Week 1 of the CrossFit Open is done!  I must say I’m very impressed, and proud of all the Sweat Shop members that are participating in the Open this year.  We had a total of 38 people that did workout #1, a few actually did it twice.  Aaron C. did it a second time in his home using the video submission and increased his score by 1 rep.  For the Masters age 50-54, Charlie currently sits in 28th, in the world!  Of our Sweat Shop members, Rikus had the top score at 116, and Helen had the top score for the females at 113.  Workout #2 gets announced today at 5pm!

Here is a recap of Week 1 from the CrossFit Games site.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

800m Run
then 5 Rounds of:
5 Deadlift 275/195
5ea. Pistols
25 Double Unders

then finish with (1) 800m Run

results:

With so many paleo recipe websites these days, coupled with the ease and accessibility of the internet, there is no reason for anyone to claim they can’t eat paleo because they wouldn’t know what to cook.  A Google search of “paleo recipes” turned up this great site, Paleo Diet Lifestyle, and in seconds I found this delicious looking recipe for a stuffed pork tenderloin.  The popularity of the paleo diet and ease of the internet also allowed me to complete a post in less than 5 minutes!

*Prather Ranch meat money due by Monday March 5th.  Delivery is currently scheduled for Wednesday March 14th.**

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Monday’s WOD:

4 Rounds
10 Overhead Squats
10 Back Squats (no rack)
10 Power Cleans

Rx’d Men body weight
Rx’d Women 70% body weight

results:

 Rene during the final workout of the SacTown Throwdown

Rene’s first Endurance/Tough Mudder training session will be this Sunday, 2pm at the Sweat Shop.  This will be a great opportunity for anyone looking to improve their endurance and/or those that will be doing the Tough Mudder, or any other endurance type of events in the future.  The session is for any Sweat Shop member, regardless of whether or not you are signed up for the Tough Mudder.

This will NOT be an Open Gym hour to work on whatever you like, nor will it be a time to do the CrossFit Open workout.

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Saturday’s WOD:

8:30 & 9:30am

400m Run
10-9-8
Deadlifts
Pushups

300m Run
7-6-5
Deadlifts
Pushups

200m Run
4-3-2-1
Deadlifts
Pushups

Rx’d – Bodyweight

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10:30am

A.) Overhead Squat
3-3-3-3-3

B.)
Every 2 minutes complete
100m Sprint
5 Clean & Jerk 155/105
15 Box Jumps

REPEAT for 4 Rounds

results:

Jason during last year’s Open.

For all those competing in the CrossFit Games Open, remember that you must submit your score online. Once you submit your score, we will confirm it and you will then be placed in the rankings. Submit your scores here. Last year, there were some difficulties with those who waited until the last minute and some scores didn’t get counted. You have until Sunday! If you are unable to make it into the Sweat Shop for the workouts, you may either get validated by another nearby gym or you can make a video and submit it. Here are the video instructions. Congrats to all those who have already completed the first workout. Seven minutes of burpees can’t be fun!

**Don’t forget that there will be an open gym session this Sunday at 11:15am. No set workout, no one coaching, just get in a workout if you like**
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 Legitness of the Week

 - Christian goes beast mode on Thursday’s WOD!
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Friday’s WOD:

A.)  2 Squat Cleans on the minute for 15 minutes

B.) 21-15-9
Ground to Overhead (95#/65#)
Ring Dips

results:

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Thursday’s WOD:

5 Rounds

15 Wall Balls
12 Pullups
10 Burpees
200m Run

results:

Rikus does a great job of turning off all the voices in his head, so that he can push himself to his absolute limit.  Only problem is that sometimes that “voice” is actually James or myself, yelling at him to stop doing something with such horrible form.

Check out this post from CrossFit West Santa Cruz:

The human body is truly a remarkable thing. We are all capable of amazing feats of strength and endurance when certain demands are put upon us. We’ve all heard incredible stories of survival where someone was capable of doing something that normally would seem impossible. So, if each one of us has some level of superpower within, then why can the end of a particularly hard workout feel like it will surely bring us to an early grave? Why do those last nine thrusters of “Fran” feel so hard? Why does that last 400m seem so slow? Or why does stopping 10 seconds before the end of an AMRAP seem like a good idea because the feeling of doing one more rep would surely kill you? It’s simple. This is the point during every workout the mind and the body experiences a mini civil war and it is up to you as to which side is going to win.

Read full post here.

There will be an open gym session this Sunday at 11:15am, no set workout, no one coaching, just get in a workout if you like.

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Wednesday’s WOD:

A.) Deadlift
3-3-3-3-3

Strict Press
3-3-3-3

B.) 3 1/2 minutes to complete 403m Run
Max Reps Box Jumps

2 1/2 minutes to complete 200m Ryn
Max Reps Muscle Ups and/or Handstand Pushups

1 1/2 minutes to complete 70m Run
Max Reps Burpees

results:

During last year’s Fittest of the Sierra’s

Registration has opened for the 2012 Fittest of the Sierra’s.  Last year was lots of fun and this year they’ve even added a Master’s age group, so the older generation of Sweat Shoppers can join us!  While we probably won’t be able to do any skiing or snowboarding the day before, like we did last year, it will certainly still be a fun weekend.  The event will be taking place June 16th at South Tahoe CrossFit.

For more info and to register, click here.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

A.) 2 Snatches on the minute for 15 minutes

B.) “GBO”
1 Round
1 minute each exercise, max reps:
Double Unders
KB Swings 70/44
Air Squats
Situps
Plate Thrusters 45/25
Burpees onto plate

results:

You know fish oil has become a popular product when Rogue Fitness has their own line.  Fish oil has recently grown in popularity due to research showing the benefits of Omega-3′s have on reducing inflammation (think cellular level, not inflammation from something like a twisted ankle), and therefore reducing the risk of cancer, etc.  Check out this post from Robb Wolf that stresses the importance of limiting the things which can cause the inflammatory response (linolenic acid), rather than simply trying to load the body with fish oil to fix the problem.  Unfortunately this means reducing the amount of Justin’s Almond Butter, in favor of something like coconut.

Just a heads up if you are going to read the Robb Wolf post, N-3 stands for Omega-3 fats (these are the good ones), N-6 stands for Omega-6 fats.

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Monday’s WOD:

403m Run
21 Single Arm KB Squat (53/35)
21 Toes to Bar
21 Pushups w/ hand release
21 Single Arm KB Walking Lunge

200m Run
18 reps of each exercise above

403m Run
15 reps of each exercise above

results:

FYI-   at age 59, Melia is participating in the Open!

The CrossFit Open starts this week!  A different workout announced each Wednesday at 5pm, everyone will have until Sunday afternoon to complete the workout and submit their score.  We will be programming the Open workout each week into Wednesday’s workout, as well as having two other times to do it.  Here are the days/times we’ll be doing it for the next 5 weeks:

Thursday – during all regular class times
Thursday – 6:30pm
Friday – 12 noon

Everyone is encouraged to participate, even if you don’t have aspirations of going to the CrossFit Games!  Register here.  After you register, also be sure to not only choose Sweat Shop as your affiliate, but also select “Join Team”, to be put on the Sweat Shop team!

Watch this cool promo video of the Open that shows how CrossFit is spanning the globe [ Windows / Mac ]

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Saturday’s WOD:

8:30 & 9:30am

3 Rounds
403m Run
15 Overhead Squats 115/75
15 Chest to bar Pullups
15 Bar Facing Burpees

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10:30am

A.) 800m Run

B.) 12 minutes to reach 1 Rep Max Thruster

C.) “Annie”
50-40-30-20-10
Double Unders
Situps

results:

Considering that Alex only works out 3 times a week (at most) and rarely gets the time to attempt his true max, the amount of weight he can move is beyond impressive.

**CrossFit Open starts next week, we will be programming the weekly workout to be done as our WOD on Wednesday’s, as well as offering an additional time on Friday at noon to do the workout.  If you haven’t already, REGISTER HERE!**  After you register, make sure you not only choose CrossFit Sweat Shop as your affiliate, BUT also JOIN TEAM**

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Legitness of the Week

- Nabil and Helen get engaged!
- Jason, Patrick, Rene, and Dana make it to the finals of the Sac Town Throwdown!
- Alex Overhead Squat 325×3 (Sweat Shop Record)!
- At age 59, Melia fearlessly signs up for the CrossFit Games!

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Friday’s WOD:

A.) Push Press
5-4-3-2-1

As many rounds as possible in 8 minutes:
4 Strict Press
8 Burpees
12 Walking Lunges

results:

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Thursday’s WOD:

As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes:
4 Pistols (each leg)
8 Burpees
12 Deadlifts 185#/135#
1 Rope Climb

results:

Admir & CJ during one of last year’s Mud Runs.

Starting March 4th, Rene will be coaching a Sunday session that is geared towards improving endurance, perfect for those that will be doing the Tough Mudder in September.  Here are some more details:

When: Every Sunday
Time: 2:00-3:00pm
Where: Sweat Shop, Shell Ridge

What: Tough Muddler Training will focused on endurance training, dedicated to improving performance, fitness and endurance going into Tough Mudder.

A one hour session dedicated to getting down and dirty tough mudder style. We will be introducing long runs, hill repeats and high intensity obstacle simulated coupled with functional movements. Sessions will usually last an hour unlessotherwise noted in advanced.

We will have a meet-up once or twice a month at shell ridge where I will bring kettel bells, sandbags and various equiptment out with me to incorporate into our workouts.

Be sure to check the blog and/or Facebook on each Friday to get the most up to date details on each Sunday session!

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Wednesday’s WOD:

A.) Overhead Squat
5-4-3-2-1

B.) 5 Rounds
9 Snatch Grip Deadlift 115/75
6 Hang Snatch
3 Overhead Squat

results:

I’m going to keep this simple.  If you are having shoulder pain and/or limited range of motion, you have 4 options:

1.) Go and get some type of tissue work (deep tissue, ART, etc.), at the very least, on a weekly basis.

2.) Try doing the mobility exercises in this video, DAILY.

3.) Stop excersing.

4.) Take no action to treat the issue, and simply accept that you will always have shoulder pain.

If you don’t have the funds to do #1, I would strongly suggest #2.  Even if you can do #1 occasionally, or even weekly, I would still suggest also doing #2.  While often times pain is felt in the shoulder, the cause can actually be tightness in the lats, pecs, and biceps.  Loosening these muscles can be very beneficial.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

A.) Front Squat
5-4-3-2-1

B.) “Elizabeth”
21-15-9
Clean 135/95
Ring Dip

results:

A recent masterpiece created by CJ – Kimchi Burger!

With some of you surely indulging in food and drink on Valentine’s Day, here is a recent post from Mark’s Daily Apple on easing an upset stomach.

Maybe it was a raucous night out with too much to drink or an oddly tasting (now you know why) meat dish at a new restaurant. Perhaps you succumbed to the latest stomach bug – care of your jamhanded preschooler. Or maybe you’re making your way through several weeks of intense morning sickness (nature’s rather cruel joke, isn’t it?). Whatever the case, you’ve been bent over the porcelain throne for the better part of the last few hours – or stuck sitting on it. Alternatively, you’re in agony and wish to any and all forms of Providence that you could simply throw up already to get some relief. When the worst of the drama is over or you realize it’s probably not going to hit a crescendo, so to speak, you realize you feel weak and maybe a little shaky. It’s a sensation, you imagine, akin to having your insides cleaned out with a turbo suction engine. Nothing is left, and it’s starting to feel funky. Especially if it’s been a longer haul than the hours since last night’s questionable dinner, you know you need to eat or at least drink. But what exactly?

Congratulations to our two teams that participated in the SacTown Throwdown this past weekend!  It was a fun event with a wide variety of exercises and workout formats.  Everything from lifting concrete stones, performing various gymnastics such as forwards rolls, to pulling a police car around a race track!  Our team of Jason, Patrick, Dana and Rene finished 6th in the Novice Division!  Complete results can be found here.  Also, big thanks to everyone that made the drive out to support our competitors.

I’m sure most of you have been wondering where the whiteboard results have gone these past two weeks. I want to assure you that the results are in no danger of abandonment and they will return back safely to the whiteboard soon. We decided to not log any results on the whiteboard for a while to see how you all would approach your training with simply logging your results in your notebook. Think about it for a second. Did you do anything different these two weeks? Did you not push as hard knowing that the results weren’t up on the board? Did you push harder knowing that you didn’t have to stress about your results being displayed? Or did you approach it the same? Nabil and I hope that you all approach everyday at the Sweat Shop with the same mindset of “I want to get better today”. Focusing on your results within yourself and your notebook is the best way to maintain this healthy mindset. It keeps your personal bests, it shows how far you’ve progressed, and in each result, it tells you everything you need to work on regardless of how others do. Too much focus on the whiteboard leads you away from this.

Yes, the whiteboard is part of the reason why CrossFit is fun. It gives you a feel for how long the workout might take, you can see how you fare against your buddies in different classes, and you get to share your personal feats with everyone. However, overemphasis on the whiteboard and over-the-top-competitiveness can play heavily to your disadvantage. Getting wrapped up into how you stack up against rest of the pack can really mess with your self-esteem, so much so that you neglect acknowledging you our genuine accomplishments. You may have heard us tell you all that getting more successful reps at a movement will actually lead you to actually grasping the movement. The same applies to giving your self-esteem a sense of success from time to time. When you have a great workout and feel better and more comfortable the last time you did it, you should be proud of yourself. You shouldn’t have to PR or get first in a workout to convince yourself that you did something worthy of praise. Stick to your logbook and get pumped about when you do something you haven’t before.

Remember, use the Sweat Shop as your training center. You TRAIN here. It is not meant to be a competition venue where you just show up, do a WOD, and see how you compare to others. You have coaches who really care about not only giving you the best technical cues, but moreso, improving your mental approach. Nabil and I don’t do this because we like playing mind games with all of you, we just really understand that regardless of how gifted or talented you are, having a positive self-esteem, confidence, and mental toughness will produce a more successful athlete and person. We want you to be both!

Also remember there will be NO CLASSES at the Sweat Shop this weekend.  However, Nathan & Carolyn from CrossFit Adventure are welcoming any Sweat Shop members to come and participate in their Saturday morning classes! (they promised no bear crawls 

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Legitness of the Week

James R. 2:28 800m (Sweat Shop Record)
Daniela 90×1 Strict Press PR

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Friday’s WOD:

3 Rounds:
7 Hang Squat Cleans (165#/115#)
403m Run

2 Rounds:
20 Deadlifts
10 Burpees

results:

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Thursday’s WOD:

A.) Max Effort Box Jumps in 2-minutes

B.) Shoulder Press
3-2-1-1-1

C.) As many rounds as possible in 8 minutes of:
10 KB Squats
10 Pushups (with release)

results: