Thursday 7.19.12

Rest Day
Be active.  Do something other than CrossFit.

Wednesday 7.18.12

Montoya's Front Squat at the Games.

On the minute x 7

2 Hang Power Cleans

On the minute x 7

2 Power Cleans

On the minute x 7

2 Squat Cleans

This is a 21 minute workout.  There is no rest between movements.  Post scores to comments.

This is our sport...

Games Recap

"Toughness is the ability to perform at the upper limits of your talent and skill 

regardless of the competitive circumstance."

I always find it difficult to summarize The Games experience in one blog post.  The emotion, relationships, triumphs and defeats, the community, friends and family, the programming, the preparation, the recovery, the details and the big picture are almost too much to make sense of in a few paragraphs. 

So here is a quick recap of our athletes that certainly will not do any of them justice, as they all deserve a journalist, not a strength coach, to describe their passion and performance.  

TEAM

After the first two events on Friday morning the team was in 37th place.  It was time to see what the character of this team really is.  As John Wooden said, "Sport doesn't create character, it reveals it." 

The easy thing to do would be to lay blame, pack it in and coast through the remaining events.  But this team is tough and filled Champions.  They finished in the top 10 in 5 of the last 6 workouts to battle back to 12th overall.  

I am happy that Tommy's "Hacks Pack" won.  They were the fittest team there and the deserve to take home The Cup.  Congrats to CrossFit Ute!

INDIVIDUAL

The similarities between Chris's and the Team's experience were strangely similar.  Chris was right were he wanted to be in the first event, 9th place after the bike and 3rd place half way through the run.  Then the unfortunate hit.  He experienced cramping in his lower body that turned his run into a walk and finally into a shuffle.  The cramps were so bad that they left bruises.  The fact that he was able to finish the final 5K, when every step and every minute was excruciatingly painful, is a testimant to his focus and determination.  Chris finished the Triathlon 3rd to last and would spend the rest of the weekend battling himself out of a hole.  Chris has learned a lot from his record six Games experiences and was able to turn his focus on what he could control and influence, which was recovering and preparing for the upcoming events.  Battling all odds, Chris was able to make it all the way to Sunday's event and give the crowd a show as he hung with the bigger athletes in the heavy chipper wod and the double banger.

MASTERS

Lisa Mikkelson won First Place in the women's 45-50!  Lisa is an amazing athlete (Master's American record holder in the 400m) and she dominated the field finishing 1st in five of the seven workouts.

Brian Curley, the former Master's Champion, and one of the best humans on the planet, finished in 9th place.

Jerry Fireman in his first games finished 14th.

I am lucky to have been surrounded by a lot of great people and athletes this past year.  It is my hope that this blog will help expand the roster of Games Athletes that I coach.  The only prerequisite is that you have courage, integrity and love CrossFit and your fellow competitors.  

On to 2013...

Tuesday 7.17.12

Congrats to Lisa 8, 45-49 Master's Champion!

Lisa dominated - winning 5 of the 7 events.

"Nancy"

5 RFT:

400m Run

15 OHS 95/65

The next two weeks will be lighter volume.  This is the time to reflect on the past season, spend some extra time with the family, let you body recover and start to focus on the next year. 

If you a member of an affiliate, do workouts with the classes.  Or better yet, get outside the gym and do something besides CrossFit - go waterskiing, mountain biking, hiking, or learn to kite surf.

August first we will begin our year long periodization to prepare for the 2013 season.  Hope you are ready!

Games Week

Team CFNE training for the 400m relay.

The Games are here.   Below is the programming for the week leading up to the big weekend...

Monday:
Travel/Rest - try and move around a lot while you are traveling.  Bring a lacrosse ball on the plane or in the car with you.  Get out of your seat every 45 minutes, stand, stretch and move.  Take your shoes off and roll your feet while sitting.


Tuesday:  
Back Squat, 3 rep heavy
Push Press, 1 rep heavy
Deadlfit, 5 rep heavy
The goal today is to get some weight moving.  Stimulate the CNS.  Get some testosterone pumping.  Without over taxing the body.  


Wednesday:
1.  3 Rounds for time:
3 Squat Cleans, 185/135
5 Muscle ups
7 Handstand push ups
9 Calorie Row
1 minute rest between rounds.
Don't need to go guns-a-blazing on this.  This is a "pregame walk through."  Pace the first three movements (unbroken if possible) and then go hard on the row.  Recover for 1 minute, rinse, wash and repeat.


Thursday:
1.  Cleans
5x1 Cleans at 75%

2.  Walk Through
5 Power Split Snatches 115, 75
5 Bar Muscle ups
5 Burpees
5 Box Jump 30/24"
5 Med Ball GHD Sit ups 10/8#
1  Rope Climb
Rest 2-3 minutes and repeat

Don't be a slave to the rep scheme or even the movements.  Do what feels right.  The idea is to get moving and get exposure to some of the known movements patterns,  prime the CNS, not tax it.

Sunday 7.8.12

Session 1
1.  Clean
3x1 at 90%
2x2 at 80%

2.  Front Squat
2x1 at 95%

Session 2
Sled Push
4 RFT:
20 yard sled push + 2 Push ups
Rest 3 minutes and repeat 2 more times.

Go to a field where your local high school football team practices.  There will be a single tackling sled.  Girls push it empty, guys add 90#.  

Saturday 7.7.12

Session 1
1.  Medball Toss
A.  While performing a GHD sit up, throw a med ball as far as possible - 10 attempts, no time component.
B.  In 30 seconds throw as many med balls as possible, as far as possible.
Dudes: 8# ball
Chicks: 4# ball

2.  300 yard Shuttle
Run 50 yard and back
Run 100 yards and back

Session 2
Track Triplet
3 RFT:
8 Split Snatches (115, 75)
7 Bar MU
400 meter Run

Are you in an environment that is going to grow your potential? 

Do you surround yourself with people that have positive effects on your life?

Feeding your mind with the right mental diet starts with being around positive people.

Friday 7.6.12

1.  5 RFT
5 Power Snatches 135, 95
5 Overhead Squats 135, 9
5 Box Jumps 40, 36"
1 Legless Rope Climb

Big Bri (master's competitor) is shooting to be 

the first repeat Champion next week in LA.

Thursday 7.5.12

Happy Birthday America!

5 RFT

7 Power Cleans 225/155

400m Run

The Games are 8 days away.  It is time to let the last 2 months of hard training catch up.  We have decreased the volume this week and will begin our full blown taper on Monday.  Here is the schedule going forward till the Games.

Friday:  Single

Saturday: Double

Sunday: Double

Monday: Travel/Rest

Tuesday: Single

Wednesday: Single

Thursday: Rest - If for some reason they turn the Games into a 4 day event and start on Thursday, we will be ready.

Friday:  Let the Games begin!

Hope you are enjoyed your 4th of July.  

I took my son Bode for his first swim WOD yesterday.

Tuesday 7.3.12

1.  Back Squat

3 x 1 at 90%

2x2 at 80%

2.  Triple Unders

Practice Triple Unders for 10 minutes

3.  5-4-3-2-1

Thruster 185/135

Gut Buster

1 Gut Buster = 1 Burpee + 1 Toe to Bar + 1 Bar Muscle up. 

Master's Competitor (and beast) Eliane Polito leaves it all on the training 

floor as she prepares for her second Games.