15 Sep 2013
Continue to Impress
I’ve mentioned before how I am to some degree, a CrossFit junkie, subscribing to many different affiliates on Facebook, reading about professional power lifters and Olympic lifters and always chatting with whoever will listen about the newest thing on T-Nation or by Dan John.
I do my best to take something away from every article I read and every video I watch because it excites me as a coach to apply these ideas to athletes, and it excites me as an athlete to try these theories or practices on myself.
I can’t take the credit for this solo, every coach has played a role in what I am about to congratulate all of the students on.
In the last year, I have watched some people makes incredible gains and improvements. I have witnessed a woman conquer her fears of a rope climb, I’ve watched people improve their number of max pull ups, I’ve also seen a woman kick up to a handstand for the first time in her life. Not to mention the countless PR’s people make in every single lift daily.
One thing I have noticed over the last 6 weeks especially, is the improvement in peoples squatting technique. It’s one of those things that seems so easy, but when a coach (usually Chesty) comes over and watches you squat, you better believe he/she has something to say to help you improve. There a few specific people who have made an extreme effort to make changes to their squat, as they realize that with a better and easier squat, comes better and easier workouts as well. I’m not going to name names, but I think you know who you are.
Now, this isn’t a get out of jail free card, continuing to hone in on better technique is a goal every student here should have. That being said, I like what I’m seeing.
Tom
Warm up:
dynamic Lengths - coaches choice
lead students through a snatch bias warm up with a dowel
then
2 rounds – with an empty barbell
10 hang snatch
10 drop snatch
Technique:
1-1-1-1-1 snatch
aim for a full snatch, but if you struggle to get under, the bar power snatch is fine.
Workout:
15 min time cap
30 T2B
30 alternating DB snatch at 35% of the heaviest single you hit today
30 wall balls 20/14
30 burpee box jumps 24/20 (jump over the box today, step ups are allowed, as long as two feet meet the top of the box)
15 Sep 2013
PE 3.0
CFV’s 10 Week Project Endurance 3.0 kicks off October 5th @ 9am.
This program is designed to make you a better runner. Period.
Whether you have to pack a lunch for a 1 mile run or already have a sub 3 minute kilometre, we’ve got something for you.
There’ll be a heavy focus on effective technique and strategy; with plenty of running specific prehab, strength and mobility work.
We’ll be playing with a lot of time trials, tempo runs, interval training, and hill workouts.
Above all, our goal is to get you running.
The program will start with a 2 hr ‘Running as a Skill’ workshop.
Each week thereafter, one of our fine coaches (Dan, Andy, or Shopsy) will host a dedicated group class (Saturday’s @ 9am) and hand out two running homework assignments (per week).
Each athlete will also get two, very thorough, state of the art, video and movement analysis sessions as well as a 20% discount on shoe and insole bundles from Origin Athletics (the proshop).
Cost for our 10 week program is $195.
At or near the end of our course, you are encouraged to enter a local road or trail race.
Check out:
The Boundary Bay Marathon hosts a 5k, 10k, half and full marathon, plus a relay (4 legs from 7.5k to 13.5k long). November 3rd.
The New Balance Fall Classic is a 10Km and Half Marathon held at UBC on Nov 17th
The Historic Half offers a 5Km, 10Km, and Half in Stanley Park on Nov 24th
Pure Satisfaction Race is a trail race on the Baden Powell Trail in North Van and can be run as a 12.5Km, 25km, or a very juicy 50Km! Dec 15th.
Contact [email protected] to register.
15 Sep 2013
PE 3.0
CFV’s 10 Week Project Endurance 3.0 kicks off October 5th @ 9am.
This program is designed to make you a better runner. Period.
Whether you have to pack a lunch for a 1 mile run or already have a sub 3 minute kilometre, we’ve got something for you.
There’ll be a heavy focus on effective technique and strategy; with plenty of running specific prehab, strength and mobility work.
We’ll be playing with a lot of time trials, tempo runs, interval training, and hill workouts.
Above all, our goal is to get you running.
The program will start with a 2 hr ‘Running as a Skill’ workshop.
Each week thereafter, one of our fine coaches (Dan, Andy, or Shopsy) will host a dedicated group class (Saturday’s @ 9am) and hand out two running homework assignments (per week).
Each athlete will also get two, very thorough, state of the art, video and movement analysis sessions as well as a 20% discount on shoe and insole bundles from Origin Athletics (the proshop).
Cost for our 10 week program is $195.
At or near the end of our course, you are encouraged to enter a local road or trail race.
Check out:
The Boundary Bay Marathon hosts a 5k, 10k, half and full marathon, plus a relay (4 legs from 7.5k to 13.5k long). November 3rd.
The New Balance Fall Classic is a 10Km and Half Marathon held at UBC on Nov 17th
The Historic Half offers a 5Km, 10Km, and Half in Stanley Park on Nov 24th
Pure Satisfaction Race is a trail race on the Baden Powell Trail in North Van and can be run as a 12.5Km, 25km, or a very juicy 50Km! Dec 15th.
Contact [email protected] to register.
An able-bodied T Bear, rocking HSPUs
A couple of weeks ago you all helped out with a question that I’ve had for a while now. Exactly what percentage of an athlete’s bodyweight should they be able to Shoulder Press to meet the strength requirement to get them a Hand Stand Push Up?
I was hoping to find a better way to scale and progress the HSPU.
So we laid out simple study. We asked you all to :
1. Find your 1 rep max Shoulder Press
2. Perform as many strict Handstand Push Ups as possible
3. Perform as many kipping Handstand Push Ups as possible
and then
4. Record bodyweight
y axis: Strict HSPUs. X axis: % of bodyweight 1RM press
We fed all of that info into Bill’s brain and he spit out the above graph. It seems a shoulder press of at least 55% of an athletes bodyweight will get them in the ballpark for a handstand push up. Which surprised me, I had that number pegged a higher.
Of course, this is just the strength requirement, there is also a large skill element involved. Differing limb lengths, where bodyweight is distributed and comfort being upside-down are also factors.
*you’ll have to ask Bill how he came up with that number. He tried to explain it to me…started with a bunch stuff like ‘solving yields’ and ‘isomorphism’…by the time he got to P_1rm = W + .033xRxW, I started to zone out… how does he get his hair to stick up like that?
Andy
Warm Up:
A) 2 Rounds of…
1 Length Inch Worm
200m Run
10 Ring Rows
B) Hop on a rower and dial in some technique.
Skill Development:
500m Row every 6 Minutes for 18 Minutes
*It’s real easy to push yourself to an ugly position just for distance. Focus bringing the oar with you (strength); Think of the first pull of the Snatch or Clean. Explode and pull after you clear the first pull (power); Think of pinching the elbows behind your body, not dragging the wrists up. As you return, breathe in and find tension while returning the oar in a straight line. Do not collapse; Just because you’re powerful, doesn’t mean you can’t bleed performance out of every faulty position or orifice.
Performance:
7 Minute AMRAP of…
7 Handstand Pushups (Grab some Dumbells you can Press no more than 5 times and sub DB Press)
7 Deadlifts 225/185
Cool down for your life.
11 Sep 2013
A Shift in Perspective
Sorry for the late post guys.
I had another one all typed up any ready to go…but then I found this video of our own Emily Beers’ search for perspective, and I had to share.
Its so good.
You have to check it out: Going to Haiti Part 1: A Shift in Perspective
Andy
Thursday Lesson Plan
Warm Up:
20 Front Leg Swings
20 Side Leg Swings
20 Back Leg Swings
then 3 rounds of…
1 Length Duck Walk
30 second Goblet Squat Hold
Skill/Strength:
5×5 Front Squat
*Gradually increase from last week. Load slightly back with the hip and move straight down into the squat. Drive into the bar and maintain that stacked spinal musculature. No slouching. If you fail, make sure it’s on the last rep of the last set.
3x Max Strict Toes 2 Bar (or Candlestick Negatives/Dragon Flags)
Performance: 10 Minute Cap
3 Rounds of…
15 Thrusters 95/65
15 D-Ball Slams 20/12
10 Sep 2013
What's Coming up at the Lab?
Holy Smokes, there’s a lot going on at the School of Fitness this season!
Here’s a list of some of our upcoming events:
September 21st – Apprentice Appreciation Day. Pitch, Putt, and BBQ
September 30th – Project Endurance 3.0. Vancouver’s premier running clinic. New and greatly improved. Tune in tomorow for more details.
October 16th – MadLab Tournament. Back by popular demand. Its a 6 week team based tourney, run by the one and only Pink Pig! Open to all at CFV.
October 11th-14th – Coach’s Thanksgiving Retreat.
October 15th – November 30th – Client Meetings. This will be a chance to sit down, have a few drinks, relax, and give some valued feedback to your coaches. Individual dates for each coach are to be determined.
October 26th – Halloween Party. The biggest, weirdest party of the year. Start brain-storming costume ideas now. Not to be missed!
November 15th or 16th (TBD) – Tribal Elder Dinner. 5 years with CFV gets you an invite.
December 7th – Talent Show and Silent Auction. Emily is optimistic.
December 14th or 21st (TBD) - Staff Christmas Party. A careening, vomit inducing, Limbo Bus ride through the streets of Vancouver. With ‘Seizure-Vision’ neonlite kit upgrade. Your inner ear wont know what hit it.
January 2014 – Town Hall Meeting. Patty’s annual State of the Union address.
Clear your schedules.
More details to follow.
Andy
Warm Up:
6 Minutes of…
10 T-spine Bridges
1 Length Samson lunge
30 Second Plank Hold
Girard Warm Up or Skill Transfer Exercises
Skill/Strength:
As you warm up your Power Snatch, practice finding your balance before standing up. Securing the landing in that ready ‘power’ position will benefit you through this next volume. Watch those that get impatient, attempting to drag the bar up will only blast fatigue; Use this time to challenge your technique with skill.
10 Minute EMOM of…
3 Power Snatch @ 60-70% of your 1RM SS
Performance: 15 Minute Cap
2 Rounds of…
6 Power Snatch 115/75
6 Bar Muscle Ups (or 6 Chest to Bar pull ups)
then…
2 Rounds of…
6 Hang Power Snatch 115/75
6 Bar Muscle Ups (or 6 Chest to Bar pull ups)
