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March
New Swiss Ball Class Starting Tomorrow!
The newest fitness tool at CFO
We've been looking for a new way to take our brand of fitness to the next level. And we're excited to announce that beginning tomorrow at 10am, we'll be rolling out a new Swiss Ball class. We're really looking forward to changing up our programming a bit, and feel that this will give us an edge heading into this year's CrossFit Games.
With Coach Glassman already proclaiming that there will be movements that have never been contested in previous Games that will be contested this year, we have to be prepared. The exercise programming options for swiss balls are nearly limitless. We have enough high-intensity, varied programming options to keep even the most advanced athlete busy for years. For many, the development of advanced swiss ball skills will be a three- to five-year odyssey.
Discuss how you'll integrate swiss ball skills and drills into your daily CF programming.
Tamara Holmes: CFO Trainer
We are excited to announce that Tamara Holmes is now a CFO trainer! For those of you who don't already know her, she is one of CrossFit Oakland's original members, a member of the Oakland Fire Department, an accomplished athlete, and an all-around incredible woman! Tamara has been an inspiration to us all, and we look forward to the impact she will have as a CrossFit coach and trainer.
Tamara Holmes: http://games2009.crossfit.com/competitors/athlete-profile-tamara-holmes-4-in-2008.html
Post your T. Holmes love to comments.
OPD Hero Workout a Success
The OPD Hero Workout was a big success today.
Thank you to all who showed up today and contributed, both on the gym floor and off the gym floor.
We raised $1,800 for the families of the four officers killed today. Rest in peace, Sgt Mark Dunakin, Officer John Hege, Sgt Daniel Sakai, and Sgt Ervin Romans.
Top Female Fininsher as Rx'd:
Polly (CF East Bay) 19:16
Top Male Finisher as Rx'd:
Manwell (CF Oakland) 10:28
Saturday Workout Details
OPD Fallen Hero Workout
So here are the details of the workout, as prescribed.
Run 400m
40 deadlifts @ 275#/185#
40 box jumps @ 24"
40 push presses @ 115#/85#
Run 400m
We wanted to make sure that the number 4 was prominent, in honor of the four who were killed in the line of duty: Sgt Mark Dunakin, Officer John Hege, Sgt Daniel Sakai, and Sgt Ervin Romans.
Come out and show your support! We're asking for $10 minimum contributions. All proceeds will go to the trust funds that have been set up for the officers.
We'll run as many heats as needed to get through the workout, and we'll be kicking off the first heat shortly after 9am.
And of course, scaling of loads and reps is allowed. This is a workout that anyone can do.
CFO Fran-Off Team Tournament
I don't want to detract from the OPD workout too much, so let me just remind you that we're looking for at least 16 men and at least 8 women that can do Fran as rx'd on Saturday. We'll be drawing teams at 11am, following the OPD workout. Look for a spot on the whiteboard to sign up. We'll cut off men's and women's slots in increments of 8 (8, 16, 24, etc.). Sign-ups will be done on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Busy Weekend at CFO!
We will be having a baby shower for Dawn and Gareth (and their son) this Saturday, May 28th at 2:30 to 4:30 at IronWorks Gym in Berkeley (in the yoga room). It's a potluck, so please sign-up for a dish on the white board at CFO! Please inquire with Nicole or Robyn if you're interested in pitching in for the baby's gift.
Directions to IronWorks:http://www.touchstoneclimbing.com/bi_map.html
Also this Saturday:
OPD Fundraiser from 9a.m. to 11a.m. (Please note all classes will be doing the Hero WOD in honor of the fallen OPD officers)
Fran-Off at 11a.m.
Post parental wisdom and well-wishes to comments.
Hero WOD Fundraiser this Saturday, March 28 from 9 a.m. to 11a.m.
Please join us this Saturday, March 28th, from 9a.m. to 11a.m. to honor the lives of Sgt Mark Dunakin , Officer John Hege, Sgt Daniel Sakai, and Sgt Ervin Romans. We will be doing a Hero WOD we are calling it "OPD" and ask that every participant donate a minimum of $10 to help the families of the slain officers.
If you want to donate directly to the trust funds that have been established:
Three trust funds have been set up to help the families of three of the slain officers. Checks can be made out to Dunakin Children's Family Trust, Romans Children's Family Trust and Sakai Family Trust. The checks can be mailed to the Oakland Police Officers Association, Attn: Renee Hassna, 555 Fifth St,, Oakland CA 94607.
Wire transfers can be made directly to Merrill Lynch accounts for the three families: Dunakin Children's Family Trust, a/c #204-04065; Romans Children's Family Trust, a/c #204-04066; Sakai Family Trust, a/c #204-04064.
Post to comments if you plan on attending.
OPD
Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families of the officers killed yesterday.
We will be collecting funds for the officers' families--please let us know if you would like to make a contribution.
Condolences to comments.
Another Super Senior Joins the Club
Vickie after finishing a press
Vickie is the latest senior to start training at CFO every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We caught her on camera during a shoulder press last Friday. Besides being able to hoist weight overhead like it's nothing, Vickie is also an accomplished steel sculptor.
Anyone who's been under the Powell Street Undercrossing in Emeryville will already be familiar with her work. She's the one who created the steel statues that line the undercrossing.
You can see all of her work here: http://www.unrulyimages.com/index.html
(Check out the Public Art link; you'll see many familiar steel sculptures.)
Let's post a nice welcome to Vickie in comments.
National Junor Championships and Pan Am Team Qualifier this weekend!
The 2009 National Junior Championships and Pan Am Team Qualifier will be held Fri. March 20 - Sun. March 22. at:
Crowne Plaza Hotel
1221 Chess Drive
Foster City, CA, 94404
http://www.usawjuniornationals.com/
Anyone interested in carpooling? Post to comments
Team Fran Competition Saturday March 28 at 11am
Due to some schedule conflicts this weekend, we're postponing the Team Fran competition until Saturday, March 28. The first heat will be running at 11am.
This is our version of March Madness. Here's how it will go down.
There will be two divisions: male and female.
The workout will be Fran:
21-15-9 Reps:
Thrusters @ 95#/65#
C2B Pull-Ups
We're looking for sixteen men and at least eight women, but will accept more if there are enough people interested. We'll then draw a pair of names randomly from a hat. This draw will determine a few things at once: the teams, which teams will be facing off against each other, and when they're going.
In order to be a part of the competition, we're asking that you be able to do Fran as prescribed. That means you should be able to do at least one thruster at 95# (65# for women) and one chest-to-bar pull-up (clavicle or lower comes into contact with the bar).
And here's the twist that makes it interesting: the competition is not time-based, but rather match-up-based. Two teams will be going head-to-head in each heat, and whoever finishes first advances to the next round (doesn't matter if it takes 2 minutes or 20 minutes, whoever comes out on top goes to the next round). Additionally, if a team loses in the first round, they are still in the competition. They move down to the losers' bracket, where they have a chance to move on and can still win the whole thing.
The competition will continue on, round by round, the winners of the previous round facing off against each other until there's just one team left standing.
Please note: there are no rules for how many reps someone has to do. You can divide up the reps however you see fit.
Who's in? Post to comments.
Athlete Profile: Tom Campitelli
In light of the recent discussion on our blog regarding strength programming we thought it would be a fine time to highlight long-time CFO athlete, Tom Campitelli.
About a year ago, Tom was weighing in at 172 lbs, he was continuing to see progress in the WODs, but had stalled on strength. After attending Mark Rippetoe's Barbell Certification, Tom embarked on a year long strength program in which he focused primarily on strength gains. Here are the results:
Squat 205 (March 2008) 282.5 (March 2009)
Press 85 (March 2008) 124 (March 2009)
Bench 145 (March 2008) 205 (March 2009)
Deadlift 245 (March 2008) 355 (March 2009)
Power Clean 145 (March 2008) 203 (March 2009)
Where did all of this get him? Naturally, his metcon has been impacted, however, Tom is now able to do more CrossFit WODs as prescribed! Tom's approach is in perfect alignment with his goals which are to to get stronger and increase body weight. Over time, Tom will most likely come back to the WODs on a more regular basis to test his strength gains.
If CrossFit is your sport there will be natural ebbs and flows to the approach you take to address your weaknesses and achieve your goals. The moral of the story is that doing all CrossFit WODs as prescribed is an endpoint and there are many paths to that end.
Talk to us if you're interested in incorporating strength training into your current training schedule.
Post your experimentations with CF and strength to comments.
Where's the Beef?!
Just a quick reminder, we're having 15 forty-pound boxes of grass-fed beef delivered to CFO this Friday, March 20, by way of Prather Ranch.
The cost for each box is $231.60. Checks should be made payable to CrossFit Oakland. We need to have checks in hand by Thursday or as they say: no cash, no carry.
***Team Fran Double Elimination Tourney Coming Soon!***
Just a quick heads-up, we're going to be doing a Team Fran tourney this Sunday, March 22. Check out Thursday's post for details.
The CrossFit Survival Guide for Beginners-Part Two
This post is for everyone who is new to CFO and CrossFit programming. We have put together some guidelines for the new athlete in hopes that CrossFit can provide a lifetime of fitness.
1. Learn the movements and commit to the fundamentals! These will the basis of the programs efficacy. When you are learning a new movement, go light, reduce the repetitions and emphasize excellent form.
2. Start easy! We offer a "Fundamentals" workout every day. The Fundamentals workout is designed for athletes who are new to the program and want a slower on-rampt tot he full fledged WOD. Modify the WOD any way you need to - split up a high repetition set into many low rep sets, reduce the weights, reduce the volume or distances.
3. Make the WOD a habit. Three days on, one day off. Consistency is the key, intensity will follow. Give yourself a few months to adjust to the stimulus.
4. Get your nutrition in order! You will reap GREAT benefits from adjusting your nutritional intake to support your training goals.
5. Remember that doing the WOD Rx'd can be a multi-year goal!
What would those of you who are CF veterans add, emphasize, and insist on for a new CrossFitter? Training tips, your recollection of the early days, what you would have done the same, what you would have done different? Post to comments.
***IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT***
The blood drive has been canceled today! We're looking to reschedule the blood mobile for next week. Stay tuned.
Get Strong and Get Healthy
The cross-section of a muscle fiber
We've heard it from Mark Rippetoe again and again, and I've more recently heard it from Charles Poliquin, but now science is starting to come to the same conclusion: strength training is far more valuable in terms of overall health and fitness than aerobic exercise.
In the studies below, pulled from PubMed, the importance of strength training only magnifies as we age.
Study 1
Association between muscular strength and mortality in men: prospective cohort study.
Conclusion of study: Muscular strength is inversely and independently associated with death from all causes and cancer in men, even after adjusting for cardiorespiratory fitness and other potential confounders.
Study 2
Association of muscular strength with incidence of metabolic syndrome in men.
Conclusion: Muscular strength was inversely associated with metabolic syndrome incidence, independent of age and body size. Potential benefits of greater muscular strength presumably through resistance exercise training should be considered in primary prevention of metabolic syndrome.
[Ed note: Here's a good definition of metabolic syndrome from Wikipedia.]
What do you think of the studies? Do they mesh with your own experiences in training? What are the reasons why the conclusion of these studies, that strength training is more conducive to heath and fitness, might be valid? Or why not? Post thoughts to comments.
Diablo CrossFit Team Comp Sat Mar 14
The next team competition is going to happen this Saturday, March 14. beginning at 11am at Diablo CrossFit.
The workout will be a four-person team, with at least one female per team. For more on the event: Click Here.
You need to pre-register as a team if you're planning on competing, so post to comments if you'd like to take part in the team competition so that we can put everyone on a team.
Even more Open Gym Hours!
Papa Brad
Beginning next Monday, March 16th, we will be offering Open Gym Hours everyday from 10a.m to 12p.m. and 3p.m. to 5p.m.! Feel free to drop in during those hours to work a skill, make up a WOD, or just play around with the equipment.
*******PLEASE NOTE ALL PRATHER RANCH PARTICIPANTS***********
Prather Ranch let us know today that the beef will not be delivered this Friday! We will have to wait until March 20th. Please let us know if this change in delivery date is a deal breaker. Sorry for the incovenience--the mysterious inner workings of the bovine industry are vastly complicated.
What were the highlights of Kelly's hip seminar this evening? Post to comments for those who could not make it.
Reminder: CFO Blood Drive Next Tue Mar 17
A quick reminder to everyone that we're holding a blood drive next Tuesday, March 17.
This will give you a chance to do a good deed before you get your St. Patrick's Day boozing on. The Red Cross will be parking its bloodmobile at CFO from 12pm to 7pm, so all you have to do to make a donation is show up at CFO.
We want to get 30 donations done. There's a sign-up sheet on the CFO whiteboard. Put your name on it!
Kelly Starrett at CFO this Wednesday at 6p.m.!
Please note that K-star will giving a clinic on hip function this Wednesday, March 11th from 6:00. to 7:30. We will have two classes that evening: 5p.m. and 7:30p.m.. Bring your questions to the PT Master!
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Thank you for this video from T. Holmes--CrossFit Women Rock!
CF Silicon Valley Throwdown
Team Asia before yesterday's team competition
Props to all of the teams who showed up yesterday and left everything they had on the floor at the CF Silicon Valley throwdown.
It was a great experience, if for no other reason than to expose some weaknesses and gaps in training. In my opinion, this is just what we needed heading into the homestretch right ahead of the Games.
Congratulations to the teams from CF Unlimited and CF San Jose for stepping it up.
The top five Rx'd results:
1. CF Unlimited 16:08
2. CF San Jose 16:38
3. CFO Team Nike 16:46
4. CFO Team Asia 19:38
5. CFO Oakland Ink 19:45
Post any insights you gained from competing yesterday.
More Prather Ranch Beef Please!
We have the lucky chance at another Prather Ranch beef delivery. Once again, Scott, The Organic Beef God, is offering us 40-lb boxes (varying cuts) for $231.60/each to be delivered next Friday, March 13th. If 40 lbs sounds like too much to handle you can always split a box with someone else and arm wrestle for the filet mignon.
For those of you who are new to the most divine grass-fed/grass-finished/certified organic beef in town here's a link to Prather Ranch: http://www.pratherranch.com/
Make checks payable to CrossFit Oakland in the amount of $231.60 and write your name on the sign-up sheet. Please note that there are 15 boxes available!
Post your favorite beef recipe to comments.
Gymnastics Clinic and Team Competition
Andres, along with some of the participants from tonight's Gymnastics Seminar
A big thank-you to Andres De La Rosa from CrossFit Marin for coming out this evening and putting some of us through the paces. Everyone who participated left eager for more.
We'll have him out again, next time for a half-day clinic so that we can devote more time to the foundational gymnastics skills.
***IMPORTANT TEAM COMPETITION ANNOUNCEMENT***
CrossFit Silicon Valley has posted the details of the team workout that's going to be happening at their facility this Saturday (first heat will begin at ~12:30pm).
Full workout details are here.
I need everyone who will be competing to post to comments no later than Friday at 6pm so that we can put together teams. If you don't post to comments and show up to the competition, you'll be placed randomly on a team. Don't let that happen!
Also, let's all meet at CFO at 10:30am on Saturday so that we can arrange rides down to CF Silicon Valley.
NorCal Team Competition Saturday, March 7th!!!!!
This Saturday CrossFit Silicon Valley is hosting another Norcal Team Competition! Registration and movement standards overview starts at 12PM-12:30. First heat starts at 12:30.
They will announce the WORKOUT on their Thursday blog post (http://xbodyfitness.typepad.com/xtra/). The workout will consist of teams of 3 persons, at least 1 male and 1 female.
Scaling: A team as a whole will be considered scaled even if only 1 person scales back on weight.
Here is a rough guideline:
As Rx'd = Men's max shoulder press > 125
As Rx'd = Women's max shoulder press > 85
Scaled = Men's max shoulder press < 115
Scaled = Women's max shoulder press < 80
Let's get a big CFO showing! Post your intent to compete to comments and carpool needs...
Gymnastics Clinic This Thursday 3/5 at 8pm
Just a quick reminder...
Andres De La Rosa of CrossFit Marin will be holding a gymnastics seminar on March 5th from 8:00pm to 9:30pm at CFO. Andres has extensive experience teaching the basic gymnastics drills and skills and we highly recommend that those of you interested in bodyweight mastery attend! The cost is $20 to attend.
Please take advantage of this seminar. Andres really knows his stuff.
So we can get an idea of headcount, post to comments if you'll be attending.
We *heart* Mini
A moment of big love from the BOYS
Post your gratitude to Coach Mini in comments, poems welcome.
