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April
Changes Taking Place in May
We're having some changes to schedule and class structure beginning May 1. Listed below are said changes, in no particular order.
Schedule Changes
Beginning tomorrow, we'll be shifting around the weekday morning classes a bit (weekend morning class times will remain the same). Our 9am and 10am classes will be replaced with classes beginning at 8:30am and 9:30am. This shifts the start time back a half-hour.
For an updated schedule for May, check out our Schedule page.
Class Format Changes
Class Format Change #1
Based on a lot of feedback we've been receiving, from May forward (until we change our minds!), we'll be posting the National Site workout and a Fundamentals workout side by side.
The intent of the Fundamentals workout is to capture the spirit of the National Site workout while giving newcomers, those working through injury, or those wanting to revisit the fundamentals and get on the road to virtuosity the chance to perform a workout other than the one posted on CrossFit.
For example, if you're still working on getting your first kipping pull-up and the posted workout calls for 100 pull-ups, we'd have a workout up there that you'd be able to perform and still reap the benefits of a workout done at a high intensity level, while still keeping your burgeoning kipping pull-up technique relatively fresh, your hands intact, and your muscles only sore enough to let you know that you've worked out but not so sore that you're sidelined for a week.
For an example of how the Fundamentals workout could work (although this won't necessarily be how it works) for today's workout (Max rounds in 20 minutes of 10 thrusters @ 65# and 10 pull-ups), check out this post from CrossFit Affiliate Brand X Martial Arts.
Class Format Change #2
We've recently seen a need for additional strength work, either in addition to the standard CrossFit workout or as a temporary replacement for said workout. As you know if you've read the giant poster on our wall, strength is one of the ten general physical skills we want you to develop, and should therefore be as much a focus in your training as cardiorespiratory endurance or stamina (two of the other ten general physical skills).
And as such, we're opening up every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to dedicated strength training. This is an option for you, not a mandate. But we'd strongly encourage everyone to at least spend a little time working on pushing your limit strength up a bit, if for no other reason than to make those 95# thrusters feel a little easier in Fran (they'll never feel pleasant, of course).
The programming template that will be followed will be based largely on Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength and will center around the five basic barbell lifts: back squat, deadlift, power clean, shoulder press, and bench press. We'll also include some weighted pull-up work and some GHD work to round things out.
I have more to say about how this strength program will work, but I'll save that for my next blog entry, since this one is already getting long.
And in case you're still with me, yes, that does mean that on every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, there will actually be three workouts posted (the CrossFit workout, the Fundamentals workout, and the Starting Strength workout).
Post your thoughts--the good, the bad, and the ugly--on these changes to comments.
Athlete Spotlight: Robyn
Robyn, a 6a.m. regular and resident smack-talker is making some impressive gains lately! She's strong (190# backsquat/200#DL/30# Dead hang PU), lean (down 2 dress sizes since going from 13 to 11 blocks) and a consistent hard worker (just ask Vee or Joe P). We're looking forward to witnessing the gains and are psyched that Robyn is a part of the CFO community!
Robyn story-telling to comments.
Bay Area Affiliate Throwdown: Saturday May 24 at 10am
Just a reminder...in preparation for the CrossFit Games this summer, we'll be hosting a workout at CFO for all comers from the Bay Area on Saturday, May 24 at 10am.
The workout will be a hopper-style workout that won't be known until right before the WOD.
CrossFit One World and Diablo CrossFit are just a couple of the Bay Area affiliates who have already expressed interest and/or confirmed their participation.
Post to comments if you plan on taking part in our affiliate throwdown.
Name that Caption
Free CFO t-shirt to the slogan that best captures the spirit and people of this photo!
CFO Birthday Party
Gonzales and Mini at their CFO birthday bash
Nicole and I just wanna give a giant thank-you to everyone who came to Pizzaiolo tonight and made our little get-together so special. It was the best gift we could've asked for.
Post to comments something new you learned about a fellow CrossFitter at the party tonight.
Athlete Spotlight: Melissa A
Melissa hit a major PR the other day with her first dead-hang pull-up! A major milestone and the beginning of a new world of multiple reps, weighted and one-arm dreams and goals! Awesome work, Melissa, keep at it!
Happy Birthday, Nicole!
Nicole bringing out the big guns at last year's Mud Run
Happy 36th, Nicole!
Post birthday wishes in comments to Nicole, fellow CFO co-owner and trainer extraordinaire!
Flexibility Class: Beginning In May!
Nothing metaphysical here--Dawn Miller will be focusing on good old fashioned flexibility for the sole purposes of decreasing injury and increasing CF performance. Dawn will be placing special emphasis on hips and shoulders every Saturday beginning in May at 11a.m.. The classes are $7.00 for drop-in.
Please let us know if you are interested in attending.
Shoes Ain't All They're Cracked Up to Be
(Thanks to CFOer Alec B for passing along this article)
We have a few shoe-philes at CFO that I've seen. Turns out the best thing we can do for our feet might be to walk around unshod.
According to the article, shoes not only ruin our natural gait, but it can even affect how we act.
Read the article and post any thoughts you have to comments.
Schedule Changes at CFO: Beginning in May!
Beginning the first week of May we will be rolling out a new weekday schedule (see attached schedule) and adding three new classes:
CrossFit for Seniors every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11a.m.
Flexiblity Class with Dawn Miller every Saturday morning at 11a.m..
CrossFit for First Responders with Lau Frat every Sunday morning at 11.am.
We will be posting specific information about each of these three classes in the days to come so stay tuned...
Here's a copy of the new schedule (First Responder and Flexibility not included):
Download file
Post thoughts to comments.
Wanna Go Longer...Go Faster
A picture of Sara Hall, an aspiring US miler, from the NY Times
(Thanks to CFOer Carlo C for passing along this article.)
Interval training--a la CrossFit--got another nice piece of validation in the mainstream press in a recent article on US miler Sara Hall.
The gist: push the intensity levels high in your training no matter what your distance. In other words, results won't come through settling into a comfortable pace.
The article is nice because it delves into mechanics, training, and recovery. We could lay this template over anything we do in CrossFit, whether it's running, performing a back squat, or doing Helen.
I highly recommend reading the full article here.
Post to comments any insights or thoughts you have after reading the article.
Weighted Pull-Ups
Post your weighted/unweighted pull-up goals to comments.
Muted Hip Function
A classic illustration from CrossFit's early days
I was recently perusing the main CrossFit site, as well as some of the older CrossFit Journal articles, and found the illustration above.
I remember seeing it for the first time and a light bulb clicking on in my head. This was a perfect representation (and contrast) of the good, the bad, and the ugly in human movement.
The picture on the left applies to all kinds of squats and squat-like movements (think thrusters). But it also applies to the quick lifts, like the clean and snatch. The picture on the left is how you should be moving under load. The picture on the right is an illustration of muted hip function, where the power of your legs and hips are vastly underutilized.
Ever miss a power clean before, even though you get it up high enough to be caught in the rack position? Chances are you're not getting down into the position on the left fast enough, if at all.
When your CFO trainers cue you to get "butt back, chest high" it's so that you'll get in the position on the left. It's the ideal position to transfer force with the legs and hips. For those of you who've read any of Rippetoe's work, you'll see that this is very much like what he lays out as the ideal position to execute back squats and power cleans. In other words, it's consistent with the physics and geometry that underpins the basic barbell movements that Rippetoe teaches.
So next time you notice your hip coming forward (or your butt not going back, if you'd rather think of it that way) on the catch of a power clean, understand that you're not only limiting your potential for bigger numbers in the clean, you're embedding a highly inefficient and potentially dangerous motor recruitment pattern.
The solution: back the weight off and do it right! It's critical that you understand you're not so much lifting a weight but training a movement pattern under load.
Post to comments your thoughts on the picture above, how it ties into your CrossFit game, and any other insights you might have to offer.
Basic KB Progression Clinic
Just a reminder that we will be having a Kettlebell Clinic on April 26th from 11a.m. to 12:30p.m! $20 for CFO members/$35 for non-members.
......and later that day, please join us for a B-Day Celebration and family-style dinner at Pizzaiolo on 51st and Telegraph in Oakland beginning at 6p.m. Everyone is welcome!
http://www.pizzaiolooakland.com/
Random Feats of Strength
I'm sure our resident YouTube-link-posting crew will have a field day with this video, but be that as it may, there are some epic feats of strength displayed by these guys, if you can get past the gold speedos and body paint.
And with that in mind, post to comments the one bodyweight feat you have yet to accomplish that you'd like to get by end of 2008.
Happy Birthday Mike and Lau!
GEORGE CARLIN'S VIEWS ON AGING
Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids?
If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. "How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five!
That's the key. You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back.
You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16!
And then the greatest day of your life . . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . . YOU BECOME 21. . . YEAS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk. He TURNED, we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 . . . and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70!
After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday! You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime.
And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I was JUST 92."
Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. " An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 8 Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
We love you guys, Happy Birthday! Post your birthday wishes to Mike and Lau to comments.
Reminder: Pose Seminar This Saturday, April 19
Throwdown Feast!
Our deepest gratitude to Lance V for feeding so many hungry CrossFitters with incredible gourmet eats that kept appearing in plate after tasty plate! Big love also, to Brad for arranging the use of his club for our event. All in all, it was an excellent time, with excellent people!
Post your gratitude to comments.
OFD Random Acts Dinner
The CFO table at the Oakland Fire Dept Random Acts Dinner
Just wanted to give a big thank-you to the CFOers who came out tonight to support a good cause, OFD's Random Acts Program.
And props to Jacques and Lau, who volunteered to be part of the clean-up crew (their shift didn't start 'til midnight). Talk about pulling double duty.
Your Logo Here!
"Smoke you like cheap crack," is a keeper, but we are now looking to print another run of hoodies, t's and tank tops and are are hoping that you all have a few catchy phrases to help us capture the spirit of CrossFit.
Post to comments.
The Mike and Nicole Birthday Party!
An eggplant and ricotta pizza from Pizzaiolo
Mark your calendars, everyone!
Nicole and I are going to celebrate our 36th (gasp!) birthdays at Pizzaiolo from 6pm to 9pm on Saturday, April 26 and you're all invited!
You read that right; any and all are welcome. We love CFO and can't think of a better group of people to spend time with for our birthday.
We've reserved the back patio area, including the bocce ball court, so there will be plenty of food, drink, and fun for all.
Post to comments if you can make it so that we can get a general sense of headcount.
Jumping
Tested your vertical jump lately? Post your recent stats to comments.
Last Minute Details on Throwdown Dinner
The Hiller Highlands Country Club
***IMPORTANT****
We're changing the venue for our throwdown dinner this Sunday, April 13.
We're now holding the dinner at the banquet room in the Hiller Highland Country Club (thanks to CFOer Brad G for making this happen).
All other details related to the dinner are still the same (time is still 4pm, date is still April 13).
Also, please note that we'll be holding our Sunday afternoon class at 2pm so that there will be time to go to the afternoon class and still make the throwdown dinner with time to spare.
For directions to the club, click the link below:
Google Map for the Highlands Country Club
Lance needs a final headcount by end of day Wednesday, so if you plan on attending and you haven't already responded via comments or email, please do so now. And be sure to let us know if you're bringing guests.
See you all on Sunday!
April Skill Clinic: Kettlebell Technique
Our next seminar will be given by long-time CrossFitter, Jonathan Heuer who will be offering a Kettlebell Clinic on April 26th from 11a.m. to 12:30p.m (10 person max).
$20 for CFO members/$35 for non-members.
****ATTENTION CF GAMES COMPETITORS****WE WILL BE HAVING A LOCAL AFFILIATE THROWDOWN HOPPER STYLE ON MAY 24TH!!!!! THE BATTLE CALL GOES OUT TOMORROW SO STAY-TUNED...
R.S.V.P to comments or email us at info@crossfitoakland.com
CFO Field Trip
The CFO crew after their workout this morning at CrossFit North Santa Cruz
Today we took the first of what will likely be several trips to nearby CF affiliate gyms over the next couple of months.
We had a great time and got to be coached by Jason Highbarger, who's one of the old-school CF trainers and goes way back with the Glassmans, well before CrossFit became an internet phenomenon.
He gave us a great lesson on scaling up a workout. We took the Fran format, increased the weight, replaced pull-ups with some rope climbs, broke the reps down into smaller sets, and added some 80-meter sprints. This workout was all about peak power production.
As a side note, the workout wasn't timed, which isn't quite as nice as you might think. This ensured that each of our sprints were all-out efforts.
I'll be offering this workout up for rest day fodder tomorrow. Let's see if we get any takers!
Pose Seminar Saturday, April 19th 9a.m. to 12p.m.
We have asked Tim Hill, a POSE Technique certified running coach to teach another seminar on Saturday April 19th from 9a.m. to 12p.m. at Piedmont High Track.
What is POSE?
The Pose Method is a system for teaching of human movement developed by a 2-time Olympic Coach Dr. Nicholas S. Romanov. The name of the method comes from the word "pose" or "body position".
If you analyze the movement of any body through time and space, you will clearly see that the body passes through an infinite number of positions. Most of the positions (or poses) are transitional movements and are the result, not the cause, of proper positioning.
The ability of certain poses to integrate the whole chain of preceding and subsequent movements into one whole, wasting no energy on inconsequential movement laid the foundation of the Pose Method.
The cost for the seminar is $100 (We need a minimum of 5 people/max of 15)
Pose Method:
http://www.posetech.com/
Throwdown Dinner Done Lance-Style
We need to get a headcount for everyone who will be coming to our throwdown-inspired dinner that is happening on Sunday, April 13 at 4pm.
Fellow CFOer and cook Lance V has graciously offered up his services, and we've posted the menu below.
* Delta asparagus, piquillo pepper artichoke vinaigrette, basil salad
* Classic caesar
* Tortilla espanola, romesco sauce
* California artisan cheeses, seeded crisps, baguette, fruit
* Seared ahi tuna, salsa verde, olives
* Niman Ranch pork chili rojo, fried and steamed corn tortillas, guacamole
All CFOers, plus friends and family, are welcome to join us. We only ask that you bring a dessert or wine to share.
We'll also be awarding Daniel and Tamara for their first-place finishes in the CFO throwdown (don't worry if you don't know what this is).
If you plan on attending, say so in comments or email us at info@crossfitoakland.com. Also, if you plan on bringing any guests, let us know so we can get an accurate headcount.
And also post a big thank you to Lance for putting this whole thing on!
CFO Athlete Vanessa K: Featured in Sunset Magazine!
***IMPROMPTU CFO GATHERING***
CFOers: A bunch of us will be meeting at T-Rex Barbecue on 1300 Tenth Street in Berkeley (Tenth & Gilman, basically) at 8pm tonight.
This will be an informal celebration of the end of the throwdown and rumor has it that Daniel and Tamara will be buying rounds for everyone.
Everyone is welcome, whether you were part of the throwdown or not (or even if you have no idea what the throwdown is).
Come one, come all!
Check it out! Our fellow Crossfitter, Vanessa, of Vee's Horticulture is featured in the April issue of Sunset Magazine!
http://www.sunset.com/sunset/garden/article/0,20633,1720255,00.html
Vee's website:
http://veehorticulture.com/
Congratulations to Vanessa on her BEAUTIFUL work!
Road Trip!
CrossFit North Santa Cruz during a CF Level 1 Certification
I'd like to get as many people as possible to join me this Sunday, April 6 for a group workout at CrossFit North Santa Cruz.
I have four people on board; let's see how many more takers we can get.
We're scheduled for the 10am class down there and it should be a blast. The facility is supposed to be beautiful and Brendan will be stopping by as well. And I know the guys there will give us one hell of a workout.
We'll be meeting at 8:15am at CFO and departing from there.
(As an aside, I'd originally planned on hitting CrossFit Santa Cruz Central on Saturday, making it a two-day CF bonanza, but we'll have to save that for another day.)
Post to comments if you can make it.
When in Utah, Do GI Jane!
"Murph" by Connie M.
Our fellow CrossFitter and CFO Trainer Connie M, is currently stationed (on a secret mission) in Utah where it happens to be dumping snow! True to form, CM is making the most of an otherwise dreary hotel room with the help of her Door Gym and a little creativity. She has turned her current no-CF-gym-having experience into an opportunity to work bodyweight in as many (and there are hundreds) combinations as space and willingness will allow. Surely she will come back with some new tricks, say pistols? full handstand push-ups? Multiple L-Pull-ups?
You can check her out on her very own blog here:
http://moreconnie.blogspot.com/
Or, you can send her well wishes for continued bodyweight achievements to comments.
