he's accustomed.  

Don't worry though, I told him that after the Raiders win the Super Bowl he can turn off the X-Box and go back to sleep ('cause that'll never happen in real life), and then make it into the gym bright and early the next day.

Keep the chalk in the bucket please.  And keep the Raiders in Oakland... it's not the same to make fun of them when they're from LA (or Vegas for that matter).

WOD For 12-03-18:

Power Clean:

3-3-3-3-3

Climbing. If possible, add to your top set from 11-20-18.

-then-

For Time:

21-15-9

Power Cleans @ 155/110 lbs

Pistols (alternate)

Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

REMINDER: AR Annual Holiday Party - December 15th

Four weeks ago Dani invited all of you to our annual Arena Ready Holiday Party via the private Facebook Group event she created and we wanted to remind everyone that the party will take place on Saturday, December 15th. The festivities will start around 5pm that evening.

As with prior years, and in response to the overwhelming requests to keep the tradition alive, we will be hosting the party at Arena Ready and will welcome folks to bring anything they’d like to share (encouraged but not required of course). If you’ve been to a few of these shindigs in prior years you know how passionate everyone gets about some of the annual favorites which have now become the topic of AR folklore and literal “save me some by hiding it somewhere in the gym because I can’t get there until 7pm” requests.

We’ll be providing some snacks and food of our own to add to the perennial spread of legendary mainstays. Rumor has it that a few new games may even make their way into mix. More details & reminders to come but please do save the date if you haven’t already and RSVP to the event Dani created here on the private Facebook Arena Ready Group (request to be added if you’re a member of the gym and are not in the group!!!).

WOD For 12-01-18:

With a Partner…

7 Cycles of 2:00 Work / 1 :00 Rest For MAX REPS of Wall Balls:

14 Hand-Release Push-ups TOGETHER

14 Deadlifts @ 225/155 lbs SPLIT

MAX REPS Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft SPLIT

*Score = total number of Wall Balls completed

*HR Push-ups are completed together simultaneously (i.e. both partners do 14 reps at the same time and deadlifts cannot start until BOTH partners have completed push-ups)

*Deadlifts and Wall Balls are split with only one partner working at a time (reps do not have to be split evenly)

Congrats Coach Kate!

Congrats to Coach Kate on the passing of her recent CrossFit Level-2 trainer course and exam! Kate becomes the sixth CrossFit Level-2 trainer on our awesome coaching staff, and we are excited to witness her continued growth and education as a leader in this community of athletes.

With over two dozen CrossFit Level-1 trainers in our general Arena Ready community, half a dozen Level-2 trainers, and two Level-3 trainers, we feel proud to have some of the most educated, engaged, and experienced coaches and members around!

WOD For 11-30-18:

DB or KB Turkish Get-up:

1-1-1-1-1

For Quality

1 Left then 1 Right = 1 Set

-then-

AMRAP 10 Minutes:

45 Double Unders

15 Single DB Hang Clean-to-Overhead @ 50/35 lbs (switch sides whenever)

5 Strict Pull-ups (any grip is allowed)

-then-

Tabata:

Med Ball Russian Twists @ pick load

1 Left then 1 Right = 1 Rep

Score = Lowest Round