CrossFit Generation

A Collection of Jerks :)

           Lauren                                           Brett

             Mary                                       Edmund
        
                Sweta                                        Kari

Workout of the Day

Cones

Strength

Overhead Squat

75% x 5 x 2 sets

80% x 3 x 3 sets

Conditioning

4 x 30 second rounds at each exercise:

Row

Pushup

Lateral Jumps

Planks

Don't even think about it

Everyone wants a nice healthy-looking tan and sometimes we take the route of tanning beds to achieve it.  Um, I think you should reconsider.
Read: Tanning Beds as Deadly as Arsenic

For a healthy tan and your daily dose of vitamin D from the greatest natural source of light known to man, read these from MDA:
Here Comes the Sun
Let the Sunshine In

Workout of the Day

"Michael"

3 rounds for time:
Run 800m
50 Back Extensions
50 Situps

Practice Makes Perfect

You have heard about it, we have practiced it a few times, but not enough.  So today we will be hitting up a heavy lift and than spending 15 minutes on muscle-ups.  Many of you have expressed achieving a muscle-up as one of your goals by the end of the year.  Well, let's get working on them.  Congrats to Matt G. who achieved 3 consecutive muscle-ups on Monday!

Workout of the Day

Jump Rope Warm-up

Strength
Jerk
75% x 3 reps x 1 set
85% x 2 reps x 2 sets
90-95% x 1 rep x 3 sets

Skill Development
Muscle-up

Muscle-up Progression, Jeff Tucker...[wmv][mov]

Bernadette in a perfect DB Clean position
Kari in perfect jumping position.

Workout of the Day

4 rounds for time:
Run 400m
20 Swings
10 Pullups

Read: Not Following proper sleeping patterns can affect healthy diet

Patrick in DC

CFG athlete Patrick McVeigh in DC on a family holiday.  Notice the shirt.  Patrick is a Primal Blueprint follower and adheres to a strict Paleo diet.  Grok on, Patrick!

Workout of the Day

Strength:

Clean
75% x 3 reps
85% x 2 reps x 2 sets
90%-95% x 1 rep x 3 sets

Conditioning:

As many rounds in 10 minutes of:
8 DB Split Cleans (alternate right and left leg)
8 Burpees

Simple Vs. Easy

“Before I studied the art, a punch to me was just a punch, a kick was just a kick. After I’d studied the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick no longer a kick. Now that I understand the art, a punch is just a punch, a kick is just a kick.” 

-Bruce Lee

"My advice is simply this: All truth is simple in concept, complex and difficult in learning and actual real-world application, and finally, a different kind of simple — elegantly simple — in mastery.  Consider Bruce Lee’s quote above.  Really, this is just what he’s saying as well.  Filter all that incoming information with that notion in mind"

Read Entire Article "Simple vs. Easy"

Workout of the Day

Strength:

Push Press

75% x 5 x 2 sets

85% x 3 x 3 sets

Conditioning

4 rounds:

Run 200m

10 DB Push Press

10 Box Jumps

The Bathroom Scale

                           

"The body is a complex system, and daily fluctuations in weight are common – both upward and downward. It’s not unusual for a person’s weight to go up or down a few pounds every day, either from water retention/loss, glycogen depletion/storage, or, yes, lean mass production and body fat reduction. Simply looking at the number on a scale tells you little about what’s really going on."

Read the Entire Article: Scale Obsession

Workout of the Day

"Cindy"

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats

For those of you who follow a Paleo Diet or are considering it, here are a few random side effects that might just happen.

Random Side Effects of the Paleolithic Diet

The 80/20 rule of eating

"You are what you eat."  That old saying still holds true today.  The 80/20 rule has two points to it:

1. 80% of what you look like is what you eat.  20% is all the other good stuff - short and intense exercise, proper amount of rest/sleep, and keeping yourself safe.

2. If you eat primal 80% of the time and "let loose" 20% of the time, you will see great changes in how you look.  For instance, if you eat clean, real, and primal Sunday-Friday and make Saturday your cheat day, than you would be following the 80/20 rule with a 86%/14% ratio.

So take a look at your eating lifestyle and see if you are eating close to 80/20.  I am certain that if you follow the 80/20 rule, you will see changes.  If you have any questions, please let us know.

Check out these pics of our snatchers yesterday.  You want aggressive, you got it.

John                                        Sweta

Angela                                    Patrick

Kari                                        Ron

Sonia                                     Vince

Workout of the Day

3 x 1 minute on/1 minute off at each exercise:
Row
Bumper Plate Half Moons
Agility Ladder Drills
Explosive MB Situps

The Primal Blueprint Carbohydrate Curve

300 or more grams/day - Danger Zone!

Easy to reach with the “normal” American diet (cereals, pasta, rice, bread, waffles, pancakes, muffins, soft drinks, packaged snacks, sweets, desserts). High risk of excess fat storage, inflammation, increased disease markers including Metabolic Syndrome or diabetes. Sharp reduction of grains and other processed carbs is critical unless you are on the “chronic cardio” treadmill (which has its own major drawbacks).

150-300 grams/day – Steady, Insidious Weight Gain

Continued higher insulin-stimulating effect prevents efficient fat burning and contributes to widespread chronic disease conditions. This range – irresponsibly recommended by the USDA and other diet authorities – can lead to the statistical US average gain of 1.5 pounds of fat per year for forty years.

100-150 grams/day – Primal Blueprint Maintenance Range

This range based on body weight and activity level. When combined with Primal exercises, allows for genetically optimal fat burning and muscle development. Range derived from Grok’s (ancestors’) example of enjoying abundant vegetables and fruits and avoiding grains and sugars.

50-100 grams/day – Primal Sweet Spot for Effortless Weight Loss

Minimizes insulin production and ramps up fat metabolism. By meeting average daily protein requirements (.7 – 1 gram per pound of lean bodyweight formula), eating nutritious vegetables and fruits (easy to stay in 50-100 gram range, even with generous servings), and staying satisfied with delicious high fat foods (meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds), you can lose one to two pounds of body fat per week and then keep it off forever by eating in the maintenance range.

0-50 grams/day – Ketosis and Accelerated Fat Burning

Acceptable for a day or two of Intermittent Fasting towards aggressive weight loss efforts, provided adequate protein, fat and supplements are consumed otherwise. May be ideal for many diabetics. Not necessarily recommended as a long-term practice for otherwise healthy people due to resultant deprivation of high nutrient value vegetables and fruits.

Workout of the Day

Cone Drill Warmup

Power Snatch
75% x 5
85% x 3 x 2 sets
90-95% x 1 x 3 sets

Deadlift
75% x 5
85% x 3 x 2 sets
90-95% x 1 x 3 sets

Ab work of choice

Workout of the Day

"Fran"

21-15-9 reps for time of:
Thrusters (95)(65)
Pullups

CrossFit Overload 2009 Games Highlight video ... [wmv] [mov]

Fred and Edmund head to head during yesterday's workout

 

Jen L. enjoying some light reading prior to the workout

Classic Moment

I wish I got a picture of it, but on Saturday after completing the CrossFit Games chipper with Jocelyn, we were outside trying to gather ourselves and around the corner comes one of our members, Jose.  Jose was wearing our red CrossFit Generation t-shirt and was reading The Primal Blueprint as he strolled down the street.   Now that is a picture I wish I could get of everyone.  Way to represent, Jose!

As for me and Jocelyn, we take it everywhere we go.

Workout of the Day

For time:
Run 1200m
20 Double Unders
20 Pushups
Run 800m
30 Double Unders
30 Pushups
Run 400m
50 Double Unders
50 Pushups

Remember, we are doing this workout at Hatboro-Horsham High School's track for all classes.

Continuing with the CFG video series...

Let's give it a go

Today, we will be giving a variation of the brutal "chipper" workout from the 2009 CF Games a whirl.  This is not going to be easy, but you wouldn't want it to be.  We are making a few alterations, but most of it is exact.

Workout of the Day

For time:
15 Squat Cleans (155)(95)
30 Toes to Bar
30 Box Jumps
30 DB Push Press
15 Ring Dips/Pushups (sub for muscle-ups)
30 Double Unders
30 Pullups
30 Burpees
15 Thrusters (115)(75)
Overhead Walking Lunges 300ft (30)(15)

Just want to also give everyone who came to yesterday's snatch/front squat strength session a huge high five.  You all did awesome and Jocelyn and I are VERY impressed.  Keep up the strong work.

We are at the HH track on Monday for all classes!!

Why Snatch?

1) First and foremost the snatch is FUN! Seriously!  Joe Senate, an Olympic lifter I once trained, puts it this way: "Olympic lifts are like jumping from one rooftop to the other — you either make it, or you don't." And he's right. With the snatch, there's an indescribable satisfaction that comes from completing a successful lift. It's not like grinding out an ugly, ass-in-the-sky bench press to impress your friends at the local Curves studio. With the snatch, if you use bad form, you miss. So snatching is fun, and if you're not having fun in the gym, you shouldn't be there.

2) The snatch will put muscle all over.  From the calves all the way up to your traps, the snatch pretty much has it all covered. OK, it's true that snatching won't do anything for your pecs or your biceps, but isn't it a safe bet that you've been on a "beach muscle specialization cycle" since, let's see...THE THIRD GRADE?!?

3) The snatch will make you strong, fast, flexible, and (stop me before I say it) functional.

4) Snatches come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Bottom line: you'll never get bored. You can do them from the floor or from the "hang." You can grip the bar wide, medium or narrow. Heck, you can even use dumbbells, kettlebells, or anything else you can grab and throw up over your head!

5) Finally, and excuse me while I wax nostalgic... When you snatch, you suddenly become connected to weightlifting's earliest history, traditions and all those great personalities who first crafted the sport. It's kind of like taking a jog in the ancient Olympic stadium in Athens. Sends chills up my spine just thinking about it.

6) Oh, forgot an important philosophical point: when you snatch you're doing something profoundly important, which is breaking from the common herd. One of the most important lessons I can impart to you is that since most people are only mediocre at any given skill, the path to greatness is found in opposition. Put simply, if you seek greatness, look at what most people do, and then do the opposite. And I mean that quite literally by the way.

-Taken from a T-Nation Article

Workout of the Day

Ladder Drills

Hang Snatch

75% x 5 reps
85% x 3 reps x 2 sets
90%-95% x 1 rep x 3 sets

Front Squat

75% x 5 reps
85% x 3 reps x 2 sets
90%-95% x 1 rep x 3 sets

If you do not have a Snatch or Front Squat, perform a heavy single and use the percentages off that weight.

“But I don’t want to get big and bulky!”

This may be one of my favorite articles ever written by our friend Mark Sisson:

"Mens' and Womens' bodies, there are definite differences – anyone who’s been married will be able to tell you that! – but that doesn’t take away from the fact that we’re all homo sapiens with the same basic physiological makeup. And so an outfit like Weight Watchers will push the chronic cardio the ankle weights, and the step classes because of some underlying, self-defeating assumption that women aren’t “meant” to lift heavy weights. It’s insane, it’s preposterous, and it’s downright insulting. Men and women have different work capacities and different natural inclinations, but their bodies still work the same way.  Women do not produce enough natural testosterone to get those bulging pecs and engorged thighs without supplementing with steroids (synthetic testosterone, essentially). Men generally do produce enough natural testosterone (the ultimate muscle-building hormone) to get big, and most of us still have trouble building a significant amount of muscle. Just imagine how difficult it is to bulk up for a woman." -Mark's Daily Apple

There is not much more to say!

Read the whole article: Strength Training for Women: Not So Different at All

Workout of the Day

Mid-Atlantic Qualifier Workout #2

3 rounds for time:
10 Deadlifts (275)(185)
50 Double Unders

The weight for the deadlifts is what we used, however, I know that will be pretty tough for most.  So you are going to use 70% of your estimated 1 rep max for the workout.

Force, Distance, and Time

Velocity, acceleration, kinetic energy and momentum all derive from force, distance and time. From a rock, to a rocket ship, to a galaxy, everything that moves is discussed in terms of force, distance and time. But when it comes to the human body, most scientists stop talking about force, distance and time and start talking about other things that do nothing to improve performance.

Force, Distance, and Time Video:
Download as Quicktime
Download as Windows Media

Workout of the Day

For time:
Run 800m
50 Swings
50 Burpees
Run 800m

Prepare for the Unknown

Jocelyn and I were discussing the CrossFit Games and the workouts performed.  The workouts were definitely a true test of fitness over broad time, modal domains, and work capacities.  We also discussed how this year's Games workouts had much more real life application in the challenges than previous years.  Workouts like the trail run over very rough terrain, the sandbag uphill sprint, and the hammer stake and row really tested the true functionality of fitness within the athletes.  That brought up a very good discussion topic.  A few of the top athletes at the games were fire fighters, construction workers, rescue divers, nurses, and EMTs.  When you look at the physical demands of these jobs day in and day out, it is no wonder that these athletes excelled at the workouts this year.  It is one thing to train to become a great athlete, but it is another thing to train and apply your training to life's physical demands in your daily routine.  At CFG, we try our best to prepare you for the unknown, because you never know what task or challenge life might throw at you.  

Final Game's Event Highlights - video [wmv] [mov]

Workout of the Day

Cone Drills

Power Clean
75% x 5 reps
85% x 3 reps x 2 sets
90% x 1 rep x 3 sets

Shoulder Press
75% x 5 reps
85% x 3 reps x 2 sets
90% x 1 rep x 3 sets

If you do not have a power clean or shoulder press, do a heavy single rep and use percentages with that weight.

2009 CrossFit Games Video from Day 1

The 3rd annual CrossFit Games were held this weekend and it looked like it was insane.  We definitely need to get a CFG crew to head out next year for the affiliate cup and hopefully some individual competitors.  I must admit that I was glued to my computer the whole weekend refreshing the CF Games twitter page and a few other twitter pages of people who were there taking photos and giving updates.  Here is a video of what went on.

Day 1 Highlights... [wmv] [mov]

Picture of the sandbag sprint event

Workout of the Day

"Daniel"

For time:
50 Pullups
Run 400m
21 Thrusters (95)(65)
Run 800m
21 Thrusters
Run 400m
50 Pullups

Get out and play

Sometimes we get very wrapped in work and other obligations that we forget to play.  The weather has been so nice, so I encourage you to get outside and play this weekend.  Toss a frisbee, play a pickup basketball or soccer game, or even get in a tennis match with a partner if you have the means.  Whatever your pleasure, just get out and play and apply your CrossFitness :)

Workout of the Day

"Nancy"

5 rounds for time:
Run 400m
15 Overhead Squats *(95)(65)

*Scale weight as needed to your level

Good Times

800m results from yesterday
Men:

Kyle 2:27
Matt 2:30
Fred 2:30
John 2:31
Vince 2:36
Ryan 2:41
Paul 2:43
Josh 2:50
Patrick 2:50
Nick 2:54
Chuck 2:54
Ron 2:58
Mike 3:06
Glen 3:06
Dan 3:15

Women:
Lauren 3:05
Meghan 3:14
Mary 3:14
Kari 3:21
Marilyn 3:31
Michelle 3:32
Angela 3:41
Pam 3:50
Izzy 3:52
Cathy 4:02
Robin 4:07
Bernadette 4:07
Carol 4:13

Workout of the Day

5 rounds for time:
21 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (95)(65)
21 Pushups

 

Soon to be CrossFitter, my nephew Cole, practicing his hand stands. 

I love sprinting...

and I know you do as well.  Be sure to read "The Glory Of Sprinting" under the "Area of Interests" section.  It will give you full insite on why you should sprint.  See you all at the track.

Workout of the Day

800m timed run

recover

8 x 60yd max effort sprints
rest 1 minute between efforts

Benefits of Weight Bearing and High Impact Exercises on Bone Mineral Density Levels

Sometimes we overlook the internal benefits of lifting weights and performing jumping exercises.  Osteopenia (the pre-cursor to Osteoperosis) is a condition where bone mineral density is lower than normal.  Here are 2 great articles on the benefits of why the exercises we do at CFG may help combat the on-set of Osteopenia.

Jump for Joy - and Against Osteoperosis

The Bone Building Workout

Notice some of the exercises listed in the second article are Overhead Squats, Jerks and other Overhead Presses, Box Jumps, and Clapping Pushups!!

Workout of the Day

"Grace"

30 Clean and Jerks for time
(men:135)(women:95)

Scale weight as needed based on your level.

Reminder: We are Hatboro-Horsham High School's track tomorrow, July 9th, for all classes

Just work

We are stepping away from a timed workout today and all I want you to do is work.  Push yourself each minute for all the exercises.  Compete against yourself and try and match your reps for each exercise in each round. 

Workout of the Day

4 x 1 minutes intervals at each exercise:
Swings
Jumping Pullups
Frog Leg Situps
Deck Squat Burpees

So after posting Brett's 54" box jump yesterday, Steve (our previous champion) did not take it too well.  So Steve did 1" better by jumping 55" yesterday during our max box jump for height.  Brett, the challenge is on.

Nice job to everyone yesterday for all their box jump efforts.  We had a few 5" gains and most got personal bests.  Congrats for all of your efforts.

I am sure you all have heard me talk about The Primal Blueprint and also maybe have seen the book on my desk at CFG.  Well, I just finished the book and I give it a 100% recommendation.  It is exactly what we all need to be doing with our lifestyle.  If you are interested in purchasing it, please click on the link below to read more about it.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.

The Primal Blueprint

Workout of the Day

• Row 1000m for time
• Max Pushups for reps
• Max Box Jump for height

"Murph" and Team "Murph" Results

Brett hits a 54" box jump after the burpee/swing ladder last Thursday.  For those of you who do not know Brett, he is a University of Maryland lacrosse player who is training at CFG for the summer.

Happy 4th of July: CFG Closed Today

Enjoy a nice relaxing weekend and maybe tackle this workout.

Workout of the Day

10 rounds:
Sprint for 30 seconds
complete 5 broad jump burpees
rest 1 minute

This is great to do at the beach or on the boardwalk.  You will probably get a few looks :)

Reminder: NO 5:30pm Class tonite!!!

Well, we have set another class size record at CFG.  Yesterday morning, 22 athletes showed ready to tackle the wod.  Here are the results and a pic from yesterday's swing/burpee ladder.

Workout of the Day

 "Team Murph" or "Murph"

For time in teams of 2 or by yourself:

Run 1 mile
100 Pullups
200 Pushups
300 Squats
Run 1 mile

This time around, both members of the team can be working at once.  As a team, you must complete all the mileage and reps. However your team wants to complete the workout is fine.  One person can do all the running and/or all the pullups while the other completes all the squats and pushups.  If you are doing it alone, good luck!  Have fun and have a great holiday weekend everyone!

Congratulations to Glen Albertson and his wife Amy who welcomed a new baby boy, Porter, into the world on June 30th! 

Power of Positive Thinking from MDA

Are you realizing the full potential of your mind?

Workout of the Day

For time:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps
Swings
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 reps
Burpees

Complete 10 swings, then 1 burpee, 9 swings, 2 burpees, continue this sequence until you complete the opposing ladder with 1 swing and 10 burpees.

Ever feel defeated during/after a CFG workout??

At least you're not this guy!!!

This is a picture of a moose trudging along in Great Pond at Jocelyn's lake house in Maine.  How a 600lb moose got out in the middle of a huge lake (more importantly why) we have no clue.  However, the moral of the story is...when times are tough, just keep on swimming!

Engaging the Primal Energy Pathway: ATP/PC

Workout of the Day

Ladder

Snatch
1,1,1,1,1

Clean and Jerk
1,1,1,1,1

Find 1 rep max for both lifts

More about the Snatch Quicktime or Windows Media