Have you ever looked at a WOD, seen handstand push ups, and wondered how in the hell you are ever going to learn to do these since as soon as you bend your elbows, you drop to the floor like a rock? Below, Jane shows how you can use your legs and a set of parallel bars for assistance. But remember, handstands and handstand push-ups don't come easily - it can take years of practice to really get them down.



Today's Workout

Row 2,000m for time

- rest for 10 minutes

Row 1,000m for time

Here's Vanessa on a recent trip to China. Nice handstand!



Today's Workout
Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
12 Pull Ups
6 Handstand Push ups

If you think you're pretty good with dips and want to step it up a notch or two, try them on rings. Simply supporting your bodyweight on the rings becomes a challenge - and it's pretty normal to feel so wobbly on them that you simply can't hold yourself up. In the picture below, Jonesy is finishing up the Elizabeth - with a total of 45 ring dips!



By the way - we had some FANTASTIC "Kelley" scores from the other day - a bunch of people set personal records (PRs) and a few made it up on the board for the top 5 times at Petranek Fitness - here's a shot of our leader board.


Today's Workout
For time:
Max reps of dumbbell Split Jerk - 35 pound dumbbells
4 rounds of the following couplet:
- 400m Run
- 15 Deadlifts, 225 lbs
Max reps of dumbbell Split Jerk - 35 pound dumbbells

Record total time, weights used, and reps of split jerks

Naz, curious why her friend Chris is so blurry in the background of this picture, asks Ben what he thinks... "Well of course he meant to focus the camera on me, Naz!"

Got a good caption that fits? Lets hear it!



Today's Workout
"Kelly"
5 rounds for time of:
400m Run
30 Box Jumps, 24" box
30 Wall Ball, 20 pound ball

Jeremy is new to our program and in his 5th workout here, came close to needing our infamous Pukie bucket. No, this is not a "Badge of honor" or "Rite of passage..." we don't look at throwing up as something good, or necessary, or required. Rather, puking is one of the risks that befalls you when you train at high intensity. We call it the "Red Zone," a 3-12 inch ledge at the edge of a cliff along which you move, trying to maintain your balance without falling. As your fitness and skill level increases, the better you get at staying right at the edge, without going over. Can you relate? Here's a link to a story Janine wrote about her experience with the edge of the cliff.



Today's Workout
2 Rounds for time of:
25 Deadlifts - 135 lbs
25 Pull Ups
25 Thrusters - (db's - 45 lbs)
25 Knees to Elbows
25 Push Press (db's - 35 lbs)

Think of them as Very Short, Medium, and Long. These describe the three different energy pathways that your body uses to enable you to do things... Phosphagen, short, less than 10 seconds, 1 rep max, sprint... Glycolytic, medium, less than 120 seconds, 400m sprint, max burpees in 2 minutes... Oxidative, long, longer than 2 minutes, CrossFit "Girl" workout, 5-10k, marathon. If your training incorporates elements from all three pathways, we'd call it balanced. What's YOUR favorite / least favorite?


Alex dips his way through all three energy pathways on the white board behind him.

Today's Workout
Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
21 Kettlebell Swings
21 Sit Ups
42 Double Unders

Ezra shows here that it is still possible to actually look good in the midst of a workout. He's working on perfecting his thrusters!

Does your brain have a mind of its own? I'm pretty sure mine does - I can relate to this article on many levels. One being that if I don't see something in front of me - like that flash drive that I bought last month that I tucked away in my desk drawer, it might as well not exist! Same thing goes for my To Do list - if it's not down in black and white... poof! Up in smoke! Any thoughts?



Today's Workout

3 Rounds for time:
10 Thrusters, 95 pounds
5 rounds of "Cindy"
(5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats)

Nothing compares to the overhead squat in creating strength, flexibility, core strength (through mid-line stabilization), balance, coordination, and accuracy. In fact, it can be argued that the ONLY movement for total body strength that you need to work on is an overhead squat. The cool thing about it is can be practiced easily at home - with a 5' piece of pvc or dowel. The quicker you master the movement, the more quickly you'll be able to reap the benefits.

The Overhead Squat by Dan John


From the Left: Sam, Matt, Bethany, Brian, Alex, and Josh - the 7:30pm crew!

Today's Workout

"Elizabeth" for Two
Find a workout partner that can squat clean about the same amount you can.

42-30-18 rep rounds for time of:
Squat cleans
Ring dips

- for the cleans - alternate with your partner every 1 or 2 reps
- for the dips - alternate with your partner every 5 reps

It's January. The air temp is a cold 37 degrees F. The wind is blowing. You're wearing running shoes, shorts and a t-shirt (and maybe a shell if you don't care that you never see it again). And you're heart is pounding in anticipation of the next 7 miles of brutal punishment - obstacles, fiery hay bales, ice covered lakes to swim through, mud, manure, ropes, and thousands of other crazy people. This is Tough Guy. You've GOT to watch this video - including the crazy old Brit "Mr. Mouse, Chief Tough Guy!"


New member, John, mid-workout. Welcome to the "fun" zone!

Today's Workout
For time:
1 Handstand push-up (HSPU)
10 "L" pull-ups
2 HSPU
9 "L" pull-ups
3 HSPU
8 "L" pull-ups
4 HSPU
7"L" pull-ups
5 HSPU
6 "L" pull-ups
6 HSPU
5 "L" pull-ups
- continue in this fashion until you get to 10 HSPU and 1 "L" pull-up

Jim has been faithfully CrossFitting now for almost a year - just the other day he got his first ever 24" box jump! From the picture, it looks like he's en route to even higher boxes. Way to go, Jim! And now he's got bragging over his wife, and fellow CrossFitter, Erica!



Today's Workout
4 Rounds for time of:
400m Run
20 Box Jumps
10 Pull Ups
20 Jumping Lunges
10 Dips

Ever heard of the Ice Cream Diet? Check out this offer at Kroger Supermarkets (must be back East). Following up on yesterday's article, yes, it's no wonder Americans are so fat. In fact, I'm on my own version of the ice cream diet, thanks to Albertson's. Let me explain... Last night I headed out after dinner to get us ice cream cones from 31 Flavors - it was 31 cent scoop night! Well when I got there, I discovered (much to my dismay) that at least 100 other people had had this idea before me and were already waiting in line. So I headed to Albertson's since I had ice cream on the mind, to get a quart. Wow, and just my luck, they were having a buy 1 get 1 free sale on Bryer's Ice Cream. So now I have two 1/2 gallon containers of ice cream sitting in my freezer. And I don't know about you, but I can't resist if it's sitting in my freezer... good thing I CrossFit!

Killer Stairs? Taking The Elevator Could Be Worse For Your Body


Hey Jonesy, whatcha got there? A little post-workout snack?

Today's Workout
Run for 1 minute out, 1 minute in (1 Out / 1 In)
- push hard enough that you arrive back at the start "late" - note how many seconds late you are

rest as needed

Front Squat / Jerk 3-5-7-5-3
- use a load that makes 3 reps hard

rest as needed

Run 1 out / 1 In
- compare result to the first run

I remember back in college, a friend of mine was training to become a Navy SEAL - he made it a rule to ALWAYS use the stairs instead of an escalator or elevator. His commitment to it impressed me, but it didn't get me doing it - I thought he was a bit out of his mind. Cut to 20 years later - and this rule, his rule, is now my rule. I was walking up to a business meeting from an underground parking garage next to a woman who had a bag and high heels. I suggested we take the stairs. She hesitated, then reluctantly agreed. When we got the top of the third floor, she commented how much more awake she felt. Try it - make it a rule for yourself - it's an easy way to get a little more movement in your essentially sedentary business lifestyle, especially if you work on the 10th(+) floor!

Why America Has to be Fat


Cill - upside down's as easy as standing on 1 foot!

Today's Workout
Complete as many rounds as possible in twenty minutes of:
10 Thrusters, 65 pounds
10 Pull-ups

Practice - it's one of the things that sets us apart from the rest of the fitness world. Think of a typical Globo Gym - ever see someone there "practicing?" The context for practice in a fitness gym is noticeably absent. What is there to practice? Bicep curls? Crunches? Lateral raises?

In the pictures below, Mike is grimacing from both the physical difficulty of a hollow rock, and the difficulty of holding his torso in the "hollow" position (think rounded back). To maintain "hollow" while lying supine or prone, standing up, holding a handstand, or while moving takes practice - it also takes training, because is damn hard. It requires body awareness, mental focus, coordination, concentration, and a rock solid core. Practice makes perfect - and in our case it makes workouts stimulating, challenging, and fun. Forget about it if you're planning on leaving your brain at home...



Today's Workout
4 rounds for time
12 Dumbbell Squat Cleans
48 Hollow Rocks
12 Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch
48 Arch Rocks

The following video was posted on CrossFit.com a few weeks back... it's footage from a seminar of Coach Glassman (CrossFit's founder) talking about abdominal training. In the traditional sense of exercise and fitness, abs are a muscle group that need to be isolated and trained daily - like pecs and biceps. However, In CrossFit, we train the abs to perform their most important job in functional movement - mid-line stabilization. Abs should be highly active in almost every movement we do - some are more ab-centric than others, and just because we don't do abs in a workout, doesn't mean you have to finish by doing a set of sit ups. At the same time if your abs are weak, they will prevent you from maintaining stabilization in almost everything we do... so practicing some form of ab movement daily is a good idea.

What are your "favorites?"



Today's Workout
5 rounds for time of:
15 Hang Power Snatch
500m Row

Have you ever paused before signing up for a competition or event wondering why bother if you have no chance of winning? Has that thought stopped you? Has it prevented you from entering one of our Challenges? If so, dare I say that you're missing the point? Had I been thinking this way 14 years ago, it would have stopped me from entering my first Eco Challenge. Which, had I not competed in, would have meant that I probably wouldn't be writing this blog right now. Literally, my life can be divided up into two segments - "Before Eco '95," and "After Eco '95." Registration for the race was $10,000, for which I had no teammates, no one else to share the cost, no idea what I was doing, no experience, no one to help me prepare, and certainly no chance of winning! Yet, looking back on my life, that race was responsible for the entire direction of my life toward health and fitness!

I'm not saying that every time you register for an event, it will change your life, but then again, how do you know that it won't? Get down out of the cheap seats, quit watching, get into the game - ALL the way, be part of the community of participants, join in the fray, get practice being enrolled, don't bootleg - be official... your life may depend on it!

Here's a link to fellow Affiliate, CrossFit Watertown's blog about being in the arena (thanks, Lisbeth!)


Jocelyn gettin' it on!

Today's Workout
Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
5 dumbbell Shoulder Press
10 Thrusters
15 Kettlebell Swings

After I saw Jonesy wearing his Vibram Five Finger "shoes" during a workout about 5 months ago, I became intrigued with all things barefoot - walking, running, working out, etc. Now, after reading the article in New York Magazine "You Walk Wrong", I'm more convinced than ever that going barefoot (or with as little foot "protection" as possible) is good for us all! Think about it - your feet have evolved over millions of years to become a biomechanically perfect platform from which to propel yourself. So I know what you might be thinking - "If I run barefoot, it will kill my feet / heels." From the article, "If you walk or run with no padding, it’s murder on your heels—which is precisely the point. Your heels hurt when you walk that way because you’re not supposed to walk that way. Wrapping your heels in padding so they don’t hurt is like stuffing a gag in someone’s mouth so they’ll stop screaming—you’re basically telling your heels to shut up."

A word to the wise - give yourself some transition time to get used to running or walking barefoot or in Five Fingers. You're just asking for an injury if you buy a pair and go out for a 5k!


Kevin rounds the corner in a 400m run

Today's Workout

Deadlift 3-2-2-2-1-1-1-1-1 reps

Sometimes a wall is as good a resting place as the ground, a chair or even your own bed! This is Jeremy after finishing a particularly "fun" workout the other day - kettlebells, squats and a little running...



Today's Workout
Complete as many rounds as you can in 20 minutes of:
5 Handstand Pushups
10 Medicine Ball Cleans (20# ball)
15 Double Unders

Jennifer F. finished her workout last night and I watched her get back up on the pull up bar. When I asked her what she was doing, she told me she was going to practice her pull ups because she was committed to getting one unassisted pull up before July. Cool. Sounded like a good goal to me. After her first pull up, I made a comment that I thought that would be no problem - in fact, she would have her first within a few weeks. WRONG I was... she got her first right there on the spot! And then her 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th. I'm not sure how many she did, but she was so excited she didn't seem to want to stop! Congratulations, J!



Today's Workout

Snatch
3 rounds of 7-5-3-1 rep sets, increasing the load each set. Start each round with a higher weight than the previous. End each set at a higher weight than the previous.

Example: Round 1: 7-45#, 5-65#, 3-75#, 1-85#; Round 2: 7-50#, 5-75#, 3-85#, 1-95#; etc.

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting Judd Borakov from CrossFit Extreme Fitness in Rockville, Md as a participant in our CrossFit Affiliate Business Apprenticeship Program. It was great having you here, Judd - and we wish you all the success with your CrossFit business back in Rockville!

By the way, for those of the Jewish faith that are Zoning AND observing Passover this week, you can check here for the nutrition content of Matzo to ensure your meals remain "zone friendly." (thanks to Elina for this little tidbit)



Today's Workout
"Zombie Helen"
3 rounds for time:
400m Run
21 Deadlifts - bodyweight
12 Dead hang Pull Ups

Mike P, after a long hiatus from CrossFit training due to an injury at work, is back and goin' strong. Welcome back.



Today's Workout
3 rounds for max reps
complete 45" of max reps of each movement with 15" rest between each
- Inverted Pull Ups (hanging upside down on rings or parallel bars)
- P Bar Support to "V"
- Handstand shoulder shrugs
- Lateral bridge leg lifts