CrossFit Portland

8-8-2009

Today and Friday reminded me again why CrossFit is special and this is exactly what I want to do.

On Ramp Report

Today was Week 1, Day 3 of our new On Ramp and the energy and community keeps picking up. There is a healthy intensity starting to brew up and I like where it is heading. I can’t wait for Week 4, Day 1…the workout is going to be so much fun! Karmel and Debra (Team Short Gals), your deadlift technique was solid! Emily and Elisa (Team Tall) brought it and got the most rounds on the WOD. Josh and Andrew (Team Boyz) kept picking up speed and finished strong. See you all Tuesday!

The Hawthorne Hustle

The Hustle went off better than we could have ever expected! Aaron, wish you could have seen it. Thanks to everyone who came out and experienced something a little different. A big thank you to all of you who came to help with judging, setting up the Hustle. This would not have been nearly as much fun without the whole CrossFit Fort Vancouver crew, Bridget and Cami mother-daughter dynamic duo from CrossFit Camas, and also Allison and Randy from CrossFit Chicago. The Hustle video will be posted Sunday!

Stage One – The Crossing

From the start line, your team must cross the Hawthorne Bridge from the East bank to the West bank, and then return back to the start line. Your team may walk or run to attempt the crossing…HOWEVER, one teammate must be carrying the other teammate completely off the ground to advance the team forward during the crossing.

300 Total Squats must be done by the team. The squats can be done anytime after a team starts the workout BUT they must be done before moving on to Stage 2, The Pier.

Stage Two – The Pier

50 Barbell Hang Power Snatches, bar must start below knee on each rep 75/45 – above the Pier
100 Kettlebell Swings 53/36 – on the Pier

Each team has one barbell and one kettlebell or set of kettlebells if a mixed gender team. As a team, complete all prescribed reps. HOWEVER, once a teammate picks up the barbell or kettlebell, it must remain in constant motion. If you stop or drop the implement, you must go to the other implement and do at least 1 repetition there before coming back.

After completing all reps, both teammates must be touching the the Madison Street Sculpture (2:18 into the Hustle preview video) and the clock then stops.

“Grace Off”

Finally, if you missed the Friday Night “Grace Off” between husband and wife, Jay and Erin, worry not. I got the whole thing on video and it will be posted Sunday. Jay and Erin waited until the end of Friday night’s class before putting on the “gloves” and getting into the ring. This was a battle for household bragging rights, for that elusive PR chocolate bar, and it lived up to and then completely blew away all expectations! Oh yeah, good job to everyone else who came to Friday class

8-7-2009

Partner Grace

6 Rounds
P1 5 clean & jerks 135/95
P2 5 clean & jerks 135/95

DROM:

10 Shoulder Rolls L
10 Shoulder Rolls R
10 Wrist Push Ups
10 Finger Tip Push Ups
10 Wall Slides

On Ramp, why are you so fun to teach? Yesterday was the second class and we taught the Overhead Squat and Kettlebell Swings. I have to say, a much better performance by all in the name game Great energy in the workout and everybody demonstrated excellent technique. See you all Saturday!

Hi Emily, Welcome to On Ramp!

8-6-2009

Still thinking about the Hawthorne Hustle? Stop thinking and sign up!

1) 5 rounds:
3 L-pullups
6/6 pistols
9 ring dips

2) 3×15 GHD situps

On one of my first Crossfit Portland workouts back in 2007, I met Rochelle and she was coaching the class. We were doing overhead lunges with a PVC pipe in the workout and it was the first time I got called out for not going the full range of motion on a movement. Rochelle was especially picky and only counted my reps if I did it to her standards. I was thinking…this lady is a pain in the you-know-what! However, afterwards I really appreciated what she had to say and why she was being hard on all of us. These workouts are hard and there is a mutual respect in every class, in every workout, that everyone will bring their best effort. This meant executing solid technique and going the full ROM on every movement, every rep. This meant being receptive to the coaches and other members giving you feedback on your form. “Best effort” did not mean going so fast that your quality of movement and accountability to that quality was sacrificed for the sake of time or score.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the energy and frenzy of a workout that we let little things slip…we reach for the pull bar with the chin and count that, we chicken neck on push ups and count that, we squat not so low and count that. Sometimes we get caught in the competition of the workout that we start to “game” it. We play to the letter of the rule and not the spirit. However, we have control of these personal moments of weakness and can strive to be better.

You all have made the self-commitment to CrossFit Portland, the personal decision everyday to come and be challenged. Part of that challenge is accountability to yourself and to every other member. If you allow sloppy technique and ROM to creep into your movement and don’t account for it, you are not respecting yourself or others who train here. When you step into the gym, we challenge you to maintain the highest personal standards possible, standards that even Rochelle will not call you out on

Feel free to post opinions/thoughts to comments.

A moment in yesterdays workout…looked like West Side Story but with box jumps. Nice work everyone…I especially appreciate Roger telling me “It’s only 6 minutes of working out.” before we started I did that one last night before heading home and it was a hard and fun one. Sometimes I even forget what just 6 minutes of hard effort can feel like.

Kaitlyn starts her Front Lever journey

8-5-2009

Hawthorne Hustle Workout – you and your teammate will be crossing the Hawthorne bridge to the west side and coming back on foot. At the start area, there will be barbells and kettlebells. Be ready for surprises along the way.

6 rounds:
30 seconds box jumps 20″/18″
30 seconds burpees
Rest 3 minutes – One Front Lever during Rest

Score is total box jumps and burpees.

DROM:

Lunge complex:
3 rounds
lunge twist x 10
lizzard lunge x 10
Do opposite leg
In/out cossack squats x 5/5

August On Ramp has begun! I can already tell this is going to be a FUN group and I can’t wait to work with everyone.

Deadlifts and Box Jumps in their near future…that’s motivating

Jaw dropping, humbling control and precision.

8-4-2009

The 9 AM and 10 AM classes are canceled for this Saturday

1) Thrusters 5-4-3-2-1
3 min rest btwn sets

2) 30 toes to bar

Here is a sneak preview of the Hawthorne Hustle on Saturday. Deadline to sign up is this Thursday!

preview of Hawthorne Hustle from CrossFit Portland on Vimeo.

8-3-2009

1) PreHab:

Shoulder complex 1 & 2

2) WOD

“Christine”

3 Rounds for Time

500 M Row
12 deadlifts, bodyweight
21 Box Jumps 24″

DROM:

walking hamstrings
walking quads
“thread the needle”

Hawthorne Hustle this Saturday! Register online by Thursday of this week. Saturday classes are canceled for this event

Besides the beautiful weather and atmosphere in Portland during the summer, I look forward to hearing about our members summer trips and their adventures. I love it when you send us pictures to share with everyone else!

Karina took a trip to Argentina in July and here she is, paragliding over a Andean lake in Argentina. That looks AMAZING!

Jake went local to Lake Shasta in Northern CA. Must be an interesting view of the scenery from that handstand