Monday, December 31st

Mother and Son Getting it Done!

Strength

5 x 10
Past Parellel Box Push-ups / Ring Push-ups

5x 20
Sit-ups

WOD

5 Rounds 

12 Burpees

100 meter Farmers Carry

Friday, December 28th

Strength

Sumo Deadlift High Pull 10-8-6-4-2

WOD

21-15-9

Calorie Row/ Bike
K2E
SDHP (135/95)
Sledge Hammers (12/10)

You are Invited to:

The First  Banks Country Fitness New Years Eve Craps Party!

Who: All Banks Country Fitness Members, Families, and Friends
Where: Banks Country Fitness Gym
When: New Years Eve
Time: 8pm till 12am 

Details:

Potluck: Sign-up sheet is on the counter at the gym
Drinks: Bring your own 
Kid's Entertainment: Bring board games, video game systems, games, and movies. We will provide the TV and DVD player.
We need help with: Cups, plates, utensils, napkins, tables, and chairs.
Prizes: Anything you have lying around that would make a good prize bring it! It could be a gift you got that your not crazy about, a bottle of beer, wine, ect. I'm sure if you think about it you will find something:)

Craps Tournament:

First, you will learn how to play craps with the Craps Master. Then we will have craps tournaments throughout the night with prizes! 

RSVP: By Friday, December 28th 

Hope to see you then!

New Years Day Schedule

January 1st 

5:45 am - Canceled
12:00 pm - Canceled
4:30 pm
5:30 pm
6:45 pm Family Class

Thursday, January 27th

Strength

Every minute on the minute for 5 minutes, complete 5 back squats.

WOD

5 Rounds:
100m Sandbag Run/ Carry
10 DB Snatch - 5 per arm (45/25)
20 Double Unders

Wednesday, December 26th

Great Job Everyone!

Strength

None

WOD 

Max points in 25 minutes:

Point 1 - 30 pulls on the rower / 60 pedals on the bike
Point 2 - shuttle run / 20 push-ups / shuttle run
Point 3 - 30 second rest while holding weights in hands (45/25)

keep going until 25 minutes are up... each section equals 1 point.

Banks Country Fitness: Monday, November 19th

Banks Country Fitness: Monday, November 19th: Strength Handstand Push-ups 5x max reps WOD Tabata 8 minutes Double Unders DB Snatch

Banks Country Fitness: Tuesday, November 20th

Banks Country Fitness: Tuesday, November 20th: Strength Pull-ups WOD "Modified Annie" 50-40-30-20-10 Sit-ups Air Squats

Banks Country Fitness: Wednesday, November 21st

Banks Country Fitness: Wednesday, November 21st: WOD 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Hand Release Pushups Jumping Squats (both sides =1) Turkish Get-ups (40/25)

Wednesday, November 21st

WOD

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Hand Release Pushups

Jumping Squats (both sides =1)

Turkish Get-ups (40/25)

Tuesday, November 20th

Strength

Pull-ups

WOD

"Modified Annie"

50-40-30-20-10

Sit-ups

Air Squats

Monday, November 19th

Strength

Handstand Push-ups 5x max reps

WOD

Tabata 8 minutes

Double Unders

DB Snatch

Banks Country Fitness: November 16th Workout

Banks Country Fitness: November 16th Workout: Strength Misc...2 reps OTM for 5 minutes (80% of 1 RM focus on form) or max reps OTM for 5 minutes WOD  Elizabeth Modifies 21-15...

November 16th Workout

Strength

Misc...2 reps OTM for 5 minutes (80% of 1 RM focus on form) or max reps OTM for 5 minutes

WOD 

Elizabeth Modifies

21-15-9

Power Cleans 135/95

Ring Dips (Bar Dips)

November 15th Workout

Strength

Snatch 3x3 (focus on form but heavier than on the 6th)

WOD

8 Rounds

100m Sprint

8 KB Swings 70/53

5 Burpees

November 10th Workout

Strength

Front Squat Heavy 2 OTM for 7 minutes

WOD 

30 KB Snatch 55/35 - Left Arm Only

20 Pistols on Box - 12" Right Leg Only

10 HSPU

20 Pistols on Box - 12" Left Leg Only

30 KB Snatch 55/35 - Right Arm Only

Family...

Living in a small town has it's advantages. One of them being that news travels fast, so by now most people will have already heard about the heart attack Todd suffered last week. Todd was just getting started with the Banks Country Fitness family, so Bethany and I have not yet had the opportunity to really get to know the Iverson family, but our hearts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.  It looks like Todd is on the road to a strong recovery. Never the less we have already volunteered the Banks Country Fitness family as helping hands if there is anything we can help with. We will keep everyone updated as we hear more or if we can help in any way.

This unfortunate event really got me to thinking about why it's so important to take our health seriously. So often we get caught up in the daily grind that we can lose sight of what's truly important. We strive to give our children everything we can, save for retirement, vacations, a bigger house, etc. but the one thing we so easily lose sight of is the most important thing of all (FAMILY). In the end, I believe that if you stopped and asked any close family member whether they would rather have that materialistic item they have been dreaming about or YOU healthy and living they will unanimously say YOU. Regardless of whether you choose Banks Country Fitness as part of your health plan or strike off into something different please take the time to make your health a priority. We owe it to ourselves, but most importantly we owe it to our FAMILY!!!

Again our prayers go out to the Iverson family as we wish Todd a speedy recovery!!

The Exline's & BCF Family!! 

November 8th Workout

Strength

OTM for 15 min. Clean and Jerk add 5lbs every minute

WOD

3 Rounds 

1 min. Max Double Unders

1 min. Max KB Swings (53/35)

1 min. Max Burpee Pull-ups

1 min. Rest

November 6th Workout

Strength

Snatch 5x3 (FORM)

WOD

1.5 Mile Run/ 3.5 Mile Bike

50 Thrusters (95/65)

*Setting the bar down will equal 3 muscle ups after completion*

November 5th Workout

Strength

Strict Press 1RM

WOD

3 Bar Muscle-ups

10 Jerks (155/108)

15 Front Squats (155/108)

20 HSPU

25 Pull-up

30 Deadlift (155/108)

35 KB Swings (53/35)

400m Run

November 2nd Workout

Strength

DL on the minute for 9 min.  3/3/3/2/2/2/1/1/1 add 5lbs at each rep change. Start at 85% of 1RM.

WOD

Option A

1200-800-400-200-100 Meter Run

50-40-30-20-10 Dips

Option B

1.25-1-.75-.5-.25 Mile Bike Ride

15-12-9-6-3 Bench (Men=BW  Women=60% of BW)

November 1st Workout

Strength

OH Squat 3x3

WOD

9-7-5-3-1 Power Snatch

9-7-5-3-1 OH Squat

9-7-5-3-1 Burpee Box Jumps

18-14-10-6-2 T2B

M = 135 

W = 93

“The Veterans Day Mission WOD (Partner Style)”

Your mission if you choose to accept is to accomplish the following exercises in the quickest time possible. The order, amount of reps and distances traveled is your choice. Remember that all the exercises must be accomplished before your time will be recorded.  Choose your partner wisely and plan carefully. Good Luck!!

Rules: Only one partner can be going at a time and both partners must run together.

The top team from the day will be rewarded with our soon to be released Banks Country Fitness T-Shirt.

2000 Meter Run or 2.5 Mile Bike Ride (Level 12)

100 Sit Ups

200 Meter Dead Man Carry/Drag

80 Pull-Ups

100 Meter Broad Jumps

50 B.W. Dead-Lift

100 Medicine Ball Push-ups

50 Pass Through

30 Turkish Get-Ups (35/15)

100 DB Thrusters (35/20)

100 Meter Farmers Carry Lunge (45/25)

Yes, this is going to suck, but let’s remember who we are honoring on this day...the countless men and women who have served our country and made huge sacrifices to preserve our freedoms we often take for granted. The least we can do is sacrifice our bodies for one hour in their honor!!!

“Be Country Tough”

~The Exline’s

 

Don't Forget Where You Started....

Recently our morning class had a visitor by the name of Rohan Murphy. Rohan travels the country as a inspirational speaker and although we didn't have a chance to talk much, I was very impressed with his demeanor and ability to just watch and listen. I could see why so many people have been inspired by his story. I was also impressed with our members taking the time to make him feel at home. It got me to thinking about something that makes CrossFit and Banks Country Fitness special. It's the opportunities to build relationships outside of your daily circle. We are part of Banks Country Fitness for a variety of reasons, but let's not forget the power of friendships!

We have been very growing quickly over the last three months, which is exciting, but with that growth comes the opportunities for things to get lost in the shuffle. We don't want the feeling of Banks Country Fitness being an extended family to be one of those things that disappear.  So when those new members walk through that door make sure you take the time to introduce yourself and give them a little encouragement because it hasn't been that long since each and everyone of us walked up those stairs not quite sure what to expect. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but as so many can attest, if you stick with it the results will follow. Help be a part of the glue that helps them stick.

After all we all remember that first week:)  

Thanks Rohan for Inspiring so Many!!

Tuesday October 30, 2012

Strength

Max Rep Pull ups

WOD

10 Minute partner bike sprint.
Bike Sprint for 1 minute then rest and partner goes...score equals total distance traveled.

Monday October 29, 2012

Strength

Sumo DL High Pull 5/4/3/2/1

WOD

"Red Corvette"

4 Rounds
12 HPC (135/95)
40 Double Unders

Nick is one tough cookie!! These are some tough ladies, especially at 6:00am:)

Friday October 26, 2012

Strength

DL 3 Reps (80% of 1 RM) on the minute for 5 minutes.

WOD

"Fight Gone Bad" In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating.  We'll be doing 3 rounds.  The stations are: Wall-ball: 20 lb ball, 10 ft target (Reps) Sumo deadlift high-pull: 75 pounds (Reps) Box Jump: 20" box (Reps) Push-press: 75 pounds (Reps) Run: Every 100m Counts as a point The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each 100 M Run.

Thursday October 25, 2012

Strength

Hang Clean on the minute for 8 Min. 2 Reps (Heavy).

WOD

6 Min AMRAP
10 Plated Sit-ups
6 Pistol Squats

Then

3 Min. AMRAP
100M Run followed by 5 Burpees
 (One round equals completion of Burpees)

Tuesday October 23, 2012

Strength 

1 RM Back Squat

WOD

Lateral Box Jumps (24/20)
KB Swings (70/55)
Dowel Sit-ups

Some of our morning class sweating it out. No easy task for high school girls. Keep it up...All the hard work is going to pay off!!

Monday October 22, 2012

Strength 

Misc...Rep Scheme 3/3/3/2/2/2. Add #5 at the 3/2 split.

WOD

"Grace"

Friday Oct. 19, 2012

Strength

3 sets:
Front Rack Reverse Lunges Alternating Legs (12 Total)

WOD

25 Min Partner AMRAP

400M Run
25 Thrusters (40/30)
25 Double Unders
Partners alternate work & rest. One partner does one exercise while the other is resting and then they switch at the next exercise.

Thursday October 18, 2012

Strength

Deficit HSPU Every 30 Seconds for 10 minutes

WOD

21-15-9

Power Snatch 95-65
T2B
Standing Broad Jump

Goals...Have Them...Make Them...Keep Them...It Will Be WORTH IT!

Words can't describe the feeling of achievement

What drives you to come to the gym each day? General health and fitness, cross training for a sport, goals of becoming a competitive crossfitter? Its always good to remind ourselves why we are doing what we are doing. Staying motivated about your goals and constantly setting and achieving new ones is what will push you through the tough times and keep you on the straight and narrow path of health and fitness. A few cheats here and there are acceptable but never lose sight of the ultimate goal. Challenge your body whenever you can but be smart. And most importantly have fun while doing it. Half of that fun factor though is achieving your goals, so like I said always set new goals to keep things fun, fresh and challenging.

Please post to comments what motivates you and/or major fitness goals you have set for yourself. Sharing these goals with your fitness family will help us help you!

Monday, October 15th

Strength

5 Rounds:
Back Squat Heavy Double (~85/90% of 1RM)
10 Dips

Rest 2 minutes between each couplet

WOD

5 Minute AMRAP

10 Wallballs (20/14)

Kettlebell Swings (53/35)

Do 10 Wallballs at the top of each minute  The remaining time is used for KB swings. Your score is the number of KB swings)

Friday, October 12th

Strength

Hang Squat Snatch 2RM

WOD

OTM for 12 minutes

2 Snatches (Heavy)

5 Plyo Push-ups

30 Yd. Sprint

Thursday, October 11th

Strenght

Front Squat 3x5

WOD

Partner 20 minute AMRAP

5 Hang Power Cleans 155/105#

10 Wall Balls 20/14#

200 m run

Done with a partner. 1st person does cleans, 2nd does cleans, 1st person WB, 2nd WB, both run together.

Tuesday, October 9th

Strenght

1 RM Deadlift

WOD

3 Rounds

400 m Run

30 Pull-ups

30 Burpees

Monday, October 8th

Strength

Clean and Jerk 5x3 (Work on Form)

WOD

4 Rounds

10 Deadlifts

2 Cleans

2 Jerks

Rx:

Men = Body-weight

Women = Body-weight  - 30lbs

Friday, October 5th

Strength

Max Weighted Pull-ups

WOD

Run 5K

Thursday, October 4th

Strength

Find new 3 RM for Back Squat

WOD

Annie

50-40-30-20-10

Double Unders 

Sit-ups

Tuesday October 2, 2012

Strength

Bench Press
2/2/2/2/2

WOD

3 Rounds
400m Run
x 20 Jumping Jack Burpees
x10 Dumbell Squat Cling Thrusters (40/25)

Rest 1 minute between rounds

I owe the morning class an apology. This morning I accidentally left out the rest 1 minute between rounds for their class. But if it makes you feel any better...out of guilt I did it the same way so we suffered together:)

Monday October 1, 2012

Strength

3x5 Snatch

WOD

Chipper
5 DL (1.5x Body Weight)
10 Pullups
15 Burpees
20 KB Swings (55/35)
25 Air Squats
30 Sit ups
35 Med. Ball Slams
40 Jumping Jacks during 800m run (10 every 200m)

Evening Crew Getting after a Chipper...Look at that great A. Squat form by one of our newest members. Great job Angie!

Adding a New Class Time Starting Monday October 8th...

We are very excited to announce that due to demand we will be adding an additional time slot starting Monday October 8th. We will now be offering classes Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Fridays at 6:00am, 6:00pm and 7:00pm. The 7:00pm class will still be the only adult and kid's class combo. Please feel free to pass the word around.

7:00pm class after rocking it! A lot of smiling faces...always easier to smile after finishing:)

Lastly we like to keep everyone updated on the progress for moving Banks Country Fitness from the high school to its own independent location. We are pleased to announce that we have secured the required financing to launch and are now shooting to open doors between November 1st and December 1st with a grand opening slated for January 1st.

Thank you all so much for your support in helping make our dreams become a reality!

Friday September 28, 2012

Strength

B. Squat recently achieved 3RM for 5 sets

WOD

Partner WOD

800 M Medicine Ball Run (20/14)
100 Box Jumps (20/16)
80 Burpees
60 Pullups
40 Snatches (115/75)
800 M Medicine ball Run

Happy Birthday Trish!

Thursday September 27, 2012

Strength

Strict Press
5-4-3-2-1

WOD

12 Min. AMRAP

4 DL (225/185)
12 DB Push Press (40/25)

Roger digging out one more rep!

Something Different...

There are all kinds of benefits to Crossfit and what it can do for your fitness, health, and life, but there are additional things that separate it from your daily trip to the Globo gym (LA Fitness, 24 Hour, etc). For instance, when you walk into LA Fitness and scan your card do you think that staff member really knows your name if they can't see it on the computer. When you look around the facility how many people do you know? Do they know if you have a spouse, children, or what you do for a living and if so do you think they really care?

Recently it was one of our members birthdays and we celebrated the best way we know how with a little something extra in the WOD. Not surprisingly by the end of that day all the classes were very aware of this person's birthday, which of course is all in good fun, but my point is that if you walk into any of the classes people know each other. They know if they are married, have children, what they like to do. They even know things about each others fitness preferences. These are the starting blocks for developing friendships.

We are just getting off the ground as a fitness center and hopefully very soon Crossfit affiliate, but something that is different about how we approach things is that we actually care. You are not a number on a scan card. Your fitness and health is what is truly important to us. Wanting to make a change is what brings you in but the sacrifices that each and everyone of you make for your health is what brings you together and watch as time passes how many of you will begin to consider the people you see everyday in these classes friends.

Something Different

Tuesday September 25, 2012

Strength

D.L. 85% of 1Rm 5x3

WOD

3 Rounds

800m Run
Rest 2 minutes between each round

Got to love those Metabolic days...right Trish:)

Monday September 24, 2012

Strength

Max Box Jump

WOD


8 Min. Tabata Couplet

C2B Pullups
Air Squats

Think Tyler is impressed:)
50 Inches in case you were wondering (No run standing)
Nice Job Nick!

Friday September 21, 2012

Strength

B. Squat recently achieved 3Rm for four sets

WOD

HELEN
Three rounds for time:
400m Run
21 KB Swings (55/35)
12 Pull-ups


Got to love the Benchmarks!!

Thursday September 20, 2012

Strength

Max Double Unders

WOD

Partner WOD 

x63 Ground to Overhead Dumbells (40/25)

400m Run

x45 GTO

400m Run

x27 GTO

400m Run

Evening crew stretching it out...With coach Brayden supervising

Quick and creamy chicken stew

Serves 6

Ingredients

• One 4lbs roasting chicken;
• ½ cup of clarified butter, butter or other paleo fat;
• 2 onions, chopped;
• 4 cloves garlic, minced;
• 1/4 cup cassava, almond or coconut flour, or any other paleo flour (this is optional, as its only purpose is to thicken the stew);
• 2 cups of homemade chicken broth or stock (you may decide to add more if you find the stew too thick);
• 2 carrots, chopped;
• 2 celery stalks, chopped;
• 5-6 white button mushrooms, sliced or whole;
• ½ cup full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream;
• 2 green onions, sliced;
• ¾ cup of fresh or frozen green peas;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation

1.    Cut the roasting chicken into pieces. Divide it into two thighs, two drums, two wings and two breasts.

2.    In a large saucepan over a medium heat, melt the cooking fat. Once melted, add in the chicken pieces and cook until golden brown on all sides. Remove the chicken and put aside until later.

3.    Add the onions to the same saucepan and cook in the remaining juices. Once they have sautéed and begun to brown, add the garlic and cook for a few minutes together.

4.    If you wish to add thickening paleo flour, do so now.

5.    Whisk in the chicken broth. At this point you will be able to tell if the stew is too thick. If so, feel free to add more broth or stock, or even just water. Do so slowly while continuing to mix.

6.    Add in the vegetables and chicken, along with any juices from where the chicken was resting.

7.    Season to taste with salt and pepper.

8.    Allow the stew to come to a simmer, and then cook on low, but still maintain the simmer.

9.    Cover and cook for approximately 30 minutes.

10.         Stir in the cream or coconut milk, green onions and peas.

11.           Cook for just about another 2 minutes and serve.

This recipe makes about 6 servings. Double the recipe, it is amazing, and you will want left overs (you can freeze if needed)! Enjoy!

Welcome Liam!

What a bunch of good looking kids! Keep up the good work:)

Friday, September 21st 7pm Class

Due to the home football game, we will be moving Friday, September 21st 7pm evening class to 5:30pm. Go Braves!

Location, Location, Location

We have been quietly but actively looking and researching potential locations for Banks Country Fitness and are very excited to announce that we have found our location. We feel this location suits our name perfectly being that its in a setting among the beautiful country side far from the chaos of everyday life, but very convenient for our commuters, as well as our members of both Banks & Forest Grove. 

The location will be in Roy across from Steve's Machine Shop. It will include 1100 Square feet of open training space, ample parking, four bay doors for easy inside/outside training, a quarter mile trail run through the trees, and pavement running for those that don't want to get their shoes dirty!  

Lastly...the thing that may excite me the most is that after training for years all over the country I believe we are going to have one of the best venues out there. We are getting away from the commercial setting and focusing on whats really important "Your Health". This won't be the place to come if your wanting to check your self out in the mirror or even better watch other people check themselves out in the mirror. You don't need to grab your headphones, a Wal-Street Journal, and hop on the treadmill next to some stranger while you pound away to oblivion with only sub-par results. This will be a place where you challenge yourself to get better everyday, watch and cheer others as you see their improvements. It's why if you have ever been in a good crossfit box the athletes act like best friends and extended family. It's something that just happens naturally as you see the same people make the commitment and sacrifice for their health that you are making.

You always here business professionals say location, location, location....well we now have ours and we can't wait to see what it provides for friends, family, and community!

No this isn't the location but you get the point:)

Tuesday September 18, 2012

Strength

Overhead Squats
3 Rounds of max reps at body weight or
3 rounds of max reps at 80% of 1 RM

W.O.D

6 Min AMRAP

1 Burpee & 2 Wall balls
3 Burpees & 4 Wall balls
5 Burpees & 6 Wall balls
7 Burpees & 8 Wall balls
Etc...

Wecome Mark & Bobbi

Monday September 17, 2012

Strength

Sumo Dead lift High Pull 3x5

W.O.D

8 Min. Tabata

Sumo Dead lift High Pull (115/75)
Push Press (115/75)

The Kids Class (Never a Dull Moment)

Dedication...

Over the last four months, I have had the honor of working with Melissa Masters as she has been preparing for her collegiate softball career. I could go on and say how she is an "animal" in the gym and a "great athlete" like I have heard so many people say; this is true, but I want to focus on something else instead. It's that quiet element so many people miss or don't see. To often we just see the end product and attribute it to great athletic prowess, youth, or luck. The element many of us forget is DEDICATION. The dedication it takes to come in everyday even when you could be doing something else; the dedication it takes to strive for fundamental perfection when it is so much easier to relinquish technique for heavier weight.

When Melissa started four months ago, she couldn't do a kipping pull-up. She had numerous flaws in her olympic lifts, weak hip-flexors, mid-line stability issues, and even range of motion restrictions. She couldn't even come close to doing the WODS at prescribed weight and her strength was suspect. Let's just say, Melissa Masters was not the animal so many people have become accustomed to seeing in the sports arena.

Four months later and now most of the ladies refer to her as "The Freak" (sorry Melissa). She has made tremendous strides in her olympic lifts, which transfer to added strength, power, explosion, and coordination. She hammers out WODS at the prescribed weight, her range of motion has improved which will help to deter injuries, and I don't even need to mention how much her one rep maxes have improved across the board. To sum it up...she has become a more well rounded athlete.

My point is that we all start at different fitness levels, but it's that key word "dedication" that can make all the difference in your success. Come in to get better, but don't forget how to get there!

Thank you Melissa for trusting us with your fitness needs, but more importantly Great Job being DEDICATED! We look forward to seeing you soon!

The Banks Country Fitness Family!

Good Luck This Year!

Friday's Workout September 14, 2012

Strength

Back Squat recently achieved 3RM for 3sets

WOD

5 Rounds
Shuttle Board Sprint
15 Wall Balls (20/14)
10 Med. Ball Sit-ups
5 HSPU

Rest 30 seconds between each Sprint

Chris locking it out!

Thursday's Workout September 13, 2012

Strength

Partner Handstand Walks 12 Minutes Total

WOD

3 Rounds
30 DU
5 Cleans (135/85)
10 T2B

Welcome Jaime & Dan

Tuesday's Workout September 11, 2012

Strength

Medicine Ball Cleans (Form)

WOD

8 Minute AMRAP

8 Push ups
10 Medicine Ball Cleans (20/16)
12 Sit ups

Alli back for a visit and welcoming a Wren on board:)

Welcome Mark and Sydney!

Keep up the hard work! 

Getting Kids Started!

We are so excited to see the kids beginning to trickle in! It is going to pay huge dividends for these kids down the road and I don't mean big squats or huge dead lifts. The kids classes aren't about throwing around a bunch of weights. It's about them learning functional movements safely within a constantly varied program, utilizing movements from across the modal domains in a fun and competitive forum. It's no longer going to the weight room and doing the same old thing; it becomes fun which is what sports are all about.

Ask the kids...  

What Really Counts

Not to long ago my wife and I were talking with an athlete that was a little discouraged about their weight loss. They had been working so hard, but not really seeing any weight drop off at their favorite scale. Now of course my quick response was nutrition, the addition of muscle mass, and to be patient, but as I started thinking about this more I realized something...

Every athlete that walks up those stairs has different goals in mind. It might be an athlete looking to get stronger, next to them is someone just wanting to lose a few pounds, and next to them someone hoping for added energy at the end of the day. So how do we know if our blood sweat and tears is paying off? The answer to this question can be broken down into segments, such as did the athlete improve their bench press, lose the 10 pounds they were shooting for, or achieve the added energy at the end of the day, but instead I believe there is a much simpler way to measure your fitness goals...Lets look at Crossfits definition of fitness”Increased Work Capacity Across Broad Time & Modal Domains” Now I understand this sounds a little complicated but ultimately it is incredibly simple. Can you do more, longer, and in a variety of different ways? If you can answer yes to this question then we are accomplishing the most important goal. The beauty and goal of Crossfit isn’t how much weight you lose, if your squat goes up, or if you can now touch your toes, it’s improving your overall health to best prepare you for whatever life throws your way. So relax about the small goals, understand the broad goal, enjoy your hour of chaos, and watch all those small goals fall into place along the way!

KEEP UP ALL THE HARD WORK! IT’S PAYING HUGE DIVDENDS IN MORE WAYS THEN YOU REALIZE...

What to Consider When Injured...

These guidelines come from Martin Rooney, an author and mixed martial arts (MMA) strength and conditioning coach. While they were originally created for fighters, they are even more applicable to CrossFitters (my commentary is italicized).



1. Accept that the injury has occurred, and move forward. Don’t live in denial and make it worse by continuing to train and aggravating it.



2. Examine how the injury happened, so that it never happens again. Was it something avoidable such as poor mechanics or not listening to your body (aka over training) or was it something out of your control such as a car accident?



3. Find out all you can about the injury and its rehabilitation. Begin by talking to your trainer and if needed doctor. Do a little research...there is so much information at our fingertips.



4. Use every method of rehabilitation you can get your hands on. Be Proactive!



5. Be consistent and thorough with your rehab. Skip a TV show, dessert, or trip to the mall, but don’t skip your rehab!



6. Find the outlets and determine what training you can do around the injury. Never stop training. There is always stuff you can do. Believe wholeheartedly in systemic rehab.


7. Focus on areas that you needed to improve pre-injury (nutrition, mental training, certain body regions, etc.) Do not neglect your nutrition when injured. This is one of the biggest keys to getting back in shape. Use the time necessitated by the injury to focus on weaknesses.



8. Don’t test the injury while healing and re-irritate it. The Best things come to those that wait...Be Patient.


9. Develop a list of things that the injury is trying to tell you. How will your injury change your movement patterns? What do you need to do improve your movement?



10. Don’t forget what you learned from the injury for the future. Are you doomed to repeat an injury? What did you learn from #2 above?




Lastly...Keep up a positive attitude by improving in a different facet of your life (little extra time with the kids, significant other, mental development, etc.). As long as you are continually striving to improve then your physical goals may be temporarily delayed but your overall health is still improving, which is our ultimate goal!! SET BACK MAYBE DEFEAT NEVER!

Monday's Workout September 10, 2012

Strength 

Front Squat 4x3

WOD

FRAN
21-15-9
Thruster (95/65)
Pull-ups

HAVE FUN:)

Friday's Workout September 7, 2012

Strength

Hang Clean 4/4/4/4

WOD

AMRAP in 12 Minutes

200m Run
11 KB Swings 70/53
6 Chest-2-Bar Pullupt

Thursday's Workout September 6, 2012

Strength

Jerk 1 RM Hold the split position for a 3 count

WOD

6 Rounds

7 Squat Snatches (135/85)
10 Hand Stand Push-ups
13 Box Jumps (24/20)

Rest 1 minute after every two rounds (i.e. 2nd & 4th rounds)

Crock Pot Apple Rosemary Pork Loin

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 8 Hours 

Ingredients:

·        3-5 Lb Boneless Pork Loin Roast

·        1 White Onion, sliced

·        2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced

·        5 Cloves of garlic

·        1 Sweet potato peeled and chopped into cubes

·        1 Tbsp Dried Rosemary

·        1 Tbsp Dried Thyme

·        3 Dried Bay Leaves

·        1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

·        Salt and Pepper to taste

Process:

1.    Line the bottom of your crock pot with some of your sliced onions, apples, and sweet potatoes

2.    Poke 5 deep holes throughout your pork loin and insert a clove of garlic into each one

3.    Season both sides of your Pork loin with salt and pepper and then place fat side down on top of your veggies in the crock pot

4.    Sprinkle the pork loin with your rosemary and thyme and throw your bay leaves in the pot

5.    Scatter the rest of your apples, onions, and sweet potatoes throughout your crock pot

6.    Pour your apple cider vinegar in the bottom of your crock pot to help get the cooking process started

7.    Set your crock pot on low and cook for 8 hours or until your pork reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees

8.    Enjoy

Hand Care

So...I got on here this morning to write about the different forms of measuring your improvement, but of course I started by checking on some of my favorite Crossfit sites and came across this post about Hand Care. I started thinking about all the new athletes we have right now and I decided this was of equal importance. It’s a long post but there is some great information on everything from preventative care to treating the wounded. I am guilty of not doing the preventative part...It’s funny how those that know better still tend to bang their head off the wall!!! Oh well maybe one day. Hope this helps!...PS Measuring Improvement is next on my list for those athletes that were inquiring on TuesdayJ.

Hands like these can be common after high rep pull-ups, kettle bells, & bar complexes

As I was thinking about what to write tonight I was distracted by the annoying habit I have of picking my calluses. Gross you might say, but if you have spent any amount of time doing CrossFit then you know long are the days your hands were supple and smooth. CrossFit may help you look good but any dreams of being an aspiring hand model can be thrown out the window the moment you get that barbell or pull up bar in your hands. Let’s face it our hands take a beating. But that doesn’t mean we have to sit by the way side and let them suffer unattended. And I really need to quite my disgusting habit.
Here is a great post on hand care from the blog FITBOMB.COM. The author of this blog is the husband of a woman who also has a really great blog called NOMNOMPALEO.COM. If you have not checked this blog out you need to. It has some amazing paleorecipes and food ideas. It’s one of my favorite.
CrossFit Hand Care
CrossFitters often revel in the fact that our workouts have bloodied our hands. “We’re such badxxxx! We’re SO hardcore!” But let’s call a spade a spade: IT IS NOT “COOL” TO HAVE CHUNKS OF OUR SKIN RIPPED FROM OUR HANDS.

Flayed skin is not a badge of bad-assery. It does not mean that you are tougher or better at working out. And it most definitely does not mean that CrossFit, lifting and/or gymnastics should be avoided because of the possibility that the skin on your hands might get torn.
All it means is that:

• You’re a soft-handed newbie who hasn’t yet had the chance to build up thicker skin on your fingers and palms to protect them from tearing, or
• You’re not giving your hands the T.L.C. they need to keep from getting shredded.

Torn skin is painful and annoying, and may put you out of commission for a spell. And THAT is unequivocally un-hardcore.
My first encounter with shredded hands occurred shortly after starting CrossFit, back when the roughest activity my hands saw was an occasional difficult-to-open jar of spaghetti sauce. And my latest (and greatest) rip was during yesterday’s Mary WOD, after neglecting proper hand care for weeks. Over the past year, I’ve experienced minor tears and major ones.  In this post, I’m going to discuss what I could (and should) have done to prevent bloody hand, and what treatment options are available to those of us unfortunate enough to gash open our hands doing high-rep pull-ups, kettlebell snatches and the like.

Hand Grooming
Those who are new to gymnastics, weightlifting or CrossFit in general often start with soft, callus-free hands. Ideally, to reduce the likelihood of hand tears, beginners should try to gradually build up calluses (through — what else? — handling bars) to the point where the skin on their palms and fingers are tough and thick — but smooth. Once some skin-thickening is achieved, the goal is to keep any calluses filed down. The goal is have a consistent, smooth palm surface, without noticeable ridges or fluctuating thicknesses of skin. A raised, rough callus will eventually blister and tear away from the surrounding skin, ripping open your hands and making a bloody mess. A general rule of thumb: If you can pinch a raised edge of the callus, it needs to be filed down. Constant vigilance and regular hand care is key to preventing tears.
You can use a number of different tools to keep your calluses in check, including:

• A nail file;
• A callus/corn shaver;
• Cuticle scissors;
• A pumice stone;
• A dull razor blade;
• Sandpaper;
• A butter knife; or
• A Dremel tool(!)

Obviously, don’t be an idiot. Use these tools with care.
As one CrossFit Journal article put it:
Ideally, your entire palm surface should be one thick callus with no bumps or ridges in any one particular area. In order to do this, groom your hands always after a hot shower or bath (this allows the calluses to swell up). While the calluses are still “swollen,” I take a double-edged razor and very carefully shave the dead callus bumps down a little at a time until the bumps are about even with the thickness of the rest of the hand. With my younger students, I simply ask them to get a callus stone (you can buy one at any drug store), and gently sand the callus down even with the rest of the skin. Remember, whenever you groom or shave your calluses, don’t overdo it, since you don’t want to go too deep into your skin. Always leave enough thick skin so to facilitate your workout the following day. The goal is to maintain an even and consistent thickness of hard skin throughout the entire palm.
Also: Lube up your hands. Chalk and frequent washing will suck the moisture right out your skin, and dry, cracked hands do not feel awesome. So listen to the Silence of the Lambs guy: Lotion is important for skin care. (And remember to put the lotion in the basket.) Use Bag Balm or Udder Cream (it’s not just for irritated cows anymore!)  or whatever suits your fancy.
This, by the way, is what a well-groomed pair of CrossFitting hands is supposed to look like:

My hands don’t look like this. Being the idiot that I am, I’ve never been very consistent about filing down my calluses, and lately, I developed a few big ones with rough edges. I didn’t do anything about ‘em, and as a result, I tore ‘em wide open yesterday. Not fun.
Grip & Technique
A lot of CrossFitters rip open their hands doing high-rep bar movements: kipping pull-ups, clean-and-jerks, snatches. But there are ways to tweak your technique to reduce the chances of a nasty tear.
First, use the right grip.
When working with a barbell, some folks are inclined to grip the bar across the middle of their palms. This, unfortunately, squishes the fleshy pad below the base of your fingers against the bar, causing discomfort, added friction, blisters, and worse. A better way to go is to grip the barbell across the base of your fingers — where the metacarpals meet the proximal phalanges.
As for doing kipping pull-ups while training (versus competing), CrossFitter Pär Larsson has this to say about getting a proper grip:
When doing pull-ups, keep your metacarpals in line with your proximal phalanges; i.e., your hand bones and the first bones in your fingers. This sucks because it’s harder to do pull-ups with your center of gravity an inch lower, and it takes more finger/ forearm strength. The first week or two or five, you might have to go back to using a band sometimes, or doing jumping pull-ups on a box, or using an easier band. I understand this might hurt your pride, your ego and your self-esteem like it did mine, but as long as I get the workout I need I see no need to care much if I beat my friends in an everyday training environment… Plus, I don’t have to worry about caring for ripped and bleeding hands.

As Larsson points out, “[t]his “training grip” eliminates tons of friction on the top inside of your palm muscles and skin, which is what causes the ubiquitous blisters there.”Friction is further reduced if you keep your core tight during kipping pull-ups, keeping your movement compact.
For example, in this GymnasticsWOD video (which Tim posted on the CrossFit Palo Alto Facebook page yesterday), Carl Paoli doesn’t engage in the exaggerated lateral swing that many of us are used to doing. Notice the efficiency of movement; his legs aren’t kicking violently out front. He doesn’t flop around. By keeping the kipping motion short and focused, there’s less of the skin-on-bar rubbing that might lead to shredded hands.
Lesson: Huge kips lead to torn hands.
Treatment
At a barbecue yesterday, I got to talking with Trish about her recent experiment with different ways of treating shredded hands. She’d ripped up her skin in a number of places during Memorial Day Murph, and decided to treat each tear slightly differently:

• With Rip No. 1, she used scissors to cut away the flap of skin.
• With Rip No. 2, she tore the skin flap off by tugging on it away from the point at which the skin was still attached.
• And with Rip No. 3, she just left the flap in place.

All three spots were slathered with antibacterial ointment and bandaged. According to Trish, Rip No. 3 healed fastest. “It was like having a natural Band-Aid in place,” she said. Interestingly, Rip No. 1 — the one subjected to the scissors — was slowest to heal.

I’m now conducting a similar experiment. On my right hand, I’ve used scissors to snip off the flap of skin that tore away from my hand; on my left, I’ve left the skin in place. Of course, I washed both hands carefully (OUCH), Neosporin-ed the heck out of them, and kept ‘em bandaged and dry. I’ll report back on the results in a few days.
But regardless, I know this much: It’s important to clean the wound and keep it well-covered with antibacterial ointment to prevent infection. No one wants a staph infection or necrotizing fasciitis.
I’m using Neosporin, but there are, of course, lots of other remedies that people swear by, including:

• Vitamin E
• Superglue
• Wet tea bags
• Dermabond skin sealant

Am I missing any others?
Gloves, Grips & Tape
I know what you’re thinking: It’s a pain in the ass to keep your hands from ripping, and treating them sounds less than fun, too — so why not just slap on a pair of gloves?
The folks over at CrossFit Impulse point to two compelling reasons to train without gloves:

• “[U]nless you wear gloves throughout your daily life, at some point you will have to rely on the pure, unadulterated gripping power of your bare-skinned hands to perform work,” so “develop[] that capability into your own hands as much as possible.”
• “[A]nything between your hands and the object you are gripping reduces your proprioception — your ability to know where the object is in space relative to your body.”

Not everyone agrees with this assessment, of course. Some athletes fiercely defend the use of gloves, arguing that the prevention of injury trumps the benefits of going glove-free. And Reebok has developed CrossFit gloves (available in the CrossFit HQ store) that numerous athletes wore during Games. But then again, they were in competition — and did as many as TEN workouts (many with high-rep bar movements) over the course of a single weekend. Their hands were trashed. So before you rush out to plunk down forty bucks for a pair of fancy new gloves to bring to your gym, ask yourself whether they’re warranted. If your hands aren’t wrecked, you probably don’t need gloves.

Similarly, grips and tape aren’t normally needed in CrossFit. If you’re a gymnast, grips will certainly allow you to train harder and longer, but if you’re just cranking out a quick metcon, you’re unlikely to need to ‘em on a regular basis.
However, when your hands are already torn or if you know the day’s WOD is likely to destroy your skin, pulling out the athletic tape may be just the thing to keep you from a world of hurt. Plus, a few strips of tape are unlikely to be as heavily (and unnecessarily) padded as a big pair of mittens.
Right now, my hands are ripped up, and I can’t easily grip anything without covering the places where my skin has been torn away. So tomorrow morning, I’m going to grab a roll of athletic tape and cover the spots that need protection. I’ll also make a handy-dandy tape-grip for additional protection.  If you love origami and want to get all fancy, check out these step-by-step instructions for making a super-slick grip out of athletic tape.

And if you just want to quickly throw on a makeshift tape grip before your WOD starts, you can always do this instead:

• Grab a roll of athletic tape (the 1.5-inch tape works great).
• Tear off a strip that’s a few inches longer than your hand.
• Split the strip lengthwise down the middle until you’re halfway down.
• Stick the unsplit half of the tape on your palm (over the rip), with the split ends wrapping around either side of the finger above the rip.
• Use additional tape as needed to secure the ends of the tape around your wrist and around your finger.
• Go kick some butt.

 I hope this helps with those pesky blisters and calluses. Please let me know if you have any questions and keep working hard...It’s paying off each and every day you set foot in our temporary wooden boxJ.