Running, and the Windmill Complex Returns….

Windmills
The Wednesday night main event was the handicapped mile. We ran a mile the previous week, and recorded everyone’s times. This week, everyone started in reverse order, handicapped by their times from the week before. Everyone finishes at the same time, plus or minus any improvement! The finish was pretty hectic. Congrats on some nice times!

We followed this with light/high rep one arm snatches to windmills, with a focus on shoulder stability.

March 21, 2008 | Filed Under Exercises, Workouts | Leave a Comment 

Core Strength and Shoulder Stability

Kamal 1 Arm Snatch to Windmill

Kamal works up to a max load in the one arm snatch to windmill. This is a great test of strength, power, mobility, stability, balance and coordination.

March 18, 2008 | Filed Under Exercises | 1 Comment 

Just Say “No!” to LSD

Jack Blatherwick, the conditioning coach for the Washington Capitols and conditioning coach for six American Olympic Ice Hockey teams including the 1980 “Miracle Team” talks about the ineffectualness of base training with long, slow distances.

This question comes up often: is it appropriate for young sprinters and athletes in sprint-interval team sports to establish an aerobic base with long, slow distances?

With few exceptions — perhaps professional athletes recovering from an intense season — the answer is “NO,” for the following reasons:

Read the rest on Functional Path Training

I really liked the following bits:

If marathoners do too much long distance training, they establish a comfort zone, running below their anaerobic threshold. To improve times, they must run faster, of course, above their threshold — and there are quite severe respiratory and cardiovascular consequences. This is a physiological habit, not a psychological one, and “speed” work must incorporate intervals to elevate the comfort zone.

Patterns of slow strides are imprinted just as “permanently” into our neuromuscular memory as the quick strides that a sprinter would like to record. Just as a golfer would not intend to include repetition after repetition of “bad” swings when he practices, neither would a sprinter.

…

the mistake made by many fitness coaches is to “compartmentalize” the training into separate workouts — aerobic endurance, anaerobic power, anaerobic endurance, skill, agility, strength, etc. etc. etc. Of course in a game, all of these attributes are required at the same time, so we should be looking for more ways to incorporate the various elements into “integrated workouts.”

Compartmentalizing the metabolic training is analogous to isolating each muscle separately in our strength workouts, and it is just as non-productive.

…

Furthermore, anaerobic interval training is highly aerobic, and can be a more intense cardiovascular workout than what fitness gurus would call a “cardio” workout. College hockey players doing six weeks of dryland training composed of “anaerobic intervals” for quickness and power made greater gains in aerobic and cardiovascular measures than if they had trained with aerobic distances for the same period

CrossFit for the win!! Don’t abuse your body with LSD training. Go hard!

March 13, 2008 | Filed Under Exercises | Leave a Comment 

An Enduring Measure of Fitness: The Simple Push-Up

There’s a pretty good article in today’s New York Times about the pushup.

But many people simply can’t do push-ups. Health and fitness experts, including the American College of Sports Medicine, have urged more focus on upper-body fitness. The aerobics movement has emphasized cardiovascular fitness but has also shifted attention from strength training exercises.

Moreover, as the nation gains weight, arms are buckling under the extra load of our own bodies. And as budgets shrink, public schools often do not offer physical education classes — and the calisthenics that were once a childhood staple.

In a 2001 study, researchers at East Carolina University administered push-up tests to about 70 students ages 10 to 13. Almost half the boys and three-quarters of the girls didn’t pass.

Push-ups are important for older people, too. The ability to do them more than once and with proper form is an important indicator of the capacity to withstand the rigors of aging.

Read the rest of the article, titled An Enduring Measure of Fitness: The Simple Push-Up

March 12, 2008 | Filed Under Exercises | Leave a Comment 

Bucket Circles

Bucket Circles

On Friday, we debuted “the bucket”. Taking the ever boring plank hold to the next level - this exercise - borrowed from gymnastics puts the plank into quick, 360 degree revolutions. A great core strength and shoulder stability exercise, with a hefty dose of coordination.

Bill B OHS

The bucket circles were paired with light, high rep overhead squats.

December 18, 2007 | Filed Under Exercises | 3 Comments 

Max Day

The Level 1 class Monday night maxed on the deadlift at the end of a 4 week strength cycle.

Roche 2xDL

“Coach Roche” gets a double bodyweight deadlift. Mark off another year end goal.

XX DL

XX pulls a PR 325.

Jason200

First time maxing, Jason gets 200.

Jeff380

A new PR by Jeff; 380!

DLboard

November 30, 2007 | Filed Under Exercises, Workouts | 2 Comments 

“V” Sits

Vsit

The next progression from a “L” sit is the “V” sit. Jason does rounds of “V” sits for time instead of “L”s.

Compress your knees to your chest as much as possible, then straighten them out into the V. Excellent flexibility will be crucial.

October 20, 2007 | Filed Under Exercises | 3 Comments 

Debut of the Slosh Pipe

Sloshpipe1

Wednesday night, we wrapped up with a trial run at the slosh pipes. Unstable PVC pipes filled 2/3rds with water. Brutal. Team Zercher carries were on the menu tonight, following some Turkish half ups and planks.

Sloshpipe2

Afterward, we played around with them some - here Aaron gets an overhead squat with the beast.

October 18, 2007 | Filed Under Exercises | 4 Comments 

Improving joint mobility

Dynamic joint mobility exercise is an integral part of our program here at CrossFit Portland. These exercises should find their way into your daily routine for for the best result. The Intu-flow DVD series or Ageless Mobility from RMAX is a good starting point if you’d like to work on this more at home.
If you have identified a trouble area, frequent work can payoff quickly. Simply target the trouble movements several times daily in very short, focused sessions for 2-3 minutes at a time. In addition, be aware of any daily activities that may negatively impact your posture or movements. Work to correct your posture during these activities, and be sure to perform mobility exercise to counter the effects. Remember, you are only training for around one hour a day. What you do during the other 23 hours can either support your fitness and health goals, or inhibit them.
The joint mobility work will allow you to reduce the residual muscle tension from training or other activities, decompress the joint capsule, and bring nutrition into the joint. Don’t neglect your mobility work!

September 27, 2007 | Filed Under Exercises | 1 Comment 

“L” Sits

ThreeLsits

Tara, Jason, and Lisa display the “L” sit. All of them can perform easy 30 second+ holds. This exercise, borrowed from gymnastics, requires great core strength and stability. It also requires flexibility in the hamstrings. Many who attempt this are limited by poor flexibility.

Do your range-of-motion work daily for best results. We will be working toward everyone having a solid “L” sit by the end of the year!

September 24, 2007 | Filed Under Exercises | 1 Comment 

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