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What did you do at midnight??? Tell your story in comments.
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The gym is closed on New Year's Day, but kick the year off with a challenge and run 5k. The gym is back on regular scheduling starting Monday.
Happy New Year!
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It is the end of 2011. Another year in the books. So what is your New Year's Resolution for 2012? In actuality, a better question is WHO CARES????
The New Year's Resolution is a sham. It's your chance to tell all your co-workers or your friends on Facebook about some lofty goal you are going to achieve in 2012. All your friends like your idea and give you tons of support. Six weeks later, you have already given up on your resolution, and nobody cares because they have given up on their resolution too.
I have a proposal. Let's Occupy New Year. Our protest is against the 99% of people who make New Year's Resolutions. We don't need to tell everyone what we wish we could do over the next year. Instead, we are going to go out and do it. Stop being a bitch and make your goals happen.
What do you all think about this new CrossFit One World t-shirt?
STOP BEING A BITCH!
OCCUPY ONE WORLD
WE ARE THE 1%
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NEW YEAR'S WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Saturday- Closed (Open Gym 11:00-12:30)
Sunday- Closed
Monday- Normal Schedule
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MAKE-UP DAY 12/31/2011
Make-up a workout you missed in the last cycle....OR....work on a skill....OR....rest!!!!
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If one of you wants to be team captain and put a team together, Brethren CrossFit has one spot reserved for One World.
Details:
"2012 Brethren Anniversary Invitational Throwdown
Cheers to a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!!!!!!!! We are kicking off the new year with our annual anniversary throwdown January 21st 8 am, we are sending invitations to those affiliates that we've become friends with, respect as athletes/owners and those who we just plain like to party with! We are extremely excited to show off our new 7000 sq ft training facility. Please join us as we will be hosting NorCal's finest athletes.
We like things plain and simple 15-20 teams with 2 men & 2 women each ALL RX' (no scaling) real athletes deserve real prizes in a winner takes all $1000 cash prize!
Buy in $100 per team..http://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ws.asp?studioid=5255&stype=-8&sTG=38&sVT=42&sView=day&sTrn=100000001... includes chance to win $1000 cash, FREE Beer, Tacos and memories that will last a lifetime.
Registration cut-off date Monday January 16th
This is a gonna be a great time out that will allow all of us to gear up for the East Sac Throwdown and for the 2012 CrossFit Open good luck!
Those who are traveling hotel accommodations at Courtyard by Marriott 408-782-6034
675 Jarvis Drive Morgan Hill Ca. 95037"
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NEW YEAR'S WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Saturday- Closed (Open Gym 11:00-12:30)
Sunday- Closed
Monday- Normal Schedule
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WORKOUT 12/29/2011
Complete the following for time:
Score is total time minue 4 minutes
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Markus Rohrbach from Switzerland dropped in on One World today to get his workout on. How cool is it that Markus is on vacation in California and made One World one of the places that he wanted to visit?! Markus visited CrossFit San Francisco yesterday. He's gonna try and hit up Crossfit Oakland and CrossFit Santa Cruz Central before he leaves on Saturday. Safe travels Markus! It was a pleasure to meet you.
Over the last week we had several peeps visiting One World from all over the country/world. I apologize for not getting your pics. I guess you'll have to come back so I can snap your photos and put them up on the blog. =)
Thanks to everyone for supporting One World.
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Hard to tell by this picture, but this bar is bent.....bad! The 45# bars at One World are pretty durable. They've been loaded with over 600# and lifted off the floor. They do not bend. This bar bent because someone was careless using it on the jerk boxes.
Yes, the jerk boxes are used in a manner that promotes you dumping a big load from overhead, but you still need to control the bar. As I've said many times before, RUBBER BOUNCES. Don't let the bar bounce off or roll off the jerk boxes.
LEARN CONTROL!!!
Whether you are using the jerk boxes or lifting on the training floor you are responsible for your bar while it is in your hands and when it leaves your hands. Make sure you pay attention to what happens to the bar when you let go of it. We understand that accidents happen. We don't mind having to buy a new bar every now and then (FYI- The 45# bars at One World run from $199 to $250 a bar), but you really don't want to be the person who drops their bar and it bounces into someone's leg. That's all bad.
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NEW YEAR'S WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Saturday- Closed (Open Gym 11:00-12:30)
Sunday- Closed
Monday- Normal Schedule
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WORKOUT 12/28/2011
Complete 5 rounds for time of:
POWER HOUR 12/28/2011
Then....
As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes of:
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Hot sauce.....GOTTA HAVE IT! It goes so good on so many food choices. One of my favorites is Tapitio. Like most "hot sauces," it's actually not all that hot, but it tastes wonderful. My little brother likes hot sauces friggin' hot! I don't get it. I actually like to enjoy the food that I am eating. When the sauce gets too hot, I can't taste my food at all. Try some Tapatio on scrampled eggs with avacado and tomato slices. Tapatio on avacado slices is delicious!
Is hot sauce good for you or bad for you? I found this on Yahoo Answers:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080409152802AAbfOVO
Good or Bad?? You decide. Post thoughts or related articles to comments.
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NEW YEAR'S WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Saturday- Closed (Open Gym 11:00-12:30)
Sunday- Closed
Monday- Normal Schedule
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MAKE-UP DAY 12/27/2011
Make-up a workout you missed in the last cycle....OR....work on a skill....OR....rest!!!
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Is this the new face of Christmas??? I think so!
A couple of Santa's Helpers showed up at One World for a workout on Christmas Eve.
If you missed this from 2 years ago, a music video featuring the owners of One World SDF spreading some Christmas cheer:
WE WISH ALL OUR ONE WORLD FAMILY AT THE GYM
AND ACROSS THE ONE WORLD
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
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The gym is closed on Christmas. All group sessions are cancelled on Monday, but there is open gym from 11:00-1:00 and 5:00 to 9:00. Back to normal schedule on Tuesday.
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The White Elephant Gift Exchange was AWESOME!! A great time was had by all who attended. Photos from the event:
Pre-gift exchange front squats were all the rage......
A look at the table of gifts before the picking and stealing started.
ANNELISSE SCORED SOME KETEL ONE!!! Hahaha.....just kidding. Chyna had Annelisse pick her gift for her when Chyna's turn came up. She then did her best Vanna White imitation ever. No kids were part of the White Elephant. They just hung out. The picture is pretty damn funny though.
In the end, Annelisse and Amelia were given some more appropriate gifts. Annelisse was stoked about Kung Fu Panda 2.
Labrat regular, Tony, can't wait to wear his waist shaper when he trains next week.
Cristelle scored "Oddest Gift Of The Night." A baby doll, a douche, and a St. Micheal candle. WTF????
Lyn scored shots of Petrone....and she didn't share.
The whole crew had a great time. The Victoria Secret panties were a hit!!!!
And of course, at the end of the night the vultures swooped in on the paleo and mostly not paleo goodies.
Merry Christmas!!!!!
Atsushi demo'd a gift:
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MAKE-UP DAY 12/23/2011
Make up a workout you missed in the last cycle....OR....do the Power Hour....OR....work on a skill....OR....rest!
POWER HOUR 12/23/2011
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You may be suffering from a SLAP tear (Superior Labrum Anterior to Posterior) and not even know it. The labrum is a ring of firm tissue around the shoulder socket that helps keep the arm bone within the shoulder socket. Tears of the labrum can occur from falling onto outstretched arms or falling on your shoulder. In sports, they often occur from repeated overhead arm movement such as throwing a baseball. SLAP tears can occur from lifting heavy objects repeatedly or too suddenly. It sounds to me like a lot of things we do in a CrossFit workout have the potential to cause SLAP tears. Many people are claiming that kipping pull-ups and muscle-ups (as done in CrossFit) are also the cause of SLAP tears, though I didn't find that direct diagnosis anywhere in a Google search. It would make sense to me. People not strong enough to do a strict pull-up are swinging viloently under a bar and doing hard pulls on a weak joint.
How do you know if you have a SLAP tear? Per WebMD, symptoms include
What do you do if you have a SLAP tear? Think of it this way....Any injury to soft tissue takes minimally 6-8 weeks to heal properly. As with any injury, if it hurts when you do something, DON'T DO IT! You would think that would go without saying, but people tell me all the time that something hurts, then they proceed to "work through it" or "go lighter." That's just dumb. My knee hurt when I squatted heavy. What did I do? I didn't squat heavy for 5 months. It doesn't mean I didn't train. I just didn't squat heavy in any way, shape, or form. I am not a doctor, and I am not giving you medical advice, but you can try coupling some time off the shoulder with some NSAID's. Plenty of people will tell you that NSAID's are bad for you, but I've personally had great success using NSAID's in the prescribed amounts for short periods of time. If time off the shoulder doesn't get you better, go see a doctor. You may need surgery if pain persists.
How do you avoid a SLAP tear? Rest appropriately. Listen to your body when it is telling you that it hurts. Visit mobilitywod.com and work on the mobility of the shoulder joint. (Actually, you should work on the mobility of your entire body!) Check your ego at the door and don't lift heavier than you should be doing. Avoid workouts that excessively have you lifting weight overhead for ridiculous amounts of reps. Get stronger!!! Heavy weights for small amounts of reps is better for you than light weight lifted a shit ton of times. Be strong enough to do strict pull-ups......just saying.
If any of you at One World have shoulder pain, talk to me at the gym. It might not necessarily be a SLAP tear. I'd like to discuss it with you and try to figure out what has caused it and how to get you better.
You can work around any injury, but you might not like the alternatives.....
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I got my White Elephant gift for Thursday night, but I'm not telling what it is.
Here are the rules for the White Elephant. Gift should be $10-$20 in value. It must be wrapped. We will draw numbers for picking order. First person picks and unwraps a gift. Second person may steal their gift or pick an unwrapped gift. If your gift gets stolen, you may steal someone else's, or pick another unwrapped gift. The turn ends when a gift is unwrapped. A gift may only be stolen TWICE (It is a work night, and we don't want to be there all night...lol). If someone has other rule variations or questions, we will hash it all out Thursday night before we start. The White Elephant Gift Exchange starts at 7:45 on Thursday night. It's open to anyone who is reading this post =) See you then!
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WORKOUT 12/22/2011
Then......
Then
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In a perfect training setting, you would have a training partner who was just slightly better than you at everything. Your partner would be your rabbit. You’d constantly chase your partner. Maybe one day you catch your partner or surpass your partner, but the next day, your partner is just a bit better than you again.
Unfortunately, the perfect training partner doesn’t exist in the CrossFit One World group setting. Sure, you probably have someone who you compare yourself to regularly and that one person you are totally stoked about when you finally pass them in a workout, but it’s just not the same as the “perfect training partner.”
You may not have "the perfect training partner" at One World, but there is one partner you can always count on:
The clock is your perfect partner. The clock is always consistent. It’s always looming over you....challenging you. Everything that you do can be gauged by the ticking away of time.
Understand that to get the best results from CrossFit style workouts, you have to ratchet up your intensity. Intensity, as a CrossFit term, means do as much work as possible in the shortest amount of time or as much work as possible done in a given timeframe. Smart CrossFitters know how to work the clock. The dumb CrossFitters are the ones who say “3,2,1....Go!” and then they go pedal to the metal right from the get go. Inevitably, they crash and burn. "It's the CrossFit way!!!" No, you are just a dumbass.
Let’s elaborate on this. The first thing that you should be doing when you see the workout posted is breaking the workout down in a way that best fits your abilities, then pushing those parameters. Let’s use today's workout as an example.
The workout has 400m runs, a 200m run, handstand push-ups, and kettlebell sumo deadlift high pulls. Break down each part of the workout into blocks of time. I know that I can run the first 400m in 1:35-1:40 without being too gassed. I know the last 400m is probably gonna be closer to 1:50-2:00. I know that I can do 15 handstand push-ups straight through, but if I do, the second set will be horrible, so I am going to break the HSPU into sets of 5. I figure 8-10 seconds for 5 reps with 5-10 seconds rest every time I come off the wall. I know I can do the 20 high pulls straight through. I figure just over one second per rep so 25-35 seconds per 20 reps. The 200m comes when I am still pretty fresh, so I figure I can run it in 40-45 seconds.
So lets break this down for me:
Now add it all up fast end and not fast end. If I am humming, and really want to push myself, then I add up best scenario performance and figure I should finish in about 6:30'ish. On the slower end (but still doing pretty good), I should finish in 7:40'ish.
I just created the perfect workout partner. Can I beat myself at my best? Will I finish with an okay performance? Will I fall below what I know I am capable of? I think of every workout in this manner.
Of course all of this theory goes out the window if you aren’t monitoring yourself constantly. If you just want to come in and get the workout done and to bullocks with the time it takes you to finish, that's totally cool with me. But......If you want more out of your workouts and want to get positive results, you should always be looking at the clock. You should know how long it takes you to run or row certain distances when you are fresh and when you are tired. In any movement, you should know how long it takes you to do reps and how long it takes you to recover when you break the reps down into smaller sets. When you learn to monitor all of this stuff, you really learn about yourself and what limits you can push yourself toward and past. It really makes training much more satisfying, and it makes a really hard workout a lot less intimidating.
Watch the clock. Study yourself. Train smarter.
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WORKOUT 12/21/2011
Complete the following for time:
POWER HOUR 12/21/2011
Then.....
Then....
As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes of:
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Not fitness related, but trying to give One World co-owner, Zvi Kowit, a boost. Plus, I know a lot of cops and SWAT operators read this blog.....
Zvi has a side business selling tactical LED flashlights. I needed a small flashlight to carry on my SWAT vest. This light is perfect. It runs on a AA battery, but it's still super bright (150 lumens). The cost was only $40. I like it!
Zvi has all different sized LED flashlights available from different manufacturers. Weapon lights too..... Help Zvi out and check out his website:
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WORKOUT 12/20/2011
"Death By Pull-Up"
Start a running clock. In the first minute, do one pull-up. Second minute do two pull-ups. Third minute do three..... Continue until you can no longer finish the amount of pull-ups required for the minute. In group sessions, once you fail, rest one full minute, then do five pull-ups every minute until the last person in the session fails.
Substitute ring rows for pull-ups.
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Last January, Chyna and I had the opportunity to train at Westside Barbell for a weekend. Louie Simmons and the lifters at Westside Barbell are arguably some of the strongest men in the entire world. It was a great experience, and Louie and crew were totally cool.
It was a little surreal hanging out AJ Roberts, who went on later in the year to hit a World Record powerifting total with a 1140# squat, 870# bench, and 815# deadlift (totaling 2825#).
Regardless of whether powerlifters wear suits or they take drugs to get that strong, they still have to work fucking hard to get to the top of their sport. I have great respect for that.
Over the summer I attended my first powerlifting meet. It was awesome to watch, and made me realize my strength numbers are really pathetic..... for powerlifting. I don’t want to be a powerlifter. I love to watch it. I love to learn about how to get stronger from powerlifters. During my trip to Westside, one of Louie’s top lifters was showing me how to use one of Louie’s accessory machines. After he moved two 45# plates from a rack to the machine, he was huffing and puffing. The guy was closing in on being one of the top lifters in the world at his weight class, but after moving two 45# plates off a rack he needed to pause to catch his breath. The guy was 28 years old. I can't lie..... It freaked me out a bit. For that reason, I am just not that interested in becoming a powerlifter.
All that being said, I never could figure out why powerlifters (or guys who think they are powerlifters) spend so much time hating on CrossFit. CrossFit and powerlifitng are worlds apart. CrossFit strong is not powerlifting strong. They aren’t even close. They do have one thing in common. A powerlifter (and an Olympic weightlifter) and a person who does CrossFit are all trying to get stronger.
So what is “CrossFit strong”??? I am 46yo/5’8”/190#. These are the goals I am shooting for:
(I'm over on three, but short on another three)
These numbers are by no means impressive by powerlifting or Olympic weightlifting standards, but I figure almost all the top male CrossFit Games athletes can hit all those numbers. Besides hitting those strength numbers, they crush CrossFit workouts both long and short. They can run fast for both long and short distances. They have an engine that pumps out crazy horsepower. They can do it all. They are "CrossFit Strong." (Note that CrossFit Strong does not aply to throwing a softball....haha.)
Haters are gonna hate, but what’s wrong with being well rounded? I like the idea of “CrossFit Strong.” It’s a good goal for any person to have. Increase your strength and everything else in life gets easier, especially CrossFit workouts.
Note: Chyna and I had long discussion about what we thought were good “CrossFit Strong” numbers for a woman. Generally, in a conditioning workout, we use 66% of the men’s weight for women. Strength numbers at 66% for women would be:
I don't know what the top CrossFit Games female competitors are lifting across the board. My feelings are the pressing numbers are gonna be lower since women in general aren't as strong in the upper body, but these are reasonable goals.
Thoughts???? Post to comments.
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Don't forget about the White Elephant Gift Exchange on Thursday night (12/22) at 7:45. Gift must be wrapped and valued between $10-$20. I'll post all the details of the White elephant on Monday or Tuesday. Sign up on the dry erase board at the gym.
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MAKE-UP DAY 12/19/2011
Make-up a workout you missed in the last cycle....OR....do the Power Hour....OR....work on a skill....OR....rest!
Avoid pull-ups. Tuesday's workout is pull-up heavy.
POWER HOUR 12/19/2011
Five rounds of:
Rest as needed between rounds.
Then.....(not for time)
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I found another cool hole in the wall restaurant that is a must visit!!! Frodo Joe’s Petit Café. The place is all about crepes. Savory crepes (think standard items you put in an omelet), veggie crepes, dessert crepes, and specialty crepes. This one is the Buffalo Crepe off the specialty menu: It’s loaded with bacon, ham, turkey, chicken, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, and an awesome homemade salsa. You can get it with your choice of side (pictured with the Greek salad) all for just $8.95! It’s located right next door to 24HR Fitness. After you eat you can go burn off some calories on the elliptical…..
Address is 39286 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont CA 94538
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WORKOUT 12/18/2011
Sunday is Coach's Choice!!!! (For those of you online, it's "Your Choice")
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Lab Rat regulars, Jason and Shane, asked Chyna to come up with a workout for them to do during the 6:30 am session. She gave them 10 rounds of 10 supine ring rows and 10 push-ups...... Or did she just tell them to work on resting? Seriously, WTF are they doing? Post to comments =)
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By the time I got to the gym after work, there was hardly anyone there. I did some strength endurance work and then a quick little conditioning workout. I was stoked to get in and out of the gym pretty quick. As I was doing my cool down routine (drinking a beer), I kept looking around the gym thinking to myself, "What am I forgetting." Couldn't figure it out, so I left. 10 minutes later, Brad text me this photo: I left all my weights out on the middle of the floor. How the hell did I miss that???The caption with the photo read, "Who's the loser now????" I'm claiming old and senile.
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WORKOUT 12/16/2011
Complete 3 rounds for time of:
POWER HOUR 12/16/2011
Rest one minute between efforts. Rest 10 minutes between row and run.
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Paying tribute to tools around the world!
A lot of people who "hate" CrossFit sure spend a lot of time on CrossFit websites reading about CrossFit. Every now and then, a CrossFit "hater" (who reads the One World blog) posts something so fucking funny, it is worth giving them the attention that they desire. This one from a lonely person posting as "Wilson Goveda":
"The average girl on the local high school field hockey team can deadlift 500 lbs. It's always funny to hear what Crossfiters praise a heavy lift."
DAMN!!!! Two things: I obviously should have been a girl. I wish I was a girl playing high school field hockey. (Is that weird???)
The results from the USAPL 2011 High School National Powerlifting are on the USAPL website. The best deadlift by a high school girl was 352#. Wilson must live in a town where the girls have drank a gallon of milk a day since they came out of their mamas. If those girls are deadlifting 500#, I wonder how good they actually are at playing field hockey.
And this part is funny too:
"It's always funny to hear what Crossfiters praise a heavy lift."
WTF?!?!?!? Strength is the end all. If you can lift 10# more than me or 250# more than me, I am impressed just as much either way. With a little bit of consistent training anyone can do conditioning workouts or run for long distances. Getting strong is much more of a long term commitment and way more impressive than a really good Fran time.
If you can couple pretty good strength numbers with a huge cardio engine, which most of the top CrossFit Games competitors can do, that is way impressive. Obviously, it's not average girl's high school field hockey impressive, but it's still pretty badass.
Oh Wilson.......maybe you should get a girlfriend so that you don't spend time on the One World site in between imagining that the girl on the free porn website is your girlfriend.
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MAKE-UP DAY 12/15/2011
Make-up a workout you missed over the last cycle....OR....work on a skill....OR....spend time posting comments on a website that you hate....or rest!!!
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You are invited to attend a "White Elehant" gift Exchange on 12/22/2011 at 7:45 pm. This is a Thursday night and will take place at One World after the last training session. Rules for the gift exchange will be posted a few days before the event. The gift you bring to the exchange should be valued between $10-$20, and it must be wrapped. If anyone wants to bring some delicious holiday treats, you get bonus high fives! We did this a few years ago, and it was really a lot of fun.
Sign up on the dry erase board.
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WORKOUT 12/14/2011
Complete 5 rounds for time of:
POWER HOUR 12/14/2011
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You can pull off a pink unicorn shirt and pink wrist wraps if...... you've won a state title in a sanctioned Strongman event, you have a 315# clean & jerk, and a deadlift over 600#.
If you haven't met Jahed, introduce yourself. He doesn't CrossFit, he only comes to One World to weightlift. Super cool guy. His little brother, Harry, will be hanging out for the next month while on a break from UC Davis. The kid is 20 and DL's 500#. Awesome.
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WORKOUT 12/13/2011
Then....
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Since today is a much more lighthearted theme than yesterday, how about you all take a look at the funniest music video I've seen in awhile:
Betsy Finley- 2011 Crossfit Games Champion Master's Division 60+
I am a member of the CF Masters group on Facebook. The group started as a place for masters aged CrossFitters (45+) to share training experiences. I check the group page every now and then and have posted or commented several times. Mostly though, I scan through the posts of others. I started to notice a trend. The thread seemed to be a place where everyone posted about their injuries. Are they all CrossFit injuries? Not necessarily. I think a lot of injuries with older people stem from prior injuries or conditions that now flare up or get even worse due to the repetitive/overuse nature that stems from high intensity interval training.
I was at the first Affiliate Gathering a few years back. Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit introduced his new philosophy that the goal of CrossFit was to “increase work capacity across broad time, modal, AND AGE domains.” Glassman went on to talk about trying to constantly increase your work capacity into old age by using CrossFit. Glassman was sure that CrossFit would lead all of us into old age with our health and being able to live independently. I remember him saying that they were gathering data to prove his theory.
I know it’s only been a few years, but I would love to see this data that is being collected. Is CrossFit proving to be good for older people or is it hurting them? Many older people will read this and say, “Freddy, CrossFit has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I feel better. I look better. Plus, I am seeing improvement everyday.” I don’t doubt you for a second, but I think you need to ponder a few things before you keep trying to get a new PR for the Filthy Fifty.
When you dedicate yourself to a new exercise regimen, you can achieve positive results in 1-2 weeks. You can continue to make improvements over the next few weeks, but at some point, unless you make adjustments (variety) to your training, you will hit a plateau. There is a ton of variety in CrossFit, thus, the point at which you hit the plateau comes later, BUT SOONER OR LATER YOU WILL HIT A PLATEAU. For me, it was about the two year mark. New PR’s came real hard after that.
Another thing to consider is the fact that you are training in an exercise regimen that is in an competitive environment. You tend to push yourself harder than when you were walking through the machine circuit at 24HR Fitness. It was once said that men will die for points. Older folks are at CrossFit gyms hanging and banging with younger people. They aren’t necessarily the best athletes, but they keep trying. They push themselves harder than they really should. I’ve lost several good 40+ athletes at One World because they couldn’t turn off the ego and the price they paid was injury.
CrossFit has been around since 2001, but it has really only been the last two years that it has taken off thanks to the CrossFit Games. Now there is a Master’s Division in the CrossFit Games. Lots of older athletes are competing in local competitions and doing well. The master’s division is so small still, that you can be an okay athlete and do pretty good. All of a sudden, doing something that you started to get healthier and feel better is something you want to do make it to the Home Depot Center in July. Your training steps up. You may or may not have a coach who is smart enough to program for an older aged person and thinks that getting to the Games means CrossFit workouts 5 to 6 days a week. Is this really healthy for a person 40, 50 or 60+ years old? Not even considering the CrossFit Games, is a gym’s regular CrossFit programming good for older people at your local CrossFit gym?
We don’t have to many older folks at One World. The majority of our athletes are in their 20’s and 30’s. We’ve seen a lot of older folks come and go. The fact of the matter is CrossFit is hard and it hurts. Recovery is an issue as you get older, thus making consistency in training hard. If you don’t eat smart, sleep lots, and take some good supplements, trying to keep up with the youngsters or even trying to keep up with your own goals can bite you in the ass.
So to all you old farts out there in CrossFit land, do yourself a favor. Turn off your ego. Train smart with more emphasis in strength training (strong does an old body good). I would avoid gluten as you get older to increase gut health and decrease inflammation. Sleep more, it's great for recovery. Don’t work “through” an injury or pain, work “around” them. Avoid high rep workouts and overuse of the joints. Even when scaled down, workouts with multiple reps at high intensity can be doing more damage to tendons and ligaments than they do good.
For those of you older folks who are thinking about starting CrossFit, but you have bad knees, or shoulders, or back pain, or whatever.... please consider a different training program.
For those of you competing and are fairly new to training, search out someone to program for you who understands all the things I mentioned in the previous paragraph, but who also knows you personally. I’m fortunate that my girlfriend is a smart programmer, and she knows my weaknesses, strengths, and physical capabilities/injuries. My whole program is based on those three things.
10 years from now, we will know a lot. Will old people be superhuman compared to old people of the past, or will we all be hobbling around with walkers and unable to reach the dishes on the top shelf in the kitchen? Will the youngsters of today still be crushing CrossFit as they hit their 30’s, 40’s, and 50+? CrossFit really can’t make us promises about the future. The fact is that we are all lab rats right now.
Welcome to the experiment.
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I really like this weeks upcoming programming. It's Monday, and we are opening the week with a "chipper" style workout. It will be interesting to see how everyone does.
WORKOUT 12/12/2011
Complete the following for time:
POWER HOUR 12/12/2011
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You've all been there. You're driving down the road. It's the middle of the day between lunch and dinner. You need to eat something and it has to be something delicious! You need the "Go To" snack.
For me it's half a Chinese style BBQ duck and a few beers. I love duck. It's so fatty, juicy, and yummy! Make sure you get your duck from a little hole in the wall Chinese restaurant that has the BBQ ducks hanging in the window. Those are the best! Lucky for me, there's one around the corner from my house. I live a charmed life =)
What is your favorite "Go To" snack? Post to comments.
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MAKE-UP DAY 12/11/2011
Make-up a workout you missed in the last cycle....OR....work on a skill....OR....rest!!!
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If you're looking for something to do this Saturday, go watch Anna and Lyn compete in the Death By Barbell Challenge at Lalanne Fitness. Their heat is at 12:05.
Best wishes ladies!!!
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WORKOUT 12/9/2011
Complete 40/30/20/10 reps for time of:
POWER HOUR 12/9/2011
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Remember that trick question when you were a kid:
"What's heavier: a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers?"
It seems everyone at the gym thinks that the 45# steel plates are heavier than 45# rubber bumper plates. That's just silly. I've weighed them. A 45# steel plate weighs the same as a 45# rubber bumper, and both weigh the same as 45# of feathers.
There is surely some scientific reason why some of you honestly think that steel plates feel heavier than bumper plates. Maybe someone can post that reason(s) to comments.
I know I can think of a few reasons that some CrossFitters love rubber bumper plates:
The main reason CrossFitters don't like steel plates:
Seriously, try doing a deadlift workout with steel plates instead of bumper plates. For shits and giggles, try doing connected cleans or snatches with steel plates instead of bumpers. I like to think that I don't excessively bounce deadlifts when I do a workout, but the very nature of rubber is that it bounces. Steel does not bounce. Don't believe me? Try the classic CrossFit Games workout of 5 rounds of 5 deadlifts at 275#/10 burpees. Do it with steel plates instead of bumper plates. Night and day experience.......
I will admit though, lifting feathers sounds so much easier than lifting steel or rubber.
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WORKOUT 12/8/2011
Complete four rounds with one minute rest between rounds. A round is three minutes long.
Rounds one and three:
Rounds two and four:
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New toy!!!! This is the first rack we've put in. The plan is to put a second one in soon. This weightlifting rack is very versatile. It's great for squatting, bench pressing, floor presses, and all manner of overhead presses. Ask a trainer about all the capabilities of this rack. My goal is to not have racks on the weightlifting platforms and use the platforms solely for Olympic weightlift training. (More kilo weight sets coming in a few weeks!!)
No need to use bumper plates when using this rack, so if any of you know where I can pick up more steel plates cheap, or you see some for sale somewhere, let me know. I want to keep the other plates by the roll-up door for sled drags and prowler pushes.
ENJOY!
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MAKE-UP DAY 12/7/2011
Make-up a workout you missed in the last cycle....OR....do the Power Hour....OR....work on a skill....OR....rest.
POWER HOUR 12/7/2011
Then....
Then....
*You should not be running while doing the sled drag. It should be a power walk.
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Their conversation was pretty much the same conversation everyone had after WORKOUT 12/5/2011:
Brad- "That workout sucked ass!"
Raz- "Horrible. Just horrible!"
It was a doozy. It knocked Brad right out of his shoes.........
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WORKOUT 12/6/2011
Then......
Start a ten minute running clock and complete five rounds of:
Score is total calories.
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I love football. My mom took me to my first Raider game when she was pregnant with me. A perfect Sunday is sitting at home (or at a bar) watching the Bay Area football teams play. Go Raiders and best wishes to anyone playing the 49ers....lol! A day like today was horrible for Bay Area football. The Raiders sucked ass, and the Niners are, as usual, just boring to watch. What's a guy to do? Facebook news feed!!!
I scan the Facebook news feed for entertainment. Some of you Crossfitters are fucking crazy. After scanning the the news feed, I thought that an old One World post was worthy of reposting. I first posted this on 12/10/2010. I'm so glad that this post was not directed at anyone at One World. You folks have your heads on straight.
A silly rant......
I am not a huge Facebook guy. I log on every now and then and post a few comments on some pics or respond to my girlfriend's wall posts, but for the most part, I find Facebook to overwhelming to deal with. When I am really bored (like during the trainig class I had to take at work on Friday), I pass the time reading the news feed on Facebook.
I have a ton of friends from the CrossFit crowd, so my news feed is never ending entertainment. What really fascinates me is the CrossFit people who write crazy ass status updates every ten to fifteen minutes. The status updates are always about their workout, their pending workout, or the workout that they had to miss. The status updates are always so dramatic.... They use words like "triumph" "victory" "blood" "tears" "glory" "battlefield" "arena" "courage" "war" "soldier" "warrior" "heroic", etc, etc. Their status updates are meant to be inspirational, but really, WTF are these people talking about??? And who the hell are the crazy people hitting the "like" button???
At One World, we simply train. We train to get fit. Being fitter is just one of many things that helps make us a better parent, cop, fireman, soldier, teacher, doctor, lawyer, housewife....whatever! We train to be better at life. We are not training to be the 300 Spartans making a stand against the entire Persian army. Sorry folks, but exercising is just not that glamorous.
When you step into One World, know that our program is designed to simply help make you a better person through fitness. There are personal successes and failures every day. In that manner, working out is no different than life. Always remember that the workout is not a life or death struggle. I promise you that you will survive no matter what I tell you during the warm-up!
Now go forth, warriors and slay your "WOD"!!!! hahaha
This post in a nutshell: You are not a warrior. Warriors kill people. You are exercising.
Have you seen a Facebook status update of total CrossFit Ridiculousness??? Cut and paste the status update to comments. This could end up quite entertaining!
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WORKOUT & POWER HOUR 12/5/2011
Complete four rounds for time of:
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When I was 12 years old, I was obsessed with Conan the Barbarian. Look at this guy.... He was a beast!!! Conan was my childhood inspiration to lift weights and get jacked.
Most folks think that Conan is the Conan portrayed in the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. True Conan fans now that Conan came from the mind of Robert E. Howard back in 1932. I read all of the Conan books when I was a kid. Robert E. Howard's Conan was a badass mofo!
The first Arnold movie was not a horrible depiction of Conan. Bits and pieces of the original movie actually came from the books. Arnold back in the day was damn near comic book superhero in real life:
On Saturday night, I watched the latest version of Conan. WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?! Everyone involved in this movie should be sacrificed to Crom. Who the hell is this douche??? This guy is not Conan the Barbarian. I feel sick from watching this movie......
I cleansed myself by ordering the entire Robert E. Howard Conan collection on Google Books. I can't wait to read them all again. It's like taking a trip back to my childhood.
Think back to your youth. My inspiration was a superhoro from a fantasy land. Who inspired you when you were a kid? Post to comments.
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WORKOUT 12/4/2011
Sunday is Coach Cheryl's Choice. For those of you who have been showing up on Sundays, you know that she comes up with some damn good workouts. Enjoy!!!!
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Alex, Chyna and I were eating dinner at Claim Jumper. This guy walks in wearing an Affliction t-shirt that emphasized his not so massive arms. His not so big chest was sticking out and his arms were bowed out away from his body. Alex looks at him and says, "Damn, that guy has "Imaginary Lats Syndrome."
I laugh and start typing Imaginary Lats.....Google instantly pops up syndrome. I click on it and it takes me to Urban Dictionary:
Imaginary Lats Syndrome:
What a great month of PR's! Each and everyone of you on this board should be very proud of your achievements. A new PR (personal record) means one thing: you are working hard and it's paying off. I would love to see everyone in the gym have their name on this board at the end of each month. Don't be shy about what it is that you've done better than you did the month before. Maybe you finally string together two double unders. Maybe you hit a new 1 rep max lift by 1#. Maybe you get your first kipping pull-up. Maybe you make it though your first workout without throwing up.
Your training should have purpose. The purpose can be whatever you chose: lose weight, get healthier, look better naked, compete in the Crossfit Games, run a marathon (did I really just say that?). Whatever your purpose for training is, you need to train hard to achieve the goal. Hitting a new PR is proof you are moving in the right direction.
It's funny that when people first start out at One World and they are suffering through their first workout, I will sometimes tell them, "Don't worry, it gets easier." In actuality, that is a lie. If you dedicate yourself to your training, it gets harder because you always want more. New PR's are kinda like crack. Once you start, you want more and it's hard to stop. I like to think that if you are training smart and resting appropriately, PR's are good crack. You are in a good place when you are a "good crack" crackhead.....lol.
If you've ever left the gym and you are stoked because you accomplished something that you thought you never were going to achieve, you have a hit a new PR. Share that accomplishment with everyone. Be proud of it. Write your PR's on the board. Just make sure you write small so everyone else can share too.....
Post your goals or the reason you train to comments. I train so that when I'm at work I don't ever get my ass handed to me by a nine year old: ******************************************************
WORKOUT 12/2/2011
Complete the following for time:
POWER HOUR 12/2/2011
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