Blog Archive

The Dancing Kitties have been through 13 of their 15 sessions and they are going to graduate next friday with Fight Gone Bad in Crossfit Vancouver style!

I know how hard these young adults work all week and could not be more proud of the effort that I see from them each friday. I have made a small video to showcase their work, enjoy!

I also want to say a huge thank you to all the Madlab coaches that have put time into the program. It would not have been possible without each and every one of you!

Slingblade

Friday

Warm-up: 10 minutes

With a partner:

4 rounds each:
250 m row while partner rests. Switch. Try to make each interval faster than the last.

Strength: (25 minutes)

A). 6 x 3 Box Squat

B). 6 x 3 Power Clean

Conditioning: 15 minute time Cap.

2km row
50 burpees

**If you’re not going to make the time cap, scale to 1500 m row and 30 burpees

Saturday

Warm-up: Coaches Choice (include some windmills and light turkish get-ups)

Strength: 12 minutes

Turkish get-ups – 5×1/1

Conditioning: 21 minutes

“Cerebrus”

A. 5 minutes EMOTM – 30 seconds hollow rocks

3 minute break

B. 150 KB swings in as few sets as possible

3 minute break

C. 5 minutes EMOTM – 30 seconds double unders

For those of you who have embraced the Social Media life, we have a challenge that is right up your alley. For the rest of us, here’s a little gateway challenge to get you into the groove of using Instagram and Twitter. (the dreaded hashtag!)

We have 4 tickets to the Canucks vs Wild on Sunday, February 1st to award. Yes, this is Superbowl Sunday, BUT… the game is at 12:30pm, so it is a perfect pre-game warm-up!

Here is your challenge:

1. Do a butt scoot somewhere interesting / picturesque / hilarious
2. Post a photo to Instagram
3. Tag the photos with @madlabschool and #madlabbuttscoot (and #madlabschooloffitness if you’re a keener)
Note: If your Instagram handle isn’t obvious, please include your name, and your coach
4. Share, post, retweet, etc to gather the most likes to win

You have until Thursday, January 29th to post. The two photos with the most likes will win 2 tickets each to the game. The final tally will be completed by 7pm on the 29th so that the winners will be posted (re-tweeted etc) on the 30th for all to see.

Here is the current leader. Think you can do better?

Thursday

Warm-up: 12 minutes

A).

10/10 Arm Bars
10 Scap Pull-ups
10 Scap Push-ups
2 x 10 second push up

B). Empty Barbell:

10 Push Press
10 Jerk
10 Tall Clean
10 Hang Clean

Skill: 10 minutes

6 x 3 HSPU (deficit if possible)

or

6 x 6 Pike Push-ups

Strength: 15 minutes

6 x 3 Jerk

**5 minutes going over workout movements

Conditioning: EMOTM 10 min (choose your own load but choose a load you can get at least 8 reps)

20s push press
20s hang cleans
20s rest

**Optional: Stick around for 5 minutes after class and do: 50 chest to bar pull ups

A little pick me up in the morning is always a great way to start. I found this video interesting about how different countries around the world like to sip their coffee. Post to comments if you got your own little twist on a cup of Joe.

Mikey B

Warm-up: 15 minutes

A). Dynamic Lengths (5 minutes)

B). Empty Bar (10 minutes)

2 rounds

7 Good Mornings
7 Back Squats
7 Front Squats
7 Tall Cleans
7 Hang Power Clean
7 Shoulder Press
7 Push Press
Rest 1 minute

Strength: 15 minutes

Choose between

Front Squat – 5×5
OR
Push Press – 5×5

Conditioning: 15 minutes time cap

“Nasty Girls”

3 rounds:
50 air squats
7 muscle ups (substitute 7 ring dips)
10 hang power cleans (135lbs/95lbs)

Whether you want a muscle-up, a pull-up, a ring dip, or you want to improve your shoulder and scapular stability and health, you’re a prime candidate to sign-up for the Upper Body Strength (aka Muscle-up Program).

It starts on February 8th and runs for 8 weeks on Sundays at 3 pm. On top of these 8 sessions, you’ll also be given homework to do twice a week (just 15- 20 minutes of homework).

While we have been doing lots of pull-ups in classes, this program is more structured and progressive and will hold you accountable to 8 weeks of focussed upper body strength work. Your pulling strength will improve. Your pushing will improve. And if you’re at a level where muscle-ups are in reach, your technical understanding and muscle-up mechanics will definitely improve!

Dates (3 pm on Sundays)

February 8th
February 15th
February 22nd
March 1st
March 8th
March 15th
March 22nd
March 29th

Cost is $210 for 8 weeks (plus homework each week).

Sign-up Here:

Warm-up: 15 minutes

10/10 Half Moons
20/20 Halos
10 prone snow angels
45 Second Lean and Loiter
10 Dislocates
15 OHS (with reverse grip if possible)
20 Steps OH Duck Walk
10 Sotts Press

Strength: 15 minutes: Choose One

Option A (for those who are adept in the OHS): 15 minutes to work up to a heavy OHS (single)

Option B (for those who struggle with the OHS):

3×5 windmills (with a DB)
and
5×5 OHS

Conditioning: Open Workout 14.2

From 0:00-3:00
2 rounds of:
10 overhead squats (95/65 lb.)
10 chest-to-bar pull-ups

From 3:00-6:00
2 rounds of:
12 overhead squats
12 chest-to-bar pull-ups

From 6:00-9:00
2 rounds of:
14 overhead squats
14 chest-to-bar pull-ups

Etc., following same pattern until you fail to complete both rounds in the allotted 3 minutes. 2 reps are added to each movement every three minutes.

Feel free to substitute regular pull-ups, and scale the OHS weight accordingly. Scale in a way so that this becomes at least a 6 minute workout for you. If you don’t complete the first six minutes, consider yourself to have failed to scale accordingly.

Core Finisher: 5 minute EMOM: 20-30 second hollow hold each minute

HA! Is there an answer to this question?

Well… Actually there is!

Triumphs of Experience is a book written by George Vaillant in 2012. It chronicles “the longest running study of human development in history”.

In 1938 Harvard University started a study “to determine as best as possible what factors contribute most strongly to human flourishing”.

Now in the past I have spent hours summarizing an abstract for you to read and get the gist of an article. This time you have to hit the link and read for yourselves.

I will say this however… Like most things in life the answers are often upstream. Way Way Way upstream.

There are two good times to plant a tree. 20 years ago and right now.

Cheers,

Sheppy

Monday’s Workout:

Warm-up: 15 minutes

A).

20 Pull Aparts
20 Face Pulls
10/10 Ring Row and Reach

B).

2 Rounds:

7/7 Split Squats with KB
7 Goblet Squats
7/7 RDLs or Bowler Squats

Skill: 10 minutes

Choose 1 of 3

25 strict pull-ups (as few sets as possible)
3×10 kipping pull-ups
3 big sets of butterfly pull-ups

Strength: 15 minutes

Front Squat – 5×5

Conditioning: Partner WOD – AMRAP in 12 minutes

Partner A: 15 Cal Row
PArtner B: 10 Burpees

Partner A does a 15 cal row, while partner B does 10 burpees.

When both partners have completed their task, switch! Go back and forth for 10 minutes. You’re only allowed to switch stations each time when both partners are finished their task.

A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

“If you are sick, please do not come in to train.”

Adrenaline and epinephrine might make you feel better for a couple of hours, but when you train while sick you are stressing an already stressed system. This delays recovery–not only from the illness, but from any training that you try to undertake.

Besides this, it is inherently selfish to bring any illness into the school.   Any teacher can attest to this. In fact, Sheppy gets sick nine times a year because someone with a sore throat and a runny nose thinks that burpees and cleans will make them feel better.

What you should consider beforehand instead:

Or, read THIS (for those who need an argument).
Respect your body.  Respect the Man Cold.

~Squad

Friday

Warm-up: Andy’s Choice (10 minutes)

Strength:

1. 6 x 3 Box Squats (5-10 lb. heavier than last week) 15 minutes

2. 6 x 2 Power Cleans (5-10 lb. heavier than last week) 15 minutes

Conditioning:

EMOM for 8 min:

30 seconds burpees
30 seconds cleans (at 60 to 70% of you 6 x 2)

Optional Finisher: EMOM for 5 min 30 seconds of pistols

Saturday

Warm-up: 15 minutes

2 rounds:

10/10 back and forth leg swings
10/10 side to side leg swings
10/10 banded shoulder press
10/10 halos
10/10 RDL

Accessory: 20 minutes (rest as needed between sets)

8x40m single arm KB carry in racked position**

**alternate arms every 40m, use a relatively heavy KB
You should feel like you have to put it down after 40m

Conditioning: 10 minute time cap

18, 12, 6

KB thrusters (red/black)
Pull-ups
Overhead walking lunges with two Kbs (keep arms as straight as possible)

*I did this at a training camp in Calgary with some of the top girls in Canada West and the fastest time was about 5:50

First, a little bit of house keeping : we’re donating the contents of our Lost and Found this week.

So please take a look, and rescue any of the shirts or shorts you don’t want to part ways with, before the end of day Friday.

And in other news, from the planet Krypton:

Nobody likes a showoff.

Andy

Thursday

Warm-up: 10 minutes

30 face pulls
10 push back push ups (push back into crouch position)
10 split jerks
10 split jerk stance shoulder press
10 behind the neck shoulder press

SKill: 25 minutes

6 x 3 Kipping HSPU (deficit if possible)

or

6 x 6 Pike Push-ups

then

6×3 Jerks

Conditioning: 12 min to perform

30 Wall Balls
15 Toes to Bar (v-sit)
30 Wall Balls
15 Toes to Bar
Max wall balls with remainder of time

Optional Finisher: 5 minutes: 200 Double Unders (2 push ups every time you mess up).

It’s been a while since we had a good social commentary.

Patty sent me this article recently: Many People Use Drugs – But Here’s Why Most Don’t Become Addicts

He also sent it to Wendy and Reto, titled: “Clyde vs Crotch Debate”

You can imagine what ensued… approximately a dozen emails back and forth with both parties switching sides at random in order to keep their opponent on their toes.

Priceless.

Take a minute, and read the article.

My favourite quote:
“It does happen. But the atypical experience of the relatively small number of drug users from stable backgrounds who stumble into addiction and can legitimately attribute the chaos of their subsequent lives to this one event drowns out the experience of the overwhelming majority of addicts for whom social isolation, economic exclusion, criminality and fragile mental health preceded their drug use rather than being caused by it.”

To start the creative juices flowing:

Clyde: “With all due respect to my colleague’s moral and non-reprehensible sensibilities, I declare that all drugs should be available without limitation to every Tom, Dick, and Harry, and Tom, Dick, and Harry’s kids. It is their responsibility to ensure they are neither socially isolated, economically excluded, criminally nor mentally fragile and that their opioid receptors will not attach to morphine molecules. The citizens do not need the government to tell us what substances we can and cannot try. Those laws that you claim have “protected” us for over a century, I would argue, have done nothing but shelter us from awesome psychedelic and hallucinogenic experiences that would have enhanced our lives rather than destroyed them. We want the FREEDOM to decide how and when we deteriorate our own brains’ white matter!”

Crotch: “Is my esteemed colleague trying to justify some feeble case for relaxing existing laws on access to dangerous and life altering intoxicants? Just because most mentally fit people don’t become addicted, that’s no reason to suddenly start handing out free crack cocaine to every 12 year old standing on a street corner! These laws have served to protect our children and families for the better part of a century. One poorly written junk science article is certainly no justification for suggesting such a sweeping change to our safe and just society. Frankly, I find this irresponsible and seditious suggestion to be seriously reprehensible!”

I invite you all to join in the comments.

Freedom vs Responsibility
Drug Use vs Addiction

Discuss…

Wednesday: 15 minutes

15 banded good mornings
20/20 lateral step ups
15 Russian KB swings
15 Goblet squats
20/20 banded hamstring pull-downs

Strength: 15 minutes: (same weight as Monday)

Front Squat – 4 x 5

OR

Push Press – 4 x 5

Accessory: 20 minutes

A). Superset:

GH raises 5×5 (or Glute Bridges with weight)
Choose: Muscle-ups OR Ring Dips OR Strict Pull-ups 5×3-5 reps

B). 50 Burpee Pull-ups for time (10 minute time Cap)

Ok, stay with me…

A hormone is a signalling molecule produced in the body to help regulate changes in an individual’s physiology and behaviour.

A person’s hormonal cascade is largely dependant on social, physical and environmental cues.

A stressful situation signals increasing levels of cortisol, for example, while a position of authority (alpha) can signal increasing levels of testosterone.

Studies have shown there’s an interesting feedback loop that indicates the signalling can go in the opposite direction.

In one experiment, a saliva sample was collected from a group of volunteers.
Their testosterone and cortisone levels where measured and recorded.
They where then separated into two groups.
One group spent 2 min posing in a “high power pose” and the other spent 2 min in a “low power pose.”

Another saliva sample was taken, and compared to the pre-pose samples.

Here is what they found:
The High Power Poser’s testosterone levels went up by 20% and their cortisol when down 25%.
While the Low Power Poser’s levels went in the opposite direction. Testosterone dropped and Cortisol rose.

Pretty dramatic.

Another experiment shows that manipulating an experimentee’s facial expression into a smile (with the help of a pencil clenched between their teeth) increased their pain tolerance. A furrowed brow, wrinkled nose and pursed lips decreased pain their threshold.

Pretty cool, right?

(If you have the time, check out Amy Cuddy’s TedTalk: Your body language shapes who you are for more info)

Keeping the above in mind, to make the most out of your training sessions, it makes sense to pay attention to what your body language and facial expressions are telling your internal chemical factory.

Weightlifters often champion this line of thinking. Watch Hossein Rezazadeh hit a new PR:

If you watch his face, it looks like he’s just buttering his morning toast, not making the biggest lift of his career.

Facial tension doesn’t always equal effort. Especially when it comes to tasks that require speed and coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy.

When you lift with a face that says “I’m currently wresting with a stubborn poop” you’re telling your brain “Holy Smokes, I may not get out of this without a blown O ring.” Your stress levels and the Rate of Perceived Effort go way up.

When you lift with a face that says “I’m just buttering toast” you are telling your brain “I’ve been here before, there is no danger, I know what I’m doing.” Your Rate of Perceived Effort stays at an appropriate level.

So, to give yourself the best chance to knock your training session out of the park, stand like Wonder Woman during the pre-class circle question, and avoid the Matt Chan face during your workout

Andy

Tuesday

Warm-up: 20 minutes

A).

15 prone snow angels
60 second Lying prone dowel hold
30 banded pull throughs
2 mins dead hang hold (accumulate 2 minutes)

B). 5 minute EMOM DB Thrusters: 10 thrusters each minute (keep it light and use this as a gauge for the conditioning at the end of class)

Skill: 15 minutes

Choose 1 of 3

a. 25 strict pull-ups (as few sets as possible)
b. 3×10 kipping pull-ups
c. 3 big sets of butterfly pull-ups

Conditioning:

“Choose your own adventure (weight)”

25 DB Thrusters (unbroken)
3 minutes rest
25 DB Thrusters (unbroken)

**Keep the weight moving the entire time. No resting on the shoulders. These 25 thrusters should be a sprint and shouldn’t take more than 1 minute.

Novice Men: 20-25 lb.
Novice Women: 10-15 lb.
Intermediate Men: 30-40 lb.
Intermediate Women: 20-25 lb.
Bad Ass Men: 45-50 lb.
Bad Ass Women: 30-40 lb.

Finisher: 5 minutes

30 seconds on, 30 seconds off x 5 minutes: Hollow Rocks

For those of you who have embraced the Social Media life, we have a challenge that is right up your alley. For the rest of us, here’s a little gateway challenge to get you into the groove of using Instagram and Twitter. (the dreaded hashtag!)

We have 4 tickets to the Canucks vs Wild on Sunday, February 1st to award. Yes, this is Superbowl Sunday, BUT… the game is at 12:30pm, so it is a perfect pre-game warm-up!

Here is your challenge:

What to do:
1. Do a butt scoot somewhere interesting / picturesque / hilarious
2. Post a photo to Instagram
3. Tag the photos with @madlabschool and #madlabbuttscoot  (and #madlabschooloffitness if you’re a keener)
Note: If your Instagram handle isn’t obvious, please include your name, and your coach
4. Share, post, retweet, etc to gather the most likes to win

You have between today, January 19th and Thursday, January 29th to post. The two photos with the most likes will win 2 tickets each to the game. The final tally will be completed by 7pm on the 29th so that the winners will be posted (re-tweeted etc) on the 30th for all to see.

My bets on who will embrace this wholeheartedly?
Clyde, The Pest (Lars), Baby Nat, Goose Willis, Cabbage Patch (Shelley)
Am I missing anyone??? Post to comments…

Cheers to a dark horse taking these social media mavens DOWN!

~Squad

Monday

Warm-up: 12 minutes

3 rounds:

20m Samson lunge
1 minute front plank
10/10 sit cross-legged and reach
30 sec side plank (alternate sides per round)

Strength: 25 minutes (add 5-10 lb. from last week)

1. Front Squat – 5 x 4

2. Push Press – 5 x 4

Conditioning: 12 minute time cap

30, 25, 20, 15, 10

Weighted lunges – back rack (35lbs/45lbs)
Russian twists with a plate (10lbs/15lbs)