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Indigenous peoples have inhabited British Columbia, as described in their oral traditions. There are claims by the English to have explored the region in the 16th century, but it was the Majorcan-born Spanish navigator Juan José Pérez Hernández who did the first documented travel 1774. In 1778 English explorer James Cook reached Nootka Sound and set foot on British Columbian soil. There were several gold finds in British Columbia in the 1850s. The British colonial office responded to this situation by establishing British Columbia’s mainland as a crown colony in 1858, naming it the Colony of British Columbia. In 1871 British Columbia became the sixth province of the Dominion of Canada.

The British Columbia Day Act was first introduced to the Legislative Assembly in 1974. The aim of the Bill was to create a statutory holiday on the first Monday in August to recognize the pioneers in the province and the act gained royal assent in 1996.

Whatever you do with this day, indulge in the beautiful province we reside in. Wiggle your toes in the sand; I’d advise venturing further out to avoid the not so great sand on English Bay or Kits Beach. Take an active rest; find a beautiful hike other than the Chief or the Grind. For those of you venturing outside of the lower mainland, just follow your gut and explore. Take up some history or just get right chillin’ with some friends and family.

The month of Chest begins tomorrow,

Chesty

Monday Workout

Preparation:

Full Dynamic Warm
Organize equipment in clean stations to allow for optimal workout flow.

Team NUTTS

20 Handstand Push Ups
30 Deadlifts 250/165
50 Box Jumps 30/24
100 Pull Ups
200 Wall Ball Shots 20/14
400 Double Unders
400m Partner Carry

Here is the official release of the New MadLab Pre-Warm Up. The old suggested warm up was a little outdated; it served its purpose, and will rest easy knowing you’re taken care of.

Scroll down and click to skip longwindednessness

I took it upon myself to climb up the ol’ wooden step ladder and give the warm up a makeover. This new list of movements will provide your body with a broad exposure to lubricating all those 2000 parts (according to Lever 2000). Each one of these is to be done for quality. This should only take about 12-15 minutes to run through.

Mobilize and Limber Up

• Mobilize everyday; a couple times per week won’t cut it. Wasting time on the foam roller and scarecrowing yourself on a dowel for 15 minutes will warm up your mouth, not your body.  Take 12-15 minutes everyday to unglue yourself from whatever positions you have been statued in all day. If you would like a tailored ungluing, speak with your coach, or come pay the Chest a visit for an evaluation.
• Limber Up with some basic arm and leg swings. Nothing fancy, just bounce around like your about to fight someone.

Row Skip Swing

• Spend 3 minutes or so raising your body temperature.

Complete 10-12 repetitions of the following in sequence:

1. Scorpion Kicks
2. Bird Dogs
3. T-Spine Bridges
4. Yoga Push Ups
5. Band Pull Aparts
6. X-Band Walk
7. Single Leg RDL’s
8. Cossack Squats
9. Air Squats

Take note of how you feel after completing everything:

• Is anything still tight?
• What is the strength/skill or WOD you need to prepare for?
• Do you have any prehab or rehab to do?

Address anything else that needs attention.

For the more visually inclined:

MadLab Pre Warm Up by The Chest copy

Wednesday

Warm-up: CrossFit Pre Warm-up (10-15 minutes to go through it). Coaches, make sure you clear up any confusion anyone has about it.

Strength: (20 minutes)

3 x 20 Dimmel Deadlifts (same weight or slightly heavier than last week)

2 sets of 10 seconds on, 10 seconds off: Glute Bridge Holds

See last week’s post for more details.

Workout:

10, 8, 6, 4, 2

Burpee Pull-ups
Opera House Run

*Clarification: In between each set of burpee pull-ups, which decrease by 2 each round (10, 8, 6, 4, 2), do one 270 meter Opera House Run. Workout ends with the run after the 2 burpee pull-ups.

15 minute time cap

This is the end of Ben and Chestuary. 28 days of strength and love went in the past month. Hopefully you enjoyed bringing back simple straight forward strength and conditioning. You should all have some good ideas of where your squat and sumo are now; not to mention, some heavy complexes to feel comfortable with crushing the barbell. Remember to keep plugging away at those strict pull-ups in your off time. Foundations and quality are key. Work off those numbers you establish with perfect form to keep longevity in the scope. If we were too simple, then ya’ll don’t get the basics.

If you ever need another taste of Ben or Chest, inquire about East Van Barbell Club or one of the many soon to be available Mobility Rundowns (1 week left to sign up for More than Mobility Seminar starting March 9th).

Big up to the Open competitors and prepare for a full flavour blast of Charlie Fucking Palmer this March.

Big love,

Chester and Benny

Saturday

Warm

Coach Choice Dynamic Warm

Workout

Triple Team Helechipper

In teams of 3 complete…

3600m Row
189 Russian Kettlebell Swings 2p/1.5p
108 Pull-Ups

*One person working at a time until a single exercise is complete.

Well, it is officially that time of year again. The weather is unclear, the year has settled in with few hiccups, and that journey of training has come to this: CrossFit Games 2014 Open. You are being watched by millions of people around the world, no, billions of people around the world, if they watch your video. So you better be prepared to break out the blinding coloured accessories and oil up for your debut.

I trust that the iron shoulders we have built over the past few weeks will hold up here. Not to mention the great programs from the months prior to this. The importance of shoulder prep will be something to take an extra note to today; you’ll be spinning and snatching for a hot minute. Relax, this is twice as easy as Mondays workout; not only do you get to use 2 hands when snatching, you’re 5 days better at double unders, and you are . Body rigidity and fluent movement are going to take lead role in this as well. You’ll be in a time crunch for reps.

Today, we’ll be running in regular fashion here under the MadLab roof. Grab a new or even an old friend and count for one another. We’ll have coaches on the floor giving you years of knowledge and love; however, if you are looking for a registered throw down, COMP Team will be available Saturday at 12:30pm. If you’re in for a good time, without the official register, come party at our more than regular classes.

I’d like to give a shout out to everyone engaging in this test of fitness over the next few weeks. I’ll be here for all of you as a coach. The whole coaching crew will be here for you.

Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of the Open.

Chest

Friday

Warm

Coaches Preference or…

25 Dislocates
25 Band Pull Aparts
12 Single Leg RDL’s
12 T-Spine Bridges
12 Push to Downward Dog

Snatch Skill Transfer Exercises

Technique

3 x 3 Power Snatch @ 85%

Between your sets, get some smooth singles and doubles with your jump rope.

I hope you have all enjoyed this months Thursday Sumo exposure. For those of you who aren’t familiar or are new to the powerlifting game, this is a great way to educate and diversify your training. Not only can this be an advantageous position for specific body composition, but it also allows others to develop different musculature. There are about 19 ways to Squat and Deadlift. All of these way target groups of muscles, but they differ in terms of the main offenders (the guys putting the most work in). There is no one way to skin a cat.

I have come across a number of articles in my weekly readings. And every so often the fresh faces get a nice sound of horn from the staples of the business. Dave Tate recently put out a great article covering every aspect of the deadliest; he has also done this with the squat as well. Take a look HERE.

Regardless of your preference or what you are anatomically built for, try something new. This just might be the right or the right now thing for you to be practicing. And for those of you looking to expand on developing those glutes, the sumo is a great way to define that rump.

Simple and sweet, shoot Dave Tate a tweet.

Chesty

Warm Up

5 Minutes Hip Mobility

30 Wide Stance Good Mornings
30 Glute Bridges

Strength

15 Minutes to find 1Rep Sumo Deadlift

*The same as tuesday, use this opportunity to find your perfect/safe 1 Rep. Put quality on the podium here. There should little to no fails, and if it happens, it’s on the last attempt.

Complex 123

1 Power Clean
2 Hang Squat Clean
3 Front Squats

20 Minutes to make 4-6 attempts. AHAP (As Heavy As Possible)

The 2014 CrossFit Open is upon us. The first workout will be announced this Thursday at 5:00pm. One workout will be announced per week for five weeks giving athletes 5 days to perform and submit their scores. 

The Open workout will be programmed on Fridays for regular class but the COMP Team will be performing the workout on Saturdays at 12:30. There will be a small number of people who will be performing the workout on Thursday nights right after it is announced depending on their individual circumstances. 

If you are planning on being judged, video taped or you just want to do the workout with the COMP Team I suggest that you do your best to make it to the Saturday session. If you are the type of athlete who likes to take their time warming up and dilly dally a little more than a typical class allows then the Saturday session is likely your best option. There will be heats depending on the number of folks, but the most crucial aspect of the day will be the accessibility to a judge. If you come, it is good practice to offer your time to judge at least one heat before or after your own. (Please note that if you are trying out for the CFV team you must be judged by a judge who has passed the judges course)

The vibe will be solid and the energy will be rocking I assure you.

See you guys out there. 

Tom

 Warm

Med Ball Cycles x 2
8 Chest Pass
8 Sprawl Ball
8 Knee Pass
8 Med Ball Sit Up

Skill/Strength

Find heavy 3 rep Chin/Pull/Ring Up

In between sets gather 100 Dead Bugs (Click Here)

Conditioning

Hockey Night in Sochi

5 Rounds

1 Minute Max Wall Ball Shots 20/14
1 Minute Max Burpee Ball Slams
1 Minute Rest

This past weekend CFV held its first ever one day in house competition. We have hosted many other events such as the MadLab tournament and our annual Nutts Cup, but this was the first one day event that we have hosted solely for our members.

The energy was great, the competitors worked hard.

Almost everyone I talked to said they pr’d not only their hang clean, but their clean in general. It was awesome to watch Andy come out of the abyss and show off his skill. I said to him after the competition, “Andy, I think thats the first pull up I’ve see you do”. With a typical Andy response of “Yeah… I have pull ups”.

It was also great to have people approach me who had never competed before and tell me how much they enjoyed the experience of the crowd, the atmosphere and the extra intensity.

Again I want to send out a thank you to everyone who competed and to everyone who came to support their friends and family. I’ve spent a fair amount of hours at CrossFit events and the vibe in the room was as legit as any I have been to.

Expect to see our second in house comp sometime this spring. Likely after Regionals sometime in May. Which will be followed up by Nutts Cup August 16th.

The results from the weekend are posted below for those of you itching to know.

Tom

Warm

5 Minutes of Hip Prep

2 x 8/8 Side Lying Clams
2 x 30 second Goblet Squat Holds

Strength

1Rep Back Squat

Strength Circuit

5 Rounds of…

8/8 Offset Dumbbell Step Ups
8 Barbell Roll Outs
30 Seconds Paloff’s Hold

My goal is too provide all attendees with the knowledge and tools to effectively take care of common issues like low back pain, bad posture, and muscle and joint function. If you suffer from a range of motion deficit or are constantly injuring yourself , this is a great place to start. If you are considering Weakness 101 this a is a great preparation tool so that Tom can program the real work for you, and not mess about with your muscle and joint imbalance. There will be plenty of time for questions and I will be presenting a more individually focused program later in the year.

Each week will be addressed as such:

1. Self Manual Therapy: Soft tissue release through rolling and smashing. Common restrictions with more effective ways of releasing them.
2. Activation/ Corrective Exercises: Awaken dormant or weak musculature for full recruitment. Improve position and posture.
3. Progressions/ Regressions: Know where you are and where you are going. Qualify yourself to move forward.
4. Shotgun Fix: Quick fixes for specific issues when you’re under the gun.
5. Facilitative Stretching

Week 1 Trunk Stability
Motor control basics starting from the midline. The trunk holds you together and translates movement more than any other part of your body. Unify your core with strength exercises and release techniques. We’ll show you the tools you need to stiffen the trunk to remove back pain and eliminate weakness. This will be the core of the program and translate throughout.

Week 2 Squat
Drills and skills to correct the movement that rules them all. Feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, and hips; what is holding you back? From the ground up we’ll address how we all squat differently. There are fundamentals that rule us all but our individual body composition defines your squat.

Week 3 Hinge
Similar issues when squatting can restrict us from bending over. The hinge classifies all hinging variations focusing on deadlift and swinging (translates over to cleaning and snatching). It’s all about finding the most advantageous position for the individual. This will unify the 2 weeks of hip dominance.

Week 4 Push/Press/Pull
Holy shoulders. Here we have saved the most troublesome issue of all. Our focus will be on re-stabilizing and building a strong foundation for better pushing, pressing, and pulling. If something is tight, it’s probably tight for a reason. This is more than just hanging out on a band and wrenching at the joint.

Program will begin in March. you will have the first week to attend an assessment. The following weeks will be held at 12 noon on Sundays (March 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th). This is great for veterans, intermediates and new comers; learn how to manage your priorities and fix problems before and after they happen.

What you’ll walk away with:

1. Fundamentals for improving movement quality
2. Effective tools for soft tissue release, dynamic stability, and corrective exercises.
3. Correct progressions and regressions for your level of movement.
4. Systematic approach to mobility and training.
5. Great times with Chesty & CJ making you less decrepit.

8 hours of Supple Muscles and New Range for $280. Email chest@crossfit.ca.

Assess don’t assume,

Chesty

Monday

Warm

Gather 1 minute of a Handstand Hold
Gather 1 minute of a Straight Arm Hang from the bar
3 x 15 Glute Bridges
3 x 5 Plank Walk Outs

Strength

Turkish Get Ups 6 x 2

Workout

15 Minute AMRAP of…

15 Alternating Dumbbell Snatch 45/35
25 Double Unders

Keeping on a similar “seasonal” topic I posted earlier this year, I heard of a really cool App on the radio this afternoon and I thought, “Great! Content for today!”…   But then I got home, had a beer, and forgot…

Thank you Google.

We Heart Local is an App created by the BC Dairy Association.  Other Apps that came up in my search had some not-so-promising reviews where the App claimed to be local but in fact gave information from other areas of the country.  This one, on the other hand, looks fantastic!  And better yet, it’s FREE!

Check out their video here.

Happy Eating!

Richy

Thursday

Warm Up

5 minutes Hip Mobility
2 x 15 Push Up to Downward Dog
2 x 15 Glute Bridges

Strength

15 Minutes to find 5Rep Sumo Deadlift

then…

10 Minute EMOM

3 Sumo Deadlifts @ 90% of 5rep

Complex 3’s

AHAP

3 Press
3 Push Press
3 Push Jerk

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Recently, Baby Nat told me about a friend of hers who had an elaborate Engagement Party, where they rented a venue, had endless amount of food and an open bar – likely costing upward of $10,000. That’s right – $10,000 just for an ENGAGEMENT PARTY!!

I bet these two lovebirds are celebrating V-Day

I wrote a story that was published in the CrossFit Journal today, where I spoked to a handful of couples who have been married for 50 plus years to find out the ‘real’ secret of marriage. While I was disappointed to discover there’s no golden secret, I mention in the story that the elders I spoke with all agreed that people today are more focussed on the gifts they receive on Valentine’s Day, on grandiose engagement parties and showers – not to mention financially crippling weddings – than they are on their actual relationships.

What do you think?

Confess your Valentine’s Day sins! Have you ever purchased one of those ridiculous sparkly heart-shaped pillows for your Valentine? Do you boycott the day? Are you into spending $100 on a dozen roses? How much did your wedding cost? CONFESS!

Oh yeah, Happy Valentine’s Day!

Friday

Warm Up

8 minutes of…

Waiter Walk x 2 Lengths
Push Up to Downward Dog x 8
Glute Bridge Hold 30 seconds

Strength

Turkish Get Up  6 x 2

Workout

15 minute AMRAP…

10 Push Ups
10 Box Jumps
10 Wall Ball Shots
10 Push Ups
10 Box Jumps
20 Wall Ball Shots
10 Push Ups
10 Box Jumps
30 Wall Ball Shots…and so on

*Just add 10 more wall balls at the end of each round

Saturday

Warm Up

Coach Choice Dynamic Warm

Workout

3 Musketeers (Teams of 3)

7 Minute AMRAP…
3 Ball Slam Burpees 20/12

*One person working at a time.

Rest 3 minutes…

“Triple Jackie”
3000m Row
150 Thruster 45/35
90 Pullups

*Teams must complete all of one exercise before moving on. Break up as needed, strategy is key.