5-31-11

Workout
Warm-up x 1

Power Snatch
4-4-4-4

10 min AMRAP
10 DB Ground to overhead (one each hand)
10 Toes to Bar
20 Double Unders

5-27-11

On Memorial Day we will have one workout.  It will be at my house out of the garage.  We will start about 1:00 pm.  In case of rain, we will move back up to the gym.  We will be doing a workout to honor our military heroes that day.  We will also make it a team or partner event.

Workout

Warm-up x 1
Shoulder Press
3-2-1-1-1

12 min AMRAP with a partner (alternate rounds)
5 DB Deadlift
5 DB Hang Power Clean
5 DB Thruster
Go heavy with the dumbbells

5-26-11

Workout

Warm-up x 1
Single Leg Deadlifts 3x5 each leg

Then...
15 min AMRAP
10 Pull-ups
10 Renegade Rows
10 Lunges

High School and Junior High Summer Camp

We are going to run a summer Strength and Conditioning class for grades 4-12 this summer.  If you know of anyone who is interested let me know or pick up a brochure from the gym.

Workout
Warm-up x 1

Back Squat
5-5-5
Perform 10 Toes to Bar (or your progression) between sets. 

Then...
Death by Burpees
Perform 1 Burpee the first minute and rest, 2 the second minute...Go until you can't complete the required amount of burpees for that round.

Summer Schedule

I need help with the summer schedule.  I am planning on adding a morning session and possibly eliminating some of the afternoon or evening sessions.  I will have a sign up sheet at the gym for you to let me know your preference.  This won't lock you into a time slot, it will just give me a better idea of how to schedule classes this summer.

Workout

Warm-up x 1
Deadlift
5-5-5

Then...
3 Rounds for Time
5 Sandbag Clean and Press
350 m Run

Routine...Good or Bad?

A couple of interesting things happened to Alicia and I at Church yesterday morning.  The first one happened as Alicia drove up and was going to park on the north side of the road in a place that no one ever parks.  I told her we couldn't park there, and when she asked why, I replied, "Because no one ever parks here."  The second one happened on our way up to communion.  Alicia was the first one up to the communion rail and started to go to the left side.  Without even thinking, I whispered (too loudly by the way) "Alicia!" and pointed to the right.  Yea, you guessed it, that's how the fight started.  As I thought about the two situations I laughed to myself how both reactions were based out of routine.

As parents and educators we use routine all of the time to maintain discipline.  But the question that begs to be answered is do our routines ever stifle growth?  Are the routines we use in place for our comfort level or are they there because that is what is best for our kids?  Don't get me wrong, I think that it is absolutely necessary to teach our kids the importance of good habits...brushing teeth, washing hands,cleaning up after themselves.  But often times routines lead us down a road where new ideas have no chance of being discovered.

It comes as no surprise to many of you that I use CrossFit methods in determining the programming of our gym.  One of the basic tenets of CrossFit is Constantly Varied, Functional Movements done at High Intensity.  So by using that definition we don't have a predictable routine that we follow.  Sure we may do a similar warm-up every day or we each may have a certain routine that we follow before we lift something heavy, but when you walk in on a Monday morning you have no idea if it will be bench press, snatch or a combination of body weight exercises.

Next time you catch yourself doing something just because that is the way that you have always done it, ask yourself, "Is this the best way?"

Workout

Warm-up x 1
Push Press 3-3-3-3
Perform a total of 20 seconds in a L-Sit between sets


Then...
5 rounds for time
7 DB Push Press (40/20)
7 Box Jumps (24/20)
7 KB Swings (44/26)

5-20-11

Workout

Warm-up x 1

Front Squats
3-2-1-1-1

Then...
3 rounds for time
10 Lateral Bar Jumps
15 Push-ups
20 Squats

Are You Strong?

"You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong." --Abraham Lincoln

I came across this quote the other day and it really hit home with the thoughts I have been having lately about our nation, state, and education system.  It seems as if every time I turn around there is another instance of someone in a position of power or a group of people in positions of power that decide the best way to solve a problem is to make it harder for the group that is strong or achieving and give resources or assistance to the weak or those falling behind.  The takeaway that I get from Abe is that if you empower the strong (or sometimes just stay out of their way), the strong in your organization or society will pull the weak along with them until they are strong enough to help pull.

To go along with this thought, I came across another blog post about being strong that I really enjoyed -The Difference Of Being Strong, And Acting Strong...  As it relates to what we do at the gym, I really appreciate the last one - "Acting strong has no weakness, being strong is weakness overcome time and time again."  Lets identify weaknesses and continue to overcome them!

Workout
Warm-up x 1
Clean and Jerk (Do a full squat clean on the clean portion of the lift)
4-4-4-4
In between sets, do 5 High Box jumps.  (Go as high as you can with a jump and a step down - High is relative to your ability to jump)

Then...
4 sets of the following:
In 3 minutes complete
12 Sandbag Cleans
10 Lunges
8  Burpees
Rest for the remainder of the 3 minutes

5-18-11

Workout

Warm-up x 1

20 min AMRAP
350 m Run
10 Pull-ups
10 KB Swings

5-17-11

Workout
Warm-up x 1

Bench Press
5-3-3-2-2
Between each set rest 30 seconds and then complete 3 Single Leg Deadlifts with each leg.

Then...
For Time
21-15-9
Hang Power Snatch (95/65)
Toes to Bar

5-15-11

Workout

Warm-up:
 3 Rounds
 8 OHS
 8 Push-ups
 8 KB Swings

Overhead Squat
3-3-3-3

Then...
10 min AMRAP
5   DB Thrusters (20/40)
10 Push-ups
20 Double Unders

5-12-11

Workout

10 Turkish Get-ups each side

Then, for time:
30 Back Squats (Body weight)
1050 m run (3 times around our 1/2 block)

5-11-11

Workout

Warm-up x 1

3 rounds
6 Deadlift followed by up to 12 Ring Dips after a 90 second rest.
(Do the hardest set of ring dips that you can complete if you can complete 12 go up to the next version or add weight)
Then
5 rounds for time
12 Deadlift
9  Hang Power Clean
6  Push Jerk

Prescribed weight is 155/115.  Scale weight accordingly.

5-10-11

Workout
Warm-up x 1

Shoulder Press
5-5-5

For Time:
500 m Row
Then
15-12-9
DB Push Press
Toes to Bar

5-9-11

Workout
Warm-up x 1

5 sets of...
3 Front Squats
30 seconds rest
3 Weighted Pull-ups
(for weighted pull-ups - do the hardest pull-up variation that you can complete)

Then...
7 Rounds for time
7 Goblet Squats
7 Burpees

Post time and weight used for goblet squats

5-6-11

For those of you working out with us during December, today's workout will look familiar.  I upped the prescribed weight though.

Workout
Warm-up x 2
For time...
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
Power Cleans (115/75)
Lateral Bar Jumps

5-5-11

Workout
Warm-up x 1

3 Rounds for time
350 m Run
15 Overhead squats (65/45)
10 Pushups

Scale OHS as necessary - even down to PVC.
350 m run is out the back door around the 12 block that goes in front of the fire hall.

5-4-11

Workout
Warm-up x1
 Then...
"Lynne"
5 Rounds for Max Reps
Max reps Body weight Bench Press
Max reps Pull ups (immediately following Bench Press)
Compare to 2/9/11
You can rest between sets while someone else goes.

Scaling:  Scale Bench Press Weight to 75%, 50%, 25% of body weight.  Pick the hardest form of pull ups that you can complete without adding weight.

5-3-11

Workout

Warmup x 2

12 min AMRAP
5 Handstand Pushups
10 KB Swings
15 Box Jumps

5-2-11

Workout
Warm-up x 1

Back Squat
5-5-5

Then...
5 Rounds for Time
10 DB Ground to Overhead (40/20)
10 Russian Lunges (40/20)

*if you can't do full range of motion lunges, substitute weighted step-ups.