Triangle CrossFit

Dear Fran

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

It's been a while since the two of us dueled it out at the box.  I remember all too well, the last time we met.  We fought like mad, and I must admit, you whooped up on me.  Since then, I've been spending time with all of your friends - Cindy, Nancy, Diane, and the others.  Yes, they too had their way with me, leaving me in puddles of sweat on the stall mat floor.  But I've always known it has been to prepare me for our next sparring.  Their intensity and challenge has brought me to you today, much stronger, faster, leaner.  I am ready.  My thrusters are good, my pull-ups smooth and unassisted.  I am more ready for you now than I ever have been.  Let's go Fran, let's go.

In full respect,
The TCF Athlete

Workout of the Day

"Fran"

21-15-9 reps of:

Thrusters (95#, 65#)

Pull Ups

Get on that board, scaling only if needed.

Burpees, Box Jumps, and Breathlessness.

QUOTE:"Fears are nothing more than a state of mind." - Napoleon Hill

Believe It or Not

Monday, August 31st, 2009

The running/endurance cert this weekend was an eye opener.  They pretty much opened up my skull and poured as much info in there as they could pack in and sealed it back up.  Needless to say, I have a lot of stuff to sift through, practice, apply, and convey.  There are a ton of things I learned that I'll be commenting on, and I'll be doing that over the next couple of days and weeks.

The first thing is this:  Facts are facts, whether you know them or not, or believe them or not.  Why am I saying this?  Because there are so many long distance athletes out there that refuse to train the CrossFit Endurance way, simply because it is new or scary to them.  "the old way has worked for so many people for so long, that it must be the only way."  What they won't consider is the fact that all those miles of training each week not only leads to getting run down and tired, but also to injury.  Eight-five percent of all runners become injured.  That's a higher rate than football or soccer.  They flat out don't believe that those folks that have found "new life" in their endurance careers following this prescription. 

This is the same general attitude a lot of folks have about CrossFit itself.  Those of us that have experienced it know for a fact how well it works.  Others just need to give it a chance.  Like those that refused to believe the world was round, some prefer to stay in the dark.  In fitness and in life, this is not a good thing.

Workout of the Day

Back Squat

3,3,3,3,3

Mendy lookin' strong

QUOTE:"People say they love the truth, but in reality they want to believe that which they love is true." - Robert J. Ringer

Little Kid

Friday, August 28th, 2009

Coach Glassman has described CrossFit as rehab for adults.  In other words, adults need to learn how to move again for the sheer joy of it, not because they have to.  When we were kids, we ran and played and jumped and hung from stuff because we enjoyed it.  Most adults, however, see this as too much work.  They don't revel in the fact that they can do it, they just grumble when they have to.  Don't be that person.  Your attitude can make all the difference.  Be glad you can do this stuff, for there may come a time when you'll be wishing you could.

Workout of the Day

With a continuously running clock, do 1 Burpee and 1 Box jump the first minute, followed by 2 burpees and 2 box jumps the second minute, etc., until you can no longer complete the required number in the corresponding minute.  At that point, start working your way back down until you get to 1, in which case you go back up, or until 20 minutes has elapsed.  Record the initial number of minutes you complete before starting back down.

Jessica giving it all she's got!

QUOTE:"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversion." - Plato 

Hate it? Handle it.

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Do WODs occasionally come up that you love.  Would you do those over and over if you could?  What about the other end of the spectrum?  Are there WODs you hate?  Why?  Is it just because they are so hard?  Or is it because you can't do the exercises in them very well?  This is just a reminder that continuing to improve what you're already good at will advance your total skills, as well as conditioning, far less than turning a weakness into a strength.  Embrace those exercises you don't like, and then find something else to hate.  Then, as a CrossFitter would, start working on that one.

Workout of the Day

75 single leg rope skips right, then left
10 Kettlebell Swings (55#, 35#)
Walking lunges-20 total steps
50 single leg rope skips right, then left
20 Kettlebell Swings
Walking lunges-40 total steps
25 single leg rope skips right, then left
30 Kettlebell Swings
Walking lunges-60 total steps

Just Go!

Another night at TCF... lots of fitness, fun, and friends.

QUOTE:"A weapon which you don't have in your hand won't kill a snake." - African Proverb

Prepare Now

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

In the near 20 years I've been working with people in the area of health behavior change, one thing I am sure of is that you increase your chances of success if you spend a little time on the front end preparing for the change.  Quitting smoking, starting to exercise, or changing your diet, much like what many of us are about to do beginning Sept 8th, often comes with struggles.  Forecasting these before we're in the thick of it can only help.  What am I talking about?  Allow me to share a couple of examples.  What are you going to do when you realize half way into work that your Paleo-friendly lunch box was left at home on the kitchen counter?  (And no, not eating isn't an option.)  What about variety in your diet?  Eating the same three or four meals may be okay at first but it won't be long before your taste buds are bored to death, you become frustrated and resentful, and give up altogether.  With a little bit of planning ahead, you can make it happen.  Don't wait until the last minute to try and figure it all out.  Look through the Paleo recipes from the resources already shared as well as two new ones we have for you today, livingpaleo.com and sonofgrok.com , and decide now which ones you're going to rely on during the Paleo Pursuit.  In fact, prepare a few of them now to find out if you like them or not.  Think about what food eatery options are easily available to where you work and figure out what you can eat from them.  Is there a grocery store close to your work?  Maybe that will be your best bet.  Does your work place have an onsite cafeteria?  Can you purchase veggies already cut up or chicken already cooked?  Lots to think about, folks.  Prepare now in order to ensure your Paleo Pursuit will end in victory.

Workout of the Day

21, 15, 9 reps of:

Overhead Squats (95#, 65#)

Burpees

Wall Ball Shots (20#, 10#)

Toes to Bar

Scale weight as needed.  If you can't do toes to bar, do knees to elbows, or other modifications as needed.

Check out Mendy's beautiful push ups!

QUOTE: "He who fails to plan, plans to fail." - Unknown

Useful

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

In general, conventional fitness wisdom is lacking in two areas when it comes to presses.  First, the big boys in the weight room generally like to do this exercise sitting down.  The "isolation" mindset they have in order to add size and strength is not necessarily the most functional.  Think about it:  how often in life are you sitting when the need arises to push something, especially something heavy, overhead?  If you must "press" something, it most likely will happen when you're standing up.  When you train muscles individually, they work the best individually.  This is not how our performance based program is designed to work. 

Second, the other segment of exercisers that might employ the press outside of the CrossFit world are those doing it with extremely light weights (think aerobics class).  They are standing up, but with almost no resistance, good form escapes most of the participants as well as the instructors.  Try to get them to "clean it up" and they complain that the exercise is now "too hard".  When it is time to incorporate them for real, the muscular endurance may be there, but the muscular strength is nil.

We work on all aspects of functionality for all muscle groups at TCF, so that you'll be ready for anything. 

Workout of the Day (last done on 6-25-09)

Press 1,1,1,1,1
Push Press 3,3,3,3,3
Push Jerk 5,5,5,5,5

Work up to as much as you can move by the last set.

Tabata Mayhem

QUOTE:"Now remember, things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean.  I mean plumb mad-dog mean.  'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win.  That's just the way it is." - Josey Wales

Say What?

Getting the job done.  In life, especially in desperate situations, that's the priority.  No pacing, no "easing into it", just go.  There are times to think about how far you have to go, and planning the intensity of your activities accordingly.  Today is not that day.

Tabata This

For each of the following exercises, complete 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest.

Pull Ups
Push Ups
Sit Ups
Squats
Row

There is a one minute rest between exercises.  Your score is the total of the LEAST number of reps in each exercise (calories for rowing).

Manmakers at TCF.

QUOTE:"Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat." - Fran Lebowitz

Mount Up!

OK, athletes!  You might have suspected that it was coming.  Well it's here.  We work so good together as a team pushing each other to excel.  It's time to put that to use for something besides forging our own ELITE FITNESS.  It's time for FIGHT GONE BAD 4. 

In case you don't know about it, this is the fourth year that CrossFitters everywhere have used the "Fight Gone Bad" workout to raise money for charity, two specifically, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, and the Wounded Warrior Project, both worthy causes. 

It's easy to do.  First, go to www.fgb4.org.  Then, click on the register button.  Don't forget to join the Triangle CrossFit team.  Fill out the forms, which will allow you to get your own page to send donators to, then start letting all your friends and family know what you're doing.  It's pretty self explanatory once you start the process.  September 26th is D-day, and the fight will be on!

Of course we want to make our box shine by raising as much money as possible, but we're also going to have a great time that day, even getting you some tickets to give out to interested spectators.

Of course, there will be more on this in the future, but for now, GET REGISTERED!  And if you're visiting our page and would like to help our team by donating, go to the site above, click on donate, search for our team (Triangle CrossFit), and donate to any one of our athletes that are listed.  Thanks in advance!

Have a great weekend! 

Work Your Way Down

Friday, August 21st, 2009

Remember that all are welcome to our 9:30 Saturday workout!  See you there!

Workout of the Day

21-18-15-12-9-6-3 of the following exercises for time:

Overhead DB Walking Lunges (guys 35#, girls 20#)

Push Ups

Wall Ball Shots (20#, 10#)

Sit Ups

Each walking lunge step equals 1 rep (21 steps = 21 reps).  Scale weight as needed with DBs, weight plates, of kettlebells.

14 yr. old Ryan swingin' the kettlebell like nobody's business! 

QUOTE:"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other." - Walter Elliot

Looking Forward

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Many of the exercises we do at TCF, you know, functional exercises, can be so affected by head position.  You look down, the hips go back and you lose the proper lumbar curve.  You look up, and your weight goes onto your toes.  Our goal is to keep our cervical spine in line with the rest of the spine, as much as possible.  Today is no different.  Keep your head up!

Workout of the Day

Thrusters 5,5,5,5,5

then, for time...

3 rounds

15 Kettlebell Swings (55#, 35#)

15 Thrusters (95#, 65#)

15 Box Jumps (24", 20")

Another sprint after a heavy lift.  Own it.

Nichole and Lori going strong during another WOD.

QUOTE:"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift.  That's why it's called the present." - Master Oogway, Kung Fu Panda