CrossFit Oakland

Here is one for your comment box. Repetition offenders go home! Xfit is also about building integrity so don't cheat to win. The competitive edge is there to help you reach your goals, not for cool points or egos.

I agree with Tami. Integrity in all things is good

What Tami said.

Open a gym in London! :(

Saturday late afternoon classes.

So what's cooking with these posts of people goosing their times? Sounds like my golfing buddies. I let it go, unless its for money.

Mike and Nicole - the sub-head to CrossFit Oakland is "Elite Fitness for Every Body". I love that. Let's find a way to celebrate that under performances of the day. Frankly, I'm more impressed with that '62 year old guy with the funny socks' performances then I am with some of Daniel or Brandon or Lau's performances. (sorry guys, also apologies to the killer ladies).

Any way, make it about best PR improvement or something like that.

I would like a hose and a drain somewhere so I can spray myself off before class. Hot water would be cool, but whatever.

Can we make some of those weighted sand bags?

totally agree with brad!

Piggy backing on Tamara- It's ultimately about challenging oneself and reaching your own personal goals. You can't get caught up with how others do...it's all relative. Ultimately you cheat yourself from making any real gains. Props to Michael (Mr. Muscle-up)who I hope to be as fit as when I'm 62 and everyone else who continue to work hard!! 2008 resolutions - here we come

I love the team workouts. As great as it is to work out individually, is nice to work with other people and reach a goal collectively. Maybe on Saturdays 11-noon we could have a team workout! Or maybe if it is a no go on adding a extra class, do it on "rest days." (I am trying to think of a way to have team workouts while still staying with the WOD from the crossfit.com cycle.) Whatdoyasay?

I think we need more social gatherings. I'd like to see more of ya'll when we aren't all red-faced and smelly.

Brad- I love you idea on posting the underperformance of the day. What ever happened to posting the "best form" of the day?

Laura- Perhaps we could plan a Saturday afternoon play date for all the xfit-overachievers (or those too hungover to make it to the AM classes) that want to get thier team workout on. We could meet at the pull-up bars in front of gold's gym.

Impressive, notable and inspiring achievements are not just numbers. There is much more to be said for an individual who holds themselves to the highest standard. Highest standard being full depth/extension on all the movements, proper form balanced with super high intensity. You can tell by looking at them that they are putting it all out yet still intelligently breaking up the work load.

With that said the top performer should be setting a precedence for what we are striving for with performance. When someone who makes it to the board lacks form, full range of movement and uses other short cuts throughout the WOD it degrades a strong source of motivation for some of us.

Recognizing individuals who don't necessarily get the best score but who really put it out, crush their pr's while holding themselves to the highest standard would be motivating as well.

Oh yeah and what Connie said more drinking together :)

Connie--great idea--can you help coming up with the workout? That will be so much fun! What time works? 11:30?? Who is in? Start next week?

I second more drinking together, too! Do we want to do a Crossfit Superbowl Game event?? I could use my house-we just got our first couch-or maybe crossfit headquarters...

I have worked out in all sorts of environments! My hands-down-favorite-thing about crossfit is that people come in, leave everything at the door, and do the workout the best they can. Some days the biggest success is just coming to crossfit!

The fact is most of the amazing successes are not going to appear on a whiteboard. Yesterday, Candace really pushed herself to do the workout even though she was in pain--the week before she had a beautiful performance on Helen even though she could not walk. Tuesday Melissa did the Filthy Fifty just hours before foot surgery.

Some of us have smaller benchmarks for success: I am tremendously proud that I did not eat a whole cheesecake yesterday... It is the private victories that push us on... (Today my goal is to be nice to my husband--even when I am hungry, cold, and tired--really!)

Point is, there is no way to judge performance--I hope crossfit continues to be a place where we can just come in and work out without judgment and set our own benchmarks for success.

See you all the gym. I cheer you on for just coming through the door.

being scotch irish, for better or for worse i'm always down to drink.. especially with good people!

it would definitely be great to add in PRs or notable achievements, etc. it's super motivating for me to work out with people that are trying hard no matter what their time or score ends up being.

I think that everybody is a winner!
Why don't we post best form, best dressed, slowest time, best attitude, and most inspirational performances.
We are all equal, and everybody should be praised them same!
Hey...We shouldn't even keep time! That might inspire someone to try and be better than someone else! ...after all we are all winners!!!!

PC X-Fitter - that's funny! You complain like my wife the 4th grade teacher who's forced to give self-esteem stuff to ALL her kids, even the crappy ones!

But at the same time, I don't think your post is in the best spirit of things. But what the heck - I nominate -

Best Dressed: Patrik with those red socks!

Maybe I am missing it, but there seems to be something people are forgeting. I think that a lot of people assume that because someone screams through a workout or puts up a lot of weight that it was easier for them, or that they have always been able to do it that fast/good/heavy. Maybe I put up the best time/score/weight on occasion, but trust me that it wasn't always like that! And it is still NEVER easy for me(I think I puke more than anyone). As for myself, there is nothing more motivating than losing. What does winning give you? Nothing! You have nothing to push you to the next level. As much as I strive to win, I know that there is no better way to motivate me than a good old fashioned a$$ kicking. My point is that everybody can have PRs and goals, but there is always going to be a winner. Maybe for some "top performers" it comes easy, but I doubt it, so don't take away from the work they have done to get there.
...just my thoughts

I've had mixed feelings about the competitive environment that accompanies CF. Initially, it really put me off. Now, it serves as a healthy incentive to work harder. Not only that, it used to stress me out to workout with the insanely fit folks but now I find that it motivates me. I realized that they are in a different league but the energy of the gym when people are working really hard is contagious. I usually track how I did previously, on any given workout, as a way of self-assessing...and I know lots of other folks do too--I must have picked it up somewhere :) I haven't really noticed the score padding but I am sure that if I were at the top of the curve, it would really piss me off.

I think we're getting away from the reason this was posted in the first place. Mike and Nicole want to improve their performance as coaches which hopefully, in turn, will improve us as students, athletes, whatever you want to call us. One of the best ways to improve in my mind has always been through self reflection. Tammy, with her wonderfully controversial post, provided each of us with the opportunity to self reflect and take a deeper look at why we're all here and what motivates us. In my humble opinion, I really do believe we all work hard. Hard for some people is showing up, hard for me is good form, hard for others is to just finish the workouts, and hard for still others is staying "on top" because there's no where else to go but down. The frustrating thing about that is we're all human beings, competitive by our very existance, and when someone is doing something hard in a different way than we might do it, it becomes difficult to "measure up" and find our place in the pecking order. The important thing to take away from this discussion, is that I have the raddest red socks.....SO BEAT THAT!!!

patrick, you are very cute ;)

It is so hard to tell when people are being sarcastic in these posts, so for the record, I was not being sarcastic about patrick being cute, I was just trying to be nice but then i noticed that there was a winking smily face, and I was worried it might seem like I was being mean.. Sorry I am neurotic.

I kindly suggest that Daniel be forced to tuck his shirt in when he does those handstands. I believe the woman are distracted and I feel like a little tubby.

Thank you.

I kindly suggest that Daniel be forced to tuck his shirt in when he does those handstands. I believe the woman are distracted and I feel like a little tubby.

Thank you.

I kindly suggest that Daniel be forced to tuck his shirt in when he does those handstands. I believe the woman are distracted and I feel like a little tubby.

Thank you.

Agreed, Patrick. That Tamara really got us off course. Glad to have the box. I think it's time we all get red socks.

I see my comment created some controversy. I try and push myself based on the high standards that top performers set on a daily basis. Even if I don't match up on times or weight, it helps me to achieve my best. How can I do that based on the questionable practices that I and others are witnessing. I dont want to come to xfit and wonder if the mens & womens times/ weights are legit. I like the posting of the top performers, pr's, and the notables.

My neurotic self just realized there's another Patrick at CFO, so that'd be the ultimate narcissistic moment if Brad G. wasn't talking about MY red socks and was in fact talking about someone else's red socks. I was feeling so good about them that I even wore them today at the nooner class!

Again, I think this time it was good to get off course because I'm sure everyone learned something.
p.

Anyone who doesn't see the validity of Tamara's comment doesn't understand crossfit. The crossfit modality is based on all users scaling their load for either "functional dominance" or "functional competence. In neither situation is there any room for slack when you talk about degradation of form. We all exist at crossfit because we are driven, positive people who get a lot out of different aspects of the gym, however no one gains, and in fact it is quite detrimental to the fundamental qualities of crossfit when we allow anyone to post scores let alone continue to work out with sub par form and standards for themselves...

i just had to say again... kudos to you Tamara for gettting something said that we all needed to address. and I'll look forward to sharing some workouts, food, and other times with all you guys. Cheers

One of the great things that I have gotten from Mike is that he does not let me get away with poor form, even when I start to fall apart: I really appreciate it when he says "I'm not going to count this" when my burpee turns into laying on the floor and crawling to an upright position. If you look at the video "day or brutal fun at CFO" you will see that I used to be very hunched over/muted hip in many things, thanks in large part to Mike hammering me on it I have improved, and for that I am very thankful to him. I have experienced coaches and teachers who were mean-spirited or mocking in an attempt to motivate me, and that has not worked so well.

As a coach, I can definitely say that some people, competitive types, get super-pissed off when challenged on full ROM. There is a hilarious video on youtube of a 35 round cindy, where not ONE REP is full ROM: I would have been ashamed to post it.

And I second Daniel's comment: I am not naturally athletic and I have had to struggle like hell to get to where I am. If you had told me three years ago that a sub-20 Linda was possible I would have laughed in your face (my first Linda time was 2 hours 10 minutes).

For sure, for some folks it comes easy but not all high performers are naturals.

Anyone who is slightly put-off by these posts and just wants to workout, make some wisecracks about our big butts, and generally try to have some fun, come to the 9am,10am, or noon classes. I'll be there with a smile and some wisea$$ comments, and we'll have a sweat without judging each other.

p.s. From a business perspective, it doesn't seem very wise to alienate a portion of the population that are good, paying customers - unless I'm missing the point of owning a business.

I have one piece of praise for the gym - I love that Nicole and Mike are not judgmental and seem to always have good advice when we're struggling with a movement. Kudos for being constructive coaches and knowing which members are there for the enjoyment of exercising and which are there to compete.

Wow, how cathartic!

I have to endorse the coaching by Mike and Nicole; it is not easy as a coach, professor or teacher of any kind to encourage GROWTH in the trainee, especially when each person has their own (or shared) agenda, as demonstrated by the catharsis. Mike and Nicole (and Max) recognize that Everyone has their unique challenges. Everyone here at CFO starts where they are and are beginners every single day. There is no where else to be.

I honestly just can't wait to get back to your gym. Like Annie, Casey and many others who've had to take time off or scale the WOD, we eventually learn to grow despite individual limitations in function...the concept of Crossfit Scaling is simply brilliant, as long as pride doesn't get in the way.

Due to the scalability of our system no one has it easy.

Gratitude: Thanks Nicole, Mike, Max, Dawn and all you Crossfitters. When I think of what I would be doing had I not discovered Crossfit, I cringe...Probably the stairmaster at Gold's or the Daily Method or some crap... Whew!! This is the most fun I have had in years.

Suggestions:

1. Hooks (or cubbies, or similar) for our bags, jackets, etc.
2. A new couch
3. Coffee cart w Mike as barista
4. Skills Assessment Guidelines blown up and posted along w Kilo to pounds conversion or just a really big calculator on the wall...
5. Get that Adrian guy (from the videos on the CF main site) to do a kipping clinic ;)
6. More cowbell!!

In addition: You really do get out of this what you put in, scorekeeping is motivating, and more drinking is always a good idea.

Huh, I see my FF time was knocked off, perhaps it was my ROM that was suspect? Sort of odd to do it without mentioning it to me.

My comment: "Agreed, Patrick. That Tamara really got us off course. Glad to have the box. I think it's time we all get red socks."
--was said in jest and as a response to what Patrick said. I even considered posting a follow-up below it-ala Annie style :) and now I wish that I had. Tamara, clearly you didn't create this; you just said it out loud and it gave folks an opportunity to say what was on their minds.

I still think we should all wear red socks, though ;)

As the owner of the infamous 'red socks' i am grateful to all who recognized my achievement. b.t.w brad, it is spelled "PRATIK" as opposed to "PATRIK". I'll warn everyone, i might be getting some purple socks.