Training day

Lauren on the left and Jesse under the bar--making it happen this past Saturday!

For time:
400m run
20 push press (135/95#)
400m run
15 push press
400m run
10 push press
400m run
5 push press

Post loads and times to comments

Training day

Angela picks up 185# during the Xs and Ys comp this past Saturday. 



3 rounds for time of
15 overhead squat (95/65#)
15 pull-ups
15 split jerk (95/65#)
15 knees-to-elbows
15 hang clean (95/65#)
15 situps

Post loads and times to comments

Training day

 Jeff Rice, Lauren Moore, Ronnie Young, Angela Duprel, Jesse Mashburn, and Ryne Nease, from the competition this past Saturday.  Ryne, Jesse, Angela, Lauren, and Jeff competed that day.



3 rounds for time of
30 squat snatches (75/55#)
30 wallballs (20/14#)

Post loads and times to comments

Training day

Today's WOD has a unique distinction:  it is the first Hero WOD named after a female service member.

Five rounds for time of
3 ascents rope climbs
10 toes to bar
21 walking lunge steps with 45lb plate held overhead
Run 400 meters

The Xs and Ys event was held this past weekend, and the competition was fierce.  Several teams from our gym attended and all had strong showings.  Much thanks to everyone who came out to support our competitors, and thanks to the hosts of the event, the judges, the organizers, and everyone who helped make it awesome.  By all accounts it was a great day for the whole community.

Training day

 Bob Bednarski, one of the greatest Olympic lifters of all time.  While he competed he set 14 world records, including the ones highlighted above. 



7 rounds for time of
35 Double Unders
1 Snatch/Ground to overhead

Do one snatch attempt each round and post total weight with time.

Be safe with your attempts!  As with the deadlifts yesterday, pay attention and don't shortchange your legs when you get into the bottom position.  These are meant to be as close to maximal loads as possible, but that doesn't mean they can be sloppy.  Err on the side of caution rather than greed.

Training day

10 minute AMRAP of
5 deadlifts (325/185#)
10 toes to bar

This WOD is nasty, brutish, and thankfully short.  The key to any metcon-style WOD with deadlifts in it is technique.  No matter what weight you use, RXed or scaled, pay attention to the position of your back and try to squeeze the weight off the ground rather than rip it, and put it down the same way you picked it up.  This will give you sore hamstrings and glutes, but your back will thank you.

Training day

21-18-15-12-9-6-3 for time of:

Front squats (135/75#)
Ring push-ups

Post loads and times to comments

Training day

Apologies for the dearth of blog posts last week--our primary blogger was on vacation.

Today's workout is aimed at keeping our competitors sharp for upcoming events, and if you're new it will give you a taste of what goes on at the CrossFit or Garage Games.

A partner WOD, for time:
200 double-unders (alternate every 50)
100 situps
80 alternating box jumps
60 pull-ups
40 partner med ball throws,
20 lateral leapfrog burpees over partner
100m partner wheelbarrow (alternate at 50m)

Training day

3 rounds for time of
15 box jumps (24/20)
20 kettlebell swings (53/35)
10 chest-to-bar pull-ups
5 push presses (145/95)

Post times and loads to comments

The difference between a push press and a jerk is the number of dips you take.  One dip and drive up is a push press, because your shoulders complete the movement and help to lock it out.  One dip and drive, followed immediately by another dip with arms fully extended, is a jerk.  The push presses today are intended to increase your work capacity with a relatively medium weight compared to your press and jerk.

Training day

For time:
30 sumo deadlift high-pull (75/45)
30 thruster (75,45)
30 hang clean (75/45)
30 pull-ups
30 push-ups
30 knees to elbows
30 box jumps (24/20)
30 walking lunges
30 squats
30 burpees

Post times and loads to comments

Training day

A new version of the blog dedicated to CrossFit Cherokee is on its way!  We'll keep you posted through this blog and on the Facebook page!

4 rounds for time of
Run 400m
25 squats
20 sit-ups
15 push-ups

Post times to comments

Training day

Arthur Saxon executing a Two-hand Anyhow

For time:
100f frogger burpees
100f walking lunges w/45# plate
100f bear crawl
200f tire flip
100f bear crawl
100f walking lunges w/45# plate
100f frogger burpees

Post times to comments.

Training day

Here's a little preview of the WOD for tomorrow...

15 minute AMRAP of
10 wall ball shots (20/14)
10 toes to bar
10 box jumps (24/20)

Post rounds and reps completed to comments.

Training day

Diane
21-15-9 for time of
Deadlifts (225#/155#)
Handstand Pushups

Post times to comments

Alec Doss passed his CrossFit level 1 cert this past weekend, so join us in congratulating him!

Training day

 Mimi's first tire flip!
 

3 rounds for time of
Run 200m + 20 pullups
Run 200m + 20 pushups
Run 200m + 20 situps
Run 200m + 20 squats

Post times to comments.

Training day

Today's WOD is a CrossFit standby: Helen!

Three rounds for time of
400m run
21 kettlebell swings
12 pull-ups

Prescribed KB weight is 16kg/12kg (35# or 26.5#).  Post times to comments.

Training day

Five rounds for time of
5 thrusters (135/95)
8 burpees

This workout's brevity is eclipsed by its brutality.  Let your legs do the work on the thrusters, and don't forget to fully extend your hips on those burpees!

Post times to comments.

Training day

Five rounds for time of
6 handstand push-ups,
12 chest-to-bar pull-ups,
24 overhead plate lunges

Post times to comments.

Our own Alec Doss is going to get his CrossFit Level 1 Certification this weekend.  Keep him in your thoughts as he faces the trials associated with this cert--we know he's got the brains and the muscle, he's just gotta show it to them!

Training day

The sure signs of a great workout.



150 box jumps
5 burpees every 2 minutes until the box jumps are finished

Post times and number of burpees completed to comments.

Training day

A little Hero WOD to get your day started:

Five rounds for time of
155 pound Deadlift, 12 reps
155 pound Hang power clean, 9 reps
155 pound Push jerk, 6 reps

Womens' prescribed weight is 115#.  Post times to comments.

Training/rest day

Come out and see what we have going on at the front lawn!

And thanks to everyone who helped organize the Indian Knoll Elementary Family Fitness night, it was a well-organized event with a ton of community participation!  We had a great time teaching youngsters how to deadlift!

Training day

It's this simple--but not this easy!

Today's the day you get acquainted with our climbing ropes!

For time:
5 rope climbs
800m run
30 pull-ups
400m run
30 KB swings
200m run

Post times to comments.

Training day

Squat Cleans 5-5-5-5-5

Rest 5:00, then

3 rounds for time of
15 knees to elbows
25 flash push-ups

Flash push-ups are executed like this: from the top of the push-up descend until your chest rests on the ground.  Momentarily pick your hands up and make a motion like you are pushing through a curtain.  Then put your hands back where they go to do another push-up.  Continue in like fashion until your set is complete.  In much the same way that the box jump has been standardized in that everyone must stand up at the the top so judging can be unilateral, this is the evolution of judging the push-up.  This way all participants can be judged simply and fairly, and are actually completing the same range of motion.

Post loads and times to comments.

Training day

Drew got a PR deadlift on Monday night.

5 rounds for time of
35 double unders
200m run

Post times to comments.

The weather is keeping steady at "chilly," and the breeze is constant enough to feel good in the middle of a big metcon like this one:



1 round for time of
20 calorie row
30 wallball shots (20/14)
20 toes to bar
30 box jumps (24/20)
20 sumo deadlift high pull (75-55)
30 burpees
20 push jerks (135/95)

Post times to comments.

Training day



The CrossFit Total is a unique form of the maximal effort.  It gives you three attempts to reach your 1RM in three exercises: the back squat, the overhead press, and the deadlift.  In each of these exercises a little bit of deviation from perfect form is acceptable, so long as it is not detrimental to the execution of the lift.  This very slight breakdown in form is how you know you're making a maximal effort.  Every muscle fiber should be contracting to help finish the lift.  Get in here and move some weight!

CrossFit Total:
Back Squat 1 Rep Max
Overhead Press 1 Rep Max
Deadlift 1 Rep Max

8 minute AMRAP of
200m Run
8 Burpees
13 Kettlebell Swings (53/35).

Training/rest day

Periodically at our Canton facility we have large training seminars run by Physicians Business Solutions.  The business model of our club is one that incorporates everything necessary for holistic fitness: both an injury rehabilitation/prevention clinic and a fully equipped gym.

By now you should know that when words like "fully equipped gym" are bandied about, they are meant in the utmost.  Ropes, tires, barbells, bumper plates, pull-up bars, rings, med balls, boxes, power racks, and knowledgable training staff are the core of a true fitness program, and we are no different in that  regard.  The business model we employ is thriving during a recession, and there are very good reasons behind this fact.

One of those reasons is that it's a very good time to invest in yourself.  In times of economic hardship, preparing oneself for the worst is a great way not only to maintain the work you've already done, but also to hone the mental edge that got you there in the first place.  Trials of a physical nature also test the mind.  A rugged training program and the alertness it exacts from you are hallmarks of elite performance.  That is the goal here: the consistent improvement of elite performance.

Anyone who's done a few CrossTraining classes can attest to the hardiness of spirit required to finish a workout, no matter how short it may appear on the board.  Those seconds tick by like a road roller if you were the asphalt: interminably slow, and every one is compressing you more, and you're struggling to keep breathing, keep moving, keep fighting ahead of the crushing juggernaut.  The WODs are more than their name implies.  The truth is bigger than the words we use to describe it.  This is true training, preparation for the worst possible scenario.  Facing that which we fear and overcoming it.

Come train with us today, if you have time.  Because of the aforementioned seminar we'll be out on the lawn across the street, and what lies in wait on the grass is a surprise you'll just have to discover on your own.

Training day

Coach Burgener and Drew Barnhill



Snatch Balances 3-3-3-3-3

Then

3 rounds for time of
15 pull-ups
40 situps

Post loads and times to comments.

Training day

Norb Schemansky executing a split snatch, a technical nightmare.  If you're new to the lifts don't do this one unsupervised.

Complete the following for time:
Row 1000m
50 burpees
50 box jumps (24/20)
800m run

Post time to comments.

Training day

This is an illustration from Rippetoe and Kilgore's indispensible text "Starting Strength."  The caption reads: "Bar position ultimately determines back angle, as seen in this comparison of the front squat, the high-bar squat, and the low-bar squat.  Note that the bar remains balanced over the mid-foot in each case, and this requires that the back angle accomodate the bar position.  This is the primary factor in the differences in technique between the three styles of squatting."

Front squat 1-1-1-1-1-1-1

8 minute AMRAP belly suicides (25, 50, 75, 100 is 1 round)

Post loads used and rounds completed to comments.

Training day

 Pyrros Dimas of Greece, celebrating a successful lift.  Look at the air he gets.

10 minute AMRAP of
12 wall ball shots
5 ground-to-overhead

Prescribed weight for men is 155# and for women is 105#.  Post rounds completed to comments.

In other news, our very own Drew Barnhill passed his Olympic lifting certification with Mike Burgener this weekend.

Training/rest day

If you feel like getting a WOD in, come by today and do this one:

"McGhee"

30 minutes AMRAP of
5 deadlifts @ 275# (or 70% of your 1RM)
13 push-ups
9 box jumps

Post rounds completed to comments.

A friend asked me about CrossFit once.  He said it sounded to him like low weight/high reps, in other words, like any common pre-contest bodybuilding program.  I explained a little about the "Constantly varied functional movements executed at a high intensity" and how it wasn't just doing biceps curls as quickly as possible.  Metcons and strength work are a necessity in any kind of true fitness program, and CrossFit cannot neglect either, or the net effect is minimized and no one gets stronger or fitter.  There's also base of strength you have to build in order to do the WODs as prescribed.  "Light weight/high reps" is an inherently flawed way to look at it, when you consider that a workout like Fran  makes you move 95# up to six feet 45 times in rapid succession, and your entire body's weight must be moved through space using mainly your arms for the same number of reps.

When my friend finally tried a WOD, we had to scale it back for him so he could finish it.  It was not a shameful thing, it just caught him off-guard.  He expressed his surprise at the level of difficulty he encountered and at how weak he was.  I suggested a squat, overhead press, and pull-up progression for him to get stronger, and told him to stay away from heavy WODs or ones lasting more than thirty minutes until then.  He progressed rapidly after two months of strength training and moderate conditioning, and now does prescribed WODs without undue difficulty.

My friend had to have the courage to get stomped by a prescribed WOD in order to see where his weak points were.  He was ignorant not just about CrossFit but about his own level of fitness to complete a certain amount of work.  Sometimes that still happens to me, and if it happens to you, it's important not to be ashamed.   Have the courage to get stomped, to push hard and fall short, and finish the workout anyway.  You get knocked down, so stand back up.  Every time.  These times expose your weaknesses, but once exposed, you can patch them up, and you have the maturity and resolve to do so.  It takes moxy to get worked over and keep coming back stronger, and that's what fitness is all about: stress, fatigue, supercompensation.  Without a struggle, nobody would get stronger.

Training day

Courtesy of Drew Barnhill, torturer-in-chief for today:

20 minute AMRAP of
400m run
20 med ball cleans
10 burpee pull-ups

Post rounds completed to comments.

Training day

Shoulder Press 3-3-3-3-3

Then 3 rounds for time of
15 Box Jumps
400m Run

With the press, a key element of correct execution is keeping your abs and glutes tight!  The whole body is engaged in this exercise, despite the specificity of its name.

Post times from the metcon to comments.

Training day

"Karen"

150 wall ball shots for time

With this WOD, try to remember to let your legs do most of the work.  Post times to comments.

Training day

  

"Annie"

50-40-30-20-10 for time of
Double unders and situps

This vicious cycle is named after veteran CF athtlete Annie Sakamoto, pictured above.

Training day

The legendary George Frenn, a powerlifter and Olympian, seen here with 800# or more on his back.

Back squat 5-5-5-5-5

Rest 5:00, then:

1 round for time of
800 meter run
25 burpees
35 box jumps

Maintain good form on those back squats! Then only one round of pain for time today, everybody.  Post your time to the comments.

Training day

 Rich Froning Jr., the Fittest Man on Earth 

15-12-9-6-3 reps for time of
Power cleans
Bar-facing burpees

Prescribed weight for power cleans is 135# and 95# for women.  Post time to comments.

Training day

Coach Mike Burgener behind his son, Olympic competitor Casey Burgener.  Coach Mike is the face of Oly lifting in the CrossFit community. 

Split jerk 3-3-3-3-3

Rest 5:00

8 minute AMRAP of
5 KB snatches w/ each arm
10 push-ups
15 squats

The split jerk is referred to as max effort or ME work in the Olympic lifting world.  The idea is to get as much weight as possible overhead, while minding the technique you use to get it there.  Today is also a great day to fine-tune your KB snatch technique and get help with anything you feel is weak.  Prescribed weight for men is 35#, for women it's 26#.

Training day

For time:
50 situps
150 KB swings
50 situps

The Secret Service has a signature physical ordeal all of its candidates must live through.  It is the Secret Service snatch test, and it involves a 24kg kettlebell (16kg for women), a ten minute timer, and all the determination you can gather.  This legendary test of strength and willpower only asks that you do as many snatches as possible in the ten minutes you are allotted.  A total considered "good" is 200 completed reps, but many aim above and far beyond this total.  It's not a good test to do if you are new to training with kettlebells, but if you're getting 30+ reps of snatches per hand and are hungry for a challenge, this one is more than worthy.

Above is a good instructional for the KB snatch, and you can come to either of the Drews or Jeff to get some fine-tuning on technique.

Training day

5 rounds for time of
15 deadlifts
15 toes to bar

Prescribed weight for men is 185#, and for women it is 135#.  3-2-1 GO!

Training/Rest day

If you've got an hour or two and feel like knocking out a quick WOD, come by and join us!  Last call at about 4 o'clock.

Here's an excerpt from "FIT: An Unconventional Guide to Using Conventional Methods for Creating Fitness for the Real World" by Lon Kilgore, Michael Hartman, and Justin Lascek:

"Lots of people have a seemingly simple goal of  'toning up' when they start to exercise.  Strength training is the best way to accomplish this...When you train with weights, especially heavier ones, you are conditioning your muscles to produce tremendous amounts of electrical activity.  The baseline amount produced at rest increases and baseline muscle tension increases as an adaptation, thus producing the desired 'tone'--firm and athletic."  (Fit p. 26)

Strength also pays dividends to endurance athletes by allowing them to go further before exhaustion and decrease event finishing times.  There is also correlational evidence that being strong increases a person's overall chances of survival (Fit, p. 25).  Sadly, there is no causal evidence for this interesting theory, but that's no reason not to get strong.

Video Extra

This video was taken this afternoon. Superior Training personal trainer Mike Cadle lands a 51-inch box jump.

What are you proud of today?

Training day

7 rounds for time of
7 chest-to-bar pull-ups
7 kettlebell swings
7 burpees.

Prescribed weights for mens' and womens' kettlebell swings are 53# and 35# respectively.

The world record for most pull-ups in one hour belongs to Stephen Hyland of the UK, who completed 1,009 reps in the alotted time.

Training day

A recent WOD.  Do not be frightened.

5 rounds for time of
7 hang power cleans
20 box jumps
400m run

RXed weight for men/women is 135/95#, and box heights are 24/20".

Training day

We hope everyone had a restful Labor Day weekend!  Today the action gets started with a bang:

Nancy
Five rounds for time of
400m run
15 overhead squats

Prescribed weight is 95# for men and 65# for women.

Training day

5 rounds for time of
40 Double Unders
30 Box Jumps
20 KB Swings

If you can't do double-unders, do 160 single-jumps.  KB swings are 53# for men and 35# for women.

Training day

Today the WOD is CrossFit's trademark manmaker: FRAN!

21 - 15 - 9 of:
Thrusters
Pull-ups

Mens' weight is 95#, womens' weight is 65#.  Is Fran in your kitchen?

I remember the first time I ever saw someone doing this WOD.  Somewhere on the internet a grainy video exists of two men doing thrusters and pull-ups at a breakneck pace.  I couldn't begin to describe how ridiculous it looked: the plates on the bar were too big to be light and I had never seen bumper plates; so to me that was at least 135# they were slinging around.  No one could do that.  And the pull-ups, well...I was good at pull-ups but I couldn't do what they were doing.  None of it seemed possible, but these two guys were repping it out like pros.  Like they did this all day.  Like it was light weight.

People were all around them, and the video was taken from about thirty yards away.  I saw this video in perhaps my first semester of college and wrote it off.  They were fake weights, those dudes were on steroids.  It wasn't possible for a regular human like me.  It wasn't until a couple of years later when I heard about CrossFit for the first time that I was able to put that memory into perspective.  A few months afer that I tried it for the first time.  It crushed me.  But the realm of the possible was opened to me the day I saw that video, and everything I did afterward would be judged in its shadow.

Training Day

5 rounds for time of
15 deadlifts
15 toes to bar

Load the bar to 185# for men and 135# for women.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6:30 AM there is a CrossTraining cardio session, going by the name of "Endurance by MattFit."  Our own Matt Kaynes reinterprets endurance cardio through a CrossFit lens.  Bring a friend and give it a shot!

Training Day

2 min. handstand hold
2 min. hollow rocks
Rest 1 min.
1.5 min. handstand hold
1.5 min. hollow rocks
Rest 1 min. and
1 min. handstand hold
1 min. hollow rocks

Rest 5:00

Then 8 min. AMRAP of
5 med ball cleans
10 box Jumps

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 5 o'clock we have beginner's classes.  If you're thinking about beginning classes, this is the perfect way to start!

Training Day

Today's WOD is another CrossFit benchmark: Cindy!

AMRAP in 20 minutes of
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 squats

3, 2, 1, GO!

Training Day

5 burpees
10 box jumps
15 wall balls
20 knees to elbows
200m run
4 rounds for time

On Sundays at 10AM the Crosstraining class is open for friends and family members.  Bring anyone you like and get a solid workout in.