Archive by Author

CrossFit Open 13.2 Guide

14 Mar

Workout 13.2

As many rounds as possible in 10 mins of:
5 Shoulder To Overhead 115/75
15 Deadlifts 115/75
9 Box Jumps 24in/20in



CF Open Prep and Strategy for 13.2: W /Diane Fu, Carl Paoli, Brian MacKenzie, and Kelly Starrett

Gymnastics WOD: CrossFit Games Breakdown 13.2



Push Press

CrossFit Journal

Old School Coach Glassman Video

Mobility WOD
Start at about 1:10.





Deadlift

CrossFit Journal

  • The Deadlift
    The deadlift is unrivaled in its simplicity and impact while unique in its capacity for increasing head to toe strength.
  • Keeping Your Adductors Strong
    Knees rolling in on squats and pulls? Bill Starr explains how you can fix the problem by working on your adductors, which will translate to more weight on the bar.
  • Spanish Deadlift
    Maggie Dabe from CrossFit Fairfax is one of CrossFit HQ’s traveling seminar trainers. Originally from Ecuador, she explains our standard cues and faults for the deadlift entirely in Spanish.
  • Deadlifts a la Tate
    In this series on the deadlift, Tate offers a simplified approach. Pick the bar up. More specifically, he says, stay on the heels, shoulders start over or behind the bar, lean back, and stand up. Sumo style is better for some. His language reflects his ti
  • Pulling Exercises: Hip It Before You Whip It
    Learning how to pull a weight off the floor or a platform correctly can help every strength athlete to better perform a number of very beneficial exercises: power cleans, power snatches, full cleans, full snatches, clean and snatch grip high-pulls, and co
  • The Slow Lifts: Deadlift
    There is no more functional movement than picking up something heavy, as we do in the deadlift, writes Mark Rippetoe of The Witchita Falls Athletic Club/CrossFit Witchita Falls in part 5 of his series on the slow lifts.
  • The Slow Lifts
    The slow lifts—the squat, the press, the deadlift and the bench press—form the basis of any effective program to improve strength, writes Mark Rippetoe, owner of The Wichita Falls Athletic Club and Crossfit Wichita Falls and co-author of Starting Stre
  • CrossFit & Powerlifting
    Several months ago I came across a link to CrossFit.com, and, after sifting through the site for a while, I was hooked. As someone who appreciates the value of hard work, I knew I had to find a way to incorporate this type of training and conditioning int
  • Correcting The Deadlift
    Rachel Medina is the co owner of CrossFit South San Clemente, she is also a part of CrossFit HQ’s traveling Level 1 seminar team.

    In this clip from Jordan Gravatt of CrossFit by Overload, Rachel “Funky-Cold” Medina teaches the deadlift to Level 1

  • CrossFit Kids – Teaching the Deadlift
    Jeff Martin shows his progression for teaching young kids how to deadlift. Jeff and his wife Mikki run CrossFit Kids. He explains why barbells are less important for kids, how cues like the Angry Gorilla came to be, and why they’re so important for teachi

Box Jump

CrossFit Journal

Gymnastics WOD on Box Jumps




Mobility WOD: Recovering

Let’s be honest, you are doing this WOD twice. Might as well know how to recover the best way via Mobility WOD.





CrossFit Games Open 13.1 Definite Guide

7 Mar

Screen Shot 2013-03-06 at 11.13.01 PM

The CrossFit Open 13.1 workout was announced last night and has a lot of Burpees and Snatches. Which is actually a combination of 12.1 and 12.2 from last year. Below is everything you need to know about the Burpee and Snatch. Enjoy! Feel free to hit me up on Twitter with information you think we should add.

Burpee

Here is Carl Paoli going over the burpee from last year’s open. Turns out a burpee is still a burpee.

Warm-up: Work on those hips! Check MobilityWOD for the full warmup cycle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo59eq…).

The Efficient Burpee: We’ve covered this movement before in the Burpee Skill Transfer series in full detail, so check it (gymnasticswod.com/progressions?field_ta­gs_category_tid[]=81&field_tags_tid[]=6&­field_tags_apparatus_tid[]=79)

The Kip: You may be able to power and grind though 50 or more burpees with dirty push ups and then hopping… pulling… dragging your feet in, but things could quickly go down hill from there in the final minutes. If you recall your kipping skills on the bar and even your kipping Toes to Bar, think of doing those movements starting from your belly and really use your hip drive and hip closing to sweep your legs in and under you.

The Transition: If you’ve got the Kip working efficiently, you’ve essentially created plenty of useful tension and torque in your system that will do more than just sweep your feet in. Leverage the sweeping motion and push away from the ground at the same time to rotate and bring your chest up, similar to a gymnastics snapdown (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=…). Don’t waste the explosiveness of the kip, it’s like dry-firing a Shaman’s Bow that is your body and you don’t want to do that.

The Jump: The closer your feet are in together, the taller you’ll stand and the less you’ll need to jump to touch the target. With feet together you’ll also wind up more tension in your hamstrings to make the kick out easier. When you’re doing anything high-rep, consistency is key so always keep a check on your foot placement (not up at the target) and make your last rep look and pace like the first one.

The Snatch

The definitive guide on the Snatch for all the CrossFitters that are going to hit the 13.1. Yet another reason why you need to sign up for the CrossFit Journal.

CrossFit Journal

  1. Efficiency Tips: The Snatch
  2. Split Snatch
  3. Fixing The Feet With Mike Burgener
  4. Teaching the Snatch to a Large Group: Part 1
  5. The Burgener Warm-Up
  6. Perfect Position: Deadlift and Snatch
  7. Perfect Position: Deadlift and Snatch
  8. 12 Tips for Coaching O-Lifts in the CrossFit Box
  9. Snatch Strategies for CrossFit Workouts and Competitions
  10. The Quick Lifts: Start Here
  11. Learning How to Do Full Snatches
  12. More Pop at the Top
  13. The Burgener Files V—Coaching Points
  14. The Burgener Files VI—The Pocket
  15. Weightlifting Workshop at Eleiko
  16. Why’d You Miss
  17. Teaching the Snatch to a Large Group: Part 2
  18. Improving the Full Snatch
  19. Dissecting Dave and Nadia: Part 2
  20. Keeping Your Adductors Strong
  21. USAW Movement Standards
  22. Dissecting Dave & Nadia: Part 3
  23. Preparing for the First Olympic Meet
  24. Dissecting Dave & Nadia: Part 4
  25. Dissecting Dave and Nadia: Part 1
  26. Better Bracing for Midline Stability
  27. Reviewing the Snatch
  28. Burgener Files IV – Stance, Grip and Position
  29. Coaching Points
  30. Skill Transfer Exercises
  31. The Scoop & The Second Pull
  32. The World’s Fastest Lift: World Class Coaching LLC’s Olympic Lifting Videotapes
  33. The End of the First Pull
  34. Analysis of the Transition
  35. Nick Hawkes’ Snatch Training at Mike’s Gym: Part 2
  36. Coach Burgener Teaches the Snatch Part 2
  37. Coach Burgener Teaches the Snatch Part 1
  38. Pulling Positions for the Snatch
  39. Skill Transfer Exercises for the Snatch
  40. Learning The Olympic Lifts: The Stance
  41. Learning The Olympic Lifts: The Grip
  42. More About the Snatch
  43. The Burgener Files: 1 – The Warmup
  44. Lunchtime Snatching Session
  45. Pulling Exercises: Hip It Before You Whip It
  46. The Power of Dynamic Pulling Exercises
  47. Pat’s Oly Workout: Snatch
  48. Fixing Loopy Lifts
  49. Assistance Sequence for the Snatch
  50. Snatch Assistance Exercises
  51. The Burgener Warmup
  52. The Moves

KStar: Mobility WOD

Mic’d Instructor: Again Faster

Carl Paoli: Gymnastics WOD


CrossFit Open 13.1 Overview Videos

Carl Paoli

Guys from the Barbell Shrugged Podcast

2013 CrossFit Open: What To Expect

6 Mar

The Third CrossFit Open Starts Tomorrow

In my opinion The CrossFit Open is the most difficult CrossFit Competition to program for. Unlike the Regionals and Games, there isn’t an understood expectation of talent.


Workout Type

All of the workouts last year were AMRAPs/AMREPs and I imagine they will be the same this year. I think we will see something like 7, 10, 12, 15 and 20 minute workout caps. Eventhough making workouts that everyone can attempt is a big priority, the main priority is setting a threshold for Regional worthy athletes. It turns out, HQ thought of a genius solution. The most technical movements are put towards the end of a workout, where the people who are fit enough to get to them are probably able to perform them. Expect to see a long chipper or a workout where reps get progressively heavier (Maybe both). Trying to guess the actual workouts is pointless (fun tough). However, below is a breakdown of movements that have appeared in the last two CrossFit Opens.

2011

  • Bar Facing Burpee
  • Box Jump
  • Chest To Bar Pull-up
  • Deadlift
  • Double Under
  • Muscle Ups
  • Overhead Squat
  • Power Snatch
  • Push Ups
  • Squat Clean & Jerk
  • Thruster
  • Toes To Bar
  • Wall Ball

2012

  • Box Jump
  • Burpee
  • Chest To Bar Pull-Up
  • Double Under
  • Muscle Up
  • Push Press
  • Snatch
  • Thruster
  • Toes To Bar
  • Wall Ball

Here is what I think is likely to show up.

2013 Most Likely

  • Burpee
  • Double Under
  • Pull-Ups
  • Shoulder To Overhead
  • Thruster
  • Toes To Bar
  • Wall Ball

Maybe

  • Bar Muscle Up
  • Box Jump Over
  • Squat Clean
  • Clean
  • Snatch
  • Kettle Bell Swing
  • Air Squat
  • Lunge
  • Jumping Squat

Doubtful

  • Row
  • GHD-Sit Ups
  • Back Extension
  • Rope Climb
  • Swimming
  • Run (unless it’s a shuttle run which I’d like to see)
  • Basically anything you can’t do out of your garage.
  • Push-Ups (mainly because I think everyone can’t help but cheat when they get tired and it’s really hard to judge)
  • Ring Dips

Random First Workout Guess

As many reps in 7 mins as you can of: Jumping Squat to height above your reach.

CrossFit.com(Main Site) Programming Is Amazing

28 Feb


main_site_programming

In the last few years we’ve seen an explosion of websites dedicated to publishing a daily WOD(workout of the day). With all this noise we tend to forget how solid and balanced CrossFit.com programming is. Take a look at a screen shot of our Plan Feature for Main Site programming. The green and yellow bubbles tell us how long it’s been since they’ve assigned a WOD from that category. The percentages above show us the breakdown over the last 6 months.

Pretty Impressive

Lifestyle Choices Affect Your Fitness

14 Jan

Lifestyle choices affect our fitness, but we often overlook their importance. That’s likely because there isn’t a simple and accurate way of measuring our progress and rank for each. Other services ask too many questions, and more often than not they are the wrong questions. They set the bar far too low, and, rather than improving choices, they end up reinforcing bad ones. Our new lifestyle strategy aims to fix this problem. Our goal is simple. To help you make better choices outside of the gym that will ultimately improve your performance inside of the gym.

Our goal is simple. To help you make better choices outside of the gym that will ultimately improve your performance inside of the gym.

It’s easy. Answer six questions about yesterday. You will accumulate points based on your answers. We’ll compare your choices with others at your gym, and even others from around the world. Better answers will result in more points, and more points symbolizes your improved path towards greater health and fitness. This isn’t a 1-month, 6-month, or even a year long challenge.  The pursuit of health and fitness doesn’t stop for anything, and for that reason points will reset on a weekly basis, giving you a chance to start fresh. You won’t get frustrated with falling behind the curve. You’ll have a new opportunity 52 different times a year to get yourself on track. No excuses.

You won’t get frustrated with falling behind the curve. You’ll have a new opportunity 52 different times a year to get yourself on track. No excuses.

The Questions

Why these questions?  Each question, and its associated parameter, has been shown to have significant effects on physical performance and body composition.  Lacking in one area can mean the difference between a 4 min Fran and a 3 min Fran, as well as 15% body fat and 10% body fat.

The weekly breakdown will show you numbers on a daily basis.

75th Percentile

We’ve decided to display the 75th percentile for the gym and site scores. Remember, the idea is to keep you motivated. We want you striving to be better than yesterday, last month, and last year. Displaying the 75th percentile will allow you to compare yourselves to the top Lifestyle earners out there. And if you’re ahead of the 75th percentile? Well, then you know you’re making some pretty good decisions.

We want you striving to be better than yesterday, last month, and last year.

We make a lot of small choices everyday that have a big affect on our health and fitness. Our approach is to try to measure some key choices in a simple straightforward way. Rather than let the choices build up, we are going to start fresh every week. So this week we are hoping you will try out the lifestyle feature and hopefully make a few better decisions.