Some say having a high metabolism is a blessing and those who say that are usually fat!  What they are not aware of is that a fast metabolism also makes it more difficult to put on muscle.

If you are one of our athletes that appear to be lanky thin you may struggle at achieving your gains.  If this applies to you here are a few ways to achieve leaner muscle mass.  Eating more often is one way to keep feeding that high metabolism of yours.  You will need to get 1-3 grams of protein per lbs of your body weight.  Which means you may want to consider up to 8 meals per day and of course stick to lean meats!  You’ll also want to stay away from the bad carbohydrates (ex. bread and corn) and take in fibrous carbs such as broccoli and leafy greens as well as orange carbs like carrots and squash.  Don’t forget to include good fats in each meal.  Omegas are essential so make sure to fire back lots of walnut, avocado and coconut.

With this type of eating habit, consuming a minimum of 16 times your body weight in calories, then your next step is simply starting a strength program to help with all those muscle gains!  Good luck to all you skinnys!

Charlie.

Wednesday’s Lesson Plan

Skills Focus – Force yourself to do a variety of different progressions, complete all individual task work and understand proper technique will keep you safe and efficient with these more complex gymnastic skills.

Technique: Muscle Ups
Advanced Athlete – Record Max set of Muscle-up Reps with 3to 5minutes rest in-between.

Novice – Rotate through…
1) False Grip Ring Rows/ Pull-ups
2) Banded Transition (see GWOD)
3) Hips to Ring & hips to pull-up bar
4) Ring Dips (deep and parallel rings)

WEDNESDAY WORKOUT

“Cuz It’s Super Fun”
for time complete 10 Rounds of…
– 200m Run
– 5 Wall Climbs

For the wall climbs, start with your toes and chest on the deck, walk your feet up the wall until your chest touches the wall, and then descend back to the original position.

T

As we sweat together, stretch together, eat and laugh together, Crossfit has enriched our lives for the better.  We share the same beliefs when it comes down to fitness.  The significance of the circle question each day is that it builds comradery.  The true definition of comradery (also camaraderie) is “a spirit of friendly good-fellowship” and is often used to describe the closeness amongst troops and teammates.  The Box and the class that we choose to go to each day is our playing field.

The circle question is a way of establishing who is who for new clients and used to get to know each other.  Often, common interests outside of the school are exposed.

During client meetings the “circle question” is usually a topic of discussion.  Some feel it takes up too much time and would like to see it go and some (especially those that have been to other boxes) love it and believe it builds our community.  I see it as our verbal stretch before the class begins.  Many of us rush through the day and want to rush into the class, but the circle questions halts us and brings us together.

With my youth program, Mad Lab Youth Warriors, the circle question is minimal 50% of the program as it builds comfort between closed teens as they come to realize that we are all not so different after all.

What would you ask as a circle question?

Charlie.

Warm-up

Andy Sac’s semi secret dance moves.

Obviously the best Tuesday morning warmup I’ve ever done.  Watch him before a WOD and see if you can decipher what he’s doing to get the joints warmed up.

Technique

Warm Up the Barbbell bear movements.  Use dumbbells if you have shoulder issues (men 40lbs and women 25lbs)

WORKOUT
“The Mama Bear”

- 7 Deadlift
– 5 Power Clean
– 3 Front Squat
– 1 Push Press

Have you ever gotten present to your thoughts while walking into the school, during your workout or after the workout?  When a coach or apprentice is giving you feedback?  Or do you simply turn off your brain when you hear “3, 2, 1 GO” and start listening to yourself breath, grunt and groan?

As for my experience, I have clients tell me thoughts lead to emotions during certain WODs.  Some expose laughter, aggression or tears!  As for the seasoned CF Athlete, I think we turn ourselves to focus on correct movement, start counting reps, and to do our best in that given moment whether it be Fran or Murph!

As we know, we’ll have lots of time to think of all that distracting stuff that comes with life at the end of the workout,  when we are laying in a puddle of our own sweat.   Please post to comments what you think about or what you tell yourself when you’re in the game.

Charlie

Lesson Plan Monday – Festival du Grip

Warm-up – Shoulders and hips

– 2 lengths sideway crab walks followed by 20 handstand shoulder shrugs while inverted.

– 1 length inch worm with pushup followed by 20 cassack squats

Technique & Skill

Find your 8RM Press (ala Dan John)
– I’ll suggest power cleaning and pressing these as most trained athletes will achieve a stronger first rep because of the preloading achieved while cleaning the bar to a shoulder press starting position.  Newbies can have preferential rights to the racks Monday.  Break out into groups of 3.  Warm-up with bar then 5,5,5rep then go for 8’s.

WORKOUT: “Suck my Grip”

7 Rounds or max rounds in 20 minutes of…
– 14 Kettlebell Swings (1.5/2pood)
– 7 Chest to Bar Pull-ups
– 7 Toes to Bar

TBear and Team

I PROMISE this will be the last Open workout prodding. Why? Because tomorrow is your last day to complete the first of 5 workouts and register as a competitor. You can do that here.

I apologize to the 6 am class yesterday for my stress levels. I asked Bobbi if I seemed stress, and she was kind and said, “Yeah, a little. But don’t worry.” Kane overheard from the other side of the room and gave me a more honest answer. “You were a 10 out of 10 on the stress scale,” he laughed in his Pleasantville little way.

The reason I was stressed was partially because of my own disorganization, but the other reason is because it’s the F**** OPEN COMPETITION. A time when people push themselves harder than usual, a time where they reach personal bests they didn’t think they could achieve. Last year at this time, Robert and Caitlin were finishing their personal training sessions. Although they were still in personal training, I made them do the first Open Workout – 7 minutes of burpees.

I still remember Robert lumbering his way up and down, down and up, each burpee looked more painful than the next. He panted and strained for 7 minutes – I thought he might die. Fast forward one year later. I watched Robert do 40 burpees with ease, and then proceed to hit 30 snatches before busting out another 30 burpees. Then came the true test. With a legitimate load of 135 pounds on the bar, Robert grabbed that thing like it was nothing and hit a handful of 135 pound snatches AFTER doing 70 burpees and 30 lighter snatches. Had I told him last year as he was huffing and puffing his way through max effort-looking burpee attempts that in one year’s time he’d be rocking 135 pounds snatches AFTER 70 burpees, he wouldn’t have believed me. Needless to say, it was a great moment Thursday morning, and I hope he took the time to reflect on how far he has come.

BUT, the Open isn’t all about the physical. It’s about what it does to you mentally, emotionally. When I finished the workout this morning, I was on a massive high – like legitimately felt high – for the rest of the day. Feeling like I could eat a horse or two, I went for breakfast, downed a mimosa or two, and felt like I was on cloud nine for the rest of the day. It really doesn’t even matter how well your workout goes. When you’re submitting a score, you push harder, and when you push yourself to the limit, you enter a happy place, a place of pure satisfaction, and you sit there feeling on top of the moon. NOTHING beats that feeling!!!

Tomorrow – your last chance to get this feeling for five weeks straight!!

Saturday

Warm-up:
2 rounds of 30 Squats plus 275m Opera Run plus 60sec handstand hold

Technique & Skill
Power cleans and thrusters

TEAM WORKOUT – MadLab 2007 Finale Redo

(21, 15, 9)

-Power Cleans (135/85)
-Ring Dips

(21,15,9)

-Thrusters (95/65)
-Pull-ups

then a 1 mile team ball run (20/12) transfer back and forth as much as you want.

*chose partners of the same sex or the female will have to complete with male weights.

Enjoy your Saturday Night.  Sunday classes are at 10am and 3pm.