Started as a maverick gym in Santa Cruz, CrossFit has spread worldwide, becoming the principal strength & conditioning program for police academies and tactical op's teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, & hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide. Why? Because CrossFit works...FAST.
CrossFit delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. CrossFit's specialty is not specializing. Daily life, like many sports and professions, (and even combat) requires broad levels of fitness. CrossFit's program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. The needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree not kind.
Click Here and Here for two great articles if you think CrossFit is too hard for you or beyond your ability.
To find out more about the principles and belief behind CrossFit, click here.
Just about 2/3 of the stuff currently in our little "Shed".
Workout:
With a continuously running clock, complete 1 pull up the first minute, 2 pull ups the second minute, 3 pull ups the third minute. . . until you can no longer complete the required number of pull ups in the allotted minute.
Post number of rounds completed and number of pull ups finished in the last round to comments.
A closer look at this controversial workout program
by Charles Poliquin
“The best program is the one you’re not using,” is one of my favorite axioms. I say this because I’ve never believed that there is one perfect workout system. The high-intensity training methods of the late Arthur Jones work…for a time. Strongman training works…for at time. And weightlifting and powerlifting methods work…for a time. Variety, whether it be correcting a lack of it or too much of it, is one of the keys to making continual progress with your training and achieving your goals. And that brings up the topic of CrossFit, Inc. TM.
If you Google the words “Poliquin” and “CrossFit,” you’ll find that there has been a considerable amount of discussion about my recent comments on another website about this method of training. Although my intent was to make a few general comments about what I thought of this method of training - and throw in a few wisecracks in the process - it’s obvious that a more in-depth discussion about CrossFit is in order. So, here it is. . .
+++ NO SCHEDULE CHANGE - SO COME HONOR OUR VETS BY SWEATING IT OUT AT THE SHED+++
Sweat demon at The Shed courtesy of a CrossFit NSC shirt.
Workout: In honor of all past and present Veterans - "Murph"
In memory of Metal of Honor recipient Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.
This workout was one of Mike's favorites and he'd named it 'Body Armor.' From here on it will be referred to as 'Murph' in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.
First posted on CrossFit.com 18 August 2005
Run 1 mile
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 squats
Run 1 mile
All completed with a 20lb weight vest for time.
Pull ups, push ups and squats can be split up and mixed as much as desired. The runs may not.
Post time to comments.
Scaling: You might try a "Half" Murph without the weight vest. (0.5 miles, 50 pull ups, etc) or even a Half Murph with the 20lb weight vest.
Video: Interview with Marcus Luttrell, best friend of Micheal Murphy and author of "Lone Survivor", a book about his personal story of Operation Red Wing - The operation where Lt Micheal Murphy lost his life.
Skip to 4:15 if you only want hear more about the heroic final actions of the Lt.
"Coach Greg Glassman has said, "We work with a cast of about thirty exercises where about fifteen account for 80% of the workouts. The cast of characters that comprise our routines are so potent in increasing strength from head to toe that regular exposure to any of them nearly guarantees improvements in the others. Improve your deadlift, bench, and pull-ups and your squat, dips, and rope climb will come up. The neuro-endocrine response of the major lifts is so potent that they alone will increase your strength measured by any other exercise so that seemingly infrequent exposures to some exercises is not a certain disadvantage." (powerathletesmag)
When I read this it made me think of something else I had read. "The Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule, the law of the vital few and the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Business management thinker Joseph M. Juran suggested the principle and named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed that 80% of income in Italy went to 20% of the population. It is a common rule of thumb in business; e.g., "80% of your sales comes from 20% of your clients."
You might have noticed that the nutrition approach we recommend at CrossFit NorCal is a bit...oh, shall I say, contrarian? Where the USDA, AMA and the rest of the Government sponsored entities recommend grains and legumes as the base of the diet, we recommend lean meat, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
That’s crazy, right? aren’t we going to die from heart disease and cancer if we eat meat? How will we ever get fiber if we don’t eat grains!? I mean, fruit and veggies...what have they got to offer?! I’m being fecetious here, I hope you get that. I do understand our recommendations fly in the face of what we are told to eat from nearly every source you can find...what’s the deal? Well...the deal is, our nutritional approach, a diet the attempts to emulate that of our paleolithic ancestors, is without a doubt the best route to optimized performance and health. Big claim? Yep, but easy to back up. Folks start with us, tweak their food, then look, feel and perform better. Every measurable bio-marker such as cholesterol, triglycerides or blood pressure improve...depression resolves. It just works, because this is the way we are wired to eat. But hey, what the hell do I know? I’m just the crazy guy in the shed telling people to do weird stuff like sleep more, take fish oil and increase their protein intake. How could I possibly be right about this? Well...here are a few interesting things for y’all to consider . . .
And for those of you who haven't been around long enough. . . it is time to choose your three benchmarks to be completed before the end of the year. The requirements are that you choose at least one for each category:
Then work as hard as you can to achieve that goal by the end of the year.
Post them here if you haven't got them listed on one of the older posts already. Do it now. It is important that you do it publicly. We will encourage and help you.
You have got to the end of the year to get them done, so don't cheap out and pick easy stuff. Go big, but realistic. You will be amazed what you can accomplish with a deadline (as opposed to a 'resolution')
Darren Rosten with Tony Budding at the CrossFit Cert at CrossFit One World (Jeremy and Jax Jones visiting Sunday afternoon on the right).
Darren was paying close attention to Adrian Bozman's lecture on CF programming (seriously, I had to get his attention so that he would give me the horns for the photo).
Darren repping the horns in the middle again. You can also see old DCF regulars Burton and Charmane (Char is on Burton's shoulders) as well as Dustin Joseph in the crowd as well (all in the center pic). We hope to see you all again at the Shed soon!
Workout: "Grace"
135 lb Clean and Jerk, 30 reps for time.
(Power cleans and push presses allowed: i.e. "overhead anyhow")
Post time to comments.
Video: Crossfit Signature Workout Grace... 135 lb Clean and Press performed in Austin TX
“I say to you, this morning, that if you have never found something so dear and precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren’t fit to live.
You may be 38 years old, as I happen to be, and one day, some great opportunity stands before you and calls upon you to stand for some great principle, some great issue, some great cause. And you refuse to do it because you are afraid.
You refuse to do it because you want to live longer. You’re afraid that you will lose your job, or you are afraid that you will be criticized or that you will lose your popularity, or you’re afraid that somebody will stab or shoot or bomb your house. So you refuse to take a stand.
Well, you may go on and live until you are ninety, but you are just as dead at 38 as you would be at ninety.
And the cessation of breathing in your life is but the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit.
You died when you refused to stand up for right.
You died when you refused to stand up for truth.
You died when you refused to stand up for justice.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
From the sermon “But, If Not” delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church on November 5, 1967.
Well, yes, I've lost 50 lbs and 3-4 clothing sizes, so buying a new wardrobe has been fun. . .
But not having to go to a chiropractor for back and neck pains is even better.
There's pain in Crossfit, for sure, but the kind you earn and feel good about...the pain of accomplishment. See, it's not just about looking cute, it's about feeling amazing.
Feeling lighter, faster, more agile...getting my reflexes back!
At 37, I thought my aches and pains and slowness were from getting old. Nope, it's from carrying around what is the equivalent of kindergardener, all the time. Now, at 38, I feel healthier and fitter than when I was in my 20's, and my 19 year old daughter can barely keep up.
There are many things I love about Crossfit but the first thing is that there are no limits.
You think you've hit a limit and you come back a week or 2 later and you go even further or faster. I told people I did 600 squats total the past week and they looked at me like I'm insane...and I'm thinking "I could have done more".
The other thing I love most about Crossfit is that I'm never alone.
I've taken classes at other gyms and there can be 50 people in a room, but we weren't working together or helping each other or challenging each other. Not so with Crossfit...whoever is there that day is cheering you on and pushing you, or they may be the person you are trying to beat...total interaction.
Anyway, thank you JJ, for introducing me to a better living...and to being better to myself!"
As you know, I’m a big fan of intermittent fasting, but this is an area of it that I’ve never really looked at. I’m going to break this into several posts because there’s a lot going on here and I don’t want to burden everyone with a novella. Today, we’ll look at how the body handles energy production during the fasting period, a good starting point given that, when you get down to it, an energy source and water are the only two requirements for the body to operate. . .
"Almost no-one gets the recommended 40 minutes to an hour per day of exercise - for these people, if there was a way to mimic exercise, it would make the quality of exercise they do more efficient."
40 minutes to an hour a day!? Where did they get that statistic? That is a lot of working out. -jj
Some of you might have noticed a little link in the upper left of the main page that says "DCF Records". Go up and find it. . .good.
Logs It All is a website for logging things, and they have a whole database for CrossFit workouts (the ones that reoccur like the Girls and Heroes, as well as each and every CFmainpage one that shows up). Bill Patton who runs logs it all even posts the top 20 in the comments section many times a 'regular' shows up on the CrossFit mainpage.
For example from "Helen" on Tuesday:
median all (391 reporting):10:30
median women (29 reporting): 12:11
top 20 all:
Position Total Time Gender Approx. Age Bodyweight CF Gym Affiliation
[1] damon stewart 7 mins 10 secs M 31 168 WasatchCrossfit.com
[2] Ricky Frausto 7 mins 11 secs M 30 150 CrossFit Omaha
[3] Phillip (Raze) Pound 7 mins 24 secs M 25 245 The Body Lab
[4] Darren Ellis 7 mins 30 secs M 33 174 CrossfitNZ
[5] brendan gilliam 7 mins 35 secs M 31 190 Crossfit North Santa Cruz
[6] Tyson Patrick 7 mins 44 secs M 22 172
[7] Stavros Kalogirou 7 mins 44 secs M 32 180 Diablo Crossfit
[8] Darren Rosten 7 mins 47 secs M 28 213 Diablo Crossfit
[9] Jonathan Burns 7 mins 49 secs M 30 205 Northwest Crossfit
[10] josh jorgensen 7 mins 51 secs M 20 195 diablo crossfi
Notice anything?
We are doing pretty good, but I want to blow up Logs It All with Diablo CrossFit athletes. So go get an account, and make sure you update it when you do one of the workouts available there.
Just after sunrise is a great time to get some hammering done.
Workout:
As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes
30 meter Sled drag - tire on concrete 35lb kettle bell
30 meter Sled hand over hand pull - same as above
30 meter sprint (each way) to get sledge hammer
10 sledge hammer swings, 25lb sledge
30 meter tire flip
And here is a summary of my rant that started this whole thing:
"In brief. . . now is not the time to make plans like "I want to eat healthier this year." or "I am going to loose a few pounds." These are undefinable, impossible to track, and easy to fudge.
Now is the time to say things like "I am going to eat less than 10g of refined carbs a day from now on." and "I will lose 10 lbs of 'Fat' without loosing muscle mass." In contrast, these are clear, easy to track, and black and white. Either you accomplished them or you didn't. Either you made clear progress, or you didn't.
Physical progression is not tracked by time, it is evaluated based upon accomplishments and performance.
Just because you have been "CrossFitting" for a year doesn't mean you are a better athlete than when you started. Improvements in performance of desired tasks means that you are a better athlete.
December's "Girls and Heroes" marathon has been part of this process. By attempting these benchmark workouts, even for your first time, you have now set a point to track progress. A point to improve or a reference to loose ground.
Now we are going to go a step further. For 2008 we are asking all DCFers to come up with at least 3 goals for 2008.
One strength based (examples include, a double bodyweight deadlift, CrossFit Total of 1000, etc)
One gymnastics based (examples include, an L-sit duration, a number of consecutive pull ups, etc)
One metabolic conditioning based (examples include a sub 9 min "Helen", or "Murph" as Rx'ed, etc)
You are not limited to 3 choices. Many of us at The Shed have more than three goals to accomplish before big stopwatch signals "TIME!" for the end of the year. Think of 2008 as one big "Workout of the Year" (WOY) and you have only 365 days to finish your benchmarks.
Choose wisely, and don't be afraid to choose something big. If you "Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star. "
The final part of setting benchmarks with us is that you have to announce them publicly. So you have to post them here, or write them on the white board at The Shed. We are all in this together, and we will rely on each other for help and encouragement (as well as some reminding).
So post your goals for 2008 "WOY" in the comments section, and prepare to celebrate your victory as each one is smashed."
Post your goals, and where you currently stand. Don't know where you are at? Then now is the perfect time to make another attempt and see how close you are.
Rhabdomyolysis is a very serious and life threatening condition that has the potential to sideline any CrossFit athlete. With a little experience, a little knowledge, and a little self control, the threat Rhabdomyolysis presents can be avoided if not completely negated.
The 'very simple' explanation is that "Rhabdo" is caused when muscle destruction causes the release of chemicals (broken down muscle components) into the blood stream. This muscle breakdown can be caused by exercise or even injury to muscles (such as in a car accident). The kidneys (that filter the blood) are overwhelmed, and soon fail. Extreme discomfort, a hospital visit, and/or death can follow.
CrossFit has a unique relationship with Rhabdo due to to the fact that it's appearance in any kind of 'fitness' environment was previously unheard of. After a few cases appeared during CF's early years (and many more cases since), "Uncle Rhabdo" (Pukie's angrier, darker cousin) is still an important threat to any CrossFit gym.
Below are two articles that were provided in the CrossFit Journal about Rhabdomyolysis.
Any CrossFit workout of sufficient intensity has the possibility of inducing Rhabdo to some degree, but the following factors seem to play the biggest roll.
1. Negative contractions (i.e. eccentric movements) - anything with an abundance of 'decelerating weight receiving' activities done at with high repetitions such as burpees, jumping pull ups, etc. Eccentric movements tend to cause more muscle soreness than other movements, so this can be your guide.
2. Ego - The drive to beat a fellow gym member or to best some score can sometimes cause an athlete to ignore the 'inner voice' that warns that you might need to hold back today. Generally it takes a certain type of person to drive far enough past your comfort zone to enter into muscle destroying territory. That being said, at CrossFit we challenge our comfort zone and our egos every workout. The good news is that with regular CF training, your experience and your body's conditioning will lessen the possibility of Rhabdo. The bad news is that people who used to be in 'great' shape before coming to CrossFit, or have long ago participated in sports that demanded the mental fortitude for maximum output are in the most danger. These people have generally developed a mental pushing force that far exceeds their bodies current capabilities. They will need to be 'reined' in by more experienced CF players.
3. Heat - Warm weather and humid weather also play a roll. When working out on extremely hot days, try to stay as cool as possible (shade, etc), and pay more attention to intensity.
4. Dehydration - Due to either a lack of water, or a night of heavy drinking before, can also lead to muscle breakdown. Drink your water. Be extra careful working out hard after a night of '12 oz curls'.
Symptoms (when to get worried):The primary symptoms observed by athletes are generally
Muscle fatigue (fairly normal after a CF workout)
Extreme muscle soreness (somewhat normal after a CF workout)
"Tea" or pink colored urine (BINGO)
With the third symptom being the most telltale, and the time you should think about calling the hospital. The second symptom will need to be judged based upon 'how sore' you think you are. And the first symptom isn't much to work with because it is all too common after a good hard CF workout.
When you do go in for blood/urine examination, make sure you tell them that you suspect Rhabdomyolysis - otherwise it may take many hours for the doctor to figure out exactly what is wrong with you (as that Rhabdo isn't common from working out). Depending on the severity (we are fairly confident that many CF athletes have experience mild forms of Rhabdo without even knowing it), you may be in the hospital for a couple days to weeks. And you may not be able to train for weeks or months. Either way, you can expect a loss hard earned performance and muscle mass.
Be careful with "Uncle Rhabdo". Watch your intensity on hot days, drink water, and make sure that you keep your ego in check. As with any time you risk serious injury, it is better to err on the side of caution than to loose not only the future time training, but also dozens of hours already spent in the gym.
Friday September 22nd, 2006. Larkey Park, the original home of Diablo CrossFit. Craig is in the middle of Fran in this photo. The next day, he went to the CrossFit certification Seminar and had to do Fran again.
We don't have Craig's time, but my time is posted (and my complaints about the early time as usual) Here.
More interestingly Craig's comments about the cert the following post - Here.
What spurs this nostalgia you might ask. . . the video posted on the CF mainpage of the disassembly of the original CrossFit Mecca in Santa Cruz (found here).
You can read my comment posted to the CrossFit site in the "continue reading" link below.
Finally watched the video. I was putting it off. I was afraid it might be like watching a friend's last moments, or at the very least the last chapter in a phenomenal book.
It did bring a tear to my eye, but at the same time I am so happy for what that place accomplished. So happy for the impact that original 1000 sq feet had on my own life. So happy that now I have the opportunity to spread this CrossFit thing to the masses.
To me, the original CFHQ will always have a special place in my memories. And thanks to the efforts by people like Tony B, we all will have the videos to remind us how truly historic that place was (and we can point the generations to come to the same place we learned).
The closing represents the closing of a certain chapter of CrossFit, but the simple fact that it was time to close - also means that it is time to move onward. The closing isn't so much a ending, but a milestone in the evolution of this amazing endeavor. It is almost like reaching that sub 3 Fran, double bodyweight deadlift, or first pull up for that matter. . . A notable moment to celebrate, not something to be sad over. It is just the beginning.
I can't wait to close my Box because we have outgrown it.
This article is another from Jon Gilson at Again Faster.
Dedication
by Jon Gilson, Again Faster
You think you know pain, but you have no idea. The heart thumping, chest expanding, lactic acid burn of your last workout was a walk through the meadow.
Somewhere, there's a guy who did it in half the time it took you. He suffered. Plasma forced its way into his lungs, causing him to hack on repeat. He choked down bile halfway through, and ended on his back, pupils dilated to the size of dimes....
I refuse to become one of the walking undead. The unwell. The quitters, the complainers, the crybabies. Those who say “Oh, well, I’m fat” and just accept it. Those who don't even try. Those who won’t get off the couch and on the road to anything but the drive-through. I am so done with them.
++++++ PLEASE SEE NEW CLASS SCHEDULE!! +++++++
Stavros says he didn't mind that Coach Glassman wasn't at his CF Certification this weekend. Nice T-shirt buddy. Thanks for representing.
Olympic Lifting Competion: Come see California's best Oly Lifters compete!
The NorCal Open is on Sunday, May 25th at Peninsula CrossFit: NorCal Open
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEW CLASS SCHEDULE:
- No more MWF 8:00AM Class!
- DCF Girls' Class Begins Wed, May 21 at 10:00AM.
- More evening classes: 4, 6, & 7PM (ex, Fri.)!!
- Open Gym 4-7PM.
- Luca's Muay Thai has moved to 8:00PM on Tue & Thu.
Article by George Rutherford, assistant trainer at SECT CrossFit in Baltic, CT.
"The Intimidation Factor - Getting THAT person to reach their potential"
CrossFit: It ain't your Grandma's workout…but it can be! All over the world, people are opening CrossFit studios/gyms/dungeons for a variety of reasons. For some, it's to simply have a place to workout without judgment. For some it's a way to bring in others for the purpose of fostering and expanding the community. For others though, CrossFit is not just a lifestyle, but also a livelihood.
This video is for Luca, I have worked on my Deadlift so much since i looked at this video. If you see my 405 pr it was not pretty, and I know that as a trainer I am supposed to know when to stop when my form suffers so I have been training my deadlift and my hamstrings so hopefully my CFT will not suffer when I get up and do great Luca form.
Tuesday Morning Luca Fit
"The Bear"
5 Rounds of 7 Reps of:
Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Rack Jerk
Do not let go of the bar until the round is finished, also do not rest the bar on the ground, if either happens then you must start from the beginning.
Post weight to comments.
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Rant and/or Statement- When is it proper to forget about intensity and rely on form? We have all been in a situation where form was pretty bad or God awful but our intensity was very high and we were in a mode to finish our workout. I know it has happened to you, I have seen each one of you do it and I know you have seen my form suffer so what do you think? I believe there is a happy medium but I also believe that the best part of Crossfit is the intensity. Lessening the weight helps with workouts with heavy weight, what are some different modifications to a workout that can be made to ensure both great form and solid intensity?
Blood on the bar, blood on the mat. Jimmy sacrifices a little blood for our Hero Randy Simmons.
Injuries do not have to be a part of training, but if you are ramping up intensity and trying to find your limits, injuries can (and will) happen. Going too intense too often or too soon will usually guarantee and accident and injury. How hard an athlete pushes them self is entirely personal and arbitrary. Don't push hard enough, and progress will be slower. Push too hard and progress will stop (and possibly regress) due to catastrophic injury.
Generally I believe in the 80 / 20 rule here. 80% of the time you should be doing movements with as much intensity as possible while adhering to strict form and safety. About 20% of the time (sometimes at the end of the workout, the last round, during a PR, etc) the 'intensity dial' should be turned up to find out where your current limit is (your limit will be ever changing, and it improves most the more you test it). Sometimes you won't even hit your limit, and sometimes you will bash your shin with the bar during "Randy" and draw a little blood - then don't even notice until a few minutes after you yell "TIME!". -jj
Bart Vale (the big guy with the awesome handlebar 'sash) is the head of the Shootfighting martial art (the original "Mixed Martial Art") as well as the International Shootfighting Association. He will be teaching a seminar for Shootfighting Saturday April 5th at the Fairfield Shootfighting/Kenpo studio at 1:00pm. I will be there (most likely getting my ass kicked by the large gent for the benefit of others). The class is designed for all skill levels and if you are interested in going (to learn or watch me squirm as payback) email me at jeremy@diablocrossfit.com
*UPDATE MAY 2008** Our friends the Tracy's Karate Studios (in Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville, and Davis California) will be hosting the first Shootfighting Summit on the west coast (second Shootfighting Summit ever actually). You can read my review of the first Shootfighting Summit here.
The Summit will include all the top Shoofighting coaches from around the world (Yoshiaki Fujiwara aka the 'Godfather' of MMA, Bart Vale, Yuki Ishikawa, Marcus Marinelli, Keith Curts, John Busto, Barry Polonitza, Robert Yard, and Mike Dancull to name a few). All parts of mixed martial arts (mma) will be covered in addition to kickboxing, submissions, and most importantly how to blend the two together to forge a fluid, supreme, complete fighter (not just one who has been pieced together from different parts that don't necessarily fit together).
I am looking forward to this momentous event, and so should you! Reserve your spots right away space is limited. Info on the TracysKarateStudios.com events page. -jj**
Workout:
Weighted Pull ups:
5, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1
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Article:
This one comes from our buddy Jon Gilson at Again Faster
To A Greater World" by Jon Gilson, Again Faster
We're bringing personal responsibility back. You can't do what we do while shirking your load, depending on other people, or otherwise passing the buck. Your WOD time is yours and yours alone. You cannot turn in a fifty-minute "Fran" and then scold your classmates for the result. Blame is not cast in the gym.
Conversely, I can't count the number to times I've seen an athlete turn in an epic time and then thank everyone in the room for making it happen. Adulation is shared.
I view the gym as a microcosm of the moral world, one in which control of success and failure ultimately lies with the individual. There is no fatalism in the gym. Your maximum pull-up number is not preordained by some higher power. It is determined by speed, strength, coordination, accuracy, agility, and mental fortitude, all qualities that are within your domain and solely within your control. Others can give to the effort through correction, encouragement, and support, but they cannot make your chin clear the bar.
Myself showing the camera how much I enjoyed the 30 muscle up workout on Monday.
Sorry for the late post folks. The day got busy. . . and then I ended up at the hospital last night.
I ripped both my wrists during the 30 muscle ups for time workout from the CrossFit mainpage on Monday. No big deal, done it a few times. In fact, they didn't even bleed. I just lost a layer of skin. Tuesday afternoon I noticed a red line of inflammation going up my left arm.
I have seen it before, and I was pretty sure what it was. I called the advice nurse and they confirmed that I needed to go to the hospital right away because the little 'scratch' I had was "streaking" and that was a sign of blood poisoning.
After about 5 hours at the hospital, I was discharged after 1am. I got my Tetnus booster shot, an IV full of antibiotics and a bandage on my wrist. In the wait room, I also determined that "American Idol" has got to be one of the most annoying shows and that I'll never understand why people enjoy it. I think I would rather watch television in Japan (and that's saying a lot).
I guess the lesson is to pay attention even to minor injuries you have experienced in the past, and make sure you clean and cover any open cuts or abrasions before going on with your daily stuff.
I would like to mention that I do not think it was the rings that caused the infection. I believe that it happened some time in the next 24 hours when I didn't address my wrist at all.
Thanks to Jimmy and Kelly for holding down the fort and running the 0600 class for me. It is probably a good thing I didn't try and make it. I would have been very grumpy and it would have been hard not to take it out on our 0600 team.
"The researchers, from the University of Nottingham in the UK and Washington University School of Medicine in the US, speculated that the inability of the female body to perform the same function as effectively was linked to the hormonal changes of the menopause."
". . .From the age of 50 onwards, people lose up to 0.4% of muscle mass every year.
This can make them less mobile and at a higher risk of a life-threatening fall. At present, half of all elderly people who suffer a serious fall die within two years. "
"Low-fat diets didn’t reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer or invasive breast cancer, according to three large studies published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The researchers divided 48,835 women into two groups based on diet-- one group with 19,541 women consumed a low fat diet and the other group with 29,294 women consumed their usual diets -- and followed the women for 8.1 years."
". . . Politically correct dietary theory, for example, postulates that high-fat diets -- particularly diets high in animal and saturated fats – can raise cholesterol levels to unhealthy levels. But in the much-vaunted Framingham Heart Study involving 5,200 men and women who have been extensively studied in over 1,000 published reports since 1948, high cholesterol levels were not associated with increased heart disease risk after age 47.
After age 47, in fact, those whose cholesterol went down had the highest risk of a heart attack. “For each 1 mg/dl drop of cholesterol there was an 11 percent increase in coronary and total mortality,” reported the study's authors."
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The 7 people at Monday's 0600 class was already a blur of motion before sunrise. What were you doing?
Workout:
As many times as possible, complete the following exercises
20 sledge hammer swings (15lb men / 10lb women)
20 dumbbell push presses (35lb men / 15lb women)
100m dumbbell farmer walk (45lb men / 30lb women)
"The superfit walk among us. They saunter or strut, depending on whether they’re showcasing their magnificent agility or their oxlike strength. They ignore the chatter in the health media over treadmill technique and pedometer steps. They scoff even at seemingly rigorous practices like Mysore Ashtanga yoga and marathon training. They are America’s self-styled fitness elite, adherents of a punishing online exercise regime called CrossFit, which orders its followers to cultivate a distinctly martial — not to say paranoid — ideal of “physical preparedness. . .”
And Lisabeth Darsh owner/trainer from CrossFit Watertown has already issued a response:
"Let’s hope that Virginia Heffernan is right and we’re wrong. Let’s hope, like she writes in her New York Times article (God's Workout), that we CrossFitters are preparing for "an imagined moment of heroism that may never come." May all of our efforts at achieving a fighting level of General Physical Preparedness (GPP) just be the result of succumbing to ridiculous hyperbole designed to make us buy into Greg Glassman’s crazy dream of bringing people home alive. Let’s hope (outside of the military, fire, and law enforcement personnel among us) that we civilians and desk jockeys never once have to use physical strength to survive in this world.
Eric and Bryan show two different methods for modifiying the Hand Stand Push Up (HSPU). Eric on the left is using his knees, and Brian on the right is only on his toes. Keeping the hips above the shoulders and the torso as vertical as possible is key.
Workout:
Snatch
3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3
After warming up with pvc and light loads, start at approximately 60% of your 1 rep max and add weight each round if possible.
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This article is from Lisabeth Darsh from CrossFit Watertown, and it is just so damn good I had to post it here in it's entirety. -jj
Most of us are not Marines or Navy SEALs. Not all of us are cops or firefighters. Most of us don’t live heroic lives or even talk about bravery in any real context. We know little of real need, and less of sacrifice. Instead of facing danger daily, most of us face boredom daily; there is too much of everything in America. We have wants and large appetites. Discipline is relegated to putting half a teaspoon of sugar in our tea, or buying a smaller car to save on gas, or skipping dessert. Like it or not, this is modern-day America. We are not warriors. Yet, within our microcosm of daily abundance, we CrossFit. We willingly subject ourselves to a rigorous, demanding program that brings us to our knees. Why?
Why CrossFit? Why not just go to a globo-gym and use the cupholder on the elliptical and watch the mindless television on the treadmill and push ourselves only as hard as we feel like? Why not take the easy path? Why subject ourselves to an hour of agony each day, alone in our garages, or in a group at an affiliate, driven by some crazed trainer who asks questions like, “Doesn’t that suck?” And when we gasp, “Yes!” she laughs and hoots, “Faster!” Why take the sweat-soaked, muscle-aching, tear-producing, hand-tremoring path of pain and perseverance that goes by the name CrossFit?
Because we must. Because CrossFit hurts. Because it makes us cry. Because it really sucks. Because it is the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do. Because it is the easiest thing we’ve ever had to do. Because we hate it. Because we love it. Because, ultimately, we want to know what courage really is. Because, in all of our time on this planet, we have never once put our lives on the line and learned what it really, really means to be afraid and step forward anyway. Because in the darkest depths of our workouts, in the minute of greatest pain, in that last ten Burpees of the Filthy Fifty, in the last Clean of “Linda”, in that airless, starry moment when we place one foot over the edge of the cliff and walk forward to see if the very clouds themselves will hold us up, in that moment – that moment alone -- we are truly alive.
Matraca Berg sang it best: “Leap. And a net will appear.” That net is us – the person we didn’t know we could be, the warrior within, the conqueror unleashed – that very part of us that forces perseverance, that demands discipline, no matter the consequences. CrossFit brings us to that place inside of ourselves.
In this plush, overfed part of the world that we live in, CrossFit strips us to the bone and lets us see the very marrow of our souls. And what lies there, inside of us, is not always pretty. Sometimes it is a bitter heart, or a quitter’s attitude, or a cheater’s nature. It is raw and revealed and naked. But it is us. It is who we are, who we were, and, most importantly, who we will be if we do not work harder. In that realization of our own inadequacies, however, lies our very salvation. For, within the confines of the Workout of the Day, if we’re lucky, in that moment of dedication and drive, in that frenzy of encouragement, support, and love for our fellow CrossFitters, we also catch a glimpse of our very best selves – and, if we’re observant, we see it in others too. Through our CrossFitting efforts, we see who we could become, with a little more effort, a little more honesty, and a little more courage. Just like a faster 5K time, that better self is within our grasp; if we try hard enough, if we do the work, if we believe. Try. Work. Believe.
This is the true challenge: to use CrossFit to become a better person, not just at CrossFit, but in life. Allow CrossFit to awaken that warrior within and then use this force to make a difference. How do we do this? By not settling for the easy option. By not using the phrase “good enough.” By learning to use -- to live -- words like “serve” and “sacrifice” and “community.” By doing the right thing. Always. Even when it hurts the most. Especially when it hurts the most. By living our lives so that thorough examination of our actions reveals only character, prudence, and honor. By living as a warrior should. Now, more than ever, in this overindulgent society of ours, we need warriors. We cannot continue to expect our warrior class – our Marines, soldiers, sailors, airmen, cops, and firefighters – to bear the entire burden of protecting the very fabric of our society. We all, in small ways, must do what we can in our communities to uphold values like honesty and justice and responsibility. We must be warriors in our hearts, willing to fight for what is right, and to face the enemy, even when the enemy is us. When we CrossFit, maybe in some small way, we take that first step toward mentally joining the warrior class. And then, hopefully, we take another step. Hopefully, we inspire those around us to join us in what could be described as a crusade for a better society, a better nation, and a better world. The future really is in our hands.
At DCF we do feel that natural foods are the best way to go, and any supplementation is ancillary with few exceptions. One of them is Fish Oil, or more specifically Omega-3 Fatty Acids.
Why are our diets so lacking? First of all, if you eat wild tuna, mackerel, sardines and salmon regularly (almost every day) you probably aren't lacking. These fish are full of 'fish oil' (hence the name). But if you also eat wild game meat (Buffalo, Elk, Deer, etc) you are probably in the clear as well. Grass fed beef also is a winner when it comes to Omega-3s. These meats are are not fed with grain or corn, therefore their meat is has about the same amount of Omega-3s as the fish!
You read that correctly. Grass fed beef and wild game meat is full of the best type of fat, and is probably as healthy as eating fish. So if you aren't a big fish fan, start ordering buffalo instead, and get to Trader Joe's for some pretty decent grass fed beef. Coincidentally, our hunter-gatherer (see genetic) ancestors only had access to wild fish and game, therefore their diets were chock full of these good fats.
All that being said, fish and grass fed beef are hard to get every day. And if you don't cook and eat grass fed beef right away it can take on that "gamey" flavor everyone hates. That is where Fish Oil Pills come in. Go out, buy some fish oil pills and take a few with every meal. Reap the rewards without dealing with "fishiness" or "gameyness".
Today's articles focus on Omega-3s and brain function, but the benefits don't stop there. Look through the archives for a ton of more articles on Fish Oil and Omega-3s.
Now we have our Sarah and our rope back. It actually took less time for Sarah from conception to birth to have her baby than for the rope to get put up!!!
Saturday Noon SEALs
3 Rounds of
Run 400 meters
21 Kettlebell Swings
12 Pull ups
Run 1 Mile
2 Rounds
Run 400 Meters
21 Kettlebell Swings
12 Pull ups
Run 1 Mile
1 Round
Run 400 Meters
21 Kettlebell Swings
12 Pull ups
So in all Run 5600 Meters, do 126 Kettlebell Swings, and 72 Pull ups.
Statement/Rant: Some of us at DCF are now starting up on "The Zone Diet, " (myself not included) my question is how well does this system work? and why does it work? What are the diets out there that people are trying? I am just curious because I do not follow any certain plan and would like to know the benifits of serious dieting.
THE GOODS, THE BADS AND THE UGLY
Nutrition is just as important for your performance as your training so eat things from the left side of the picture, avoid foods from the right and work out with the guy in the middle and all of the other trainers from The Shed.
Loose your Breakfast with Luca:
4 Rounds For Time of:
10 Turkish Get-up/Lunge/Lunge/Lie Down
10 DB Power Cleans
400M Run
Post time and comments
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Alittle more about nutrition:
Food to avoid
These foods are best avoided as they have little - if any - nutritional benefit.
* Bread (inc. bagels, croissants, crackers, etc.)
* Cake, muffins, scones etc.
* Refined sugar and associated products (inc. sweets, chocolate, etc.)
* Table salt
* Fruit juices, smoothies, juice bar drinks
* Soft drink
* Breakfast cereals (eliminate processed brands and those high in sugar and salt)
Food to reduce
These foods may be eaten in moderation, and replace them with other, better options when possible.
Rant: So now we are getting somewhere with the crossfit games. They are on July 5th and 6th so whoever wants to join in on the training and the competition say it now that you want to. Lets make this a big deal, we can surely do some great things and promote our DCF way of life to all those other gyms. We are also going to start a fund for those who would like to make it and compete but may not be economically inclined to doing so. So if you are one of those people do not be afraid to join in on the fun. Lets do it up and get ready for July.
(a great article from Lisabeth Darsh at CrossFit Watertown)
"Why Not Roar?"
"I’m a woman and I’m confused: I love CrossFit even though, according to the dominant theories on women and competition, I should not. CrossFit, with its quasi-military culture, posting of standings, and inherent performance-oriented hierarchy should make me want to run screaming in the other direction toward some scrapbooking club or, at least, a nail salon. (Lucky for me, I don’t like either place. In fact, I’d rather have my nails pulled out than endure another vacuous conversation centering on hair or nails or whether somebody’s butt looks big in a pair of jeans.) CrossFit is a competitive beast. We grunt, lift heavy weights, talk about “snatches” and, when someone fails to meet our standards, we call them the pejorative term for a kitty. I’m not certain this is what our grandmothers would call “normal” behavior for women. . ." (Click the link above for the full article.)
7 rounds for time of:
95 pound Sumo-deadlift high-pull, 10 reps
10 Ring dips
or
G.I. Jane
100 Burpee Pull-Ups for time
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Question...
Recently there has been talk about the Crossfit games. Many have voiced to me that if given the chance I should take the opportunity to compete. I am not convinced that i am quite ready to compete with the crossfit greats: OPT, AFT, Josh Everett, Freddy C., Greg Amundson, Brenden, or any of the other crossfit elite that appear on the main site's videos. What are your opinions? Is anyone else planning on going? Are there any DCF trainers/regulars who are planning on competing?
video- Kids From Crossfit Brand X In The Crossfit Games
Chief Petty Officer Nate Hardy was killed Sunday February 4th during combat operations in Iraq. Nate is survived by his wife, Mindi, and his infant son Parker.
We're asking the CrossFit community to make donations to the "Nate Hardy Memorial Fund" in care of the Navy Federal Credit Union, Building 200, FTC Dam Neck, Virginia Beach, VA, 23461.
Click "Continue Reading" Below for more information about Nate's background.
Brian one of our coaches now starting his own branch a ways south of Mt Diablo has been helping with the wrestling team of McNair High School. Now McNair Has it's first league championship.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea-Porter) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and sacrifice of a patriot, Chief Petty Officer Nathan H. Hardy of Durham, New Hampshire, who was killed in action on Monday, February 4, while serving with the Navy SEALs in Iraq. Nate died doing what he loved. He loved our great country, and his life serves as an example to my State of New Hampshire and to our country.
We also honor the bravery and sacrifice of Chief Petty Officer Michael E. Koch of State College, Pennsylvania, who was killed alongside Nate in Iraq on Monday. They were brothers in arms and will not be forgotten.
After graduating from Oyster River High School in Durham, New Hampshire, Nate enlisted in the Navy on November 4, 1997, with the ambition to become a Navy SEAL. He graduated from boot camp at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois, in January 1998 and in the same month entered Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL training in Coronado, California, Class 221.
Nate was a stellar SEAL, and he lived the life of a SEAL each day. His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, three Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Medals, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, three Sea Service Deployment Awards, NATO Medal, the Expert Rifle Medal, and the Sharpshooter Pistol Medal.
Beyond being a remarkable SEAL, Nate was a loving husband, a happy new father, a dedicated son, a loyal friend, and a role model to many in New Hampshire and across the country. Nate embodied the ethic of Cincinnatus who, when called upon to serve and defend Rome, gave all of his effort and determination; but when conflict ended, he returned home to enjoy his family and friends. He did not glorify himself as a hero, because true heroes do no such thing. He was as humble as he was brave.
Like Nate, I graduated from Oyster River High School in Durham. Ours is a close-knit community and Nate and his family have played an integral role in its unique camaraderie. I've spoken to many of his friends, and it's clear they will always miss him, but each will carry a piece of him forever. Because he had a passion for so many varied interests, including sports, art, books and music, Nate touched people in different ways. Each one of his circles of friends has a unique perspective on Nate that they call their own because of his eclectic interests. All of them, though, will always feel his love, celebrate his life, and remember his great passion for living.
In addition to his friends, Nate leaves behind his brother, Ben; his mother, Donna, an administrative assistant at the University of New Hampshire; his father, Steve, a professor at UNH; his wife, Mindi; and 7-month-old son, Parker. The community was called upon to support the Hardy family when their eldest son, Josh, died after waging a long battle against cancer in 1993. The Hardys showed courage at that time, and Durham rallied to their support. The community is ready to support them again at this time, united by the memories of this remarkable young man.
Mindi and Parker are especially in our hearts at this time and will always be, even after the immediate pain recedes.
Down the street from this hallowed floor is the Department of Veterans Affairs. On its side stand President Lincoln's words: ``To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan.''
Our patriot, Nate, bore the battle and the people who cared so deeply about Nate will now care for Mindi and Parker. Friends and family will share stories with his wife and son, stories that they will carry in their hearts forever. Parker will know not only that his father was brave, but that his father was a good man, a man of character and conviction.
Nate Hardy enriched our New Hampshire and our country. We were blessed to have him, even for such a short while. May he rest in peace, and may his family find comfort in knowing that he was loved and respected by all.
Post WOD cool down. . . Jimmy puts the tire away upstairs.
Workout:
"The Bear" makes a return.
The Bear Complex: Choose a bar weight that you can complete at least one full repetition. The complex is a power clean, front squat, push press, lower the bar behind the head, back squat, push press, lower the bar back to the ground = 1 rep.
As many repetitions as possible in 3 minutes with 3 minutes rest in between rounds. 5 rounds total.
Post the weight used and the number of reps for each round to comments.
Myself at CrossFit Newport Beach attending the first CrossFit Running and Endurance Seminar, with Jeff Alexander in the background teaching some basics of Trigger Point Therapy.
Promo video for CrossFit Newport Beach:
Great facility, awesome staff.
Workout:
Run six 400m timing each run individually. Rest 1.5 minutes between intervals. Try and maintain the most consistant times.
Below I pulled out just some of the gems that we also promote. It is remarkable what you can find with literally more than 100 years of gold medal athletic training information.
Excerpts from Billy Mills (1964 Olympic games gold medalist in the 10k - 28:24.4 - the first American to win a gold in the 10k, and a feat that nobody in the western hemisphere has repeated)
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"Know your desires, know yourself, and succeed."
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I incorporated seven components into my training: 1) endurance activities, 2) speed endurance work, 3) sheer speed training, 4) strength training, 5) recovery and rest, 6) focus, and 7) visualization.
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. . .On the basis of my test results, this doctor suggested that I follow a diet higher in protein than my regular dietary pattern. I followed his advice and started taking 75–100 grams of powdered protein supplement daily. At that time I weighed approximately 150 pounds. I believed at the time that I could not get enough protein from my regular diet and that I had to supplement it with powdered protein.
At the time I was taking this high protein supplement, also followed a very simple, traditional, Lakota (Sioux) four- day dietary cycle. Elders on the reservation had told me: ‘‘Billy, why
don’t you do this; this is what we did in the old days. We would eat something from the air, the next day something from the water, the next day something on the ground, and the fourth day something from inside the ground.’’ The Lakota Elders also suggested that I include a color plan with my food pattern that represented earth colors: brown, green, red and yellow foods, they said, would provide me with the best diet. Their advice, of course, meant that I consumed a wide variety of of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds.
After following this dietary plan, I observed that my physical and mental toughness increased. My ability to focus on athletic goals—the Olympics—became unbelievable, and my spiritual strength and spiritual empowerment increased many times over and provided me with mental toughness.
__________________________
Excerpts from Bruce Baumgartner (possibly the greatest wrestler in American history with 13 metals in Olympic and world competition)
My belief is primarily in my training. Currently, I train using a three-day cycle. I will have three hard days, when I practice twice a day. On each of these three days I will include in my training weight lifting and cardiovascular activities, which for me means bicycling or Air Dyne, rowing, running and stepping machines. In the aftenoon I do several types of combative wrestling for 30 - 40 minutes.
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Although I take dietary supplements, I believe that it is best to obtain nutrients from the foods that I eat.
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If you talk to most competitive athletes, you discover what is best for your body and what works for you. There is no specific key that fits each athlete in the country, no one specific regimen or specific diet that would work for all.
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Excerpts from Nicole Haislett (won 3 Olympic golds in 1992 as well as winning golds at the World Swimming Championships, the Goodwill Games, and is a NCAA record holder).
Swimming is a sport in which one cannot rely on distance (i.e., actual number of laps completed in the pool) to loose weight. Most people in the general public beIlieve that swimmers do not have any problem with weight or nutrition, because swimmers train hard. It is true that competitive swimmers will train for up to six hours per day, at least four hours ‘‘churning’’ water during the hardest part of the season. People would expect, therefore, that swimmers burn lots of calories, but there is an interesting issue: elite, competitive swimmers become so very efficient at swimming that their bodies do not respond easily to weight reduction.
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So I really had no actual recovery in swimming except for Sunday. As a result my teammates and I were always ‘‘broken-down,’’ always experiencing muscle fatigue, soreness and tightness in the legs, and other complaints.
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Since that time I have not had a soft drink since.
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Then I participated in the Olympic trials in 1992, and I remember that members of the women’s team at Stanford University followed a program developed by a doctor Sears, and they were eating Biosyn Bars and following his dietary plan. The Stanford team did very well that year, and five women made the Olympic team and broke several records at the trials. Their performance opened my eyes and I thought that I should at least become involved in their approach.
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Excerpts from Alfred Oerter (He is the only athlete -EVER- to win four gold medals at four successive Olympiads. And would have won a fifth consecutive if the U.S. hadn't boycotted the 1980 Moscow games).
You take a great risk in inviting somebody that was born in New York City, who lived on the lower East Side, to talk about nutrition. I believe in nutrition and I truly treat my body as a temple.
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I started all this a very long time ago. I was very fortunate to have an eccentric uncle. This man, by most standards, was truly eccentric. When I was 15 years of age he introduced me to things such as brewer’s yeast, desiccated liver and rose hips.
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Throughout my life I have not believed very many people.
If I believed one of my coaches in 1956 when I made my first Olympic team, I probably would not have even medaled at Melbourne. I received a letter from this coach that said . . . look . . . I don’t want you discus throwers, you big, heavy guys, going anywhere near a weight room. I don’t want you lifting weights.
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This presented a problem because I started lifting weights when I was eight years old in New York City. The weights were interesting and exciting. All the old-line immigrant families brought weights over with them, from the Old Country, things of strength, things to lift, things to play with. My buddies and I would go down into the basements of the old tenements in New York, and we would start playing with all that stuff. Our sport was lifting, and it was a strength thing. Lifting was not a complement to another sport. You lifted and you enjoyed it just for what it was.
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What I am really saying is this: there is a certain common sense that must be obeyed. In athletic competition you cannot look at all of the teaching and all of the learning only—it comes down to the athlete.I have thrown the discus 470,000 times in my life, give or take a few thousand. Not one throw has ever been perfect, and probably 400,000 of those throws were in a meditative state. I would begin a training session and would throw and throw. After an hour, perhaps an hour and a half, there is fatigue and pain. It enters your mind and you wake up in this intense focus environment, only to realize that there may be ten or fifteen people gathered about the area where you have been throwing, and you never realized that they had approached and were watching.
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Competition in the Olympic Games and in all athletics is an intensely personal activity. Trainers and physicians, nutritionists and physiologists have to teach their athletes to become self-sufficient.
___________________________________
Darren, Bryan and Mo do some double unders at sunrise.
Workout:
"DCF Newbie" for time -
400m run
10 pull ups
20 push ups
30 sit ups
40 squats
The DCF Newbie workout is administered to all new potential clients as an evaluation of their current fitness level, as well as a baseline for people to track progress.
Then strength work:
3,3,3,3,3
Strict Press
Back Squat
Use enough weight so that you approach failure each set.
Post DCF Newbie times and weights used to comments.
VERY interesting article. I wonder what all the psychologists would say about the "Kool-Aid Drinkers" at CrossFit. . . -jj
Post thoughts to comments.
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Homework: "Baselines"
A "baseline" is a point of reference usually denoting a beginning or starting point.
By now everyone should have their 2008 goals planned and written down. And if they aren't in the comments section of this post, you are slacking (don't even ask me about what a lazy puke you are if you haven't even picked your goals at all yet).
Now everyone's homework is to make an attempt for each goal and note exactly where they currently stand on making that goal and establish a "baseline". If it is consecutive muscle ups, and you have zero - that's easy. If you are trying for a CrossFit Total, it is time to do it (if you have already tried in the last month, you can use this as your baseline score).
500m row
5 right, 5 left kettlebell power cleans and strict press (1.5pood - or 55lb dumbell)
Then set your goals for 2008. Some of the most popular accomplishments chosen at The Shed are:
Strength:
CrossFit Total (CFT) of 1000+ lbs
15 overhead squats with bodyweight
Gymnasics:
3 consecutive muscle ups
40 or 50 (or more) consecutive pull ups
L sit times of 1min+
Metacon:
Sub 3 minute Fran
Fight Gone Bad scores of well over 300
Murph as Rx'ed in sub 45 minute times
After the "micro wod" dedicate some time to working on one (or more)of your goals.
The clock is ticking.
Post Micro WOD time and goal practiced to comments.
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Video: CrossFit intensity. Coach Glassman discusses intensity with clips from a certification seminar at CrossFit One World (if you look closely you can see DCF trainer Brian getting some during FGB).
*** NEW DCF 2008 CALENDAR!! PLEASE NOTICE CHANGES ***
The first wod of 2008.
DCF WOD
Tabata CrossFit Total
Squats
Deadlifts (Men 45# Dumbells / Ladies 35#)
Press (Men 35 or 25# Dumbells / Ladies 25# or 15)
Sit Ups
For twenty seconds do as many reps of the assigned exercise as you can - then rest 10 seconds. Repeat this seven more times for a total of 8 intervals, 4 minutes total exercise. Rest one minute between exercises. The score is the least number of reps for any of the eight intervals.
CrossFit WOD: Rest Day
See scores from today's crew in comments.
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You can help win this battle: be a good role model.
One of my personal goals for 2008 is 15 overhead squats with my bodyweight (approx 210lbs). Here is a video of Nicole Carrol (CF Champion Chicka) pulling it off.
It says that the teens will be with the bushmen for one month. It doesn't say for the adults. One month isn't very long, but it will be interesting to find out the results nonetheless. -jj
"S01 (SEAL) Jason Dale Lewis was killed by an IED while conducting combat operations in Southern Baghdad July 6, 2007. We name this workout "Jason" in honor of his life, family, and courage."
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An example of an original benchmark.
The year is coming to a close. Did you finish your goals? Did you stick to your 'resolutions' for 2007?
In brief. . . now is not the time to make plans like "I want to eat healthier this year." or "I am going to loose a few pounds." These are undefinable, impossible to track, and easy to fudge.
Now is the time to say things like "I am going to eat less than 10g of refined carbs a day from now on." and "I will lose 10 lbs of 'Fat' without loosing muscle mass." In contrast, these are clear, easy to track, and black and white. Either you accomplished them or you didn't. Either you made clear progress, or you didn't.
Physical progression is not tracked by time, it is evaluated based upon accomplishments and performance.
Just because you have been "CrossFitting" for a year doesn't mean you are a better athlete than when you started. Improvements in performance of desired tasks means that you are a better athlete.
December's "Girls and Heroes" marathon has been part of this process. By attempting these benchmark workouts, even for your first time, you have now set a point to track progress. A point to improve or a reference to loose ground.
Now we are going to go a step further. For 2008 we are asking all DCFers to come up with at least 3 goals for 2008.
One strength based (examples include, a double bodyweight deadlift, CrossFit Total of 1000, etc)
One gymnastics based (examples include, an L-sit duration, a number of consecutive pull ups, etc)
One metabolic conditioning based (examples include a sub 9 min "Helen", or "Murph" as Rx'ed, etc)
You are not limited to 3 choices. Many of us at The Shed have more than three goals to accomplish before big stopwatch signals "TIME!" for the end of the year. Think of 2008 as one big "Workout of the Year" (WOY) and you have only 365 days to finish your benchmarks.
Choose wisely, and don't be afraid to choose something big. If you "Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star. "
The final part of setting benchmarks with us is that you have to announce them publicly. So you have to post them here, or write them on the white board at The Shed. We are all in this together, and we will rely on each other for help and encouragement (as well as some reminding).
So post your goals for 2008 "WOY" in the comments section, and prepare to celebrate your victory as each one is smashed.
This morning Aaron read an excerpt from "Lone Survivor" Marcus Luttrel's book about Operation Redwing and the story how Lt. Michael Murphy ("Murph") was killed in Afganistan.
It is important to remember that the Hero workouts are not just devastating workouts. They are homages to great warriors who lost their lives fighting for their country. It is with deep regret that Diablo CrossFit presents a new Hero to honor:
"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived." General Patton (thanks to Brian McGlynn for the quote)
Now get out there and kick some ass for Mark "Badger" Carter.
SEAL chief killed in Iraq, Navy says
Staff writer
Posted : Friday Dec 14, 2007 12:03:13 EST
A Virginia-based SEAL who received two Bronze Stars with “V” devices was killed Tuesday in Iraq, according to a Navy release.
Chief Special Warfare Operator Mark Thomas Carter, 27, of Fallbrook, Calif., was killed in enemy action somewhere in Iraq. Carter was with Tactical Development and Evaluation Squadron 2, based in Virginia Beach, Va.
Carter joined the Navy in 1998, according to Navy records, and graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL school the next year. He was assigned to SEAL Team 3, based at Naval Base Coronado, Calif., then SEAL Team 7.
In April 2004, Carter was assigned to Naval Special Warfare Development Group at Dam Neck, Va., according to information provided by Navy Personnel Command. That group, formerly known as SEAL Team 6, is an ultra-secretive unit that reports to Joint Special Operations Command, which includes Delta Force.
He received his current assignment in July 2006. Carter was selected for chief earlier this year.
“I am honored to serve with and lead men and women like Chief Mark Carter. He was an outstanding SEAL, teammate, and great American,” Carter’s commanding officer, who was not named, said in a statement. “On behalf of my command, I extend my condolences and heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends. His ultimate sacrifice, the most noble act for any American warrior, is our tragic loss, and I urge those who knew him to honor his life, in the best way we know how.”
In addition to his Bronze Star, Carter received a Joint Service Commendation Medal with “V” device, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Combat Action Ribbons, and an Afghanistan Campaign Medal, among other decorations.
“Losing any of the warriors serving in Naval Special Warfare is a significant loss, but losing a chief petty officer makes that loss even tougher,” said Lt. David Luckett, Naval Special Warfare Group 2 spokesman. “Like so many of his brothers in the SEAL community, Chief Carter lived the SEAL Code, and his actions on and off the battlefield embodied everything noble about serving in the Navy and in Naval Special Warfare.”
Carter is survived by his father, mother, three brothers and four sisters.
From the CrossFit Comments Page:
"badger was one of the most humble, kindest respectable down to earth team guys i've ever met and worked with. he was one of the first people to expose and introduce me to crossfit. i can vividly remember waking up and starting my day off and hearing the rev of the c2 or the slamming of home-made balls or the dragging and pulling of weighted tires...then to see badger sweating his ass off with his earphones plugged in and zoned out. that was over a year ago and seems like yesterday that i just saw him. godspeed bro and thanks for everything. it was an honor and my pleasure to have worked for you and with you...rip and my prayers are with your family and everyone else in tacdevron 2.
sk1 russell"
"While I join everyone else in wishing Godspeed to CPO Carter, I also wanted to point out (assuming the caption is correct) that the man made E-7 by the age of 27...
That should say quite a bit about the man.
AH"
"It's hard reading through all these comments, my eyes keep welling up. #16 AH said it, not only did Carter put on Chief by 27, he did it in 9 years, and all that time in the teams. He was assigned to DEV GRU and had two bronze stars with Valor devices. This SEAL was amazing. I always find it ironic that the best among us are the ones who volunteer to put themselves between our safety and those who would de
