CrossFit Koncepts

The following video, which only shows a little over seven minutes of a ten minute cycle, shows Jeff Martone (www.tacticalathlete.com) doing the Long Cycle Clean and Jerk with two kettlebells (Jeff is on the left side in black).  The style of movement is different than what we teach but in order to put up these kinds of numbers (100+ in 10 minutes) you need to change a lot of things!

NOTE: congrats to Jeff for qualifying for the Master of Sports rank in the GS style.

The annual CrossFit Koncepts Xmas Party is coming on December 12, 2011 and we need to have your RSVP and your check ($25/person) no later than this Saturday (12/03/11).

We currently have about 50 people planning on attending and we're looking for you as well... so don't delay! :)

30 Handstand Push-ups
40 Pull-ups
50 KB American Swings
60 Sit-ups
70 Burpees

We'll have to give this WOD a test-drive sometime soon so that you can work on your handstand push-ups!  Of course you guys will have to bypass the "butterfly pull-ups" and do something that looks like an American Swing instead! :)  Either way it will be fun to integrate the handstand push-up into a WOD now that most of you can do a pretty descent handstand.

I don't care what your bench press is... I really, really don't.  I don't care how much you can curl... I just hope you do it in the privacy of your own home.  What I do care about is if you can do a pull-up - and how well you can do them.

Take a look at the following video and see if it doesn't inspire you to train a little harder!  BTW - thanks to Denise Pawlowski Hughes for posting this on her Facebook page.

The following video, while a little "angry" at times, has some valid points when it comes to progression and training methodology within CrossFit.  The points pertaining to the importance of diet, recovery and scaling are important to anyone who is pursuing "constantly varied functional movement at high intensity".

NOTE: starting in January 2012 we will be implementing our own "On Ramp" program at CFK in order to establish a more consistent skill level among all of our clients.  More information coming soon! :)

One thing I learned early on when working with Kettlebells is that 1) if your forearms are hurting all of the time then you're trying to over-control the KB with your hand and 2) that wearing gloves are a really bad idea.

For beginners, who are still developing technique and conditioning their forearms, wrist/arm bands might be a good idea for a short-term solution to sore forearms - but they are no replacement for poor technique.  Gloves only make problems worse (especially if you are having issues with calluses) in that you're going to reinforce using your grip to decelerate the kettlebell as opposed to learning how to "dial-in" your hips and hands to the appropriate level to manage the kettlebell.

Enjoy the following promotional video for a kettlebell training program:

I "stole" this from Shoreline Crossfit - it's a good read and worth thinking about:

What do you see in the picture above?  I see a coach.  A good coach; and probably a good friend; post-CrossFit workout.

There is a reason that most CrossFit gyms chose the term “Coach” rather than “Trainer” to entitle their instructors.  A coach is so much more than a trainer.  And a good coach is a whole other story.

A good coach doesn’t lie to you and tell you that you’re doing great when you’re not.  A good coach tells you what you’re doing right, and commends you for it, but then tells you what you need to “work on.”

A good coach does not sacrifice your safety for your ego.  He/she will pull you out of the “game” when you are hurt, even if it causes his/her team to “lose”.

A good coach realizes that there are some things that just won’t be fixed overnight.  And he/she is patient as you work towards fixing these faults.

A good coach thinks about you long after you leave the gym.  He/she thinks about what you’ve done well, how you have made him/her proud, and how you can continue to get better.  Sometimes this coach even “drops you a line” to let you know these thoughts.

A good coach can recognize a bad day.  A day when you just “don’t have it.”  And tells you to take a rest day.  It’s not the end of the world…you’ll be back taking names in no time.

A good coach feels your victories and feels your defeats.  Ask any coach, in any sport~I guarantee that they’ll confirm this.  I’d go as far as saying a good coach would rather lose herself than see you lose.

A good coach is one you fear…not in the sense that you think they’ll hurt you, or penalize you with more burpees; but because you do not want to disappoint him/her.

A good coach will sacrifice his/her training, to make you achieve a desired end.

A good coach will tell you there’s hope–and actually make you believe there is–even when he/she can’t quite find it herself yet.

This video is hilarious - and I can only imagine John's reaction if all of these happened during the same class!  Enjoy the video... and don't start pointing any fingers!!!