WOD:

20-18-16-14-12-10 KBS (35/53)
10-12-14-16-18-20 KTE

Traveler’s WOD:

2 min max push ups
2 min max air squats
2 min max sit ups
2 min max burpees

The 2012 Reebok Crossfit Games Open is right around the corner (read yesterday’s post if you aren’t familiar with the CrossFit Games Open yet). With registration beginning on February 1st (today!), and the release of the first WOD on February 22nd, CrossFitters from all over the world will be able to showcase their abilities in hopes of being crowned the “Fittest in the World.”

Last year, Reebok joined forces with CrossFit and the dynamic duo garnered 26,000 registered athletes worldwide, who performed one workout a week for six weeks. This was by far CrossFit’s best showing of athleticism and participation on its road to the Games. Considering all the publicity and hype the Games received this year, it will be interesting to see the numbers Reebok and CrossFit will put together for this year’s Open.

That being said, last year’s Open was an amazing experience, and one you can join this year. I strongly encourage you to get involved in this year’s Open. You may not be striving to become the next Annie Thorsdottir or Rich Froning, (and even better if you are) but I can assure you, there are a few reasons to participate in the Open:

Do it for you! The Open is a great way to motivate and push yourself beyond normal limits. A competitive edge is added when you are able to check your standings each week, and rankings daily. The Open allows you to gauge where you are within the CrossFit world. Find a name within our South Central region, stalk their stats on their Reebok CrossFit profile, and try to keep up with them or beat them in each week’s workout.

Do it for your fellow CrossFitter! Just as last year, we will be incorporating the Open WODs into our weekly programming. Thus, you will be participating in the Open regardless of whether or not you register. Why not use this opportunity to test your limits and see where you stand against your fellow CrossFit Midland athletes as well as those in our region, the U.S. and the world? Knowing that your scores will be posted online for all to see, you will automatically kick up your intensity and drive in each workout, which in return forces others around you to push even harder as well. It’s a beneficial cycle that without you, your friends’ numbers or rankings will not be as high on the Open scoreboard.

Do it for your CrossFit box! Last year’s Open not only focused on individual performances but brought in the team dynamic of the competition. The top affiliates of each region were able to have some of their best members represent their “box” at Regionals with only the top three affiliate teams advancing to the Games. The team aspect of the Open and Regionals allowed many affiliates to highlight their athletes in a way that brought a stronger sense of pride and community to their box.

The Open took over the lives of affiliates and members for six weeks. It was six weeks of having set times or days to perform Open WODs. It was a great opener to prep the world for the “road to the Games!” At the global level, the competition wasn’t solely focused at the individual level. Instead, the focus was on how an individual’s numbers could not only help him/her advance but also help the affiliate produce a team to compete at Regionals with an eye toward making it to the Games.

Again, participate in the Open in some way! If you’ve been toying with registering, go for it! If you’re teetering on the edge of whether or not to register, read the reasons stated above again. There could be a WOD released catering to your strengths, and your numbers may be needed to help our box advance. Throw yourself into the adventure of the Open and get excited for the hype and improvement it will bring to you, your fellow CrossFitters, and CrossFit Midland. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. If anything, it’ll help solidify why you joined this crazy CrossFit community!

WOD:

5 Rounds:
2 Minutes Max Reps Clean Cluster (1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Power Clean + 1 Squat Clean)
@ 3 RM Hang Power Clean Weight (from 1.18.11)
Rest 2 Minutes Between Rounds

Traveler’s WOD:

10 Rounds:
5 Tripod to Plank or Handstand Kickouts
10 Hollow Rocks

Reebok CrossFit Games Open 2012

CrossFit is becoming increasingly popular as the means for people to test their competitive mettle. Whether you play soccer, basketball, ultimate frisbee, run half-marathons, compete in CrossFit competitions or just simply enjoy your daily CrossFit workout, having a competition on the horizon helps to focus your training and push you past the complacency that might set in otherwise.

As you’ve likely heard, the 2012 CrossFit competition season kicks into high gear on February 22 with the five-week, five-workout CrossFit Games Open. Each week a workout will be posted on the CrossFit Games website and athletes will have the remainder of the week to complete the workout, post their scores online, and have the score verified by the affiliate they worked out at or a judge online if they submit a video. Scaling is allowed, however, in order to be eligible to advance to the next level workouts must be completed as they’re written. Each week, the workout will be announced on Wednesday at 5 p.m. PT (starting February 22). Everyone will have until the following Sunday at 5 p.m. PT to complete that week’s workout and submit their score. You can do the workout at your local affiliate or film your attempt from any gym, a garage, or park.

Once you submit your workouts to the Games site, you’ll be able to find your rank, both worldwide and in your region. You get one point for each place (i.e. five points for 5th place) for each workout. Your overall score is the sum of all the workout scores, and lowest total points wins. You can compete both as an Individual and on a Team. Individuals are divided between men and women, and Masters are divided by gender and age.

The individual athletes and teams that perform the best across the five Open workouts, in each of the 17 regions, will be invited to compete at the second stage of the Games, the Regionals. The top 20 Masters in each age and gender category will earn an automatic spot at the Games in July.

Everyone in the world is invited to participate to see how they stack up. We hope that each of you will consider participating in the Open competition by registering online and completing the workouts with us each week. Tens of thousands of athletes from every continent will visit affiliates and submit videos in the quest to prove their fitness. Athletes must be registered as individuals in order to compete as a team, and teams for regionals consist of 3 men and 3 women. Registration opens up on Feb 1, 2012 so give it some thought and see where you stack up against your fellow CrossFit Midland athletes as well as those around the world. Registration is done through the CrossFit Games website.

The 5 Games Open workouts will be scheduled into our regular weekly programming, so it is worth your while to register online just to see how you fare. If you have any questions about how the Opens work, what the CrossFit Games are, or what level of fitness will be required, please ask one of your coaches. We are happy to answer any questions you have and will continue to post more information in the next 3 weeks leading up to the Opens. The Open workouts are designed to be inclusive, allowing the majority of CrossFit participants to get involved, so check out the Games site and see how to get involved. All athletes may find the Official Rule Book here.

Just as the video above shows, CrossFit is designed to be fun. The Opens are a great chance to spend time with your fellow CrossFit Midland athletes and get involved in the CrossFit community. The workouts will surely be challenging, as they all are, but also will be a fun opportunity to compete against your friends as well as with the rest of the world.

Thanks to Ronny H. for this great video. Proof of the Paleo Diet literally saving people’s lives.

WOD:

15 Minutes to Establish 3RM Back Squat

AMRAP in 5 Minutes:
10 Unbroken KTE
10 Air Squats

21-15-9 Reps Box Jumps
15-12-9 Slam Ball Shoulder & Squat

Traveler’s WOD:

AMRAP in 20 Minutes:
25 Air Squats
25 Hollow Rocks
25 Mountain Climbers/Side

Spring 2012 inov-8s are here! Click on the Online Store tab to see which models & colors are available for purchase!

WOD:

15 Minutes to Establish 1RM Press Cluster (1 Push Press + 1 Push Jerk + 1 Split Jerk)

1 Attempt Max Reps Kipping Pullups

As Far As Possible in 4 Minutes:
Push Press @ 75% of 1 RM Cluster
1-2-3-4-5-6-7… Unbroken, Must Set Down Between Sets

Traveler’s WOD:

4 Rounds:
Run 400 M
Max Reps Plyo Pushups

WOD:

EMOTM for 12 Minutes:
3 BB Hip Thrusts (155/225)
4 Jump Squats @ .40 TSW

3 Rounds:
8 Double KB Russian Swings
12 GHR

Traveler’s WOD:

21-15-9 Reps:
Pistols
Ninja Situps

Then, 100 Walking Lunges For Time.

WOD:

15 Minutes to Complete:
Power Clean Ladder:
1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3 Reps @ 3RM Hang Power Clean Weight (from last Wednesday)
(Sets Must Be Touch & Go and Unbroken)

15 Minutes to Complete:
Dead Hang Pullup (C2B) Ladder:
1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3 Reps (Weighted If Possible)

Traveler’s WOD:

EMOTM for 15 Minutes:
3 Handstand Pushups

Then, 50 Hand Release Pushups For Time.

EMOTM for 12 Minutes:
3 Floor Press (with Band) @ 90% of 3RM from last week

1 Attempt Max Time Support at 125% + Band

21-15-9 Reps:
Ring Dip Balances
Tripod Kickouts

50 GHD Situps

Traveler’s WOD:

200 M Bear Crawl. Each time you rest, perform 10 Burpees.

Then, 100 Hollow Rocks For Time.

WOD:

20 Minutes to Establish:
1RM Sled Drive 20M in Under 20 Seconds (Low Handles)

10 Rounds:
5 Double KB Russian Swings
3 Weighted Vertical Jumps

3 x 8-12 Glute Ham Raise

Traveler’s WOD:

5 x 200 M Sprint. Rest 1 Minute Between Each Interval.

Then, 100 Jump Squats For Time. (Jump as high as possible.)

Below is an article we found on CrossFit Hollywood’s blog that we thought would be good to share. As the Games Open season approaches, it is crucial that you make each rep and each workout count, focusing on the integrity of the movements, perfect form, proper technique and full range of motion. As your coaches, it will be our responsibility to make sure that all athletes submit honest, valid and legit scores. This may result in tough coaching and even quite a few “no-rep” calls, but we know that you all are the type of people that appreciate the challenge, want to be pushed and enjoy the satisfaction in knowing you did everything right.

Keep in mind that humility is not a weakness. Leaders that display humility tend to have more influence, attract better talent, and earn more respect. It’s not about the leader, it’s about the team.

“Ego Vs. Intensity” (from CrossFit Hollywood) 

Disclaimer: The following post is in response to multiple recent occurrences at CFHW, and is meant mostly to athletes who want the “Rx” next to their scores, are interested in competing, or want their scores posted on our leader board. It is not directed at any one individual.

I love my job. I love seeing people make incredible transformations. I love seeing people hit PR’s. I love helping people achieve things they never thought possible. I love the fact that our athletes are great at fundamentals and that that greatness gives CFHW a solid reputation around the Crossfit community. What I don’t love is when someone’s ego gets in the way of me loving my job. Your ego has no place inside a Crossfit gym, and definitely not inside CFHW. No matter how bad-ass you think you are, there will come a time where you will have your ass handed to you by someone far superior to you. What sense, then, does it make to let your ego get in the way of your training? The whole reason you are at the gym should be to improve yourself, not to have bragging rights. Here are some ways that your ego gets in the way of improving yourself:

-Cutting corners to improve your score. There are a lot of ways to cut corners. Range of motion is one of them. If you are not completing full range of motion on every rep, you are cutting corners. You are not doing the same workout as the person next to you. Remember, we can always scale the load of a movement, but range of motion (barring special circumstances such as injury) is not negotiable. Another way to cut corners is by not completing the prescribed amount of reps. This has become a problem recently (you think we don’t notice, but we do). This is cheating. There is no place in Crossfit for cheaters. Now every so often, mid-workout, your mind might slip and you may not know whether you’re on rep 43 or rep 53. In that case, you have to suck it up and assume it’s 43. That way you know your score is legit. Cutting reps is extremely disrespectful to me, the other coaches, your fellow athletes, and the entire Crossfit community. For those of you interested in competing and being on the leader board, you have to get serious about it. Pretend Coach Glassman himself is watching every single rep. You must leave no doubt that you are completing each rep as prescribed. If it wouldn’t fly in competition, redo it. If you’re not sure you did it as prescribed, then you probably didn’t. Redo it. Make yourself better. Your training should be as difficult as possible in order to make you perform better in competition. If we find you cutting corners, we will not include your scores on the leadboard unless they are verified by a coach, which means we have to count every rep.

-Neglecting your weaknesses. Just because you’re not good at something doesn’t mean you should avoid doing it. Quite the opposite, in fact. You should be concerned with working on your weaknesses to improve your game. In 2010, Rich Froning lost the final event, and therefore 1st place, because he couldn’t properly climb a rope. 2009 Games Champion Mikko Salo got slowed down by double-unders. Do you think they ignored those movements the following year during their training? Absolutely not. They fixed the holes in their games, and Froning went on to win in 2011. Last weekend Ron Mathews competed in the O.C Throwdown. He made a great post on our FB page about it. This was one of his points: “Work your weaknesses! Better to struggle in your own box in front of people who know and like/support you than struggle in front of a crowd of strangers. If you have a weakness it will be exposed!” Thanks, Ron. Well said.

-Getting personally offended by a “no rep” call. Just because a coach calls a no rep on you doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, or aren’t working hard enough. Everybody gets no-reps called on them. It’s part of Crossfit. Watch any Games competition video from last year. Do you see any of those athletes throwing a fit about no reps? No. They just redo it and move on. This is the integrity of a champion. And make no mistake, if you’re fit enough to make the Games, you’re already a champion. When you see people throw a fit from a no rep, they have way too much ego. These are the people who cut corners in the gym on a regular basis. These are the people who post incredible scores on their own but bonk when it comes time to do it for real. Don’t be one of those people.

-Neglecting technique and fundamentals. When I first began Crossfit I would repeat over and over something Glassman said while suffering through a WOD: “Proper form is more efficient.” More efficient means less wasted energy. This is a good thing. The fact that you can muscle clean 95# with poor form won’t matter when going for a 1RM or when the prescribed weight is double that. Technique is everything. Been Crossfitting for a couple years and still can’t do overhead squats? This is your fault for not working your weaknesses, which probably means mobility. (I see this one all the time). Neglecting technique and fundamentals will lead to injury and will ultimately cause you to plateau in your training.

Like I said, I love my job. I love working with you guys on improving yourselves and your quality of life. Please don’t let your egos get in the way of that. Have some integrity and take your training seriously. You’ll thank me for it later.