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March
Team Fran
Today's top female and male performers in Fran, in their matching outfits
Post a caption for CFO's Bobbsey Twins to comments.
The CFO Community Rocks!
Post your community love to comments.
What Kind of Skills Do You Have?
Natalie Woolfolk displaying some serious power
For those of you who haven't yet seen our poster of the ten general physical skills (courtesy of Jim Cawley of Dynamax) that's hung up on our wall in the gym, it's worth a gander.
The ten general physical skills figure prominently in CrossFit programming. In fact, we train to develop all ten.
Below is a list of said skills, along with their definition.
1. Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance - The ability of body systems to gather, process, and deliver oxygen.
2. Stamina - The ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy.
3. Strength - The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force.
4. Flexibility - the ability to maximize the range of motion at a given joint.
5. Power - The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply maximum force in minimum time.
6. Speed - The ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement.
7. Coordination - The ability to combine several distinct movement patterns into a singular distinct movement.
8. Agility - The ability to minimize transition time from one movement pattern to another.
9. Balance - The ability to control the placement of the bodies center of gravity in relation to its support base.
10. Accuracy - The ability to control movement in a given direction or at a given intensity.
Which of these ten skills is the most highly developed in your CrossFit game? Which is least developed? And which, in your opinion, is the most important skill to develop (if there is a single most important skill)?
Post your thoughts to comments.
Bragging Rights
Forget humility. Which CF movement do you feel you have mastered or at least become so proficient at that you use it frequently as a party trick while in mixed company? Which of the "moves" do you aspire to execute with grace and power?
Commit hubris to comments.
What is CrossFit Redux?
The Pitch
OK, we tried this once a while back, but now we're asking for your help again.
Help us define CrossFit. If you had to describe it in a short paragraph, what would you say? How would you explain it to your friends? To your parents? Run the gamut.
So here's your opportunity: Give us your CrossFit elevator speech and if we like it, you'll get a month of training free.
Post your CrossFit blurb to comments.
A Great Cause
Oakland Firefighters Random Acts provides resources for Oakland Firefighters to create a random act of kindness when they encounter people in need on their emergency calls in the community.
On Saturday, April 12, OFD will be holding their 7th Annual Awards and Dinner Dance at 7pm at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Oakland.
Tickets are $75/person (cocktails at 5:30pm, dinner at 7pm).
We've already bought all the spots for one table, and now we just need four more spots for our second table. Help support OFD and this great cause.
For more information:
Three Js Get Certified!
Top photo: Level 1 CF certification seminar attendees in Union City, CA. Bottom photo: Level 1 CF certification seminar attendees in Mt. Rainier, WA.
Current CFOer Joe P just got certified last weekend in Union City, CA. He attended the Level 1 certification at CrossFit One World.
Former CFOers Jeralee and Jay attended the same certification seminar as well.
Can you spot the three of them?
Post congrats to all three of them. They're probably still sore from the weekend workouts!
Reminder: Rowing Clinic on Thursday at 8p.m.
On Thursday night (3/27) we will have a Rowing Clinic during which we will go over technique, review settings and programming for Concept II, and run through a few pacing drills. The cost is $20.
CrossFit Gets the NY Times Treatment Again
Rosary beads and a stopwatch, from the NY Times Magazine article on CrossFit
CrossFit got more press from the NY Times today, this time somewhat tongue-in-cheek.
Follow this link to read the article.
Post your thoughts on the article to comments.
No 4PM Class Tomorrow!!!
Happy Easter! We will have our regular 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. class, but there will be NO
4p.m. class because Mike is doing his annual civic duty as the easter bunny down at the mall.
World Record Trampoline Jump
April is "Train Your Weaknesses" Month
Even the strongest chain can fall apart with a weak link
While the details are still being worked out, Nicole and I have decided to make the entire month of April an opportunity to train your weaknesses. Whether it's handstand push-ups, L pull-ups, high-rep sit-ups, or whatever, we're going to be offering up workouts on a daily basis designed to address the chinks in your armor.
The national site WOD will still get its just due and figure prominently as the staple of our programming, but there will be an alternative workout thrown together as well on a daily basis.
This will be a one-time thing, however. We've seen the results that the national-level programming has to offer and are not planning on keeping the April format intact indefinitely.
With that in mind, post to comments the weaknesses you'd like to work on in April. Those of you participating in the CFO Throwdown should have plenty of experience to draw upon, so don't be silent!
***REMINDER 1***
There will be no 4pm class on Easter Sunday. The 9am and 10am classes will run as normal, however.
***REMINDER 2***
We'll be rolling out our 7am Fundamentals class beginning next Monday, March 24. This class will run 3 days/week (MWF) and allow you to hone your skills in our foundational movements and beyond.
Happy Birthday !
Happy Birthday MJ, you superbly sweet, sagacious. sassy, and slim sister! We love having you train with CFO! In honor of your birthday, we will create our first named CFO workout! "Mary Jo" will be done on the next rest day (which happens to be Saturday).
Post your "Mary Jo" WOD creation to comments.
It's All About the Fundamentals
Attention Evening Class Crew (5pm, 6pm, and 7pm):
***UPDATE***
It's official, we'll be holding the evening classes tonight at the Piedmont High track.
We've included a map to the track below. Please note that this map is to the street that runs alongside and above the stadium where the track is. You'll be able to park on Wildwood and then walk down to the track. Just look for the giant stadium if all else fails.
The address is 312 Wildwood Ave, in case you have problems with the map.
If you want go to the track but don't want to run, we'll have an alternative workout involving squats for time.
If you want to row, come to the gym as normal.
Greg Amundson, of CFHQ fame, executing a beautiful overhead squat
Attention all CFOers in need of some fine-tuning of mechanics: beginning next Monday, March 24, we'll be rolling out a 3 day/week class (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) where the focus will be on getting the fundamentals nailed down tight. We're calling it the Fundamentals class, and it will run from 7am to 8am.
This class will be the perfect opportunity for those fairly new to CrossFit, those with chinks in their armor, or those looking to back off the intensity a little (think active recovery).
This class will still do the workout of the day, but there will be extended skill sessions where we'll delve into a particular movement or group of movements.
And of course, we won't turn anyone away, so if you happen to miss the 6am class or want to get an early start to your day, you're welcome to join us as well.
PREPARE: FIGHT GONE BAD!
It's been a while since we've done Fight Gone Bad (FGB), a classic CrossFit WOD!
Post your score enhancing tips to comments.
Coach Glassman on FGB:
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_FGBSCDemoExplanation.mov
Progress
The dip curve, from The Dip by Seth Godin
We all have improvements we've made since starting with CrossFit training.
And now it's your turn to let us know.
Post to comments the single biggest improvement you've made since beginning CrossFit. This can be in a lift, a benchmark workout, your aerobic capacity, whatever.
Zone Recipe: Tilapia Vera Cruz
I enjoyed this zoney-treat a few months back in a dusty town near Hermosillo, Mexico that I have since made in several more variations of the original. Delicious and easy, tilapia is a sweet tasting fish that goes well with just about anything!
Tilapia Vera Cruz:
1 lb Tilapia fillets
olive oil
white onion
garlic
red pepper
green pepper
tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes
jalapeno
salt and pepper to taste
*Habanero sauce optional!
For Sauce: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in saucepan. Add garlic, onions, jalapeno, olives (capers optional). As soon as ingredients start to sizzle, add the tomatoes and salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
For Tilapia: Pat dry fish fillets and season with salt and pepper. In skillet add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil with medium to high heat and swirl in pan. Add seasoned fillets and sear about 2-3 minutes per side or until golden. Hold in warm oven until all fillets are cooked.
Serve together in some warmed corn tortillas!
More Tilapia recipes:
http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ista/recipes.htm
Post favorite fish recipes to comments.
Reminder: Rowing Clinic Thursday March 27
Just a quick reminder, along with a helpful video on rowing technique, that we'll be holding a rowing clinic the last Thursday of this month, March 27. The clinic begins at 8:00pm and the cost is $20 to drop in.
Please let Nicole or Mike know if you plan on attending, or send an email to info@crossfitoakland.com.
Also, if you do plan on attending, let us know ahead of time the technical issues you're looking to get addressed so that we can make sure you get what you need out of the clinic.
Thank You Dave!
"Davey"
Many thanks to Dave for helping us construct and assemble our new CrossFit-style gravitron pulley! Between the rubber bands and pulley system there's opportunity for everyone to develop strict dead hang pull-ups (or one arm pull-ups) and ring dips. Dave is also helping us get a harness together for assisted muscle-ups! Thanks Davey!
Love to Dave in comments...
Happy Birthday, Aminta!
Aminta climbing the rope at CFO on her birthday
Seems like a lot of CFOers are having birthdays these days! This time it's our turn to wish Aminta a happy birthday.
For those of you who don't know Aminta, she's one of our long-time CFO athletes. She's been coming to CrossFit Oakland since we opened up for business in our first space way back in 2005. And she's a 6am diehard to boot.
Post birthday wishes to Aminta in comments.
Oakland Firefighters Random Acts
Firefighters from Station 18 delivering food to a West Oakland resident after a two alarm fire.
Oakland Firefighters Random Acts provides resources for Oakland Firefighters to create a random act of kindness when they encounter people in need on their emergency calls in the community. On Saturday, April 12 they will hold their 7th Annual Awards and Dinner Dance at 7p.m. at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Oakland. A few of us from CFO are planning on attending and we thought we'd throw it out there to see how many CrossFitters we could gather for the event. Tickets are $75/person (cocktails at 5:30, dinner at 7:00)
Random Acts website:http://www.ofrandomacts.org/index.shtml
Let Nicole or Mike know if your interested in attending.
5k at Lake Merritt
Some of the evening crew at Lake Merritt
Thanks to all who turned up at Lake Merritt for the evening classes tonight. It was a blast and something we'll be doing again very soon!
Post to comments workout ideas for our next outdoor WOD.
Spring Forward!
EVENING CLASSES TOMORROW AT LAKE MERRITT!!!
We're taking CFO outside! Now that the days are longer we are going to hold one day a month of classes outside at various locations. Our test run will be tomorrow evening for the 5p.m., 6p.m. and 7p.m. classes. Meet across the street from Gold's Gym on Grand Avenue approximately 100 meters west of 580. If you are in contact with an evening CFO athlete who doesn't frequent the blog, please give them a call and let them know what's happening tomorrow! We'll have some equipment for anyone who wants to do an alternate workout...
PARKING: Under the freeway, or near the library adjacent to the field.
Post your opinions about outdoor WODs to comments.
Performance or Aesthetics?
Mudmen from Papua New Guinea
We're going to venture down a different path than the one we're normally on, the one related to performance, health, and fitness.
Let's face it, we all care about how we look. The question that often vexes us, though, is whether we should focus on performance to achieve the look we're after.
As many of you may already know, I'm a regular reader of Robb Wolf's work, in particular his excellent blog. And since Robb is far smarter than I, I'm simply going to reference one of his entries on this very subject, rather than come up with something far less insightful and well-reasoned than Robb has already put forward.
The original entry, Performance-Based Aesthetics, can be found here. And the entire post has been reprinted below.
Read through it and post your thoughts on the topic to comments.
What do you do at CrossFit Oakland?
CFO THROWDOWN BLOG:http://cfothrowdown.blogspot.com/
We need your help!
Given 4 sentences (or less) , how would you describe your experience at CFO to a complete stranger--someone who is new to CrossFit and group training?
We are working on a postcard and thought we'd turn it over to the community to mull over in hopes of coming up with a clever, succinct and compelling description of the experience that is CrossFit at CFO. If we use your description you get a free month of unlimited training and a hug from Mike.
Post your best CFO advertisement to comments.
Another CFO Birthday!
Connie showing off her handstand skills
Last week Laura B celebrated her birthday. And now we have another one to celebrate.
Today was fellow CFO athlete (and trainer) Connie's birthday. She turned the ripe old age of 25!
Post birthday wishes to Connie in comments.
Skill Development: Concept II Rowing Technique
Many people have expressed an interest in refining their rowing technique to become more efficient, so as a part of our monthly skill development seminars we will offer a Rowing Technique Seminar on Thursday March 27 at 8pm-9pm. The cost is $20 and you can R.S.V.P. to info@crossfitoakland.com.
Concept II and Crossfit:
http://www.concept2.com/us/commercial/crossfit/
The CFO Throwdown Blog
The CFO Throwdown (CFOT) has taken on a life of its own. Between all the PRs that are being set and the banter between some of our participants, we need a separate mechanism for showcasing all things CFOT-related.
As such, we've thrown together the CFO Throwdown blog.
Look for updated point totals for all CFOT participants on the blog tomorrow morning.
Enjoy!
Old School CFO: "Cindy"
How far we've come!
Post thoughts on CFO's evolution to comments.
Change to CFO Throwdown Scoring Rules
It's all about the numbers
After much feedback from all of you, and some deliberation on our part, we've changed the scoring system for the CFO Throwdown going on this March.
Points will be awarded per the following scheme:
* 5 points for first place
* 4 points for second place
* 3 points for third place
* 2 points for doing the workout as prescribed
* 1 point for completing the workout
* -5 points for missing the workout
Relax!
***IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ***
We'll be keeping the gym open today from 1pm until 5pm for anyone who wants to come in and do today's WOD, Linda, ahead of the evening classes. If you have any flexibility in your schedule, please take advantage of these extended hours!
A much-needed break
It's been said before, but it bears repeating once more: you need to rest and recover in order to make gains in fitness and enhance your health.
Whether it's getting a good night's sleep, taking a break from workouts, or getting away from it all and taking a vacation, recovery is paramount for sustainable health and fitness.
I had the opportunity to spend some time up in Wilbur Springs this weekend, basically doing nothing but eating a lot, sleeping even more, and spending time in hot and cold natural springs (there's nothing quite like jumping from a 40-degree cold bath directly into a 105-degree hot spring to remind you you're alive).
Not only did it allow my body to recover, but it gave me some much needed perspective and the chance to think about what's really important in my life.
I'd encourage everyone to do the same!
Post to comments any strategies or methods you have for stealing away some much needed down time, whether we're talking an hour here and there throughout the week, your favorite vacation spot, or whatever you need to do to keep it all in perspective.
