Archive | May, 2010

Devil In Gold and White

25 May

5-25-2010

Make up yesterday’s squats if you missed them.

5 rounds:
On a two minute timer, sprint 400m
AMRAP pullups in the remaining time.
rest 2 minutes b/t rounds

Mobility:

Elbow rotations x 10/10
Wrist pushups x 10
+
3 rounds
Cobra + Pigeon L+ Cobra+Pigeon R.

Head to head on Satan’s tricycles

Nick G’s last piece on the NW Regionals. Thank you for detailing it out so well! Hopefully more of you will be interested in going and participating in CrossFit competitions. For the right person, it is a LOT OF FUN! I imagine there will be plenty of local CrossFit challenges in the months to come.


INDIVIDUAL WOD #3

A 5 mile run that looped up and down long hills on mostly paved streets behind the fairgrounds. There were no water supplied to the athletes on this run unless they brought their own and would have to carry themselves. This WOD seemed simple enough, but it had added an element that would surface in the next WOD. Spectators had to go to the top of the hill of the running loop to get a glimpse of this race. You would think that this WOD would be made for a decathlete, but as proven by Spealler, it was made for the athletes who have the highest workload capacity that remained consistent throughout the race. I don’t recall doing endurance hill training, so the unexpected was prevalent. All I had was assumptions of our athletes. With Eric W.’s short strides and ability to withstand a high workload capacity, there was no doubt, he would hold his own on this event. Marie had self professed earlier that she absolutely hates running, so it was going to be interesting to see if she would still do well despite her dismay with it. I was curious to find out how Des would do with her longer stride especially with the hills. Eric finished with a blazing time which was less than 6 minutes slower than the top runners. Marie finished in the top 3rd percentile and Des finished with a strong push especially on her final flat mile home stretch. After CF Portland cheered Des’ home stretch, we came into the arena and noticed Eric with a large amount of dirt over his hairless head and shirtless bod…it was at this moment that we learned that Eric had given one of his hard fought sprints to the finish to edge out the “targeted” runner. In doing so, he hit a dirt patch that gave him a tumble over the finish line in the dirt. Eric at his best. Simply awesome.

Little did the spectators or even the athletes know, this WOD#3 had a HUGE impact on their next event.

TEAM WOD#3

Partner Clean and Jerk 270#/185# for 90 seconds. 2 gals/2 girls. The teams that had the most success approached this similar to the individual WOD#2 Deadlifts. If you recall, this was by keeping a solid pace throughout the entire 90 seconds rather than bursting out for 60 seconds and running the risk of failed attempts for the remainder of the time. The judges were really particular on what they wanted (visible ears on the lock out of arms and stabilized feet before dropping). The ladies started off first with a nice cadence which ended with 7 reps; unfortunately, the first rep attempted had a slight step back by one of the ladies which resulted in a ‘no rep’, so they finished with 6 reps. The guys were up next, and Josh and I were thinking of taking a faster pace which was riskier for failed attempts and required perfect synchronization at the lock out; however, after seeing the judge’s call with the ladies, we decided to stick it up top until we get the ‘rep’ count. This worked great for us. We kept pace up until the 70ish second count and found our weights falling off. After quickly re-adjusting, we heard the final 10 second count, and quickly ripped up 2 reps to finish with 100% on all our attempts at 16 reps. Around the 50 second mark, Josh hit his nose with the barbell and was shaken up but he amazingly fought through the pain and discomfort and showed grit to getting the max amount of reps…all with his lovely wife and kids cheering him on. After the WOD was done for us, we watched the other teams’ strategies and I do admit, it was like watching a circus with the barbells tipping to one side and the bad synchronization overall resulting in lots of missed reps. Our strategy worked and we were definitely a success in this WOD.

Final INDIVIDUAL WOD #4

30 row calories, 30 squat thrusters at 95#/65#, 3 rope climbs 20’/15’, 30 kb swings 53#/36#;
20 row calories, 20 squat thrusters at 115#/75#, 2 rope climbs 20’/15’, 20 kb swings 53#/36#;
10 row calories, 10 squat thrusters at 135#/95#, 1 rope climb 20’/15’, 10 kb swings 53#/36#

As the first heat was approaching, I noticed a lot of dazed/fatigued athletes, especially after the 5 mile run. Hydration and getting enough electrolytes were crucial. After a couple heats, there was a lady that collapsed in exhaustion and the guys were seriously cramping up. Des was in one of the first heats and so her strategy was being watched closely to see what is working and not. She was one of the first off the rower and strategically went to work with the Squat thrusters, breaking up into 4-5 sets. Her Rope climbs looked very easy for her and came off to strategically hit the kb swings up similar to the squat thrusters. She fought through fatigue to make it to the last rope climb before time was up. One thing with Des’ battle was that she never went to the scaled option which was the pull-ups. She showed a lot of mental toughness to not go down the easier path and stuck it out until the end. A definite victory for Des. Marie got to do the last heat for women’s because she was in the top group. She blazed through this WOD with fierce competition breathing down her back and ended up getting the fifth best time. Being in the top 11 overall category going into the final event, Eric was in the second to last heat for the guys. There was anticipation of how Eric will conquer his nemesis with the rope. At sectionals, if you didn’t see the pics, Eric had a battle with the fifth rope climb that came up bloody on leg and fingers.

Thus the reason for having long socks this time. He started off well with the row, squat thrusters, and completed the first three rope climbs with ease. Eric had a solid pace through the next portion up to the 2 rope climbs…and got the 1st of 2, and then got half way up for the 2nd, and the rope started playing tricks with Eric again. Eric listened for the coaching from Scott and Xi and was intent on battling like last time up that dang rope. This is when cramping in his calves begin. Eric went to battle and would get one or two good pulls but then his calf would cramp up. It was like climbing with no feet and Eric kept battling until the clock ran out.

After all was said and done, Eric slipped out of the top 10, Des had a more than respectable placing for her first crossfit experience, and Marie just missed an opportunity to compete in California by two places.

Overall, this weekend event brought inspiration, insights and motivation.

Who’s Who: Mike!

23 May

WOD 5/24/2010
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A. Back Squat 60%1RM x 3; 70% 1RM x 5; 80% 1RM x amrap.
Rest 3 min b/t sets; perform @ 20X0 tempo.  You must maintain tempo on amrap set!
Stretch shoulders b/t sets.
+
Airdyne Baseline!
2 at a time start head to head:
Airdyne 25 “units”, then
Run 400m
40 Squats
30 Situps
20 pushups
10 Pullups or 20 Jumping Pullups

Flexibility/Mobility Focus

Standing DROM;
neck, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle circles, etc.

For this next Who’s Who we have Mike!

How were you introduced to Crossfit?
After years of working out off and on (mostly off) at typical gyms, I found myself leaving feeling bored, tired and very frustrated.  It was was time for a change.  Plus, Des was calling me out on my fatness and general laziness around the house so I hit the internet and stumbled on a article on MSNBC about a training program designed for firefighters, law enforcement and military.  I expanded my research and sent a email to Crossfit Portland and got an immediate reply from Rochelle to come check it out.  After that first WOD, the people I met and the great vibe I felt, I was hooked.  Cheema said it best, this has has become a part of our lives.  And more important than that, Des and I have met some of our best friends through CrossFit Portland.

Favorite WOD/lift:
WOD: Fran.  Hands down.  It is also the WOD I hate the most.  Of the three times I’ve done “her” it’s been a completely different experience every time ;-)   The 2nd time I don’t even remember half the workout.

Lifts: Deadlift and Squat

I have always wanted to
Attend every major championship game in professional and college sports.  Super Bowl, NBA Championship, World Series, Final Four, etc.


1 word people use to describe me:
Loyal

Outside of the gym I like to
Spend time with my beautiful wife, awesome friends, bad-ass dog and loving family.  Nothing else makes me happier.

Something nobody knows about me or would be surprised to know about me:
I smoked cigarettes for 15 years before joining Crossfit.  When I started I couldn’t run 400M without stopping and I couldn’t do one pull-up.

Favorite physical activity outside of Crossfit:
Anything outside when the sun is out (running, golfing, hiking, skiing, outdoor concerts, etc) and laughing so hard at some of the conversations with Crossfit friends outside the gym.  You know who you are!

Favorite place(s) to eat in Portland:
Top 2:
Nob Hill Bar and Grill:  Regular cheeseburger, tater-tots, and two PBR’s.  Yup, not Paleo.
Andina. We’ve never had anything bad on the menu


Song that gets me pumped up for a workout:
I really like Huey Lewis and the News. However, their early work was a little too new wave for my tastes, but when “Sports” came out in ’83, I think they really came into their own, commercial and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He’s been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far much more bitter, cynical sense of humor…In ’87, Huey released, “Fore,” their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is “Hip to be Square”, a song so catchy, most people probably don’t listen to the lyrics. But they should, because it’s not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it’s also a personal statement about the band itself.  ;-)

Proudest accomplishment:
Muscle up!  However, considering I cannot do it consistently…well it’s frustrating as hell.

Regionals, Part 2

21 May

5-21-2010

Reminder of the Girls Night Out at the Crystal Ball Room tomorrow! Bollywood and Bhangra dancing!

A. Deadlift: 65%1RM x 5; 75% 1RM x 3; 85% 1RM x amrap.
Rest 3 min; perform @ 21X0 tempo. You must maintain tempo on amrap set!
B. 7 min muscle-up practice
C. AMRAP in 15 min:
7 Deadlifts @ 50% 1RM
7 HSPU or Handstand Walk 2 green mats
(choose a challenging HSPU variation, 7 straight should not be easy)

Mobility:

Wrist Pushups 2 x 10
Fingertip hop pushups x 10
Seal stretch x 30″
Shoulder Bridge x 7 reps
Spinal rocks x 20-40

Nick G. digs deeper from the Regionals experience…

Individual WOD 2- Apollon’s Axle Deadlift for reps in 90 seconds.

Athletes will be able to pick from three weights (263, 303, or 353 pounds for men and 173, 213, and 263 pounds for women). The athlete will complete as many deadlifts as possible in 90 seconds. Your score will be number of reps multiplied by weight (i.e. 25 reps at 353 pounds = 8825). For the deadlift, full extension of the knees and hips must be reached with the shoulders behind the bar at the top. The hands must release the bar at the ground.

The Apollon’s Axle is a 2” diameter barbell, about the thickness of a soda can. Rarely do objects in real life provide knurling for grip and are perfectly round for you to hold. The most successful athletes were the ones who were not only super strong in the deadlifts, but the ones who kept an even pace throughout the entire 90 seconds. There were only a handful of athletes that moved up to the 303 weight and I didn’t notice the largest weight ever being used. I did happen to notice that the ones who deadlifted with lots of urgency ended up suffering greatly at about the 61 second mark. Eric looked to be a wise one on this and kept an even cadence at the lowest weight. It was about the 75-80 second spot where he finally broke cadence. I didn’t get to see Marie, but her deadlift max is close to my previous max, so there was no question she would do well in this category which she did placing top 12. Des got in mid 20’s for reps and had a solid performance especially against some ladies that can rock deadlifts all day. Another notable observation was with Scotty’s friend from Grants Pass, Chris Duncan. He achieved greatness by topping 41 reps, by never breaking a cadence all the way through.

TEAM WOD #2

Each team will have to complete the following (each person are required to complete 5 reps of each exercise):
120 Overhead Squats (95/65lbs)
120 Pull-ups
120 Deadlifts 2” bar (213/123lbs)
120 Burpees
After all 480 reps are complete, the team will do 20 muscle-ups. There is a 25 minute cap on this workout.

Josh, Erin, Jason, and Amy attacked this baby with all they had. The strategy was to utilize strengths of each individual. Erin for her ability to do OHS all day, Jason Carver for bodyweight excellence specifically with muscle ups, Josh’s relentless to withstand everything, and Amy’s stamina and grit to persevere. Being in Heat 1, we didn’t get to see other teams effective approaches, so we had to keep to a game plan that evolved into what it was after watching Xi, Leah, Elisa, and Aaron Schmidt give it a test run two days before. We concluded that we needed Jason to be as fresh as possible going into the muscle ups. This resulted in the girls AMRAP pull-ups and Josh attempting to take the larger portion of pull-ups. I remember Erin doing close to 100 OHS of which 10 was not allowed because her hips didn’t pop out at top. Amy and Jason’s were not as proficient as OHS as Erin or Josh, so they only did 5-10 reps each. Amy did a lot of burpees and deadlifts after her AMRAP pull-ups. Josh was the rover and hitting any area as he could. Jason ended up doing a lot of deadlifts, burpees and shared the pullup burden. In between doing the OHS, Erin would fill in where necessary. Pullups were completed first, deadlifts second, burpees third, and, surprisingly, OHS last. After completing this in sub 19 minutes, Jason and Josh met the treacherous rings for the muscle ups. These rings were completely different than the ones encountered before. Jason and Josh were not expecting this and had to work quickly to adjust the buckles. Jason hammered out the muscle up’s mostly in 2’s and Josh in 1’s. After all said and done, we finished just after 24 minutes to give us a completed WOD. The video is over two minutes long and is from the start of the workout.

After our heat, I watched what team’s did that where the most effective, and it was as simple as utilizing everyone on the team equally. Crossfit Fort Vancouver was a great example of this. They had everyone on the team do about 30-40 reps of everything and there was never an idle moment. Transitions were quick. They were on the muscle ups at around 8:30 and finished at a smoking 10:41 with the two guys busting out 2 muscle ups a piece with minimal rest.

From the Work Horse’s Mouth

20 May

5-20-2010

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Make up yesterday’s press work if you were not here.

3 rounds:
Max reps in 2 min:
10 KB Swings 53/36lb
20 Walking Periscope Lunges 25/15lb
rest 2 min

Rest 4 min total when done, then:

3 rounds:
Max reps in 2 min:
10 Star Jumps
40 High Knee Rope Skips
Rest 2 min

Mobility:

Blade, instep, and heel walks x 50 ea.
90/90 hip stretch
Pigeon pose L/R
Prone scorpions x 30″ ea.

I asked Nick G. to share his observations of the 2010 NorthWest Regionals as a competitor and spectator. This is part 1 and if you couldn’t guess, Nick is into the Games!

Back in early 2009, I first heard of The Crossfit Games…I saw the likes of Scott and Adam Neiffer (Now owner at Crossfit Fort Vancouver), to name a few, train for these Games in our gym. This is where I made a commitment to be part of the following year (2010) and compete as an individual at sectionals and then as a TEAM in Regional’s.

On Day One, as we entered the Puyallup Fairgrounds, we noticed the indoor rodeo arena dirt surface and then turned our attention immediately to the 28 feet ropes hanging from the rafters. With the team already knowing their WODs for the entire weekend, we all wondered if Eric W., who was competing as an individual brought his long socks this time. Despite Crossfit’s emphasis on time and efficiency with WODs, there were no time clock for spectators to see during the competition. Some of us were thinking that Crossfit is waiting for a major sponsorship from TIMEX before getting one displayed.

The first event was the Individual competition, 3 rounds of 10 Overhead Squats (OHS) 135#/95# followed by 50 double unders (DUs), after full completion of this event, I noticed the greatest success were with the ones who went unbroken or minimized it…this means keeping a pace that allows for such. This is easier said than done because the Strength to hold that much weight overhead after quickly fatiguing on your shoulders after 50 double unders is truly a monumental task. By round 3 almost everyone broke their OHS. That top guys hung on just enough to get through it. Eric did well and was one of the few to go unbroken on this. Des went after it with a big heart and long wingspan on OHS. Her hands on the OHS were actually at the end of the bar. The DUs became a battle of will and perseveration. She would get one to four reps on the double unders and her battle was inspirational to watch. Marie was located at the furthest corner so I got glimpses of her effort. Looks like she was close to ripping the competition apart but had to battle through a couple broken double unders in her final round. She missed tying 4th place in this heat by 1 second.

Next, TEAM WOD #1

Each team member of 2 gals/2 guys, must row 50 calories (about 450- 600 meters) and then each will Run approximately 600 meters in the same order of the row. Our team composed of Erin Tieder aka ‘Professor Erg’, Amy Glasco, Jason Carver, and me. We were in Heat 1 and our strategy was to get the fastest rower first and the fastest runner last which is why Erin and Carver went first and last. Erin ripped it up as she only knows how to, and the transition went well for the rest of us. With approximatly 5-7 minutes work for each person on this WOD, it was key to not let the adrenaline take over and to recover fast…As I rowed, I felt the energy from the CF Portland crowd but didn’t make the common mistake of getting too fired up. Honestly, I was literally on the edge of my rower seat and I felt like falling off throughout the WOD…that would have been embarrassing, right? Jason was all by himself on the row and there is no doubt that he probably PR’ed. Erin ran first and as she finished, I felt the rush as I took off and ran out with cheers echoing throughout the arena. On the remaining 300-400 meters after hearing the cheer from teammate Josh Walker, I immediately targeted to ‘reel in’ a male runner and remained steady until the final 50-60 meters where I eventually would pass the targeted runner. I definitely felt like being “on the chase” because you saw the opportunity to move up in standings with every pass. I tapped Amy and she went off and finished with a well hard fought run. She tapped Jason who was definitely on the prowl to pass anyone in sights. At the end he was looking for a big fish to ‘reel in’, but had no fish to really ‘real in’ to give us a final time of 17:49. We ended up tying for 23rd. Looking back, I would have changed the rowing cadence differently, as rowing for Calories seems to be more advantageous for hard, long, and steady, rather than a shorter choppy pull like me. Crossfit Fort Vancouver (CFV) won heat #1 easily at 15:55. I remember talking to Ryan Smith, the last runner for CFV, about his super fast kick at the end of his run, and he mentioned that he swears he felt someone was trying to out-sprint him which made him run even faster. As he turned back after crossing the finish line, he realized it was his teammate Adam. Hearing footsteps is always a motivator to move, right?

Who’s Who: Wendy!

19 May

Wod 5/19/2010

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A. Press 65%1RM x 5; 75% 1RM x 3; 85% 1RM x amrap.
Rest 3 min; perform @ 20X0 tempo.  You must maintain tempo on amrap set!
+
Row 750m
rest 3 min
Run 800m
rest 3 min
21-15-9 rep rounds for time:
KB SDHP 53/36lb
Box Jumps 20″/18″

Flexibility/Mobility Focus

Seated hamstring w/thread the needle
Lunge stretch
Cossack squat switches x 5/5
Locust stretch x 30″ ea. side

For this next Who’s Who we have Wendy!

How were you introduced to Crossfit?
Last summer I attempted to climb Mt. Adams and it CRUSHED me. We made it to the false summit (see pic).  I had just finished my second half marathon and considered myself “in shape”. It was a very sobering experience and I have a much greater respect for the level of fitness required to complete such a task.  Anyway, we went to Maui and I met this girl there who was into Crossfit.  I came home from vacation and a Girls Day was scheduled for that Saturday. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Favorite WOD/lift:
Anything that does not involve wall balls.

I have always wanted to
Learn another language. I took Japanese in high school for a few years but that has long been forgotten.  I’m thinking of maybe trying a language immersion program when I’m done with school.

1 word people use to describe me.
A recent polling of my friends suggested…..DEDICATED.

Outside of the gym I like to
Try out new restaurants, travel, hike, listen to indie music, spend time with Tom, my friends and the dog.



Something nobody knows about me or would be surprised to know about me:
I grew up on a farm in Indiana: 4-H, pigs, tractors, the whole deal.  It explains a lot.

Favorite physical activity outside of Crossfit:
Hiking. It used to be running but since Crossfit that kinda bores me.

Favorite place to eat in Portland:
I really can’t pick a favorite. The place I go to the most is Cha Taquiera on NW 21st and Everett.  It’s close to my house and they make great margaritas.



Song that gets me pumped up for a workout:
Nothing motivates me like a little gangster rap….Current fav: T.I. “I’m Back”.

Proudest accomplishment:
Moving to Portland and going back to school full time to switch careers.  Hopefully I will be in a Physician Assistant program next year!

From the Games and Back

18 May

5-18-2010

Just one spot left in On Ramp, starting Monday May 24th!

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Make up yesterday’s squats if you were not here.

Partner “Broken Angie”

Teams of 2, each perform 20 rounds. One partner does a round while the other rests. On push ups, chest to ground. Situps are unanchored, hands touch behind head at bottom, hands touch in front of toes at top. On squats, use a corner of a low enough box/ball and make sure your hips are extended at the top.

5 Pullups
5 Pushups
5 Situps
5 Squats

Mobility:

Prone scorpions x 30sec/30 sec
Prone scorpions x 5/5 slow and smooth
+
3 rounds:
Supine scorpion L to
Cobra to
Supine scorpion R

Congratulations to everyone who competed at the NW Regionals this weekend. It was exciting to watch everyone’s hard work and training applied in competition. Competing at CrossFit and doing it at the gym are so different. There is no scaling, no avoiding your weaknesses, you are exposed, and you just have to face the challenge with your best effort. I saw that determination from every competitor! I judged most of the time at the event and Nick will be providing an athlete/team perspective of the event very soon.

A huge congrats to the CrossFit Fort Vancouver team as they took First Place in the team competition and punched their ticket to LA in July! No doubt, they will be making waves at the Games this year.

And I forgot Jason C. was there too, shirt professionally tucked!

Chris Spealer, first place mens competition at NW Regionals. His first workout.

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