Blog Archive

I am “stuck” in Whistler with a meter of powder. No way I can make it back.

I have called in a designated coach out of Weekend Retirement to hold the chalice up high.

Should be interesting

Enjoy your weekend

Tbear

Start challenging your friends. There will be 10 person flights (as many as we can fill up) with a winner take all purse. Top 5 after 4 weeks move on to a 2 week playoff for the greatest percentage body fat change. It’ll be a ton of fun.

Friday Workout is a clean up day WOD. Many of you missed a couple great benchmark workouts this week. Here’s the chance to complete them.

So if you missed the Tuesday or Wednesday WOD
please complete “Nancy” first.

If you’ve completed Nancy do your max clean and jerk. Find that and complete the “Finisher” 10 C&J (@90%) plus 30 burpee.

IF your a BEAST and completed both of those. Work some MobityWODs or do the “Finisher” with 90% of your max Snatch for the day.

TBear

It’s not where you start the race; it’s how you finish…

What is your VO2 Max?

A VO2 max. is a person’s maximal capacity to extract oxygen from the air and transport it to their muscles, which is ultimately a direct reflection of their physical fitness.

What a VO2 max. test looks like:

A VO2 max. test is a maximum intensity physical test that requires using as many parts of the body as possible, especially the largest muscle groups.

For our purposes, we will be using the rowing machine. In terms of intensity, it’s an incremental test that will last 8 minutes (plus a much lower intensity warm-up). The point is to burn out your anaerobic system, placing maximal demands on your respiratory system.

How will the challenge be administered:

Anthony No Tone King of Training FX will be doing the testing.

No tone.

Most of you have seen him around the school. He is the bike and barefoot shoes guru, who is always in and out of the office.

How being aware of you VO2 max. will help you as a CrossFitter:

The main thing training your VO2 max will teach you is how to pace yourself for maximal results. Often as CrossFitters, we go out balls to the wall and end up flying and dying. Last week, for example, we did Nancy. How many people’s 5th rounds were even close to as fast as their 1st rounds?

As a former rower, I can speak to this. In rowing, we call it negative splitting. This is when your second half of the workout is faster than your first. When I did my personal best 2 km row (7:03), my second 1000m was slightly faster (3:32) than my first 1000m (3:31).

No Tone says that he has noticed that most CrossFitters have no idea about pacing. They often just feel it out as they go. “No professional sports go on instincts. There should always be a methodology,” he said. “Athletes need to learn to train within the right zone; this means hitting and holding your VO2 max., but not exceeding it. When you exceed it, then you go totally anaerobic, which is not helpful in a longer workout,” he added. “You’ll be uncomfortable, but you won’t go right to failure, which will allow you to crush the end of the workout because you’ll have more in the tank.”

“Ultimately, as your VOs max. gets better, you’ll be able to maintain a higher intensity longer, and you’ll recover quicker,” he added.

The details:

You will be tested twice. After your first test, which No Tone will coach you through, you will receive your VO2 max. index, essentially a number that will let you know where you are on the scale compared to everyone else. Then you will be given a program to improve your VO2 max. and you will be re-tested in 60 days.

The person with the biggest improvement wins. Prizes will be sponsored by Training FX.

Price: $95.00 – this includes two tests and a program.

Book an appointment with Anthony online here: http://www.trainingfx.com/crossfit-athletes.html

First day of testing begins January 17th. Re-test. is two months after your first test.

For now, and until we find the best times to get all our fire breathers together in a couple time slots. These are the times. The goal isn’t to bi-sect or segregate our class culture but to get the best of the best working alongside one another and together at WODs which are certainly advanced to the CrossFit newcomer. It doesn’t mean any of you can’t attend – it just means there may be some serious progressions needed as you go after some of the posted WODs.

Sack, Patty, Sheppy, Eunice, and I are all committed to being there Thursday night to talk about 2011 Games format. It’s different this year, there is weekly WOD’s to complete for 6 weeks individually to qualify for regionals. There are Masters categories for those aged 45-50, 50-55, 55-60, etc. Team qualification will be based on the individual 6 week WOD’s as well. So come out at 7pm this Thursday at put your hat in the ring for the chance to go on the road for the 2011 Games. It’ll be awesome. The Main Event all happens back at the Gladiator like Colosseum in California just like last year.

Monday at 7pm might also be a good alternative to Sunday. Let us know if your more inclined to hit up the Monday night rather than the Sunday 4pm.

Thursday’s Events

Warm-up
15 Double Under
3 Burpee
(rounds in 3 min)

The remainder of the class will test the following gymnastic skills:
1) Max no of Pull-ups (chin over vertical plane of bar)
2) Max no of Ring Dips (bicep touches top of ring)
3) Max no of kipping HSPU’s (use 25 plates w Abmat)
4) Tabata Squats

Add the 4 numbers together for your score on the leaderboard.
* you can retest 1,2 and 3 all you want for the remainder of the hour. Use the time wisely. Split the class into groups of 4′s, 5′s and 6′s – have counters, recover as needed. At 5min to the hour everyone hits tabata squats together.

Enjoy. T-Bear

Testing Week Continues….

Warm-Up
- The Dreaded Dot Drill x 2

Technique

Clean and Jerk
Find the max weight you can put overhead

but before that
hit some K-Star pre-work (see the 3 links at bottom)

Then go and clean like Josh Everett, jerk like James Hobart or go super big like Chad Vaughn.

You can Power, Split, Squat Clean. But please try and perfect that Jerk technique, catch that bar with straight arms. Be quick.

Workout
“The Finisher”
10 Clean and Jerks @ 90% of your recent 1RepMax
30 Burpees

Post load.time to leaderboard.
Example: Sack could post 250.620 which means he did 250Lbs x 10 and finished the 10C&J’s plus 30 burpees in 6min20sec.

K-Star Vid’s to checkout for Clean and Jerk Prep.
1st one to watch – wrist mob and some trippy spinal info
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oylx0Up7nG8&feature=player_embedded
2nd – external rotation of the shoulders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhAbFc8Hr-Q&feature=player_embedded
3rd -Psoas Integrity – what’s that?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzHcIzIVRKw&feature=player_embedded

TBear

Before setting some goals for this year measure and record where your currently at this week. I’ll help by throwing out some benchmark tests for the remainder of this week.

Remember these

1. Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance – The ability of body systems to gather, process, and deliver oxygen.
2. Stamina – The ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy.
3. Strength – The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force.
4. Flexibility – The ability to maximize the range of motion at a given joint.
5. Power – The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply maximum force in minimum time.
6. Speed – The ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement.
7. Coordination – The ability to combine several distinct movement patterns into a singular distinct movement.
8. Agility – The ability to minimize transition time from one movement pattern to another.
9. Balance – The ability to control the placement of the bodies center of gravity in relation to its support base.
10. Accuracy – The ability to control movement in a given direction or at a given intensity.

So, I preach a bit that everyone inside our doors should know;
1. Your highest tabata squat score.
2. Your max deadlift, press and back squat
3. Your max squat clean & max weight locked out overhead
4. Fran, Grace, Helen and Cindy Scores
5. Your 400, 800, 1 mile and 5K run times. Your 500 and 2000m rows.
6. Max pull-ups? Snatch? Double-Unders? and ring dips?
7. As well, you must generally understand that the key is a broad realm of fitness and health. An athletes who can continually do more work in less time week after week is building toward his optimal potential. Go there!

Where are you at? What needs improvement? Book some time with your coach and review. Maybe it’s nutrition. For sure it’s mobility and technique – these hamper all of our power output!

Tuesday’s Warm-up
Do your ABC’s and test your 800m on our dual loop around the block

Technique
Overhead Squat (5,5,5,5)
get your hips, shoulders and wrists ready.

Workout
“Nancy”
-400m Run
-15 Overhead Squats (95/65)
(5 Rounds)

Post WOD
- mobility and stretch work

Welcome back all. T-Bear’s double December Vacation was one of the most memorable if not the best times of my life. I thank all my clients and apprentices for allowing me to take a couple three weeks away from the school to recharge and take stock of the year that was 2010.

Now, I’d love you all to look back and ponder what it was for you. Share if you want….

What was accomplished? What worked? What didn’t?

I like to think of life as writing your book where each step/decision/move must stay exciting enough with experiences for a bunch of people to read it sometime (if and when you publish is your choice). Is each chapter exciting? Are you experiencing joy, happiness and balance to a degree your comfortable with? CrossFit gets you healthy and full of P&V so you can work on those other parts, right.

So use the comment section to reflect a bit and tell us your top moments or special accomplishments that your most proud of. Don’t post your 2011 goals yet.

Anyway, to get you going, Here are some ideas.

“It was a year when the president was black and the best rapper was white.” – heard that on the radio

2010 was complete with just enough insanity for me to feel blessed, balanced and at peace with it all.

My top moments, ideas, experiences;
- The road to the 2010 CrossFit Games. Our Vancouver Team was awesome and finished tops in Canada. Loved the final Jungle Gym Team Event.
- Found MobilityWOD online. Best daily video info I’ve ever seen to date. Still love the Journal.
- Robb Wolf and his Paleo Podcasts. Learned a bunch and will continue to listen and bring that info to you.
- The Dash gets her VISA extension. Nobody’s packing a sad this year.
- Completing the Choices Seminars. Basic Life training that was invaluable. Thanks to Easy E and Patty.
- Finally outfitted myself w/ the cool efficiency tools like the iPhone, Macbook Pro, blackout curtains, food sealer, Gmail, good wine, a surfboard and a wealth of good nutrition books.
- Started visiting the farmers market and hitting up all the locals for pasture fed meat and good veggies.
- The Olympics – Winning gold and drinking beer; Jon Montgomery’s box jump on the podium and hitting the streets with a jug of beer. Loved It.
- Golfed 3 of the best courses in Florida with Patty and his mates from Gaspe. US vs. Can RyderCup Style was mint.
- Trying to Surf Stimpy’s and Rock Island in the Philippines. Newfound respect for the power of the ocean and how fragile we all really are.
- Our CF Van Parties. Superbowl, Tofino, Lotusland Tourney, CF Games, Our Halloween Mixer, Lars’ New Years. All super memorable.
- Found Paleo Eating. Leaned up 12lbs while getting stronger and fitter. It’s simple and easy for 98% of us.
- And I’m Super Glad to have remarkable consistent clients, apprentices and partners to train and learn with me here at CF Van!!

That’s enough. I know I missed a bunch but I’ll share more with you in person. Get to the School.

Monday’s Classes
Warm-up: 50 Medball Sit-ups with Partner

Technique
- Box Squat (2′s or 3′s x 8 Rounds) at 50 to 60% of 1RM.
- explode up & stretch back down slowly. think shins vertical.

WOD

T-Bear

Garth Prouse – Filthy Fifty Unbroken from CrossFit Lions on Vimeo.

Sunday’s Workout:

Filthy Fifty

50 Box Jump, 24/20 inch box
50 Jumping Pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, Red/Grey
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to Elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back Extensions/Good Mornings, 45 pounds
50 Wall ball shots, 20/14/12 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders

A

School is Out. No classes today.

Note – There are only 2 classes scheduled for New Year’s Eve day. Your choices are 630am, and 11am.
There are no classes on Saturday.
Get into the school and send the old year off right!

Today’s Workout:

20 Clean and Thruster (135/95lbs)
50 Burpees

A