You are hereMarch 2012
March 2012
Good Movement Prep for Workout 12.2
Good advice, as usual, from K-Star on movement prep for Games Workout 12.2
Here's some rock-solid advice on mechanics, movement prep, and mobility for CF Games Workout 12.2. This applies if you're planning on attending the Saturday group classes, too, since you guys will be running through this workout as well.
Heat Schedule for Open Workout 12.2, Plus Cheers for Tami!
CPeak going chest to bar
Below is the heat list for CF Games Open Workout 12.2. As usual, if you don't see your name on the heat list, email us.
Also, I want to take a moment to encourage each of you participating in the Open to really try and go in the heats that we schedule each Saturday. The difference in energy is substantial, and with the crowd there to support you, I guarantee you'll be able to dig a little deeper. It's totally worth it to be a part of the Saturday heats. Just ask anyone who's participated.
Tami on the Big Stage This Weekend
We're pretty caught up with Games fever right now, so you might not be aware, but CFO superstar Tamara Holmes is competing in the Olympic Trials for Olympic Weightlifting this weekend. This is the USA Weightlifting National Championship, and not surprisingly, Tamara qualified. Just in case it's not obvious, this is ridiculous! She qualified after just one meet (you need to total a certain number of pounds--er, kilograms--in order to qualify to compete at Nationals).
Also, for those of you who know MJ (Mike Jenkins), of Femme Fit fame, he's also competing and has been putting in some hard training!
Unless the schedule changes, it looks like she'll be lifting on Sunday at 1:45pm CST (11:45am PST).
(Tami, if you're reading this, please confirm so that we can all watch you compete.)
You can read more about the Nationals here: www.arnoldsportsfestival.com/home/sports-and-events/weightlifting.html
And you can watch it go down here: www.universalsports.com/video/assetid=8e971a25-bca6-4e40-85ec-52790fd65f00.html
Get some, everyone, whether in the Open or on the platform in weightlifting!
March Rest Day Challenge
Congratulations to the few, the proud, the folks who did the February Rest Day Challenge, which was Max Double-Unders in 3 Minutes.
In the end, Connie took top honors for the women with 235 reps and Justin took it for the men with 216 reps. Nice work, you two!
In March, we shift on over to the pull-up bar for the Rest Day Challenge, although we won't be doing pull-ups. The March Rest Day Challenge is Max Toes-to-Bar in 2 Minutes. If we're lucky, we might even see this movement come up in the CF Games Open.
Warm Up, Work Out, Cool Down--Don't Forget the Last Piece!
K-Star singing the praises for the proper cool-down
You warm up prior to your training session, you kill it in your workout, so why not add the icing to the cake and cool down properly? Even if you have to take baby steps (e.g., rolling out or doing mobility work for 2 minutes post-workout), do it. Taking care of mobility in general, and specifically after a tough workout or two, is critical to getting you to that next level of performance by keeping you in the game. It's not so much that mobility work can help you get PRs all on its own (although it could, if done properly, especially when done for specific movement patterns that give you problems, because it gives you a chance to get into a better position in those movements), it's that it keeps you in the game by giving you more opportunities to train and put in high-quality work because you're injury-free.
So get to it. That's why we put the mobility stuff at the front of the gym, so that you can cool down after the workout and not be hindered by the next class coming in. No excuses!
PARTY TIME and other upcoming events!
3-2-1... CHUG!
PARTY TIME!!! On Saturday April 7th at 4pm , the CFO Prison Yard will be the place to be. There will be eating, drinking, music and lots more... We have a lot to celebrate, so make sure you come by. Significant Others and Offspring are welcome!
Other event reminders:
Functional Movement Clinics with Dr Aundi: Sunday March 11th (upper body) and Sunday March 25th (lower body) - both run from 4pm - 6pm and participation is capped at 24. There are only a couple of spots left for each day, so make sure to send an email if you'd like to attend. If you have already emailed, you should have gotten a confirmation back.
Crossfit Oakland has officially been added as a team for the Tough Mudder, race held on Sept 29th in Patterson, CA, but you must register as a participant and join the team soon if you would like to take on this awesome challenge. On April 30th the price goes up significantly, but rumor has it the race will be sold out long before then. As the race date gets closer, the team will be training together, so that we can be prepared to DOMINATE! Email us with any questions or to get the team password so you may join.
On Wednesday March 21st, the gym will close at 5pm for staff development. Please plan to get your WOD on before 5pm.
And finally, 3 new On-Ramps and a new Boot Camp have been added to the upcoming schedule, including a NEW On-Ramp time (MWF @ 12pm):
On-Ramp Mar 19 - Apr 13: MWF @ 7AM (Morning)
On-Ramp Mar 26 - Apr 20: WWF @ 12pm (Afternoon)
On-Ramp Apr 2 - Apr 27: MWF @ 7PM (Evening)
Boot Camp Mar 27 - May 3rd: TTH @ 9am
Recap of Tamara's Performance in the Nationals
Tami snatching 75 kilograms (165 pounds) and making it look easy
Last week, we wrote briefly about Tami competing in the USA Weightlifting Nationals and Olympic Trials in Olympic Weightlifting. So not only does she compete in CrossFit competitions (and oh by the way, she tied for the the 25th best score in the world in the snatch workout from the CrossFit Games last week), she also qualified to compete in this country's premiere national competition in Olympic Weightlifting.
Although she fell just a tad bit short of her goals, in the end, she finished up in 6th place! This is remarkable because she only spent about three months preparing for the competition, and really didn't focus on the lifts very much prior to that.
Her goals for the meet were to get 80 kg on the snatch (176 lbs) and 100 kg on the clean-and-jerk (220 lbs). She ended up with 75 kg on the snatch (seen above, 165 lbs) and 91 kg on the clean-and-jerk (200 lbs). She narrowly missed getting a 95 kg clean-and-jerk, and actually got it overhead pretty easily. She was called for a press-out, though, so the lift didn't count.
All in all, though, finishing 6th place in the country ain't too shabby!
And to top it all off, Tami's not even finished yet. This summer she'll compete for Team USA once again on the Women's Baseball team. Team USA competes against other teams from all over the world every two years in the World Cup. In case you're new to CFO, you can read up on some of her exploits when she last played for Team USA on our blog here:
www.crossfitoakland.com/archives/2010/08/two-cfo-athletes-world-stage
In short, she went all Babe Ruth on everyone, hitting multiple homers (sometimes in consecutive at-bats, no less).
What can I say?--Tami has serious game! We're really lucky to have her here at CFO, as a an athlete and as a trainer.
(Too bad all that athletic prowess doesn't translate on the tennis court, though--just an inside joke between Tami and me.)
Some Movement Prep and Analysis for CF Games Workout 12.3
The video above is Carl's breakdown of CF Games Workout 12.3, which is as follows:
Max Rounds Plus Reps in 18 Minutes:
15 Box jumps (M 24" box / F 20" box)
12 Push press (M 115 lb / F 75 lb)
9 Toes-to-bar
This is also going to be the Saturday group class workout, so everyone needs to be prepared for these movements.
Tomorrow night, I'll post some more mobility stuff you can do before the workout from Kelly Starrett, as well as the heat assignments.
Movement Prep for 12.3 and Heat Assignments
K-Star prepping you for Games Workout 12.3
Watch the video above before you do tomorrow's workout, whether in group classes or as part of the Saturday Games heats.
And if you're in the Games heats, open the PDF attachment below for your heat assignment. This is a longer workout, so the heats are stretched out to half-hour intervals. Make sure you pay attention to when you're going so that you give yourself enough time to warm up thoroughly, but that you don't get there too early and cool down before you get your box jumps, push presses, and toes-to-bar underway.
Reminder: Funtional Movement Clinic TOMORROW @ 4PM
Aundi is not only a member at CFO and a darn good soccer player, but she is also Dr. Andreana Mevoli, a Sports Chiropractor who specializes in rehabilitating injured athletes (including yours truly). She is certified in Active Release Therapy and has about a gazillion other degrees and certifications. She is the owner of Haka Sports Clinic in Berkeley. Check out her website for more info.
Aundi has graciously offered to host two clinics for our members in March where she will show us a series of Functional Movement Screens, which are designed to help athletes identify and address issues in movement that can limit progress and even cause injury.
Aundi will be at CFO on Sunday March 11th from 4pm - 6pm to cover Functional Movement Screens for the Upper Extremities and on Sunday March 25th from 4pm - 6pm to cover Functional Movement Screens for the Lower Extremities.
Don't miss this opportunity to work with a professional on identifying and addressing and correcting dysfunction in your movements!
Congratulations Mike & Connie!
Just in case you haven't heard.... Mike (finally!) got down on bent knee and proposed to the lovely Connie. I am pretty sure she said "yes" based on the fierce bling she is sporting.
Congrats you two! We are so very happy to see you happy.
Fish Oil Coming to CFO and a Gym Closure
We just placed an order for 24 bottles of PurePharma fish oil, which we'll be selling at CFO to anyone who needs some high-quality fish oil. We've done the liquid fish oil before in the past, but quite frankly, the capsules are just way more convenient.
With that in mind, we went looking for a fish oil capsule that was of high quality, that would be reasonably priced, and that was used in other CF gyms and training communities. PurePharma's fish oil meets all these requirements and more. Plus, the price is extremely reasonable. It will sell for somewhere between $40 and $45 (after tax and shipping are taken into account) for a 40-day supply, which is about $10 cheaper than what I currently pay for similar quality capsules at Whole Foods and Berkeley Bowl, and that's just for a 30-day supply.
And for those of you who care about quality manufacturing and sustainability, here are a few more noteworthy details on PurePharma's fish oil:
IFOS Certification - For only the highest quality fish oils.
IFFO RS Compliance - Sustainable fishing
GMP Certified - Good Manufacturing Practices
ISO 14001 - Certification of environmental safety management.
No Waste - 100% of the raw materials are used.
REACH Compliance - Restriction of dangerous chemical substances
CFO Closed Wednesday, March 21 5pm-8pm
CFO will be closed on Wednesday, March 21, from 5pm to 8pm for staff development and training. We'll still be holding our Open Gym hours from 3:30pm to 5:00pm, plus we'll be setting up a track workout for that evening as well.
March Benchmarks
Jason going overhead during Open Workout 12.3 last Saturday
There are going to be a number of posts this month on some big changes to the way workouts are going to be programmed in the very near future.
For now, though, besides prepping for people for the Open workouts each Saturday, we have two new benchmarks for March, as follows:
Strength Benchmark: 1-Rep Max Jerk
Conditioning Benchmark: 50 Thrusters for Time @ 95#/65#
If you didn't get a chance to test your 1-rep max jerk last week, use tomorrow's workout as an opportunity to do so. And if you didn't get a chance to do the 50 thrusters for time last week, try and test it this Thursday on the rest day.
And stay tuned to the blog for more on some big changes to programming in the coming month...
Reminders!
Judging at the Open is an exciting and rewarding experience
SAT March 17th @ 11am: WOD 12.4 has been announced and Mike is feverishly assembling the heats for Saturday. If you cannot possibly make Saturday (please try!), then make sure to email us to arrange an alternate time.
It would be great to get a few more judges for Saturday as well - that way we can rotate and the few volunteers we have do not have to work every heat. Everyone should be familiar with the standards. We will go over them before each heat as well...Thanks!
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 12 minutes of:
150 Wall balls
90 Double-unders
30 Muscle-ups
SUN March 25th @ 4pm: Dr Aundi will be back next Sunday with another Functional Movement Screening clinic - this time focusing on LOWER extremities. Ask anyone who attended last week's clinic - you will not be sorry. Let us know if you'd like to attend.
SAT April 7th @ 4pm: BIG Parking Lot party! We have a lot to celebrate (wink-wink), so make plans now to gather your family and your appetite for food, drink, music and some fun surprises!
SAT September 29th: TOUGH MUDDER!! Make sure you do not let this opportunity pass you by. CrossFit Oakland has been building a formidable team and there is room for more. Specialized coaching will be provided as we get closer to the race. This is going to be a blast. Make sure you sign up soon as prices go up on Apr 30th and there is always a chance the race will sell out. Email us for the secret password you will need to join Team CFO!
K-Star's Prep for CF Games Workout 12.4
K-Star giving some advice and mobility prescriptions for 12.4
Look for Saturday heat assignments for Workout 12.4 to be posted on the blog tomorrow (Friday March 16). We'll be running the heats in 20-minute increments, so it should be a fairly quick day.
In the meantime, check out the video above so that you'll be well-prepared for a ton of wall balls, double-unders, and muscle-ups.
Saturday Heats for Workout 12.4
Carl giving some movement prep prescriptions for Workout 12.4
Check out the Saturday heat assignments below. Click on the attachment to see the PDF file. As always, if you don't see your name on the list, email us.
See you all tomorrow!
One Week to Go!
Arnold during CF Games Workout 12.4
(Thanks to Holley for the photo)
Yesterday was the second to last week of the CrossFit Games Open. It's been a blast so far and it's been a real joy to see people digging deep and achieving a number of firsts throughout the 4 weeks thus far.
And thanks for all the crowd support as well. You guys were really bringing the yelling and cheering yesterday.
Can't wait to see what the final workout will be!
Red Meat Under Attack, Again
Just when I thought beef was finally making a comeback in the U.S., Harvard smacks us with a study claiming that just a single serving of red meat a day will increase our chances of dropping dead. Oh, brother.
In case you don't watch TV, listen to the radio, use the internet, or catch a glimpse of any major news headlines, earlier this week, the Archives of Internal Medicine released the results of a major study that tracked meat consumption of 121,000 middle-aged adults (doctors and nurses) for more than 20 years. The findings were based on a collection of Food Frequency Questionnaires, which are simply personal accounts of what the participants ate. Do you remember what passed your lips 3 days ago? Neither do I. What they found was that just 3 oz of red meat increased the risk of premature death by 13%. And by a whopping 20% if the meat was processed.
So, what's a carnivore to do? Well, before you throw out your Prather Ranch ribeye, check out the rebuttal from the Paleo community.
Stanley Fishman, author of Tender Grassfed Beef took issue with the Harvard study
Here's an excerpt from Robb Wolf's blog post:
The study SUCKS. It was a waste of time and money, the study design is atrocious and it elucidates NOTHING that has not been (poorly) investigated previously! Folks, if you see “retrospective cohort” it should not be taken with a grain of salt, it should be taken with several hits of LSD so that you have a valid reason for perpetuating this fantasy.
From the Caveman Doctor:
Red meat (and not accounting for whether it is grain, hormone, pesticide, and antibiotic-laden), using poor recording mechanisms, inherent biases, and intricate statistical methods, as well as being physically inactive, drinking more alcohol, smoking, and being overweight show that there may be an increase in mortality. Read more..
Rope Climbing Tutorials
After today's rope climbing, we thought you could use some video tutorials to help augment the coaching you received on proper rope climbing technique.
Not much to say here, other than check out these videos. Two of them are from San Francisco CrossFit; the other is from Jim Bathurst of Beast Skills (a great resource for gymnastics or bodyweight skill development).
This first one is on the Spanish Wrap (sometimes referred to as the S wrap). This is the most secure and stable of the rope-climbing methods, but can result in a nasty case of rope burn if you're not careful coming down on the rope.
This next video is on the Russian wrap (sometimes referred to as the J Wrap) and is your best bet for the right combination of stability and efficiency. This will get you up and down the rope a lot quicker than the Spanish Wrap method and will dramatically decrease any incidence of rope burn.
And this final video is a brief overview of all the methods with some nice close-up shots of the foot positioning for each of the methods.
CFO Not Closed Wednesday Night
Ann, Katie, and Theresa mugging the camera after 12.4 this past Saturday
Last week we wrote about the gym being closed for Wednesday (March 21) night classes due to a staff development activity.
The staff development activity and training has been postponed, so CFO is open as usual for Wednesday night classes at 5pm, 6pm, and 7pm. Please disregard last week's blog post. See you all tomorrow evening for group classes!
Reminder: Funtional Movement Clinic SUNDAY @ 4PM
A fine use for Mary's lower extremities
Dr. Aundi will be at CFO this Sunday March 25th from 4pm - 6pm to cover Functional Movement Screens for the Lower Extremities. Her clinic 2 weeks ago on the Upper Extremities was packed full of great information and practical applications, plus ways to identify and correct bad juju in the shoulders. If you want the same for your hips, etc., contact us ASAP to get on the list!
Don't miss this opportunity to work with a professional on identifying and addressing and correcting dysfunction in your movements!
More about Aundi: Aundi is not only a member at CFO and a darn good soccer player, but she is also Dr. Andreana Mevoli, a Sports Chiropractor who specializes in rehabilitating injured athletes (including yours truly). She is certified in Active Release Therapy and has about a gazillion other degrees and certifications. She is the owner of Haka Sports Clinic in Berkeley. Check out her website for more info.
K-Star's Prep for CF Games Workout 12.5
K-Star giving advice on CF Games Workout 12.5
Another week down, another mobility and movement preparation video from K-Star. This is the final workout of the CF Games Open and it's a repeat of last year's final Open workout. It's basically just an ascending ladder of thrusters and pull-ups, two CF staple movements.
Get ready for some Fran-ish hell on Saturday, folks! It's gonna be a blast!
Saturday Heats for Workout 12.5
Carl breaking down CF Games Workout 12.5
You guys and gals know the drill by now...click on the attachment link below to view the heat assignments for Saturday's CF Games Workout, which is the final one of the Open. It's been a blast the first four Saturdays...let's make this last one special. Go big or go home!
And in case you haven't already heard, the workout is an ascending ladder of thrusters (100#/65#) and chest-to-bar pull-ups over a 7-minute period.
As usual, if there are any errors or omissions, send us an email.
The Elements Class Does Box Jumps
Here is a short video of the Elements class getting after box jumps last week. Everyone jumped higher than they thought they could! And despite what they all thought, no one actually fell down or skinned a knee.
3-Tier Programming Coming to CFO on April 2
Connie and Mune going chest to bar in CF Games Workout 12.5 on Saturday
(This is a long post...if you do nothing else, read the last three paragraphs AND look over the attached PDF file.)
Beginning April 2 (a week from this Monday), CFO will be converting over to a three-tiered programming template. So what the heck does that mean?
It means that each day there will be three different workouts, and you'll be doing the one that is best suited to your current level of fitness. For an example of this kind of programming template in action, check out here or here, or even the strength workout here. This is something I've wanted to do for some time now, but for one reason or another, it's been pushed aside (most recently, we had some issues related to moving into our new building, as many of you may recall).
At its core, this type of programming template is an acknowledgment that different people are on different levels of their fitness journey. Some require more specific work towards achieving their first X (whether X is a pull-up, a push-up, a muscle-up, a bodyweight back squat, etc.), and this kind of developmental work (whether skill-based or strength-based) needs to come with greater frequency. Others may be proficient in all the movements we throw their way, but need to increase their ability to do these movements with repeat exposure within a workout that's testing work capacity (e.g., you can do one muscle-up or pull-up, but can you do sets of five or ten of them after doing a bunch of hang power snatches beforehand?).
In many ways, this is also nothing all that new; it simply formalizes a lot of what already goes on in our classes. For many of the workouts that go on, the trainer you're working with will come up with a modification for an exercise if you can't do that movement (whether it be reduced weight, reduced reps, or both, or a different movement entirely). This takes a lot of that guesswork out of the equation.
The primary reason we're doing this is so that you'll get the movements you want (and with more efficient technique) quicker, so that you'll get stronger in the most efficient way, and so that you'll get better conditioned overall.
If you don't care a lick about getting proficient in certain movements, and are just wanting a good workout and to sweat a little, then this will still be a great template for you as well.
If you care about doing well in local CF competitions or even the CF Games, then this will also be a great template for you.
So what's required on your end? Nothing more than taking a few tests this week.
We're using this week as a testing week, and all of the workouts will allow us to figure out which tier you're in. Once you know what tier you're in, you'll know which workout to do when we start up with the tier-based programming on April 2. Make sense?
There are 9 tests in total, and all of them will be done this week. I've attached the PDF of each of the tests so that you can see what we're looking for in terms of performance levels for each tier. We'll also be listing the performance standards for each tier for each workout this week.
My recommendation for the barbell exercises is to be smart and simply try and meet the performance standard you're going after for each barbell exercise. No need to go for a 1-rep max PR in a barbell movement, especially if you're pretty new to our program or pretty far off from the next tier of performance. You could even turn it into a max-reps type of scenario. For example, if you're a 200-pound male and you're going for the Tier 3 standard (T3) in the back squat and you know you have 334 pounds in the bag, try for 334 for max reps.
This post is already getting long. I'll be doing a follow-up post on this topic this week. For now, simply bring your A game this week so that we can make sure you get solid test results, and also review our performance standards PDF.
Another Open Comes to a Close
Lance on his way to a chest-to-bar pull-up in CF Games Workout 12.5
Another CF Games Open has now passed by. I'm gonna miss it and will look back on this Open fondly. I know a lot of you were worn down at the end, but that was minor, in my opinion, when taken against all of the positives that came from competing in the Open.
There were so many firsts. There were so many people who shocked themselves with getting a PR overhead lift, whether it was the snatch in 12.2 or the push press (or jerk) in 12.3. There were so many first-time chest-to-bar pull-ups. There was that first time pushing really, really hard on a workout for many of you, leaving nothing out there on the floor (the burpee workout, the box jump/push press/toes-to-bar triplet, or the Fran ladder all come to mind). And beyond the individual moments, for many of you, this was your first ever CF competition.
So congrats to all of you on so many firsts!
Another great thing about competitions like this is that it gives you a very clear picture of what you need to work on to take your fitness to the next level.
The coolest thing about the Open, and other CF competitions like it, though, is the way the gym comes together. It was so great seeing so many people being cheered for and cajoled into getting one more rep, to getting back to that bar, to getting up onto that box, or to just hustle (I remember Michelle sprinting from the pull-up bar to jump onto her box as the clock hit zero in 12.3, for example). It really galvanized the gym on those Saturdays, which was so great to see.
And finally, a few thanks...
A huge thank-you to all of you who volunteered your time as judges. We wouldn't have been able to do it without you!
And also a big thank-you to Robyn for taking care of all the logistical stuff, and most importantly, the food that was there for everyone each Saturday.
Can't wait 'til next year!
But in the meantime, we've got the Regionals to look forward to! I'll have more on the Regionals soon, but know that Team CFO finished 17th place in NorCal, meaning we'll be one of the 30 teams that will compete in San Jose May 18-20. Candace also finished in 18th place in the NorCal individual competition, and is eligible to compete as an individual at Regionals. We'll delve into these subjects in more detail on the blog soon, but for now, just know that there's more Games competition left for CFO.
Reebok Gear and Fish Oil
The Reebok CrossFit Nano
Buying Reebok CrossFit Gear Through CFO
A few of you have asked about buying Reebok CrossFit gear, especially those shoes (Tamara has a few pairs that she's been wearing as of late). You can now buy them through our website.
We've put a link to the Reebok CrossFit Store on the lefthand side of our page, just below the Twitter banner. Just click on that link and you'll be taken to the store. They have lots of cool shoes and apparel that are designed with CrossFit training in mind. Please make sure you use the link on our website if you decide to make a purchase (we get a small percentage of the sale if you go through our website).
PurePharma Fish Oil
A couple weeks ago we posted about the 12-pack of PurePharma fish oil we ordered. There are three bottles left. These bottles have enough capsules for a 40-day supply of fish oil (2 grams per day) and are selling for $35, which can be paid for with cash, check, or credit card. If you'd like one of the three remaining bottles, send us an email. Also, if you contacted us about the fish oil, we've labeled a bottle for you in the refrigerator for you to pick up.
BIG CFO Party on April 7th!
WHEN: Saturday April 7th from 4pm - 8pm
WHERE: CFO
WHAT: Drinks, Food, Music & Games
WHO: Bring yourself & the family!
WHY: SOMEONE (pictured above) is having a BIG birthday in April. Let's initiate him into "the club" in style!
CFO Closed Next Tuesday Night from 5pm to 8pm
Michelle and Dr. Dwayne before 12.5 went down last Saturday
Important: CFO is going to be closed next Tuesday, April 3rd from 5pm to 8pm for staff training and development. There will be no evening group classes. Open Gym from 3:30pm to 5pm will be the last session of the day on Tuesday.
We'll be back to a normal schedule on Wednesday. Thanks for your understanding!
Strength Saturday Openings
For any of those interested, I have two openings for this week's Strength Saturday class. The class goes from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM (sometimes a little later) on Saturdays and the cost is $25 a session. It is limited to eight participants so that I can spend an appropriate amount of time providing coaching to those in attendance. We squat, press, and pull every class with an emphasis on proper form and gradually increasing weights. If you would like to stop by, send me an email at cfo.saturday@gmail.com.
