Blog Archive

I often ask people what workout they haven’t done in a long time or what movement is overdue for a touch up session. However, it is not often that I get a request out of the blue, but I did today! And seeing who the requester was, well I couldn’t say no. Not to mention the fact that we haven’t done this workout in a while. So, by special request…

Coaches take your classes through the Burgener snatch warm-up or some variation to get the shoulder nice and warm.

Technique: Snatch – don’t go overboard with weight or reps. Trust me you are going to get plenty of reps in…

Workout: “Isabel”

30 reps for time
Snatch (135lbs/95lbs)

Scale as necessary.

Now any guesses as to who asked for Isabel? I will give you one hint, it was a male.

-Kermitra

Happy Monday CrossFitters! So, I have posed this question to some of you before, but I wanted to make sure everyone got a chance to throw in their 2 cents.

I am trying to come up with a seriously awesome playlist, perhaps even two, to motivate everyone during their workouts. I don’t know if you are like me, but the right music can make a huge difference in my mental approach to a workout and the results can be dramatic. Yes, I like country for heavy lifting, and electronic for grinders. Here is one my personal favourites.

Beastie Boys – Sabotage

What is your favourite song to workout to? Post to comments section. I can’t guarantee that every suggestion will make the list, but I’m interested to hear what you’ve got.

Technique: Deadlift (3,3,3,2,2,1,1)

Workout: “Optimus Prime” Squared

As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:

1 rope climb
4 burpees
9 kb swings (red/black)
25 double unders

– Kermitage

Saturday

One of my good CrossFit friends recently pointed out to me that Saturday is the perfect day for a team workout. What other day of the week do we find such a mix of people? During the week most everyone falls into one of two categories, a morning person or an evening person, only on the weekends is the routine broken. I have recently attended a few weekend classes and thought to myself, who is that person, I’ve never seen them before? So, now is your chance to mingle. Try and find someone you haven’t met before to partner up with for this team workout:

Technique: Coach’s Choice

Workout: Tandem Trouble

In teams of two for time:

Partner A – 1 double wall ball (12lbs/20lbs), 1 kb swing (red/black)
Partner B – 1 double wall ball (12lbs/20lbs), 1 kb swing (red/black)
Partner A – 2 double wall balls (12lbs/20lbs), 2 kb swings (red/black)
Partner B – 2 double wall balls (12lbs/20lbs), 2 kb swings (red/black)
…
Partner A – 10 double wall balls (12lbs/20lbs), 10 kb swings (red/black)
Partner B – 10 double wall balls (12lbs/20lbs), 10 kb swings (red/black)
Partner A – 9 double wall balls (12lbs/20lbs), 9 kb swings (red/black)
Partner B – 9 double wall balls (12lbs/20lbs), 9 kb swings (red/black)
…
Partner A – 1 double wall ball (12lbs/20lbs), 1 kb swing (red/black)
Partner B – 1 double wall ball (12lbs/20lbs), 1 kb swing (red/black)

Sunday

I know that the coaches on Sunday may not be overly fond of its status as a make-up day. Often times this results in several different workouts being run at the same time, each requiring attention to different movement patterns. On the other hand, if there is a workout that you missed during the week that you really wish you could do, the make-up day provides a great opportunity. So, to make things a little more simple I am limiting the options.

Workout: Choose either Monday’s BC Day Special or Cindy. If you have done both of these workouts (first of all wow, your legs are far more resilient than mine) then work on your front squat 5 sets of 3 repetitions. That is all.

– Kermit

It’s Friday, time for a burner. Go at this one hard and I guarantee you will feel it! It bears a close resemblance to the original Sinister Six but with a few different movements. But before we get to the WOD, let’s take 15 minutes to play with weighted pull-ups. Grab the vests, dumbbells, weight belts, whatever! See how much you can do.

Technique: Weighted pull-ups

Workout: Sinister Six 2.0

6 rounds for time

6 pull-ups
6 toes to bar
6 burpees
6 kb swings (red/black)
6 box jumps (20″/24″)
6 lunges

Now my challenge to all the comic book geeks out there, identify the members of the Sinister Six (see picture below) and no naming Spider-man does not count, that’s a gimme.

-Kermit

Okay folks, time for some heavy oly lifting. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is simple: work your power clean to the max!

Technique: Review power clean

Workout: 1 rep max power clean, take as many attempts as needed (provided you don’t spill into the next class)

Let’s see some new pb’s!

Now is anyone not looking forward to seeing the next installment of Mission Impossible?

– Kermit

Time for another body weight classic and an important benchmark workout. Before going any further I’d like to remind people to look after their hands or more specifically their calluses. It is no fun to tear and takes a while to heal up fully. I personally use a callus shaver (see below) with great results. I rarely ever tear, with the exception of muscle-ups and butterfly kipping which stresses a different part of the hand. If anyone else has suggestions for how to care for your hands please post to the comments section.

Technique: Handstands and handstand walking

Workout: Cindy

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 squats

-Kermit

Hey folks, my apologies for the late and very quick post. I just arrived home from sunny LA, after cheering on the team from CrossFit Vancouver during the 2011 CrossFit Games. Big shout out to all, Lumber, Pinky, Andy, Eunice, Tiny Dancer and the Brown Owl! They gave it their all in 5 grueling workouts in the hot, hot California sun. There are plenty of tan lines and sunburns to prove it. Without further adieu…

Technique: Deadlift (3,3,3,3,3)

Workout: Annie

For time
50 double unders
50 abmat situps
40 double unders
40 abmat situps
30 double unders
30 abmat situps
20 double unders
20 abmat situps
10 double unders
10 abmat situps

– Kermit

There is only one class today at 5 pm.

The first Monday of August is known as British Columbia or BC Day. 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.

Warm-up: Coach’s choice, although I am fond of BTB tabata squats

Technique: Review rope climb techniques and progressions

Workout: “BC Day Special”

5 rounds for time of:

10 body weight back squats (scale as needed)
2 rope climbs (don’t forget your long sock)
200m dash (up the alley and back)

– Kermit

Saturday

Okay folks, it is time for the weekly ‘Girl’ workout! Last week it was the butterfly inducing Fran. This week it is everyone’s blast from the PT past.

Technique: Deadlift (2,2,2,2,2,2)

Workout: Helen

3 rounds for time

400m run
21 kb swings (red/black)
12 pull-ups

SNL skit Helen Mirren’s….

Sunday

A lot of people missed a workout this week due to class cancellations and the like. Today is your chance to make one of these monsters up. Coaches I would not recommend trying to run all of this week’s workouts at once, especially Friday’s grinder. Pick one or two and determine who has done what. I do however recommend including the snatch balance workout!

-Kermit

Okay, I swear I was going to see the tumbleweed blowing through the gym today, it was so deserted. People I cannot emphasize enough how important strength training workouts are in the development of the 10 general physical skills. But enough preaching for the moment. Here’s your punishment, err workout for the day!

Technique: Review the movement standards for the chipper.

Workout: CrossFit Regionals Chipper

Row 20 calories
30 Burpees
45 pound/30 pound Two-arm dumbbell ground-to-overhead, 40 reps
50 Toes to bar
100 foot Walking lunge with 45lb/25lb plate held overhead
150 foot Sprint

– Happy Friday! Kermit