Workout of the Day
Fridays Are For Quality (And Deft Dose of Intensity)
That Thursday piece was a slog and your legs may be feeling it a bit, so we end the work week with some “For Quality” recovery, stability, pre-hab work and then a shorter AMRAP of (more) unilateral movement combined with skill work for good measure.
Happy Friday, fiends!
WOD For 01-04-19:
For Quality (Not For Time):
400m Run
2 Minutes of Alternating Dumbbell or Kettlebell Turkish Get-ups @ pick load
1 Minute of Med Ball Russian Twists @ pick load
2 Minutes of Alternating Dumbbell or Kettlebell Turkish Get-ups @ pick load
1 Minute of Med Ball Russian Twists @ pick load
400m Run
-then-
AMRAP 8 Minutes:
40 Double Unders
12 Single Dumbbell Hang Clean-to-Overhead @ 50/35 lbs (switch sides after 6 reps)
8 Ring Dips
Push-Push-Push-Push-Pull-Pull-Pull
The somewhat mean Wednesday WOD as a follow-up to Monday’s “The Chief” is what we call “movement interference” — AKA intentional redundancy with a bit of a twist. Remember that in CrossFit the idea of “constant variance” should not be confused with “random”… but that said it’s also important not to make every back-to-back programmed set of days or weeks be exactly complimentary to the point of predictability.
But I couldn’t do it to you three days in a row LOL so here’s the pulling yin to our pushing yang (as many of you might have expected in some form or another).
It is 7 cycles so keep that mind when approaching your pacing (or lack thereof). If you need to back-off the loading a bit to feel like you’re holding your positions well then be the smarty-pants you are and please do so. But the burpees and row are your chance to go HAM should you so choose.
WOD For 01-03-19:
7 Cycles of 2:00 Work / 2:00 Rest For MAX CALORIES Rowed:
7 Deadlifts @ 255/175 lbs
8 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
9 Lateral Bar Burpees
MAX CALORIE Row
Your score is the total number of calories rowed.
2019 Healthy Habits Challenge
Around the country at least, if not around the world, the end of the year always seems to bring an opportunity to reflect, while the start of a new year often feels like an opportunity for new beginnings. Here at AR we’re really no different. I (Sarah) love the insights that come from introspection, and with the number of times I’ve started a new year as an adult beginning to add up, I’ve realized that some years create more opportunity for growth than others.
As such, we’ll be repeating our Healthy Habits challenge in 2019. Thanks to Dani, the awesome posters are back, so we’ll be able to size up the competition head-to-head for each challenge (described below). The stickers are ready for sticking (and for the occasional unsticking for those who end up doing the “walk of shame” - prematurely giving yourself a sticker for the same day, then sheepishly removing that same sticker the next day after dinner got the best of you).
As always, your “score” will be your self-reported sticker on the scorecards on the gym walls. When you enter a challenge, you determine your criteria (i.e. what you would consider success at the end of the month: whether you're completely avoiding caffeine/booze/sugar, or whether you'll allow x servings per week, or whether you'll get a sticker any time you slept more than x hours). It's not for us to draw that line. Pick something that you think would be a healthier (and realistic/sustainable) level for you, and give yourself a sticker every time you reach that goal.
We’ve learned in past years that it’s a very sad poster that has no stickers by the end of the month, so please be thoughtful about which challenge(s) you join, if any. We’re hoping this will be a jumping off point for a healthier you - a version of yourself that actually does the things you believe you should be doing. If you have no interest in drinking less caffeine, don’t kid yourself. But if you really would benefit from eating less sugar, this is an opportunity to harness the power of our community, and of little shiny stickers, to make a change that will benefit you this month, and maybe even for years to come.
We’re considering introducing prizes this year. The criteria and awards are TBD, but if you’re motivated by things like free t-shirts or perfect bars, this could be your year!
For those new to AR, the categories are listed below. For those who’ve been here in prior years, please read them with fresh eyes. Think about whether there are any categories in which you’d benefit from “leveling up”. To enter, grab a Sharpie, write your name (neatly) on the correct poster(s) and get ready for a month not that different from an elegant couplet. Looks pretty simple on the board, but the aggregate effect can actually change your life.
More Sleep: this category is intended especially for those of you who find it difficult to get more than six hours of sleep per night, and potentially for those who sleep less than eight hours. Time and again, research shows the detrimental effects of insufficient zzzz's in terms of its effect on stress levels, metabolism, and general performance.
Less/No Booze: this category is intended especially for those of you who are interested in competing in the Open and/or those of you who have body composition goals. Alcohol (especially in excess) is detrimental to sport performance, recovery and body composition, so really has no place in an athlete's routine.
Less/No Sugar: Increasingly, the addictive and harmful nature of added sugar is hitting headlines. We're not talking about naturally occurring sugar in fruit and other foods, here we mean sweeteners (including calorie-free sweeteners). For those of you seeking to improve body composition, and to get control of your cravings, cutting sugar out entirely for the month of January will be a challenge, but worth it.
Less Caffeine: For some responders, caffeine at any dose is detrimental to health, and if you're in that category you're probably not inclined to consume much caffeine anyway. For the rest of us, caffeine in reasonable doses as an enhancement to an already healthy lifestyle is probably not an issue, but if we start to exceed roughly two (reasonably sized) cups per day, or start drinking it late in the evening, it can begin to have detrimental effects. If you've gotten in the habit of replacing sleep or water with coffee, this may be the challenge for you.
More Water: While the recommendation to drink 8 cups per day may not be as scientifically backed as I once thought, the guidance to drink enough to keep your pee relatively clear is pretty widely acknowledged. Being chronically dehydrated is a known performance inhibitor - even being mildly dehydrated can have a material effect on performance. That said, there is no advantage to excessive water consumption, and drinking too much water can also be harmful. With this in mind, if your pee tends towards strong yellow, perhaps getting to mellow yellow would be a good objective.
Nutrition Overhaul: If you've been wanting to try a Paleo, Whole 30, macro counting, or other nutrition challenge, this could be the month to do it alongside other Arena Ready friends. I am very opposed to crash diets, intended to dramatically alter body composition through unsustainable means. As an alternative, I'm very strongly in favor of learning how your body responds to various foods as fuel and sources of micronutrients (or toxins), and trying to gradually change your habits (and body composition) through pursuit of healthier habits.
If you’re interested in my 12 Week "How to Paleo your Macros" program for AR members, or if you're interested in this challenge, but don't already have another idea in mind, please feel free to contact me, and I'll get you set up!
WOD For 01-02-19:
With a Partner On a Running Clock…
A) From 0:00 - 17:00
For Time (With a 17 Minute Cap):
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Hang Squat Clean @ 135/95 lbs
Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
*One athlete working at a time
*Athlete A completes one FULL round then TAGS Athlete B who then completes one FULL round
*For Example:
Athlete A completes 10 and 10 > TAG
Athlete B completes 10 and 10 > TAG
Athlete A completes 9 and 9 > TAG
Athlete B completes 9 and 9 > TAG
Etc…
B) From 20:00 - 30:00
Strict Press:
5-5-3-3-1-1-1
*If possible, add to your top set from 12-18-18
*Does the met-con beforehand help you add to your previous loading or hinder that pursuit?
The Chief: A Brief History
Reminder about our Holiday Schedule through Jan 1st (click for details).
An Arena Ready Holiday Tradition - "The Chief"...
One of the coolest parts about CrossFit is that its workouts, and your personal results, are measurable, observable, and repeatable. So once you've performed a WOD more than once you're able to look back and see how much better (i.e. fitter) you've become - either you went faster, used more weight, or achieved more rounds/reps. It's not an anecdotal measure of your fitness level (e.g. "I think my pants look sexier on me this month" or "I'm pretty sure my abs look better now in the right light"), but actual data that supports your increased work capacity. And sometimes, in the midst of all that nerdy exercise data, you weave a little story around certain WODs that just hold a special place in your heart.
If you've been a member at Arena Ready for a while you knew it was coming... "The Chief." We do this WOD every year at this time because it's one of my favorite workouts of all time, and since Jan 1st is my birthday it has become somewhat of a "Rob's pre-birthday tradition" at AR. We also ran this WOD on my (and Sarah's) wedding day in 2013, and a few other times over the last 7 years (we're good for it once or twice a year, haha).
The WOD itself is a spicy one - it has pulling, pushing, and squatting all included... and the rep scheme and work/rest ratio allow you to keep moving at a pretty fast pace for a fairly long (by CrossFit standards) period of time.
The first time I did this WOD about 9 years ago I remember getting 16 total rounds, laying out on the floor in exhaustion after the final cycle, and thinking there was no way I could ever move any faster. About thirty minutes later I watched Big Tony Miranda casually get 32 rounds (exactly double my score) and I thought surely he wasn't human. Since then I think I've done the workout at least ten more times, and my goal for the WOD has evolved over the years. Initially the gold standard of 20 rounds was what I wanted... after I hit that I aimed for 25 rounds... and after I made that goal I set my sights on 30 rounds, thinking it would be awesome but would probably never happen. In 2014 I hit 29+ rounds twice and was SO CLOSE to the seemingly impossible (for me) goal of 30, and that's when I decided it HAD to happen in my lifetime. New Year's Eve 2015 and 2016 was also just short of 30 rounds for me.
Last year at this time I was four weeks post-hip surgery so I wasn't be able to chase the 30-round mark on New Year’s Eve. And now, 12 months later, while I’m not exactly “back” yet I’m healthy enough to give the workout a go at Rx even if I know nothing close to 30 rounds will happen for me this time around. All good, I’m going to give it all I have anyway.
I turn 41 on Jan 1st and I ask all of you to come in on New Year’s Eve to do the WOD I have come to love (& hate) over the years - the one WOD I continue to measure myself against above nearly all others... "The Chief."
After "The Chief" on our wedding day in September 2013
WOD For 12-31-18:
"The Chief"
Five 3-Minute Cycles For Max Rounds:
3 Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs
6 Push-ups
9 Air Squats
Each cycle is 3 minutes or work, and there is 1 minute of rest between cycles. We will score this continuously, keeping one running count for total rounds, because that's how I like to do it (and it's how we've always done it) and it's my birthday. So, in the end, your score is one number of total rounds + reps completed.
(Compare to 12-30-17, 12-31-16, 12-31-15, 12-31-14, 06-30-14, 12-31-13, 09-28-13, 06-18-13 and 12-31-12)
Sweaty Saturday Special: The Final One of 2018!
Reminder about our Holiday Schedule through Jan 1st (click for details).
If Friday was sprint-y and burn-y then Saturday will be (shocker) sweat-y and slog-y. Just how you fitness crazies like it.
Happy final weekend of 2018!
WOD For 12-29-18:
Wth a Partner, 4 Rounds For Time:
750m Row
50 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
25 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
25 Burpees Over The Rower
Only one person working at a time, switch whenever you like.
Friday Deads, Dubs, Pistols
Reminder about our Holiday Schedule through Jan 1st (click for details).
Your upper pushing & pulling may get a nice break on Friday (shoulders say halleluja) but your body’s backside is gonna do some serious fitness-ing. Gluteus to the maximus. Goin’ HAM on your hammies. Back-rocked Obama. OK, you get the point.
Happy Friday!
WOD For 12-28-18:
AMRAP 3 Minutes:
3 Deadlifts @ 275/195 lbs
30 Double Unders
3 Pistols (alternate)
AMRAP 3 Minutes:
6 Deadlifts @ 225/155 lbs
30 Double Unders
6 Pistols (alternate)
AMRAP 3 Minutes:
9 Deadlifts @ 185/125 lbs
30 Double Unders
9 Pistols (alternate)
Rest 3 minutes between AMRAPs.
Use one barbell and change your own weights during the rest periods.
Thursday 8-7-6
Reminder about our Holiday Schedule through Jan 1st (click for details).
Newer to Arena Ready? Have fun underestimating this one.
Been with us a while? Have fun underestimating this one.
HAHAHA.
WOD For 12-27-18:
7 Rounds, Start Every 3 Minutes:
8 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
7 Toes-to-Bar
6 Hang Power Cleans @ 185/135 lbs
Want to up the intensity? Sprint the burpee box jumps and/or do the toes-to-bar unbroken.
Front Squat 1-3-1-5-1-7 and a Scaled-up Baseline
Reminder about our Holiday Schedule through Jan 1st (click for details).
Like with last week’s Back Squat 1-3-1-5-1-7 this Front Squat session has the same intent:
The goal is three heavy singles, each followed by a “down set” of multiple (and ascending) repetitions. The athlete should build to their first single with 3-4 warm-up sets, and then once the first single is taken there should be no “in-between” or “test” sets during the SIX total work sets.
Since this type of session requires the athlete to “go by feel” some will inevitably ask for advice on loading - here is a rough idea of what a typical progression might look like for someone who squats approximately 250 lbs as a 1RM (keeping in mind that athletes will vary!):
Empty Bar + Three to Four Warm-up Sets, then…
1 @ 225 lbs
3 @ 205 lbs
1 @ 235 lbs
5 @ 200 lbs
1 @ 240 lbs
7 @ 195 lbs
Keep your rest strict and fairly short at approx 1:30 between sets. There is no “rule” about the singles going up or down in weight, and the same goes for the sets of 3, 5, and 7 (they can go slightly up, go slightly down, or stay the same) - it all depends on the individual athlete and how they feel today. Take what’s there today, come back tomorrow.
WOD For 12-26-18:
Front Squat:
1-3-1-5-1-7
-then-
For Time:
500m Row
40 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
30 Med Ball Sit-ups @ 20/14 lbs
20 Hand-Release Push-ups
10 Bar Muscle-ups
Christmas Eve Track WOD With Coach Kim!
Reminder about our Holiday Schedule through Jan 1st (click for details).
Coach Kim will be leading a Christmas Eve Track WOD on Monday morning at 9:00am!
Get your holiday started right and come out and enjoy some fitness with your Arena Ready friends. Check the private Arena Ready Facebook Group for full details on the workout itself if you don’t like being surprised.
The WOD 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.
On Facebook but not in the private Arena Ready Facebook group? C'mon now, didn't you read your On-Boarding email??!! (don't answer that since I usually know already by your lack of Beyond The Whiteboard entries)
Request to be added to the group (if you're not in it) so you don't miss out on anything Arena Ready related!
WOD FOR 12-24-18:
Get your butt down to the track and find out!
Sweaty Saturday: The Barbell Bonanza
Reminder about our Holiday Schedule through Jan 1st (click for details).
Come in on Saturday morning and get your barbell fix with this Sweaty Saturday Partner Special… then it’s a Christmas Eve Track Workout on Monday, Dec 24th at 9:00am. We’ll post details about the track WOD (meet-up location, workout details, etc.) on Sunday afternoon to the blog — hope we see you at AR on Saturday (and/or Sunday) and then outside at the track on Monday (RAIN OR SHINE!!!).
Happy weekend, friends.
WOD For 12-22-18:
With a Partner For Time:
60 Calorie Row (FM Pairs = 54 Cal / FF Pairs = 48 Cal)
50 Hang Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs
60 Calorie Row
50 Push Jerks @ 115/75 lbs
60 Calorie Row
50 Hang Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs
60 Calorie Row
50 Lateral Bar Burpees
Only one person working at time, switch whenever you like.
Teams are responsible for changing their own weights.
Upcoming Holiday Schedule
Please note our class schedule over the next two holiday weeks:
Friday, Dec 21 through Sunday, Dec 23:
Normal class schedule
Monday, Dec 24 (Christmas Eve):
No class
Holiday Track Workout at 9am (RAIN OR SHINE!!!)
Tuesday, Dec 25 (Christmas Day):
No class
Wednesday, Dec 26 through Friday, Dec 28:
CrossFit classes at 7am, 12pm, 4pm, 5pm
Saturday, Dec 29 through Sunday, Dec 30:
Normal class schedule
Monday, Dec 31 (New Year’s Eve):
Holiday WOD classes at 9am, 10:15am
Tuesday, Jan 1 (New Year’s Day):
No class
Wednesday, Jan 2:
Normal class schedule resumes
Thanks for your attention and please let us know if you have any questions.
WOD For 12-21-18:
For Time:
BUY-IN: 800m Run
… then…
21 Deadlifts @ 225/155 lbs
21 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
7 Ring Muscle-ups
15 Deadlifts
15 Box Jumps
5 Ring Muscle-ups
9 Deadlifts
9 Box Jumps
3 Ring Muscle-ups
ZATSIORSKY, SCALING, AND POWER (And Thanks Coach Steven)
Coach Steven will be leaving us for four months while he does some science-y stuff in Washington DC. Yeah, I know right? Science… who needs it anyway?! Well, he’s going no matter what we say and he claims it is not a violation of the Arena Ready Moratorium since he’s returning in the Spring.
When I asked Steven what workout he would like to do in his final week before his departure THIS IS THE ONE HE PICKED so don’t blame me for the joy it brings you AKA “everything was fine for a while and then all of a sudden it got really bad really fast.”
THANKS, STEVEN.
(below is the original blog post I included with this same workout back in June of 2016)
Originally published six years ago, the article "Zatsiorsky, Scaling, and Power" by Jon Gilson (founder of Again Faster and former member of the CrossFit HQ Seminar Staff) is as useful today as it was back in 2010. Check it out:
You could struggle like a rocket trying to take off on regular unleaded, or you could actually get stronger.
You’re the kid who saw one phenom go from high school straight to the Major Leagues, and figured “What the hell? If that skinny punk can do it, so can I.” Attention, achievement, some sliver of recognition, nothing less will do.
You’re Rx’d. You made the Major League jump. Except, you really, really shouldn’t have, and now you’re striking out. Slow your roll, tee ball slugger.
It’s okay. I did the same thing, and if I don’t admit it, the pot would definitely be calling the kettle another piece of kitchen equipment. Learn from my stupidity.
This is not what we meant.The whole point of our sport is power output: do more work faster. Intrinsic in this little missive is “faster”, but every guy secretly wants to be bigger and stronger, and figures that what we actually meant was “heavier”.
It comes down to simple physics: power is the product of speed and strength. Too much of either (without the other) will result in extremely blunted power.
Imagine speed and strength on the see-saw together, and strength is the fat kid. The really fat kid. In fact, he outweighs speed by a factor of ten. The see-saw stays stuck, and no one has fun at recess. Escaping my metaphor, if the load is too large and speed is too small, power is zip, much like multiplying by zero always gets you zero.
Now, imagine speed and strength are balanced, each kid weighing about the same. This parity allows them to act in concert with each other, and the see-saw really flies. We get power.
“Heavier” isn’t the answer. Balance is the answer.
On page six in The Science and Practice of Strength Training, author Vladimir Zatsiorsky posits that maximal power output occurs at approximately 30% of maximal velocity and 50% of maximal load. I’m in love with page six, and simultaneously dumbfounded by its mathematical exactitude.
Applied to CrossFit and our never ending pursuit of power, this unforgettable page states that we’re looking for a load that you can move with 30% speed, one that tends to occur somewhere around your 50% of one-rep maximum.
Of course, CrossFit won’t ask you to move the bar once, but perhaps ten or twenty or fifty times. To maximize your power across this broad spectrum of work, you’ll want to load to less than 50% 1RM, and continue to try to move the hell out of the bar.
Holy sh*t. A formula for scaling.
For too long, we’ve focused on strength bias this and power animal super athlete that, when this entire program is predicated on power. Stop thinking of scaling as something to keep Grandma in the game. We scale to the physical and psychological tolerance of the athlete for one reason: it enables the individual to produce as much power as possible.
Following Zatsiorsky’s formula, if you can’t thruster at least 190 pounds, you shouldn’t be doing “Fran” with 95. If you can’t clean and jerk 270, don’t do “Grace” with 135. You’re blunting your power output. Scale that weight down; it will make you more powerful.
I did not just tell you to abandon heavy weights. In fact, I want you to lift heavy. A lot. Just not in the middle of your WOD.
If you increase your 1RM, through any number of methods, your 50% 1RM will go up as well, and you’ll climb into the Rx’d echelon via this prescription. You thruster 150, you do “Fran” at 75 pounds or less. You thruster 200, welcome to the Big Leagues.
In other words, don’t strength bias your WODs—strength bias your strength, and scale your WODs to your current strength level.
Proof? Take a look at the strongest men in the world, not by fiat, but by actual numbers lifted, the gargantuan boys of Westside Barbell. Their program regularly calls for moving 50% 1RM as fast as possible. In fact, it was a conversation with Louie Simmons, the founder of the Westside Method and its Dynamic Effort Days, that persuaded me to pick up a copy of The Science and Practice of Strength Training in the first place.
I’m sure he’d be disappointed I never made it past page six, but I bet he’d love it if you stopped trying to do Fran with 65% of your 1RM.
The successful implementation of scaling demands a simple recognition: there are an infinite number of weights that can be loaded on a barbell, and every one must be removed from ego and firmly affixed to power. When this mental shift occurs, we’ll get more powerful athletes, guaranteed.
-Jon Gilson
This article is a great segue into Thursday's workout below, which was a CrossFit.com main site WOD from the Fall of 2014. The WOD looks so simple on paper - it starts out harmlessly in terms of loading - and some athletes may be convinced that they can start at the Rx weight of 75/65 lbs (as we have scaled it) and have no problems getting into the 20+, 25+, or even 30+ minute range. Here is where understanding 1) what the intended stimulus of the workout is; 2) how your current strength and fitness levels fit into that intended stimulus; and 3) how best to scale & approach the workout in order to get the highest possible power output and overall benefit can greatly improve the effectiveness of the workout and the positive adaptation you glean from doing it at an appropriate sequence of loading.
Here are two former CrossFit Games athletes, and still some of the fittest guys out there, doing the WOD starting at 75 lbs. Their final scores were 25 minutes (Pat Barber) and 35 minutes + 4 reps (Wes Piatt):
WOD For 12-20-18:
With a Continuously Running Clock...
Complete 5 Thrusters Every Minute For As Long As Possible:
0:00 - 5:00 use 75/65 lbs
5:00 - 10:00 use 95/75 lbs
10:00 - 15:00 use 115/85 lbs
15:00 - 20:00 use 135/95 lbs
Etc...until you cannot complete 5 reps within the minute
*Continue adding 20/10 lbs every 5 minutes for as long as you are able.
*Score is minutes completed plus any reps in your final partial minute.
(Compare to 06-14-16)