CrossFit East Sacramento

Craigslist Specials - Garage Gym Specials

4 Rounds, 2 Minutes Each:
Run 400m
Max Deadlifts @ 65%
Rest 2:00

For Sale
York GHD's For Sale Just Like New! $300 Each (retail $839)

Ok, so they are used but they are in decent condition.  The foam on the big rollers is broken down a bit.  These would be great for home use.

We are upgrading to the Rogue GHD's and these ones need to go.  First person to show up at the gym with a truck and cash gets their pick of the litter.


For Hire
Pull Up Bar Builder

If you are looking for pull up bars, you know I can build them, and I have the connections to get the materials. 

Above is a 8 person structure made from some of the left over materials from the Sac-Town Throwdown.  Charlie from WarriorZ in Elk Grove decided to go big with the 1 1/4 inch bars we used in the event.  My little helper was particularly proud of this one.

The other pic here is a standard 1 inch pull up structure I built over as WarriorZ as well.

These things are bomb proof and I can build you just about anything you can dream up for a fair price.

If you need pull up bars, you know where to find me.

Looks Like Cindy in Here

Hang Power Clean 3-3-2-2-1-1-1

10 Minute AMRAP:
3 Unbroken Squat Cleans
7 Knees To Elbows
21 Double Unders


One of the most elegant and brutal WODs in CF.  Nothing but good ol' push ups, pull ups and air squats.  I personally would like to see a version of this in the Open, minus the lame cheater "games style" push ups.  Maybe 5 dips 10 pull ups 15 squats. 

On that note we get a new WOD tomorrow.  Any guesses.  I heard some Fran predictions floating around.  What would you all like to see, not like to see?  What's the movement you fear the most?  Other than burpees.

Pre and Post WOD Fueling

"Cindy"
AMRAP 20 Minutes:
5 Pull Up
10 Push Up
15 Air Squat

 In the CrossFit community, nutrition is a highly debated topic. Zone or Paleo? High Carb or Low Carb? No matter what side, pre and post workout is usually something we can all agree upon. If you don't consume something within half an hour after your WOD, then you may be halting your recovery. With less recovery you will be more sore and less likely to come in to workout the next day. If you are wondering what you should eat and when, then here are some tips from two men who have been training and prescribing nutrition to athletes for years:

 

Robb Wolf’s recommendations:

For those interested in what to eat after a workout, here’s some insight taken straight from the Paleolithic Solutions seminar:

“After exercise we have a phenomenon called ‘non insulin mediated glucose transport”. It’s a period of time in which we can fly glucose and amino acids into the muscle without much insulin AND we improve recovery. For large WODs we can shift upwards of 50% of the day’s carbs into the Post Workout (PWO) period. The optimum time for this is less than 15 minutes PWO, it’s still good at 30 min, and almost back to baseline by an hour. Timing is critical if you want the most from this!

Might help with fat loss… might not. Be clear about GOALS!

1. Athletic maintenance at 14-17 cals/lb
2. Strength WOD: 25-50 g Protein & Fat or Carb (need to lean? gain?)
3. “Big” WOD: 25-50 g Protein, 50-75g Carbs
4. “Little” WOD: 25-50g Protein & Carb
5. Multiple sessions? Throw some in after both WODS.”

Obviously it is up to you to experiment with different PWO options to find what works best for you, to meet your specific goals. 

OPT’s recommendations:

James Fitzgerald  (OPT – of Optimum Performance Training in Calgary, winner of the 2007 CrossFit Games) provides Pre- and Post-Workout recommendations based on the volume and intensity of the workout and your bodyfat percentage.
 
Pre-WOD Fueling rx’d.

This is VERY individualized, VERY. Depends on your schedule, your digestion ability, the WOD, etc. But, for “general” purposes, I will give some scenarios.
A – your WOD is Fran (or any high power output/gassy WOD), and you are doing it at 5 pm. I would suggest eating your last meal around 1 pm to 2 pm at latest. Between this time, you only consume fluids (caffeine anyone?), and supplements if you so choose. You get to the gym at 4-4:30 pm, begin warm-up and anticipate the oncoming pain. The empty gut will benefit you immensely for these high power output WOD’s. Pretty much if the WOD is going to kick your ass, then you had better make sure that you are running light on the food (3hr+ post)and heavy on the motivation.

B – if you are doing the same WOD at 6 am. Wake-up, warm-up, and get’er done. Fluids, such as Ultima, or some kind of electrolyte may be beneficial to YOU. If you are eating, make sure it is not much more than what you could pick from your teeth following a handful of cashews, as it will only be coming right back up – if the WOD is done correctly. At this time, warm-up is even more important.

C – your WOD is Deadlift, 1-1-1-1-1-1-1. Bring your lunch pale and do as you please. Whether done in the AM/PM, eating food will not affect your performance, as this is a CNS WOD.

D – if the WOD is A1/A2/B1/B2 style, with short rest times, moderate (or more) amount of sets and reps, then you would want to follow the advice from Scenario’s A & B (shown above).

Post-WOD Fueling rx’d.

The sooner the better, in most cases. The rx’d numbers are based on everyone’s BF% b/c its all I know about those who post…outside of that there are WAY too many factors for determining EXACTLY what you need post WOD except to say “experiment” and play with it…but i would be happy to answer questions regarding this on the daily posts about your own situation the best I can…

I’d suggest for those that are “blocking” to experiment as I’ve done with a lot of folks and do not count your post workout fuel in the day allotment for a few reasons, one of which is that this is the time to play with that…and secondly…I’ve found it a little better for recovery with the various exposures you’ll get here…that is different that other recommendations simply b/c it is different training…that’s all.

As for fat, the research shows that it might help in post WOD nutrition…Di Pasquale tried hard to tell Charles that but I’m in Poliquin’s camp that the leaner the person is, you basically load them up with as much sugar as they can handle without messing up the daily insulin rhythm post WOD…as it yields so many good results…for example, I Rx up to 80-100 g carbs post WOD for an 8% athlete being trained for their sport under CF methodology…and they STILL take on 12-15 carb blocks per day…so yes, that is 10 blocks post WOD plus 12-15 in day…and they gain mass and have better 5K runs, DL x 1, 2K rows and max chin ups…and I think it is due to the leanness and the uptake ability..this changes of course the fatter you get…BIG TIME… so stay lean…as nothing tastes as good as being lean feels!

Options - If you can handle dairy protein post workout, then that is likely you best option, in powder form. This is depending on the workout. If the workout is not a gasser (i.e. Deadlift, 5-5-5-5-5, 180 sec + some other strength work) then eating a balanced PFC meal of whole food will be fine. If it is a sweaty WOD, then follow the rx’d post WOD fueling, trying to hit the number of rx’d protein and carbs, with minimal fat (Refuel + Jarrow or Dream Whey – from OPT Store is a great combo to meet the requirements).

Best Protein Options - Hormone free whey (dairy) protein isolate, goat protein isolate, leaner cuts of meat (chicken, turkey, deer, elk, beef, etc.), organic yogurt + whey protein. There are lots of options (especially in the OPT Logbook). As long as the source is CLEAN, and the protein is COMPLETE (i.e. not vege based), then you will be fine – just select the right amount.

Best Carb Options - some kind of sugar (i.e. Maltodextrin – Refuel) works well for the harder WOD’s, organic Yam/Sweet potatoes are fine too. Apple sauce, pineapple, pretty much any fruit/high starch vege will be fine. Just pay attention to how you feel an hour or two later (energy, cognitive ability, digestion issues?, etc. – be aware). If you do experience any negative effects from your food choice – protein or carb, then it would be wise to find out what caused it, and avoid it for the time being because it is impeding your recovery – which is most important. Again, whatever you choose, keep it clean – just select the correct amount.”

Final Open Instructions

Rest Day


Props to Josh on the highest score in the gym at 125.  Not bad for a guy who has been completely focused on strength training as many of have been.  Top female score was Cori Boone with 110, a 45 year old masters athlete at that!

Best Score in the 5 and 1/2 year old division goes to Phin Stevenson.  He was only 3 reps shy of his old man's score.  Better get to work Topher, he's not supposed to surpass you until he's at least 15 years old.









It was fun having more of an open gym format and everyone cheering everyone else on.  Since we all had to do this as a competitive event there was an increases sense of support.  Nothing fun about 7 miuntes of burpees, but with a worldwide scoreboard, there is no choice other than to push your hardest.

The only real mishap yesterday was that Lene didn't fill the kegs... HINT HINT LENE!!!





Final Open Instructions
Please read and verify that you have done all this by 5 PM today!
(4:30 would be even better)
If you have not done all this correctly your scores cannot be validated and you will not actually be participating in this event!

1) You have registered at https://games.crossfit.com/mygames/ (Soheil, if you don't sign up, I'm seriously going to sign you up myself)

2) After registeration, you must click the link and join Affiliate Team CrossFit East Sacramento.

3) You have performed the WOD with a judge and recorded your score on the back wall at our gym.

3) You have then logged onto the games site and submitted your score.  If you did the WOD at another gym, you will submit your score to that gym for validation, not ours.  That score will still count for our gym.  If you did the WOD on your own and filmed the WOD, put it on youtube and submit the video with your score.

4) Monday morning I am going to record everyone's scores and re-order our whiteboard into alphabetical order by first name.  We will record all 5 weeks scores on that board as we go through the Open.

5) After I get the board set up neatly in an organized fashion, I will go through and validate everyone's score. 

6) DO NOT FREAK OUT that your score isn't showing up.  It will not show up until I have went through and validated them all.  This will be done by Monday afternoon.

7) Stop looking at the leaderboard and thinking your going to do the workout over again.  Doing the WOD 2x is lame unless you totally F'ed it up the 1st time.  The competition is huge and long, ("thats what she said") a few places aren't going to change anything.  Consistency week by week is the key to qualifying.

We had 127 athletes at last glance.  That's almost 3/4ths of out membership.  Great job to all of you for throwing youselves into this competition.  You are all true CrossFitters and I am proud of you all regardless of how the leaderboard turns out.

Stretching for 12.1

1 Million Burpees...or as many as you can do in 7 Min.  Whatever comes first.

 

     In order to optimally prepare for any workout I believe it is important to adapt the warmup for the specifics of that demand  (the other important part is making you feel silly).  I seem to be in good company in that Kelly Starrett seems to do the same.  It is important that you are not held back by crappy movement patterns or unglued buns.  Watch this video in preparation for the days' festivities.

What the Heck is Paleo Anyways? What About Primal?

WOD


Check out the following video by Dr. Doug Willen, that is a quick explanation of what it means when we say "Paleo."  It hits the key points without going deep into the sciencey stuff. 

For more info from Dr Willen check out the following websites
http://TheHealthFixer.com
http://paleosoul.com

There is another guy you might have heard of named Mark Sisson who publishes a blog called marksdailyapple.com and wrote a book called The Primal Blueprint on primal lifestyle and it's benefits to our health.

When you hear "Paleo," most people are referring to the caveman diet.  "Primal" includes that, but also goes much more into lifestyle choices that model that of the hunter gatherer. 

Mark's editor/writing partner Brad Kearns will be in Sacramento on Tuesday evening March 6th doing a 3 hour presentation on transformation to a more primal lifestyle.  They will discuss nutrition, food quality choices, effective exercise programs, and lifestyle choices that you may not realize are effecting your health.  There is much more to our overall health than just diet and exercise.

For more info on the seminar or to register, click the following link
http://primalblueprint.com/products/The-Primal-Blueprint-Transformation-Seminar%3A-2012.html

12.1

AMRAP Each of the follwing couplets for 5 miuntes with 2 miuntes rest between

10 Max Effort Pulls on Rower
10 Toes to Bar
----------
5 KB Swing 70/53
10 Mid-Thigh Box Jumps
----------
10 KB Sumo Deadlift High Pulls 70/53
10 Ab-Mat Sit Ups
----------
10 Max Effort Pulls on Rower
5 Burpee Pull Ups

or do WOD 12.1


7 Minutes Max Burpees!  Low skill/pure work capacity test.  Brutal and boring, but this will definitely show who has gas in the tank.  It is similar in nature to the 2k Row, except bigger in not better when it comes to the regular ol' up-downs.

Simple rules.  Touch your chest and hips to the floor, jump and touch both hands to a target that is 6 inches higher than you can reach when standing. 

Watch the video demonstration and read the description here.

If you can't make Saturday, warmup with the class, grab a judge and 3-2-1-go.  Please record your scores with first and last names neatly on the back wall by the PVC pipes.

Also, I recieved the following request from the CF Journal for stories.  Let me know if you have anyone or anything special in mind.  We can make them famous for a day.
Is there an up and coming firebreather at your gym? Let me know about it. Is there a great special interest story at your gym—grandmother doing the Open? A recently returned veteran? Someone who is overcoming a handicap? Let me know. If you have video of an Open workout that you think would be of interest to the NorCal CrossFit community, or maybe a video of a 2 minute Fran, please send it to me. A group of local affiliates gathering to do the workouts? Take some HD photos and send them to me with a little recap (I will give you photo credit). Basically, if you think something is of interest, please let me know.

Getting Younger Every Year!

EMOTM 10 Minutes:
3 Front Squat @ 80%

4 Rounds, 2 Miuntes Each:
200m Sandbag Run 80/50
Max Double Unders
Rest 2:00

Larry 150 Snatch from CrossFit East Sac on Vimeo.

Happy 50th Birthday from all of us at CrossFit East Sacramento!  I speak for all of us when I say how impressive you are as an athlete!  You are the epitome of what CrossFit can do for a person if they are willing to put in the work!  

Larry has been with us since we opened and trained with Travis prior to that.  He shows up 30 min early and leaves 30 min later than anyone else!  Take a look at this video and learn from someone who continuously works on improving his overall game while many of us contine practicing what we are already good at!  "If I could be like Larry!"

Thinking About the Open

Sumo Deadlift 3-3-3-3-3-3-3

AMRAP 10 Minutes:
5 Each KB Snatch 53/35
10 Knees to Elbows
15 Ball Slams


Just a quick clip from San Francisco CrossFit about the open.  1st girl in the video is my sister Jessica who competed in the Throwdown 2 weeks ago. 

The plan for the Open are to have everyone who can come in and do the workout on Saturday mornings.  We will not run classes the way we typically do.  We will open at 8:30 and post a warmup, and a heat sign-up list.  You will sign up for a heat time, do the WOD, and record you time on the Open Leaderboard.  After that you will log into the Open website and post your score for approval.  We will post scaling suggestiong for those of you who will need modifications.

After Saturday WODs are done, we can hang out and drink beer or BBQ or whatever sounds good to all of you.  There will be a more social aspect to this 5 weeks than that of our usual Saturday classes.

For those of you who will not be able to make Saturday's we will also set up a portion of the gym on Thursdays for the Open WOD of the week.  You will be allowed to do your workout during normally scheduled Thursday classes. 

In the case that niether Thursday or Saturday works for you, we will find a way to make sure you get your Open workout in somehow.  Please do not hesitate to sign up because scheduling issues.  We can figure that stuff as needed.

1st WOD comes out tomorrow!  I am pumped!  Let's do this!

A Little Something I Whipped Up

8 Rounds For Time:
10 Burpees
15 Jumping Alternating Lunges
20 Double Unders
25 Shuttle Sprint (5 X 5 Yards)
Rest 90 Seconds




 Since there hasn't been a post on the members' nutrition blog since November I wanted to post a crock pot recipe I use on a weekly basis.

AO's Tatoes
 
 Ingredients: 1 Bag of Organic Sweet Potatoes
                    3-5 Apples (whatever kind you like - I use either granny smith, fuji, or pink lady)
                    3 Tablespoons Melted Coconut Oil
                    1/4 Tablespoon Nutmeg
                    1/4 Tablespoon Cinnamon
 Instructions: Peel and dice potatoes/apples and put in crock pot
                    Melt coconut oil, pour over potatoes/apples
                    Sprinkle nutmeg and cinnamon over the top
                    Cook in crock pot for 3-4 Hours on high
                    Mash it all together once cooked
                    Enjoy

  This can be altered depending on your goals. If it's weight loss then take out the apples and just enjoy some good potatoes. If you are trying to get big (like Travis and I), then add bananas near the end of its cooking time and then add a bunch of almond butter. Either way it tastes great.

Indestructible

Rest Day


Ever think of carrying your own body weight for 1 mile straight?  Well Travis did, but he decided to have Angela be the guinea pig for this feat.  110# of weighted vests and sandbags she carried though our 1 mile course.  She is shown here with a big smile less than 100m into the trip, but it sounded like she was giving birth as she finished.  I think it took just under 15 miunutes.  Pretty bad ass huh?  If you don't think so, we would be glad to arrange this one for you.

At a Crossroads and in Need of Advice

WOD (I don't know what it is but I bet it's awesome)


What should I do with my precious shoes (post vote to comments)?
A) Buy a new pair and forget about 'em
B) Burn them and wipe their existence from the face of the Earth
C) Sell them to the highest bidder and go on a lavish vacation with the proceeds
D) Have them bronzed so that one day they can sit in a museum
E) Other/this survey is stupid and I'm not participating

 

     Before you make your assessment please hear me out.  I am not a man of expensive tastes nor am I one to splurge on frivolous shopping sprees.  However, it has come to my attention that some of you think it is time to replace this fine pair of shoes.  It is not so much that they have sentimental value nor that I disagree but rather that they are the best shoes I've worn for the sport.  Being lazy and genuinely not giving a shit may also have something to do with it as well.  If you were wondering I bought them probably about 5 years ago and had to tape the tongue for about the past 8 months to prevent the bottom from falling off.  I should also mention that there was a year that I could not wear them because they were lost in my stolen car.  Fortunately they were recovered along with the car about a year later and the celebration of great footwear continued forth.  You now know the story behind the shoes and can stop pointing out that they have tape on them (I do recognize this believe it or not).  I will respect the will of the survey (for I know Matt P loves survey blogs).

Mixing Fun with Movement

Power Snatch 3-3-2-2-1-1-1

AMRAP 10 Minutes:
3 Box Jumps as High as Possible
5 DB Clean and Press as Heavy as Possible

If you haven't played dodgeball since you were a kid, don't miss out on this next season. The rules are simple… throw a rubber ball at the players on the opposing team and avoiding being hit yourself (Ok, there's a bit more to it, but you get the general idea). Remember, you don't have to be super athletic, you just need to have the instinct to get out of the way when an object is thrown at you! The next league starts on March 22nd and signups start next week.  

Here are the specifics: - 21 and over only. - Teams are co-ed - 5 guys and 3 girls play each game. - Games are played every Thursday starting March 22nd for 8-10 weeks (Week 9 and 10 if the team makes the playoffs). Games are 30min long and start between 6:30pm and 10pm (game times differ each week) at the Boys and Girls Club at 12th and G Street.

- Cost is $72 per player. - Registration includes a team t-shirt that must be worn at games. - After your dodgeball game, head to Blue Cue bar for discounted pitchers of beer for all dodgeball players, flip cup and beer pong!  There are only 11-13 players per team (up to 8 guys and 5 girls per team) and the team WILL FILL UP QUICKLY, so if you want in, sign up Now! To sign up, contact:

Danny at danny.rentschler@gmail.com or 916.216.3266.

Dirty Big Balls

5 Rounds:
Row 500m
25 Dips

Some clips of a 6AM and 9AM class lifting some stones then doing a workout involving stone lifting, rope slams, and tire flipping intervals. Just playing with some new toys.

SIGN UP OR SUFFER MORE! There is no way out of it

EMOTM For 10 Minutes:
2 Squats @ 80-85%

Rest 5 Min

1 Mile Run For Time

Here are the 65 people we have signed up for the Open which starts next week on the 22nd.  The WODs will be released on Wednesdays and we are going to be doing the workouts together on Saturday mornings.  If you can't make a Saturday, you will be allowed to do the workout during a normally scheduled class time and we will have someone judge you. 

So 65 people is relatively good participation compared to most gyms, but for our gym, 65 is a joke.  When I see that we have only 65 people signed up, I see that we only have 65 people in this place who actually DO CrossFit.  The rest of you just pay, show up, and go home with no idea what is really going on in this place.  GET WITH THE PROGRAM PEOPLE.  If you do CrossFit, then participate in the CF Open.  It's that simple. 

It doesn't matter how good you are.  Remember there are multiple age divisions as well, so being old is the worst excuse in the book and I don't want to hear it. 

If you can't do a workout as Rx, we will allow you to scale that workout, but participation is mandatory.  If you can't afford the 20 bucks I will pay it for you!  Even if you don't sign up, we are going to make you do the workouts, so sign up please.

Let's make it simple.  If you do CrossFit, click here to register. 
-Sign Up
-Join Team CrossFit East Sacramento
-Done

I want 100 people minimum by then end of the day or we start increasing the percentage of burpees in the workouts day by day, so tell your freinds who don't read the blog they better get on it or you'll be suffering in their name.  There is no valid excuse not to participate.

If you're against participating in this event, you're at the wrong gym.  And your with us or against us, so figure it out.

Marvel at the Beast

1 Rep Max Stone Shoulder

Then Tabata the following with 1 minute rest between:
Stone Shouldering use a stone 2 stones below your best lift, alternate shoulders
Rope Slams
Tire Flips

Watch more video of Sac-Town Throwdown on sicfit.com

We all remember Danny Nichols from TJ's Gym from the Throwdown in 2011 when he pulled the sled so fast he made it look like a cape then snatched 295#.  This video shows him completing the entire stone ladder through 240# in 25 seconds.  He made them look like toys.  Then he snatches 225 for reps with the same speed and explosiveness that most of us have at 95#.  He later came back and tried to lift the 280# stone.  Got it in his lap, but couldn't manage to get it all the way up.

Check out the link above to see tons of video snippets from the weekend on SICFIT.com.  Thanks to SICFIT for coming out and covering the event.  But still a bigger thanks to all my volunteers and all our fellow affiliates for coming out and supporting.

Results Are In!!!

Weighted Pullup 5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5

EMOTM For 10 Minutes:
10 Push Jerks @ 50-60% 1RM
5 Tuck Jumps




What a weekend! Almost 100 teams competed in a competition filled with a full spectrum of workouts. Picking up heavy stones, riding bikes, walking on one's hands, and the unique team police car pull were just a few of the movements seen the past couple of days. CFES had a fantastic showing with our Novice team (Ashley, Leah, Colin, and Blake) taking 1st place, one of our Masters teams (Sabrina, Cori B, Brian, and Tony) taking 1st place, and our Open team (Cori P, Loren, Alan, Trav) just missing the final workouts but still breaking the top 10. A big thanks goes to Blair Morrison for programming a top notch competition and all the volunteers for doing a great job judging and keeping the event running smoothly. Another huge thank you to all the volunteers, spectators, and athletes for coming out because this wasn't possible without any of you.

The Finals Are Today

Rest Day

It was a very successful 1st day of competition.  This is is a small percentage of spectators and competing athletes.  Come out and see how awesome this final day of competition will be.  You can't grasp how big CrossFit has become until you attend an event like this.  To think that our "little" Thowdown is larger than the actual CrossFit Games a short time ago is a tribute to how this sport has grown and all the hard work and effort put in by Justin, Blair and the volunteers who put this thing together.  I encourage all of our members to come out and have a blast with us.  Justin just told me a little surprise, I think it is worth seeing. 

Post: By Lene so you are welcome to blast all grammatical comments toward "Me, myself and I" (John Carey? You awake yet?)

30 Years of Pain (Is One Dramatic Title)

Gym Closed For Sactown Throwdown!!!

 

     I first saw this documentary of strongman history about a year ago and was again reminded of it when having a chat with Travis about the events to come this weekend (atlas stones).  It's informative  and if nothing else entertaining to see these monster performing feats unimaginable to most anyone.  If you have an hour and are into this stuff I'd suggest giving it a go.  By the way, should strongmen be in the conversation for worst dressed athletic uniforms, or is that just anyone from the 70s?

Keeping it real!

Apologize for the short post. But wifi is having an issue and we are working to rectify the problem ASAP! Stay tuned and check back for scoring on the throwdown website. Click the link on the right for further information. Other than that... Get out here and enjoy this event live!

Siri is Caught in the Middle

Partner WOD
Take turns on the following
5 Minutes
Max Rounds 40 Yard Sled Pull 135/90
5 Minutes
Max Rope Climbs
5 Miuntes
Max Rounds 10 Wall Balls 20/14

Score Sled Pulls, Rope Climbs and Rounds of 10x Wall Balls


Although this really has nothing to do with CrossFit, it's pretty funny.

In Defense of Runners

EMOTM 15 Min
3 Squats 80-85%

AMRAP 10 Min
10 Sit Ups
10 Mid Thigh Step Ups
10 DB Bench Press

 

     Over the weekend I posted a blog comparing different sports in how their athletes' skills might transfer to CrossFit.  Multiple people referenced their displeasure in my assessment that distance running does not lend itself to an easy CrossFit crossover (when compared against those other sports).  Though I'm going to stick by my guns that distance running tends to create inflexible/weaker individuals I will say I believe running (even for distance) CAN be an effective training tool when programmed appropriately and not at the expense of other physical "skills." 
   Runners, rowers, cyclists, swimmers, and cross-country skiers (not to leave anyone out) develop their aerobic energy system to a greater extent than any other named sports.  These sports are essentially tests of aerobic capacity which IS ABSOLUTELY relevant to CrossFit.  In the context of my last post I was referring to running long distance as a single training modality (without other athletics), not running in combination with other endeavors.  If you are a powerful, flexible, coordinated individual (probably from growing up an active kid...not developed through running) who took up running distance you may have an easy transition.
    CrossFit often describes fitness as "work capacity across broad times and modal domains."  To put this in layman's terms it is the ability to keep working/moving at a certain pace and expressing that power through different outlets.  Work capacity (the 2nd spot on the CrossFit pyramid--metabolic conditioning) comes before gymnastics/weightlifting because it is more important than the other features for fitness. If you cannot move the task is irrelevant. Depending on your capabilities and athletic grooming, you may find yourself breathless and unable to move (conditioning is too low) or feeling just fine but not able to express power through that domain (you haven't acquired that ability like a muscle-up or a certain load on a heavy clean).  The runner likely fits into the second category more frequently than the first.
    This brings me to my next point (I know you can't believe there's more)... two people can finish the same workout in the exact same period of time and yet may have very different experiences in regards to where they struggle and how they feel during and after.  On this task, by CrossFit's definition, the athletes are equally fit yet should train in different manners to improve.  An athlete with great aerobic capacity might catch their breath and walk away while the other may feel crippled because they were forced to use more demanding energy systems (anaerobic/lactic).  Making note of how you feel during and after your workout can provide indications into what energy system was used and whether it was the intensity or the domain that was limiting.
     So, in defense of runners, though I stand by my point that running long distances alone does not develop the athletic attributes necessary to succeed in CrossFit, it is one of the best ways to improve your aerobic conditioning (in part because you don't stop running like you put down a kettellbell).  Athletes from distance running backgrounds don't seem as overwhelmed from longer CrossFit "met-cons" as those who've not developed their aerobic capacity.  They tend to utilize their aerobic system faster and have a higher aerobic threshold (the point when you can no longer get enough oxygen to support the amount of work you are doing and must thus dip into anaerobic sources of energy--tends to be more painful).  Additionally, they tend to recover faster because they don't have to filter the lactic acid from their blood stream.  Ultimately I am saying there can be benefits of longer runs (even long slow runs..that's right, I said it) if used appropriately and not at the expense of other areas of fitness...

Just make sure you recognize people are judging the way you run (I cannot recall the original poster of the video and will not claim finding it.  Say "dibs" to claim credit.

Really????

15 Rounds For Time:
Row/Airdyne 30 Seconds Max Calories
Double Unders 30 Seconds Max Reps
Rest 1 Minute






 Couldn't believe this when I saw it. What a way to cloud our gluttonous desires. Looks like weighted utensils have been invented so one can burn more calories while they ingest calories. Guess we can eat two pints of Ben and Jerry's now instead of just one. 

Is There a Doctor In The House?

Clean 3-3-2-2-1-1-1

AMRAP 7 Miuntes:
7 Thrusters 95/65
7 Burpees

Topher Stephenson! TA-DAH!!! I can sing as well as heal!

 

Soheil Payvandi, A Hand Surgeon Specialist and Runner Up to sexiest man alive in People Magazine!

 

Calvin Wang and Patrick Harty, both take medicine and CrossFit very seriously.
 

We very proud of our members as athletes around here... but it is nice to take the time to recognize some of the amazing accomplishments done outside of CrossFit East Sac as well. I guarantee everyone of these Physicians are excellent at there job. I know this by the effort they put in to there training. Everyone one of them is a technician at training. I think it is safe to say... We all want a Doctor that only knows how to function at 100%.  Good Job guys and glad to have you here.

Great Plays

For Time:
5-4-3-2-1 Deadlift @ 70% 1RM
10-8-6-4-2 Burpee Pullup
Rest 5 Minutes
21-15-9
KB SDHP 70/53
Wallball 20/14 

 Great game, great people, and great food at the Super Bowl Party last night. Here is a pic of the crucial play that kept the final scoring drive alive for the champion Giants. Here is another pic of the crucial ribs the Nabetas brought to the party (or what was left of them).

Things Are Shaping Up Nicely

"The Big Game"
AMRAP 3+ Hours
2 Sausage Balls
12 Nachos
1 Beer




The last few months work is starting to come to life.  Many of the key pieces of the Sac-Town Throwdown have arrived. 

So far we have 80 4x6 stall mats.  We have 500ft of 1 1/4" pipe with 98 connectors make up the gymnastic structures.  We have 6000 lbs of atlas stones have been produced and delievered.  Friday we will be making a trip to a couple local gyms and bringing out all the other fun stuff.

110 volunteers are registered plus the volunteers from the police department and the city will be pitching in. 
Volunteers, please show up and register at the front entrance between 6:30 and 7:00 am.  Late volunteers get the less fun jobs.

A rock solid scoring system is in place.  Updates will be posted to this websites as often as possible throughout the day, and you will know who is winning, and you will go home on time.

On Friday afternoon we will release videos with the day 1 workouts, movement standards, along with scoring and heat times.  You will all come Saturday moring knowing exacly how the day will unfold.  For now just expect non-stop action.

Team Check-ins are Saturday morning from 7:00-7:45am. 
Opening ceremonies will start at 8:00 AM and WODS will be going by 8:30 AM.
You can expect to be done on Saturday by 4:30 PM, and done Sunday by 1:00 PM.

Please try to keep questions to a minimum so I can be focused on the important details that make this a great event.  Everything you need to know will be on the sactownthrowdown.com site by the time you need to know about it.

This Post Got Away From Me

10 Rounds For Time:
2 Rope Accents (Advanced Do Legless Climbs)
3 Thrusters (75% of 1RM)

As a coach I have the opportunity to observe countless individuals exercise (its truly a privilege people) and notice trends in regards to the types of activities people tend to excel at as well as those that are a struggle.  This observation coupled with an insatiable desire to read all the crap the internet has to offer has lead me to develop concepts of why and how we become the specimen we are today.  Though it seems deathly obvious when I put it these terms, it seems that an individuals' past athletic history directly and explicitly dictate who one becomes as a CrossFitter.

It should be no surprise that an individual with a background in high intensity functional movement is likely to find fast success in CrossFit but what does that mean exactly?  Let's look at some sports or activities and how one might expect this athlete to perform in CrossFit:

Let's consider that these people have known only their respective sport and have no physical experience outside of this realm for the sake of minimizing variables.
Football- great power, speed, agility, coordination, and decent flexibility but might struggle with technical bodyweight movements and will gas out in longer aerobic efforts.  This athlete will shine in 2-5 min workouts and O-lifts if they can learn the form.  Ideal WOD- heavy squat clean "Grace"
Gymnastics- Unmatched upper-body strength to bodyweight ratio, flexibility, and proprioception.  This athlete excels in anything technical and bodyweight.  They probably have not developed great leg strength or a metabolic background though the conditioning would come (they're lean).  Ideal WOD-30 Muscle ups (Duh)
Distance Running- This athlete excels at simple movements that test lower intensity consistent efforts.  Workouts that test longer time domains (15+ minutes) are great but they probably cannot keep up on high output bouts.  This athlete is unfortunately, inflexible, weak, lacks power, and is uncoordinated.  Ideal WOD- I truly am not able to think of one that isn't composed of only running and/or rowing.
Wrestling- This athlete has a great sense of leverage and ability to move an awkward external load (maybe they should try strongman if they're a heavyweight?) and an awesome metabolic engine.  The time domain of a wrestling match is very similar to that of most CrossFit workout thus are in their element when it comes to the misery and pain of exhaustion.  They aught to be pretty flexible, for this would be an advantage on the mat, though might have issues with some of the more technical gymnastics elements (is the mushroom going to be in the throw-down Justin?) Ideal WOD- fran
Bodybuilding- This guy is yoked! If it weren't for his inflexible shoulders he could probably knock out a lot of HSPUs and strict pullups (if he's cutting rather than "cultivating mass"). Unfortunately the athlete did not develop any athletic qualities from a (real) sports background so is slow, unpowerful (though could be strong, but power=strength+speed), uncoordinated, and have the worst metabolic engine of those listed.  If this person grew up an athlete and became a bodybuilder they might do well but otherwise their nervous system will be shocked by the demands of intensity.  Ideal WOD- Lynne with 1 round and partial ROM bench
Soccer- Good power-to-size ratio at the hip though their shoulders are weak.  Excellent speed and aerobic conditioning though the shorter, heavier workouts would illicit an unfamiliar response.  They are fast, coordinated, agile but are lacking max strength and spend little time under tension (don't develop big guns) though some of these qualities vary by position (like football).  Ideal WOD- Helen

If I were to design the perfect CrossFit athlete they would grow up a gymnast, learn the basics of Olympic weightlifting at a young age, compete in wrestling (in part for the mental toughness) from middle school through college (Travis this could be your daughter)...and then win the CrossFit games after a national championships in wrestling.

Of course, life is not lived in a vacuum and we've all had physical experiences outside of single sports and thus are not defined by them.  The activities which one invests the most time in and the time proximity of the investment will greatly dictate one's abilities in CrossFit.  This means that though you may have been a soccer player 10 years ago and maintain residual qualities you've since been inactive and thus take on the qualities of an inactive person.  You know Aristotle's saying "you are what you do repeatedly, so excellence is not an act but a habit" (or was it "you are what you eat?")... well the saying(s) hold true in the sense that your physical body adapts to the demands and the environment that it functions in and dictates your capabilities.   Sit at a desk with poor posture all day...shitty flexibility, rock climb for 15 years...awesome grip and pullup strength but pigeon legs, compete in powerlifting...crazy strong with no work capacity (past 20 seconds), sit on your arse for 20 years...that's probably one inflexible, unconditioned, weak, flabby arse.  This is not meant as a knock on any person, training system, or value.  Your values are your own.  This is meant as a reality check to those that don't understand why others are "blessed" with an ability when you yourself may not be...it is because they've developed the capacity over time (or at least not allowed it to erode away).

 

Sign Up Today, ALL OF YOU!!!

Push Press 5-5-5-3-3-3

4 Rounds:
Max Reps Feet Elevated Ring Row
200m Sprint

Open registration started on the 1st!  We have a team registered and its time for you all to cough up 20 bucks and throw your hat in the ring.

For those of you new to this process, here's what's happening.  The entire CF community will be competing at 5 workouts over 5 weeks.  Every week a workout will be released, we will do the workout, you will enter your score into the on-line database, and we will validate your score.  There are individual rankings, team rankings, and masters divisions.

The top ahtletes and teams will qualify to go to a regional competition where they will compete for a spot in the CF Games 2012.  The top masters from the Open will qualify directly to the Games.

It is my goal that EVERY SINGLE ONE of our members regardless of age, fitness level or athletic ability participates in the Open this year.  We will allow our members to scale the workouts where scaling is appropriate.  Although scaling will eliminate you from qualifying to move on, you will still be allowed finish the 5 week competition, and you will know where you stand against the entire world of CF'ers.

Like last year, we will be making our Saturday WOD the weekly open workout.  So even if you choose not to participate in the Open, you are still going to be forced to do the workouts.  CF East Sac has always prided ourselves on our participation in these types of events.  We believe that participating in the "Sport of Fitness" is an indespensible part of participating in CF as a fitness program.  We have 200+ members, and I want to see 200+ Open participants.

To register, click on the image above and follow the process.  After you register, on the right hand side of the web page, join our an affiliate, then join our team.  Obviously you will choose CrossFit East Sacramento for both affiliate and team.  If you don't sign up, you are going to be catching a bunch of shit from me and I will humiliate you into doing it by whatever means necessary.  So lets save us all a bunch of grief and sign up now. 

We are doing this together as a gym regardless of whether or not you actually register, so just do it.

I stole the above image from the actual CF Games page.  Pretty cool how the picture they used is actually from one of the Open events that took place last year at our gym.

Mr. Stonier's Secret Talent

800m Sandbag Walk
(Bag Drops = 10 Burpees)

Then 2 Rounds For Time:
10x Sandbag Cleans Alternating Shoulders
25 Box Jumps 30/24
30 Hip Extensions

 

  Besides riding unicycles, running sub 5 minute miles, and being a male model, it looks like Josh can hold his own on the cello. Here he is on the left performing "Smooth Criminal." Alright it's not him, but that is Hot Josh's doppleganger am I right? I'm guessing he doesn't have the dragon ink on his torso though.

Best Muscle Up Instructional Video Ever

Front Squat 5-5-5-3-3-3
Max reps Front Squat in 60 sec @ 50%

For Time:
50 KB Swings 70/53
Rest 2:00
75 GHD Sit Ups


Really, that's all there is to it.

Registrtation for the CF Open starts today.  Give me a chance to register our team and figure out what the heck is going on today.  I will post instructions and links to register tomorrow.  Hopefully there won't be any confusion this year.