Playing Catch Up

So...It has been an interesting week with the floor being unusable. Here are the last two workouts. I am out of town starting tomorrow. My plan is to update the blog while I am away and CrossFitting in CA.

4-28-09
WOD
21. 18. 15...3
SDHP
KB Swings
Push Ups
Shuttle Run

4-29-09
Sand Pit!!
KB Throw Across and Back
Burpee Broad Jump Across
Lunge Back
5 Rounds

Then...Hover Ball

Much fun was had in the sand...right? I have a strong feeling that we will be out there much more often.

New Floor

Todays WOD's was the last one with the broken floor. Construction was started today on the fix, unfortunately we already have a problem and the fix will take longer than expected. I know...SHOCKING! Classes will still go as scheduled, we can work around this...after all, we are CrossFitters.

2 Rounds for time
Partner workout, the bar cannot touch the floor once time starts.
40 Front Squats
40 SDHP
40 Push Press
200 Single Jumps

Friday means Burpees

Buy In
10 Negative Pull ups

WOD
2 Rounds
3 Laps
21 Burpees
3 Laps
21 KB Swings

Cash Out
10 Negative Pull ups

Spartan Rules

1) Lactic acid is the Spartan's friend. The Spartan knows the value of anaerobic failure, and actively seeks it out. If he falls on his face, he waits only as long as necessary to move again before he continues.

2) The Spartan takes no breaks between exercises, unless it's to shove a non-Spartan out of the way.

3) The Spartan runs. He does not use Stairmasters, or stationary bikes, or ellipticals. He runs.

4) When the Spartan cannot run, he walks. When he cannot walk, he crawls. When he cannot crawl, he has failed.

5) The Spartan hits big muscles, like the back, the pectorals, the quadriceps and the glutes. He knows this means he is building functional muscle that will assist in the destruction of his enemies and in the production of testosterone (of which the Spartan has more than the average man).

6) By contrast, the Spartan does not waste much time on small muscles. They will grow as the result of functional exercise that hits the big muscles (see above). For example, the bicep is only useful in that it assists with chin-ups, and scaling enemy fortifications. Anything else is vanity.


7) The Spartan abhors cables and machines. This is for two reasons. First, to activate stabilizer muscles, the Spartan must depend on himself to balance the weight, not a machine. Second - look up the adjective "spartan" in the dictionary: "strict and austere." You should be able to do a Spartan workout in a FOB (field of battle).

8) The Spartan fears only one thing: his workout. The enemy pales in comparison to his workout. If he doesn't fear his workout, it isn't hard enough.

9) Puking is acceptable. Quitting is not. If he gives up here, he gives up in battle. This is unacceptable.

10) So nature abhors a vacuum, so the Spartan loathes missing a workout. A Spartan can complete a workout in his grandma's basement, a hotel room, or in a city park.

11) If the Spartan is not in pain during his workout, he is wrong.

12) The Spartan never cheats. He maintains proper technique throughout his training, because he knows that smooth is fast, and that he will be mocked mercilessly for, "girly pull-ups".

13) The Spartan knows the value of the basics: the push-up, the pull-up, the chin-up, the sit-up, the squat, and the dead-lift. He also knows the importance of variety, and seeks out different techniques of the above.


By: Captain Paul Lindsay, British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own)

WOD 4-23-09

Buy In
30 Good Mornings

WOD
21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6, 3
Pull ups
Sit ups
100 feet of Lunges

Cash Out
Work on Hand stands

Countdown

There are only 24 days until the Regional CrossFit Games...do you know where your training is?

Buy In
50 Jump Squats

WOD
5 Rounds
21 Deadlifts
7 Thrusters

Use the same bar, the Deadlift should feel too light and the Thrusters should feel too heavy. Have Fun!

Cash Out
Was supposed to be 500 Bicycle crunches, but I didn't realize this was the CrossFit Kids class and had to drop it to 300 crunches. SAD

WOD 4-21-09

WOD
4 Rounds
10 Heavy KB Swings
Burpee Broad Jumps across the gym and back
3 Laps

She's Baaaaaack

Laurie came back today and we were so excited to have her. Almost six months ago she completed a workout that scared the pants off of her and she hasn't been back since. She let the workout get the best of her, even though she finished it. Thanks for getting back in the mix again Laurie.

Never be afraid to ask if you can scale a workout or switch out an exercise. If you have a valid reason I will probably be reasonable. If not, it is unlikely. Although I never want to scare anyone or hurt anyone(mostly), it is my JOB to push you past what you perceive your limits to be. Know that I may say "NO, YOU CANNOT SCALE", but then again, maybe I have an off day and say..."WHY"?




Buy In 1000 Row

WOD 2 Rounds of
50 Wall Ball
50 Push ups

Cash out
1 Lap of lunges

Seven

It was good to have the brothers back in the CAC today. Talk about taking it to the next level.

Buy In
50 OHS with un-weighted bar

WOD
7 Rounds
7 OHS
7 Pull ups
7 Box Jumps

Cash Out
50 Heavy Renagade Rows

Tabata Me Crazy

Buy In
50 Good Mornings

WOD
Tabata
Pull ups
Push ups
Sit ups
Squats

Cash Out
Tabata Run

Paleo Video

Here are some answers to the questions about the Paleo Diet.

Good Friday

Finally a picture of the new guy...I will call him "Superman". We had a good time this day and everyone is adjusting well to the Buy In/Cash out policy. Let me know if there is anything you want to add to the list of exercises for BI/CO.

I love to see the look on people's faces when they realize the workout is not as easy as it looked on the white board. "That's All?" Yep! Let's hit it 3, 2, 1...GO. It is not long before it becomes painfully obvious why the perscribed reps were so low. Today was a perfect example...only two exercises, only a cross countdown from 10 to 1 and 1 to 10. How bad can it be?

Buy In

Squat Therapy, until Becky is happy with the work.

WOD

Heavy Kettle Bell Swings

10, 9, 8...1

Burpees

1, 2, 3...10

Cash Out

1 Lap of Lunges

I said FULL SQUAT CLEANS

For those of you who came today and gave your all...THANK YOU. For those of you giving your all somewhere else...YOU BETTER GO HARD!

Buy In...

50 Full Squat Cleans with an unweighted bar

WOD

3 Rounds

5 Full Squat Cleans

15 Chest to Floor Push Ups

3 Laps

Cash Out...

50 Double Unders

Going forward in my class I will be insituting the Buy In/Cash Out policy. Come prepared! If you have questions on this see me, or see www.byerscrossfit.blogspot.com/2009/03/buy-in-cash-out.html

Let's go Up

WOD
AMRAP 20 Minutes
Start with...
1 Wall Ball
1 Kettle Bell Swing
1 Pull up

Then
2 WB
2 KB
2 PU

Get as high as you can in the 20 minutes

Thursday 4-2-09

We had a good workout yesterday and one newbie! Thanks for coming Jenn.

WOD
5 Rounds
15 KB Swings
Farmers Carry Length of Gym and back
15 Thrusters
Jog Length of Gym and Back
15 Jump Pull ups

Don't Quit

Photo courtsey of Francesca Runco

Today's workout was TOUGH. I will never understand how sometimes a workout can get in your head. It messes with your mind..."your not tough enough, strong enough, you'll never beat me", it says. To that I say..."I am not a quitter. I don't have to like it, but I will complete it."

WOD
5 Rounds of Cindy
10 reps of Grace
5 Rounds of Cindy
10 reps of Grace
5 Rounds of Cindy

Here is some more inspiration from www.againfaster.com

In the bottom of a clean, quads burning, you’ll want to quit. Pulling deadlifts, the skin on your hands tearing, you’ll want to quit. Your body protesting, crying for relief as your veins pump waste, you’ll want to quit.

Your mind will scream from its high perch, commanding you to stop, lest you break, crash, and burn. Feeling the outer limits of your capabilities, it will hit every physical and emotional alarm in the arsenal, rocketing pain, misery, and doubt into your thoughts.It would be easy to give in to the hot rush of your brain’s emergency brake. To drop the bar. To get off the rings. To let your knees collapse as panic breaths heave through your chest.

Don’t.

Superhuman performance is separated from mere fitness by the undeniable need to persist, to never give up. Those who achieve are resilient. Standing when you want to fall, punching when you want to tap out, and running when you want to walk are the necessities of elite athleticism.
High intensity compound movement, performed with moderate loads, will bring you face-to-face with this crux—quit or continue—faster than anything else on earth. Unique in its ability to elicit pain, this combination of distance and weight will expose your character with every repetition.

When the knurling scrapes your shins, and your traps bunch into knots, you’ll make a decision, one that will affect every aspect of your life. Give in to the agony, and you will always give in. Cave to demands that crush you, and you’ll always cave. Roll to the floor, and you’ll always exist beneath those who choose to stand.

Remember that the walls of the gym are nothing more than physical barriers, meant only to separate us from the elements. What you do within those walls will echo in your daily life, and you would do well to choose your actions wisely.

Push for one more repetition. Live through one more pull. Get to your feet one more time. This decision will accumulate momentum with each iteration, and you will move into the realm of greatness. Like a boulder rolling downhill, you will become unstoppable, undeterred by the falsehoods of your weak mind.

Next time the demons of hardship come rushing forward, push them back. When your muscles bellow for relief, carry on, and smile at the sting. You will become more than an athlete, and you will be amazing.