Thursday Noon Class Back On!

Thanks to Coach Katie “Pepper” for bringing this week’s Thursday 12pm class back to life! Our Wednesday 7am and 12pm classes are still cancelled as mentioned in yesterday’s blog - thanks again for your understanding.

As Open 20.1 quickly approaches we change gears a little mid-week… Monday and Tuesday’s “meat & potatoes” of strength & strength endurance work, intensity pieces, and bodyweight & barbell cycling makes a transition into a Wednesday program of pre-hab/shoulder recovery plus some station rotation aerobic work with the skill element of double under volume built-in. Enjoy!

WOD For 10-09-19:

Alternating EMOM For 3 Rounds (Minutes):

8 Light (or Empty) Barbell Upright Rows

8 Kettlebell “Bottoms Up” Kneeling Presses (8 each side)

4 PERFECT Inchworms to Plank

*This is FOR QUALITY and not for speed or loading — focus on moving perfectly and with intent

-then-

4 Rounds For Reps (0:45 Seconds Work Per Movement / 0:15 Seconds Rest Between Movements):

Russian Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs

Double Unders

AbMat Sit-ups

Row Calories

(Rest 1:15 Between Rounds)

*Score this workout like “Tabata” by noting your LOWEST rep count for each of the movement across all 4 rounds.

Wednesday Class Cancellations

As we eluded to yesterday we’ve had to cancel 2 of the classes on Wednesday of this week — our Wednesday 7am and 12pm classes have been cancelled.

Thanks for your understanding, and please let us know if you have any questions.

WOD For 10-08-19:

For Time:

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

Power Snatches @ 115/80 lbs

***Complete 1 round of “Cindy” after each set of power snatches (for a total of 10 rounds of “Cindy”)

1 Round of “Cindy” is:

5 Pull-ups

10 Push-ups

15 Air Squats

Reminder 2 of 3: Lost & Found

A friendly reminder to please check the Lost & Found before we send the items away on Oct 13th (it’s the light blue bin next to the metal desk… oh and check all the cubbies too, since I’m going to donate that stuff also). Thanks for your attention, folks.

Additionally, with many of our coaches away this week we are hoping to cover our Wednesday & Thursday morning and noon classes, but are still looking to confirm these slots. There is a possibility of some class cancellations for those two morning & mid-day times, and we will keep you all posted either way.

Hope everyone had a good weekend.

WOD For 10-07-19:

Deadlift:

5-5-5-5-5

Climbing

-then-

For Time:

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

Single Dumbbell Hang Clean to Overhead @ 50/35 lbs

Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in (facing box NOT required)

*Switch sides with the dumbbell whenever you like, but we recommend splitting the reps roughy in half right/left

The Open is For All Of Us + Sparkle's CFEDH Memorial WOD

A look back at Open 16.5 at Arena Ready

Hey look, you’re going to do this cool WOD on Saturday. Because you like working out on Saturdays at AR… it’s fun, the energy is high, the place is bustling, people are happy & socializing, you get to see your gym buddies that you may not see during the work week, and the workouts are usually pretty tough (which you love).

Guess what, Saturday exerciser? For 5 consecutive Saturday’s starting on Oct 12th there’s a cool little worldwide fitness event that lots of your AR homies will be participating in because, well… it’s fun, the energy is high, the place is bustling, people are happy & socializing, you get to see your gym buddies that you may not see during the work week, and the workouts are usually pretty tough (which you love).

You get my point.

Don’t be that person who works out on Saturdays at AR anyway but is not entered in the Open — trust me when I say that the handful of people that do that end up wishing they had just signed up to officially participate in the first place. And yes, you can do the Open workout on Sunday at Open Gym if you can’t make it on Saturday — and if you’re traveling for any of the weeks then one of the many (fourteen thousand now?) CrossFit affiliates around the world who are also doing the Open will surely be near your stay and can host you for that week’s Open workout.

Register this weekend and maybe I won’t torture all of you again with another week of Karen variations, pull-up volume builds, and/or burpee trick-or-treats. It’s from a place of love, people.

Speaking of a place of love — Sparkle’s CrossFit El Dorado Hills family will be doing their memorial WOD in her honor on Saturday, so we will be joining them by running a (slightly modified) version of the same workout at our gym in remembrance of Lindsay. We will also be programming our own iteration of a workout in Sparkle’s name at the conclusion of the Open — which, by the way, was one of her favorite times of the year (as evidenced in the above photo taken during the Spring of 2018).

#SparkleOn

WOD For 10-05-19:

With a Partner Against a 24-Minute Clock:

BUY-IN: 1981m Row OR SkiErg

Then AMRAP of…

38 Thrusters @ 95/65 lbs

38 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls

38 Push Jerks

38 Overhead Squats

38 Front Squats

***During the barbell movements both partners MUST complete 4 burpees at the top of every minute

***One person working at a time on the barbell movements & the row, switch whenever you like.

From Jon:

“The 38 reps was Lindsay’s age, the movements were taken from the ‘Air Force WOD’ [Rob’s note: a workout that Lindsay had a long history with over the years], and 1981 is the year of her birth.”

You Know What Time It Is: Clean & Jerk Heavy Singles/1RM

Ever wonder what goes through the minds of high-level weightlifters when they're attempting a heavy (or even max effort) clean & jerk? Luckily for you at Arena Ready there are several of them you can ask firsthand -- I'm willing to bet they'll all give you a different answer. But I think one universal theme will appear (much like my universally nervous look in the background of most of these photos) -- they try not to overthink the lift, but rather to trust their technique and training up to that point, and let their body do what it already knows how to do.

From top to bottom: Hillary, Sarah, Amy, Lisa, Cassie, Kate

(I didn't have a photo of Kate competing at a meet readily available so instead here's a pic of her doing the worst jerk ever)

If you've been coming in consistently over the last eight weeks and making all of the Friday barbell days in particular, it's likely that you've set yourself up well for some heavy weights in today's workout.  In fact, you basically performed a variation of a weightlifting cycle woven into the background of (at times) a seemingly un-related CrossFit program.  But alas, the same squat volume maintenance, upper body push & support, lower body pull, speed work, GPP, and accessory exercises were used in a similar-ish fashion than we would for any of the above pictured athletes preparing for a weightlifting meet.  Specificity and exact prescription of percentages and movements may not have been explicit since we're NOT ACTUALLY preparing you for an Olympic weightlifting meet, but rather we're preparing you to lift some heavy weights in the gym, have fun doing so, and enjoying kicking ass in life thanks to being fit and strong. 

So, if you've been a model of consistency then you've earned the right to attempt some heavy lifts with that beautiful technique you've worked so hard to repeat over and over and over again every week.  Now, as the weights go up even more, let your body do what it already knows how to do.

Friday barbell therapy, giddy up!

WOD For 10-03-19:

Every 90 Seconds For 20 Rounds (30 Total Minutes):

ROUNDS 1-5: Light (55-65% of 1RM C&J)

Squat Clean + Front Squat + Jerk

ROUNDS 6-10: Moderate (65-75%)

Squat Clean + Jerk

ROUNDS 11-15: Heavy-ish (80-90% CLIMBING WITH NO MISSES ALLOWED)

Squat Clean + Jerk

ROUNDS 16-20: Heavy (90%+ CLIMBING WITH "2 MISS RULE" IN EFFECT)

Squat Clean + Jerk

*The "2 Miss Rule" = miss twice during Rounds 16-20 and you're DONE!

*Any style of jerk is allowed.

Throwback Thursday: Open 15.3 at Arena Ready

#TBT to that awesome video Brian C. made in the Spring of 2015 of Open workout 15.3 at Arena Ready. Still one of my favorites of all time...

WOD For 10-03-19:

Every 2 Minutes For 7 Rounds:

3 Back Squats

Start at a moderate weight and climb as desired, or stay at a challenging weight across multiple sets (no misses, this is not a max out session)

-then-

AMRAP 8 Minutes:

24 Russian KB Swings @ 70/35 lbs

18 Single Dumbbell Overhead Walking Lunges @ 50/35 lbs (switch sides after 9 reps)

12 Toes-to-Bar

Mid-Week Swolemate Special

If you’re not coming over to do karate in my garage then maybe you should come to the gym and we can do this, which is basically… like… the same thing.

WOD For 10-02-19:

WITH A PARTNER, ON A RUNNING CLOCK...

A) 0:00 - 10:00

3 Power Snatches + 1 Overhead Squat:

10 minutes for both partners to build to a top set (NOT amax) using the same barbell

*Touch-and-go is not required but is encouraged for as long as safely possible in order to prep for the lighter reps in Part B

B) 12:00 - 31:00

FOUR Cycles of 4:00 Work / 1 Minute Rest For Total Rounds:

5 Power Snatches @ 115/80 lbs

5 Lateral Bar Burpees

25 Double Unders

*Each partners completes ONE FULL ROUND of 5-5-25 then switch

*Re-start each cycle exactly where you left off (i.e. score this continuously with one grand total of rounds + reps for all 5 cycles)

Lost & Found

The gym’s Lost & Found is full of things that many of you must love and are sad they are missing from your life. I’ll tell you what’s not sad… me when we donate what’s left over in the Lost & Found to charity. I’m like the King of KonMari and if Marie Kondo left her first pair of weightlifting shoes here I’d have them out on the street faster than you can say “vertical fold” because, quite frankly, her weightlifting technique doesn’t spark any joy in my heart. Let’s be honest her cleans suck.

So please check the Lost & Found before we send the items away on Oct 13th (it’s the light blue bin next to the metal desk… oh and check all the cubbies too, since I’m going to donate that stuff also). Thanks!

WOD For 10-01-19:

5 Rounds For Time:

15/12 Calorie Row, Ski, or Assault Bike

20 Single Dumbbell Shoulder-to-Overhead @ 50/35 lbs (switch sides every 5 reps)

15 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

Light & Long > Heavy & Fast

There’s your Saturday-to-Monday combo… both ends of the spectrum in the span of two programmed days. And if you think 205/145 isn’t “heavy” for you in this WOD, then I’ll ask you again if you still feel that way after you’ve done 12+ rounds (this is another way of saying “if you’re in the singe digit range for total score then it’s plenty heavy”).

Hope you all had a great weekend.

WOD For 09-30-19:

Every 90 Seconds For 7 Rounds:

3 Deadlifts + 2 Hang Power Cleans + 1 Front Squat

Climb to a top set that’s heavier than what you will use below

-then-

AMRAP 7 Minutes:

4 Box Jumps @ 30/24 in

3 Deadlifts @ 205/145 lbs

2 Hang Power Cleans

1 Front Squat

Oooh, that’s going to sting.

The Open: What We Measure We Improve

Looking back at "Open 16.3" at Arena Ready:

(and, no, keyboard coaching police, that’s not how we teach bar muscle-ups at this gym… but thank you for your service — you may go back to arguing with people at dinner parties now)

I told you I was gonna starting bringing it. Just sign-up for the Open already!

Speaking (sorry not sorry) of the Open - are you registered?  Click here to read the main details of how we'll run the Open at Arena Ready, and then head over to the CrossFit Games page to register (please select Arena Ready as your affiliate when registering).

James Clear - entrepreneur, weightlifter, and travel photographer - once wrote a blog post on the value of measuring important areas of our life.  It's a quick read and an important message that resonates with those of us who follow CrossFit as an observable, repeatable, and measurable training & fitness program - and who use The Open as a measure of exactly how far we've come, and how far we still have to go.  The concept can extend beyond your training, and into other areas of your life which you deem important.

The blog post is published here, and is included below in its entirety:

Imagine this…

Someone walks into the gym, warms up, does a little bit of this exercise, does a little bit of that exercise, bounces around to a few machines, maybe hops on the treadmill, finishes their workout, and leaves the gym.

This isn’t a critique of their workout. In fact, it’s quite possible that they got a nice workout in. So, what is notable about this situation?

They didn’t measure anything. They didn’t track their workout. They didn’t count reps or weight or time or speed or any other metric. And so, they have no basis for knowing if they are making progress or not. Not tracking your progress is one of the six major mistakes I see people make in the gym.

But here’s the thing: We all have areas of life that we say are important to us, but that we aren’t measuring.

What We Measure, We Improve

Count something. Regardless of what one ultimately does in medicine—or outside of medicine, for that matter—one should be a scientist in this world. In the simplest terms, this means one should count something. … It doesn’t really matter what you count. You don’t need a research grant. The only requirement is that what you count should be interesting to you.

—Atul Gawande, Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance

The things we measure are the things we improve. It is only through numbers and clear tracking that we have any idea if we are getting better or worse.

• When I measured how many pushups I did, I got stronger.

• When I tracked my reading habit of 20 pages per day, I read more books.

• When I recorded my values, I began living with more integrity.

Our lives are shaped by how we choose to spend our time and energy each day. Measuring can help us spend that time in better ways, more consistently.

It’s Not About the Result, It’s About Awareness

The trick is to realize that counting, measuring, and tracking is not about the result. It’s about the system, not the goal.

Measure from a place of curiosity. Measure to discover, to find out, to understand.

Measure from a place of self-awareness. Measure to get to know yourself better.

Measure to see if you are showing up. Measure to see if you’re actually spending time on the things that are important to you.

You Can’t Measure Everything

Critics will be quick to point out that you can’t measure everything. This is true.

• Love is important, but how do you measure it?

• Morality is important, but can it be quantified accurately?

• Finding meaning in our lives is essential, but how do you calculate it?

Furthermore, there are some things in life that don’t need to be measured. Some people just love working out for the sake of working out. Measuring every repetition might reduce the satisfaction and make it seem more like a job. There is nothing wrong with that. (As always, take the main idea and use it in a way that is best for you.)

Measurement won’t solve everything. It is not an ultimate answer to life. However, it is a way to track something critical: are you showing up in the areas that you say are important to you?

The Idea in Practice

But even for things that can’t be quantified, measuring can be helpful. And it doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.

You can’t measure love, but you can track different ways that you are showing up with love in your life:

• Send a digital love note to your partner each day (text, email, voicemail, tweet, etc.) and use the Seinfeld Strategy to keep track of your streak.

• Schedule one “Surprise Appreciation” each week where you write to a friend and thank them for something unexpected.

You can’t measure morality, but you can track if you’re thinking about it:

• Write down three values that are dear to you each morning.

• Keep a decision journal to track which decisions you make and whether or not they align with your ethics.

The things we measure are the things we improve. What are you measuring in your life?  

-James Clear

"It's Not About The Result, It's About Awareness."

I love that part.  

I know we are a group of individuals who value, among other things, the process of measuring our progress.  The beauty of the awareness that comes with measuring is the discovery of what you're capable of with consistent effort applied over long periods of time.

I, of course, would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to encourage every one of you Arena Ready members to PLEASE USE Beyond The Whiteboard to record your progress.  We pay for it so you don't have to.  Don't know what Beyond The Whiteboard is?  Well then read this old post and then email/message us so we can add you to our group.

No, the BTWB system isn't perfect and its app can sometimes be a bit difficult with some of our more creative workouts, but it is a powerful tool when used consistently (you can even see where you stand in popular workouts against the tens of thousands of other users in the world... even if privately to yourself after making your privacy settings as such).  Make it a habit - get on it, and when "20.1" pops up again (after this year) you'll be able to see how much you've improved, and how far you can still progress.   

WOD For 09-28-19:

With a Partner Against a 27-Minute Clock:

A) 800m Partner Med Ball Run @ 20/14 lbs

(both partners run 800m simultaneously - one partner carrying the med ball, switching/handing-off whenever you like)

B) Then, Split The Following:

(only one partner working at a time, switch whenever)

75 Toes-to-Bar

100 Med Ball Walking Lunges @ 20/14 lbs

150 KB Swings @ 53/35 lbs

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

C) In The Time Remaining, MAX CALORIE Row, Ski, or Assault Bike

(only one partner working at a time, use the same machine)

*Workout Score = total calories completed

*If you don't make it to Part C then note the reps completed in Part B as your score

*Part B can be started immediately by the faster runner, but Part C cannot start until all wall balls are completed

Friday Barbell Therapy: 2+1+1s

Take a breath. I won’t even mention it this time.

Our new complex for the Clean & Jerk cycle front loads the lighter rounds with some 2+1+1 sets, and then works toward single C&Js. Dial it in now, we go up next week.

Happy Friday!

WOD For 09-27-19:

Every 90 Seconds For 20 Rounds (30 Total Minutes):

USE FOUR DIFFERENT WEIGHTS...

ROUNDS 1-5: Light (50-60% of 1RM C&J)

2 Squat Cleans + Front Squat + Jerk

ROUNDS 6-10: Moderate (65-70%)

Squat Clean + Front Squat + Jerk

ROUNDS 11-15: Moderate-Plus (75-80%)

Squat Clean + Jerk

ROUNDS 16-20: Moderate-Heavy-ish (80-85%)

Squat Clean + Jerk

*Technical Consistency! Ideally 20 of 20 makes!

*If you miss during Rounds 16-20 you MUST lower the weight the next round.

*Both push/power jerks and split jerks are allowed.

FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE SATURDAYS STARTING OCT 12: THE OPEN AT ARENA READY!

Are you IN THE OPEN at Arena Ready?!

Starting on Saturday, October 12th - and for five consecutive Saturdays - our daily WOD will be the current week's CrossFit Games Worldwide Open workout (for those of you who have done The Open at AR previously you know the drill).  On Saturday, October 12th we will do "Open Workout 20.1"... whatever that may be (we shall find out on Thursday, October 10th at 5pm, along with the rest of the world).  Every Thursday at 5pm the Open workout will be released, and the following Saturday we will do the WOD as a gym during all Saturday morning classes.  

Each Saturday class during this five-week time period will consist of multiple heats of the Open workout, and each athlete should expect to do the WOD during one of the heats and also judge a fellow athlete during another heat.  You are, of course, welcome to stay for as long as you like to cheer on other athletes as they tackle the WOD, or continue to help with judging.  These "Open Saturdays" are pretty energetic and are really fun days at the gym - and many AR members like to hang out for a few hours to watch, judge, and cheer for their friends.  We will continue to ask you to sign-in for class, just like any other Saturday, to save your spot during that hour.

If you're not formally entered in The Open you can still do the workouts at AR, and you'll participate in heats just like those of us who are registered for the event.  But if you plan on working out on Saturdays (or even on Sundays) during those five weeks anyway you may as well sign-up and officially participate in the fun!

It's fourteen days until the first workout ("20.1") is announced, and now is a great time to register for this awesome worldwide event which you'll be able to participate in with your fellow friends and members at Arena Ready.  You can register for The Open through the CrossFit Games website here (registration cost is $20):

http://games.crossfit.com

When registering yourself please be sure to select Arena Ready CrossFit as your affiliate so that your profile appears on our affiliate roster. 

As always, please let us know if you have any questions.

A look back at Open 16.2 courtesy of our old friend, former AR member, and Moratorium violator, Brian Campbell

WOD For 09-26-19:

On a Running Clock…

A) At 0:00

800m Run (you pick the pace)

B) From 7:00 - 17:00

AMRAP 10 Minutes:

12 Deadlifts @ 185/135 lbs

21 Medicine Ball Sit-ups @ 20/14 lbs

12 Single Dumbbell Overhead Squats @ pick load (6 Right / 6 Left)

C) At 20:00

800m Run (you pick the pace)

*For the Single DB Overhead Squat pick a loading that you can do with good, safe technique and to full range of motion (or as close to it as possible with solid positions). Picking a weight that’s too heavy and doing the reps sloppily and/or with poor position is counter-productive — it takes a movement that is GREAT for fixing your patterns and turns it into a reinforcement of bad habits. Here’s a hint: if you have limited mobility and/or stability in your shoulders, thoracic, hips, or ankles (or all of the above) then it likely needs to be fairly light, regardless of how “strong” you are.