Workout of the Day
If You Can Hear My Voice Clap Twice
For any athletes in classes running 2 groups for Tuesday’s WOD — please do our coaches a solid and pay careful attention to the logistics instructions and scaling recommendations in the gym so that this spicy workout runs just as smoothly as it should.
We have a thought-out plan (as always) so while we realize your suggestions given in class during the set-up/warm-up phases are coming from a good place (thank you for trying to help) it actually makes it harder to organize things because we already have a pre-planned system ready to go. It’s almost as if the coaches do this regularly or something LOL.
Thank you & enjoy!
WOD For 01-15-19:
3 Rounds For Max Reps:
3 Minutes of Rowing For Calories
2 Minutes of Squat Cleans @ 165/115 lbs
1 Minute of Bar Muscle-ups
(Rest 2 Minutes Between Rounds)
*There is no built-in transition time from movement to movement
*Post THREE scores in the gym: total reps for Rounds 1, 2, and 3
(WOD inspired by Josh Bridges and slightly modified by yours truly)
Happy Monday: Here, Do These Burpee Box Jump Overs..
We hope everyone had a great weekend! So look, here’s the thing… most teams only got through about one-and-a-half rounds on Saturday, meaning most athletes only did roughly 20 total box jumps. AND there were no burpees of any sort!
So, you know… Happy Monday.
WOD For 01-14-19:
For Time:
42-30-18 of
KB Swings @ 70/53 lbs
21-15-9 of
Burpee Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 in (face the box)
-then-
Tabata:
Med Ball Russian Twists @ pick load
Sweaty Saturday: A Little Bit of Err-thang
Push, pull, hinge, squat, lunge, jump, unilateral work.
You want it, we got it.
Get in here and get after it, Team!
WOD For 01-12-19:
With a Partner, AMRAP 25 Minutes:
10 Rounds of “CINDY”
20 Single Dumbbell “Forward Lungesters” @ 50/35 lbs (alternate sides each rep)
30 Deadlifts @ 225/155 lbs
40 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
*Only one partner working at a time, switch whenever you like
*ONE round of "CINDY" is:
-5 Pull-ups
-10 Push-ups
-15 Air Squats
*ONE rep of "Single DB Fwd Lungester" is:
-Hang Clean
-Lunge RIGHT then LEFT (step forward)
-Thruster
Friday EMOM Barbell Therapy
Who remembers the fun 20-Minute EMOM of 5 Burpees + 1 Clean from three months ago? If you recall it was sort of an interesting, fun, harder than expected stimulus for most of us… well, here’s a Snatch variation using our friend the Wall Ball as the EMOM “buy-in” each time.
Happy Friday and enjoy!
WOD For 01-11-19:
EMOM 20 Minutes:
5 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
1 Snatch
*Start at approximately 70% of your current era 1RM and climb incrementally to HAP (“heavy as possible”) with good technique.
*Both power snatches and full (AKA “squat”) snatches are allowed.
January On-Boarding Starts This Saturday!
Reminder that our free January 2019 "On-Boarding Series" for newcomers starts this Saturday (January 12th) with the Introduction to CrossFit class at 12:00pm. The second class of the required two-part series, Beginner's CrossFit, will be held the following Saturday (January 19th). There are only a handful of membership spaces that will be available before February 1st when we close the membership again for 3 months, so if anyone you know has been wanting to join as a newcomer make sure to spread the word!
For more details on how & why we on-board newcomers in small groups at carefully chosen intervals throughout the year click here to read a previous 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.
So tell your friends and family to sign-up for this Saturday and get started at Arena Ready (click here for more details and to reserve an On-Boarding spot)!
WOD For 01-10-19:
Hang Power Clean:
5-4-3-2-1
-then-
FIVE Cycles of 1:30 Work / 1:30 Rest For MAX REPS:
10 Handstand Push-ups
50 Double Unders
MAX REPS Hang Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs
*Score is the total number of hang power clean reps completed across all 5 cycles.
From The Archive: The Athlete In The Arena
In light of our recent post on Instagram it occurred to me that some of you may not know where the name “Arena Ready” came from, or what inspired it. To that end, here is a blog post we wrote nearly six-and-a-half years ago in August of 2012… word for word, in its original & unchanged format.
The words still give me goosebumps.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
--Excerpt from "Citizens in a Republic," Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
We've always loved this quote - we feel it speaks to anyone who has fought hard to achieve something, whether or not they won. It's a beautiful description of how a life of purpose feels. This quote took on new meaning when Sarah saw it on the wall of her grandpa's office shortly after he passed away. He was her hero, and he was never proud of anything other than her best. He inspired her to achieve things she might not have otherwise considered. We believe that is what a hero is fundamentally, someone who can set an example of what's possible.
Arena Ready exists to investigate and understand the limits and capabilities of people individually and collectively to improve their own lives and the lives of those around them. Success is not an overnight phenomenon, it's a result of showing up every day to do the best you can on that day. It's the combined efforts of a community to improve the way its members approach their lives. Most importantly, it's individually defined - to succeed, you must know what you consider success.
We believe there is too little authenticity in the world today - by focusing on appearances, people too seldom focus on substance, and these artificial fronts weaken everyone - only through honest evaluation and effort can anyone ever know where they stand, and where they can go. Everyone sees the world through their own interpretation - we see a world of limitless possibilities. We see potential in everyone, and if possible, we want to help people achieve that potential. We've been blessed to experience world class coaching throughout our careers spanning multiple sports, and we hope to pass on the lessons we've learned.
The Arena is intense. It's your life, and this is a battle. We believe it's a battle worth fighting, and we stand in your corner.
Coach Lavinia sporting one of the original “AR Quote” t-shirts many years ago
WOD For 01-09-19:
With a Partner, AMRAP 22 Minutes:
1000m Row
44 Med Ball Sit-ups @ 20/14 lbs
33 Burpees Over the Rower
22 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
*Only one person working at a time, switch whenever you like.
*Can you and a teammate start fast, hold on, and make 3+ rounds?
The "Athlete's Choice" Alternating EMOM
If you’ve been at Arena Ready for a while you’re familiar with the WOD format of Tuesday’s workout. Occasionally we do these medium-longer EMOMs with the intention of a higher intensity output (think of the ones where you thought to yourself “OMG Rob I HATE YOU RIGHT NOW”) — generally those days have a very specific set number of reps and loading, and sometimes we make it even spicier by seeing if you can “hold a number throughout the entire WOD” (like a type of expanded Tabata torture method HAHA).
In other instances we allow for a range of experiences in our athletes by giving the choice of loading, and in many ways intensity, to the person doing the workout. Another way of thinking of this is “Choose Your Own Adventure” — lighter loading and a more intentional focus on movement quality for those who seek movement in the vein of a recovery day or lighter intensity stimulus, and heavier loading for those who feel primed to take on more intensity and/or work. The WOD can feel very different to different people, and that’s exactly our intention on these days.
So, check-in with yourself and take a quick inventory of how your body is feeling this week — have you trained consistently over the holidays, how has your sleep/nutrition/recovery been, what’s the climate like at work and/or home, did you travel recently, etc — and make a smart decision on how to approach this WOD in your first “full week back” (for some) so that you get the most benefit. Remember that the goal is to be able to come back tomorrow and/or for the balance of this week and continue to train productively and intelligently. Opportunities abound for intensity, speed, and other outputs in the days to follow — so when given a clear choice of how to guide your ship make sure to point it in the direction that best suits your current training/recovery/life situation.
On the other hand, if you look at this workout and think “that’s it?” or think that the Monday program was “too easy” then I have a message for you — you don’t need harder workouts, you need to go harder. Trust me, I see all the scores (from in the gym, from remote athletes, from coaches and competitors testing the WODs for me) and NONE of the people posting the fastest times and highest scores report that the workouts are “easy.”
Know thyself, train smart, train hard, be an athlete.
WOD FOR 01-08-19:
Alternating EMOM For 7 Rounds (21 Minutes):
Minute 1) 5 Back Squats @ pick load
Minute 2) 5 Explosive Box Jumps @ 30/24 in THEN 10 Russian KB Swings @ pick load
Minute 3) 0:45 Second Plank Hold
Monday 3-2-1 and 21-15-9
How bout dat Sweaty Saturday Partner Slog, eh?
Well here’s what could be considered (in many ways) as the opposite of that slog. We’ll start the week with a 3/2/1 barbell complex and then tackle a 21-15-9 sprint couplet that will make even the fastest of us wish the barbell were heavier so we had an excuse to slow down. This flavor of light loading and short time domain reminds me a little of the feeling of running an “all out” 800 meters on the track. Good times.
Enjoy!
WOD For 01-07-18:
3 Power Cleans + 2 Push Presses + 1 Push Jerk:
15 Minutes to Build to a Top Set
*Touch-and-go is not required for the power cleans but is encouraged for as long as possible with good technique.
-then-
For Time:
21-15-9
Power Cleans @ 95/65 lbs
Push Presses @ 95/65 lbs
*No rack, use the same barbell (yes, someone will inevitably ask).
*Push jerks are not allowed (AKA no re-bending of the legs with the barbell overhead). Here’s a hint… if it feels easy (even if you’re a competitor) you’re probably push jerking.
*Can you hold on to the bar longer than you want to (with good technique of course) and push the pace?
(Workout courtesy of CrossFit Linchpin)
2019 HEALTHY HABITS CHALLENGE: A Reminder
Since it’s the first weekend of the new year some of us are just now returning from travel and getting ready to attack the first full week of 2019. Just in case you missed it here’s Sarah’s post from earlier this week regarding the 2019 Healthy Habits Challenge — it’s not too late to start so I encourage you to participate just as I’ll be doing… I’m going to kick your ass at sticker collection, just sayin’.
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 01-05-19:
With a Partner For Time:
100 Calorie Row (FM Pairs = 90 Cal / FF Pairs = 80 Cal)
50 Power Snatches @ 135/95 lbs
150 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
50 Power Snatches @ 135/95 lbs
100 Calorie Row (FM Pairs = 90 Cal / FF Pairs = 80 Cal)
One person working at a time, switch whenever you like.
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?