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Mexican Frankenstein bursts through the doors every morning – AND I MEAN EVERY MORNING – in a full-blown sprint, back pack bouncing up and down, arms flailing, and joins the circle with a heartrate of 180 beats per minute.

In fact, Mexican Frankenstein (his given name is actually Jordan) is always running. Sometimes, he does Tabata sprint intervals in the middle of the night and has been stopped by cops on more than one occasion because all of a sudden a giant, apparently suspicious-looking Mexican Frankenstein, goes from walking to a full sprint on the street at 2 am. True story.

When I first met him, I thought he never understood my questions so he always answered obscurely, always with one-word answers that were difficult to understand, partially due to being out of breathe, and partially because of his Spanish accent.

But it turns out, he has always understood my questions. It has just taken a while to get to know his sense of humour.

One day I asked the circle, “What sport should we eliminate from the Winter Olympics?”

He responded, “Winter Olympics.”

“Yes, what sport?” I reiterated.

“No. Entire Winter Olympics. Eliminate,” he said with no sign of expression in his face.

On top of showing up nearly every single day, Mexican Frankenstein is more than just our winner of the Attendance of the Year Award. He’s also a top dog entrepreneur.

Although we love having him in class, one thing I can’t get him to do is take a day off.

“Jordan, take a day off. Go for a light swim if you need to do something,” I told him one day.

His response: “Swimming makes you wet.”

Thanks for being a part of our community, Jordan!

Warmup: 6 min AMRAP

30 dowel dislocates

12 alt T-spine bridges

30 sec’s holding a goblet squat

30 sec’s handstand hold

Workout:  O-H-S (10×10)

This is the 4th Tuesday and I hope you all have improved on the (10×10) overhead squat.  As an incremental progression this week I suggest doing your 10 rep/10set max.

In the spirit of making THIS Saturday’s Trivia Night more open to those with less fortunate trivia skills, we’re adding a second contest – something arguably on the other side of the spectrum:

Our first ever ARM WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS!

There will be a chance to bet on who you think will win both Trivia Night AND the Arm Wrestling Titles, so come on out as a spectator at the very least.

Both men and women will get the chance to sign-up and compete, but only ONE man and ONE woman will be crowned East Van’s Arm Wrestling Champ! Sign-up for Arm Wrestling will take place the night of Trivia Night.

Sign-up for Trivia Night is at the school – you can’t miss it. It’s bright yellow.

Feel free to bring ringer friends who don’t go to CF Van for either your trivia team or to show us up and take down the Arm Wrestling Championships.

Finally, if you’d like to be on a team but are new to the community and are timid to ask around, e-mail Emily at [email protected] and we’ll find a team for you.

REVIEW:

Date: Saturday, March 29th
Time: Doors open at 7 pm. Trivia starts at 8 pm until 9:30 pm
Arm Wrestling: 10 pm
Notable: Wine and Cheese will be available: BYO Beer or Wine – To contribute to the serve yourself wine table

See you this Saturday at 7 pm!

Monday Lesson Plan

Warmup:  8 rounds of,

200m run

rest 2mins

Tech:  review wod moments

Workout: Quinby
7 rounds
5 pistols (each leg)
10 pull ups
15 push ups
20 abmat sit ups

What is it?  Chances are if you sit at a desk for a living you have it to some degree.

This is an all to true reality for the modern western human.

The great thing about the movements we practice in CrossFit is that they are diagnostic in nature. That is to say that if you have difficulty making a position, even at a high progression, there is something dysfunctional about your body. These are the warning signs that deeper research and discovery needs to take place.

Have no fear! Its never too late to start reversing the process. Remember there are 2 good times to plant a tree – 20 years ago and right now.

For those of you who have been around long enough surely you have seen a difference in how we warm up now. We educate in pt about activation and stretching more. We also do lots of activation and prep in the class warm ups now as well.

I always say to people that regular massage and physiotherapy are a must for an avid CrossFitter. Now I will be the first to say there are some real quacks out there when it comes to these professions but there are also some excellent practitioners at your service. We all have our favourites. Ask your coach who their’s is.

We also have “Specialty Programs” designed to address these issues. Both Tom’s Weakness 101 and Chesty/CJ’s More Than Mobility are excellent chances for proactivity in these matters.

Either way, look into this a little further. There are too many references on the intra ether net for me to list here.

Mucho Amore,

The House of Shepherd

Warm Up:
1000m Row (75%)

Tech:
Power Clean
H.S.C.
Push Jerk

Workout: (95/135lbs) 2 Minute Defense
Complete 5 rounds of
1 Power Clean
3 H.S.C.
2 Push Jerk
100m sprint (touch the pole up the alley & back)
After completing 5 rounds
Rest two minutes and repeat 5 more rounds for a total time – Score total time (including rest)

C to the F to the P!!

This new cast was just published.  Maybe the whole CrossFit thing is bad for us?

Laughter: Always the best medicine

HOS

Wednesday’s Workout:

Warm up:  4-6 dynamic lengths

Then

50 banded lateral walks (25/25 each side
40 marching glute bridges
90 secs accumulated in the hollow position

Skill Development: Handstand/handstand walking

WOD:  In 20 minutes complete as many as reps as possible of the following:

3 Box jumps 24/20
3 Wall balls 20/14
6 K-B-S (black/red)
6 Alt pistols
9 Box jumps 24/20
9 Wall balls 20/14
12 K-B-S
12 Alt pistols
15 Box jumps 24/20
15 Wall balls 20/14
(K-B-S/pistol)18, 21, 24 and so on..

BOOM!

CFP

With all the objectification of women topics/conversation on our blog last week The Afghan and I have decided to turn the tide and reduce us males to one thing or the other.

Please fill out this Survey Monkey and we will publish the results on Friday.  

House of Shepherd.  

Tuesday’s Workout:

W/U: 10minutes of the following:

20 glute bridges

10 wall angels

5 yoga push up

20 banded pull aparts

Skill/Workout:  O-H-S (10×10)

This will be the 3rd of 4 Tuesday’s that we’ll be doing the (10×10) overhead squat.  We’re looking for incremental progression so this week I suggest going with a bit heaver weight.

Charles F Palmer

Crazy right?

Well from a guy that has travelled the 3rd world extensively let me tell you this is the truth!

What can we do about it? Well, I had a boss years ago who would never let anyone complain about something unless they had a solution to the problem. It made people think about their complaints and in turn his job easier. Anyways, here is your solution!

I might give this a try.  

Mucho Amore,

The House of Shepherd

Monday’s Workout:

Warm Up – Complete two rounds: 

25 Dislocates
25 Band Pull Aparts
12 T-Spine Bridges
12 Push to Downward Dog

Strength: 

Tabata L-sit or/ reverse tabata  L-sit

Workout: Patty’s Day Chipper for time

Run 800m
21 Burpee pullups
21 V-snaps
1 rope climb
15 Burpee pullups
15 V-snaps
1 rope climb
9 Burpee pullups
9 V-snaps
1 rope climb
800 m run

Charles F Palmer

Ok, truth is we have no idea how smart Rich Froning is, but it’s safe to assume than you’re more likely to beat him at trivia than in a workout.

We’ve been talking having a Trivia Night for a while, and what better time than RIGHT after the Open competition ends? You’ll have just been humbled for five weeks during workouts; now it’s time to be humbled when you can’t remember the details of The Treaty of Versailles and you have no idea who won the World Series in 1998.

Thinking Hard

The Date: Saturday, March 29th

Time: Doors Open at 7 pm. Trivia starts at 8:30 pm

Sign-up: Old School sign-up at the gym starting Wednesday, March 19th

Structure: Teams of 3. Choose your teams wisely. More details about the structure of the event and categories coming next week!

Cost: $60 per team of 3. Entry fees will go toward prize money for the winners!

The event will be limited to 25 teams. First come first serve on the sign-up.

As per usual, we’re turning this into a wine and cheese event. We’ll provide plenty of cheese, but this is an Old School CF Van event, so bring your own bottle of wine, or two or three – depending on your drinking habits – for the wine table.

Get your teams together, start studying your geography and history, as well as your CrossFit trivia, and get to know your coaches – there may be a category called “How Well Do You Know Your Coaches?”

Friday’s Workout: Open Workout 14.3

For those of you who have done Deadlifts yesterday we can alter the movement in the open workout tomorrow if you like!

8 minute AMRAP:
10 deadlifts, 135 / 95 lb.
15 box jumps, 24 / 20 inch
15 deadlifts, 185 / 135 lb.
15 box jumps, 24 / 20 inch
20 deadlifts, 225 / 155 lb.
15 box jumps, 24 / 20 inch
25 deadlifts, 275 / 185 lb.
15 box jumps, 24 / 20 inch
30 deadlifts, 315 / 205 lb.
15 box jumps, 24 / 20 inch
35 deadlifts, 365 / 225 lb.
15 box jumps, 24 / 20 inch

Saturday’s Workout:

Warm-up: 1 mile run

Tech: Ankle/Hip Mobility

Workout: In teams of three, one person works at a time, complete the following movements:

Wall Ball/Burpee/Kettlebell Swing Ladder:

How far can you get in 30mins: 1,2,3,4,5, of each etc…

Thigh gap… are you kidding me?

As an older brother of a 18 year old sister I’ve witnessed my share of wardrobe meltdowns and bad hair days. I have seen hissy fits and anger arise from such things.  Girls have a way with that.

I thought I had heard of every insecurity a female in the 21st century could possibly have. I was wrong. 

I was introduced to thigh gap the other day. The gap between a females legs. Apparently women strive for this. I was chatting with my roommate about it the other night and I made a point of sharing my thoughts. 

“This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard”, was not far off my original statement. 

I proceeded to google thigh gap and came across a number of different sites saying they had the fastest and most effective ways to develop a thigh gap. I only laughed harder when I read the tips.

1. Avoid exercises that bulk up your legs. 

2. Avoid over eating. 

3. Get aerobic exercise. 

I just chuckled to myself. 1 and 2 are thoughts I have never had in my life. Ever. 

I am not a girl, but I assume they feel pressure to look a certain way, dress a certain way and eat certain foods. Most of the time to look a certain way, whether that’s for attraction purposes or just to feel good about themselves. 

Let me say that, I am not attracted to this “thigh gap”, in fact I want me some thigh friction in my ladies. Strong and and defined legs are far more appealing to me than broomsticks with hips. 

CrossFit has done a great job building the “strong is the new sexy” or”strength is beauty” mantras. Slowly it seems girls are coming around to the idea of being strong and fit instead of skinny and frail and I think its for the better. Some men out there are still intimidated at the thought of strong women, but those are the men who I like to call “dumb”. 

Men, post to comments if you think thigh gap is sexy or not. 

Women, post to comments if you have ever desired said thigh gap. 

Tom

Warmup: Coach’s choice.

Tech: warm up the deadlift & muscle up/progressions

WOD: 15-9-6

Deadlift bw.5

muscle up

There is always some sort of article floating around Facebook or Twitter where a journalist or gym owner posts what the “rules of the gym” are. There seems to be a new one every week, but one thing that I can guarantee you that they all say is

1. Keep yourself honest. No reps are no reps. You know the difference between a good and bad rep. 

2. Check your ego at the door. Our very own door says this. It’s true though, if you are able to leave it at the door your experience in the gym will be drastically better. 

3. Work on your weaknesses. Skill work is just as important as conditioning. 

4. Enjoy the process. Things don’t come easy all the time. 

5. Don’t cherry pick your workouts. If you are avoiding something, chances are you need to work on it. 

There are more for sure, but these five seem to be most reoccurring.

I think these rules are far better than the rules of the gym I once attended before I started CrossFit.

1. No dropping weights.

2. Wipe machines after use.

3. Shirt and shoes must be worn in the gym at all times. 

4. No chalk is to be used in the gym. 

5. No excessive noise. 

I think I made the appropriate upgrade. 

Tom

 Warm Up:

30 dowel dislocates

12 alt T-spine bridges

30 sec’s holding a goblet squat

30 sec’s handstand hold

Workout:  O-H-S (10×10)

This is the 2nd of 4 Tuesday’s that we touch on the (10×10) overhead squat.  We’re looking for an increase weight as an incremental progression there for I suggest going a bit heaver than last week.

There has been a lot of stir in the CrossFit community lately about a woman who was denied the opportunity to compete as a woman. Chloie Jonsson, who is a transgender woman was told if she was to compete, she was to compete as a man.

There have been numerous articles about her story and social media as blown up over this story.

Cholie has filed a $2.5 million discrimination lawsuit against CrossFit for not allowing her to compete at the 2014 CrossFit Games.

Below is the CNN report.

CNN

I personally think CrossFit has made the right decision here. Someone is going be unhappy here. If Cholie was allowed to compete as a woman and made it to regionals there would be fuss about her taking away a spot from a female born athlete. On the off chance that she wins the CrossFit Games there would be even more uproar towards her.

I understand that she wants equality but the truth is that its less of a problem to upset one person and cause a small social media stir then it is to allow even a chance that the holy grail of CrossFit becomes tarnished.

Post your thoughts to comments

Tom

warmup:

5 Minutes Hip Mobility

30 Wide Stance Good Mornings
30 Glute Bridges

2-L Samson stretchy

Strength/skill

15 Minutes to find 1Rep Split/push jerk

Find your safe 1 Rep max put quality of movement before big weight here. There should little to no fails, and flawless form.

Workout: complete 3 or 5 rounds for time of the following:

21 shoulder to overhead 95/55lbs

15 pullups

400m run