CrossFit One World

BEFORE AND AFTER

Here in the Bay Area it's been perfect grill weather. Tonite's choices were yummilicious! Steak (t-bone for me, ribeye for Chyna), bacon wrapped prawns, and asparagus.

The prawns were simple. Wrap each fresh prawn in a half piece of bacon and stick a couple toothpicks through to hold together. No seasoning, but you can squirt on a little lime juice before serving. Lately, I've been taking to preparing a lot of my food by hand tossing it in olive oil and spices in a big stainless steel mixing bowl. I tossed the asparagus spears in olive oil, lemon pepper, dried minced onion, garlic powder, ground sea salt, and a bit of cayenne pepper. The steaks were tossed in a bit of olive oil, worcestershire sauce, lemon pepper, garlic powder, seasoned salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper. 

The final plate with a dirty vodka martini =)  Yummy! *******************************************************

WORKOUT   9/1/2011

Four round for time of:

• 3 rope climbs
• 10 ring dips
• 200m run with a medicine ball (W:14#/M:20#)

********************************************************

SIX SUNS IN THE SUNRISE

Power breakfast? Post thoughts to comments....

*****************************************************

More info on the 31 Heroes event that Anna has put together. This is open to anyone, but she needs to know how many people, so if you didn't get a chance to put your name on the sign-up at the gym, make sure you hit her up and let her know you plan on being there.

31 Heroes WOD Saturday! WHO'S IN?  If you are still considering joining us on Saturday, for the 31Heroes WOD at One World or for the BBQ/Pool Party at Anna's house after (or both!), please sign up! There is still time to register for the WOD at www.31Heroes.com. T-shirts will ship all together to the gym after Saturday. For the WOD, post to comments, send Anna a message on Facebook or write your name on the white board at the gym - We're trying to find out how many people are doing the workout, so we can make sure we have enough equipment. For the BBQ/Pool Party RSVP on the Facebook invite - Also, it would be great if you could comment on what you are going to bring, so we make sure we have enough food and drinks! Wear your RED, WHITE and BLUE Saturday. We will take a group picture that will be included in a collage that will be sent to the families of the fallen Navy SEALS. It's a partner workout, so find someone to pair up with beforehand, or you can see who needs a partner on Saturday morning.  It's about the cause, not competing to win, so let's have a great time and kick some butt in memory of the 31 Heroes!  This is what our community is about and I'm happy that we can do a little something for them. I hope you can join us!!

******************************************************

WORKOUT   8/31/2011

Complete the following for time:

• 10 squats/1 burpee
• 9 squats/2 burpees
• 8 squats/3 burpees
• 7 squats/4 burpees
• 6 squats/5 burpees
• 5 squats/6 burpees
• 4 squats/7 burpees
• 3 squats/8 burpees
• 2 squats/9 burpees
• 1 squat/10 burpees

Weight for women is 105#. Weight for men is 165#.

POWER HOUR   8/31/2011

• 2 back squats on the minute every minute for 10 minutes (as heavy as possible)
• 3 x max push-ups

*******************************************************

A QUESTION WORTH PONDERING

Right before the CrossFit Games, I was sifting through the athlete profiles. I noticed that there were a significant number of athletes that had a pretty decent deadlift, but only a so-so squat. In the master's division, there were guys with a deadlift near 500#, but a squat that barely topped 300#.

Why is this? Post your thoughts to comments 

I'll start off..... IMHO, the squat is harder work than the deadlift both mentally and physically. For me, a 100% effort at a 5x5 squat or working max reps at percentages near your one rep max or three rep max are harder than any CrossFit workout I can think of. You get under the bar on a heavy squat, and even with a spotter, it's a mind fuck going down and knowing that all that weight is on your shoulders and trying to squish you like a bug. For some people it's a very uncomfortable and scary place to be.

The deadlift is a little more forgiving. If you load a bar up with a new PR weight, or you are working numerous reps, you either lift the bar or you don't. If you don't lift it, you just drop it. (Simple, but frustrating none the less.) Mentally, its just not the same as heavy squating.

Interestingly enough, I've been taught that heavy deadlift training takes the body's nuerological system about a week to recover. On the other hand, I can squat pretty heavy three times a week and feel great both physically and mentally. When I'm in the middle of a big squat cycle, I start crushing my conditioning workouts.

Whatever your opinion about squatting vs. deadlifting, both are great measurements of strength. They are two of the three lifts that powerlifting is based on. (Why CrossFitters are such pansy asses when it comes to bench pressing is the subject of a different post.....lol.)

Looking forward to reading your comments on this one =)

******************************************************

WORKOUT   8/30/2011

"Nicole"

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:

• Run 400m
• Max pull-ups

Post number of pull-ups for each round. If not doing pull-ups, do ring rows. NO BOXES OR BANDS!

****************************************************

ONE WORLD OUT AND ABOUT....MAGIC MOUNTAIN!!!

 The views from the ride up on X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain. How awesome are rollercoasters?!?!?! 

This was my first time to Magic Mountain. I think for overall coaster experience, Magic Mountain has been my best park to date. We couldn't have picked a better day to go for a number of reasons. It was Sunday. A lot of kids are back in school, so people aren't traveling so much this weekend. It was 105 fucking degrees!!! We beat the heat by purchasing a souvenier cup and refilling it (for free) with ice water at every food place that had fountain sodas (bottled water is $2.50-$4.00). We got to the park at 11:30 and rode every coaster in the park within 6 hours. Our longest wait in line was 23 minutes even with waiting to sit in the front car for every ride. Chyna has been to this park a bunch of times and she said she'd never seen it so empty. By far, this was the best time I've ever had at an amusement park! Maybe next time it will be 110 degrees and I won't have to wait in any lines......

Been to a great amusement park? Post to comments (so I can visit it).

*******************************************************

I won't be getting back from SoCal until Monday evening. There will be open gym from 4 pm until 7:45 pm.

MAKE-UP DAY   8/29/2011

Make-up a workout you missed in the last cycle....OR....do the Power Hour....OR...work on a skill....OR....rest!

POWER HOUR   8/29/2011

Work on a gymnastic skill for 10 minutes. Then...

• 4 x 2 min sled drag (3/4 bodweight + sled)

You aren't running with the sled. This is a power walk. Rest as needed between efforts. If sharing sleds, walk one minute out and one minute back. 

*******************************************************

 

CHOICES

I'm currently staying at the Crowne Plaza at LAX. I ordered pizza. There were other choices on the menu, but for some reason, pizza just sounded pretty damn good. BTW- It sucked. It was a choice I made. There were plenty of other choices on the menu.

The other day a co-worker was telling me how he had to eat like shit for a full week because he was out of town at a training seminar. He ate every meal with the other participants at the seminar. They ate at a bunch of different chain restaurants. He was pretty adamant that he had to eat crap because he was eating out. I argued that I can find something decent to eat at any restaurant if I really want to eat "smart." I just cut out the excess shit they offer. Totally doable.

What do you do when you eat out?

*****************************************************

Sunday's workout is coach's choice.

***************************************************** 

SIMILAR TO CROSSFIT?

It's kinda similar to how CrossFit started:

One man at a little gym in Santa Cruz has grown into a worldwide mass of crazy (some of them literally) fitness nuts.

Thanks for the video Jor!

******************************************************

WORKOUT   8/27/2011

Complete five rounds for time of:

• 5 overhead squats (W:95#/W:135#)
• 5 handstand push-ups
• 50 double unders

******************************************************

SHORT NOTICE, BUT SOUNDS LIKE FUN!

If paleo is your thing, this sounds like your kind of event! From CrossFit San Mateo:

Hello Bay Area CrossFit Family! We’re putting on a huge Paleo Potluck fundraiser to bring together CrossFit gyms across the Bay Area for a fun community event to raise awareness around the Paleo lifestyle. This is the first ever of its kind and it’s all happening Saturday, August 27th, at our gym in downtown San Mateo across from the CalTrain. The event is a fundraiser for the Mid-Peninsula Boys and Girls Clubs and all proceeds will go to support their youth Sports, Fitness and Recreation programs. The day will start with a few WODs followed by a massive paleo potluck. Send your athletes to compete in our friendly competition and have them bring their favorite dishes to enter into our Paleo cookoff. We’ll have tables for all of the gyms to set up shop, and people can walk around and sample all of the delicious food. We’ll also be grilling meat, serving beer, and raffling off cool athletic gear from our sponsors all afternoon. This is a community event is open to all of your members and their friends and family. All CrossFit athletes can register to compete. Anyone can register to eat. Everyone is encouraged to bring a little something to share. Tickets at $10 with a dish to share, $20 without.  Register online at: www.paleopotluck.eventbrite.com Find us on Facebook here. More details are online. This isn't just going to be an awesome time eating meat and throwing down with some fun WOD's, it's a fundraiser for the kids. I could say I would love to see everyone there but that would be luke warm. I NEED to see all of you there. Remember, it's for the kids! See you soon, Brendon Mahoney Lift heavy. Run fast. Eat like a caveman. http://sanmateoteamelite.com

*****************************************************

WORKOUT & POWER HOUR   8/26/2011

Find your 3 rep max deadlift. Then.....

Complete four rounds for time of:

• 5 deadlifts at 85% of 3 rep max
• 10 jumping chest to bar pull-ups
• 15 American kettlebell swings (W:35#/M:53#)

*****************************************************

ONE WORLD OUT AND ABOUT....JAPAN!!!

I have come to the conclusion that:

1. Jor has only one CrossFit One World shirt.
2. Since Jor is a living, breathing worldwide billboard for One World, I am going to need to give him a few shirts in different colors.

"Hi Freddy, This biz trip I spent the first couple of days with my wife and daughter at my in-laws.  So, of course, always representing OW, I was there in my One World shirt.  The photos of my daughter in a kimono were taking for “Shichi Go San” which essentially means “7 5 3” (great rep scheme for a workout with….um…MUs?).  This is where girls at ages 3 and 7 get dressed up in kimonos and go to the temple to be blessed by some temple dude so they do well in school and have a good life.  The boys just do it at age 5..not sure why.  Taking photos is all part of the ritual.  Even though Shiho is only 6, she is kind of like 7 years old according to the Chinese calendar (they count the first 10 months in the womb??) and we decided to do it this year because she is starting to lose her teeth as well…so she probably would have less teeth for next year’s photos…..Here are those pics: Next, I went to the gym with my father-in-law.  I paid 200yen (about $2.60) and got this health check.  My bodyfat turned out to be 10%!  That was awesome.  To celebrate I did Fran with 45kgs (turns out that is 99#s…no wonder it felt heavy).  I think they combo of jet lag and hot and humid weather (95 degrees with 75% humidity) just had me huffing and puffing…I turned in a dismal 7:55 performance.  I swear that thing sucks even doing it on another continent.  It must have been entertaining for the old folks sitting on their machines and watching me. Sorry no pics of that…it was not a pretty sight. Then we went out to have lunch at this okonomiyaki place. Okonomiyaki literally means cooked what you like.  It is kind of like this thick Japanese pancake thing with noodles and beef and eggs and other stuff.  The guy and his wife in the background have owned and run this place for about 40 years.  Get that…work all day together, then head upstairs to where they live above their store and hang out.  They have been doing that for decades.  They are a gas to watch working together yelling and getting orders done and throwing egg shells all over the ground.  I don’t think I could work and live all day with my wife, but these two do it…quite common in the countryside in Japan..maybe they know something we don’t?? Next, I went to a game center:  That’s Shiho and my in-laws in the background. And then we went to some all you can eat place for dinner:  Don’t ask what is on the plate…but I think it would pass Robb Wolf approval. Thnx/BR/Jor" ******************************************************* Dellus West from London, United Kingdom, posted this on facebook after reading my training blog. He is a "Chief" at the Harmony Pain Relief and Injury Clinic. I thought I would share it with you all: "Hi mate, there's a real art to icing. The best method I've been shown to-date barring my thermal bath experience in Budapest. Get a shit load of ice cubes, in a plastic bag. Crush the ice by smashing it on the floor. This will give you a real cool surge which is what you want. Peas and ice packs do a job but with crushed ice you can mold it to the areas you want and still maintain the cold you need. Pop it on your knee, now the next key ingredient is cling film (that stuff you cover food with) I have a roll dedicated to icing which the mrs find amusing. With ice on knee attach it using the cling film. What it actually does is gives you the compression you require. With a bit of skill, you can use the compression to drive the cold into the areas you need it most. 10-15 mins I personally do and always recommend my patients to do at a time. Then just kick back with a beer or favourite tv show and let the ice do it's job.:)" ******************************************************

MAKE-UP DAY   8/25/2011

Make-up a workout you missed in the last cycle....OR....work on a skill....OR....rest!

*******************************************************

TRANSFORMATIONS

I was sifting through the pictures on Chyna's camera the other day looking for a picture I had taken during our stay in Ohio. I came across some old pictures of Chyna from a trip she took to Hawaii prior to meeting me or even doing Crossfit.

This picture was Chyna (far left) in the spring of 2009: Chyna just had two knee surgeries and was no longer swimming at San Jose State, but she admittedly was still eating like she was swimming. Translation: swimmers are notoriously bad eaters who consume massive quantities of calories to keep up with all that energy they expend in the pool. Also, being the young and fun college girl that Chyna was, she was partying pretty hard back then and drinking lots of bad calories on adventurous nights out with her friends. In this picture, Chyna weighed about 178#. 

In August of 2009, Chyna ended up joining CrossFit Milpitas (then CrossFit Unlimited). She really enjoyed it, and it turns out she was pretty good at it. After about four months, Austin started programming for her to compete in the 2010 Crossfit Games qualifiers. At the time, Austin was also programming for me. Chyna and I met on 12/28/2009. We took this picture on that day: At the time, Chyna had been aggressively CrossFitting for about 5 months. She was still not watching her diet, and she was still partying with friends a couple nights a week. As you can see, she had dropped weight, but she was still "soft." Body weight at the time of this photo was about #165.

Chyna rolled into the 2010 CrossFit Games season at the 165# body weight (picture at the Home Depot Center July 2010): She ended up taking 4th place in the California regional qualifier and finished 18th place at the CrossFit Games. For the 2011 season, she knew she had to make some changes. Chyna hooked up with John Welbourn for coaching and programming. (Funny side note: when John first met Chyna he thought she was a "chubby little girl" who worked hard....lol!)

The 2011 off-season became a dedicated focus on increasing strength and improving body mechanics. Training sessions stretched out to two hours or longer, with several cycles of heavy weight training, skill work drills, and suprisingly, not a lot of traditional CrossFit conditioning. As for her nutritional changes, Chyna rarely drank hard alcohol, but we were still drinking wine four nights a week or more. Most meals were meats and veggies, but she still enjoyed dessert at least four to five nights a week. A sweet tooth, as many of you know, is a motherfucker to beat.  

Depite the fact that Chyna drove John crazy with her dietary choices all year, the small changes in the diet and the focus on lifting heavy weights at 100% effort payed off. At the start of the training, Chyna weighed 165#. She competed at the 2011 NorCal Regionals at 145#, tying for 3rd, but not making it to the Games due to the tiebreaker rule. This shot from the Regional qualifier at 145#: The sting of not making it to the 2011 CrossFit Games brought to light that Chyna needed to give a TRUE 100% effort for her 2012 CrossFit Games training. She had the training part down, but she knew she had to give a 100% effort to her diet. Her official training for the 2012 CrossFit Games season started two weeks ago. Not only does she have report her training results to John everyday, she now has to report her food log to her nutritionist. The “diet” (for now) is gluten free paleo with dairy allowed. The diet wil be reassessed based on performance and how she's feeling in a few weeks. In two weeks time, Chyna is already starting to look leaner:

I hope you know that I didn't write this post to toot Chyna's horn. If I hadn't seen the 2009 Hawaii picture, I never even would have thought of this post. Though Chyna and I have been together for most of her transformation, sometimes you just don't notice how much people change when you are around them all the time. Seeing the 2009 photo and the last photo side by side on my laptop just made me think, "Wow! What a difference!" 

I am quite sure there are similar stories all across the CrossFit world. This post is about making a transformation, deciding how much of a transformation you want to make, and how dedicated you want to be to that goal. You can be healthier and lose a bit of weight by simply CrossFitting. You can lose a little more weight and CrossFit even better with some slight changes in your diet coupled with hard work. You can shed a few more pounds if part of that hard work is some SERIOUS weightlifting. But, to get the best results, in my opinion, you need to dedicate to hard work, heavy weight training, and a STRICT diet. Eat meats and veggies. Try gluten free and avoid ALL sugar. Don’t give a 100% effort to your diet for six days and then eat a bunch of CRAP on your “cheat day.”  All that does is knock your 100% effort for the week down to about a 75% or less effort. Stick to a cheat item once a week instead of a cheat day. 

Transformations are about dedication and being driven to succeed. I thought it was important to share this story with you all because I realized that we are all capable of being successful like Chyna. We just need to commit. I know I struggle with that commitment everyday. What about you?

You may not want to be a competitive CrossFitter, but I think we all want to feel better and look better, or we wouldn't be showing up to the gym. There are some great trainers at One World willing to help you with your goals. All you need do is pull the trigger and ask.

******************************************************

WORKOUT   8/24/2011

Complete four rounds for time of:

• 4 muscle-ups
• 8 squat snatches (W:75#/M:105#)
• 12 burpees

POWER HOUR   8/24/2011

• One squat snatch on the minute for ten minutes (as heavy as possible)
• 50 burpees for time

****************************************************** 

 

ALL HAIL ATSUSHI!!!

A HUGE "We are so proud of you!" to Atsushi Yoshinaga. Atsushi took 7th place (out of 45 men) at the Lalanne Throwdown last weekend. We've all seen Atsushi working hard in the gym, and I think he made a statement last weekend that he will be force to be reckoned with come the 2012 CrossFit season. 

I asked Atsushi today, "Bro, where are the throwdown pictures??" All he said was, "They're on Facebook." Unfortunately for Atsushi, there are a lot of pictures of him on Facebook....

Some of the One World crew at the Throwdown:

Atsushi the bartender (with sister Tomoyo) at Singlebarrel in San Jose:

Atsushi, badass Judo instructor at One World SDF:

Atsushi, guitarist in band Trashkannon:

Atsushi, the movie star:

And finally, the WTF??? photo:

You rock brother!!!!

*****************************************************

WORKOUT   8/23/2011

There are two options:

OPTION #1-

Complete 40/30/20/10 calorie rows. After each row, do 25 box jumps (W:20"/M:24") and 25 Abmat situps.

OPTION #2-

Complete 500/400/300/200m runs. After each run, do 25 box jumps (W:20"/M:24") and 25 Abmat situps.

******************************************************

BOO!!!!

Stuck in a hotel room tonight with crappy internet service. Definitely no photos tonite. Back to civilization tomorrow. I can't wait!

WORKOUT   8/22/2011

Complete 10/8/6/4/2 reps for time of

• Front squat (as heavy as possible)

Run a 10/20/30 yard shuttle between each set. Weight comes off floor. No racks.

POWER HOUR   8/22/2011

• Front Squat  5x5
• 10/20/10 yard shuttle X 4 (rest as needed)

**************************************************************

Rita is going to be gone for a few weeks, sound I found a replacement trainer to cover her Wednesday night sessions.

CROSSFIT 513

Chyna and I worked out with Blake Evans on Saturday morning. Blake is the owner of CrossFit 513. He shares a space with a Jiu Jitsu gym. Blake is a super cool guy with a really well equipped gym. He has a lot of cool toys that I've never got to play around with before. This morning we did a workout with prowlers and a farmer's walk. Those black things behind Chyna with the t-shirt on them rock for a farmer's walk. I'm getting some of those for One World. If you get out to the Cincinnati area, CrossFit 513 is worth a visit. Thanks for the workout Blake =)

**************************************************************

Alex Cardenas is the latest CrossFit One World trainer to start a personal training blog. For those of you that followed the Look Better Naked blog, you are all very familiar with Alex's awesome writing style. In just three posts, I am totally hooked on his blog. You definitely need to bookmark it and check it out daily.

roadtothesectionals.wordpress.com

**************************************************************

I posted it yesterday, but just a reminder that Sunday is a make-up day. Cheryl is tied up at work and I am out of town, so the Sunday 10 am session is cancelled. I apologize for the inconvenience. (If any coaches are planning to workout and don't mind hosting an open gym, please post to comments.)

**************************************************************

ONE WORLD OUT AND ABOUT....CINCINNATI!!!

Chyna and I with Steve Flamm, owner of Cincinnati Strength & Conditioning/CrossFit Nasti. A cool gym (not in a temperature sense of the word...HAHA) with some really cool peeps. Thanks for the hospitality! We apologize for the two gallons of sweat we left behind. Humidity is a mofo, and everyone keeps telling us it's not that bad right now.

***************************************************

A short notice, but Sunday is a rest day, so there will be no Sunday 10am session.

***************************************************

WORKOUT   8/20/2011

Complete 8 rounds for time of:

• 1 rope climb
• 10 kettlebell swings (pick weight)

***************************************************

I don't know why talking animal videos crack me up.......

IT NEEDS A NAME!

Ben Oliver of CrossFit Balboa on the..... "leg board"?? the "board of misery"?? the "instrument of the devil"??

I have no idea what to call this thing, but it definitely kicks your ass! Here is video of how it works. Try it, and then post your choice of name. It looks so easy, but it made me sore in some places I didn't think could posssibly get sore.....

*****************************************************

WORKOUT   8/19/2011

Complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:

• Row 250m
• 10 wallballs (M:20#/W:14#)
• 10 burpees

POWER HOUR   8/19/2011

• Press  5/5/5
• Push Press  3/3/3
• Push Jerk  1/1/1

******************************************************

A QUESTION FOR YOU

Can you name the One Worlder who pulled this 20k on Wednesday???? Wow....20k. My butt hurts after 3k!

*******************************************************

WORKOUT   8/18/2011

A cycle is as many rounds as possible in four minutes of:

• 6 hang power cleans (W:105#/M:155#)
• 8 clapping push-ups
• 10 knees to elbow

Complete three cycles total. Start each cycle were you ended the previous cycle. Rest two minutes between cycles.

*******************************************************

HAPPY BIRTHDAY???

Do you ever wonder why CrossFitters think it is mandatory that you come up with a heinous workout for a person's birthday? I don't get it. It is suppose to be a day of celebration. Instead, we all do a workout that leaves us feeling like shit for a couple days. Even Chyna programmed a yucky workout for my 46th birthday. You know what I did for my 46th birthday? I didn't do my workout. HAHA!

Why don't people ask you what you want to do for your birthday? Here is my dream Birthday Workout:

WORKOUT   7/14/2012

Complete the following for time:

• Jog 200m
• 10 air squats
• 10 push-ups
• 10 Abmat sit-ups
• Roll out
• Drink at least 4-6 beers

That's my birthday workout.....one can only hope it comes up next year.

There is a reason why this post topic came up. Lil Joe turned 30 over the weekend. Joe and Jor went to the gym and decided to do a "Joe's Birthday Workout" which they programmed themselves. I have three words for you two....programming gone bad!  I came in Monday morning and started writing the workout on the board. I happen to glance over and see Joe's workout. My train of thought:

• "Hmm, eight rounds. Nice."
• "14 burpee wallballs. Ewwww!"
• "8 muscle ups?!?!?! WTF?!?!?!?
• "Scaled after round 4?!?!?!"

I can't lie. I thoroughly enjoyed giving Joe and Jor endless shit for scaling the workout. I'm pretty sure you have to do your birthday workout as prescribed. Lessons learned boys!!!

Happy Birthday Joe!!!!!

*****************************************************

MAKE-UP DAY   8/17/2011

Make-up a workout you missed over the last cycle....OR....work on a skill....OR....rest!!!

*****************************************************

GROWING!

A post-workout picture of Monday's 6:45 crew (sorry for the cell picture quality). The 6:45 crew is awesome. Their numbers keep growing becuase they make everyone who shows up for the session feel welcomed. They know how to have a good time. (BTW- You all look way to happy for a "post" workout photo. You need to work harder. LOL!)

I've been monitoring the attendance of this session very closely. There comes a point when a session gets too big for a single coach to handle. A session that is too big is not fair to the people in the session or the coach. For now, the size of the 6:45 session is okay. Plus, I've noticed that the session is big on the front half of the week and then not so big come the tail half of the week. Just a heads up that if the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday sessions start regularly seeing 18 or more people, we will likely reorganize the schedule on those days and add another session. I just wanted give you all a heads up.

******************************************************

Anna is putting together this event (Oh, and Happy Birthday Anna!):

31Heroes Remembrance WOD, BBQ & Pool Party On September 3, 2011 CrossFit gyms across the nation and world will gather together to honor our heroes killed in action August 6, 2011 with a workout in an effort to raise funds for the families affected by this tragedy. All funds received will go to these families through the Navy SEAL Foundation, other like-organizations, & individual family funds. The Workout The workout promises to be a unique Hero WOD. 31 of America’s bravest have made the ultimate sacrifice for our sake. We can all agree that no workout will ever be enough to say thank you, but among this community it almost seems to be our version of the “moment of silence”, a small way we can honor the those that have gone before us. We hope you’ll join us for this moment of silence. In regards to the specifics of the Hero WOD, it is still in the process of being created. Anna will post it on the board at the gym, when it is announced. Get Involved Register for the workout at www.31heroes.com under the “Registration” tab – $31 gets you the workout & a t-shirt (to be mailed all together to the gym) Show up on September 3rd at 11am and honor our heroes.  Not interested in a workout? You can still donate by going to www.31heroes.com. Wear your red, white and blue! Can't make it to the WOD? Join us afterward at the BBQ and pool party at Anna, James and Lauren's house in Newark, around 1pm! Sign up on the board at the gym!  Hope you join us for this remembrance WOD and the post workout fun!!!

*****************************************************

WORKOUT   8/16/2011

Every 2 minutes for 12 minutes:

• 5 push press (as heavy as possible)
• Max double unders

Post weight used and double unders per round.

*****************************************************

ONE WORLD FORTY PLUS

 I started my training blog for the 2012 CrossFit Games. Feel free to check it out and join in if you'd like. Chris Stroud has started his blog to monitor his training too. You can find the links to both blogs on the left sidebar.

******************************************************

Sunday's workout:

Complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:

• 1 long shuttle run with a medicine ball (pick weight)
• 10 true push-ups
• 1 rope climb

******************************************************

WORKOUT & POWER HOUR   8/15/2011

Find your two rep max back squat. Use 75-80% of your two rep max and perform the following for time:

• 500m row/5 squats/10 pull-ups
• 400m row/4 squats/10 pull-ups
• 300m row/3 squats/10 pull-ups
• 200m row/2 squats/10 pull-ups
• 100m row/1 squat/10 pull-ups

*****************************************************

A funny video my future sister-in-law, Austria Cho, sent to me:

*****************************************************

FREE STUFF!

Free to One Worlders: Size small 2011 Reebok CrossFit Games competitor "board shorts." I'm sorry, but these are not board shorts, these are MMA shorts. There is a HUGE difference between the two. I prefer board shorts. I hate the way these shorts fit and the way they are cut. They have my number on them (453), but you can just tell people that 453 is your Fight Gone Bad score. They are size small, so don't even bother trying them on if you are not a 28-29" waist or less. I wear 32 in board shorts, but didn't bother to swap my competitor shorts out for something larger because I knew I would not wear them. As a competitor in the Games, I got 8 shorts and 10 t-shirts. I'd offer up the shirts for free too because the arms are cut way too small, but they have my name on them and that's just weird to give away.

Enjoy the shorts!

******************************************************

I made this torture device for the gym on Sunday. Thanks to John Welbourn for turning me onto this latest instrument of the devil. I'll post a demo video of how to use it sometime this week. I have material to make two more, so hopefully I'll have them done on Monday or Tuesday. 

******************************************************

Sunday is coach's choice. I'll post the workout on Sunday night.

****************************************************** 

ROWING TECHNIQUE....LEARN IT!

I got to thinking after the Throwdown post, that it would be cool to dedicate some posts to proper technique in some of the basic movements that we do regularly. I always find it wierd that a lot of CrossFitters don't realize that doing things a little slower with better form will often make you faster in the long run. It's called "moving more efficiently."

Today's topic is rowing. Who doesn't love rowing?!?!?! At One World, I have determined that all the women hate rowing as well as everyone under 5'10". (Except for me. I really do love the rower.)

I guess I can understand why a lot of CrossFitters don't have good rowing technique. A Concept2 rower costs in the neighborhood of $1000. They aren't usually a high priority when a new gym owner is trying to stock up a well equipped CrossFit gym. I know of many CrossFit gyms that have only one or two rowers. We are lucky at One World since we have 9 rowers and one Certified Rower Instructor, Brad Medeiros.

Since most gyms don't have rowers or coaches who actually know how to row, you can see some pretty inefficient rowing techique when you go to competitions, even top level competitions like the CrossFit Games. Not this bad, but pretty bad:

Row Machine Workout Fail - Watch more Funny Videos

I thought about posting numerous pictures of the different stages of the stroke on the C2, but I decided to just post a picture of the sticker that we have on several of our rowers:  The catch, the drive, the finish, the recovery, and back to the catch. A couple of things to notice. At no time do you see the rowing cartoon person with a rounded back or his head tucked between extended arms. Flip the picture sideways, and it sure looks a lot like a deadlift. Would you round your back and tuck your head between your arms in a deadlift? Some other flaws: the handle dipping near the ankles, or laying flat and pulling the handle all the way to the chin. I'm pretty sure you won't see any world class rowers doing any of those things. It may not be world class technique, but if you think "legs-arms-arms-legs" you can't go too wrong. Drive with your legs, then pull the handle to your abdomen when the handle passes your knees. Once your legs are full extended, release your arms and bend your legs after your arms are straight. Legs-arms-arms-legs. 

All those flaws in your stroke make you slower. Almost all those flaws are easy to avoid if you slow down a bit and concentrate on your stroke. Give me a big giant strong guy with a sloppy stroke and I can beat him almost every time. There are a ton of really good videos on you tube focusing on good rowing technique. Take some time to check them out.

 So what number do you set the damper?? I have some shocking news for some of you. If you set the damper at 1 or 10, you are going to go the same distance in the same number of strokes. Rowing at 10 does not make you go farther faster than rowing at 1. I did 10 hard strokes at damper settings of 10, 5, and 1. There was 3 METERS DIFFERENCE (71/70/68). 10 is just harder to pull. As a matter of fact, if you are new to the rower or new to working out, I would never have you row at 10. You are just going to get tired quicker and your technique is going to look like shit a lot sooner. 

The damper setting affects drag factor. C2 recommends a drag factor of 110 to 150 for workouts. Depending on how clean your rower is (yes, you need to open them up every few months and clean out the dust), you can usually get between 110 and 150 using a damper setting of 4 to 6. On the rower I did my 10 stroke test on, a setting of 1 gave me a drag factor of 71. A setting of 5 was 112 (the U.S. women's row team set all their indoor rowers at 112 when they train). A setting of 10 was 300. If you are pulling in a competition, you may want to set your damper as low as the competion standards allow. I pulled a 500m in 1:39 today at a damper setting of 1. I was still tired, but the pulls were pretty damn easy.

I'm not a rowing expert, but I spend a lot of time on the rower tinkering with stroke rates per minute, damper settings, and slight tweaks in my stroke techinique in a never ending quest to figure out the best way to row efficiently in a CrossFit workout. For those of you more experienced rowers, if you have any other information, or I am wrong about something, please post to comments!!!

Take some time to learn how to row proper. You will enjoy rowing a lot more. Maybe I'll get together with Brad and we will throw a rowing clinic for a few hours one Saturday or Sunday.

******************************************************

MAKE-UP DAY   8/13/2011

Make-up a workout you missed in the last cycle....OR....work on a skill....OR....rest!!!

******************************************************

THE BEER POST

Too many pints for me tonight at BJ's Brewery...... I love beer. My favorite beer is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Beer is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in human history, dating back to 9500 BC. This means beer has been around pretty much as long as exercising.....so it must be good for you. Beer is the third most consumed beverage in the world next to water and tea.

A few things I know about beer:

• Beer should not be mixed with other alcoholic beverages.
• Beer tastes horrible after you have just finished a breath mint.
• Light beer is for pussies. (Sorry Alex!)
• All things in moderation are okay, except for beer, which is okay to consume in large amounts if you exercise really hard when you aren't drinking beer.
• Beer is not a morning drink.
• A cold beer is wonderful immediately following a hard workout, but it is not Robb Wolf approved.
• Certain wines go good with certain foods, but beer goes good with everything.
• Beer does not make you fat if you only eat plain iceberg lettuce salads with no salad dressing.
• If your beer needs pieces of fruit in it, or it has a fruit flavor, well.....that's just fruity.
• Beer is not paleo. Beer will fuck up your Zone blocks. Beer is not gluten-free. Thus, one can deduce that beer is damn delicious.
• Beer was way overpriced at the CrossFit Games, and it was really bad beer. NorCal Regional had Sierra Nevada. NORCAL ROCKS!
• I drank way too much tonight, but tomorrow morning I will feel wonderful. Can't say that when I drink way too much of any other alcoholic beverage.

  Something I missed???? Post to comments.

*****************************************************

WORKOUT & POWER HOUR  8/12/2011

Find your three rep max deadlift, then:

• Perform max reps @ 90% of your three rep max
• Perform max reps @ 80% of your three rep max

Rest as needed between efforts. 

Then:

• Row 500m (easy pace)
• Row 500m (medium pace)
• Row 500m (row it like you stole it!)

Rest 90 seconds between row efforts. Row it like you stole it, but row it like you know how to row like a champion.

*****************************************************

STAN THE MAN

The website has been so serious the last few days. We need to lighten it up, and what better way to lighten things up than at the expense of everyone's favorite 6:30 am'er, Stan.

A funny story. One of the guys on our SWAT team happened to Google Image "obese SWAT guy." On page two of the images was this picture: Oh Stan...... There is a funny story behind the picture which you can find on the One World post on August 29, 2009 entitled "Healthy...Or On Meds?" Besides the funny story about Stan, there is a pretty informative article about depression. (BTW- Stan is definitely not obese and obviously not depressed!!)

Many of you 6:30 am folks are probably wondering, "Who the hell is Stan???" Due to scheduling at work, he hasn't been in that much in the last 6 months. The good news is that he and his wife have been tearing it up at CrossFit Tracy. See if you can spot Stan in this CrossFit Tracy promotional video.

****************************************************

WORKOUT   8/11/2011

A "tabata" is 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. Perform a tabata of each of the following movements. Rest 2 minutes between each tabatas. Your score is total reps for each tabata.

• Kettlebell swings (M:53#/W:35#)
• Pull-ups
• Air squats

*****************************************************

THROWDOWNS

I attended the CrossFit Solano Summer Slam team competition last weekend. As expected, DJ, Lauren and all the crew at CrossFit Solano threw a fantastic event. There were 20 four man teams participating. The whole thing was well planned and well executed. I did a little judging, and though it was a long day, I had a great time! Plus, it was my first time visiting the new Solano gym, and it is BADASS!!! 

I've always had very mixed emotions about local CrossFit competitions. On one hand, as the sport of CrossFit grows, local competitions are the place where first time CrossFit competitors get to experience CrossFit in a big competition setting. Experienced CrossFitters go to competitions to keep their competitive edge for the CrossFit Games. The competitions are almost always a good time, and they do wonders for building the CrossFit community.

On the other hand, there is always one thing that drives me crazy at local competitions. I can't stand to watch people move poorly! I can't help myself. I see a person moving badly, or doing something that is actually pretty easy to fix, I want to help them. It drives me crazy that I can't just run out onto the floor and start fixing their movement!!! I'm not saying that every rep in every competition should be perfect, but I've always been of the opinion that there should be some semblance of proper technique when the workout starts.

Hey, I get it. Many gym owners like the competition side of CrossFit. Like I said, it is a lot of fun. Many people encourage their members to try the competitions when in fact, many of their competitors are what I would consider fairly new to Crossfit (less than 6 months). Some of these same people are actually new to consistent exercise in general. I don't have a problem with this if you send people to competitions who move okay (many new CrossFitters are pretty athletic). But....."moving okay" is not defined by one's love for doing CrossFit. Loving CrossFit doesn't automatically mean that you move well or even decent. (Wow, I think I just said something exactly like that about coaching earlier in the week....lol.)

Everyone has to walk before they run. I think we as gym owners/trainers need to make sure that people going to CrossFit competitions are fundamentally sound. What I fear about these CrossFit competitions is that someone fairly new to CrossFit gets seriously injured. The excitement of the competition... the crowd cheering you on... pushing yourself further than you are physically capable... All  this put together can be a recipe for disaster. A major injury would be bad for all of us as gym owners and definitely bad for our blossoming sport. 

Watching people experience their first CrossFit competition is always fun. It is almost a always a positive experience for that person. Most workouts in local competitions have pretty standard movements: box jumps, kettlebell swings, wall balls, pull-ups, burpees, rowing, power cleans, power snatches, deadlifts, and overhead barbell movements. I challenge all gym owners/trainers to encourage their members to be pretty good at these movements before you encourage them to hit up the local affiliate "Throwdown." (They don't have to be great...have you ever seen me overhead squat??? hahaha) Have a few competitions in your gym. Film the competitions, and show your members the difference between good movement and bad movement. In the end, their experience at their first competition will be even better, and competitive CrossFit will continue to grow into a true sport. Plus, I will be able to relax more when I am watching. =)

Post thoughts to comments.

******************************************************

WORKOUT   8/10/2011

"Nancy"

Complete five rounds for time of:

• 400m run
• 15 overhead squats (W:65#/M:95#)

POWER HOUR   8/10/2011

• Overhead squat  3/3/3/3/3
• 6 x 100m sprint (30 seconds rest)

***************************************************** 

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

 This picture was taken last year at the 2010 CrossFit Games. The guy on the right is Zach Miller. He is one of the best trainers and athletes at CrossFit Pittsburgh (PA). While driving to the gym on Thursday evening, he was involved in a horrible car accident. He is currently in ICU. Physically he is doing well (which doctors are attributing to his level of fitness), but he is unconscious and the real fear is the extent of damage to his brain. I'm asking the whole One World community to take a moment and post well wishes on the CrossFit Pittsburgh website. They will be posting information for a foundation/trust in the next few days.

Zach, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

*****************************************************

MAKE-UP DAY   8/9/2011

Make-up a workout you missed in the last cycle (Sunday was a doozy)....OR....work on a skill....OR....rest!!!

*****************************************************

THE 4TH FITTEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD

Chyna and I pulled up to the gym this morning to a strange sight. There were four people sitting in front of the gym with backpacks and gym bags. There was no car in the parking lot. I first thought, "Damn, that is the fittest bunch of homeless people I've ever seen!" As we pulled up closer, Chyna says, "That's Samantha Briggs!" Last weekend, Samantha took fourth place at the CrossFit Games.

Samantha is a firefighter from England. She is definitely one of the toughest ladies on the planet. She competed in the CrossFit Games last weekend. On Wednesday, Samantha and her crew (Nic, Carl, Jay) went to Yosemite and did a 16k trail run that included 2500' of vertical climb. On Thursday, they worked out at CrossFit Santa Cruz Central with Annie Sakamoto. On Saturday, they worked out at San Francisco CrossFit. On Sunday, they crushed the One World workout. Wow! That is quite a week.....

I was honored that Samantha and her crew went out of their way to make One World a stop on their westcoast trip. Thanks so much! Everyone had a great time working out with you all. Safe travels back to England!

BTW- One World gang signs are still the rage in the UK!!!

*****************************************************

The Sunday workout was four rounds for time of 400m run with a medicine ball/20 medball over bar tosses/10 left side med ball wall slams/10 right side medball wall slams. You pick weight for med ball.

*****************************************************

WORKOUT   8/8/2011

Complete 40/30/20/10 reps for time of:

• Box jumps (M:24"/W:20")
• Double unders
• Abmat sit-ups

POWER HOUR   8/8/2011

• Find one rep max box jump. Then do 1 box jump at 85% every 30 seconds for 8 minutes
• 3 x 20 GHD sit-ups/20 back extensions

*******************************************************

I'M OFFICIAL

I got this in the mail the week before the Games. It is my "official" CrossFit Level I Trainer Certification. I immediately hung it up on the Wall of Fame board and then thought that it was kinda funny that no one said anything about it.

In early 2010, CrossFit got their Level I trainer course certified by ANSI. Though I'd been a Level II Trainer and worked as a CrossFit HQ trainer at both the Level I and Level II certifications, I had to take the written test just like everyone else. I took the written test in May of 2010. The certificate showed up in July of 2011. At first I thought, "Why the hell are they sending me a Level I certificate?" I had completely forgot about taking the written test.

The Level I certificate means different things for different people. There are so many people who LOVE doing CrossFit and want to share it with other people, but your love for CrossFit alone does not make you a great or even a decent trainer. Many think that getting Level I certified is all you need to do to open up your own gym and start being responsible for the fitness of other people. You really need to take a step back and think about that one. The Level I certification is where you learn about the theory of CrossFit. The how and the why. You can't honestly think that in two days you learn enough or experience enough to be even a decent trainer.

To me, that piece of paper means one thing: a beginning. I first earned a Level I certificate in July of 2006. Since that day, I have worked hard at becoming a better trainer. Yes, I've attended some of the awesome specialty seminars offered by CrossFit, but in the end, I am learning to be a better trainer by seeking out and spending as much time as possible with those who know so much more than I. If you are a CrossFit trainer, seek out others. Visit as many gyms as you can. Train with specialists. Check out the websites of gyms that specialize rather than randomize (is that a word???). Watch as many people move as you possibly can. The first thing you should be thinking is what's wrong with someone's movement. The second thing you should be doing is fixing it or asking someone who knows better than you how to fix it.

Being a good trainer doesn't mean that you stand over others and cheer them on to getting a faster Fran time. To be quite honest, I could give a flying fuck what your workout times are. What is important to me is that you move better than you did yesterday. What matters to me is that the programming you get at One World is purposeful, practical, and prudent (thank you Raphael Ruiz!!!). And most of all, if you ask me why we are doing something, I want to be able to explain to you the "why" with something better than "to increase your work capacity across broad time and modal domains." HAHA- if you didn't know, that is the catch all answer for all questions about CrossFit.

My piece of paper is good for five years. Five years from now, it will be interesting to see if I can still pass the written test. I can't think of the last time that I talked about CrossFit theory to anyone. Oh well. At least I can say that until 2015, I AM CROSSFIT LEVEL I CERTIFIED!!!

*******************************************************

It's Sunday, and that means coach's choice!! Cheryl is out of town, so I will be coaching the Sunday session. I can tell you that it is going to involve medicine balls, running, and maybe more medicine balls.

*******************************************************

GBO OR GBOW

 Alex started this when he began writing "GBO" on everything he posted. GBO means "God Bless Oneworld." Someone else pointed out that One World is two words, so it should be "GBOW."

I'm not a God fearing man or religious at all, but I figured since so many of you are digging it, you all should decide oficially on GBO or GBOW. My opinion: three syllables rolls off your tongue easier than four, but I'm not the one saying it so you guys should decide in a friendly internet vote. Post your preference to comments.

*****************************************************

I appreciate everyone being cool about the morning session instructor issues this week. Everything would have worked out perfectly if I hadn't started new hours at work the same week that Brad split for a much needed vacation in Hawaii. Brad is back on Thursday. Aloha Brad!!!

*****************************************************

WORKOUT   8/6/2011

Complete 10/8/6/4/2 reps for time of:

• Deadlift
• Hang power clean
• Front squat
• Push jerk

M:115#/W:75#

******************************************************

COACH MANDO AND CROSSFIT RIVERSIDE

The One World blog has been my passion since the very first post on August 19, 2006. In that time, I am proud to say that I have pretty much posted damn near every day since. In five years, I've definitely had some days when I just wish someone else was running the blog. On occassion, I get emails like this one, and it makes the time spent on the blog so worthwhile. I think it is amazing that Coach Mando from CrossFit Riverside found something that he is passionate about and that it changed his life for the better. Now, he is changing other people's lives. AWESOME!!!

"What's up Freddy,

This is Mando from CrossFit Riverside. It was a pleasure to meet you this past weekend at the 2011 CrossFit Games. Well, I'm not one for "ass kissin" and "thank you for changin' my life" type B.S., but I do wanna say thanks... I first found CrossFit in 2007 while I was in the Marine Corps. I was an Aircraft Rescue FireFighter stationed in 29 Palms (the asshole of the Earth) for 2 years and also spent 2 tours in Fallujah and Ramadi, Iraq. I guess in my previous life, I must have f--ked up bad because God chose to stick me in the shittiest of places! Anyways, my Gunnery Sergeant was in charge of training, and he was all about CrossFit. None of us knew what the Hell CrossFit was... All I kept thinking is why the Hell do we have to do so many Burpees?Well, as you can guess, there isn't much to do in 29 Palms. So I found myself sippin' on Jack and Coke and just scrolling through different CrossFit videos and came across "The Bear Complex". My first thought was "F That!" and my second thought was "I'm In!" So, in true dumb-ass Marine fashion, I attempted "The Bear Complex" starting with a weight that was way too heavy and I eventually assumed the fetal position and laid there like I had just been hit by a truck. Once I came to, I played the video over to see the names of the athletes in the video... And thats how I came across CrossFit One World. Since then, I have been following your programming. There have been some amazing athletes comin out of your gym, so I basically figured, "This guy must know what he's talkin' bout..." After leaving the Marine Corps, I knew what I wanted to do... Establish myself as a legit CrossFit coach, open up my own Box, and motivate people to achieve what they think is "the impossible". If you're ever down in SoCal, I welcome you to come through to CrossFit Riverside... I can promise you, we don't have any glamour and glitz... We didn't pay hundreds of dollars for one "CrossFit Games Bumper Plate"... We don't have the fancy Rouge Fitness Pull Up Bars... What we do have, is straight rough and rugged heart and soul. What really attracted me to follow CrossFit OneWorld was the fact that you didn't give a crap about what the "mainsite" had to say... You did what you wanted to do... And I can totally relate to that. We have 90 members. Some of our members came to us brand spankin' new with no idea of what CrossFit was... And some people came to us who were doin' CrossFit WODs at a Globo Gym. The Globo Gym people, first thing they would ask is why I don't follow the "mainsite" WODs. My actual response... "Well Ma'am or Sir, occasionally I will throw a "mainsite" WOD into our programming, but I tend to follow a certain training regimen from a different CrossFit Box. What was I responding silently in my head??? "Listen, I've spent a lot of time checking out a shit load of different training regimens, I've spent a lot more time performing WODs from different Box's training regimens, and what I feel is the best, then that's what I'm gonna use!" I know you have no idea of knowing it, but you have helped me become the Coach that I am today. I was always told in the Marine Corps, that if you want to be successful in life then surround yourself with successful people. Everything that I've seen on your website, well that proves that you and your members are very successful people, and I wish to bring that kind of energy to my Box. I am 27 years old, and for the first time in my life, I'm headin' in the right direction. I was basically a dumb ass in high school, the Marine Corps couldn't control me, but now, I've found something that keeps me headed in the right direction. Alright man, enough rambling. Hope you like the shirt! And again, thanks for all your "silent" help and guidance. I attached a pic that my fiance, Danielley, took of us. Take it easy and I hope to keep in touch with you Freddy... Congrats on your performance at The Games!

Mando"

Mando found his own path in life through CrossFit. I think it is awesome that CrossFit One World played a little part in navigating him on his path. CrossFit One World rocks!!!

*****************************************************

MAKE-UP DAY   8/5/2011

Make-up a workout you missed in the last cycle....OR....work on a skill....OR....rest!!!

POWER HOUR   8/5/2011

• 6 x 2 power clean
• 6 x 2 power snatch

******************************************************

NEW TRAINER!

I am happy to announce that Chyna Cho has joined your team of One World trainers. Chyna cut her trainer chops coaching at CrossFit Milpitas for the last 15 months. She is now all One World! Chyna will take over the 6:30 am session on Thursdays (starting 8/4). She will also occasionally cover the 6:30 am sessions on Mondays and Tuesdays. Chyna would love to coach some of the evening sessions, but her swim coaching schedule doesn't make it possible right now. Chyna is also available for private training if anyone is interested.

*****************************************************

WORKOUT   8/4/2011

Complete 6 rounds for time of:

• 7 dumbbell thrusters (pick your weight)
• 8 pull-ups
• 9 push-ups

******************************************************

SOCAL ADVENTURE- THE FINAL CHAPTER

Typing on a flight back to the wonderful Bay Area......

Monday was back to the real world. You hang out at the CrossFit Games all weekend surrounded by a bunch of fit people and then you go to Disneyland. Definitely a different crowd! We ran into a few folks from CrossFit Las Vegas right when we walked in the gate, but other than that, I didn’t see a CrossFit t-shirt, Inov8’s, or Vibram Five Fingers until we ran into the Diablo CrossFit crew at around 5:30 pm. BTW-It was at that time that I won our pool for spotting the first CrossFit Games competitor wearing his/her Games competitor shirt at Disneyland....lol. Score!!!

The CrossFit Games were quite a spectacle this year. I went to the athlete reception on Wednesday night. There were over 1000 people in attendance. There was a kinda cheesy CrossFit commercial they introduced to everyone, but then a representative from Reebok got up on stage and explained to everyone just how much Reebok is behind CrossFit and the CrossFit Games. From the president of the company all the way down, they are all about CrossFit. You can bet that the sport is going to grow and one day, CrossFit might be something everyone knows about or at least has heard of.

For now, CrossFit is still a very small minnow in the ocean of sports. (The fact that you can go to Disneyland and not see any CrossFit shirts is evidence of that.) Let’s not get caught up with ourselves and think that the universe of sports is swirling around CrossFit. In five years the Games have gone from a party on a dusty dirty ranch in the middle of nowhere to a sporting event in a legit venue with a huge prize package. For the growth to continue, the Games are going to have to get better every year. Part of getting better means that every event is going to have to be something I want to see as a spectator even if I don't do CrossFit. I have to admit, I missed all the “skill” workouts, and quite honestly, it doesn’t sound like I missed much (though I would have loved to watch the snatch attempts). I just wasn’t all that interested in watching people throw a softball, walk on their hands, or do L sit holds for time. The rope climbing workout was cool. The beach workout was interesting. For those who say it wasn’t exciting, it was way better than watching a marathon or a triathlon. Even the monkey bar workout had a race feel to it. The workout I wanted to see the most? The final team workout...six classic CrossFit workouts in a row. How cool would it have been for that to be the final individual workout? That would have taken strategy, smart pacing, and mental toughness. That is sport.

I believe that “traditional CrossFit-style” workouts, weightlifting, and things like the beach workout (or a really cool obstacle course) are going to be what gets everyday people interested in CrossFit whether they do CrossFit or not. Watching people workout until they drop in a competitive environment is called extreme exercising. I love to watch the X Games because most of the things the competitors do are insane! It doesn’t matter that I can’t do what they do or even a scaled version of what they do. If extreme sports can be mainstream and fun to watch as a non-participating spectator, why not extreme exercise?

There is a flip side to the CrossFit Games being "extreme." I think it is super important for CrossFit to be very spectator friendly and exciting to watch. Why? Most people may not be able to do what 2011 CrossFit Games Champion Rich Froning does (and most wouldn't want to), but somewhere down the line, Joe Blow might be sitting on his couch watching a taped half hour segment of the X- Games on ESPN2. He will see skateboarders and wakeboarders getting big air, and he will know that he is not likely to try that anytime soon. After the X Games segment, a segment of the CrossFit Games comes up.  A half hour of people working out and doing movements that are possible for almost all people to do at a scaled level. That might just inspire Mr. Blow to get off his lazy ass and workout. To me, that's all that really matters. I hope he finds One World when he does his internet search for CrossFit.......

I wonder what next year will bring...... Post your thoughts to comments.

*************************************************************

WORKOUT   8/3/2011

Complete 4 rounds for time of:

• 5 back squats (as heavy as possible)
• 7 handstand push-ups
• 500m row

POWER HOUR   8/3/2011

• Back Squat  5/3/3/1/1/1 (Post PR's to comments!)
• 3 x max reps handstand push-ups (rest as needed)

*************************************************************

STUCK IN DISNEY

Gonna be in Disneyland until around midnight, then 45 minutes back to hotel. Posting on phone while I wait in line for Space Mountain :-)

Don't forget 6:30 am & 12 pm sessions on Tuesday are regrettably cancelled.

WORKOUT 8/2/2011

Complete three rounds for time of:

25 wallballs (20#/14#)
25 burpees
25 American kettlebell swings (pick weight)