Blog Archive

Starts at 6:15 this Friday, replacing the regular class as per usual. If you had planned on showing up for the class, do not change your plans. This is a fundamental element of training, fun. This is completely scalable, and if anything, a more exciting experience than a regular class (Kermit will still be around to fantasize about, and might even be your teammate; first base?). Bring down some crisp coolers, bro out with a beer, or attempt to connect over a bottled water. This is a great opportunity to become more comfortable with our community. All Whole Life Challenge participants are almost obligated to attend; allow a cheat, or test yourself with sober interaction.

See you there,

Chesty

Thursday Lesson Plan

W/U: Coaches Choice

TECH: 

15 Minute EMOM

1st Min. 15 D Ball Slams
2nd Min. 5/5 Pistols
3rd Min. 30 Double Unders

and so on…

5 minute rest after entire EMOM…

WOD: ‘Somewhat Cheifish’

5 Rounds – 2mins on 1min off
7 Burpees
7 Toes 2 Bar

-CFP

First day throwbacks and first time experiences. “Alright, now we’re going check your pull ups out;” I like to assume everyone has one (Ha). You can definitely connect to the first time you ever attempted one. Running can be exhausting; we’ve all found a way to push ourselves off the ground. People seem to have this special relationship with the pull up; one with explicit communication: F-this, f-that, f-why, f-no and f-yes!

We all just want one, or better ones. It seems if we just had more of them, or they felt easier, we’d feel so much better about life. You could be struggling with getting out of single digit kipping pull ups; trying to get your first strict pull up; looking for your first muscle up; or rocking out ring rows. I would never discredit the band, and what it can help you accomplish; however, you’ll have to develop confidence off the band.

Breaking down the pieces can effectively target your weaknesses, and satisfy your hunger:

Rows “Meat”

• You can do more of them; sets and reps, repetition is the father of learning.
• You can challenge each muscle and muscle group in a variety of positions; this provides a variety of stabilization and muscle function
• You can instantly change the difficulty to achieve specific rep ranges

Work towards being able to complete 5 sets of double digits rows with your feet elevated on a box.

Hangs “Greens”

• The longer you can hang, the more time you have to do pull ups.
• Isometrics help increase muscle awareness and stabilization; own that position to encourage confidence at your weak points.
• Time under tension forces your grip strength and hang time to improve; all that activation gets more effective doses

Work towards being able to perform 5 sets of 1 minute bar hangs with straight arms, flexed arms, or half way between.

Negatives “Fixin’s”

• Slow eccentrics send your muscle into a metabolic meltdown; they teach you how to resist gravity.
• They can be performed at any level, even before dead hanging on the bar (ie. on the rings).
• Time under tension forces your grip strength and hang time to improve; all that activation through an entire range of motion.

Work towards being able to perform 5 sets of 30 second lowers on the rings, or on the bar.

Coach Program “Dinner is Served”

Remember you have some pretty knowledgeable, friendly dudes around here. All of us coaches have strategies that will you get you there. Just set a little time aside and chat with us. We have a variety of strategies that can get you there quick, steady, or cruise. We got all the numbers, sets, reps, percentages, evolutionary ideas and time tested classics to make it happen. Why do all the thinking yourself? That’s the bonus of training with the MadLab crew.

The experience is as exciting as you make it. Celebrate and master the basics. Movements have their natural patient progressions; there’s no harm in having some fun and pushing the edge.

Science and Art,

Chesty

Wednesday Lesson Plan

W/U: Coaches Choice

TECH:

A1 L-sit 2x (1 minute hold)

A2 Handstand 2x (1 minute hold)

WOD:   “A Little Swinging and Running”

30 K-B-S
1 mile run
30 K-B-S

I would say he is, unimpressed.

However accurate this may be, it’s not.

We all come from different walks of life; cliché, however, it influences the looking glass in which we’re viewed. I can remember beginning my training here; I spent every waking moment on the floor of this school. At the time I was collecting EI, devouring every article, text, experiment, and theory on strength and conditioning. After realizing this Coach thing was going to take a minute, to see some financial return, I opted to pick up a part-time job delivering flowers. This gave me a little breathing room and didn’t pull me far from my original vigor; I rocked out a 7:30 Helen in nothing but jeans, and some sour flower water logged shoes, in the rain, no chalk. I was accepted by most, questioned by others, but the key few saw the “juice.” I eventually arose as the long-winded, wit worthy, mobile man you know as Chesty.

A year and bit went by before Tom, soon to be suffixed “Fuckin’ Beers”, rolled in to the Lab. As welcoming as this community is, there is always this endearing sprinkle of “Who’s this clown?” Our crew can be a little much to swallow at times; I’m sure Tom had rarely entertained much in his mouth at this point in his life. He managed to woo our local female CrossFit Elite, earn a grumpy hashtag, and ruffle a few feathers, before heading back east. No matter the reason he returned, I figured it was best. 

Before his return, we shared the occasional humorous anecdote. We’d often banter about how Emily really felt about him. He would attempt to patronize me with “hey kid”; I would remind him of “when I was his age” with an emotional stab. We didn’t exactly butt heads, but we were kind of butt-heads. It wasn’t until he returned that we became what you could call “bros”. We’ve grown to agree upon training philosophies, share sarcastic conversations, and definitely understand where one comes from.

You have probably met the many sides of Tom. This is best understood watching him take on a large project, such as the the lifting platforms and floor mats; he’ll transform from, let’s get at this, to rage-aholic, to needs a straight jacket, to grumble mumbler, and finishes with a fuck this. I’ve been able to uncover the crusty grumpled surface that many see, to find the traditional, home cooked, love driven, Hungarian tool man Tom. He has showed us passion for strength and conditioning, changing lives for the better (as long as they’re willing), and cleaning up the gym layout for efficiency.

Cheers to, my friend, Tom “Fuckin’ Beers” Sarosi

Happy Birthday,

Chesty

Tuesdays Lesson Plan

W/U: Coaches Choice

TECH: Turkish Get Up 3×3/3

Dumbbell Snatch Technique

WOD: “Dirty Sevens”

7 Rounds of:
7 DB Power Snatch 55/35
7 Box Jump Step Downs 24/20

-CFP

Do yourself a favour and watch this video before reading. The advertisement about 1:22 mins into the video is my favourite. I love these guys.
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During a touring galavant, outside of Central Station (Amsterdam), I noticed what looked like an open roofed bicycle storage facility; it turned out to be a 3 story bike lock, filled with hundreds of bikes. This 2-wheeled form of transportation seemed to dominate the entire city; there were bike lanes, no lanes, racks, locks, cyclists of the old, the young, the dumb, the classy, and the bold. Sure, some residents had cars; but it wasn’t like the city was automobile short-commute friendly. The cab drivers were about as useful as West Van Persians are as datable; mostly stationary, they hung about in their Mercedes, over-dressed, offering absurd fares, and the utmost of creepy experiences to the touring public. With the city dripping with culture and cute interwoven canals; this place was built to bike. The biggest hill was a canal overpass. There are 2 problems facing Vancouver’s cycling future:

Bad driver, bad cycler: Idiots of the same cloth.

 10th Avenue will be the death of them; and rightfully so. I like me some Buy-Low shopping week to week; it’s about 2 ½ blocks from my apartment building. I’m never concerned of being struck by a 2-4 thousand pound mechanical triumph of engineering; I’m looking out for 150-250lb boner who decides to blow through a stop sign, because Kingsway traffic had a red light. It’s not even some rare douche that does this, it’s almost every single one of the 2-wheelin’ weiner brigade. You can imagine the avenging satisfaction that burst through my soul, when a motorcycle Police Officer, hung about that intersection one night to hand out tickets; remember how you fail your drivers exam after a “rolling stop” at a stop sign. They like to believe they fall into this grey area between automobile and a pedestrian law. Unfortunately that just breeds more than one enemy; the enemy of my enemy, is my friend. Pedestrians and drivers are not exempt from idiocy; however, I have every reason to throw rotten fruit at your loser cruiser. Based on physics and all around craftiness, you lose; 9 times out of 10. 9 times out of 10! Use your road sense.

Cheverolet Camaro + Driver 4900lbs

-Vintage Apollo + Cycler 200lbs

4700lbs that says the supposed right-of-way doesn’t mean shit.

Grow up: Helmet laws are for children. 

This law has been grinding my gears for years. I’m not going to tell my client to stop smoking; I hope the fact they’re a grown up, leads us to not have that conversation. This is one of the biggest issues preventing integration of bike-share programs. Melbourne and Brisbane both showed significant drops in usage, despite the fact that the state offered free helmet sharing (ew, gross, it’s like wearing a used condom). This city ends up looking like the kid with head gear in your 4th grade class; was that really necessary mom? There is very little statistical linkage between hospital admissions and helmet use. Well, it’s a “preventative measure”; bologna, it is, at best, an “injury-mitigation measure” (B.C. Prof. Kay Teschke). Prevent the crash from happening in the first place, as when it does happen, it’s not just head trauma. So now we should wear armoured leotards, and kevlar leggings; aren’t there enough moose nuckle fashions in the cycling world?

And for that dingus commuting along Main Street on your unicycle…

…did you lose your circus? Come on!

Chesty

Monday Lesson Plan

W/U: Coaches Choice

TECH: 3×3 Deadlift

WOD: ‘Cindy’
As Many Rounds As Possible in 20 Minutes
5 Pull Ups
10 PushUps
15 Squats

-CFP