Workout of the Day
The Arena Ready Moratorium: A Reminder
Coach Seiji’s last classes with us will be Wednesday evening’s 6pm & 7pm sessions — please come in to the gym if you can, take his class, and say goodbye to one of the best humans we know.
On that note, since both Seiji (with all his smarts and smooth talking) and Steven (with all his PhD street cred and science jibber jabber) seem to have conveniently forgotten about one important concept at Arena Ready, we’ll re-post it here for everyone as a reminder — please read and heed…
Let's take a little break from all the CrossFit Games hubbub to discuss a new mandate that has been instituted as my response to some member/coach behavior which I deem completely unacceptable - moving away from San Francisco, and thus leaving Arena Ready.
It PAINS me when awesome people move away from the city and have to leave Arena Ready as a result. A few of the old-schoolers who had been members from the beginning have moved away for new jobs, to start at a new school, or to start/grow their family in a new surrounding, and every time one of them left it literally felt like a family member (or members) moving away. So much so that I stopped writing about it when it naturally continued to happen, since it just made me sad to acknowledge the reality that some of the amazing people we care about will inevitably find a life for themselves somewhere other than San Francisco. Think about the handful of REALLY cool people that you're sad are no longer at Arena Ready because they moved away from SF (but, of course, you're also happy for them as they've continued to pursue their dreams in new endeavors - whatever those nonsense "life changing" endeavors may be).
Well, I'm sick of it. Yeah that's right, I'm fed up with you people. I realize that the only way we can take on new members is essentially when a person (or two) moves away from San Francisco thus leaving a membership spot vacant... and cold... and heartbroken. But how do you think I feel when someone I actually like and care about LEAVES ME AND I'M FORCED TO TRY AND MEET NEW PEOPLE? And, of course, I then have to also hope that these new people will not ask me why we don't do 40 minutes of man makers, how come we snatch and clean so much ("Isn't that dangerous?"), what I have against Turkish get-ups for time, or say "Hey can I tally my rounds in chalk on the floor so I don't forget where I am?" For the love all that is sacred, no. NO, you cannot write on the gym floor like some hopscotch tournament for adults, and I blame (insert person's name who moved away from SF here) for putting me in the middle of this torturous conversation.
Stop being so damn selfish with your fancy new jobs, and prestigious grad schools, and opulent houses bigger than 400 square feet so your children (or future children, or dog, or cat) can turn around inside the living room without knocking over the Apple TV. Maybe you should pause for just a moment, get outside of your self-serving way of thinking, and remember how fragile I really am. Stop being so self-centered AND THINK OF WHAT I NEED FOR JUST A SECOND OKAY?! My control issues and aversion to crowds should clue you in on the fact that you simply cannot up and leave this relationship that we've so successfully and deliberately established within the safe and tidy confines of Arena Ready. Not until I say so. Which, if you continue to be a cool person, is basically never.
There are a handful of current members who are in the queue to be the newest offenders of my plea for San Francisco-Arena Ready solidarity. You know who you are. Plotting. Planning. Searching for a new place to stay when you move. Thinking foolishly to yourself, "I'm not too worried, I'm sure there will be good ethnic food and decent coffee in (insert crappy new city of residence here)." No, there won't be. You know I never lie about food and I'm not starting now - so if not for the helpless people at Arena Ready whom you'll leave behind heartbroken, I implore you to cancel your pending move for the sake of your own taste buds and penchant for finely crafted caffeinated beverages.
OR, because now you simply CANNOT move. I won't allow it. Yes, you read that correctly. I am instituting a moratorium on any Arena Ready members moving outside of the city limits, and this goes into effect immediately. Moves to Daly City will be considered for approval on a case-by-case basis in light of its easy proximity to Arena Ready and its abundant options of post-workout chain restaurant recovery meals.
Recently one of our own at AR notified me that they'll be starting graduate school at a very impressive institution of higher learning in the fall. Said institution is not located in San Francisco proper. Hogwash. Here was my response, word for word (names have been changed for anonymity and comedic CrossFit effect):
Hi Grace
Thanks for sending the picture - it's awesome. We enjoyed meeting your friend Isabel and hope that she liked her drop-in experience at AR - it would be fun to have her as a part of the gym, so thanks for introducing her to us!
I do have some bad news for you regarding your upcoming move... I've recently instituted a strict moratorium on Arena Ready members moving away, so it's essentially no longer allowed. You see, I can no longer handle people we like and care about leaving us, and then having to replace them with people I do not (yet) know... Isabel, of course, is an exception as she seems like a lovely person - and your endorsement of her carries weight at Arena Ready. But you, unfortunately, are not an exception to said moratorium. So, in short, I'm sorry but you're not allowed to move.
Regardless, a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS is in order as we're thrilled to hear about your acceptance into the program at Stanford. Obviously Sarah (and I by proximity) have a soft spot for Stanford in our hearts, so it's cool that you're pursuing a new path in that direction. That said, I'm sure the school will be sad to hear that you've declined to attend their program due to your CrossFit coaches disallowing your move out of the city.
Fear not, I'm sure that more team workouts at Arena Ready will do a swell job in replacing the lessons that could otherwise be learned via group projects with your potential cohort at Stanford GSB. Plus, networking at AR really can't be beat by a bunch of smarty pants people living in Palo Alto of all places... I mean really. As for the actual business school learnings - I think the thesis at Arena Ready is really the same universal lesson to be learned at any graduate school worth its salt... The Journey Is All There Is. Well, that and "never skip leg day" (where were you this morning anyway?!).
Best,
Rob
Seriously... cut it out, people.
Oh, and my apologies for the liberal use of CAPS LOCK in this post. But hey, I WAS ACTUALLY SCREAMING AT YOU.
WOD For 06-12-19:
From The Floor (no rack):
Push Press 3x3 “across”
Push Jerk 3x3 “across”
*This is three work sets of three reps for each movement (complete all push press sets first then move on to push jerks).
*Build to your first work set in 3-4 warm-up sets -- once the loading feels challenging that's your "first set" of the 3x3 with SAME WEIGHT ACROSS.
-then-
“Grace”
For Time:
30 Clean & Jerks @ 135/95 lbs
Compare to 04-13-15, 06-14-14, and 07-27-13 (yes, it’s been over 4 years since we last did the simple, classic version of “Grace”).
(Workout courtesy of CrossFit.com)
SF Forecast: Sunny With a High Chance of Man Feet
You had to know it was coming out of the archive…
It's that time of year again in San Francisco - the stretch of a handful of days during which I try my best not to look down too much in public, for fear of seeing some gnarly man feet resembling hairy talons clinched to a pair of Rainbows. Thank goodness the forecast looks to be showing some cooling trends starting on Tuesday, since Monday's reading on the SF Weather Advisory System was: SEVERE.
San Franciscans can empathize.
I was at Whole Foods the other day being generally snobby and buying some nutritious fuel for a certain high powered athlete and her ruggedly handsome trophy husband. The troubling amount of man feet I was forced to look at made me so nauseous I could barely locate the $7 kombucha my dear athlete loves so much.
Dear SF (grown, adult, gainfully employed, not in college anymore) men - really?! Can we please retire the flip-flops as acceptable urban footwear, or at least reduce them to beach/pool/tropical vacation/public shower duty as they were intended? I mean, really... it's not like it's 100 degrees out there (Editor’s Note: OK, this time it actually was). I get it, it's nice out. How about a nice canvas sneaker, or loafer, or boat shoe? Anything. Please. And no, man sandals (AKA "mandals") are not okay and I don't care if they're Dolce & Gabbana - this isn't Europe, regardless of whether or not you insist on telling me "ciao" when we leave each other's presence, or sign-off all your emails with "cheers." You don't see me trying to kiss your wife goodbye on both cheeks, so cut it out with the Italian designer leather excuse for wearing what is, in effect, a high end flip flop. The linen man-pri pants should probably stay on the rack at Loehman's as well. THAT'S WHY THEIR MEN'S STORE CLOSED, DUDE. Or, let's make a deal, just clip your toenails like you've seen your feet in the last month - then maybe I won't feel like I'm losing my $11 kale chips the wrong way (Editor's note when re-reading this: I don't actually eat kale chips but it seemed fitting at the time for dramatic effect).
OK, end of grumpy old man rant (almost). I'm officially a curmudgeon. What can I say, I'm not a fan of the man feet. If cargo shorts are the Nickelback of men's clothing then flip flops are the Dave Matthews Band - we're not late for Chem Lab and neither of us has a Scarface poster on our wall anymore. So take a few minutes and put some shoes on, big dawg, so we can hang out and I won't have to pretend I don't know you.
Ladies, on the other hand, keep it up. You look fabulous, especially when it's warm outside - just make sure to hit those heels with some moisturizer, ain't nobody got time for ashy. Don't let the calloused hands fool you.
WOD For 06-11-19:
Tempo Back Squat:
3-3-3-3 @ 31X1
*If you’re new to tempo lifting then I’ve included an explanation below to help guide you.
-then-
On a Running Clock Set For 12 Minutes:
1 Minute of Double Unders
1 Minute of Dumbbell Snatches @ 50/35 lbs (alternate)
2 Minutes of Double Unders
2 Minutes of Dumbbell Snatches
3 Minutes of Double Unders
3 Minutes of Dumbbell Snatches
Record reps for each set.
(Workout courtesy of CrossFit.com)
***Tempo lifting may be a new concept to some, and since we'll be using tempo back squats in Tuesday's class here's some basic info on the practice courtesy of a blog post excerpt from the good folks at Invictus:
Tempo prescriptions come in a series of four numbers representing the times in which it should take to complete four stages of the lift. In a workout, the tempo prescription will follow the assigned number of reps, such as:
Front Squat x 2-3 reps @ 30X0
The First Number – The first number refers to the lowering (eccentric) phase of the lift. Using our front squat example, the 3 will represent the amount of time (in seconds) that it should take you to descend to the bottom of the squat. (The first number always refers to the lowering/eccentric phase, even if the movement begins with the ascending/concentric phase, such as in a pull-up.)
The Second Number – The second number refers to the amount of time spent in the bottom position of the lift – the point in which the lift transitions from lowering to ascending. In our front squat example, the prescribed 0 means that the athlete should reach the bottom position and immediately begin their ascent. If, however, the prescription was 32X0, the athlete would be expected to pause for 2 seconds at the bottom position.
The Third Number – The third number refers to ascending (concentric) phase of the lift – the amount of time it takes you to get to the top of the lift. Yes, I am aware that X is not a number. The X signifies that the athlete should EXPLODE the weight up as quickly as possible. In many cases, this will not be very fast, but it is the intent that counts – try to accelerate the weight as fast as you can. If the third number is a 2, it should take the athlete 2 seconds to get the lift to the top regardless of whether they are capable of moving it faster.
The Fourth Number – The fourth number refers to how long you should pause at the top of the lift. Take, for example, a weighted pull-up prescription of 20X2, the athlete would be expected to hold his or her chin over the bar for two seconds before beginning to come down.
Counting – It seems silly to even mention how to count seconds, but I have heard many clients audibly count to 4 in less than one second while under a heavy load. So, to ensure that your 4 second count and mine are the same, use “one thousands,” as in: 1-one thousand, 2-one thousand, 3-one thousand, 4-one thousand.
Bon Voyage S&S
As we mentioned last week both Coaches Steven and Seiji are off — and a group of us gathered on Saturday afternoon to bid them bon voyage. Thanks to Vivian for snapping a few great shots of some of the goodbye crew!
While Steven has already left, Seiji will be around for another few days and we’d love it if some of you can join him on Wednesday evening at the 6pm or 7pm for his last two classes as a coach at Arena Ready.
WOD For 06-10-19:
3 Sets For Quality, With Two Dumbbells or Kettlebells:
8 Seated Z Presses
8 Single Leg Deadlifts
8 Ring Rows
For each set move with intention through all 8 reps. Avoid leaning backwards on the Z press. Focus on hollow-body position throughout the ring row. If ring rows are easy, elevate the feet and move slower.
-then-
“Mary”
AMRAP 20 Minutes:
5 Handstand Push-ups
10 Pistols (alternate)
15 Pull-ups
(Workout courtesy of CrossFit.com)
Farewell Coaches Seiji & Steven!
Yeah, you read that correctly. I know, I know… don’t shoot the messenger. They have both profusely apologized for violating The Arena Ready Moratorium. Is nothing sacred anymore?!
If you’d like to join us in sending them off and giving them crap then check out their Bon Voyage gathering here on the private Arena Ready facebook group — all AR members & their friends/family are welcome, particularly if you’re/they’re persuasive enough to make these two stay. You know where we’ll be starting starting at 1:00pm on Saturday afternoon (it’s where AR memberships and coaching tenures are put out to pasture).
This one hurts, gentlemen. This one really hurts.
(Oh, and this workout will hurt as well… you can blame these two traitors for it. Or Coach Kate. Just don’t look at me, I had nothing to do with it.)
WOD For 06-08-19:
With a Partner, 4 Rounds For Time:
400m Run TOGETHER
Then, 21-15-9 SHARED Reps of…
Thrusters @ 75/55 lbs
Lateral Bar Burpees
*Both partners run together and the faster athlete may start on the thrusters immediately once they are in the gym.
*The 21-15-9 movements are shared with only one person working at a time, and reps do not have to be split evenly.
Friday: Randy on The Rings
Here’s a Flashback Friday to “Randy” (without the rings, but with a whole lotta speed!) at the 2015 CrossFit Games Regionals.
Coach Sarah and a "pre-Arena Ready" Cassie Ann Ludwig were actually in the same heat - as it turns out that was the last time that would ever happen, including in 2017 when they both qualified as Arena Ready athletes for the 2017 Regional (not once did we get a heat with both of them together that year!). Their times of 2:48 and 3:21 are still not too shabby four years later, even including the requirements to run out to the barbell, move the barbell every 25 reps, and then run to the finish mat.
WOD For 06-07-19:
Alternating EMOM For 8 Rounds:
1) 2 Power Snatches
2) Ring Muscle-up Progressions
*Climb as your technique allows on the barbell.
**Come in to the gym for the Ring MU progression exercises!
-then-
”Randy On the Rings”
For Time:
75 Power Snatches @ 75/55 lbs
*You MUST Perform 4 Ring Muscle-ups at the top of Every OTHER Minute, including at “3-2-1 Go!” (i.e. at 0:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, etc on the clock).
Thursday: Run, Pull, Squat, Push, Plank
What sort of clip can you run that will start you out on a good, fast pace but won’t sabotage your ability to attack the deads & wall balls with a purpose? If your movement is dialed-in and you love this combo, then we challenge you to go unbroken on the wall balls for as long as you can to push the pace. Remember that sloppy deadlifts are not only unacceptable and irresponsible, but they hamper your ability to actually go faster in the workout by forcing your body to make up for lost position somewhere else — i.e. your other stuff suffers in ways you didn’t plan on. So pick it up like you care about your back AND your time… they are not mutually exclusive desires.
We’ll finish with some static mid-line work after yesterday’s dynamic mid-line volume AKA toes-to-bar.
Enjoy, Thursday exercisers!
WOD For 06-06-19:
For Total Time:
BUY-IN: 1000m Run
… then, 5 rounds of…
10 Deadlifts @ 185/135 lbs
20 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
-then-
Weighted Plank Hold:
3 x 0:45 (Rest 1:15 Between Sets)
Add to 05-23-19 if possible.
Congratulations Coach Steven!
…or as we must call him now, “Doctor Coach Steven, PhD.”
If you weren’t able to attend Steven’s PhD exit talk on Monday and want to watch the archived video you can check it out by clicking here — given how nerdy (and I mean that as a compliment) and awesome this group is I’d imagine many of you would find it just as cool as we did.
He does an amazing job explaining something extraordinarily complex in an approachable, interesting, and entertaining way. And his sense of humor shines through just as it does every day at Arena Ready (the AR community even got a super rad shout out in his presentation which made more than a few of us teary eyed).
Bravo, Steven, and congratulations on your incredible achievements! We are all lucky to know you, to train alongside you, and to be coached by you.
WOD For 06-05-19:
Alternating EMOM For 6 Rounds (12 Minutes):
1) Power Clean + Front Squat + Squat Clean + Jerk
2) 3 to 6 Reps of Toes-to-Bar Progression:
-Kip Swings
-Knees Above Hips
-Knees to Elbows
-Feet Above Hips
-Feet Above Chest
-Toes-to-Bar
*Barbell complex climbs ONLY as technique allows
**For the Toes-to-Bar Progression start at the first movement and progress to the next movement in the following round OR stay at the movement you can safely perform & repeat that for multiple rounds
-then-
5 Rounds For Time:
5 Power Cleans @ 155/110 lbs
10 Toes-to-Bar
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. If you don’t normally hookgip your cleans you’re going to wish that you started a long time ago.
Virtuosity: Doing the Common Uncommonly Well
Long long ago, as an aspiring hammer thrower at Stanford, I was fortunate to be coached by a very wise man. Time and again, I’d go to him complaining that my progress wasn’t fast enough, or that I was afraid someone was going to beat me at Nationals, or in general that I just wasn’t good enough yet.
Time and again, his patient response boiled down to: are you doing your footwork?
Now, things that are fun and exciting when you’re training to throw the hammer:
Throwing the hammer
Throwing light or heavy hammers
Throwing anything that’s sort of like a hammer
Weight lifting
Circuit training
Running sprints
Things that are not exciting when you’re throwing the hammer:
Turning left (i.e. footwork) over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.
Yet, not unlike the air squat in CrossFit, the footwork forms the basis of everything else in the throw. Just like tiny flaws in the air squat magnify themselves as an athlete tries to add weight in back squats and snatches, flaws in the footwork take centimeters or even meters off of the throw itself.
When I think about virtuosity, which Coach Glassman defines as doing the common uncommonly well, I think back to those days next to the hammer ring. I think back to learning to turn left, to feeling the weight of my body through my feet, to paying attention to my posture for every degree of that 360 degree rotation, to trying to repeat exactly the same thing in each successive rotation, even though I was getting dizzy, and even as I added speed.
I have to admit, I didn't fully appreciate those basics at the time. Now, as a CrossFitter, a weightlifter, and even more so as a coach, I’m so grateful for that lesson because with the benefit of hindsight and a little more patience I understand that ultimately our success with heavy weights and high skill movements really does often boil down to how much effort we put into maintaining stability through the last centimeter of our range of motion, through truly KNOWING whether our ribs and hips are staying aligned throughout the movement, and through doing what’s needed to establish full functional range of motion in each of our joints. Meeting movement standards like passing below parallel, or achieving full lockout is of course one part making the rep “count” but the remaining parts are about striving to take responsibility for your body, and ultimately your success.
No particular inspiration for jumping on my soap box, but I do think it always bears a mention: how you do one thing is how you do everything. Get the basics right, and lay a solid foundation for success now and in the future.
WOD for 6-4-2019:
Three Rounds for Time:
Row 250m
16 KB Swings @ 70/53 lbs.
8 Burpee Box Jump @ 24/20 in.
Family Day Recap
A huge thank you to Laika, Annie, Gen and the other AR Mamas who put together an epic family day on Sunday. Complete with bouncy house and legit park permit, the day was super fun for the kiddos (and the adults too!) This should definitely become an annual tradition!
WOD for 06-03-2019:
Back Squat
4-4-4-4 ACROSS
Warm up to your working weight and try to complete four sets of four at that weight, without allowing technique to break down, of course.
THEN
AMRAP 16 Minutes:
4 Back Squat @ Bodyweight
8 Push-Ups
16 UNBROKEN Double Unders
To complete this workout as prescribed, if you miss during your set of double unders, stop, reset, and start your double under set back at zero.
Reminder: AR Family Day Sunday, June 2nd
A reminder & re-post from earlier this week…
A shout out to the fun mamas of AR who have scheduled a family day complete with bouncy house for Sunday morning, June 2 starting at 10am. Please message us or check the Facebook group to RSVP and for details about where and precisely when.
While the focus will be on the little ones, all are welcome, and rumor has it that adults are also welcome in the bouncy house as long as they don’t jump on any kids.
To make it a real party, please consider bringing drinks or snacks to share. If anyone knows how to make balloon animals I’m sure that would also be a big hit!
WOD For 06-01-19:
In Teams of THREE Athletes AMRAP 27 Minutes:
10/8 Calorie Row
8 Single Dumbbell Hang Clean to Overhead @ 50/35 lbs (4 R / 4 L)
6 Toes-to-Bar
*Complete ONE FULL ROUND then switch to the next athlete.
*During your “rest” period you MUST complete 8 burpee box jumps @ 24/20 in (facing the box) before you can go again.
Friday Bar Fight
Happy Friday, friends!
WOD For 05-31-19:
Alternating EMOM For 6 Rounds (12 Minutes):
1) 3 Power Cleans*
2) 3 to 6 Reps of the Bar Progression**:
-Scap Pull-ups
-Kips/Beat Swings
-Chin Over Bar Pull-ups (gymnastics kip, not butterfly)
-Chest to Bar Pull-ups (gymnastics kip, not butterfly)
-Belly near Bar Pull-ups (gymnastics kip, not butterfly)
-Bar Muscle-ups
*Power Cleans climb ONLY as technique allows
**For the Bar Progression start at the first movement and progress to the next movement in the following round OR stay at the movement you can safely perform & repeat that for multiple rounds
-then-
For Time:
12-9-6 of
Power Cleans @ 185/135 lbs
Bar Muscle-ups
Hunter McIntyre: Yay or Nay?
If you’re a CrossFit Games fan, and you’ve been trying your best to navigate the new Games Season and Games qualifying process, then you may have read or heard a little bit about Hunter McIntyre. Hunter, who is NOT a competitive CrossFit athlete, does have an impressive record of athletic achievements:
six-time Obstacle Course Racing World Champion
four-time Obstacle Course Racing National Champion
three-year Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Ranch Champion
two-time Tough Mudder X Champion
But it’s Hunter’s claims (which he has often made boldly and in confident, boisterous fashion) that he can hang with the big guns in the world of competitive CrossFit that have brought much attention to this multi-disciplinary sport athlete. Here he is recently in an interview with Morning Chalk Up discussing why he deserves the newly minted “wild card” entry into the CrossFit Games:
Well, he officially got the nod this week and accepted the at-large wildcard bid to compete later this summer in Madison against the fittest in the world.
Many past and present CrossFit Games athletes have engaged in trash talking exchanges with Hunter (including some VERY heated words with perennial podium favorite, Brent Fikowski), but others in the CrossFit community have also welcomed him and offered to train with him to help develop some of the more technical aspects of the sport of competitive fitness.
What are your thoughts on this “wild card villain of CrossFit” — yay or nay? Are you Team Hunter or do you hope to see him fall on his face on the big stage? One thing is for sure, it makes for some interesting debate — and a lot of us will have our eyes on Hunter in a couple of months when the lights come on and the Games go down….
I don’t think anyone feels he has a chance to unseat the undisputed king of CrossFit, Mat Fraser, but the question is can Hunter make an impact in a field of athletes who train specifically for competitive CrossFit at the highest level?
WOD For 05-30-19:
3 Rounds For Quality (Not For Time):
10 Handstand Shoulder Taps (alternate)
10 Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Squats @ pick load (5 R / 5 L)
100m Single Arm Dumbbell or Kettlebell Farmer Carry @ pick load
-then-
A) With a Partner, MAX CALORIES in 6 Minutes:
Partner 1: 20 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 109 ft
Partner 2: MAX CALORIES Row, Ski, or Assault Bike
Partner 1 performs 20 wall balls while Partner 2 performs MAX CALS row/ski/bike.
Switch after Partner 1 completes 20 wall balls.
Continue switching in this fashion until 6 minutes expires.
Score = total # of calories completed by the team.
B) REST 4 Minutes
C) With a Partner, MAX CALORIES in 6 Minutes:
Partner 1: 36 Double Unders
Partner 2: MAX CALORIES Row, Ski, or Assault Bike
Partner 1 performs 36 double unders while Partner 2 performs MAX CALS row/ski/bike.
Switch after Partner 1 completes 36 double unders.
Continue switching in this fashion until 6 minutes expires.
Score = total # of calories completed by the team.
*** This is a FAST back-and-forth if your team is good at double unders, which means TRANSITIONS MATTER!