Fresno FTF is hosting Crossfit Challenge at their facility on 2-27-2010.  Registration begins at 9 am, with the first workout at 10 am.  Sign up is 20 bucks, and you get a T-shirt.  Scaling is allowed.  If you have any interest in competing in Crossfit style events, I think this will be an excellent intro.  The drive should be less than 2 hours.

Here’s a link to Crossfit FTF.  This will be a great opportunity to show the community what Crossfit Modesto is capable of.  I’ll be wearing my T-shirt with pride.

Check out this clip of an up and coming CrossFitter JackHmonkeysaround.mov

Thursday’s WOD
Strength
Push Jerk
5-5-5-5-5

Metcon
10-8-6-4-2
Pullups (Chest to Bar if you can)
Burpee Box Jumps (Blue/Red)

I wanted to talk about jumping rope.  It’s a devilishly simple exercise that gets people tied up.

Mike has recently purchased 20 new jump ropes for the gym, to go with the assorted, somewhat destroyed ones we have now.  We’ll always have ropes at the gym, but I recommend going out and buying your own.  It’s cheap, you can take it anywhere, and you’ll treat it right.  I just bought 2 Buddy Lee Jump Ropes for 12 bucks a piece.  For my money, this is the best jump rope available.  But go out and find what suits you. Plastic, leather, the 2 colored plastic kind.  Find what you like, and jump lots of rope.  If you show up 5 minutes early for class, jumping rope is a great way to get warm, develop coordination, and work on some plyometrics.  I didn’t even mention double unders. Just practice ALOT.

For the welfare of your feet and lower legs, jump rope on rubber, not asphalt, concrete, or wood.  For the sake of the jump rope, avoid concrete (it’s chews up the plastic).

Crossfit FTF in Fresno/Clovis is hosting a competition on 27 February.  Here’s a link to their site.  I’ll post more on it tomorrow.  If you’re thinking about competing, DO IT!  I’ve met some guys from FTF.  They’re smart, fun, and will put on a great event.  20 bucks, you get to compete, and you get a t-shirt.

Wednesday’s Workout of the Day

Strength
Front Squat
5-5-5-5-5
Rest 2 to 3 minutes between efforts.  Rack from the floor or use the racks.

Metcon
21-15-9
Sumo Deadlift High Pull (SDHP) 95/65
Wallball 20/14

Major props to Emmaline, who got her first pullup tonight, then proceeded to rip off 30 more, along with some hand skin.

If you’ve been doing in Crossift for more than a few weeks, you’ve probably noticed your hands are a little rougher than before.  That’s normal, maybe even necessary.  Hand rips tend to happen on the pullup bar.  I’m not saying there avoidable, but there are some things you can do to reduce the damage.  Jim Schmitz, an Olympic weightlifting coach, made it very clear that hand care is the responsibility of the athlete, and should not be an excuse to miss training.

1. Toughen your hands.  Just keep working out, try to wear gloves only when completely necessary.  Gloves don’t provide that much grip help, and they make your hands sweaty, increasing the risk of blisters.

2.  Try to adjust your grip.  If you feel hot spots developing, try to hold the bar in your palm, or in your fingertips.  Alternate these spots.

3.  Develop calluses. They keep your hands tough, BUT keep them even. An over developed callus causes an uneven area on the hand, which can lead to a rip.  The best product I’ve seen for reducing calluses is the PedEgg.  It’s supposed to be for ladies feet, but it works great on lifters hands.

4.  Don’t over-chalk.  A little chalk goes a long way.  If it’s clumping on your hands, you may be risking a tear. Towel off the bar if it gets too chalky.

If your do have a tear, I always try to clear the ripped skin.  Keep the wound clean and dry.  I don’t like to bandage. If you need to, do it, but keep it dry.  Hit the old skin with a Ped Egg to reduce uneven areas.

If you blister, it’s up to you. I always pop em.  My wife keeps em forever. Just know if you keep it, the first place it’s popping is on the pullup bar.

I’ve attached a Crossfit Journal article on the subject as well.

Tuesday’s Workout of the Day
Power Clean
5-5-5-5-5
Do 1 warm up set with the naked bar.  Once you add weight, your working sets begin.  Try to rest 2-3 minutes between efforts.

Metcon
3 Rounds
15 Push Press 105/75
15 Kettle Bell Swings 55/35

We a have a handful of events, scheduling, programming and ideas we’d like to share with you.

First, and most important, THANK YOU for your attendance, effort, and enthusiasm.  Crossfit Modesto is a fun place to be right now, and it is because of our members. Keep up the great work!  I have a request.  Take a picture of your self with your shirt off and weigh yourself today.  Measure your body fat % as soon as your can.  Put that picture in a drawer and in 6 months, do it again.  I know through your efforts and the training concepts we are utilizing, you will see great changes, on top of what you already have.

One administrative note: Please use the comments section. We read it. Use the comments section to post times, experiences, ideas, quips, limericks, and general gallimaufry. Look it up.

1.  Crossfit Kids
Alison H was certified as a Crossfit Kids instructor last week.  Judging from your questions, this is a good thing.  We’ll be rolling out our full Crossfit Kids program as soon as we receive full CF Kids affilation from CF HQ.  In the meantime, we will begin kids classes.  If you have a boy or girl, and are interested in teaching your child about fitness and fun that will last a lifetime, please talk to Mike, Denise, or Alison.  If you have an interest, please post to the comments section.  We will contact you.  CF Kids recommends classes in the 3-5, 5-12, and 13 and up age groups.  We are still trying to get an idea when to run classes, but that will come from YOU.  Let us know.

We’d like to run a free preschool test class for members on Friday around 10:30am. If you will be attending, post to comments.

If you’re still curious, check out the Crossfit Kids site.

2. Scheduling
If you’ve been attending regularly, you know that some classes are pretty quiet, while others are full.  We want to run competitive classes. We also want to have enough equipment, space, and most importantly, keep everyone SAFE.  Meandering to the pullup bars as 15 athletes swing kettlebells for their lives can get a little dicy.

Starting Monday, February 22, evening class times will be 4:30, 5:30, and 6:15 (possibly 6:20).  We just want to find something that works for everyone.  If you find that you were arriving early for the 6pm class, think about moving up to 5:30.  We don’t want to start the 6pm class too late, but we want to give everyone the time needed to crush themselves.  Please post thoughts and ideas to the comments section.

Also, we’d love to start having “Destination” classes.  Convenience is usually the biggest factor in attending, but we’d like to schedule one “Advanced” and one “Beginner” class a week. 

For Advanced, if the prospect of picking up heavy stuff, 100 Thruster WODs, some hand rips, and general misery with your shirt off sounds good, once a week we will set a specific time aside to be with other like minded individuals in the name of elite fitness.  You need to be very comfortable with all of the lifts, do the Wod’s as RX’d and have a baseline time between 4:00 and 6:00 Minutes.

Conversely, for the Beginner class, we would like to create a comfortable class if you’re newer to Crossfit, or if you just have some stuff you would like to work on.  That way, you can ask any question that comes to mind and get the attention you need without some grunting firebreather with chalky hands dropping weights next to you as Metallica blasts in the background.  It’s all about building competence and confidence.

3. Class Reservations
Yes we will be turning on the online reservation system soon. Everyone will be required to reserve their spot in whichever classes they plan to attend, the system will not allow you to reserve a level class if
you are not yet at that level.
 
4. Programming
Very little will change here.  You’ll be doing fun, challenging workouts with functional movements at high intensity.  We are adding some more method to the madness.  3 days a week will have a strength emphasis.
Mondays will be a regular Crossfit style WOD.  Show up, get crushed, go home smiling.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will start with 20-25 minutes of strength training, working on Foundational movements.  The first 3 week cycle will focus on the Power Clean, Front Squat, and Push Jerk.  You will get stronger, which will carry over to many aspects of your fitness.  We will finish these days with a shorter, Crossfit style, WOD.
Fridays will be another good old fashioned WOD.
On Saturdays, we will continue to have 10-15 minutes of skill work (running, jumping drills) followed by a challenging WOD that encapsulates all that we are learning.

Don’t forget to sign up for Spec Ops Outdoor Laser Tag Challenge in Oakdale on February 20.  Come out to the Cowboy Capital of the World and apply your hard earned fitness. And shoot your favorite trainer. With a laser, people.

Monday’s Workout of the Day
20 Minutes, as many rounds as possible (AMRAP)
10 Thrusters 65/45
10 Pullups

If you have ever walked into a nutrition store, you’ve probably heard about whey protein.  Whey is a protein by-product of cheese production. Even though it comes from milk, it does not affect those of us that are lactose intolerant the way regular milk products do (for the most part).

At Crossfit Modesto, we try to get you to make good nutritional choices, and usually that comes from food.  I would consider whey protein one of a few supplements that I like and will use.  A good whey protein mixes well in liquid, making it easy to carry around in a bottle for snack.  Like any supplement, a whey protein shake does not replace a meal, but provides a decent snack.  Throw in some nuts with your protein shake and you have a good snack.  Be careful with your mixes, because if you’re using juice, you may be over doing the carbs.  I would generally limit my intake to 20-25 grams of whey protein per snack at most snacks.  One warning: I personally tend to get a little gassy when I use whey, so I use it rarely now.  My wife is grateful.

Another warning.  Read labels and Avoid Jamba Juice type stuff.  Theses products can provide a huge carb load.

Mark’s Daily Apply, a Primal/Paleo site that I’ve talked about did a great article on whey.  Even though a caveman couldn’t have a protein shake, Mark likes whey protein for it’s ease of use and high quality protein it provides.

Saturday’s Workout of the Day
For time;
50 walking lunges
20 clean and jerk - 135#/95#
30 ring dips
25 wall balls - 20#/14# to 10ft
30 Sit Ups
30 KBS - 1.5pd/1pd
75 double unders

Will 20:30       Elsie 24:52
Tim 15:08       Anita 17:36
Gloria 16:43     Jenn 17:00
Josie 13:20     Rita 15:41
Louis 15:18     Emmaline 15:23
Juan 18:29     Michelle 15:18
Brandon 18:54   Brian 13:20
Alison 14:29