No Workout this Saturday

I'm still dealing with car issues, so no wod today. If you'd like something to work on, grab a jump rope and learn double-unders. They're not as hard as they look, and the metabolic effect is WAY more than double regular jump rope. Check it out, you'll thank me later :)

WOD 12/7/2011

Remember, NO CLASS at 6am. Do this on your own.

"Angie"

For time:

100 Pullups

100 Pushups

100 Situps

100 Squats

If you do not know how to do a kipping pullup(as in the video here) do jumping pullups. Also, if you've never done this workout before, scale the reps. A good idea would be to cut the reps in half, and next time this comes up add 10 reps to each movement.

Post time to comments.

6am Classes cancelled until further notice

Hey all,

Due to car issues I won't be at school for the 6am workouts for the next few days. For those of you following this blog, I will still post wods for you to do. We just won't do them together at the school.

Today's workout:

SKILL PRACTICE

Set a timer for 20 minutes, and practice a physical skill that you are weak at. For some it will be squat form, for others, pushup form, for others, running, etc.

Pay CLOSE ATTENTION to form here. Watch videos from previous posts, and PRACTICE! Make every rep PERFECT! This is not a 'workout' that should leave you smoked. It's practice that should leave you fresh. Remember that you can't practice a skill when you're tired.

Post experience to comments.

WOD 12/5/2011

Monday morning 6am class is CANCELLED due to car issues. Today's home workout:

Strength: Handstand hold for a total of 2 minutes, in as many sets as necessary.

Workout:

As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:

5 Pushups

10 Squats

15 Situps

Post rounds to comments.

Saturday Open WOD 12/3/2011

Strength: 5 x Max Pushups

Workout:

5 Rounds for time:

400m Run

20 Squats

30 Situps

Post time to comments.

WOD 12/2/2011

Strength: Turkish Get Up

Workout:

3 Rounds for time:

400m Run

20 Pushups

30 Squats

Post time to comments.

WOD 12/1/2011

Strength: 5 x Max Reps Pushups

Workout:

5 Rounds for time:

100 Rope Jumps

30 Situps

Post time to comments.

WOD 11/30/2011

Strength: Turkish Get Up x 6(3 on each side with 15# or 25#)

Workout:

4 Rounds for time:

200m Run

10 Goblet Squats 15#

20 Pushups

30 Situps

Post time to comments.

WOD 11/29/2011

Strength: 5 x Max Reps Pushups, every 2 minutes

Workout:

4 Rounds for time:

400m Run

50 Rope Jumps

Post time to comments.

WOD 11/28/2011

Strength: Pullups

Workout:

4 Rounds for time:

400m Run

30 Squats

Post time to comments

hmmmmm, maybe we should try this........

Saturday Open WOD 11/26/2011

Happy Post-Thanksgiving "Oh my god I ate too much mashed potatoes" Tabata Workout!

8 rounds of 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, of:

Squats

Pushups

Situps

Walking Lunges

Your score is your lowest rep count for each movement. Post score to comments.

WOD 11/25/2011

Strength: 3 Turkish Get Ups on each side.

Post Thanksgiving "Work off that pumpkin pie" Workout:

4 Rounds for time:

400m Run

30 Squats

Post time to comments.

These guys did 50 squats per round. You can beat their times, right?

WOD 11/24/2011

Due to circumstances arising from today's(lack of) workout, I'm instituting a new policy:

Workouts will occur RAIN OR SHINE. If it's raining outside, meet me at entrance 6 by the band hall and we'll do a workout under the ceiling there. The only weather conditions that will keep us from 'wod'-ing in the future are described in the book of Revelations. :)

Workout:

10 Pushups

10 Squats

10 Situps

9 Pushups

9 Squats

9 Situps

etc...... until you hit 1 of each.

Post time to comments.

WOD 11/23/2011

Strength: Turkish Get Up

Workout:

4 Rounds for time:

400m Run

15 Pushups

20 Squats

Post time to comments.

WOD 11/22/2011

Strength: Turkish Get Up

Workout:

3 1-minute rounds for reps:

Squats

Pushups

Walking Lunge

Situps

Post total reps to comments.

WOD 11/20/2011

Strength: 10 minutes Turkish Get Up practice

Workout(for time):

400m Run

75 Pushups

75 Situps

75 Squats

400m Run

You may partition the reps if you wish, or push through. Post time to comments.

More TGU madness(shown here with pretty perfect form):

Saturday Open WOD 11/19/2011

8:00am Class

Strength: Turkish Get Up

Workout(for time):

3 Rounds:

400m Run

15 Pushups

20 Squats

25 Situps

Post time to comments.

WOD 11/17/2011

Strength: 10 minutes Turkish Get Up

Workout(for time and reps):

5 Rounds

400m Run

Max Reps Pushups

Post time and reps for each round to comments.

WOD 11/16/2011

Strength: 10 minutes Turkish Get Up practice

Workout:

You have 15 minutes to complete the following:

100 Squats

100 Situps

100 Pushups

You must complete the movements in that order, and partitioning is not allowed.

Post reps completed, or time for total completion, to comments.

If you missed the earlier TGU videos, check the last 2 days of posts.

WOD 11/15/2011

Strength: 10 min. Turkish Get Up practice

Workout(for time):

100 Rope Jumps

25 Pushups

125 Rope Jumps

20 Pushups

150 Rope Jumps

15 Pushups

175 Rope Jumps

10 Pushups

200 Rope Jumps

5 Pushups

Post time to comments.

If you haven't seen part 1 of the TGU video series, see yesterday's post.

WOD 11/14/2011

Strength: 10 minute Turkish Get Up practice.

Workout:

3 Rounds for time:

400m Run

30 Walking Lunges

30 Situps

Post time to comments.

WOD 11/13/2011

Strength: Pullups

Workout:

As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:

10 Pushups

20 Squats

30 Unanchored Situps

Post rounds completed(and any partial round) to comments.

Who can do 15?

SUNDAY CHALLENGE

Today, let's open up those hips that have done so much work this week. Today's challenge:

Old World Squat for 10 minutes.

Do as many sets as you need, but accumulate 10 minutes in the OWS.

Post results to comments.

Saturday Open WOD 11/12/2011

8:00am Class

Calisthenics Warmup

Strength: Turkish Get Up

Workout:

4 Rounds for time:

400m Run

30 Squats

Post time to comments.

Finish with 50 Unanchored Situps.

How many moms do you know who look like this?

WOD 11/10/2011

Strength: Pullups

Workout:

5 Rounds for time

100 Rope Jumps

15 Pushups

20 Squats

Post time to comments.

WOD 11/9/2011

Strength: Pullups x 5

Workout: Tabata Calisthenics

Perform as many reps as possible in 20 seconds of each movment, followed by 10 seconds rest. Do 8 rounds of each movement:

Squat

Pushup

Situp

Your score is your worst round for each movement. Post score for each movement to comments.

Finish with 2 minutes of jump rope. Count and post your reps.

WOD 11/8/2011

6:00am class

Dang, forgot to do the situps in the workout yesterday.

Soooooooooooooooo............ :)

Skill work: Overhead Squat

Workout:

3 Rounds for time:

400m Run

20 Walking Lunges

30 Unanchored Situps

Post time to comments.

For our newer athletes:

WOD 11/7/2011

6:00am class

Calisthenic Warmup

Strength: Pullups

Workout:

For time:

400m Run

5 Pushups

30 Squats

10 Pushups

25 Squats

15 Pushups

20 Squats

20 Pushups

15 Squats

25 Pushups

10 Squats

30 Pushups

5 Squats

400m Run

Post time to comments.

When finished, do 50 unanchored situps.

Saturday Open WOD 11/5/2011

8:00am Class:

Calisthenic Warmup

Strength: Pullups

Workout:

400m Run

30 Situps

5 Pushups

25 Situps

10 Pushups

20 Situps

15 Pushups

15 Situps

20 Pushups

10 Situps

25 Pushups

5 Situps

30 Pushups

400m Run

Post time to comments.

WOD 11/4/2011

Calisthenic Warmup

Strength: Pullups

Workout:
Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
400m Run
15 Pushups
15 Situps

Post rounds completed, plus any partial rounds, to comments.

WOD 11/3/2011

Calisthenic Warmup

Strength: Pullups

Workout:
For time:
75 Pushups
75 Squats
75 Situps

Complete all Pushups before moving to the Squats, etc.

Be honest about form.

Post time to comments.

WOD 11/2/2011

For time:
20 Pushups
20 Squats
20 Situps
15 Pushups
15 Squats
15 Situps
10 Pushups
10 Squats
10 Situps
5 Pushups
5 Squats
5 Situps

Post time to comments.

WOD 11/1/2011

Calistenics Warmup

Strength:
A) 5 x Pullup hold(time) or 5 x Pullups(reps)
B) 5 x Slow Pushups(reps)

Workout:
400m Run
30 Squats
400m Run
30 Walking Lunges
400m Run
30 Burpees

Post time to comments.

For a better quality of life. Check out these ladies :)

WOD 10/31/2011

Calisthenic Warmup

Strength: 5 x Pullup Hold(time) or 5 x Pullups(reps)

Workout:
400m Run
30 Squats
30 Pushups
30 Leg Raises
400m Run

Post time to comments.

Brandon says don't quit.

Open WOD 10/29/2011

Calisthenic Warmup

Strength: 5xPullup Hold(time) or 5xPullups(reps)

Workout:
400m Run
Tabata Pushups
400m Run
Tabata Squats
400m Run
Tabata Situps
400m Run
Tabata Walking Lunges

Tabata intervals are 20 seconds work followed by 10 seconds rest, 8 times. Your score is your lowest rep count for each movement. Post score to comments.

WOD 10/28/2011

Gymnastics Warmup(see video)

Strength Work: 5xMax Time Pullup Hold

Workout:
3 Rounds:
400m Run
Max Reps Pushups

Post time and Pushups accomplished to comments.

WOD 10/27/2011

Calisthenic Warmup

Workout:

A) 400m Run

B) 5 Rounds:

Max reps Pushups

20 Squats

C) 400m Run

Post total time to comments.

I know I'm a freak for bodyweight workouts, but check this out :)

WOD 10/26/2011

Calisthenics Warmup

Strength work: Pullups

Workout:

4 Rounds for time:

400m Run

20 Squats

10 Pushups

Post time to comments.

WOD 10/25/2011

Calisthenic Warmup

Workout:

5 Rounds for Max Reps

Pushups

Pullups on the rings(or Pullup hold for max time)

Post reps for each round to comments. A Pullup Hold counts as 1 rep for every 10 seconds.

WOD 10/24/2011

Bodyweight "Fight Gone Bad"

This is a bodyweight version of a classic CF workout. Perform as many reps as possible in 60 seconds of each movement, then switch to the next movement. At the end of all 5 movements, you get 60 seconds rest. Then cycle through a second round, then a third. The total time for the workout is 17 minutes.

The movements are:

Pushup

Squat

Pullup(or pullup hold) on the rings

Leg Raise(straight leg)

Walking Lunge

Keep a running count of your reps(pullup hold counts as 1 rep) throughout the workout. Score is total reps.

Post reps to comments.

SUNDAY CHALLENGE

100 Pushups

Do a set of 10, then rest at least 30 minutes. If 10 is easy, do them with a close grip, OR elevate your feet. You have all day Sunday to complete the 100 reps.

Post reps accomplished to comments.

WOD 10/22/2011

Calisthenic Warmups + Active Mobility

Skill Work: Overhead Squat

Strength Work: 5 rounds max time pullup hold on the rings.

Workout:

4 Rounds for time:

400m Run

50 Rope Jumps

15 Pushups

Post time to comments.

WOD 10/21/2011

6:00 AM class

Warmup:

3 Rounds of

15 Squats

10 Pushups

5 Pullups on the rings(or pullup hold)

Workout:

10 Rounds, each for time, of:

100m Sprint

Rest 90 seconds

Post slowest round to comments.

WOD 10/20/2011

6:00 AM class

Calisthenic Warmups

Skill Work: Overhead Squats at the concession stand

Workout:

4 Rounds for time:

400m Run

25 Squats

Post time to comments.

Strength work: Pullup strength on the rings.

WOD 10/19/2011

6:00AM class:

Calisthenics Warmup

Skill Work: Overhead Squat therapy at the concession stand

Workout:

Tabata Squats, Pushups, Situps

For each prescribed movement, do 20 seconds of max reps, followed by 10 seconds rest, for 8 rounds. Your score is your lowest number of reps for each movement.

Post score to comments. If there's time left over, we'll do pullup work on the rings.

WOD 10/18/2011(UPDATE)

(UPDATE)My sincere apologies to those who came out this morning. Apparently I'm not yet accustomed to getting up early, because I slept right past my alarm this morning. It won't happen again. I'll be there tomorrow, and every weekday, at 6:00 AM.

6:00 AM Class:

Calisthenic Warmups

Skill Work: Overhead Squat therapy at the concession stand

Workout:

5 Rounds of Max Reps Pushups, starting every 2 minutes. Make every rep count.

Post reps for each round to comments.

WOD 10/17/2011

Warmups(Static Holds, Active Mobility)

Skill Work: Overhead Squat

We're going to be training the Overhead Squat during the next few sessions, first with PVC then weighted PVC, before adding any weight. This is an amazing exercise for shoulder strength and stability.

Workout:

3 Rounds for time:

400m Run

30 Squats

15 Pushups

Strength work:

Pullup strength on the rings

Post time to comments.

WOD 10/15/2011

Warmups(Static Holds, including Frog Stand)

Skill Work: Overhead Squat

Workout:

3 Rounds for time:

400m Run

25 Squats

20 Leg Raises

15 Pushups

Post time to comments.

WOD 10/14/2011

Warmup: Static Holds + Active Mobility

Cash in: 30 Leg Raises

Workout:

For time:

30 Walking Lunges

30 Squat Jumps

20 Walking Lunges

20 Squat Jumps

10 Walking Lunges

10 Squat Jumps

Pushup Practice:

4 Rounds for reps:

Max Reps pushups every 2 minutes. If your current max is >30, use a close grip or elevate your feet.

Cash Out:

30 Situps

WOD 10/13/2011

Warmup with bear crawls, static holds, active mobility.

Cash in: 30 Leg Raises

Workout:

5 Rounds for time and reps:

400m Run

Max Reps Pushups(If your current max is >20, do close grip Pushups)

Cash out: 30 Situps+mobility

Post time and reps for each round of pushups.

Come again?

What was that excuse you had for not giving your best? Tell it to these guys.

WOD 10/7/2011

Saturday open workout:

5 Rounds for time:

20 Squats

Max reps Pushups

20 Walking Lunges

20 Situps

For the pushups, do your hardest form, as long as you can put chest to ground.

Post time and total number of pushups to comments.

SUNDAY CHALLENGE

How much time can you spend today in a handstand?

Place your hands approximately shoulder-width, between 6-8 inches from a wall. Kick up in the manner shown in the video(preferably with a timer in view), and hold the position until you start to fatigue. As soon as your arms start to shake, or when you reach 60 seconds, come back down and do it again after a rest of at least 20-30 minutes.

Post total time for the day to comments.

WOD 9/31/2011

Warmup with statics and some dynamic stretching.

Workout:

3 Rounds for time:

400m Run

30 Tire Jumps

20 Leg Raises(legs as straight as possible)

15 Pushups

If you can do more than 20 pushups in a row, put your feet up on the tire for your pushups.

Post time to comments.

WOD 9/28/2011

Squat/Pushup Ladder

15 rounds for total reps

Do 1 Squat and 1 Pushup the first minute, then 2 Squats and 2 Pushups the second minute, and so on for 15 minutes. If you fail to complete your reps by the end of the minute, your count for the next minute starts over.

Score is the number of rounds successfully completed, but keep working for the full 15 minutes.

Post score to comments.

WOD 9/27/2011

For time:

25 Squats

25 Pushups

25 Walking Lunges

25 Situps

25 Burpees

Here's the 17th fittest woman on Earth picking up heavy stuff:

MONDAY MOTIVATION

How strong can you get just using your own bodyweight?

Uh, pretty strong.....

SUNDAY CHALLENGE

Do a pushup ladder, in the following manner:

Each rep takes 6 seconds, 2 seconds down, pause 1, 2 seconds up, pause 1

Do 1 pushup, then 2, then 3, etc. until you fail.

Rest to recovery in between.

Post experience to comments.

Be fit for the rest of your life:

Saturday Workout CANCELLED

Let's make room for Showcase, shall we? :)

Good luck to all the bands Saturday, and best of luck to the Pride of Herndon!

You may have noticed that I tend to post a lot of videos of women doing amazing things. I do this mainly because our culture has given us a warped sense of what women are capable of. I want every student to know that they are limited only by their own mind. If these women can do this, you can too.

You may also have noticed that Annie Thorisdottir makes frequent appearances here. Well, yeah, I've got a crush on her but shhhh, don't tell her. :)

WOD 9/20/2011

1 minute each for reps :

Squats

Pushups

Situps

Rest

Situps

Pushups

Squats

Post total score to comments.

SUNDAY CHALLENGE

Accumulate 5 minutes in the Frog Stand. If you can already do 60 seconds straight, continue until it starts to get hard, then stop and continue later.

WOD 9/17/2011

Sorry for the late post. Dominic and I had a good time this morning :)

3 Rounds for time:

400m Run

20 Kettlebell Swings, 25#

10 Pushups

If you don't have a kettlebell, use a similarly weighted dumbbell. It won't be quite the same, but it's close enough.

Post time to comments.

WOD 9/15/2011

Warmup:

Burpees :)

Workout:

Bottom-to-bottom Tabata Squats

20 seconds work, followed by 10 seconds 'rest' in the bottom position. Score is your worst round.

Post score to comments.

WOD 9/14/2011

AMRAP 10

5 Pushups

10 Squats

15 Situps

Post Rounds completed, plus reps in last incomplete round, to comments.

WOD 9/13/2011

Warmup:

Finger-walk out to plank, hold plank 10 seconds, finger-walk back 5 x

Pushups: 5x5 in counts of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Workout:

4 Rounds for time: Run 200m

30 Squats

15 Leg Raises

How good is your handstand? (You've seen mine, so you know I'm no rock star :)

Sunday Challenge

Today's challenge is going to be different. Rather than skill work, we're going to participate in a CrossFit tradition, which is to do a workout in memory of fallen heroes.

On September 11, 2001, while the towers of the world trade center were still standing, firefighters climbed 110 stories in full gear in an attempt to rescue as many people as possible. Many of those firefighters never made it back to the ground. Today, instead of skill work, this is a workout in their honor.

"110"

11 Rounds for time:

10 Chair Step-ups with as much weight as you can fit into your backpack

10 Pushups wearing the pack

10 Walking Lunges wearing the pack

10 Standing Toe Touches (straight legs) wearing the pack

Post time to comments.

What would you do in your last hour?

WOD 9/8/2011

Option 1, if outside:

5 Rounds for time:

100m Run

20 Burpees

Option 2, if inside:

In teams of 4:

200 Burpees

One person works at a time, doing sets of 10 reps, rotating around the group. While the one person is working, the other three hold a plank.

Post time to comments.

WOD 9/7/2011

I just couldn't let you all go without having everyone experience the wonders of tabata workouts.

Enjoy :)

For reps:

Pushups-8 rounds of 20 seconds work, followed by 10 seconds rest

Squats-8 rounds of 20 seconds work, followed by 10 seconds rest

Situps-8 rounds of 20 seconds work, followed by 10 seconds rest

Your tabata score is your lowest score for each movement. Combine all three movements for a total score.

Post score to comments.

WOD 9/3/2011

Now that Band Camp is over, students are welcome at the Saturday workouts. Beware: we're getting tougher :)

Warmup:

Wrist mobility

Static Holds

Jump Rope

4 Rounds for time:

100 meters Waiter's Walk with 15, 25, or 35 pounds

30 Situps

Alternate arms each round on the Waiter's Walk

Post time to comments.

WOD 8/31/2011

I couldn't let you guys out of band camp without doing a tabata workout :)

8 rounds for reps of 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest:

Pushups

Situps

Squats

Your score for each movement is your worst round. So, if your pushups went 18, 17, 15, 15, 13, 10, 9, 8, your score for the pushups is 8.

Post score for each movement to comments.

WOD 8/30/2011

For time:

Sprint 50m

20 Pushups

20 Squats

Sprint 100m

15 Pushups

15 Squats

Sprint 150m

10 Pushups

10 Squats

Sprint 200m

5 Pushups

5 Squats

We'll all be doing this together, as a group. Should be both chaotic and fun :)

Post time to comments.

For your video dose today, Nicole of 'Overhead Squat Contest' fame returns :)

WOD 8/29/2011

Just kidding :)

I won't be there Monday night, but I will be on Tuesday and Wednesday, so we'll do something then. If you'd like, on your own do the following:

Calisthenics Quick Ladder:

1 Pushup

1 Squat

1 Situp

Repeat with 2 of each, then 3, etc., until you can't finish the set without breaking. Post result to comments.

For your Monday Motivation, check out Heather Bergeron's daughter Maia. She's a badass! :)

SUNDAY CHALLENGE

Here's your Sunday Challenge for this week. You have all day to complete the challenge.

100 Pushups

Rules:

1) Do a version that is difficult for you, but make sure you're able to do at least 8-10. Examples would be going from knees to strict, from strict to feet elevated, etc.

2) Do sets of 5 reps at a time.

3) Rest AT LEAST 20 minutes between sets, and only do another set if you're fresh and not fatigued.

4) Do as many sets as you can throughout the day. You're finished if you reach 100 reps.

Remember, this is SKILL WORK, so stay fresh. Fatigue is your enemy when working on a skill. We're 'greasing the groove' for future strength work.

Post reps accomplished to comments.

Nutrition-My one rule

Here it is, folks. If you want to eat well for the rest of your life, maintain reasonable bodyfat levels, and be energetic for about the next 70 years, here's my one rule:

EAT

REAL

FOOD.

That's it. Nothing processed. That's all you have to do. How do I define real food? Here's the breakdown(in order of importance):

Eat meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar.

If this is the ONLY rule you follow, you will eat well for the rest of your life. Excess bodyfat will melt away, you'll have excellent energy, and you'll feel great.

Many call this the 'Paleo' diet, or the 'Caveman' diet. The idea is this: Our species has evolved over the span of hundreds of millions of years. Modern humans have been around for between 250-500,000 years. We should eat the foods we evolved with, not the ones we created only 10,000 years ago, the blink of an eye in evolutionary time.

Let's go over the list for a moment.

1) MEATS. Yes, I said meat, and lots of it. It's the protein source most easily digested in the human body(vegetable sources require combination to get complete amino acid structures. It's possible, but a huge pain in the butt). If you are vegetarian, protein will be a major problem for you. I advise against it(this coming from a former veggie dude). If you're vegetarian for ethical reasons, then get your meats from sources that treat animals ethically. Grass fed, cage free, free roaming, non-hormone treated, etc. It's also better for you, and tastes amazing. If you're a vegetarian for health reasons, please re-examine this carefully. Chances are your issues are caused by excess carbohydrate, but check with a qualified nutritionist.

2) VEGETABLES. As many as possible, and as widely colored and flavored as possible. These supply some carbohydrate, and many micronutrients. So don't just have green veggies, but red and orange and every other color you see in the produce section.

3) NUTS and SEEDS. Be careful if you have allergies, but these are great sources of good fats. FAT IS YOUR FRIEND, not your enemy. Eat good amounts of fat, from animal sources(meat, anyone?) and nuts and seeds.

4) SOME FRUIT. Fruit is naturally sweet, and makes for a great dessert. Also, a good source of carbohydrate and many micronutrients. Again, variety is good here.

5) LITTLE STARCH. Starch can be good for energy, but excess starch(VERY easy to do) increases insulin(storage) levels, which leads to weight gain.

6) NO SUGAR. Sends your insulin(storage) levels through the roof and leads to weight gain.

Notice what's not on the list.

NO GRAINS. Period.

NO DAIRY. I could discuss this one, but I'll save it for later. The basic idea is that until the advent of farming, humans only had breast milk, and then only in infancy. Dairy milk contains hormones and compounds that we a) don't need, and b) would be better without. I'll deal with the details later.

Why no grains? Way, way too much carbohydrate. Carbohydrate stimulates production of insulin, a storage hormone. When we get a decent amount of carbs(from veggies and fruit) we get a nice steady energy, and a level production of insulin, resulting in some storage for future energy needs. When we overdose on carbohydrate(compare carb levels in 1 slice of whole wheat bread v. 8oz.(1/2 pound!) of broccoli) our insulin levels shoot up, telling the body to store everything that comes through. Then we get fat. IT DOESN'T MATTER that your meal was 'low fat.' That elevated insulin made your body store everything that came through your bloodstream as fat. So, your 'low fat' meals are making you fat. Sucks, but it's true. Don't believe me? Read this. And check this out.

So, this has been a bit long-winded so far, so I'll call it a day, but you may now be thinking the following:

WHAT ABOUT MY CEREAL FOR BREAKFAST?

Don't eat it. Have this instead:

Ham & Eggs(eat the whole egg, none of this egg-white nonsense) with fruit.

WHAT ABOUT MY SANDWICH FOR LUNCH?

Eat the meat(yum), but put it in a gi-freaking normous salad with lots of veggies and stuff.

WHAT ABOUT MY PASTA FOR DINNER?

Don't eat it. Have a nice big piece of chicken or beef(notice a trend here?) with some vegetables, and maybe some strawberries for dessert. Flavor the meat if you like, with seasonings, some olive oil, whatever.

If your goal is weight loss, cut out grains completely for two weeks. Weigh yourself at the start, and two weeks later. Then tell me I'm wrong.

WHAT ABOUT CALORIES?

Forget them. It's very hard to OD on calories eating like this. Trust me. Try it and you'll see.

Post thoughts to comments.

WOD 2/26/2011

Sorry again for the late post, but I was out tangoing again and just got home. It's the closest thing I have to church. :)

REMINDER: Parents workout part deux, tomorrow, 8am, at the track.

OK folks, here's your chance to see how much you've improved in just two weeks. This workout is a repeat of last Monday's first workout of band camp. Check your time here and try to beat it. Should be no problem.

3 Rounds for time:

400m Run

15 Squats

10 Pushups

Post time to comments.

Attitude

Where's your head? What do you say to yourself when you're presented with a challenge?

Do you impose limits on yourself? (They're never ACTUAL limits, but they sure seem real)

Do you tell yourself 'this is too hard?'

Or do you accept the challenge, face it and defeat it?

How about when nobody's looking?

Where's your head?

We'll do the wod I posted yesterday. 200 reps. No time cap. Get it done.

Yes, this chick's wearing a 20# weighted vest :)

WOD 2/24/2011(?)

Why the "?"

Because we're behind schedule with the rain the other day and the "earthquake" last night. I put "earthquake" in quotes because, perhaps due to my childhood in LA, I didn't actually feel anything. Gotta love DC, a snowflake falls and school closes, a couple drops of rain will bring traffic to a grinding halt, and a vibration no stronger than my electric shaver is called an "earthquake" and everyone freaks. Ah, well, it takes all kinds. :)

All this means that there will be no morning workout on Wednesday. We MAY do one in the evening, if we're caught up, but probably this wod will happen on Thursday. We'll play it by ear. We can do that, right? We are musicians, after all :)

Workout:

For time:

25 Squats

25 Situps

25 Pushups

25 Tire Jumps

25 Walking Lunges

25 Supermans

25 Leg Raises

25 Burpees

There are 200 reps in this workout. Stay focused, and move efficiently. Use the advice of Kelly Starrett and Carl Paoli from this video. "The Position" simply refers to keeping the body tight and rigid during the movement.

WOD 8/23/2011

I was going to post another Mark Rippetoe quote up top tonight, and I ran into this one, which is great, but it doesn't make for a good tag-line. So here it is, some food for thought:

"I look back to 1961 and I see clearly that strength means way more than the ability to generate force against a resistance. It has always meant capability. It has always been the means by which people accomplished things that required them to interact with their environment. Its acquisition has always improved the acquirer in more ways than intended."

It's a bit of a mouthful, but it's also been my experience exactly. Keep those thoughts in mind.

OK, another repeat for the summer folks. Those of you who did the workouts over the summer, go here and compare your time.

3 Rounds for time:

400m Run

30 Squats

20 Pushups

No time cap. Get it done.

WOD 8/22/2011

On to week 2!

Excellent work so far! I see two things that impress me greatly: 1) The strength gains that many of you are already making, and 2) The strength I see in your marching, as well as the POWER I hear in your playing. You may or may not see the difference yet, but holy cow, I sure do.

1) Warm-up stretches + 400m group jog. Group jog means everyone together, nobody ranges out ahead, and nobody gets left behind.

2)Workout

For time:

10 Pushups

10 Situps

10 Squats

9 Pushups

9 Situps

9 Squats

8 Pushups

etc.... until you get to

1 Pushup

1 Situp

1 Squat

There is a 10 minute time cap on the workout. Post time or round achieved to comments.

Here's your Monday Motivation. How do you make the humble Pushup into a raw strength exercise? Here's one way.......

SUNDAY CHALLENGE

Hey all,

First of all, congrats to the small, brave group of adults who came out for the workout on Saturday! We had a good time, and we'll do it again next Saturday as well, so invite your folks!

Each Sunday I will post a challenge. You have all day to complete it. The idea here is SKILL PRACTICE, not exercise. Stop when you get fatigued, and come back to it later. Today's challenge:

Accumulate 5 minutes in the Frog Stand.

Check out the video here about the Frog Stand, and also this video below for tips. Remember, with skill practice fatigue is your enemy. Stop when you're tired, and get back to it later.

Post results to comments.

WOD 8/19/2011

Sorry about the late post, folks. I was tangoing last night, and when I got home the power went out. C'est la vie, non?

REMINDER: Parents' workout on Saturday, 8am, at the track. Invite your folks out for a workout on my dime. PARENTS ONLY during the workout. You may watch, and you may heckle, but you may not participate. You're taking the weekend off after 5 tough days.

"Friday Night Lights"

(Opener)

1 minute Pushups for reps

1 minute Squats for reps

30 seconds rest

(Ballad)

1 minute Tire Jumps for reps

1 minute Walking Lunges for reps

30 seconds rest

(Closer)

400m flat-out run

This workout is designed to mimic the time domain of your show. Keep a running count of your reps for the pushups, squats, tire jumps, and walking lunges. Post number of reps completed, minus your run time(in seconds) to comments.

Someone gave me a hard time on Thursday when I mentioned 'the girls I work out with.' Just so you know, here are some examples of the kinds of girls I work out with :)

WOD 8/18/2011

REMINDER: Parents' workout on Saturday, 8am, at the track. Make your folks share your suffering. :)

Skill work:

Partner Pistols, 5 on each leg

Tire Jumps, 15 total reps

Workout:

50 Burpees

This workout has a 10 minute time cap. Your score is either a) your time, or b) the number of reps completed before time runs out. Post results to comments.

At least I'm not making you do this :)

WOD 8/17/2011

1) NOTE: For those parents interested in seeing what we're doing during these workouts, I will hold a PARENTS ONLY workout on Saturday(August 20) at 8am, location TBD. Parents are welcome to come get a workout on my dime. Students are not welcome at this workout. You will have done 5 days in a row. Take the weekend off.

2) We now have 10 people in the Hall Of Fame! WOOT! :)

Check out the tab up top and see the videos(Dom, we need to get you on video doing the frog stand!)

OK, good news/bad news time.

The good news: No run in the workout.

The bad news: it's still going to suck :)

AMRAP 10

As many rounds as possible in ten minutes of:

5 Pushups

10 Squats

15 Unanchored Situps

Post rounds completed(and partial rounds) to comments.

Here's a vivid illustration of the power of a properly performed squat. Can you tell me why Nicole won this contest?

WOD 8/16/2011

Congratulations go out to several students who made it into the Hall of Fame on the very first day of band camp!! Check the tab above to see the videos :)

Today's skill work:

Pushups(slow, 5 x 5)

Frog Stand

Pistol(partner pistol negatives)

Workout:

400m Run, 4 rounds, each for time.

The second round will begin 60 seconds after the last athlete has crossed the line. It pays to be fast. :)

Post fastest time to comments.

WELCOME TO BAND CAMP!!!!!

I want to extend a huge welcome to the entire entertainment unit, including the extended family of marching members, staff, and parents/volunteers. This is going to be an exciting period, during which you'll learn a lot of music AND movement.

My job is to get you in shape :)

By the time most of you have seen this post, you will have already done the 'Workout Of the Day,' or WOD. You will have learned most of the basic movements I will be using, and you will know what is expected of you during camp. On this blog, I will post the WOD each night before the next day's activites, so you'll know what you're in for the next day. Most nights it'll be up by 8pm.

Each day we will also work skills, including the Frog Stand and the Pistol. Anyone who meets my requirements for either of those two skills goes into the HALL OF FAME(see tab above).

At the bottom of each post I will post your daily dose of video, sometimes for instruction, and sometimes for the "Holy cow, look at that" factor.

All right, folks, let's get cracking :)

Here's your baseline workout. We'll repeat this at the end of next week to check progress. Remember, the buzzword is MORE! More strength, more speed, more power, more balance, more skill, more confidence, more PRIDE!

WOD 8/15/2011

3 Rounds for time:

400m Run

15 Squats

10 Pushups

Post time to comments.

RIBBIT :)

Need help getting that frog stand? Here's a tip...........

WOD 8/11/2011

Hopefully Rookie, Leadership, and Percussion/Guard Camps are going well. I'll see you all on Monday, and you'll be the examples set to your peers. Make sure you earn that. I know you can.

Today's wod:

5 Rounds of Pushups for reps.

Rest as needed(not more than 5 minutes) between rounds.

When finished:
3 Rounds of 30 unbroken squats, each for time.
Rest as needed between sets.

Post pushups completed, and squat times, to comments.

WOD 8/10/2011

Remember your warmups! Do wrist mobility + static holds(plank, reverse plank, superman, hollow body, and frog stand)

Today's workout:
10 Pushups
10 Squats
10 Leg Raises
9 Pushups
9 Squats
9 Leg Raises
8 Pushups
etc.... all the way to
1 Pushup
1 Squat
1 Leg Raise

Post time to comments.

WOD 8/9/2011

"Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general." -Mark Rippetoe

OK, do your wrist mobility and static holds, and then:

Strength Work:
5 x 5 Slow Pushups
3 x 5 Pistols

Workout:
50 Burpees for time.
Any time you have to break the burpees, do 10 squats.

Post time and number of squats to comments.

WOD 8/8/2011

I've been asked to assign workouts this week while I'm in CA, for you guys to do at home. I'll post a workout each day this week. You can do all 5(yes, it's ok to hit workouts several days in a row), and give you the weekend off before band camp.

Today's workout:

Run 3 miles

Options:

1) Go to the school track and run 12 laps. 4 laps is a mile, so 12 laps = 3 miles.

2) Go to MapMyRun.com and plot out a 3 mile course in your neighborhood.

Occasional long distance efforts are important for overall fitness. Post time to comments.

"Annie Sakamoto, 2011 Spirit of the Games Award Winner" - video [wmv] [mov]

Annie Sakamoto is a 35-year old mother of 2. How many moms do you know who look like this? :)

WOD 8/5/2011

"There is no such thing as “firming and toning.” There is only stronger and weaker."

-Mark Rippetoe

Sorry for the late post, I was out dancing tango ;)

Workout:

3 Rounds for Time

400m Run

15 Squats

10 Pushups

This is now less work than you're used to. Get it done fast. :)

Old School

Kickin' it old school today. Jack LaLanne spent his whole life teaching people how to be fit and take care of themselves. He was the model for what happens when you live an active life, and control what you put in your mouth. He was a hero to many, including myself. He died in January, at age 96, from pneumonia.

He did a workout the day before.

(FWIW, if you think the frog stand is hard, check out the hand balance shown at the beginning)

WOD 7/3/2011

Two more workouts before band camp!!

This will be the hardest we've done, and Friday will be a 'Sprint,' shorter than what you're used to now, and therefore you'll be able to kill it quickly :)

After warmups(no inchworm this time!) and static holds:

Workout:

30 Squats

30 Pushups

30m Walking Lunges

30 Unanchored Situps

30 Pistols(bench, use blocks if you like)

30 Leg Raises

30 Supermans

30m Standing Long Jump

30 Overhead Squat

30 Burpees

This workout includes 300 reps. Pace yourself and grind it out.

Cool Video

Here's an ESPN style look at the two fittest people on Earth, Rich Froning and Annie Thorisdottir. 'Cause, y'know, this stuff is kinda cool :)

WOD 8/1/2011

Congratulations go out to Rich Froning Jr. and Annie Thorisdottir, winners of the 2011 Reebok CrossFit Games, and fittest man and woman on Earth. If you had a chance to watch the coverage at all this weekend, I'm sure you had to pick your jaw up off the floor a few times, just like me.

A.

MA.

ZING.

OK, on to the wod. After warmups and static holds:

For time:

Sprint 50m

20 Pushups

20 Squats

Sprint 100m

15 Pushups

15 Squats

Sprint 150m

10 Pushups

10 Squats

Sprint 200m

5 Pushups

5 Squats

Sunday Challenge

OK folksies, here it is:

Between waking up in the morning, and going to bed at night, complete between 50 and 100 pushups, slow-style. If you have a strength building device that you can set to 1 beat per second, do so.

2 seconds down, hold 1 second

2 seconds up, hold 1 second

Rule 1: Sets must be 5 reps each.

Rule 2: You must rest at least 20 minutes between sets, preferably more.

Suggestion(up to you): Pick a variation that you capable of doing for 10, so 5 is half your max.

Post variation and number of reps accomplished to comments.

At least I'm not making you do this..........

WOD 7/29/2011

Another scorcher today, so HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE!

Warmups:

Inchworm

Wrist Mobility

Static Holds(let's do another Frog Stand test, and see if we can't get more names in the Hall of Fame)

Skill work: Partner Pistols. Counter-balance each other going down, help each other back up. Full ROM

Workout:

AMRAP 15

100m run

5 Pushups

10 Unanchored Situps

15 Squats

'Nasty Girls,' one of CrossFit's most famous workouts. 3 rounds for time: 50 Squats, 7 Muscle-ups, 10 Hang Power Cleans at 95#. Athletes are Annie Sakamoto, Nicole Carroll, and Eva Twardokens

WOD 7/27/2011

HYDRATE PRE-WOD!!! If you pass out during the workout, I get to call you a dork.

Strength work:

5x5 Pushups(your hardest version)

3x5 Pistols(use blocks for elevation)

Workout:

3 Rounds for time:

400m Run

30 Squats

20 Pushups

Your daily video dose: Mikko Salo, 2009 CrossFit Games champion, does a ladder(remember the pushup ladder from last week?) of Clean & Jerks. He calls it by it other, very fitting, name.

The Games start FRIDAY!

I know I've mentioned it a couple times, but I'll say it again:

26,000 people entered the Open Competition.

1000 people(about 60 from each of 17 regions) competed in the regionals, with 3 men and 3 women plus teams advancing.

Approximately 70 men, 70 women, teams, and Masters(45+) athletes will compete this weekend in the

2011 REEBOK CROSSFIT GAMES!!!!

The entire event will stream live(and free), and the winners will be crowned the fittest man and woman on the planet. Tune in, it's going to be SICK!

WOD 7/25/2011

HYDRATE!!!! It's going to be hot.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Here's your dose of pain to start the week off right.

Four rounds for reps:

1 minute walking lunges

1 minute pushups

1 minute squats

1 minute rest

Make sure you pick a pushup variation that you can do. Don't do a regulation pushup if you'll only get 5 reps. Go to your knees, or a bench, or whatever you have to.

Sunday Challenge

Hey gang,

I hope you had a nice easy Saturday. Not too much outside time, or if you did I hope you got a lot of water in over the day.

Your Sunday Challenge this week is a repeat of last week, since nobody actually did it. :)

Do at least 35 Pistols(on each leg)

Spread them throughout the day, in sets of 5, with about an hour in between. Do a version that you can manage for an easy 5. This is called "Greasing the Groove." Start in the morning, and finish just before going to bed. Bonus brownie points for reading Pavel Tsatsouline's article on Greasing the Groove here.

Post reps accomplished and impressions to comments.

In this video, you see teams of two guys competing. The Rogue Fitness duo consists of Mikko Salo(2009 CrossFit Games champion) and Graham Holmberg(2010 Games champion). Check out their pistols.

WOD 7/23/2011

Just kidding :)

Excellent efforts from everyone on Friday. It's very tough doing a workout in that kind of brutal heat, especially with the air being so thick with humidity. Great job.

Make sure you stay hydrated, and make sure you eat enough to keep your energy up. HOWEVER, I'm not telling you to eat garbage to stay energetic. Eat good stuff. Meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, no sugar. An excellent way to stay hydrated is fruit. That juicy plum or nectarine not only gives you natural sugars(good) and lots of essential micronutrients(also good), but also has a high water content and helps you keep water in your system(even more good). It's a win-win-win all around.

Here's Robb Wolf, author of "The Paleo Solution," telling a group of trainers about nutrition. Look him up. Very cool guy. For those looking to lose weight, the real take-away here comes around 6 minutes in.

WOD 7/22/2011

REMEMBER TO HYDRATE PRE-WOD!

Very important this time around, and you can thank Liz, who asked for a tough one, since this will be her final summer workout before band camp. All together now, THANKS LIZ!

(who is a senior, by the way. Apparently I was supposed to know that:)

For time:

200m Run

30 squats

200m Run

25 Pushups

200m Run

20m Walking Lunges

200m Run

15 Burpees

200m Run

10 Pistols

Post time to comments.

Some of you commented on my "I <3 Fran" Shirt. Enjoy :)

Nutrition Update

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS go out to Alex Monos, who demonstrated the full pistol on each leg! Awesome job, Alex!

After class, a few of us had a little pow-wow about nutrition, and it reminded me that I haven't really addressed it recently. The main take-away point is that we shouldn't be eating foods that we didn't evolve to eat, and we only started eating grains and any sort of processed food about 10,000 years ago, the blink of an eye in evolutionary time.

The problem with grains and sugar is that they're loaded with simple carbohydrate, which becomes sugar in the blood stream very quickly, spikes your insulin, and tells your cells to store anything and everything that comes their way. In short, you get fat.

By getting your carbohydrate from vegetables and fruit, your insulin levels stay balanced, and you get a nice steady energy throughout the day. If you feel the need for a carb hit, grab an apple or orange. I just had an awesome peach a few minutes ago. Yum :)

I repeat(from a couple weeks ago): Meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. If this is the ONLY guideline you follow, fat will melt off your body. I dare you. Go two weeks eating no grains at all(no rice, bread, pasta, etc.) and no sugar. You'll lose weight.

I dare you.

Here's Nicole Carroll from a seminar several years ago:

WOD 7/20/2011

REMEMBER! Drink at least 16oz. of water between 30-60 minutes before the workout. Make this a habit!

Pushup Ladder

Perform one pushup the first minute, two pushups the second minute, three pushups the third minute, and so on. Sets may be broken as you wish, as long as reps are completed before the next minute. You're done when you fail to complete your set within the minute.

All pushups must be a) straight body, open hip and b) full range of motion to count. Pushups may be done on knees, against a bench, whatever allows for proper position and full range of motion.

I don't normally post actual commercials for the video, but I thought this was worth it :)

Post rounds completed(and reps of last round) to comments.

And, here's some advice for making the pushups easier('The position' simply refers to keeping all those tissues tight and under control from head to toe):

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Congrats go out to Dominic Napoleon, who was our first entry into the Hall of Fame. Dominic held the Frog Stand for 60 seconds. Generations to come will sing your name, Dom. :)

Who will be next, and......who will do the first pistol?

For those who joined us for the first time, here's a little primer on progressions for the pushup. You can scale the work to your ability, but the two main points are:

1) Straight body, with a fully open hip, and

2) Full range of motion.

And, build up your pressing sufficiently and you'll be doing this.......

WOD 7/18/2011

REMEMBER! Drink at least 16oz. water 30-60 minutes before the workout. Make this a habit!

After warmups:

Frog stand test, let's get someone into the Hall of Fame :)

3 Rounds for time:

400m Run

20 Bench Jumps

10 pushups

Here's your Monday Motivation. Chris Spealler, 3rd place in the 2010 CrossFit Games, does 100 pullups in a row, the first time ever on film. The video is long, 22 minutes(he takes a few tries at it:) Enjoy ;)

Sunday Challenge

OK, after a good Saturday off, I'm giving you a challenge:

Do 35 pistols on each leg.

HOW?

We're going to 'grease the groove.' Find a version of the pistol that is doable for a set of 5. Maybe a slightly higher-than-normal chair, or a bench with a book on it. Do a set of 5 with each leg, then wait at least an hour before doing another set of 5 on each leg.

DO NOT GO TO FAILURE!

These should be fairly easy, or maybe they'll take a 75-80% effort.

Your goal is 7 sets of 5 pistols, spread throughout the day. Start in the morning, finish before you go to bed.

Extra credit: Read Pavel Tsatsouline's article on greasing the groove here.

Post reps accomplished and impressions to comments.

WOD 7/15/2011

REMEMBER! Drink at least 16 oz(preferably more) water 30-60 minutes before the workout. Make this a habit!

Today's wod:

"My First Chipper"

For time:

25 Pushups

25 Bench Step-ups(alternate legs)

25 Situps

25 Squats

25 Supermans

25 Pistols on a bench(alternate legs)

25 Walking lunges

25 Burpees

This is a 200 rep workout. It will take a while, so pace yourself. A "Chipper" is designed with many reps of many movements, in order to make the athlete feel like they've been through a wood chipper. :)

A major point on a chipper is to maintain focus and form while fatigued. Remember the burpees last time? Technique tends to go when you're breathing hard. Try not to let that happen. If I give a correction during the workout, SLOW DOWN and get it right. Nobody's going to blaze through this thing.

Two video doses today. First, Pavel "The Evil Russian" Tsatsouline demonstrates the full pistol:

And second, none of us have any excuses. Here, Kyle Maynard does a workout, and speaks to some wounded warriors:

WOD 7/13/2011

Drink AT LEAST 16 oz of water, 30-60 minutes prior to the workout. The hotter the day, the more you should hydrate BEFORE going outside for a hard workout.

After warmups(you guys know the drill by now)

In teams of 2:

100 Burpees for time

Only 1 person may work at a time, while the other rests, and both athletes must complete 50 reps each.

At least I'm not making you do this...........

In Your Head

First of all, great job Monday. Everyone did excellent work, both in the strength segment and during the workout. Remember, it's not the result of any one workout that matters, it's your progression, from where you are now to where you want to be. Every week, a little stronger, a little faster, bit by bit, second by second, until you realize that you're doing things you didn't think you could.

Consider the following example(myself):

Started at 194 pounds, now I weigh around 155

Pullups when I started: 0

Pullups now: 37(last max reps attempt)

Handstand pushups: 10

I'm no great athlete. I'm just a musician who likes being fit, and there are many out there who make me look like a baby in the gym. I just worked consistently for a long time, taking my improvements one rep at a time.

So, where's your head? What do you say to yourself when it's time to run, and your legs are made of lead? I can tell you from the trenches that toughing it out brings more benefit than just fitness.

For your video dose today, I'm getting a bit theoretical on you. :)

Post thoughts to comments.

WOD 7/11/2011

Wrist Pre-hab

Static Holds: Plank, Reverse Plank, Hollow Body, Superman, Frog Stand

Dynamic Mobility

Overhead Squat with dowel

Strength work:

5 x 5 Pushups, one set every 90 seconds

3 x 5 Partner Pistols (2 sets partial ROM, 1 set negatives)

Workout:

3 Rounds for time:

400m Run

20 Overhead Squats

Here's your Monday Motivation. When this video hit the web, OPT(James Fitzgerald) was the first person to do a sub-7 minute 'Helen.' Since he showed it was possible, dozens more have done it. Enjoy this dose of awesome. :

WOD 7/9/2011

OK, so nobody did the run yesterday. Bunch'a slackers :)

Warm-ups:

Pre-hab wrist work

Statics(60 seconds each): Plank, Reverse Plank, Hollow, Superman, Frog Stand

Skill/Strength work:

Partner Pistol negatives, 3 sets of 5 with different partners

Pushups 3 x 5 (the hardest variation that allows for full ROM)

WOD

6 rounds each of Tabata intervals on:

Air squats

Pushups

Situps

Perform as many reps as you can in 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds rest. Your score for each exercise is your lowest rep count. So, if you're doing squats and your reps are 20, 18, 18, 17, 15, 14, 10, 10, then your score for that exercise is 10.

Post score to comments.

Finish with an easy 800m run.

WOD 7/8/2011

ON YOUR OWN. THERE IS NO FRIDAY MORNING WORKOUT THIS WEEK, INSTEAD WE WILL MEET SATURDAY, 9AM AT THE TRACK.

Run 5k

Post time to comments.

If you are not accustomed to long runs, set your watch for a 20 minute jog. Pace yourself, you should be able to hold a conversation during your run. If you are used to running distances, go to MapMyRun.com and map out a 5k run(3.1 miles), and go hard.

Afterward, stretch for a moment, and then do this mobility work:

WOD 7/6/2011

AMRAM 10

As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of:

5 pushups

10 squats

15 situps

Post results to comments

HOOOOOVERBAAALLLL!!! :)

Great time this morning, everyone! Our first ever Hooverball game, and it went very well. Team 'Sometimes Good' got a good shellacking, and the Trapp family showed up ready to throw down. We'll definitely do this again :)

Some facts about Hooverball:

• President Hoover went from 210 lbs down to 185 lbs during his presidency and credits the game for his record of not missing one day of work due to illness during his term.
• Four to eighteen White House VIP’s (what became known as “The Medicine Ball Cabinet) played each morning. The average age of the players was 53 years.
• Secretary of the Interior, Ray Lyman Wilbur, noted in his memos that rain drove the game inside only 2 or 3 times during the 4 years.
• A friend of Hoovers (Will Irwin) wrote an article in 1931 in Physical Culture magazine, reporting on the President’s physical activity. The article (The President Watches His Waistline) noted the game was more strenuous than boxing, wrestling or football. It’s virtue, according to Irwin, was not its cardiovascular benefits, but that it developed virtually every muscle of the body.
• How did Hoover fair during the games? In his article, Irwin wrote: “The president has one special talent. He carries in his old baseball arm a powerful 'forehand drive.' When he volleys at close range, his opponent must usually give ground to keep from going over on to his back. President though he be, he expects no quarter and gets none."

For your Monday Motivation, here's a video of Camille LeBlanc-Bazinet crushing a classic CrossFit workout, "Fran."

For time:

21, 15, 9 reps of

Thrusters(95# men, 65# women)

Pullups

The pullup variation seen in the video is the 'butterfly' kip. The rule is, get your chin over the bar, and fully extend at the bottom. Anything that allows you to do this faster is allowed. The butterfly kip is very fast, but requires a lot of strength in the shoulder to avoid injury. In my training, I don't allow the butterfly until an athlete has 10 strict pullups. As a former gymnast, LeBlanc-Bazinet has strength to spare. Enjoy :)

July 4th is ON!

We'll meet at Trailside Park in Herndon at 9am for a 4th of July(and Kim's birthday!) celebration, CrossFit style. We will be celebrating an american president by playing a game that was named after him. That's all I'm going to say :)

Bring your parents, bring some friends, we're going to have fun!

On Friday I mentioned the CrossFit games. On July 29-31 in Los Angeles, someone will be crowned fittest man and fittest woman on the planet. Hopefully not the same person for both prizes.

REST DAY

"Active" Rest, that is ;)

Go play some frisbee, get a baseball game going, go for a long bike ride or a jog. Do no specific strength or conditioning work today, but get outside and have some fun!

Also, here's some food for thought :)

WOD 7/1/2011

Warmup:

20 burpees

Skill/Strength work:

Pistol(1-leg squat)

Frog stand

Workout:

"Friday Night Lights"

(Opener)

1 minute max reps squats

1 minute max reps pushups

30 seconds rest

(Ballad)

1 minute max reps walking lunges

1 minute max reps situps

30 seconds rest

(Closer)

400 meter flat-out run

TUT-Time Under Tension

"Strength is built by tensing the muscles harder, not by exhausting them with endless reps."

-Pavel Tsatsouline, former Russian Spetznaz instructor

"Maximum reps don't build strength, but maximum contraction does."

-Christopher Sommer, coach of U.S. olympic gymnasts

Yesterday in class I introduced the concept of Time Under Tension, or TUT. Essentially, the brain doesn't know how many reps you're doing, but it does know how long the muscle has been under tension, and will stimulate recovery hormones accordingly.

We also talked about "irradiation," or recruiting the muscles all throughout the body to help with our movements. In other words, the pushup is a full-body movement, not just chest and arms. When practicing your pushups(you ARE practicing, right?), tighten the whole body, do a set of 3-5 quality reps, and rest.

What do I mean by quality? Body straight, tight all the way from head to toes. 2 seconds to lower, 1 second hold, 2 seconds up, 1 second hold. Each rep should take 6 seconds, so a 5-rep set will take 30 seconds, for a TUT of 30.

Here's how the body responds to various TUTs:

Up to 20 seconds: Strength gains

Between 20-40 seconds: Strength + Hypertrophy(muscle growth)

Longer than 40 seconds: Hypertrophy, very little Strength

So, our 30 second, 5-rep set of pushups gives us solid strength gains, and a little muscle growth.

Now get practicing! :)