Blog Archive

Run, don’t walk, to more fantastic training opportunities with the Chestevez. Only who can prevent the ravages of age? You!

One: Monthly Match tomorrow night. 6:15 p.m. Bring some drinks and hang out after. This is open to anyone! Expect a partner or team workout.

Two: Holiday Hours this weekend: Regular classes Saturday (10 am and 11 am). Sunday (10 am only). Labour Day Monday, we have two classes (10 am and 5 pm).

Enjoy your long weekend!

Friday

Preparation:

A) Coach Choice

B) 30 “3 Position” Band Good Mornings

Strength/Skill:

a) 10 minutes to find heavy single

b) 6 Minute EMOM (Subtract 50% from 1R)

2 Speed Deadlift

• Focus is on ROF (Rate-of-force) development
• Athletes should attempt to pull 2 fast singles
• These are NOT touch and go

Conditioning:

20 Minute Amrap

5 Handstand Push Ups
10 Russian Swings 2p/1.5p
15 Hollow Rocks

Saturday

Preparation:

Coach Choice

Conditioning:

“Frantasy Land”

In teams of 2 or 3, complete:

21-15-9
Thrusters 95/65
Pull Ups
21-15-9
Thrusters 115/75
Pull Ups
21-15-9
Thrusters 135/95
Pull Ups

While it has been an amazing Vancouver summer, I’m excited for September to come. A new season always feels like a fresh start, a chance to reset, and to set new goals.

It is also a good time to set new fitness goals, and to get back into a regular routine for those of you who blew off coming in here a lot this summer in favour of the beach or a beer on a patio (understandably).

If you’re not sure what kind of new goals you should be aiming for, don’t hesitate to contact your coach! That’s what we’re here for. Meet up, do a refresher one-on-one personal training session, and come up with plan of attack to get your first pull-up or muscle-up.

Or as Tom says, “Join Comp team.” 

If the top of your KB swing looks like this, you should DEFINITELY meet up for a refresher session with you coach.

Preparation:

A) Coach Choice

B) 2×10/10 Single Arm Band Press

Strength/Skill:

a) Split Jerk 5×2 (75-85%)

b) Front Squat 4×2

• Flawless = Crispy, clean, locked, money etc. No Failed Attempts.
• Twerking shoulders are a clear indicator of too heavy

Conditioning:

10 Minute Amrap

10 Ring Push Ups
25 Double Unders

• Double Under Scaling: 30sec of attempts or singles

Movement Penalty: Sketchy/Lazy Ring Push Ups = 10 Wallballs (accumulative)

For those of you staying in town this weekend, this Friday we’re having our MONTHLY MATCH!

Always, Tom will be running the show. It starts at 6:15 pm. Expect a partner or a team workout. Bring some beers, or some ciders, or some delicious Palm Bay and stick around after for a drink with the group. If you’re new to the community, it’s a great way to get to know people.

ALEX AT NUTTS CUP

Wednesday

Preparation:

A) Coach Choice

B) 15/15 Single Leg Glute Bridges

Strength/Skill:

a1) Barbell Glute Bridge 3×8+
a2) Inverted Ring Rows (221) 3×10

• Pin the ribcage down. Foot position should be placed where gluteals are felt most
• Increase weight with every set
• On final set, cut weight to 50% and burn it out
• On the rings: 2sec Eccentric, 2sec Concentric, 1sec Isometric

Conditioning:

With a partner, complete:

8 Rounds (Trading off)
24 Calorie Row
8 Lateral Burpees

*Do burpees parallel to the rower, jump over the rower between reps

You have until Friday to add your name to the list in the women’s washroom if you want a pair. Below is what they look like. (Although, the model they’ve used here is skinny and don’t do the pants justice). All of our legs will look much more muscularly sculpted and sexy than this skinny bitch! These pants might change the way you see pants. You’ll put them on, they’ll sculpt to your body, you’ll never have to adjust them, and the waistband is the most flattering and comfortable one on the market.

Price is $65. You can bring cash to me before the pants arrive, or wait until they do. They’re shipping next Monday and it should take 4-6 business days, so we’re getting close!  

Tuesday

Preparation:

A) Coach Choice

B) B) 10/10 Single Arm Forearm Wall Slide w/Retraction

Strength/Skill:

a1) KB/DB Windmills (Ext/Rot Bias) 3×5/5
a2) Alternating Dead Bugs 3×10/10

• Windmills: Focus on holding an externally rotated shoulder, lead with the hips back
• Dead Bugs: Do not allow spine to extend, exhale long and hard to find length

b) Ramp up Hang Power Snatch

Conditioning:

21-15-9

Hang Power Snatch 95/65
Hinge Ball Slams 20/12

Movement Penalty: Missed Snatches = 10 Wallballs (accumulative)

This past weekend four of our members (also COMP Team members) competed in the first ever CrossFit Burnaby Confederation Cup. 

Cam, Meagan, Kermit and Noah competed on a 4 person team tackling 4 different workouts. At the end of the day our team labeled MADLAB finished 9th overall. 

All of these members competed in Nutts Cup last weekend, three of them were even on the same team, and Noah also competed in the CrossFit BC Summer event the day after Nutts with Jenna as a partner.  Not that I condone 2 competitions in 8 days, let alone 3 in 8 days, but all of our athletes are learning lots via competition about themselves physically and mentally. 

Results are not the only way to measure your ability as an athlete. The only thing I ask people after a competition is if they learned anything. If the answer is yes, than the results become less important in my eyes. 

I am super happy with the progress these 4 have made over the last 6 months as well as everyone else who has started showing up regularly to the COMP Team training sessions. Strength numbers are climbing, gymnastics skills are growing and overall well being is on the rise. 

Tom

Preparation:

A) Coach Choice

B) 15/15 Fire Hydrant Drill

Strength/Skill:

A) Box Squat 3×3

*Set boxes/stack plates to 1 inch below parallel squat depth. Vertical shins, wide stance, stiff brace, and explosive off the box.

B) Strength Circuit 4 Rounds

10/10 Offset KB/DB Racked Split Squats
10 Back Extensions
20/20’s Side Plank

*Increase weight or range-of-motion with every set. Rest 90sec-2min between sets.

Ok ok ok… I know you’ve all heard enough about Nutts Cup in the past few weeks. So here is the final ‘curtain call’….

~photo credit: Vince McCurley 

We have had 3 Nutts Cup fundraisers for the Youth Warrior Program since 2012. Each year we get a little better, and a lot smoother at running such a large event. If I look at the general numbers, it seems daunting. Borderline ridiculous.

Year     Gross $$      Expenses      Net Funds Raised
2012      $12,000         $ 6,500            $ 5,500 ($2500 via Silent Auction)
2013      $18,000        $14,000            $ 4,000
2014      $11,000         $ 8,000            $ 3,000

WHAT?!?

Every year has been a little different.  2012 had a silent auction which raised $2500.  2013 had me running the bar & food, which made both costs and gross revenue higher. Plus, we had teams raising funds rather than paying an entry fee (much harder to oversee).
For 2014, we managed to lower quite a few of our indirect costs (admin hours, organizational hours, volunteer hours, etc).  We also lowered the prize money ($3,150 versus the past 2 years of $5,500) and believe it or not, lowered a lot of our direct expenses too (rentals, etc).

If I do the math, it costs us over $3.50 to raise $1 for LANYAR at the Nutts Cup. Does this mean that it isn’t worthwhile?

Hell no!

Nutts Cup is legendary. It is a legacy community event that celebrates life, sacrifice, health, friendship, camaraderie, family, fitness, Andy Nutts, and CANADA. It’s impossible to raise a ton of money from an event…which is why we need big donors. It’s not about raising $10 000, it’s about giving free beer to the military to honour their presence, and EZE sponsoring and competing on a team with the Youth Warriors!

I’d make that day happen regardless of the cost. But I want you all to know that it does cost.

Colter and his RedRipley team have been working on a Youth Warriors / LANYAR video for the past few months. Stay tuned, it is in the final editing stages. (And the rough draft made me, Hallie, & EZE get all weepy.) We want to share with you what the Youth Warriors Program is accomplishing, and how you ALL have made a difference.

Give yourselves a high 5 for doing something awesome!

Thank you,

….the Dude

Friday

Preparation:

A) Coach’s Choice

B) 30 “3 Position” Band Good Mornings
C) 30 Hollow Rocks

Strength/Skill:

a) 10 minutes to find heavy 2rep Deadlift

b) 6 Minute EMOM (Subtract 40% from 2R)

2 Speed Deadlift

• Focus is on ROF (Rate-of-force) development
• Athletes should attempt to pull 2 fast singles
• These are NOT touch and go

Conditioning:   Chesty’s Birthday Double Up!

20 Minutes, every 4 minutes:

90’sec Max Double Unders (Singles)
1x Max Pull Ups (7+)

Saturday

Preparation:

Coach Choice

Conditioning:

35 Minute Amrap
With a partner, trading off rounds:

200m Single Arm Farmer Carry 55/35
15 Wallballs 20/12
10 Lateral Burpees

*Use paralletes for jumping over in the lateral burpee

I love to watch training videos. Especially those from the best of the best. And right now, the Chinese are the best.

I found this video and its accompanying article on Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code Blog.  

I want to highlight a passage from the above article; I think it will resinate with our audience:

“Mixing ages, applauding failure, avoiding specialization, embracing sacrifice, and having fun are not training techniques — they are shared values that apply far beyond just diving. They are powerful signals that create a cohesive, high-performing tribe of people.”

Coyle is the best selling author The Talent Code, and The Little Book of Talent (one of my favourites). He focuses on how to get really, really good at stuff (sports, music, art) by reverse engineering the habits of high performers. 

Andy

Preparation:

A) Coach Choice

B) 2×10/10 Single Arm Band Press

Strength/Skill:

a) Flawless Hang Snatch 2×3 (75%)

b) Heaving Snatch Balance 4×2

• Flawless = Crispy, clean, locked, money etc. No Failed Attempts.
• Twerking shoulders are a clear indicator of too heavy

Conditioning:

10 Minute Amrap

20 KB Half Moons 53/35
10 Box Jumps 24/20

Movement Penalty:

• Rebounding box jumps or jumping off the top = 10 Wallballs (accumulative)

I came across this interesting article last month that gives a real in depth discussion of the copper mining industry – it is absolutely worth a read.

http://www.psmag.com/navigation/nature-and-technology/the-new-bronze-age-entering-the-era-of-tough-ore-60868/

Let me see if I can tickle your fancy…  Are you willing to throw away your smart phone, halt the Vancouver condo industrial complex, turn in your car and your TV, buy a horse and ride off to the Yukon to live in a log cabin and hunt/grow your own food?  If you don’t do this immediately – you are supporting the copper mining industry!

Copper is basically irreplaceable in our current world and visible future.  Among metals, only silver conducts electricity better but it is too expensive to use on a large scale.  What copper does well, nothing else quite does.  This means that the demand for copper is largely not driven by price, but by need.  Copper is the wiring in buildings being constructed around the world, it is essential to the electronics we use, it is essential to the development of higher efficiency devices and environmentally friendly solutions to age old problems.  

Unlike other key resources, like oil and gasoline, it has no realistic competitors.  Oil as an energy source can be recreated in exactly the same quality using coal, water, heat from the earth, wind.  Gasoline can be replaced by ethanol, bio diesel, and batteries charged by any energy source.  There is no viable alternative to copper.  The easiest sources of copper have been mined already.  It is eminently recyclable but extremely durable, which means it lasts a long time and there is not nearly enough recycled copper to meet increasing needs.  New copper requires an ever increasing amount of energy to extract and process, and comes with a slew of environmental implications because of the way copper exists in the ground – not the way it is processed.  

So as we drive our society towards more environmentally friendly sources of energy, cars, and buildings – we also drive the demand for copper up and enable the development of increasingly complex and difficult to access sources of copper with an increasing need for energy to extract the copper and increasing environmental risks/consequences of extracting it.  A bit of a conundrum, I think.

What to do… what to do…

Love, Afghan

Preparation:

A) Coach Choice

B) 15/15 Single Leg Glute Bridges

Strength/Skill:

a1) Barbell Glute Bridge 4×8+
a2) Inverted Ring Rows (221) 4×10

• Pin the ribcage down. Foot position should be placed where gluteals are felt most
• Increase weight with every set
• On final set, cut weight to 50% and burn it out
• On the rings: 2sec Eccentric, 2sec Concentric, 1sec Isometric

Conditioning:

With a partner, complete:

Row 750m
50 Russian Swings 2p/1.5p
30 Burpees
Row 1500m
30 Burpees
50 Russian Swings 2p/1.5p
Row 750m

Movement Penalty:

• Burpees landed on toes = 10 Wallballs (accumulative)