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A quick note on movement standards. The Crossfit Games offer a definitive version of what a "rep" is. Crossfit HQ spends time deciding what a "rep" is, then pushes the standards to the judges. Some movements are easy to define, like the clean or the snatch. Some movements, like burpees, have standards that seem to change every year. This year, burpees were done both "bar-facing" style and to an object, like a mini-box jump. For both burpee standards, the overhead hand clap was removed.

The kettlebell swing (KBS), in my mind, is one of the more difficult movements to judge. I think this is because, at the top of the swing, the weight is likely moving back to the starting position.

Last year, for the 2010 sectionals, Nor Cal was looking for a KB that was "bottoms up", with arms fully extended overhead, at the 12 O'Clock position (directly over head, bi-secting the frontal plane). Many people hated this standard. Many were athletes unfamiliar with it, as kettlebell purists don't call for this standard. But it sure is easy to judge. The KB is either upside down, or it isn't.

This Nor Cal standard was used for the Crossfit Games (in "Hell-in") last year, and again this year (the 100s). As far a Games competition goes, the "bottoms up" standard is likely here to stay.

Crossfit is universally scalable, and so is the KBS. For beginner athletes, we may have you swing to eye level (often known as the Russian Swing). As you develop capacity and confidence, we generally recommend swinging the bell to 11 O'Clock.

In the KBS to 11, we do see athletes relying on their arm pull over their hip drive. This results in a KBS where the bell "droops" to the ground, and never "turns over" at the apex of the swing.

If you have been doing this stuff for a while, I recommend trying KBS to the Games standard. It just requires the most work, and forces you to really turn the bell over and focus on hip drive over arm pull.


Fighting to achieve the standard.

Workout Of The Day

Strength
Shoulder Press
9 sets of 3, 60% of 1RM.

Metcon
150 Kettlebell Swings
Everytime you put the bell down, do 5 burpees.
Notice I have not posted a weight. Use the heaviest KB possible, based on your abilities and equipment available. Post time to complete and KB weight used to comments.

Once again...hand care, this time from Crossfit Oahu. Over the weekend, I saw some hand tears. Just being back in the gym on Monday (Wallball/Pullups), I saw some nasty hand tears. I know people are doing hand care. CF Oahu makes a good point; the strength of your hand skin "is what it is". Sometimes your hands can only take so much. If you are a bigger athlete, just your weight on the bar may cause that tension to build in your hands, and rips will occur. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be diligent about your hand care.

As Rip demonstrates in the video, knowing how to hold the bar helps. This is something that is learned over hundreds and thousands of reps.

There is a simple solution to help: get stronger. Tears generally occur on kips (especially pullups and toes to bar). A large, dynamic kip causes more "rub" in the hands. If you can generate more power with a smaller kip, your hands will thank you. Also, stronger grip can help.

Getting stronger takes time. You will have to continue to manage your hands, and develop your skills to mastery levels. The quest continues...


These are my hands after Regionals. Nothing major to report. After hundreds of pullups, toes to bars, muscleups and barbell work, nothing. Why? I have no idea, other than my grip is pretty good, and I know "how" to hold onto the bar.


Alison's hands after Wallball/Pullups. Some tearing here. But she's learning...

Workout Of The Day

Strength
Deadlift
In 15 minutes, establish a 1rep max.

Metcon
12 Minute AMRAP
Begin with an 800m run. Once the run is complete, in the remaining time, complete as many rounds/reps of the triplet:
4 Deadlift 225/155
8 Alternating Pistols
12 Hand Release Pushups

The goal of Crossfit is "Elite Fitness". At least that's my understanding. For me, that's not the number on the board, or the scale or the bar. Those are all major parts of it, but it's something more. It's the ability to take on any task, movement or event with confidence in your body and your mind. This stuff is different for everyone, and the things that are good for me may not be good for you.

About a year ago, I sat down and thought hard about how I could become a better Crossfitter. After gaining competency in Crossfit (I would say this took me 2 years, 2006-2008), I focused on short, heavy efforts (for the next 2 years, 2008-2010). That type of training got me to a certain point, but in essence, I was training my strengths. I decided that I needed to focus on my weaknesses. That meant more than just movements. It meant time domains, mobility, and most important, mindset.

Here's my list of "goats". These are things I purposely set out to fix.

Movements: Running, rowing, wallballs, lunges, toes to bar, heavy, high rep deadlifting, box jumps. I'm sure there's more here. And there always will be.

Time domains: Anything considered "longer". Normally, no matter the workout, I would start out super fast, redline the engine, and try to hang on. This would cause me to slow down or burn up at some point in the WOD. Conversely, anything super short, where a strategy decisions or mental lapse can cost you.

Mobility: Move better. Be more efficient with each lift/movement. This takes daily discipline, both with mobility work and technique work. over the year, I worked hard to develop torso mobility. This allowed for better set up in starting position of lifts. Just over the weekend, a coach told me I hang my head on my lifts. Looking at the pictures, he's right. I need to clean that up.

Mentality: I was a workout "bully". I would take leads early in workouts, and try to demoralize the other athletes. What I found was that when I fell behind, I got de-moralized. And it's hard to be a workout bully at the Crossfit Games: everyone there is a freak! I wanted to teach myself how to be a guy that can come from behind, or make tactical moves, and over take the freaks when they start to slow down.

My plan was to try and mix in as many movements as possible, usually taking something I was good at, with something I was bad at, and balancing them in a workout. This kept my spirits up, as throwing multiple things you suck at in a workout can be de-moralizing and de-motivating. It's so important to keep it fun. That also meant seeking out as many competitions as possible, to get used to that competition atmosphere.

I am a huge believer in the concept of "get comfortable with uncomfortable" (GCWU). Recently, I have been using "cashouts" to train GCWU. A cashout is usually a specific movement, like swings, double unders, running, whatever. After the workout, I would do another mini-work out to "cashout". This would serve a multiple purposes. To name a few: more work completed, skill specific training without the "pressure" of the WOD or clock, and most important, time training a movement when you're tired. Maybe really tired. This is the definition of GCWU. If you saw Justin and I working on the 30" box jumps after every WOD over the least 2 weeks, that's what we were doing.

It takes tremendous disciple to do a bunch of work after just completing a bunch of work. But it doesn't have to be long. I'm not even recommending it. I just telling you it's something that I have used to get better at this stuff.


This is where GCWU got me. And it was TOTALLY worth it.

Workout Of The Day

Strength
Snatch
In 15 minutes, build to a heavy single.

Metcon
9 Minute AMRAP
9 Snatch 95/65
9 Bar Facing Burpees

Whew! The Crossfit Games Nor Cal Regionals are behind us. As far as the event, I think it's safe to say any issues that we had last year (and there were many) were worked out, and then some. Crossfit, Reebok and Rogue put on a first rate athletic event. If felt intimate, yet like a sporting event. The workouts were challenging and provided (I think anyway) an excellent spectator experience.

Crossfit Modesto was out in full force: cheering, holding up signs, and supporting the athletes and each other. We were caught in a DOWN POUR in the middle of day 2, right as the men were going through WOD 3 (21-15-9 315# Deadlift, 30" Box Jump). The cheering never ceased: it got louder. After the event, clothing was shared, paleo snacks and baked goods were shared, and we got dry together. GOOD TIMES!

As an athlete, it was a humbling experience. THANK YOU to anyone that had me in your thoughts over the weekend! If you hit refresh once to check the scoreboard, Thank You!

I will never forget the support I received out there. You carried me to my best performances, and NEVER let men rest. I would like to say there was one moment that sticks out, but there are too many. Every time I stopped, I heard your calls. Every time my count was announced, I heard your cheers. If I had to pick a highlight: maybe it was walking over to the Crossfit Modesto crowd following each effort. Or maybe it was being announced to your cheers coming out of the tunnel. Tough choice.

This is an experience I want to SHARE. It's just TOO FUN. That means, next year, It's ON!

If you have a favorite moment from the weekend, please post to comments.


Team Crossfit Modesto at the end of Day 2

Workout Of The Day

Strength/Skill
Front Squat
5-3-3-1-1-Heavy Triple

Metcon
7 RFT
10 Wallball Shots (20/14)
10 Pullups

Ready for a little rowing to start your day off?

But first an update from the regionals. It was a tough day of
competition, CrossFit Modesto coach Brian Huberty finished the
day strong in 17th place after the first Two workouts. I think
we will see him move up the ladder today.
.
We will be doing the CrossFit games regionals WOD #6 today.

Row for 20 calories
30 Burpees
40 Ground to over head 95/65
50 toes to bar
100 ft walking lunge w/ 45/25 plate over head
run 150 ft