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the jumps seemed neverending.
So do the murders of our local cops lately. Rest in Peace to Lakewoods Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold, and Greg Richards and to our friend Sergeant Mark Renninger.
"He spoke well who said that graves are the footprints of angels. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Ahh, the day we rejoice in someone else's mistake - and everyone can be glad it's not them... Yeah, I know. So post what you see in comments, there are some things that could use improvement and some things that are done well - what do you see in this un-named man's thruster?
How high? Not directly overhead like the press series but out of your peripheral vision as you look forward.
Last weeks nutrition talk was well attended and next week we want to do a movement clinic. What would you like to spend a couple of hours on in the evening next week? Vote in comments. Even if you will be overseas next week, go ahead and vote and we'll start making a list. We are beginning a regularly scheduled series on topics of interest and want your input.
Join us at The Old Cannery tonight for the bridgle lighting and welcoming Santa to town as Sumner kicks off the holiday season. Lights 3-2-1 at 5pm, we plan to be there by 4:30.
Yoga is today from 9 - 10am but other than that the gym is closed today.
Tomorrow is normal Saturday hours - open at 9:30, WOD at 10am.
Be on the look out for our annual challenge: "All I want for Christmas are a Few of My Favorite Things" You'll have a check list to work on between now and New Years.
Meet Ben, he's in the sandbox now but will be home soon and he's anxious to continue his CF training with us when he returns. I'm thankful for all of the men and women who are away from their families today who are working to protect us and our way of life.
I'm also thankful that today I'm surrounded by my family: Kurtis and the boys, my parents, my brother. Today is a day we gather with the people who are meaningful to us. I hope you're surrounded by the ones you love the most. Thankful.
Please welcome: Ryan, Ed, Joe, Dave, Eric, Ryan, Tom and Doug
Annie, Susan, Dianna, Andy, and Adam. Not pictured: Sonia, Tiffani, Steve, Aaron, John, Barb, Nina, or Mandy. (sorry to the early am class - Kurtis never has the camera!) Please welcome these new faces as they join our groups next week!
Thank you to the 45 people who joined us last night for the Nutrition discussion. Remember that if you forgot to ask a burning question or if you need any of the resources mentioned, drop either me or Todd an email. Hopefully that gave you all some fuel for thought - remember that its not always the material but oftentimes the delivery that drives the points home. Todd did a great job making a boring, tedious topic entertaining. We will follow up on this with a variety of topics. Feel free to suggest your areas of interes or any feedback in comments.
*REMINDER** we are only open this morning and then will be closed until Saturday morning. There WILL be Friday Yoga, however it will be from 9-10am.
No, Todd is not the tasty morsel but he'll be leading our nutrition discussion tonight at 7pm. Get ready to talk fuel and performance. Our discussion is open to everyone - CrossFitters far and wide, spouses, the family dog (not really). Cost is $10 for guests, free for RCF members.
Our favorite food Jedi: Robb Wolf. And now the superstar is even on ITunes. Search for his podcast called The Paleolithic Solution.
Remember we have only morning hours on Wednesday, we are closed Thursday and Friday.
Friday Yoga: There seems to be a fair amount of interest - RSVP on the whiteboard and Dawn will hold a class if you all want one but you need to let her know.
Friday Night - join us at The Old Cannery to welcome Santa and light the bridge. Bridge lighting is at 5pm, we plan to be there by 4:30. Come share some of Dave's roasted nuts.
Are you among those wondering about the cylindrical tubes of wrath and destruction? Go ahead and ask us about the benefits and *joys* of foam rolling. And be prepared to cry.
CrossFit Invictus has a section of their posts called "how we roll" all about this favorite tool of torture.
Remeber tomorrow night we have a nurtition discussion with Todd from 7 to 8:30 or 9pm. Bring your questions and concerns about food and fuel. Everyone is welcome to attend - free to RCF members and $10 for guests.
We will be closed on Thursday and Friday this week - Dawn has said that she is willing to teach Yoga on the 27th if there is interest. Express it in comments or directly to her. I'll post later this week if it is on or cancelled.
Do you see what I see? Post your observations - good and bad - to comments.
I left the ballots and the ballot box at the gym, voter turnout was dismally low so I'll leave it there this week, too. At least the first part of this week, Thursday is Thanksgiving so I'll probably take it away before them.
So this upcoming week looks like this:
Monday - normal hours, last evening OnRamp
Tuesday - normal hours, last late morning OnRamp plus a nutrition talk with Todd at 7pm
Wednesday - morning hours only
Thursday - closed
Friday - closed. The Old Cannery lights the bridge and Santa arrives at 5pm. We'll be there with the kiddos - come join us!
Saturday - regular morning hours.
A reprint from Sept 2007
The Kipping Top 10
10. The kipping Pull-up (henceforth referred to as the KPU) is all about power output. Power is work (or force x distance) divided by time. High power output (the goal of CrossFit) taxes the entire human system and elicits a neuroendocrine response. (NER: hormonal and neurological changes, short and long term benefits, Google it.)
9. The KPU results in a more potent hormonal stimulus than its less dynamic, less powerful, non-explosive strict pull-up counterpart.
8. The KPU places demands on all 3 metabolic pathways.
7. KPUs are like plyometrics for the shoulder, rapidly stretching and contracting the muscles of the, well, heck, everything.
6. The upper and lower extremities must work together as a single unit. The KPU is a gateway exercise for other hip/upper body coordinations, i.e. the clean, the snatch.
5. It requires efficient transfer of energy from the lower to the upper extremity. The KPU definitely follows the core to extremity path.
4. The KPU demands coordination and agility and who couldn't use more of those?
3. Momentum in the horizontal plane (easy to generate) then gets diverted to the vertical plane, making the KPU a more powerful movement, and we're all about power, see #10.
2. The KPU engages the abdominals in their primary athletic role as midline stabilizers, not as trunk flexors.
1. It's kind of fun to have people ask us why we cheat at pull-ups.
**This is not my own work. Its a collection of answers to the question “Why Kip?” posed by people way smarter and with more time on their hands than I have. I just collect answers, and sometimes generate my own, but not today**
These two again - Wonder how they ever had 3 kids with all their bickering :) (This was in the middle of ab-mat sit-ups during a wod.)
A BIG FAT CONGRATULATIONS to AMIE who got her first RX'd workout yesterday - with rope climbs, no less!! Way to go, Amie!!!!
Ballots are available at the gym, be sure to take one and fill it out. I nominate these two as Craziest Canadians.
Invitations to local affilates for Tuesdays nutrition discussion should have been emailed last night. If I missed you, please know that EVERYONE is welcome, spouses, home CrossFitters, anyone in the area who wants to talk about nutrition and performance. No need to RSVP, just show up. We'll start at 7pm and try to wrap it up by 8:30, 9o'clock. Bring your questions and pick Todd's brain.
We're all wondering what Alex gets in exchange for hanging out with his dad...
Some things to mark on your calendars:
Tuesday Nov 24th Nutrition discussion with Todd, 7-8:30 pm
Tuesday Dec 1 CF No Limits one year anniversary party, 5pm
Anyone up for a Taco Tuesday on Saturday Dec 5th?
Girls night with LuLuLemon - details forthcoming....
Not only do we welcome them to town, but we are pleased to announce that Todd (HQ staff extraordinaire, co-star of the Boz and Todd Show) will join our training staff. He'll continue to lead level one and two certs worldwide but we'll get to reap the benefits of his coaching. (and we'll get to hang out with his cool family!)
Todd is available for private coaching and CrossFit Games prep, too. If you're a local CrossFitter with CF Games aspirations, drop us an email and we'll put you in contact with Todd.
To get us started, he's leading a nutrition discussion next Tuesday, November 24th from 7-8:30 or 9pm. Learn what you should eat and why and how nutrition plays a key role in not only body composition but performance. Discussion is free for RCF members, $10 for guests. Everyone is welcome.
We're not sure how Scott does it or quite what he's doing...
but we join him in being SO PROUD of Katrina who qualified for Nationals!!
Katrina will run in Terre Haute at the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Monday the 23rd. Picture and story here.
Katrina - we are thrilled for you. Relax, run fast, HAVE FUN!!!!
Our latest Level Ones!
Ballots and the ballot box will be at the gym later today, you have this week to vote in our own "best of." One ballot per person, you can campaign and lobby, but you can only vote once.
Not bad for the ex-Curves lady! Bev finished Fran in just under 8 minutes.
Why Fran? What is it about thrusters and pull-ups that has made this couplet the new poster girl for CrossFit? They seem to cycle through every few years - first was Helen, the FGB, now this infamous, painful lady. What's your theory? Best theory can split a shirt with James....
Chuck has lost 23 pounds since starting CF and Paleo this summer. Although he vehemently denies it, Annette let slip that she once bought him size 40 pants and today he said his 36's are too loose. Love it. Way to go, Chuck!!
We are closed today as we host the CF HQ crew for a level one cert. If you are spending this weekend with us, welcome - we're glad to have you.
Cheryl napped last week in preparation for this week off...
She's the smart one and here's why: Cheryl was feeling run down. Everything was hard, or heavy, or punishing. Even more so than normal. What to do? Thats your body's way of saying take a break. Listen and take a couple of days off. Typically we see this happen to most everyone who trains 3-5 days a week and it happens every 12-16 weeks.
I don't know about you but if I don't listen when I need a break my body TAKES a break, usually by getting sick. With the colds and the flus going around, there are plenty of opportunistic bugs ready to take over your immune system if you give them the chance. Your best defense is rest, sound nutrition and copious warm water and soap.
Have you been sick and you're wondering if you should work out or when its safe to come back? Typically we say if the symptoms are above the neck (ie clear runny nose or stuffy nose, dry cough) you're good to work out. Anything below that - fever, chills, sore throat, coughing up green goo, nausea, vomiting, etc. stay home. When in doubt, stay home another day. We love you but would prefer you didn't share with us. If you do get the flu, the recommendation is to stay home until your fever has been gone for over 24 hours without the use of medication.
So what can you do in the gym? Wash your hands and wipe down your equipment. And let us know if you're feeling run down. We'll help you figure out if you need to scale back or take a few days off.
It's Friday the 13th, watch out for black cats, ladders, and spilled salt.
Yes, we love our chalk and we use it liberally. Plus, it makes great hand prints on black pants.
Let's talk proper use for a minute, though. Fun hand shapes aside. A thin coating of chalk over the part of your hands that come in contact with the equipment that you're using is fine. Its purpose is to absorb any moisture that may be present that could cause slippage. Chalk up to your elbows or half an inch think won't help you any more. A little is all you need. Oh, and try to heep your hands in the buckets while chalking up. The pig-pen like dust cloud and its fall-out (see picture) not only look terrible they're awfully hard to clean. Thanks for your help! BTW - Martha is cute covered with chalk, the floor isn't - so much. She is NOT responsible for the second picture, I took that some time ago.
So Sam asked today when he saw Chris walking into the gym "what's his name again?" I said "Chris" and Sam replied "Oh, he's the good jumper." Indeed.
This one was an epic miss.
So, our last of the 10 general physical skills. CrossFit defines accuracy as the ability to control movement in a given direction or at a given intensity. It is a matter of practice and not training. Something you must work on over and over and over again to get better at, but an autopsy won't reveal it. You guys will get to practice your accuracy today.
Happy Vetrans Day. 11 - 11 - 11 has historic and painful significance today: World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”
Thank you to all of our vets who are honored as heros this day but who were hero's long before today.
Stop by RCF today to experience a little 11 - 11 - 11.
Cindy is to Murph what Grace is to blank. Remember your SAT's?
Muscles and Posture Mens Journal tells you why everything you know about muscles is wrong. Interesting read and a nice find from the cf message board.
RCF will be closed on Saturday this week for a level one certification. Sorry for the wonky schedule lately.
You can't catch Rory. Rory PR's her deadlift at 270 at Lynnwood CF's Total on Saturday.
Guess what our reformed vegetarian made herself for breakfast beforehand? Thats right - steak and eggs. So if a broke-living-in-the-dorms college freshman can manage breakfast why can't you?
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we'll be voting again starting this week. After turkey day, we'll have another "All I want for Christmas" challenge details TBA. Last year it was 25 workouts and one girl PR. Expect something similar.
RCF will be closed again on Saturday since we're hosting a level one cert. Sorry for this disruption in scheduling lately.
over, under, or around?
clearly, the faces of some have been cut off or hidden behind bars to protect the innocent....
How do you grab the bar for pull-ups? What do you love or hate about our pull-up bars? How about the others that you've used?
Congratulations to Doug and Shawna who got hitched last night!!
Balance - The ability to control the placement of the bodies center of gravity in relation to its support base.
Balance: A biological system that enables us to know where our bodies are in the environment and to maintain a desired position. Normal balance depends on information from the inner ear, other senses (such as sight and touch) and muscle movement.
Our sense of balance is specifically regulated by a complex interaction between the following parts of the nervous system:
Ahh, the nervous system. Again in the right hand column. We can break balance in to 2 more types: static and dynamic. Still and moving. Of course the moving or dynamic balance is more important when it comes to not landing on your butt during an overhead squat.
Go back up and read #2 again. This is exactly why we tell you to find a spot on the floor and look at it during most movements. Your vision and depth perception is a critical component to balance. Test this theory - stand on one foot and stare at a spot in front of you. Now change nothing but close your eyes. You fell over, huh?
Yesterdays crappy weather was brought to you straight from Montana - the responsible party knows who they are.
Welcome home to Tamara's Nathan - glad you're back safe.
Agility - The ability to minimize transition time from one movement pattern to another
From Outside Magazine: Agility is multidirectional speed, or the ability to stop, react, change direction, and start again, all in a split second. But don't expect agility to come from a simple sprint through a gantlet of overturned Goodyears. "Until you add a reaction component to your speed drills—that unpredictable next cut—you're not developing agility," says pro trainer Vern Gambetta....
Sounds like dodgeball fits the bill --- more dodgeball warm-ups, I guess.
Kristin and Kurtis appear in The Journal again - this time with Paul's favorite Yoke.
Thank you to Amanda, Kha, Cheryl and Brian who help with the move-in yesterday.
because I can.
This has nothing to do with CrossFit but EVERYTHING to do with RCF - so take a minute and share my excitement. Read on:
Clinical Tests Begin on Medication to Correct Fragile X
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today that scientists at Seaside Therapeutics in Cambridge, Mass., are beginning a clinical trial of a potential medication to treat Fragile X. The medication, STX107, targets mGluR5, a key brain receptor which is misregulated in people who have Fragile X.
Thomas R. Insel, M.D., director of the National Institute of Mental Health, said, "This project is the culmination of years of fundamental research, first identifying the genetic mutation and later deciphering the biochemical consequences of this mutation. Now, with the initiation of this first clinical study, we move one step closer to understanding how this novel candidate may play a critical role in improving the lives of individuals with Fragile X Syndrome."
Seaside Therapeutics was founded by Dr. Mark Bear of MIT and colleagues, and funding for the work has been provided by the NIH, Autism Speaks, and FRAXA Research Foundation. You can read the NIH release here.
To view this news release as a webpage an be able to follow the embedded links, go here.
Back to your regularly scheduled programming tomorrow. Today, I am hopeful.
OnRamp 8 gets their first rowing lesson
Coordination - The ability to combine several distinct movement patterns into a singular distinct movement. also: Physiology Harmonious functioning of muscles or groups of muscles in the execution of movements.
Coordination is our first of the 10 general physical skills to be on the "practice" side of the board. You can't see changes in the body as coordination improves. It is a neurological adaptation that has far reaching repercussions in sport and in CrossFit.
Do you take fish oil? Should you? A little more about Omega 3's (thanks to Sharon for the find)
Getting dark early - better add some SPEED to your runs! The reflective belts (sashes) that hang by the door are for anyone to use.
So Speed. Anyone with a lead foot can define this one. CF calls it "the ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement."
Speed depends on not only our muscular ability to move rapidly (the training component) but our brains ability to orchestrate the movements quickly (the practice part). Think of it this way, when you were 2 you had the muscular ability to walk up stairs. But it took a couple more years of practice before you were able to run up them with wild abandon. Your brain first had to learn to control all the movement associated with stair climbing and then it had to be able to execute them rapidly - and then you turned into a speedy little kamikaze stair climber. And to this day, you can still run up stairs pretty quickly and without looking at each and every foot placement.
We need some volunteer muscle on Thursday morning, for a couple of hours starting at 10am. If you can help unload a moving van (for time) let me know!
Power - The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply maximum force in minimum time.
The first of our 2 components of fitness to require both training and practice. Mathematically, power equals work divided by time. Work equals force times distance so:
P=F*D/T
Power equals force (weight moved) x distance moved divided by the time it takes to move it. Power is really the meat of CrossFit - we want to maximize power output. We do that by moving large loads long distances quickly.
Catalyst Athletics has a power output calculator here: http://www.performancemenu.com/resources/powerOutput.php
Yes, you can calculate your power.
CONGRATULATIONS to Chris and Jen who welcomed the arrival of their 9 pound "it's gonna be a badass whatever it is" little boy named Leo. Everyone's great and Leo arrived last night at about 6. Pics coming soon!
Using strongman tools and training to build better CrossFitters.
We'll return to your regularly scheduled Sunday brain Teasers next week. Go ahead and do something stupid, foolish, or blatently wrong and I'll feature you here! :0
On tap for this week:
OnRamp (all 22 of you!!!!) You have front squats, overhead squats, thrusters, wallball, rowing, and heavier OHP-PP-PJ's to look forward to this week.
Enjoy you're rest day - you remembered to change your clocks back one hour last night, right?
