A Friday "Crockpot" WOD

After Thursday’s sprint repeats, Friday is all about a steady & even pace — working that aerobic system, getting the full body moving, and simmering on a sustainable (dare we say “restorative”???) cadence of movement.

Happy Holiday Friday, friends.

WOD For 12-27-19:

With a Partner, AMRAP 20 Minutes:

Partner A

Row For Calories

Partner B

5 Double DB Renegade Rows @ 35/20 (per side)

20 Med Ball Sit-ups @ 20/14 lbs

40 Single DB Hang Snatches @ 35/20 lbs (switch every 10 reps)

20 Med Ball Sit-ups

5 Double DB Renegade Rows

Partners switch after 1 round of 5-20-40-20-5 is completed

***Score = total calories rowed (also note total rounds of the 5-20-40-20-5 sequence completed)

***1 Rep of Renegade Row = Push-up on DBs + DB Row Right + DB Row Left

Post Christmas Sprints

They taste like burning!

WOD For 12-26-19:

SIX Cycles of 2:00 Work / 2:00 Rest For Max Reps:

350/300m Row

14 Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 in

Max Reps of Air Squats

Score = total number of air squats completed

Look What You Did You Little Jerk

Many holiday seasons ago at the gym one of the most popular QoDs was about identifying one’s own favorite holiday film — and Seth (one of our longest tenured members) did not disappoint when citing his favorite festive cinematic piece, Die Hard.  Yes folks, Die Hard.

Well, technically it IS a holiday movie. Sort of... 

Well played, Seth. Well played indeed:

Most of you should recognize that catchy tune from my favorite festive Pandora station (which I hope someone has been playing while I’ve been gone): "Run-D.M.C. Holiday"

Zach had possibly the most creative favorite, stating that "if the holiday season extends this far then Groundhog Day is my favorite film."

I don't actually think that Groundhog Day is considered within the traditional limits of "the holiday season" per se, so I'm going to give him a red light on this one.  Sorry, Zach.  The movie is, however, the best Harold Ramis film that's been made, so it is worth posting a little clip of the original trailer.

I can hear many of you out there collectively talking to your computer screens right now in exasperation, and it sounds something like "What the f**k?! No way... best Ramis film?! You're out of your mind, Rob."   

Yeah, that's right, I said it.  Come at me, bro:

Relax, people. I'm not saying the others aren't great as well.  They are, obvi.  Well, except for Analyze This - that one was terrible.  At least we can agree on that, right?

And since the long awaited sequel to Anchorman was released 6 holiday seasons ago, we may be sitting around a yule log ten years from now saying something like, "Oh, my favorite holiday film you ask?  Well that's easy. Anchorman 2.  Duh."

I'm thinking Ron Burgundy would be a fan of our strong women at Arena Ready.  Exhibit A:

See, I tied this all into CrossFit eventually.  Patience is a virtue. 

And finally, since Home Alone has a big soft spot in my heart at this time of year, here's the one and only, Uncle Frank McCallister, with those famous words we all know so well:

Oh, Uncle Frank.

This ends my random stream of consciousness on the topic of holiday, and not-so-holiday, films vis-à-vis CrossFit.

Happy Holidays, everyone.

WOD For 12-24-19:

“Arena Ready’s Christmas Gone Bad”

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

American Jingle Bell Swings @ 53/35 lbs

Up on The Box Tops Jump, Jump, Jump @ 24/20 in

Deck The Halls With Wall Balls of Holly @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft

How The Burpees Stole Christmas

Row Santa’s Sleigh For Calories

(Rest 1:15 Between Rounds With Oat Milk & Gluten-Free Cookies)

The Strong Women's Clean Ladder: A Flashback!

John Konye put together a cool "vlog" a couple years ago covering the awesome STRONG women's clean ladder at SPS Gym in Oakland.  This clean ladder included the same weight increments that were used in the 2012 CrossFit Games Women's Clean Ladder event, and they even had Elisabeth Akinwale in the house (the athlete who won that event in 2012) to run the ladder along with Coach Sarah, Coach Hillary, Cassie, and some of our other strong friends from the area.

Check it out for some good footage of Cassie, Hill, and Sarah!

WOD For 12-23-19:

Clean & Jerk Triples:

12 Minutes to Build to a Top Set

-then-

AMRAP 12 Minutes:

BUY-IN: 30 Lateral Bar Burpees

… then, in the remaining time…

5 Power Cleans @ 115/75 lbs

4 Front Squats

3 Push Presses

2 Squat Cleans

1 Push Jerk

Upcoming Holiday Schedule

Please note our class schedule over the next two holiday weeks — we’ll be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, but open all other days with just a few modifications:

Saturday, Dec 21 through Monday, Dec 23:

Normal Class Schedule

Tuesday, Dec 24 (Christmas Eve):

6pm and 7pm Classes Cancelled

Wednesday, Dec 25 (Christmas Day):

No Classes

Thursday, Dec 26:

6am & 7pm Class Cancelled

Friday, Dec 27:

6pm Class Cancelled

Saturday, Dec 28 & Sunday, Dec 29:

Normal Class Schedule

Monday, Dec 30:

Normal Class Schedule

Tuesday Dec 31 (New Year’s Eve):

4pm, 5pm, 6pm, 7pm Classes Cancelled

Wednesday, 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 12-21-19:

With a Partner For Time:

60 Calorie Row (FM Pairs = 55 Cal / FF Pairs = 50 Cal)

50 Hang Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs

60 Calorie Row

50 Push Jerks @ 135/95 lbs

60 Calorie Row

50 Hang Power Cleans @ 155/110 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.

Thruster Fallout > Deads & Rings

That feeling you get when there are thrusters programmed into the WOD (like on Thursday) and someone next to you says, "I actually LIKE doing thrusters!" 

WOD FOR 12-20-19:

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

Originally published nine 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 at Arena Ready) 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 12-19-19:

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.

Push-Push to Pull-Pull

The last two days saw variations of pushing/pressing (both lower body and upper body) so we see Wednesday’s program shift to a pulling focus with power snatches and chest-to-bar pull-ups. And how about some double unders and a repeating interval sprint format to add skill and intensity following that aerobic piece on Tuesday?

Enjoy.

WOD FOR 12-18-19:

Power Snatch:

4-4-3-3-2-2

-then-

FIVE Cycles of 1:30 Work / 1:30 Rest For MAX REPS:

10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

50 Double Unders

MAX REPS Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs

Please RSVP to our Jan 4th Holiday Party

A quick reminder before the holiday travel really picks up for most of us — please save the date of Saturday, January 4th (from 5pm to 8pm) for our 8th Annual Arena Ready Holiday Party!

We’ve created an Event here in our private Arena Ready Facebook group, so kindly RSVP to let us know who & how many to expect. More details will be posted to the Event page and the blog in the coming weeks, so stay tuned if you’re planning on attending — we look forward to celebrating with all of you.

WOD For 12-17-19:

AMRAP 20 Minutes:

20/16 Calorie Row, Ski, or Assault Bike

20 Single Dumbbell Overhead Walking Lunges @ 35/20 lbs (switch arms after 10 reps)

20 AbMat Sit-ups

10 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

Welcome Katoa: AR's General Manager

We would like to officially welcome Katoa Ahau to the Arena Ready staff as he joins our team in the role of Coach and General Manager!  You’ve likely been in class with him, or had the entertaining misfortune of partnering with him in a team WOD (he goes hard, and he goes fast LOL), so many of you are already familiar with his impressive work capacity & strength, humble enthusiasm, and welcoming energy (I think they call that the spirit of Aloha).  Katoa has also been coaching many of us in class over the fall & early winter, bringing his experience as a former D1 athlete and lifetime fitness enthusiast to the community.

Here’s a little about him, from the man himself...

Hello Arena Ready Family!

I’m so excited to have been a part of the Arena Ready community for these last 3 months, working out, shadowing other coaches, and coaching some fantastic athletes. 

I was born and raised in Hawaii, on the island of O'ahu. If you ever need any food or activity tips, I’m your guy! Rob and I share the same alma mater, as I graduated from the University of San Francisco in 2018. Although I’m one of the younger members of the community, I bring a wealth of CrossFit and athletic experience that I look forward to sharing with all of you.

I was a 4 year student-athlete while at USF. I ran Cross Country and participated in Track and Field where I ran the 200, the 400, the 800, and threw the javelin. During my athletic career I underwent Tommy John surgery to fix a torn UCL, and as such I also look forward to bringing my rehab experience to the gym as a useful tool for our members.

I am an aspiring competitor, with aims to make it to the CrossFit Games. Before AR I was following a CrossFit program and training at a regular, un-affiliated gym. Prior to obtaining my Level 1 certificate I was captain of the USF Track team for 2 years, as well as a guest instructor at my brother's fitness studio in Las Vegas. 

If we haven't met yet there's no doubt you'll see more of me as I coach classes throughout the week. Don't be afraid to introduce yourself - I look forward to getting to know & coach everyone in the Arena Ready community!

Please join us in welcoming Katoa to the team!

WOD For 12-16-19:

Strict Press:

5-4-3-2-1-1-1

Use the seven working sets to build to a heavy single for today.

-then-

Back Squat:

1-3-1-5-1-7

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 at approx 1:30 - 2:00 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.  

Reminder: Saturday's On-Boarding For Newcomers

We have a few spots left for Saturday’s “Introduction to CrossFit” class at 12:00pm. So tell your buddy or neighbor that’s been thinking about it to check out this post here and then sign-up for free here… boom.

Meantime, here’s a Sweaty Saturday Special that will make the rainy week feel like it’s ending with some rain inside the gym. You know, cause it’s sweaty. The workout. Is this thing on?

WOD For 12-14-19:

With a Partner For Time:

Partner A

400 Calorie Row (MF Pairs = 360 / FF Pairs = 320)

Partner B

4/3 Bar Muscle-ups

8 Shoulder-to-Overhead @ 135/95 lbs

12 Pistols (alternate)

Partner B completes one FULL round of 4-8-12 then partners switch. Time is called when all 400 calories are completed, or the team is scored as total calories completed at the time cap.

Friday the 13th: Deads & Dips

Happy Friday, friends!

WOD For 12-13-19:

Deadlift Triples:

8 Minutes to Build to a Working Weight Heavier Than to Be Used Below

-then-

FIVE Cycles of 2:00 Work / 2:00 Rest For Max Reps Ring Dips:

10 Deadlifts @ 245/165 lbs

20 Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 (no rebounding)

Max Reps Ring Dips