Blog Archive

Earlier this month our very own Lina Augaitis competed in the Paddleboard World Championships, here is her story.

Like most things in life my connection with CrossFit Vancouver is a mix between luck, passion, and exploring opportunities. I walked into the gym in 2010 as an adventure racer, student teacher, and excited about cool different things… not really knowing that four years later I would still be walking through that gym but as a qualified teacher who just took a leave to pursue her childhood dream of being a professional athlete and in the midst of accomplishing those dreams. CrossFit Vancouver  MADLAB school of fitness has been a huge part of my life, especially my athletic life in the last four years. I may not have always fitted the same mold as others in the gym but I think that is why I was so attracted to the place… HA! I am an endurance athlete, outdoors lover and vegetarian who bike commutes everywhere, BUT also love how CrossFit has added a touch of different to my life.

Now I am a professional stand up paddleboard athlete and I miss the gym when I am away travelling for races. What does the gym provide me? How does it make me a better athlete? It forces me to move my body in different ways. For me, an endurance athlete, it works on my power and strength which on my own I don’t tend to work on as much. I use CrossFit as a cross training tool for racing. It helps me stay aware of my body, my aches and pains, my strengths and my weaknesses because I am always moving my body in different ways.

I really enjoy a solid warm up when I come to the gym. It helps me get mentally prepared to work hard and get a good quality workout in. During the warm up I tend to work on my weaknesses as well as movements I know I don’t get to do in my other activities or daily life. I enjoy lifting weights, it really helps me build my strength and therefore build the power which I need for SUP. The workouts really push me in developing my power which will help me in sprints, finishes, and in every stroke I take on the paddleboard. I don’t really “compete” in the WODs anymore, though in the past it mattered to me more and I got a bigger kick out of it. Now CrossFit means something entirely different to me. I am focussed on my end goal which is to win SUP races, but I do also enjoy having other people around me, which gives me that extra push when I need it.

I really love the community we have at CrossFit Vancouver MADLAB School of Fitness and I want to thank the coaches for all their help and expertise as well as all the athletes in the community for the positive atmosphere.

I am also able to take little bits of CrossFit with me when I travel, and put workouts together in areas where I can’t always access a gym.

Thanks Crossfit Vancouver/MADLAB!!!!

Below are just a few of Lina’s accolades.

-World Distance Champion (ISA World Championships 2014)

-Canadian Champion 2013

-BC Champion 2013

-World Series #2 Overall Championship 2014

CONGRATS LINA!!!

Wednesday

Warm-up:

20 Dislocates
8 Wall Angels
25 Band Pull Aparts
8 Wall Angels
15 Handcuff Press
10 Inch Worm to plank
20 Hollow Rocks

Strength: Shoulder Press (5, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1)

Workout: Core-Run-Core

2 x 8 Strict toes to bar (rest as need between sets)

400m Run

2 x 60 seconds weighted planks (with one minute rest in between sets)

400m Run

2 sets of 15 Hollow rocks (for quality – rest as needed)

400m Run

2 x 20 Russian Twists with a KB or Medicine Ball

400m Run

*This workout is for quality, not speed. That being said, hit the 400 meter runs hard! And catch your breath during the core work.

Some of you may noticed that HPC, or COMP Team, depending on what you call it, has been hanging out around the gym a little more lately. Let me tell you why.

We have put together a group of people who are interested in using CrossFit as more than a daily workout. These athletes are participating in the program want to see gains, and take a more structured and strategic approach to their training.  By no means does it suggest that everyone in the program’s goal is to compete at Regionals, or to compete in CrossFit, for that matter.

The name “COMP Team” may suggest that it is a team training for the Open and Regionals, but the truth is all it is is a group of people who are interested slightly more more specific, periodized training.

I have said it before and I will say it again, we all CrossFit for many different reasons. If you have toyed with the idea of training more, doing more olympic lifting, getting stronger and excelling at gymnastics movements all at the same time, yet have had no idea where to start and what to prioritize, then this is place for you. If you are down with hitting classes, and doing the daily WOD, by all means stick to what makes you happy.

For those interested, COMP Team now trains 5 days a week: Wednesdays at 7 pm, Thursdays at 7 pm, Fridays at 6:30 pm, Saturdays at 8:30 am, and Sundays at 11 am. If you look at this and think “Holy shit, that’s a big commitment”, I don’t blame you. With that in mind, I don’t expect to see everyone at every session. You have lives, families and jobs – this I understand. If you are able to make 3 of the 5 days, you are still going to be on the right track. If this seems like something you may be down for, then get in touch with me at the gym, or ask the people who are currently in the program how it has helped them. I encourage people to come on out for a session to see how it is laid out.

Cost is 90.00 per month. No long-term commitment required. If you would to go month by month and just try it out, thats completely fine.

Below is how the days are be laid out. This is my guide as the coach for programming for everyone who is in the COMP Program.

Wednesday:

skill sessions
- gymnastics focus (hspu/mu/t2b/pistol/hs walk)

- lift focus
(snatch/clean/jerk)

Thursday: 

-Strength piece
(Squat/deadlift/press/bench)

-Metcon focus 7-16 min range

Friday:

- monthly match

- endurance bias workout 12-25 min range
(Run/row)

Saturday:

- cycling piece

-EMOMs
(Barbell complex bias)

-skill bias workout
(hspu/mu/t2b/pistol/hs walk)

Sunday:

-Strength piece
(Squat/deadlift/press/bench)

- off site workout

- miscellaneous movements
(Wall balls/db snatch/ring dips/pull ups)

Lots here to think about, if you have any questions feel free to grab me and I would love to answer them.

Tom

Tuesday

Warm-up: Whatever Andy puts on the board at 6 a.m.

Tech: Cleans (3, 3, 3) – Take those Hang Squat cleans we did last month and start from the ground.

Workout: Bodyweight Cleans and Rope Climbs

For time:

7 Body Weight Cleans
2 Rope Climbs
5 Body Weight Cleans
3 Rope Climbs
3 Body Weight Cleans
4 Rope Climbs

** Scale your workout weight if your max clean isn’t 30lbs above body weight.

Time Cap: 15 minutes

June is brought to you by Eunice and Kermit.

I’m hoping that Kermit and I will bring a balanced month as we come from very different mindsets.

I have been highly influenced by two things:

1). Since I work with Andy every morning, I have seen the value of his “less is more” philosophy. As we learned in April, sometimes all it takes is to lean and loiter. Andy gives people what they need – with safety and longevity utmost in his mind.

2). I have been influenced by my own training, which this last year involved a lot of supplementary work – strength work, technical skill work, often incredibly repetitive work, that is required when you’re training and competing in CrossFit as your sport.

Kermit, on the other hand, likes to please the people and give them what they want! She has been around this place for a long time, and for her, many workouts contain memories and emotions. She remembers the feeling of making it through that giant chipper and that classic benchmark workouts back in 2007 with the Pup and company, and she remembers the value – emotionally and physically – these workouts gave the people around her.

So together, I’m hoping we’ll provide a nice balanced month.

A couple of our focusses include:

1). We’re working out way up to a CrossFit Total at the end of the month. In light of this, we’ll be back squatting once a week, pressing once a week, and deadlifting once a week. Deadflifting will be in the form of high rep Dimmel Deadlifts (video to be released on Wednesday). I’m talking sets of 15, 20, and 25. This will be combined with some weighted glute bridges. We’re hoping these four weeks will help everyone get a couple PRs on their CrossFit Total at the end of the month. If you come on Sunday and missed the deadlift day, please prioritize your dimmdl deadlift and glute bridges.

2). Core Work – I’ve noticed huge gains improving my core strength this last year, so we’re sprinkling in some of this throughout the month.

3). Classic Benchmarks – you’ll see Fran. You’ll see The Bear, and a couple Hero workouts that always provide an emotional satisfaction just to get through them.

Enjoy June!

Monday

Warm-up:

20/20 Bowler Squats
20 Cassak Squats
20 Deadbugs or Supermans
20 Hollow Rocks
20 Goblet Squats

*Then go through the KB work that you’ll be doing in the workout. 10 reps of each movement you’ll see in the workout.

Strength: Back Squat (8, 6, 5, 3, 1, 1, 1) (Heavy but not maximal)

Workout:

KB/Pushup Complex (2 pood/1.5 pood) **Use DBs for large classes

20 min AMRAP

8 KB deadlift
8 push-ups
8 KB high pull
8 push-ups
8 KB swing (Russian)
8 push-ups
8 Goblet squat
8 push-ups

Score is total number of rounds