Light Weight!!!

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 - in the morning...

EMOTM for 10 minutes:

4 muscle ups
4 handstand pushups

WOD 2 - in the afternoon...

Safety Bar Box Squat triples
Band Deadlift doubles for speed
Reverse Hypers 3 x 20
Weighted Planks 3 x max time

Got back to Super Training today and under some heavy weight.  I really don't thrive on the safety bar, but today I actually felt pretty decent.  Which is surprising after the hill climb yesterday.  I got up to 335# for a triple before moving on to the deadlifts.

Band deadlifts are one of my favorite movements.  Just feels fast and strong.  We probably did 20 sets rapid fire between Travis, Arturo, and myself, the heaviest weight only getting to 305#.  All in all the workload was pretty light as these days with Mark typically go, but I still walked out feeling a little wobbly.  The speed work with bands is a tricky animal: you don't really feel the impact while you're doing the reps, but it's there.  Looking forward to a good rest day tomorrow.

Training Hill Trail

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 - in the morning...

With a 15 minute cap, complete as much of the following as possible:

50 floor press @ bodyweight
25 push press @ bodyweight
25 jerks @ bodyweight

GHD situp 4 x 20
L Sit hold 4 x :15
Thick bar curls 4 x 10

WOD 2 - in the afternoon...

For completion:
1 mile hill climb with 60# sandbag

Pretty legit start to the training week.  Building off of the snatch sequence last Friday, I went with a bodyweight pressing workout to work on muscle endurance at heavy load.  I finished the WOD in 14:11, and it was a fight for much of it.  The floor presses took about 5 minutes, the push presses a little longer than that, and the jerks just less than 4.  The push presses were by far the most difficult because the triceps and shoulders are already smoked form the floor press.  I had to do sets of 2 and 3 the whole time at 185#.  By the time I got to the jerks I was in just go mode.  Sets of 5 all the way and no pause at the bottom of the movement.  Going directly up from the rebound and not stopping was the only way I was getting 5 reps in.  Great training right here.

In the afternoon I met up with Denny and company for what amounted to grunt work.  In Auburn there is a famous hill that runners, hikers, and mountain bikers frequent called "training hill trail."  It's a mile of 20% + climbing with only 2 flat portions to take the burn away.  Denny wanted to hike it with some extra weight so I obliged.  60# on my back, 30 minutes, and a world of pain later we were at the top.  OUCH.  Everything in my lower body was done, and we still had to get back down the mountain.  Check out a clip of the hike below.

Doing elements like this in training is so important because it reminds you how fine the line is between completion and failure.  It woulda been no big thing to set the bag down for 30 seconds, but none of us did.  Everyone was hurting more than they expected but found a way to keep going.  I was counting to 100 over and over again to keep my mind off the pain.  Do these WODs infrequently because they beat up your joints, but often enough to keep you mentally tough.  It carries over to a lot of other areas of life that seem harder than they are.

15 minute Snatch Ladder

Workout of the Day

In 15 minutes, complete as much of the following as possible:

10 snatch @ 60% 1RM
10 snatch @ 70% 1RM
10 snatch @ 80% 1RM
10 snatch @ 90% 1RM

Work to a tough double Clean and Jerk

Complete 2 cleans + 1 jerk EMOTM for 7 minutes

1 1/4 Front Squat 4 x 6-8

Was pretty sore going into this session due to the heavy squats and hill runs earlier in the week, but it was actually my back that felt like the limiting factor during the snatch sequence.  I went after the 60% reps fast, doing 2 x 5.  From there it was all singles, and I didn't miss until the 80% set.  During that segment I only missed 2.  I completed 10 @ 80% with about 5:30 left on the clock, but from there it was all downhill.  90% for me is 225 lb, and I was only able to make 2 lifts successfully at that weight.  The positive thing here is that all 8 or 9 of my misses were close.  Just a little forward or a little back.  It wasn't the power that was missing, just the consistency and balance under the bar.  I walked away from this feeling better about it than any strength sequence in a really long time. What a great way to get good reps in at heavy weight while under duress.

Now, going from this to the clean and jerks was not so nice.  I was gassed.  255# felt like 295# and I struggled all the way through, only making my 2 + 1's on 2 attempts.  I definitely have a ways to go on this lift, but I don't think this was the best representation of where I'm at.

I had originally planned to do some conditioning in addition to the lifting later in the evening, but I was so smoked after the past few days that I decided to call it a week.  Looking forward to seeing the NorCal 40's masters competition in the bay area this weekend and cheering on the 3 members of my gym throwing down!!!

Hill Running

Workout of the Day

20 minute AMRAP:

Lake Natoma Hill run for max climbs

Today's workout was as simple and raw as it gets.  Go find a hill and run it as many times as you can in 20 minutes.  Jason, Stef, and Corey were out there running with me, along with Larry, the trusty dalmation.  Luckily for our crew, the weather was beyond beautiful today and there wasn't anybody else on the trail to get in our way.

For a workout like this you have to know your goal.  It's meant to be low gear, constant movement, and grinding.  You should be at near max heart rate the entire time, constantly battling to maintain momentum.  Jason and I stayed with each other for the majority of the time, both finishing 7 rounds up the 100 meter hill.  I should mention for those out there who haven't seen any videos I've posted of this ass kicker that the grade on this hill is 20% or higher.  MONSTER.

Also got a chance to test out the GoPro while we were out there.  Amazing quality on that little guy, just not a lot of smooth footage on a run like this.  But now that I know it works I'm looking forward to using it a whole lot more in the future.  Could take this youtube workout game to a whole new level.

Below is a clip from Supertraining.tv that Mark Bell posted of our squat session this past Tuesday.  Enjoy.

415# Double

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 - in the afternoon...

Back Squat Triples up to 405#
Deadlifts from blocks x 5
Reverse Hypers 3 x 20
GHD Situps 3 x 20

WOD 2 - in the evening...

10 rounds for time:
5 c2b pullups
10 ring pushups
15 air squats

It took me a few days to recover from the snowshoeing this weekend, believe it or not.  There was some deep powder off the trail that made the hiking pretty tough in spots and my hip flexors and back were still knotted up a bit through Monday.  Therefore I didn't train until Tuesday, foregoing the pressing workouts I had planned for Monday.  Anyways, I'm glad I did because I went into the strength session feeling great Tuesday.  Worked straight up to a 405# triple that I hit in spite of a wobbly 2nd rep.  No knee sleeves or back belt, just felt stronger than the bar.  I attempted to go another at 415#, but after a grinding 2nd rep decided not to go back down for the 3rd.

Deadlifts were great again.  Continuing to feel stronger and more stable against heavier and heavier weight.  Was able to do 2 sets at 405# straight through and felt no lumbar movement at all.  Mark has really been hitting the assistance movements for the back and hamstrings hard so that's where I attribute the gains.

In the evening I did the above version of Cindy, but only for 10 rounds.  The idea here was to pick a smooth pace and not deviate from it.  Hitting burnout on bodyweight exercises is something that tends to happen when we get too amped up and perform reps at a pace that is more explosive than fast.  Most times we don't need to be explosive during said exercises, but smooth instead.  I went straight through, not breaking the ring pushups until the final 2 rounds, and finished in 8:08.

Thursday I'm planning on hitting the hills at Lake Natoma for some old fashioned "cardio."  Should be a bear and a dream :-)

Weekend Snowshoeing

Workout of the Day

4 mile snowshoe + 21-15-9 HSPU/Log Squat

CrossFit Anywhere took the show on the road this past weekend and tackled a 4 mile hike along Tahoe's north shore.  Early morning wake up and caravan called for sub zero temperatures at the trail head, but by the time we got there the sun was shining bright and the energy was high enough to make up for any frozen appendages.  As you might expect, getting out and away from the confines of suburbia and our regular box was literally a breath of fresh air.  Not to mention the view from the top was of Lake Tahoe, arguably one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.  Can't really go wrong with that plan for a Saturday.

Afterwards a few of us headed into Squaw Valley to watch the 49ers kick some ass while throwing back a few beers.  Such a great finish to the day.

Check out the video clip of the hike below.

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 - in the afternoon...

Safety Bar box squats w/ chains 10 x 2
Deadlift 5 x 2
Romanian Deadlift from elevation 2 x 6
Hammer Row 3 x 12
GHD situp 3 x 20

WOD 2 - in the evening...

Partner "Angie"

200 pullups
200 pushups
200 situps
200 squats

I was pretty fired up to head back into Super Training after a week off.  But of course... Mark had to select the safety bar.  For those of you who aren't familiar with it, the safety bar is a bar with two padded forks sticking out of it that you hold while squatting.  Imagine one of those old cowboy collars NFL linebackers in the 80's wore to protect their necks and you're in the ballpark.  The deal with this apparatus is that the weight sits a little differently on the back/neck then a normal bar and forces you to drive up with your arms more out of the bottom.  Tricky enough as is, but then add a box and chains and you're really challenging the nervous system to figure some shit out.  Needless to say, the weight moved is significantly lighter than any of the other variations we do in there, at least for me.   Even with  180# of chains I don't think I even got to 440# of total weight at the top of the movement (for a chain set you should expect to be well above your max because the chains pile on the ground during the descent and lessen the load).

We followed the squat session with conventional deads from the ground.  Felt strong during these and worked up to a pretty easy 465# in just 5 sets.  Then came the destroyer of the day.  RDL's from elevation.  If you've ever done a strict romanian deadlift, you know what your hamstrings are in for.  This should have been 3 sets but my legs started to cramp after two so I had to call it.  Woah mamma is this going to be pain tomorrow.

Later in the evening I hit the conditioning workout with Denny at the still under construction CFA Roseville location.  What a fun workout.  200 of everything is a big number, and because it's a partner WOD what you end up with is essentially an interval based effort.  Short bursts of work followed by short bursts of rest.  Denny and I pounded out sets of 5-10 on pullups, pushups, and sit-ups, and sets of 25 on squats.  No more than 15 seconds of rest ever so muscle endurance is critical.  We finished the entire workload in 17:57.

I've attached a video of one of the box squat sets so you can see what I'm talking about.  Check it out below.

10 minute Air Dyne

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 - in the morning...

Pressing Complex 10 x 1

1 rep = 1 strict press, 2 push press, 3 jerk

Bent row 5 x 6

100 meter waiter walks 2 x each arm

WOD 2 - in the evening...

10 minutes max distance on the Air Dyne


After riding my bike Saturday and enjoying all that it entailed, going 10 minutes on a stationary air dyne felt a bit like torture.  But I stuck it out anyways for the good of the program and definitely got something out of it.  Pure muscle endurance in the legs.  I wound up peddling a total of 3.64 miles, not a huge number (I definitely think 4 miles is possible), but not horrible either.

The earlier session was a blast.  Barbell complexes always are fun but I don't seem to program them in as much as I could.  This one definitely was limited by strict pressing strength, an area I've never felt strong.  Today my top set was 185#, which I repeated twice.  The benefit of training the strict press in a complex format like today is that you can go straight into push presses and jerks as if you were in a WOD.  I liked the challenge of doing all reps in rhythm and not having to break or reset.

Tomorrow I'm heading back to Super Training to squat and deadlift at the strongest gym in the west.  God only knows what Bell has in store.

Go Ride A Bike

Workout of the Day

15 mile bike ride

In preparation for the grand opening of CrossFit Anywhere El Dorado Hills, a few members and I undertook the ride from the Folsom location around the lake to the new box in EDH.  It had been awhile since I've gone for a ride so I was excited for the opportunity, even though 15 miles wasn't a long ride by any stretch.

As usual, I forgot how enjoyable something as simple as riding a bike can be.  Traveling the same route I've driven by car numerous times in the past few months, I felt like I was experiencing the scenery for the first time.  Sometimes a mere change in angle or vantage point can unlock a whole world of visual experience previously unseen.  Then there was the discovery of how steep hills are hidden when inside a motorized vehicle... not so much when on your bike.  I found myself hoofing it pretty hard up a couple climbs that I hadn't remembered being so arduous.  By the time we rolled up to the new gym, our legs were pretty much smoked.

Being that this is a rest week in my training cycle, the ride was a great way to flush out the stiffness and get ready for another hard week upcoming.  Not to mention a beautiful way to spend a winter morning. More people than not own a bike, but far too few use them.  Most are collecting dust in the back corner of their garage.  This year one of my hopes is that I get out and ride at least a couple times a month.

Stability WOD

After the CrossFit One World Holiday Invitational last Sunday, I was a little beat up.  Gabe was spending new years eve on the beach in Aptos so I drove out to join him for a few hours before heading back inland for the festivities.  While there we broke out the chains and did some cool overhead drills with a piece of driftwood we found on the sand.  Just something light to keep things moving, but it was a ton of fun.  Nick Lucchesi was there as well, showing off his brute strength as usual.  Just because you're sore or away from your voodoo floss doesn't mean you can't do something to progress.

I caught a few clips on video and included them below.

Thrusters and Wall Climbs

Workout of the Day

5 minute AMRAP:

2 thrusters (185#)
8 foot wall climb

While walking around the complex out at the new CF Anywhere gym in El Dorado Hills I came across a pretty cool retaining wall.  It serves to separate the barbwire-enclosed grazing pasture from the business park.  It's built with varying heights so anyone can do climbs on it, depending on how difficult they want to make the exercise.  I picked an 8 foot spot, figuring it would be challenging yet not impossible.  Proved true enough... I made it through 6 rounds in 5 minutes and really wasn't ever in doubt of making the climb.  Just giving myself enough time to make the squat clean thrusters every time.

American River Confluence WOD

Had a few Welsh boys in town last weekend so I took them out to one of my favorite spots in Auburn for a run around.  Video is below.

Who like to Press?

Workout of the Day

Close Grip Floor Press 10 x 1
Weighted chin ups 8 x 3
Ring Pushups 5 x 12
Front Rack holds at bottom of squat 3 x max time with 110# sandbag

Continuing to get stronger pressing weight away from my chest, even with a closer grip variation.  The biggest issue I'm finding is maintaining proper shoulder alignment during the lift.  I notice it's easy for me to want to elevate my shoulder blades and try to over reach the movement.  This is bad for 2 reasons.  1) I'm not as strong as when I pin my scapula to the ground and 2) I can feel slight impingement in my left shoulder when I do it.  This is not something I want to progress so loving everything down is a must.  Top set for these was 285#.

The coolest part of today's session was definitely the front squat holds.  I had the folks in Wales do a version of this during their first WOD, but today I decided to up the ante a little.  The weight was far heavier, and the object much more uncomfortable.  110# of sandbag is an awkward beast that doesn't let you breath comfortably or allow your arms the freedom of upward angles.  The result is the need for absolutely perfect bottom position in your hips and torso in order to support the weight.  I held each set for approximately :30, and could feel my upper back and shoulders failing before my legs, same as in a real front squat.  Not only do I think this is a good way to get people comfortable with a full depth front squat for technique, I think its a hell of a stretch to increase mobility there.  Only thing I'd suggest is not attempting to stand up out of your squat after staying down there for more than 5-10 seconds.  Sheering force will be pretty great and the muscles will have slackened from holding so long.  Not a good recipe.  Definitely work it in and see what you think.

Fitness Is...

Uncomfortable.

Get comfortable with it.[1]

Someone once said that nothing worth having comes easy.  While I tend to shy away from superlatives when analyzing the real world, I think this is true more often than not.  Maybe we unconsciously categorize the things furthest from our grasp as “best,” fundamentally requiring a great struggle to acquire them.  Or maybe in the course of a hard struggle we come to appreciate things more for the effort it took to achieve them.  More than likely there are elements of both at work, but the fact remains that we seem to value most those accomplishments that nearly break us.  

Nowhere is this more evident than in the world of fitness.  Because our bodies are hard wired to survive rather than excel, we must consciously push past our boundaries in order to improve.  That means sweat, blood, and lactic acid.  It means sunburns and blisters, frustration and pain.  Try as you might to find your way around it, there are no exceptions to this rule.  Embracing this truth is perhaps the most difficult task you will ever face, but here it is, in plain English, so you can know it, and know it well:  IT NEVER GETS EASIER. 

You might think that the more you train the less things hurt, and in an absolute sense you’d be right.  The stronger you are at squatting, the less difficult 100 lbs is going to feel.  But in relative terms, you’re no longer squatting the same weight.  If 100 lbs used to require 90% of your strength to lift, and now only requires 50%, it is no longer a reliable standard for your measuring your effort or workload.  Remember, effort is everything.  Unless we are pushing beyond what we can currently do, we will not progress.  Perhaps now 150 lbs feels the way 100 lbs used to, so that’s where you will need to train in order to improve.  No matter how strong or fast you become, you will never out pace this process. 

Take an example.  Ask any football player, hockey player, boxer, or wrestler about the rigors of their sport and hear what they tell you.  The hits taken never stopped hurting, they just got used to the pain.  Ask Michael Jordan how he felt before every game winning shot and he’ll say he was nervous, just like every other human on the planet.  He was just great at managing his emotions.  The most impressive ability of these types of men and women is not their physical strength or stamina, it’s their adaptation to pain and anxiety.  To them fear, pain, and discomfort are part of the job description.  They revel in the challenge to overcome them.  For most of us these things are like the plague.  We cringe at the thought of putting ourselves through any sort of awkward or embarrassing situation, let alone a physically painful one.  It’s no surprise that when the moment comes to put up or shut up we make like ants running from a ground fire.  Watch a class of people in the moments before Fran and you might not know a thing about them because it’s all internalized.  Watch that same class during the round of 15 and you’ll know all you need to know.  The warriors commit and the pretenders crumble.  Becoming fitter requires you to go beyond your physical limits… Guess what?  This fucking sucks!  It really hurts and it’s always going to.  Own it.  You’ll never be able to do what it takes to get what you want unless you start accepting this as a cold, hard fact.  All the rational explanations you gave yourself for working out don’t mean a thing without this most basic understanding.

The good news is that when you do, you’re in for a huge payoff.  There’s the physical change—an inevitable acceleration in your progress.  Rather than merely getting through your workout and surviving, you will be attacking each session and demanding the equivalent response from your body.  Things will look, feel, and perform better.  MUCH BETTER.  Your body parts will shake where they’re supposed to shake and your records will start breaking in bunches.  That is a promise.

Not only will your body change in both appearance and ability, but there will be a psychological shift as well.  You’ll start tapping into that deep satisfaction that only comes from overcoming something difficult. You’ll start craving that feeling of total exhaustion, knowing what it will cost you to achieve it, and craving it just the same.  You’ll walk taller in the hallway at work, knowing that what you’re about to do barely measures in comparison with what you’ve already done.  Your approach to everything will be different because you know what it means to truly give it all; to be lying on the ground withered and gasping, then to get up do it again. 

This is why CrossFit is the optimal training environment, in my opinion.  You know exactly what you have to do, you know exactly how much it’s going to hurt, you’re surrounded by a group of people that know all the same things as you. The only thing left to do is go there.  The warriors of the world accept these consequences knowingly.  They know that it’s hard and that it’s going to hurt, and they do it anyway.  To continually grow and improve, this is the outlook we must all have.   At 100% effort, Fran is always going to hurt.  Running 1 mile for time is always going to hurt.  Embrace this reality.  Know that it’s going to suck and don’t back down.  Wear it like war paint every time you train.  When you do, you’re no longer the ant.  You are the ground fire. 

---

[1] “Get comfortable with uncomfortable.” –James Fitzgerald.

AWF Wales Day 3

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 - in the morning...

Tree Climbing and Laser Tag

WOD 2 - in the afternoon...

Archery

WOD 3 - in the evening...

For completion:
100 yard bear crawl
300 yard run
1/2 mile uphill bike
20 deadlifts (100 kg)
20 pullups
1/2 bike carry downhill
100 yard walking lunge
300 yard run
1/2 mile uphill bike
20 deadlifts (100 kg)
20 pullups
1/2 mile bike carry downhill
100 yard burpee broad jump
300 yard run
1/2 mile uphill bike
20 deadlifts (100 kg)
20 pullups
1/2 mile bike carry downhill
1/2 mile uphill bike

Our last day in Wales was a doozy.  It was spread well between some applied fitness (tree climbing, laser tag), some skill acquisition (archery), and an all out ball buster of a workout (that horrible looking marathon above).

The weather started out beautiful and cold, but quickly gave way to a more traditionally Welsh gray and wet.  Being out down in the ravine trying to climb trees as the rest were darting around the rainy forest trying to "kill" each other was pretty surreal.  You could hear the guns echoing and people crashing through the brush like it was the Vietnam War.  I half expected an aerial napom assault from the kids on the zipline.

After lunch we took to the tournament field where we got to try our hand at archery.  I have to be honest: I was looking forward to this all weekend.  I haven't fired an arrow since I was a kid and have always wanted to be able to do it well.  Looking back on it now, I should've created a workout that involved the bow and arrow.  How cool would it have been to do a thruster/arrow couplet?  Not a new concept if you consider the Biathalon in the winter olympics, but still kind of a cool twist.  I'm going to find a way to make this happen at some point.

That said, this was such a fun experience!  Not as difficult as I was expecting, but certainly not easy by any stretch.  The slightest wobble on your release and the arrow is guaranteed to come off wonky.  After a few practice rounds everyone was starting to get the hang of it.  More than a few bulls eyes out there, and only a few air balls.

As the daylight started to fade, we hustled up the hill and rented bikes for everyone, got sized up, and made our way down to the Beaverfit pull-up rig at the back end of our caldesac.  After a quick rundown on what we were to be doing, we headed to the lake where the workout was to begin and kicked things off.  The path around the lake measured almost exactly 400 yards, so we used that as our track.  And the track was wet!  We were bear crawling through puddles, mud, and gritty bricks.  From the start it was clear that this workout wasn't going to be pleasant.

That trend was only furthered during the bike ride up the hill.  Squishy tires and heavy bikes put a hurtin' on the legs before getting to the deadlift bar.  Wet hands didn't make things any easier, especially when we moved to the pull-up bar.  But managing the elements in a longer WOD like this is par for the course, so everyone seemed to settle into things after a short while.  Sven and I were working neck and neck pretty much the entire time, as usual.  The portion of the workout where I could make up the most time was during the bike carry downhill.  Sheer awkwardness is the only way to describe this exercise. Metal bike frame on the shoulder and neck while running = severe discomfort.

The coolest part of this workout was that people were scattered all over the place, all at different points in their WOD, but constantly encouraging one another.  As I was biking uphill I was getting cheered on by those carrying their bikes downhill.  As I was finishing the burpee broad jumps and getting back on my bike to head up to the top, I was hearing it from the people just dismounting.  Such a fun environment to train in when everyone is so excited and supportive.  Couple that with the challenge of the elements and you're bound to have a seriously memorable day.

AWF Wales wrapped up almost immediately following the workout.  Quick showers, quicker good byes, and everyone was suddenly back on the bus and heading toward Cardiff.  Despite the abrupt conclusion, this trip was phenomenal.  33 people from all over the UK, Germany, and the U.S. descending on west Wales and bonding in such a short period of time.  Though different than past trips to Iceland and Europe, AWF Wales was in keeping with the main idea that makes these trips work: take people away from where they're comfortable and put them in situations where they're so physically challenged that they have to band together and endure.  It's what CrossFit does in boxes around the world, and it's what these trips are all about.  I can't wait to see the video RC Films will produce of this weekend.  So many great memories.

AWF Wales Day 2

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 - in the morning...

Muscle Up and Tumbling Skill session

WOD 2 - in the afternoon...

1 Snatch every minute on the minute @ 90% 1RM for 10 minutes
Establish 1RM Hang Squat C&J
Front Squat 4 x 5

WOD 3 - in the evening...

In 10 x 2 minute intervals, complete the following:
10 situps
100 meter sand sprint
5 burpees

Day 2 kicked off early, all of hitting a proper Welsh breakfast at 8:00 am at the resort's main restaurant. Filled and happy are two words to describe the group's sentiments as we were walking out to the bus afterwards, but that would only be built on as the day wore on.  Our first stop of the day was Llawhaden Castle, just 30 minutes west of Bluestone.  We were the only tourists onsite, so we had the place to ourselves.  Perfect situation to hang some rings and work on muscle ups with everyone.  Because the group was so big, we broke it into halves and let one group work on handstands and tumbling while the other hit the rings.  Doing this type of thing in an ancient castle made it that much more special, and a few people ten set some personal records.  1st muscle ups, 1st handstand hold, furthest ever walked on hands, muddiest fingernails, etc.  At the end we even had everyone give a go at max consecutive muscle ups, during which I set my own PR at 13.

After about an hour and change we moved on to the second location, Freshwater West.  This is an enormous stretch of coast and beach that we used for our day's strength session.  Warming up by carrying 600 kg of bumpers and bars over the dunes to the beach, everyone was more than ready to get lifting.  Getting used to the footing was a bit of a challenge for most of us, but after awhile people were starting to lift comparable weights to what they did in the gym.  We didn't bring any smaller denominations than 10 kg plates so our options for totals were limited, but the majority of our group were able to sync up with a decent amount of load.

After finishing the EMOTM sequence we went straight into hang cleans + jerks and then into the front squats.  I love squatting in the sand, personally.  It allows you to position your feet at any angle so mobility isn't as much of an issue, while at the same time forcing you to really focus on controlling your footing.  We were lucky all day with the weather, only adding to the setting we were lucky enough to find ourselves in.

We ate lunch in the car park just off the beach, everyone ready to refill their muscle stores before the final WOD of the day.  For this last sequence we headed to Barafundle Bay, voted the most beautiful beach in Europe.  Hiking from the bus to the beach didn't prepare us for what we were walking into.  Across impossibly green pastures and rolling hills we could see the ocean and cliffs where we  were headed.  But it wasn't until we were within a hundred yards that we saw the wall separating the grass from the beach.  The stones looked centuries old and were jagged across the top like a medieval fortress.  After passing through a small doorway in the wall we could see the sheltered cove far below.  It was breathtakingly secluded and beautiful.  Walking down the long stairs to the sand I could hear each person's exclamation behind me as they passed through the wall one by one.

For the workout we marked a 100 meter course across the beach and stretched along it until we were shoulder to shoulder.  As the intervals began, it was quickly clear that we were in for a tough road.  The sand, though firm on top, was nothing more than a soft center covered by a hard crust.  As soon as we took real strides our feet were sinking and our legs fighting to overcome the deficit.  After round 4, people were really hurting, but having the halfway mark in sight pushed everyone to continue.  For me, it was the promise of a cold dip in the ocean to cool down afterwards.

Walking up the stairs and away from Barafundle after the workout I was first exhausted, but also so impressed with the beauty Wales has to offer on a clear day.  That beach is definitely among the most gorgeous I have ever seen and I can only imagine how much better it would be in late summer/early fall.

To celebrate the day, we took to the town of Temby and enjoyed a few beers at the pub while watching an English Premier League game.  It was a proper Welsh ending to the day.

AWF Wales Day 1

Workout of the Day

In teams of 5:

Team member 1 - 1200 m trail run
Team member 2 - rest
Team member 3 - front squat bottom hold (log)
Team member 4 - AMRAP kb swing
Team member 5 - AMRAP shoulder to overhead (25 kg sandbag)
Continue until team has completed 8 runs.

Everyone met up at Dragon CrossFit at 1:00 pm to depart Cardiff and head for West Wales.  There were some familiar faces for me: Ben, Ricky, and Marco were part of the original Iceland trip in 2011, as well as a few others; there were quite a few repeaters from last year's Wales trip as well.  Only 2 hours in the bus and we were at Bluestone, the 5 star resort compound that will serve as our home base for the weekend.

The weather didn't break for us a bit, unfortunately, so we took to the grounds amidst drizzling rain and light fog.  Everyone was itching to train after the bus ride, however, so we hit the ground running.  Teams of 5 were quickly determined and the entire group began the jog across the village to the "Steep Ravine."  This is Bluestone's high adventure ropes course, complete with zip lines, tree climbing, and cargo nets.  All these fancy apparatus were closed, but the ravine itself was more than inviting.  On our walk through I instructed each team to select one object from a pile of chopped logs to use in the workout.  At this point they didn't know what they would use it for, I should add.

The workout began with just enough light to see the path down the ravine, but within 10 minutes that trail was darkening quickly.  Thankfully the hill climbing out the back side of the ravine was in a clearing so that piece wasn't a problem.  It was easy to see how difficult the front squat holds were proving, as everyone was fighting to keep their elbows from crashing almost immediately.  The penalty for dropping the log or coming above parallel was 10 burpees.

Every rep completed on the push press and kb swing would be counted as a second off their final time so nobody was slacking there.  The fastest team took 23:30 to finish the runs, but with their reps counted the time dropped to 7:15.  By the end of the WOD the sky was almost completely dark.  We trudged back to the lodge and changed quickly before heading over to the Blue Lagoon, a heated aquatic center complete with slides, wave pool, and lazy river.  It was a great way to chill out after the hard workout and long day.

Tomorrow we head off site to train in some of the most beautiful places Wales has to offer.  Gonna need the rest.

Back in Wales

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 - in the afternoon...

Strict Press 3 on the minute for 10 minutes @ 80%
Bench Row 6 x 5
Handstand Eccentrics from parallettes 3 x max
Ice Cream Makers 3 x 10

WOD 2 - in the evening...

Snatch technique session

Back in Wales!!! Doesn't seem like a year has passed since last year's AWF weekend here, but alas it has.  Thankfully this part of the world hasn't gotten any drier or sunnier, at least we can count on mother nature's consistency.  Another thing that can be counted on is a long wait at Heathrow customs upon trying to enter the UK.  Allot at least an hour in your travel plans for this fiasco, otherwise you'll miss your car, bus, train, or connecting flight.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, I have to say how exciting it is to be back in a place where there is true history all around you.  From the stone architecture to the tight streets, Wales is so authentically ancient it's staggering.  Ross and I drove out to West Wales to survey the locations for AWF this weekend and everywhere we drove there were castles dotting the hill tops--crumbling stone and weather beaten structures that tell a very long story.  I'll save the detailed descriptions of the places we'll be training for later blogs, but suffice it to say they will be memorable.

After getting back to Cardiff we stopped in at Dragon CrossFit to train.  The place has grown quite a bit in the last year, expanding their already spacious interior to include an additional 1000 square feet.  It has what seems like miles of lifting platforms, an entire room dedicated to power lifting, and the same hard working, blue collar vibe that has drawn over 200 members through its doors.  To say the place has become the premier home of CrossFit in the UK wouldn't be an exaggeration.

In addition to the wonderful facilities, Dragon has also enlisted a professional Olympic lifting coach to teach classes every thursday night for its members.  Luckily for me, I was able to drop in on this session in the hopes of gleaning some information that might be useful.  The focus for the day was the Snatch, concentrating on tempo through the 2nd pull and consistent foot placement during the squat.  Definitely felt good about the coaching and wound up getting quite a lot of reps in.  Add that to the pressing from earlier in the day and I won't be surprised if things get quite sore tomorrow.

As it stands we are off to Bluestone in the morning for day 1 of AWF Wales, a day that will include a pretty sick team WOD and some good eating.  Can't wait!

Band Assisted Squats

Workout of the Day

In the Morning...

Band Assisted Squats 7 x 3
Overhead Squat 5 x 5
Sumo Deadlifts 6 x 5
Bent Row 3 x 10
Glute Ham Raise 3 x 10
Good Morning 3 x 10


Band assisted squats are designed to give assistance at the bottom of the movement, where you are presumably weakest.  Like using chains, it allows you to load the bar heavier than you otherwise would be able to, giving your body the sensation of super heavy weight without having to support it through the entire movement.  Even if it were only for the confidence of putting more weight on your back I think this would be a worthwhile exercise for strength purposes, but what actually happens is it encourages you to fire faster out of the bottom of your squat.  I was able to work up to 425# for 3 with 1/2" bands from a 7 1/2 foot pull-up bar.  At the top of the movement the bands exerted no tension, only stretching as I got deeper in my squat, giving me a rebound out of the bottom.

For the overhead squat sets I kept the weight at 205#, working on balance mostly.  It had been awhile since I did overhead squats for multiple sets and I could feel myself out of practice.  Good to get a few sets in to remember.  I actually felt pretty strong on the Sumo Deadlifts, though, working up to 395# for 5 on the last set.  The time spent with Mark Bell has definitely paid off on this movement.  Posterior chain is more solid and my efficiency much higher.

Rest day tomorrow then off to the UK for Anywherefit Wales 2012!!!  Going to be an awesome weekend filled with ridiculous outdoor workouts.  Hopefully will be updating throughout the trip, so stay tuned...

55 muscle up WOD

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 - in the morning...

Floor Press w/pause 10 x 3
Weighted Chin Up 10 x 1
Ring Dips 3 x 12
Hollow Rocks 3 x 40
Fat Bar curls 3 x 10

WOD 2 - in the evening...

For Time:
10 to 1 Muscle Ups
1 to 10 KB snatch (each arm)


After a long rest week that included indoor rock climbing, gymnastics, and a light trail run, I started off week 1 in my new cycle by hitting the weights hard and feeling strong.  Floor Presses with pause is such a great exercise for teaching your body how to store tension.  Because the ground doesn't allow you to rebound like a normal bench press, you have to hold onto the tension in order to spring back out of it and take advantage of the muscles stretch/reflex potential.  I got up to 295# for 3, much more than I expected.  The weighted chins weren't as strong, mostly due to some elbow tendonitis that hasn't flushed all the way out yet.  I actually found that if I focused on squeezing more through my thumb that the pain lessened considerably.  Might be a technique worth trying next time this condition starts creeping in.

In the evening I hit a conditioning workout meant to test my ability to do muscle ups while tired.  High volume, short rest intervals was the goal.  I found this WOD to be encouraging early and discouraging late.  In the early rounds I was able to adjust my technique on the rings to become more efficient, feeling when I was pulling too early or not using my hips enough and making the adjustment.  Towards the end, however, I found I wasn't as keen in my perceptions.  Tired is just tired, after a while.  I finished the workout in 17:46, which isn't horrible, but I'd like to see this closer to 15:00.

Hitting up some big squats tomorrow, looking forward to it!