Stretching out in cooler days

One of the coolest things to come out of the Crossfit Games this year was the push up standard.  After taking numerous PT tests with pushups standards, Crossfit has provided the best standard I have ever seen.  We will use this standard for the first time in this workout.  The pushup standard is: At the bottom, rest the body on the ground, then release the hands from the ground.  Then, put hands on the ground and execute pushup to full extension.  Lower body to ground, and again, release hands from ground.  This hand release may only take a quarter of a second, but it will ensure full depth.  This is NOT the only pushup standard, but let’s give it a whirl.

Friday’s Workout of the Day
This will be a variation on the Final Games Workout.
10 Minute AMRAP
30 Pushups
1 Rope Climb
21 Overhead squats 95/65
1 Rope Climb
Followed immediately by
10 Minute AMRAP
30 Toes to Bar
21 Ground to Overhead Anyhow 95/65 (Snatch, Clean and jerk, do what you like)

If the classes are full, the ropes will be occupied.  If that is the case, half the class will do rope climbs in the first half, and the other half will rope climb in part 2.  The sub for a rope climb is 3 body pulls from the ground to standing.

Alison and I enjoying our vacation in the Northeast with heavy thrusters and pullups.  Alison and I have been married 10 years as of July 22.  I love you, Mama!

We’ve had some good, competitive workouts this week.  Dave R has been setting the pace at 6 am, and everyone else has been chasing him.  The last 2 5:30 classes have been alot of fun!  If you’ve been hiding out because of the heat, get on back in.  We have cold water AND clean towels! Score!

Alison put together a great blog post on her experience with a carbohydrate coma.

Results from yesterday’s WOD have been posted on yesterday post.

Strength
Power Snatch
3-3-3

Snatch Pulls
3-3-3
Protocol is just like the cleans on Thursday: build to a heavy triple.  Use the pulls to train your body for a heavier snatch.

Metcon
5 Rounds
7 Snatch Grip, Behind the Neck Push Jerk (95/65)
11 Pullups

MODIFIED
Adele 35# 5:48
Jason 95# 9:06
Steve 95# 7:40
Mario 85# 8:44
Kristin 53# 8:13

RX
Dave 4:31
Mike 5:39
Tim 8:00
Jared 5:42

Avoid situations like this.  Get to the CF Modesto Martial Arts Seminar on Saturday!

CF Modesto will be holding a Martial Arts Seminar on Saturday, from 9am to 1pm.  Mike and the gang will be covering basic self defense concepts.  Few challenges show how fit you are (or not) as a fight.  Come on out and get some learnin’!  We have some sign ups, but if you plan on attending, please post to comments.

The Seminar will bump out Saturday classes.  Is anyone interested in a class at 8am?  Please post to comments.

*Results from YESTERDAY’S workout have been posted on YESTERDAY’S post*

Strength
5 Sets
10 Good Mornings followed by 10 Heavy Kettlebell Swings.
Rest at least 3 minutes between sets.

Metcon
5 Rounds for time
7 Thrusters (95/65)
11 Toes to Bar

RX
Justin 5:10 RX
Mike 5:25 RX
Dave R. 6:23 RX
Brian 6:10 RX
Erika 7:07 RX
Louis 8:49 RX
Alison 9:10 RX
Don 9:24 RX
MODIFIED
Joe 6:20
Holly 6:50
Chad 7:20
David H. 7:21
Micah 7:34
Mitch 8:55
Megan 9:31
Brooke 9:43
Rita 9:45
Emmaline 12:47

Finn deadlifted 75# on his 7th birthday!

NPR on the positives and negatives of raw milk.  I’ve written about raw milk a little, but I’ve never actually had it.  They sell it at Cornucopia Foods, but it’s pricey.  Any raw milk drinkers out there.

Top Secret America.  This has nothing to do with fitness.  The Washington Post is doing a series of articles on the growth of national security agencies and it’s contractors since 9/11, and highlighting the many issues and problems this enormous growth has caused.  I read the first part today.  It’s excellent reporting, and I will read it this week.

FYI: Results from yesterday’s WOD are posted on yesterday’s blog entry, if you want to see where your time stacks up.

Strength
Clean
3-3-3
Build to a heavy Triple

Clean pulls
3-3-3
Add more weight each set, making sure to reset each time.  Add weight from your clean, building to a heavy triple.

Metcon
21-15-9
Bodyweight deadlift (3/4 bodyweight for ladies)
Box Jump (24/Blue)

Tom 4:38
Alison 5:07 RX
Amiee 7:05
Mitch 4:20 RX
Chad 6:58 RX
Mandy 3:51 RX
Shelburn 5:10 RX
Jason 6:20 RX
Erika 2:34 RX
Jim 5:36
Steve 11:06
Chris 12:47 RX
Brian 3:08 RX
Jordan 3:18 RX
Jared 3:09 RX
Louis 3:45 RX
Justin 4:45 RX* (30 in. box)
Courtney 6:49

The Fittest Man Alive.  2010 Crossfit Games Champion, Graham Holmberg.

The Crossfit Games were held this weekend, and we have new champions.  Graham Holmberg, pictured above, and Kristin Clever took home the titles of world’ s fittest man and woman.

The Crossfit Games are an interesting thing.  They have grown rapidly, from 50 competitors at a ranch in 2007 to being held on a modern sports facility and streamed live over the internet.  Crossfit is an excellent program for fitness; the best I have ever used.  It makes people stronger, more flexible, lighter.  It makes people better.

Crossfit as a fitness program and Crossfit the sport are not the same thing.  I think the Games are an excellent representation of our program, but what I witnessed over the internet is nothing short of amazing.  The effort the athletes put forth was amazing.  The skill they had acquired in so many movements was tested in so many ways that it would make you wonder how you can ever get to that level.

The truth is, we don’t have to.  Again, Crossfit is a training program.  Just learning and executing the functional movements that Crossfit prescribes, safely and efficiently, will give us the good stuff we need.

Monday’s Workout of the Day
Run 800m
15 Power Clean 135/95
15 Handstand Pushups
Run 400m
12 Power Cleans
12 Handstand Pushups
Run 200m
9 Power Cleans
9 Handstand Pushups
Any substitution for HSPU will require to multiply reps x2

Micah 70# MOD 12:28
Holly 53# MOD 15:14
Amiee 45# MOD 24:14
Kim 35# 18:34
Megan 35# MOD 18:53
Joe RX 16:40
Brian RX 12:17
Chris 115# 22:26
Kristin 65# 17:46
Louis RX 3:39
Rita 17:33
Don 135# 16:33
Emmaline 19:13
Kat 14:54
Jeff 88# 12:15
Jared 15:18 RX