Wednesday, November 30, 2005

World-Class Fitness in 100 Words

This is from Coach Glassman and the CrossFit website. Follow this and you will be well on your way toward elite fitness. Do not minimize the importance of a good nutrition program. If you are working hard but your results are lacking - examine your diet. It probably is not adequate for elite athletic performance.

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.

Wednesday November 30th WOD

Warm Up

10-pound Valeo Ball Bounce to partner x 2 minutes
25-pound D-Ball slam/toss to partner x 2 minutes
5 pullups, 10 squats, 5 ring dips, 10 situps, 5 skin the cats x 3

Main Set

Row 500
BB Thruster 65 lbs for 20 reps
Pullups for 20 reps
KB Snatch with 44 lbs 20 reps each hand
25 lb D-Ball Slam for 30 reps

Above gone through twice for time Keith in 21:25 and I did 18:42.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Monday November 28th WOD

Warm up

5 pullups, 10 situps, 5 ring dips, 10 squats, 5 ring pushups done three times.

Main set

DL 190 + Box Jump x 20
Burpee + Pullup x 15
25 lb D-ball slam x 50

Blast through for best time. Do one dead lift, one jump 20 times. I used a Hex Bar for the deadlift which made the transition to each jump much easier. Set the bar down, don't drop it, and spring up from the down position. Kelly went 9:40 with only a 15 pound D-ball adjustment, Keith did 8:00, Jennifer did 9:30 with 140 for the DL, a 12" box and a 15 lb ball and I did 5:42.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Pullup Challenge

This morning Nic Nakis from CFN (CrossFit North) joined Brian Anderson and me for a shot at my birthday pullup challenge. Today (November 27th) is my 50th birthday so I put out a challenge to the CF community to do 50 pullups today. I knocked out 51, Nic did 52 and Brian came down too hard on #37 and could not keep his grip. They were kipping pullups and neither of us tore the skin off our hands. Great way to start the day on a cold Sunday morning.

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Variety - Functionality - Intensity

CrossFit has at its very core three fundamental pillars that prop up the very nature of its being. In order for your body to continue to develop you must not subject it to the same thing over and over again. Your body will grow into the nature of its demands. Ask nothing of it and it will give you nothing in return. Ask the same thing all the time and that's what you get. However, if you make ever changing demands on your body your body will adapt to those changes and grow to accomodate itself to them. These demands must change not only in kind but also in ever increasing level of difficulty. Therefore the first of the three pillars of CrossFit is Variety.

Pillar number two has to do with the relationship your exercise has to do with the way you interact with life. In order for your exercise program to be effective it needs to simulate athletic movements. How often in your athletic endeavors do you accomplish a task with a pec deck type movement or for that matter a leg curl? Compare those movements with the power clean or the thruster - a barbell front squat to overhead push press - these movements are incredibly functional and can move large amounts of weight through a long line of motion at great speed. The second pillar of CrossFit is Functionality.

The final pillar determines not only the rate at which you can expect your results to come to you but also the height of your achievement. Hard work is rewarded with results just as laziness is self-punishing. Pedal along at a comfortable heart rate on a recumbant bike as you thumb through a magazine and your rewards will be few, but mark your training with a Variety of Functional exercises executed at very high Intensity and you will be rewarded with improvement in all 10 athletic skills. Intensity is uncomfortable, intensity is even intimidating but intensity is also where the results are. The final pillar of CrossFit is Intensity.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Five Great Track Workouts

These workouts are from Lance Watson from an article called Triathlon 101 with Lance Watson. They are designed to increase foot speed and raise your lactate tolerance levels. They focus on speed and so they must be executed at high intensity. If you have no access to or if weather prohibits you from heading out to the track do it on a treadmill instead.
What follows are five great, but hard, track workouts. Keep in mind that these workouts are suggestions and may not be appropriate for all levels of athletes. If you are just beginning triathlon, then consider only doing portions of the workouts that follow. Be sure to warm up thoroughly for 10 to 20 minutes with a gradual build up of intensity and speed before the hard work begins.

Workout number one:
10 x 400 with double rest-to-work time

This is a fantastic workout for developing the ability to maintain technique and speed at just above lactic threshold. You want to do this workout based on "best-average" time. This means that you should be completing the 400s in the fastest time that you can maintain for all 10 of them. If you have the ability to run a 70-second 400m all out, then you should probably be doing this workout at 80 seconds. The time of your rest should be about double the time of your work. If you are completing your 400m in 90 seconds, then you should take about 3 minutes rest. At the minimum, your rest should be 2 minutes, but should not really be more than 4 minutes. The last few repeats should be very difficult and will hurt as lactic acid is accumulating in your body.

Workout number two:
1 x 1 mile with 1:00 minute rest2 x 800 with 1:30 rest between each3 x 400 with 1:30 rest between each4 x 200 with 2:00 rest between each5 x 100 with 2:00 rest between each.

With this workout you want to be increasing your speed throughout. You will start at your 10km race pace for the first mile, dropping to 5km pace for the 800s. The 400s will be done at your mile pace and the 200s will be done at 1km pace. The 100s are to be done all out. As the speed increases, so will your rest increase in relation to the work being done. While you only get 30 seconds more rest between the 400s and 100s, you are also doing one-quarter the work. Focus on perfect technique as the repeat distance gets shorter.

Workout number three:
4 x 200 with 45 seconds rest2 x 400 with 1:00 rest1 x 800 with 2:00 rest2 x 400 with 1:00 rest4 x 200 with 45 seconds rest.

A classic pyramid. In this workout the focus will be on the 800.Unlike the previous workout, where you increase the speed throughout the entire workout, the speed will peak at the 800. You want to perform the 800 at your mile race pace, meaning that the 400 will be at your 5K race pace and your 200 will be at 10km race pace, on both sides of the pyramid. The second time through the 400s and 200s, you will feel as though you are going slower than the first time through them, but in fact you will be right on pace. Slowing down after the tough 800 will feel like relief.

Workout number four:
3 x 400 with 30 seconds rest 3 x 1 mile with 1:30 rest 3 x 400 with 30 seconds rest.

This workout is to mimic road-race conditions. Often in races you will see people sprinting off the start. Whether it is by design or just a burst of adrenaline, the majority of people take it out fast off the gun. After a few kilometers they settle into a more sustainable rhythm, only to build into another sprint to finish the race off. Thus it is important for you to work the set of 400s hard. You should perform the 400s at a pace that is faster than your 5km race pace. The goal is to fatigue yourself so that when you hit the middle part of the workout you will be mimicking race day. The workout does not work if you sandbag the first set of 400s so that you can run super-fast during the mile repeats.
Now, the crux of the workout lies in the mile repeats. The 400s are just really to set your body up for running with lactate during the mile repeats. During this portion of the workout you will want to be running at your 10K pace, focusing on technique and rhythm. The rest for the mile repeats is a bit longer than it was/will be for the 400s. Upon completion of the miles, it is back to speed. The second set of 400s is to toughen you up for the end of races. This is where "guts" are built. You will want to run this set of 400s as fast as or faster than your first set. No excuses. Run your butt off!

Workout number five:
Continuous 400s as 200 hard/200 easy.

This workout is a continuous run. After a good warm up you will begin running 400s. The pace for each lap should be based on a slow 1km pace for you. That means that if you can run 3:30 in a race, then you should be looking at about 5:00min/km for this workout, which would then translate to 2:00min/400m. This means that you will complete each lap in 2:00 minutes, but half of it is an all-out sprint, and the other half is a very, very easy jog. This will continue for a time determined by the individual or coach. A suggested time would be between 20-30 minutes, but (especially the first time that this workout is attempted) listen to your body.

Monday, November 21, 2005

Kelsie's Naptime

When Chris "Ghost" Rather worked out with Rhabdo and me the other day he mentioned that he usually worked out at home during his daughter's naptime...Kelsie's naptime. That had such a perfect ring to it for a workout name I left it written up on a white board until a workout came along that was particularly good. I found it this morning. Keith and Kelly suffered with me through 15-12-8-6 reps of #190 lb hex bar DL, 20" box jump while cleaning a 15 lb D-ball, 35 lb D-ball slams, 115 pound cleans (75 # for Kelly) charging through for time. I had a couple delays waiting for equipment but no more than 20 or 30 seconds at the most. Just over 12 minutes for me, just under 14 for Keith and 19 something for Kelly. The lower rep scheme had us moving faster and that made this quite the lung scorcher.

Friday, November 18, 2005

Angie

Brian "Rhabdo" Anderson and Chris Rather joined me for Angie today. None of us have ever visited Angie before and she threw us a beating. Angie demands 100 pullups, 100 pushups, 100 situps and 100 air squats done in that order for time. Brian smoked us both with a 16:42 with Chris close behind at 18:56. I took up the rear in 19:35 and remember being very happy just to be done. Give Angie a try, you won't forget her.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Pics of wheelbarrow workout





Here's the wheelbarrow push, tire drag workout listed below. The tire drag is particularly hard up hill with a backpack carrying a kettlebell. We did pushups right in front of a neighbor's house where some friends were getting into their truck to leave and they didn't give us a second look. Apparently what we do in my gym has become somewhat routine here in the neighborhood. Keith and Kelly both said this was a tough one.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005


Meet Pukie. Pukie is not a goal or an ideal but rather an identifier of an unrelenting body and a focused midset bent on the pursuit of elite fitness. This pursuit is accomplished though the execution of a wide Variety of Functional exercises at very high Intensity. Where you find Intensity you find pain and you find Pukie...but most of all this is where the results are.

Go fast. Go hard. Go again.

Pose Running Article

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/pose-running-technique.html

Here's a link to an article about Pose running which is a great method to run that will save your joints and make running much easier for you...faster too.

SWIM WOD for Tuesday November 15th 2005

Begin 0500 finish 0620 2,600 yards
500 yards swim with buoy to warm up
10 x 25 hypoxic swim (underwater) with fins (6:20)
10 x 25 Tabata Swims (Each 25 finished in 20 sec. next send at 30 seconds)
10 x 25 hypoxic swim (6:32)
500 drill:
100 swim on right side no arms/left side back
100 swim on right side right arm extended/left side back
100 swim on side alternating each 6 kicks
100 catch up stroke
100 fist drill
600 Main Set:
6 x 100 on 2 minutes decending 1, 2, 3
Swum in 1:45, 1:40, 1:38, 1:46, 1:38, 1:32
250 cool down

Monday, November 14, 2005

WOD Monday November 14, 2005

Wheelbarrow loaded with four 45 lb plates, one 36 lb KB
60 lb pack, tire drag, 44 lb KB carry

Did this with a partner. I took the pack, tire and KB first. We did 20 KB swings (back pack on), then trudged up hill 50 yards. Then 10 snatches each arm followed by 50 more yards to the top of the hill where we did 10 clean and jerks with each arm. We went back down the hill to the mid point for 10 pushups and to the bottom for 20 more swings. We ran the 400 meters to and from Jennifer's house (I carried a 30 pound sand bag) and then we switched gear. Jennifer just drug the tire and I carried both bells. Thus we both got a great workout and one that is easily scalable.

Situps on incline board
Hollow Rock
Leg thrusters/Leg slams
Leg lifts while hanging from rings
Ab Mat
Ab Roller
Situps on GHD
Knee ups posted on rings

Did this 4x through with the Tabata count (20 sec on 10 sec off) and switched exercises each time.

For the afternoon group we started with this ab blaster as a warm up and then did.

21-15-9 of the triplet
170 pound Hex Bar DL
20 inch Box Jump
52 lb KB Swings (44 for Kelly)

Keith finished in 7:30, his daughter Kelly (19) in 9:00.

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Some Random Recent Workouts

101405
10 minute max Effort:
2 minute rest in between
Pullups 153
Treadmill Run 1.32 miles
Snatch with 44 lb KB 148
Row on C2 2,489

102105
KB Swing 52 lbs 40 20 30
Pullups 20 10 30
KB Snatch 44 lbs 20 10 20
C & J 95 lb BB 10 15 10

Swings for 40 reps, pullups for 20, snatch for 20, C & J for 10 then back to swings for 20, Pullups for 10 etc. Finished in 14.45.

110905
Yellow Raiin with D balls
Skin the cat 1, 2, 3, 2, 1

Ball Slam (25)
Pullups
Bag Blitz
Snatch (44)
Box Jump
Ring Pushups
Swings (52)
Air Squats

This was done Tabata style but during the 10 second rest we switched exercises so that we did 20 seconds of 25 lb D-ball slam, switched to pullups during the 10 seconds off, did 20 seconds of pullups etc. I was averaging 10 reps per toward the end, so the next time we do this we will shoot for 12 reps each exercise and go through 6 or 8 times for time.

111105
5 x 5 of
Bench Press - 135, 185, 205, 225, 225
Pullups with 36, 36, 44, 44, 44,
HSPU
BB Snatch 65, 65, 65, 75, 75
Ring Dips 17, 17, 17, 17, 17
Hex Bar DL 230, 230, 230, 250, 250
Ring Push ups 20, 35, 40, 40, 40 (failed at rep 3 of 5th set)
Swings (American) 52, 72, 88, 88, 88

Golden Colorado Seminar Notes

Rather than post the 39 page tome that I created for the Golden, Colorado seminar, it will be easier for you to go to www.crossfit.com and visit the message board. Go to the community section and you will see it posted there. It will also be in Lynne Pitts's FAQ section at the bottom with my other notes. It preserves better as a word document than it does when I just cut and paste it here. Hope you enjoy the notes.

Friday, November 11, 2005

Sweat Angel

Courtesy CrossFit PC
Post CF workout posture

Courtesy CrossFit PC
TM, C2, Computrainer at CrossFit PC

Courtesy CrossFit PC
Zach in an ice cave on Mt. Rainier

Courtesy CrossFit PC

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Golden, Colorado Seminar

On November 4th, 5th and 6th I had the privledge of attending a CrossFit Certification Seminar in Golden, Colorado. One of the first things I discovered about Golden is that the city didn't pay their air bill as it had clearly been turned off. If you are at interested in CrossFit you really need to get to one of these seminars (they are offered just about every other month throughout the year) or at least to a CrossFit facility so you can see how to involve yourself with what is the very best strength and conditioning program in existance. The on-going purpose of this Blog is to provide an outlet for my pathological need to disseminate information about CrossFit and how important it is for you to get involved with this kind of training. I am still working on my notes from the seminar and am up to 20 pages already. I will post the notes here and on the CrossFit site as well.