CF Games WOD's 11.1 - 11.4

Well as you can tell, I haven't been traveling much. I've visited a new local box, CF Focus (113), and met some new and old friends alike.  Bryan and the crew at CF Focus are really great and I'm glad some of my old CFC friends have migrated there.
Now on to the sectional WOD's. 
So I may have been a little too amp'd up for WOD 11.1 (10 Min AMRAP 30 DU/15 GTOH @ 75), so much that I game myself a concussion in the 1st round and the 12th rep of snatches.  I did get up and finish the WOD, but not very well.  This rung my bell so hard that I tried this WOD three times in the alotted and barely got thru 5 rounds. Not a great start, nowhere near what I knew I could do. 
Wod 11.2 (15min AMRAP 9 DL @ 155/12 Hand Release Push Ups/15 Box Jump @ 24") wasn't much better to me.  Still reeling from my concussion and the fact that my goat may be box jumps, I didn't do much better.  My head was swimming, hips were burning and I wasn't having fun at all.  So another lack luster performance was had and my regionals fate was sealed.  Maybe next year. 
Now with nothing left to play for, it was time to have fun with WOD 11.3 (5min AMRAP 165# Squat Clean and Jerk).  Actually I started feeling better so just wanted to have fun with one.  Too bad this was right up my alley! I got thru 24 rds on Sat and 29rds on Sun, which was a sure sign that I was feeling much better. 
WOD 11.4 (10min AMRAP 60 Bar Facing Burpees/30 OHS @ 120/10 MU) came out and I decided to keep my same attitude about it all, just have fun.  I haven't had much time to practice MU's due to height limitations, but hell I've tried many short hanging MU's leading up to this WOD.  Again I got 2 days to try this 96 was Sat and 101 was Sun.  I was slower at Burpees and OHS, but killed the short rings vice the rings we put on the basketball hoop.
Well Wod 11.5 (???) comes out in just under 24 hours and I think I'm gonna have the same attitude I've had the last few weeks, just have fun.  Sitting in the bottom 40% after two weeks and now in the top 60% after four weeks.  If only I wouldn't have dropped the bar on my head, just goes to show you that you can't prepare for everything and to have fun with this stuff.  It's all for fun unless your an elite athlete. 

Powerlifting with Westside

So Jim Crowell and I are in Columbus, OH at Westside Barbell for the CF Powerlifting Cert.  This place is legit.  No signs, no advertising, just hard core athletes doing what they do best, LIFTING HEAVY SHIT! We've met world champions, world record holders, and crossfit champions.  We started off watching a typical dynamic day with Louis Simmons lifters, 12x2 box squats in very fast succession.  WINNING! Went over some lecture information, question, and demonstrations. All good stuff, but I was ready to put this info to work.  We did some work on the mono lift, it was interesting to see that all the time that I was going wide, wasn't wrong after all.  Then we went over the deadlift, but on bands, this makes for very explosive lifts and really gets you going.  Which led to the class setting PR's in the deadlift and if you know me, I love a good deadlift! I got in on the 405 rep, then 455 rep, and then the question was asked by Louis himself "What is your PR?" As I told he said throw on 555 but then questioned if I was really wanting to go up 100. I told him lefts roll and then pulled the triple nickel like it 135! It felt so awesome to dominate something.  After some more demo's and even doing banded power cleans, which is very difficult, we tried a power clean PR. One guy almost 300, I was happy to PR @ 250.  Day 1 was done so what better way to celebrate than with a drop in WOD at CF Core (112) in Lancaster, OH.
Great space, good wod, and very nice people. Jim actually even got to be a client for a change. We met the trainers Greg and Shelley, reviewed the wod (made some changes dues to equipment) and off we went!
4 Rds of 15 backsquats @135 (cleaned from the ground), 15 ring push ups, & down and back bear crawl, VESTED.  Jim just over 7, me just under 9, & everyone else finished strong!  Thanks for a great time CF Core, hope to see you again in the future.
The rest was an amazing time of learning new techniques, ways to increase my work capacity and met some cool new people.  Thanks WSBB for opening their doors to the CF world and thanks to Louis, AJ, Gene, Shayne, Chris, Laura, and everyone else for taking time out to share with us your knowledge.

New Things Back Home!

So I went home this weekend to see  my new nephew Kai.  He's adorable. He's like half of my thigh size but he's a rockstar. Great job little brother.

Now on to the fun stuff. 

I stopped by to check out CF Cornerstone (109) to meet up with one of my good friends Jenna and get a WOD in.  This was a different box to say the least.  I have never seen the week laid out in chalk for you to pick.  Brandon K was there when I walked in and explained how things worked at CFC.  It was totally cool how they gave people options but odd how I didn't have my favorite elements of CF, the class and competition.  Jenna and I decided to hit a little CF Total, odd how much I actually like this WOD.  Jenna pulled a 367 and I upped all my lifts 190 Press (+5), 380 Back Sqaut (+5), & 545 (+20).  I actually failed at the top of 555.  A great time was had and I can't wait to see what CFC has in store for their next box. Good Luck guys!

 

 

A long party night turned into an early morning.  Got to CF Covington (110) about 30 minutes early.  Turns out that I grew up down the alley from CFC.  Emily and her crew and family worked super hard to bring that old machine shop to Crossfit life!  I actually met Emily once before at CFNKY so I got a little special treatment.  I really wanted to do the demo wod vice the "Jimbo" wod and Emily was totally cool with it.  After some welcomes, explanations, & the bet between the demo team, we started the WOD of 10 HSPU, 10 DL @ 275, 10 Pull Ups, 10 Clean & Jerks @ 135, 10 Burpees, 10 KB Swings @ 53#, and 1 rope climb.  Eveyone in WOD did a tremendous job, I'll let the pictures explain it all.

While the 2nd group workout was going Jenna and I snuck off to CF Hustle (111) in Erlanger, KY. This box has a ton of potential. Owner Rich Vos planned ahead when picking a place with space.  We did a FGB style with Box Jumps, Double Unders, KB Swings, & Sit Ups.  Good scores all around and I even climbed the 24' rope and signed my name at the top.  Good Stuff Mr. V and I can't wait to see what is in store for your future. 

Now we all rush back for some Paleo food and adult beverages at CF Covington.  Fun time ensued and I got to meet a great staff of enthusiastic crossfitters.  Emily, Jarrett, Laura, and the rest of the CFC crew have a line up in store and I'm looking forward to what they are going to bring to fitness in the Greater Cincinnati Area.  Had a blast everyone, it was hard to leave! See ya soon!!!!!!

2/10 Double Teamed!

So I got up and left really early, not hitting the wall in my sisters driveway this time, to head to CF Ballantyne(107) in Fort Mill, SC.

Here I met the trainers, signed some waivers, you know the typical stuff while class was hitting their warm up.  Then as everyone partnered up for the team WOD, there was only one person left for me to be with, Jenn.  Jenn was a mother of one, with an adorable little baby and a husband who watched the baby then handed it off so he could workout in the next class. I'm about twice her size so she told me to not be upset if she held us back.  I told her not to worry and that we would kick a little ass! 

The WOD:

As a team, 150 Slam Balls (30/10#), 150 DL ball tossed (30/10#), 150 Wall Balls (20/14#), 150 Ball Tosses (10#). As yelled time at 19:34, she looked around and couldn't believe it.  We were the first ones done.  She had never experienced being on top of the mountain.  We were one of the only mixed teams, which made it that much sweeter.  I really liked this WOD and I'm glad Jenn had a great experience, Thanks CFB!

Now time to speed across Charlotte and make the 10am Team Wod at CrossFit Vitality.

Now this place is huge! I mean like it had indoor astro turf!  So after meeting some of the crew, We got teamed up and the Wod was explained to us.  This time I had a 16 year old boy and a 40 year old soccer mom. (some teams had 4, like an alt or a rest person)  Rd 1 (20) 50m Sprints with Bear Crawls back, 1 person works the others are in plank. (7:20)  Rd 2 12 minutes of death burpees, slam balls, box jumps (13rds 14/14/1) Rd 3 10min, max number of 200m rows.  (13)  We finished 3rd overall, not bad for being one person short.  Can't wait to see what you guys do with the venture. 

Next stop, CF Covington Grand Opening......

North Carolina!!!

(2/9) So i got the opportunity to go visit a huge group of friends from around the east coast in Charlotte, NC this weekend.  I got in a little early to knock out some WOD's and snowboarding while I was here. So I went to Ultimate CF (105) and checked out their 6am class. After a quick warm up and some SOTS press skill work, I hit 125#x3, we went out to a few hill sprints.  I was paired up with Matt, one of the strongest memebers in the box, for these 10 50m hill sprints.  Every round got faster and faster and more competative.  I'm pretty sure we split the finishes but it was great to have that competative spirit so early in the morning.                   
After the runs, we came in for a little challenge.  Team plank hold for time, losing team has 25 burpees.  Again I was head to head against Matt.  2...3...4 minutes passed, only 2 people were left. Matt and I. 4:30, 4:45, 5 minutes in we decide to drop together so noone does burpees. Thanks for a great start to the day. UCF and I will take you up on the offer to come back.

Now on my way to Appalacian Mtn for a little snowboarding, I stopped by CF Hickory in Hickory, NC.
Turns out that the owner, Kent Stamey, is a good friend of Jen Patton, who is a good friend of mine and both are 2008 games competitors. 

6rds of 5 pull ups, 10 burpees, 250m row and 2 min rest.  19:30 was a great time for a 2nd wod that day.  

Great time meeting some of the athletes there and pick there brains. Thanks Kent!

Off to the slopes!!!! 

Not so Travelled, but well learned

So I have been home in Pittsburgh for a few weeks as you can tell.  I've made some life changes, redecorated a little, set some PR's and even done some school work.  I wanted to share this short paper about CrossFit that got me 2.5% (that is a good thing) of my total grade.


CrossFit and Innovation.  CrossFit is one of the most innovative ways to incorporate many things you thought you knew about fitness and a lot more you never thought of.  Former gymnast and creator of CrossFit, Dr. Greg Glassman, introduced this revolutionary idea to the fitness world in 2002.  Dr. Glassman took a required proficiency in the ten fitness domains of cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy and created something that took the worked by storm.  Incorporating gymnastics, Olympic and power lifting, and everyday functional movements along with a healthy diet, Dr. Glassman gave the fitness world his own "Fitness in 100 word or less"

World Class Fitness in 100 Words

• Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and NO sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.
• Practice and train major lifts: deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics:pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstands, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast.
• Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. ROUTINE IS THE ENEMY. Keep workouts short and intense.
• Regularly learn and play new sports!
  ~Dr. Greg Glassman, CrossFit, Inc.

The innovative ideas that CrossFit has spread can be shown from your everyday "soccer mom" picking up the little ones with proper deadlift to a soldier on the front lines passing ammo cans up with a push press in the pursuit of protecting our freedoms.  I can tell that the methods the use are working because before I was a trainer at a CrossFit gym, I was a client.  I was that overweight guy coasting thru on fast food and video games.  The constantly varied functional movements, made for any age or ability, that they incorporated into their everyday workouts help push their clients to be better in and out of the gym.  They are always finding new ways to make you strive harder than you were yesterday and that's what puts CrossFit on the cutting edge of fitness innovation.

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. BTW, I'll be back on the road for 105-108 this weekend!

Finishing off the Year

I finished the year of really quick, so here it is

101CF AZO Portage, MI 1 mile in -5 deg weather HORRIBLE!!!
102 HyperFit USA aka CF Ann Arbor  Ann Arbor, MI
10-9-8...3-2-1 Ring push ups, slam balls, and box jumps

103CF 440 Mentor, OH   Heavy back squats - Thanks Jim!
104CF Cleveland West  Lakewood, OH 
6 rft muscle ups to 15 ring dips & burpee pull ups

Sorry it took me so long and it's brief!