WOD:

“Amanda”
9-7-5
Muscle-ups
Squat snatch (135#/95#)

Then:
2 min Drills
Sit-ups
Push-ups
1 min rest between exercises

Post time and reps to comments.

Scotti just recently finished Fundamentals but is already showing some Overhead Squat prowess.

Get Cozy Down There

(While I don’t necessarily recommend this during “Amanda”, Greg Everett of Catalyst Athletics has some thoughts on how to get comfortable getting under a bar. Consider getting cozy during your warm-up for today’s WOD.)

Something I can’t stand is watching lifters with weak or inconsistent bottom positions in the snatch rush out of the squat and drop the bar partway up, even in power snatches (this applies to jerks as well). These same athletes will often also complain about missing big attempts that “felt so easy” because they can’t secure the bar overhead long enough to recover successfully.

This to me is such an obvious fix, that having to remind people drives me crazy. If this describes you, easily the best advice I can give you is this: From now on, until you never drop a snatch or jerk from overhead unintentionally, hold every snatch, power snatch, jerk, power jerk, overhead squat or snatch balance in the receiving position for 2-3 seconds before recovering. And when you do recover, hold onto the bar for a second before you drop it.

I can’t tell you what wonders this incredibly simple act will do for your lifts. You don’t have to add new exercises to your program or more than a few seconds to each workout. You’ll also find that this will expose a lot of instablity you may not have even known existed. So many lifters get in the habit of dropping lifts as they stand, and this masks imbalance or instability that then becomes extremely obvious when they’re forced to actually hold onto the bar. Nothing like going to a competition and getting three red lights for a lift you made easily because you couldn’t or didn’t hold it long enough to get a down signal.

This applies to power snatches and power jerks too (even power cleans, really). Often athletes want to begin standing from the power receiving position immediately, which can frequently mean before they’re actually done locking it out (or racking it in the power clean). This just makes it easy to get soft overhead and press these lifts out. Suck it up and make this tiny bit of additional effort, and I promise it will pay off down the line.

WOD:

Alternating EMOTM x 20
Odd: Squat clean + hang clean – as heavy as possible
EVEN: 5 burpee box jump overs (24/20)

Post loads to comments.

Coach Jeremy is doing his best to motivate Matt and I’m guessing he’s not saying “Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!”

Finally, Jean For CrossFitters

Have you noticed that since you started getting really serious about getting seriously strong that you struggle to fit into your jeans? I don’t’ mean in a bad way. Your waist size has likely gone down, but the quads are getting in the way. Well, your fashion struggles may be coming to an end soon. There is a new company on the horizon, Barbell Apparel and they are making jean specific to the athletic build. Their jeans will be built not only to fit athletic quads but they will also have a bit of spandex in the fabric to help them stretch a bit. Their plan is to launch this spring.

WOD:

Open Workout 14.2 at 11am

For as long as possible:

From 0:00-3:00
2 rounds of:
10 overhead squats, 95 / 65 lb.
10 chest-to-bar pull-ups

From 3:00-6:00
2 rounds of:
12 overhead squats, 95 / 65 lb.
12 chest-to-bar pull-ups

From 6:00-9:00
2 rounds of:
14 overhead squats, 95 / 65 lb.
14 chest-to-bar pull-ups

Etc., following same pattern

Post number of completed reps to comments.

During the Open a picture truly is worth a thousand words.

WOD:

20 min Alternating EMOTM
Odd: 2 Hang power snatch
Even: 6-10 Pistols (rounds 2, 6, 10, 14, 18), 6-10 Handstand push-ups (rounds 4, 8, 12, 16, 20)

Post loads to comments.

Coach Scott goes a little above and beyond the call on the chest to bars.

Becoming Mindful

We are proud to announce an exciting new program at Kitsap CrossFit. We believe that CrossFit can benefit more than just your physical fitness, your emotional and psychological fitness can benefit as well. To that end, we have a member at KCF that is going to help push you to new heights in your mind. Matt Poinsett is a clinical psychologist and soon to be Dr. of Psychology, he was just recently matched with a PhD. program.

One of Matt’s areas of specialty is the practice of Mindfulness, and he is going to be offering workshops on Mindfulness at Kitsap CrossFit. The Introduction to this field will happen this coming Wednesday at 7pm at Skills & Drills. Additionally, Matt will be offering Mindfulness practice sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00-1:30pm beginning on the 18th.

Here’s a short introduction that Matt wrote explaining what Mindfulness is:

Mindfulness: An Introduction

Why: Through improved mindfulness, you can become increasingly aware of your responses to difficult emotions, complicated interpersonal dynamics, high-demand situations, and stressful work responsibilities. With increased awareness comes an improved ability to manage scenarios that could easily become self-destructive. Remaining consistently mindful will allow you to stay focused on the aspects of your life that are genuinely important and avoid the pitfalls of the need for immediate gratification.

Mindfulness is actively paying attention; therefore, a lack of mindfulness suggests a lack of attention. When you aren’t paying attention to some aspect of your life, you are effectively ignoring it. By ignoring the situation, you become paralyzed or, at best, unproductive when it comes to taking meaningful action.

A lack of mindfulness is the equivalent of trying to untie a knot with your eyes closed, guessing the how a meal was seasoned without your sense of taste, or judging a musician’s talent without ever hearing them perform. These tasks are possible, but why you limit yourself to such a small fraction of your senses and abilities.

What: Mindfulness is the skill of being completely and nonjudgmentally engaged in the present moment. To be mindful is to be aware of yourself with control and acceptance. It means that you are not consumed by the past or lost in an unknown future. It means that you’re paying attention.

How: Practice, Practice, Practice. Pay attention. Use guided meditation. Join mindfulness classes or groups. Actively engage in the present moment on a regular basis.

Who: If your mind has ever taken you places that were unproductive or down-right negative, you can benefit from the development of mindfulness. If you find you get distracted from your goals or you’re living out of integrity with the things you value most, mindfulness can help keep you on your chosen path.

WOD:

Open Workout 14.2

For as long as possible:

From 0:00-3:00
2 rounds of:
10 overhead squats, 95 / 65 lb.
10 chest-to-bar pull-ups

From 3:00-6:00
2 rounds of:
12 overhead squats, 95 / 65 lb.
12 chest-to-bar pull-ups

From 6:00-9:00
2 rounds of:
14 overhead squats, 95 / 65 lb.
14 chest-to-bar pull-ups

Etc., following same pattern

Post number of completed reps to comments.

Kristy’s Mom

Why You Should Never Do CrossFit Over 50.

(This post was written by Kristy M’s mother who has been a dedicated CrossFitter for 2 years on the East Coast.)

I’ve been reading all the posts about “Why You Should Date a CrossFit Girl” and “How CrossFit Will Improve Your Sex Life,” but not one article about the Top 10 reasons women in their 50s should never step foot inside a Box.

1 Jump Rope. One Word. Leakage. And you wonder why I’m in the bathroom before we start? And don’t even mention the words Double Under. Nothing reaffirms my fading motor skills more than that. Can’t I substitute Farmers Carries? I’m good at them. After all, I’ve spent years lugging grocery bags. Thank goodness they invented Depends.

2 Toes to Bar. I can’t reach my feet to tie my shoes while standing up. Do you really think I can bring my toes to my hands while hanging from a bar? And, after all, what’s the good of that? It’s not like that’s a skill you’ll ever use in the real world.

3 Pull-Ups. Sure, the young people add more weight while doing pull-ups by hanging kettle bells from belts. You show off your “kipping” moves. Try doing them when you’re in front of the heater in the middle of winter in the midst of a full blown hot flash while hanging on multiple bands of varying colors. Or in the summer, when I set up in front of the fan, someone will complain I’m blocking the breeze. Quit your whining. I haven’t taken my hormone replacement today!!

4 The Music. I don’t know a single artist, song, beat, melody (and I use that term loosely) that’s played in the gym. Would it kill you to play a little Gloria Estevan, The Eagles, CCR or the Steve Miller Band once in a while?

5 CrossFit Kids. I realize you think they’re cute, but I look at them as little precocious show-offs. They’re just too flexible doing their muscle-ups and pull-ups like it’s no big deal. Shouldn’t they be home sitting on a couch, playing video games and eating Twinkies?

6 Wodify. I’ve accepted my position in the Wodify rankings every day. Yep, at the bottom again. Does it have to remind me that after a year of CrossFit I can only push press 5 more pounds? All you young people have little stars next to your names, little RX buttons lit up. I think I should get a star if I show up. What happened to that “everybody’s a winner” mentality?

7 The Clothing. I’ve been forced to take money from my retirement funds to buy brightly colored stretch pants, special CrossFit sneakers and sports bras. I’m supposed to spend my hard earned funds on orthotics, calcium supplements, and nursing home insurance.

8 The Hot Dudes. You would think that would be a plus sharing the chalk container with good looking young men with muscles. Not really. They’re just like old men… sweaty, smelly, hairy, burping, farting, and always adjusting themselves.

9 The Hot Chicks. Couldn’t they just have a little cellulite? Do their breasts have to always be so bouncy and perky? Do they all have to deadlift over 200 pounds? Do they have to always look so beautiful in their Facebook posts? I think they’re Stepford women.

10 Special Needs. Yes, I’m old enough to be your mom, and in some cases your grandmom, so you have to repeat things cause my hearing’s going. The trainer has to read the setting on the rower cause I don’t have my glasses on. And they have to tolerate me when I ask every other week, “What’s the difference between a hang clean and a power clean?”

(Of course, this is all tongue in cheek. I love my CrossFit box. I’m just so very thankful and grateful for Jed and Ginger Letchford, Vince Lipsey and the rest of the CrossFit Strength and Justice family. I wish you all a very wonderful Thanksgiving Day with your family and friends.)