Fitness is…

Sanctuary.

The “real world” gets a lot of airtime around the water cooler or in father/son lecture time, but what is it really? Forget the physicist’s conversation of matter and non-matter and the philosopher’s conversation about being and non-being. For most of us, the real world means some version of responsibility that requires us to put up with things we otherwise wouldn’t. An aggravating boss, screaming children, a nagging mother in law. Some days it’s mortgage payments, insurance payments, and alimony. Others it’s retirement questions, college questions, precarious job security, and the dwindling chances for upward mobility.

What it always is, is a migraine cocktail. It’s inputs and stressors we don’t choose or want but are forced to accept, address, and deal with. And we do. Not always gracefully, but we do. We hem and haw, bitch and complain, but eventually and consistently we stay the real world with our stubborn insistence to survive.

We’re constantly reminded about the existence of the real world because there’s nothing people love to complain about more. “My boss is this…” “My boss is that…” We are always going “back to the reality” or telling others to “enjoy your freedom while it lasts…” It’s as if we want others to know how hard we have it so they can acknowledge our struggle and pay homage. On it’s face, it might seem odd that people brag about their misery, but it actually makes perfect sense. The process of obligation and endurance gives us a sense of worth, a daily reminder that accomplishment is possible. Sure it was tough dealing with all the shit you had to deal with, but you did it anyways and here you are. We secretly adore our responsibilities because they are proof of our ability to overcome. Listen closer to people’s complaints and you’ll hear this plainly. The comments will all be laced with traces of pride and condescension toward those who don’t shoulder similar burdens. And this is okay. Those who walk abreast with the expectations of the real world have proven their worth and earned the right to condescend.

But pride in survival is tired and fleeting. The barriers you broke through yesterday are rebuilt anew today and again tomorrow. Even though we secretly love that for which we complain most, we grow weary just the same. Every one of us needs an escape.

Training is exactly this.

First, where the “real world” is obligatory, fitness is volitional. There’s no social requirement to be healthy—only the resolution of the individual to improve. This means that every time you walk into the gym, run up a hill, or pick up a bar it’s because you want to, not because you have to. No deadlines you have to meet or bosses you have to please, just your own decision to train or not train. Asserting this level of control in one’s life is empowering and addicting. Even though training is often just as habitual and routine as a 9 to 5 job, the fact that you choose to do it distinguishes it from the mental aches and pains of a daily grind. This inherent difference creates a void into which we can always retreat if the pressures of the real world become too great.

Second, the physical improvements we make through training are progressive and purposeful. Each day in the gym brings with it a task built on the last, marching us forward toward tangible goals. Unlike the obstacles we overcome at work or at home, something that is accomplished in the gym does not need to be re-accomplished the following day. Once you’ve done a muscle up, you’ve done it. Once you’ve deadlifted 500 lb, you’ve lifted it. Nothing anybody says or does can un-do those achievements. They are etched in your annals forever. This is important because it keeps us in a mindset of continual success. Regardless of the failures and stress we have outside the gym, training always gives us a way to achieve. There aren’t many situations like this out there.

Finally, training is selfish (in a good way). It’s one of the few things you do in your day that is wholly about you. One of my students told me last year that he didn’t start working out until his divorce. The process of separation and its cold legality had left him disoriented, ripped apart, and lost. He described floating through his day without direction or motivation, losing his identity bit by bit. Then, on a friend’s suggestion, he joined a gym and started training. Nothing serious, just an hour a day to “get his mind off things.” It turned out that it didn’t so much get his mind off everything else as it got his mind back on himself. Exercise gave him a way to concentrate his energy on self-improvement rather than self-immolation. That hour a day quickly turned into 2 or 3 and, slowly but surely, this individual started to regain some of the independence and confidence he had lost.

This is an important point. Where the real world inevitably divides our focus and energy into a thousand different strands, training fixes it back on the one thing that’s necessary to all the rest: us. During that hour you’re allowed to forget your job, car, and kids. You’re allowed to turn your cell phone off and fill your ears with clanking bars and industrial fans. During that hour you can be competitive and strong without worrying who you might offend because you’re no longer a parent, an employee, a sibling, or a breadwinner. You’re an athlete. You’re there to get better. This simplicity is the ultimate reprieve from a world bent on being complicated and difficult.

For many, training grows into their lives as much for the reasons outlined above as it does for the physical results it brings. We spend so much time and energy meeting our obligations to family, friends, and coworkers that we forget what it’s like to be in a place where none of that matters. It gets hard to let go. So, essentially, the gym becomes a refuge. Here we have control over our decisions, we make progress every day, and we do it for ourselves. It’s a one-hour vacation from “real” that we need to take and appreciate. Which is why I can never understand why people are afraid of it. Don’t dread this hour, take pleasure in it! This is your time. Re-imagine what you’re doing and why, then re-experience it for what it truly is. And the next time you find yourself in that “real world” conversation, it might be a bit more palatable.

2011 CrossFit Games Retrospective

The Experience:

To anyone following these Games who has been around CrossFit for more than a year, the upscaling of this event was probably obvious. But, just in case you haven’t had the privilege of watching things grow year after year, here is a bit of perspective… in 2009, just 2 years ago, athletes did an open regional qualifier consisting of between 50 and 200 participants. If you made the cut, you showed up to the Castro Ranch in Aromas, CA a few months later the day before competition began. We brought tents and coolers, were given neon wristbands, and our athlete numbers were written on our shoulders and calves in sharpies. There were a handful of guys with cameras doing random interviews, mostly with the individuals who had competed the year before and were predicted to win. The Grand Prize was $5,000 cash.

To connect that experience with the one just completed is like untying a brain knot. Throwing your hat in the ring this year meant participation and completion of a grueling 6-week online open competition. If your aggregate score was top 60, then you competed against the best of the best for 3 consecutive days to see who really deserved to represent your region in the finals. This is as stressful if not more stressful than the actual Games. Coming through Northern California meant I had to compete against 4 Games finalists for 3 spots…the kind of ridiculous depth you don’t want to see when the margins of victory are sure to be small.

Fast forward to the finals and you have 3 days of registration, orientation, media exposure, and preparation before you even set foot on the proving grounds. Getting sized up by tailors, shoe-smiths, and pundits; trading anxious conversation with the other athletes about the potential events and different strategies to running on sand; struggling to relax your mind enough to get the sleep you need every night. The build up to the action this year was something I personally have never remotely been a part of before. And something that I utterly enjoyed.

I’ll admit that part of me longs for the simplicity and austerity of Aromas. Charging through dusty hills amidst makeshift grandstands and caution tape certainly appeals to the organic character at CrossFit’s core. But the level to which the Games rose this year was something beyond personal preference or style. It’s bigger than what you’d “prefer” to see. It is a legitimate, professional sport. I was treated like a truly professional athlete. The media coverage was polished and thorough, and couldn’t have been so without the infrastructure in place at the Home Depot Center. I think this year will go down as the moment most of us acknowledge that CrossFit is in fact divided in two parts: fitness and sport. There is the community at large, working day by day to improve their quality of life, seeking to move with strength and grace through the tasks they consistently face. And there is the sport, attracting hyper-driven competitors who will train above and beyond what is required for the chance to be a part of the process I described above. While this division has been roughly delineated already, I believe the exposure and success of this year’s Games will etch it in for good.

The Events:

Without overstating the obvious, the events this year were incredible. In 2009 the programming was debilitating. A monstrous hill run followed by max deadlifts, a weighted uphill sprint that left people incapacitated for 20 minutes, hammering blunted stakes into hardpacked sand followed by high volume squat snatches and wall balls. And that was all on day one. We still had max effort snatches, parralette handstand pushups, and a grueling 20+ minute chipper to go. The fittest on earth were lined up at the massage tent trying merely to finish, let alone win.

Last year the programming adjusted, swinging towards skill rather than workload. Handstand pushups on rings, pistol squats, and “Amanda” were the talk afterwards. The strength event was a shoulder to overhead tacked on to the back end of a triple Helen, favoring the conditioned and the bold but not necessarily the strong. There were more events than ever before, but all were blended tests—mixing skill and work capacity, endurance and strength. There were no pure WODs that rewarded excellence in any one area.This time around HQ got the mixture just right. Athletes were tested on an array of skills during WOD 2 while they were fresh, leaving no question as to whether fatigue would play a role in our ability to complete the task. We were tested on pure strength during WOD 5, given 4 minutes to do a max chin up and a max snatch before picking up close to 300# and carrying it as far as possible. The first event of the competition certainly tested our endurance, not to mention the ability to swim, and the last tested our ability to recover in quick fashion before fighting to finish. There were rope climbs, prowler pushes, sled pulls, and sand runs. There were rowers, Watt bikes, and monkey bars. There was even a more traditional test of athleticism in the softball toss. This years games literally had everything: Short duration, long duration, and everything in between. Gymnastics, strength, and conditioning. Traditional movements and extremely creative new ones.

The proof that this test of tests was balanced can be found in the top 10 finishers and their body types. Looking down the line you had Chris Spealer, Pat Barber, and Josh Bridges, 3 guys looking up at 5’7” with exceptional gymnastic skills and conditioning but also impressive strength. You also had Spencer Hendel, Jason Khalipa, and Matt Chan, 3 guys easily over 210 lb and extremely powerful. You also had Rich Froning, Zach Forrest, and Dan Bailey, athletes of medium height but with muscular thickness that screams CrossFit. Finally you had the leaner guys like myself, Graham Holmberg, and Ben Smith, rarely the strongest or the most skilled but always good enough to stay in the hunt. This was as balanced a top group as one could ask for and I think that speaks volumes about the programming.

The People:

As has been much expounded upon, the community CrossFit has produced is without equal. The intent and earnest with which spectators followed the weekend’s events from around the world was staggering. I can’t wait to hear the web numbers when they come in. The athletes remained humble and supportive even in the most competitive of situations. Before the swim WOD people were sharing strategies for footwear in the sand, gloves on the pullup rack, and pacing in the water. There were full blown softball practice sessions on the track during our briefing on Thursday with the ex-baseball players assisting those who had less experience. The leadership and sponsors of the event were undeniably awesome. It was clear that the interest from all parties was in the growth and success of the sport, not in the commercialization of a product as many had feared. Not that I ever doubted the integrity of the people I have met and grown to respect in this community, but being a part of an event this big with this many variables and still seeing the same dedication and commitment was reassuring just the same. Crossfit will never dilute into a fad or some second rate perversion of athletics because the people it is built on, the community of affiliates and athletes it produces, and the sponsors now opening its doors to the mainstream are all on the same page. Everyone is intoxicated by its energy and potential, and no one is willing to accept anything less than first rate representation.

I am extremely blessed and proud to be part of this process and hope it continues to reach more and more people out there looking for change. After this past weekend I don’t see any reason why it won’t.

Day 1 in the Books

Amazing first day at the CF Games! Apart from this mornings brutal beach workout, the body is holding up great. Nothing really hurts beyond the dull fatigue of running in deep sand... and I'm not sure there's anything that's gonna help that. The workouts went as good as could've been expected--hopefully tomorrow will hold more of the same. Thanks so much to everyone out there for their support... it DEFINITELY helps. Everyone cross their fingers for more anywherefit type WODs so we can keep this ball rolling!

Ocean Swim

Enough said.

Day 1

Tuesday was registration day at the CrossFit Games, and holy shit was this a cool deal. Imagine 3 ballrooms filled with staff, dressing rooms, and shoeboxes. Populate those rooms with a hundred of the fittest, happiest, most gracious people in the world. You look left and there are tailors fitting clothing. You turn the corner and there are ovens heating shoes. You got family and friends carrying bags of gear because there’s literally more than you can handle. Your arms are stuffed with paleo friendly snacks, tape, uniforms, compression gear, outerwear… you name it. This is not your run of the mill CrossFit throwdown.

Throughout the day I took the opportunity to re-connect with some old faces from years past. Catching up with all these people becomes the real pleasure of competing year after year. The quality of individual found here is hard incomparable. People from different walks of life, different regions of the world, and different motivating forces all coming together respectfully and humbly. And to see friendships develop over the course of a few days separated by years is something special I think.

I took a little video footage at dinner and back at the hotel to give you an idea of what the environment is like. I meant to take more but got carried away with things and forgot. More to come the next few days I hope.

In LA

Swim WOD and Paddleboarding

Workout of the Day

Swim 200 yards

Bearcrawl 100 yards

Swim 200 yards

A big group of us from the gym met out at the Sac State Aquatic Center this morning to submerge ourselves in the icy goodness of Lake Natoma. With water temperatures hovering around 60, this was a far cry from the painful experience at Horsetail Falls 2 weeks ago. Still, it wasn’t comfortable. But everyone made it through the WOD safe, sound, and with hefty smiles.

Afterwards we hung around and rented paddleboards for the next hour or so. This, somewhat predictably, turned into a test of balance, handstand prowess, and evasive maneuvers as we were all trying to knock one another of his/her board. SO MUCH FUN!!! By the end of the day no one cared how cold the water was, only when the next time group paddleboarding was going to be programmed. A little light-hearted exercise never hurt anyone… sometimes simply going out and “playing” is exactly what we need to do. Today was a great reminder of that fact.

Also, I've attached the link to Folsom's Thursday Night Market footage from the other day. Check it out below.

20 minute back squat WOD

Workout of the Day WOD 1 - in the morning... 5 rounds for completion: 20 yard handstand walk Max toes to bar WOD 2 - in the afternoon... Back Squats @ 85% 1RM 3 repetitions per minute, on the minute until failure to complete (20 minute cap) WOD 3 - in the evening... 4 minute tabata sets of: Row for meters Kb swings (24 kg) Thrusters (75#) L sits for seconds One week out from the Games, this is exactly the kind of test I needed. High skill in the morning, heavy strength in the afternoon, and balls to the wall conditioning in the evening. I went to bed feeling like I hadn’t slept in a week and I plan a long session in the river today to help me recover. A quick little recap of the day’s events: My handstand walking has never felt better. I feel totally under control and am able to adjust my speed by adjusting my lean pretty consistently. The toes to bar weren’t quite so impressive: 20, 17, 15, 15, 15. But with pumped out arms I’m not sure these numbers were so bad. The back squats proved again to me that 1 minute intervals are my absolute FAVORITE way to structure training for strength endurance. My weight was 343#, a little under 85% but still a substantial amount of weight for me, and I was able to complete all 20 rounds. That’s 60 squats at near maximal load!!! The 45-50 seconds of recovery between sets was enough to let my nervous system settle down and re-focus on the next set, but not much else. My entire lower body was fried for hours afterwards, but now is only feeling lingering soreness. I think the light thrusters and rowing helped with that a lot last night. Speaking of last night, CF Anywhere took to the streets to join Folsom’s Thursday Night Market, sponsoring a booth and doing a live demonstration of what CrossFit is. We performed the tabata sequence outlined above in front of hundreds of spectators out to shop for clothing and antiques. Ha, did they get a surprise. I’m hoping to have the pictures and video by tomorrow so stay tuned. My lowest rounds for each exercise were Row - 105 m, kb - 10 swings, thrusters - 6, L sits - 12 seconds.

Stone Deadlifts

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

4 rounds for completion:

2 ring dip + ring hspu

10 weighted pistols (35#)

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

Snatch 3, 2, 1, 1, 1

5 minute AMRAP overhead squat (155#)

WOD 3 – in the evening…

20 rounds for time:

5 stone deadlifts (approx. 100#)

20 yard stone carry

This is my last full week of training before heading to LA for the CF Games, so my focus is narrowing a bit during my skill sessions. There’s been a lot of talk about ring hspu’s and pistol variations, so I’m trying to keep coming back to those movements to make sure I can at least do them passably. Can’t say things are getting much easier… the pistols were especially hard. The extra 35# made a big difference by the 4^th set.

In the afternoon I concentrated on Olympics, coupling heavy snatch work with a mid-weight overhead effort for volume. Squatting endurance is something that translates well to a lot of other exercises, so if you’re looking for a way to build general capacity, start doing these types of high intensity efforts. I was able to knock out 53 repetitions at 155# before time expired.

Finally, my conditioning session took me back outdoors to Folsom Lake. There are a series of granite levees that surround the western edge of the lake, leaving an abundant supply of rock to lift and carry. All shapes and sizes are available so I had no trouble finding a suitable instrument. This thing was oblong and slightly triangular, very awkward and heavy. It took me 11:57 to finish all 20 rounds… 100 deadlifts and 400 yards of distance in total. The best part about lifting rocks is that you have to get super low—far below standard bar height. The result is a heavy tax on the butt and low back that will make conventional deadlifts feel easy by comparison. And, of course, there’s the constant awkwardness of gripping the damn thing. Getting stronger hands never hurt anyone.

209 to 916

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

30 rope climbs for time (20 feet)

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

Barbell Complex: 3 deadlift, 2 squat clean, 1 jerk

Rest as needed and add load each set

Sandbag good mornings – 10, 10, 10

L sit holds - :30, :30, :30

WOD 3 – in the evening…

3 rounds, each for time:

150 yard hill sprint

30 burpees w/o pushup

Rest exactly 5 minutes between rounds

209 Sport was up in Folsom Saturday to do the above series of WODs. As usual it was great training with Gabe… pushing me harder than I normally could push. From the high volume rope climbs in the morning to the hill sprints late in the day, we touched a variety of skills and taxed multiple energy systems in preparation for the upcoming Games. And, as might be expected, most everything turned out to be harder than we anticipated. My times and numbers are below.

WOD 1 – 16:27

WOD 2 – 265#, missed jerk

WOD 3 – 2:00/2:08/2:20

For everyone coming to Iceland in less than a month... make sure you are running hills and hiking some distance. As stated on the itinerary, we will be covering close to 14 miles in trails our 2nd day in country. Prepare accordingly!!!

50 squat snatches and then some

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

10 minute AMRAP:

10 kb snatch (24 kg)

10 GHD situp

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

Strict Press

5 on the minute every minute @ 125# until failure to complete (20 minute cap)

Barbell Lunges – 10, 10, 10

Pipe Slams – 10, 10, 10

Alternating single arm sledge swings (8 #) – 10, 10, 10

WOD 3 – in the evening…

For time:

1000 meter row

50 squat snatch (95#)

200 double unders

I’d been battling some calf and ankle tightness after the UOP stadium stairs I did down in Stockton Tuesday, so today got off to a bit of a slow start. Thankfully, though, things started to loosen up as the day progressed. With the Games only 2 weeks away I’m really trying to hit all the major points of skill, strength and conditioning with all the focus I’ve got, knowing that the week before I probably won’t do much. The first WOD gave me the chance to practice KB snatches, a movement I’ve really tried to improve on recently, and also GHD situps, something I haven’t done for a while. I got 10 full rounds at a moderate pace, giving me plenty of opportunity to fine tune some timing and coordination issues.

This afternoon was a bear. Strict press is NOT one of my best movements and not one that typically recovers quickly after a near maximal set, so I was skeptical about how this would go. I wound up completing 15 rounds + 4 repetitions before failing out… not bad at all. Pressing strength is something that is so hard to build and for where we are now it’s probably too little too late for competition, but this is a solid way to approach it.

Finally, the conditioning session blended monostructural endurance, Olympic lifting, and gymnastics beautifully. All 3 elements targeted muscle endurance and cardiovascular capacity- no real breaks in here. I rowed comfortably at a 1:45 pace, finishing the 1000 at 3:29. The snatches were all singles, but I maintained a pretty steady pace. The only limiting factor was the lower back. I think after all the heavy lunges and presses earlier today it was a bit fatigued. Or maybe just 50 squat snatches suck anyway you slice it. My best element was certainly the double unders, though. Finished them in 2 sets… 91 and 109 respectively. Total time for this WOD was 12:27.

Looking forward with earnest to Saturday when I get to welcome the gang from 209 Sport to Folsom. Look for some early morning rope climbs, some midday Oly lifts, and some afternoon pain on the big hill. Come join us if you’re in town.

Training at 209 Sport with Gabe Subry

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

30 repetitions for time:

1 skin the cat + 1 muscle up

WOD 2 – in the late morning…

Complete as a continuous set:

5 overhead squats + 15 back squats

Rest as needed and repeat 5x, adding load each set

WOD 3 – immediately following WOD 2…

8 minute AMRAP:

10 rolling getup to box jump (24”)

10 box jump (24”)

10 GHD hip extension

WOD 4 – in the afternoon…

UOP Stadium Stairs

I drove down to Stockton today to train with fellow qualifier and good friend Gabe Subry at his box, CrossFit 209 Sport. Every time I work with this guy I enjoy it. We discuss everything from technique to strategy and this time of year even a little speculation on events to prepare for. And of course, we wind up working our asses off. Today there was a big group mobbing around with us so things were extra fun. I didn’t get any video footage of our WODs so hopefully next time. My numbers for today were as follows:

WOD 1 – 15:21

WOD 2 – 185# 205# 225# 245# (fail) 245#

WOD 3 – 5 rounds + 2 getup box jumps

WOD 4 – 11:29

Sleeping in tomorrow before heading to the river for some ice water therapy. Going to need it after today.

Fitness is...

Varied.

Keep changing.

It’s been said that life, at it’s most basic and physical, is motion. From the excitation of atoms at the molecular level to the interaction of people at a party, something that “lives” must necessarily be moving, growing, or changing. Proof? Nowhere in the world does a purely static organism exist. Every living cell is in a constant state of flux and flow: splitting, swelling, constricting, and moving according to the demands of its environment. Observe a stone on the beach and you see none of this, only the weather beaten stillness of an object waiting to be moved. Stillness, it turns out, is the harbinger of death. Stillness, is anti-life.

The obvious implication of this truth is that there’s nothing life-giving about a sedentary lifestyle. You remain at rest long enough and that’s where you’re going to inevitably stay. But this is hardly a revelation—few will argue that their liveliest or fittest days were spent sitting on a couch somewhere.

More often discussed are the negative effects of a stagnant methodology, and for good reason. Simply because we are moving one foot in front of the other on the treadmill or lifting barbells in the gym, doesn’t mean we are free from stillness. Sure we are in motion literally, but any hamster on his wheel can say the same. The truth is that, as creatures of habit, we saturate ourselves with protocols and techniques that we like/are comfortable with and are hesitant to change them. This, too, is stillness.

While consistency is crucial to development, the laws of adaptation state that without adjustment every technique becomes ineffective. No matter how intelligent, cutting edge, or initially ass-kicking, every program has a flaw... Us. We have to understand that our bodies are hard-wired to survive, not to excel. Improvement in strength, conditioning, or balance happens because we’ve asked more of our bodies than they can currently handle. Our adaptation to these demands is merely an adjustment in bandwidth; a growth in capacity such that we can re-establish homeostasis. To continue evolving and improving we must therefore be willing to adjust everything.

In general, the CrossFit community is GREAT at this. It’s a nexus of ex-specialists and aspiring generalists, all comfortable and confident enough to seek help and share experiences. Where else do Olympic rowers and high school gymnasts have anything to offer one another? And because of the multitude of skills and capacities encouraged by this methodology, there’s always something new to learn. Few athletes should plateau for long, if at all.

Why then do so many still hit the proverbial wall? How can members at so many boxes be lamenting their battles with “burnout” if every element of variation is being programmed into their WODs? Worse, why do some continue to feel unsatisfied even while they’re hitting PR’s and setting records?

My opinion? Most have been chasing the same goal for too long. They're psychologically "still."

The vast majority of people enter the gym with a dominant psychological focus, even if they choose not to wear it on their sleeve. Most either want an aesthetic change (to be bigger, smaller, or leaner), or a performance change (to be faster, more conditioned, or stronger). Even at our most varied and successful, it’s difficult for us to let go of these dominant foci. Just ask a bodybuilder if his body is ever big enough, a sprinter if he’s ever fast enough, or a Crossfitter if he’s ever fit enough. If they’re worth their salt the answer will always be no. And that’s okay—we need to be hungry in order to motivate ourselves. But at a certain point all of the above examples will find their appetite waning, their workouts lacking, and their goals slipping further away.

If we can’t wrench our attention away from our original, dominant focus even for a second, our mindset is essentially motionless, and even the most varied and intelligent programming cannot overcome psychological stagnation. If the mind isn’t excited about doing something, it won’t get done. Or if it does, it won’t get done well—and this is the more crucial point. Just as our body needs motion to stay lively, so does our psyche need fresh goals to stay alert and engaged.

Think of it this way: To permanently pursue a single focus would require a permanently peaked interest, which is impossible—interest naturally deteriorates with familiarity. Without interest, we grow bored. When we’re bored, our resolve weakens. When our resolve is weak, we resent ourselves and the goals we’ve chosen. When we resent our goals we lose interest in them, feeding the snake it’s tail, as it were. Boom, WALL.

The challenge then becomes staying psychologically mobile and avoiding the temptation of a single, all-consuming purpose. This doesn’t mean you can’t have a main, over-arching goal, just that you need to give your mind a break from it every so often. To bring the example home, consider our sport. Most, if not all Crossfitters identify and target their weaknesses. Be it strength, conditioning, short WODs, long WODs, gymnastics, Olympic lifting… everybody has one, or ten. Whatever it is, our natural inclination is to seek it out and beat it into submission. I’ve seen people spend hours trying to master double unders—breaking ropes, kicking walls, spitting epithets. Day after day after day. Most times getting worse instead of better, purely because their brain is so tired of doing fucking double unders that it’s no longer registering the small deviations it needs to be successful. This is NOT the most efficient way to improve. More isn’t always more.

A simple solution for this is to pursue the acquisition of new skills. Focus your time and energy on learning something you know very little about for a change. There are a million variations on exercises using kettlebells. Most of us only know the swing. There are a hundred techniques to master on the rings, yet most of us stop at dips and muscle ups. Why not explore the bodyweight techniques that Parkour athletes use to strengthen themselves instead of doing another WOD with pullups and/or handstand pushups? Any one of these distractions will give your brain a much needed break from whatever aesthetic or performance goal it is that dominates your focus. Then, after a few weeks have past, come back to your main goal and refocus on it with a fresh head. I guarantee you will enjoy tackling it far more.

For me personally, my obsession is progress. I need to feel like I’m moving forward. In the absence of competition this is easy to achieve because there is no set timeframe in which the progress must be made. But when there are dates and deadlines things get a little more intense. I quickly discovered that training for CrossFit competitions was mentally exhausting, far beyond what I wanted or expected it to be. It became very easy for me to obsess over training, ferreting out weaknesses while trying to get stronger and more conditioned all the while. In the past I’ve found myself dreading sessions, losing motivation, and ultimately underperforming when I should’ve been crushing it. This was not okay.

The solution for me was to split my focus between training for performance and training for experience. Instead of focusing harder on progressing my strength, conditioning, and skill level, I focused less, designing certain WODs more for their location and feel than for their weights and distances. To be clear, these workouts were never wholly unrelated to my overall goals (they still meet criteria for intensity, duration, etc), but they feel like a vacation from the pressure of benchmarks and totals. In a way, my training has become a challenge not just to improve physically, but to do workouts that are literally unforgettable. I can honestly say that this has made a huge difference in my ability to stay connected in what has become a year-round CrossFit season.

No matter how focused and dedicated, no one can afford to be still for long. Grooves become ruts, that’s just the way it is. Fitness isn’t merely one foot in front of the other, it’s a constantly varied, multi-functional freestyle waltz that we must always re-imagine. If you can discover ways to adjust your methodologies and entertain new pursuits, you’ll find yourself establishing a foundation for improvement that will never burnout.

Clips and Photos from Shelter Cove

4th of July Weekend in Shelter Cove

Saturday

WOD 1 – in the morning…

12 minute AMRAP:

50 feet weighted lunge (95#)

100 feet shuttle run

50 feet anchor drag (32kg)

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

For time:

1 mile sand run

50 burpees

30 shoulder to overhead (135#)

Sunday

WOD 1 – in the morning…

2.1 mile mountain run (1600 vertical feet)

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

Freestyle bouldering

I hope everyone stateside had a wonderful 4^th of July weekend. From all-day barbeques to nighttime fireworks, days off work to breakfast at Wimbeldon, this holiday always seems to deliver some great memories. For me, 2011’s independence day weekend offered an austere escape to California’s Lost Coast. I trained hard, ate well, and relaxed in a place where nature continues to reign supreme. We ran the mountains, swam the ocean, lunged across blackened beaches, climbed stony outcroppings, and pressed barbells in the sand. All the while working to come home with a tan.

With the Games a month away I couldn’t feel better or more prepared. My program has me resting this upcoming week before 2 more training weeks leading up to the big show. I want to thank Kevin and the Leary family for letting me tag along this weekend. Below are some pictures and videos from the weekend.

Anywherefit Iceland Payments Due!!!

Everyone who has yet to get me the remainder of their balance, please do so ASAP to the paypal account under morrison.blair@gmail.com. Those of you who are up to speed... only 6 weeks til I'll be seeing you in Reykyavek!!! Get fired up!

Drop Set Deadlifts

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

Skin the Cat 5, 5, 5

Handstand Walk 5 x 10 yards

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

Drop set deadlifts

8 @ 365, 315, 275, 225, 185, & 135

Rest & complete 2 sets

Abmat situps 20, 20, 20, 20, 20

Good mornings (45#) 20, 20, 20, 20, 20

WOD 3 – in the evening…

3 minute rounds with 1 minute rest:

500 meter row & max bodyweight bench press (185#)

Round 1 – 1.35/25

Round 2 – 1.41/13

Round 3 – 1.45/13

Round 4 – 1.46/12

Round 5 – 1.46/10

The afternoon session laid me out. Travis came up from East Sac and we went twice through an old school Bulgarian 8 rep drop set for deadlifts. The second set at 365# I almost blacked out… not kidding. MAJOR nervous system demand lifting this way. We agreed that it would be even worse with squats.

During the evening conditioning WOD I was holding on for dear life by the 3^rd round. 1 minute isn’t much recovery for that much work and my times/weights reflect that. It felt like I found a sustainable pace at 1:45, which really wasn’t the idea. I really couldn’t go any faster without puking though.

Heading to Shelter Cove for the holiday weekend and bringing a whole mess of gear to train with. Looking forward to another big weekend of beach sessions, rock climbing, and mountain runs.

Rainy Day Muscle Ups

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

10 rounds for completion:

5 kb snatches each arm (24 kg)

10 second L sit hold

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

The Bear Complex

7 repetitions of:

Squat Clean to overhead + back squat to overhead

Complete 5 rounds adding load each set

Back extensions 10, 10, 10 (20#)

Rope pullups 10, 8, 6 (20#)

WOD 3 – in the evening…

For time:

800 meter run

30 muscle ups

800 meter run

Big Tuesday today. After Saturday and all the car push fun (pictured above), the last few days were easy off. So, I worked the skill component hard this morning, getting good practice at both kettlbell snatches and L sit holds. Honestly feel stronger every time I do the holds even though they make me want to piss myself by the end.

After watching the members at my gym go through the Bear yesterday, I was a little worried that this wasn’t going to go too well for me. I started with 95# on the bar and worked up 20# per set until I reached 155# on my fourth. After that went well I decided to jump to 185# for the last. It took me about 3 minutes to get my 7 reps, but I got em. This complex is valuable for a couple reasons… 1) You get a lot of squats in. 2) You spend a lot of time under tension. 3) It’s grip intensive. Each of these are reason enough in my book. Put them together and you’ve picked yourself a winner Bobby.

For the conditioning WOD today, I tackled a mainsite one from a few days back. 30 muscle ups sandwiched between 800 meter runs. Now, I don’t know why HQ is all over the 800s lately, but I love it. It’s a painful but fast distance… mostly about guts and breathing if you ask me. Pair that type of effort with something that is more about skill and patience (muscle ups) and it’s a recipe for a great WOD. This didn’t disappoint. And the fact that it was raining like it's December made things even better. I felt great throughout--both 800s took around 2:45 and the muscle ups just over 4 minutes. My total time was 9:42.

Last Saturday's Group WOD

Iceland in 7 weeks!

Hope everyone is training hard and getting ready. It's just around the corner!

Workout of the Day

100 yard sled drag (70#)

30 deadlifts (185#)

30 pushups

Rest and repeat

449 Fight Gone Bad

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

5 Pistol Squats each leg

20 hollow rocks

Repeat 4 times

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

DB kneeling strict press 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Barbell walking lunge 10, 10, 10

Toe to bar + chest to bar 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

WOD 3 – in the evening…

“Fight Gone Bad”

3 x 1 minute rounds of

Wall Ball (20#)

Sumo DL high pull (75#)

Box Jumps (20”)

Push Press (75#)

Row

Needless to say, the volume was high today. Technically, the morning session was great practice for me with a skill I’m historically poor at. I’ve found that rolling from my back into the squat is proving the best method developing the ankle flexibility and balance needed to perform this movement. The afternoon WOD marked the return to a move that is sooo under-utilized in CrossFit. The weighted walking lunge is far and away the best developer of glute and high hamstring strength that I have ever found. Grab a barbell, load it up, and do this exercise. Then try to sit down in your desk chair for 3 days. It ain’t happening. I did my sets today at 135#, 155#, and 185#.

Finally, we were doing Fight Gone Bad at the gym today and it felt only appropriate that I throw my hat in the ring for my conditioning session. It’s been 2 years or more since I’ve done this monster, so I didn’t really have high expectations of eclipsing my previous best mark of 425. I gotta say though, it felt much better than anticipated. I didn’t get gassed until halfway through the 3^rd round, and by that time the end was so near that adrenaline was enough to carry me through. I finished at 449, 1 shy of a major milestone. Naturally, the 1 rep I needed to get 450 was left on the table during my last round of wall balls-my only missed target of the WOD. Wish I would’ve video taped it, but such is life.

Expecting major soreness tomorrow so I’ll be heading to the river for some much needed ice water and vitamin D.

Rest Day

Sunset Swim WOD

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

2 Muscle Up to HSPU/minute on the minute

Ring HSPU 4, 4, 4

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

Power Clean 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Front Squat 20, 20, 20

Back Extension 10, 10, 10

Rope pullups w/ lateral swing 3 x max

WOD 3 – in the evening…

For Time:

250 yard swim

4 rounds of

100 yard farmers walk (45# db)

20 hand release pushups

Finish with 250 yard swim

I woke up tired today but slowly gained energy throughout the day. My technique and strength on the rings were a step back from last week, but I ironed out a few things and have some ideas about how to improve my form. Body tension is such a difficult thing to maintain when you get tired, but without it you have to work so much harder. Getting from a dip to a handstand smoothly requires body tension, coordination, and some speed.

This afternoon I trained at CF East Sac with Justin, working up to a new 3RM power clean at 265#. Not having done these in a while, I am way pumped to hit that number. Makes me think I might be able to get 285# for a single. Following a heavy explosive set with 3 x 20 front squats is a nice bit of contrast for those of you wanting to be powerful and have strength endurance. I hit 155#, 175#, and 185# for these with plenty of rest between. Pretty well jellied after that.

Finally, I got back out to the lake for this evening’s conditioning. I was smoked after the strength session so getting in the water proved just what the doctor ordered. The water temperature has increased dramatically over the past 2 weeks, hovering somewhere around 70 now. It felt like a swimming pool at sunset. The farmers walks and pushups were less psychologically rewarding, but I battled my way through them just the same. All told, this WOD took me 18:16 to complete. Happily, my respiratory conditioning felt great… no hyperventilation in the water, no sucking gas on the farmers walks. The only thing I was fighting was muscle fatigue and some minor quad cramping from the front squats J. Check the video clip below.

Stairs and Double Unders

Workout of the Day

For time:

10 story stair climb

100 double unders

rest 5 minutes, complete 5 rounds

Finish with bear crawls down 10 stories.

Headed to downtown Sacramento and met up with some buddies to run the 14^th and H parking deck. It’s the tallest such structure in the area and has thus become something of a training ground for local outdoor fitness enthusiasts. The idea behind the WOD was to pair an all out effort (stair sprint) with a skill movement (double unders). We were working on the ability to perform the skill while in oxygen debt and with pumped out legs… mission accomplished. My first split was 1:54, my second 1:52, the third 2:07, the fourth 2:07, and the last 2:04. By the 3^rd round my legs were giving way by the seventh floor, making the rest of the way and the doubles really uncomfortable. Overall, this really taxed me and tested my body’s bounce-back recovery, something that becomes really important in the middle of a workout. Best part about this is that all you need is a jump rope, a stopwatch, and some stairs.

Interval Deadlifts

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

4 rounds of

max HSPU, 20 pullups

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

Deadlift

5 @ 315# on the minute for 20 minutes

WOD 3 – in the evening…

1.8 mile hill run for time

100 hollow rocks

Solid day today, ramped the intensity back up for the end of the week and felt strong doing so. Hopefully everyone out there is training hard and pushing their boundaries. Tomorrow I'm heading to downtown Sacramento to run stairs and do double unders atop the city. Literally can't wait. Stay tuned for updates later this weekend.

New Style KB Snatch

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

KB Snatch

50 each side

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

10 rounds for time:

5 floor press (225#)

18 foot legless rope climb

then…

2 minutes accumulated L sit on parrallettes

WOD 3 – in the evening…

2000 meter row for time

Today’s intensity level wasn’t the same as Monday’s, but some of that was by design. Fluctuating the volume, load, and intensity of a given training day is important to allow the body room to adapt and improve. The same level or style too consistently will lead to burnout or boredom.

This morning’s session was all about skill. Kettlebell snatches are a great movement that I’ve needed to address technically for awhile, and thanks to my friend Zvi in Israel I now have. Using a YouTube tutorial he sent me awhile back I’ve completely adjusted and improved this movement. The weight feels lighter, smoother, and, most importantly, I’m not banging the shit out of my wrists anymore. If you want to check it out, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qajlDsLFyk

WOD 2 was more muscular endurance, and 3 was obviously conditioning. The presses went unbroken until the 7^th round, then got pretty rough through the end. The rope climbs were never in question, and the whole thing took me 16:18 to finish. My 2k was much easier than anticipated, so I probably didn't go hard enough. Finished in 6:57 but my stroke rate was down at 22 for most of the middle 1000.

Hoping to log some good rest tomorrow and come hard on Friday/Saturday.

Rest Day

Training for the Games... Day 1

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

1 muscle up to handstand pushup on the minute until 20 minutes

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

Front Squat

7, 7, 7, 7, 7

Toes to Bar x 50

Good Mornings x 50 (45#)

WOD 3 – in the evening…

400 meter tire drag for time (95#)

It was my first full day back training since regionals, so apologies for the recent absence of posts. In the spirit of returning to form, however, I really got after it today. I’ve been wanting to practice this morning’s skill for a while and doing single repetitions on the minute allowed me to practice a lot of technique while moderately fatigued. I was able to get all 20 minutes without a miss, but there’s definitely still some work to be done to make the transition more efficient.

The idea behind the front squats was to pick a rep range that I hardly ever work at. 7 seemed a nice balance between pure strength and some muscular endurance, and it turned out to be a great challenge. I completed sets at 225, 235, 245, 255, and failed after 6 reps at 265. All around solid lifting though.

Finally, I took my newly fashioned and eye bolted semi tire out to the lake this evening for some lower body domination. 400 meters of asphalt, no turns. The rules I gave myself were that the elbows couldn’t bend and the tire had to remain on the ground. Other than that, it was simply move the thing to the end of the stretch as fast as possible. I was running, walking, back peddling, side peddling, bear crawling… any which way I could lean to give the muscles most recently in pain a break I was willing to try. It took me 7:34 to complete the distance and I was spent. 95# of rubber doesn’t slide too well on dry asphalt; not like a metal sled does at least. This was all kinds of uncomfortable and challenging, and really not that difficult or expensive to manufacture. Those of you out there looking for a new wrinkle in your outdoor repertoire, get yourself a tire, an eye bolt, a washer and 3 nuts, and a tow rope. It’ll be worth the 50 bucks I promise.

Storyline Video Winner

With the CrossFit Games Regionals last weekend I feel a little behind with things here, including the announcement of the winner for the most recent video challenge. In what amounted to a pretty substantial landslide, the guys from Northern California took home the top prize with "The Great Escape." Congratulations to Ben and Logan for one of the coolest locations and workouts I've seen in a long time. They will each be receiving an Anywherefit shirt and a spot aboard the Sharlaun Family Tours Catamaran for its trip along the Eastern seaboard. If you missed their video, here it is one more time...

Reebok Profile

Big thanks to Reebok for their support.