CrossFit Koncepts

Most of you know what AMRAP stands for - As Many Rounds As Possible - as well as EMOM - Every Minute On the Minute.  As a matter of fact many of my clients has night terrors from several of our EMOM WODs that we do... but that's a whole other story!

MetCon WODs are a lot of fun and they are a great way to get in a workout in a small amount of time and still get some amazing gains.  Unfortunately most MetCon WODs contain too many variables to allow you to use them from a pure Strength and Conditioning perspective.  Andrew Read has taken the concept behind EMOM and used it in conjunction with the Double Kettlebell Clean to create a workout that will fill like a MetCon but deliver some nice gains - think "gun show".  Check out Andrew's article on Breaking Muscle for the details and check out the video below to see him action. 

Seeing that I brought this up during the warm-up on Monday I thought I'd post a video of what I was talking about!  Running "Suicides" was a lot of fun but it truly felt like all of my limbs were going in different directions at the same time... kind of like Steven Seagal! :)

It seems like people are proud of the fact that they only sleep a handful of hours a night and spend their days consuming alarming quantities of Starbucks and 5-Hour Energy Shots in order to stay awake.  If you're one of the people who fits within this demographic then you need to think about what the short and long term effects are going to be - and if you are willing to pay the price.

Sleep deprivation can effect your ability to think, heal and produce the hormones that you need to recover from workouts.  If you think that sleep isn't important then you need to think again - it's one of the keys to making progress in and out of the gym.  Want to lose weight?  Get more sleep.  Want to increase your strength gains?  Get more sleep.  Want to get smarter and more mentally sharp?  Get more sleep.

Are you seeing a pattern here?

Check out this article on Breaking Muscle to learn more about how important sleep is and why it really isn't important to be on Facebook at midnight every night!

Don't forget to mark your calendar for our Labor Day WOD and Cookout next Monday (09/02/13).  The WOD will start at 1100 am and the cookout will start around 1200 pm... or whenever the workout ends - whichever comes first!

Plan on bringing something for the grill and something to share - you know the drill!  RSVP via the sign-up sheet at the gym.

I wish I had written this article but I'm more than happy to share it with you!  Kudos to Coach Chet Morjaria for capturing the fundamental requirements that EVERY athlete needs to focus on when then commit to training.  The manifesto is shown below but be sure to check out the complete article on Breaking Muscle.

The Athlete’s Manifesto

I will be ready to workout at the start of the session - I will be on time to my sessions. In fact, I will be early and get myself ready in attire and attitude. I will warm up and mobilize myself beforehand to the best of my ability. I will go into the start of each session ready to be the best me.

I will keep a record of my training, every session - This is my job, not my coach’s. It allows me to gauge my progress and keeps me progressing. It saves me and my coach time and keeps us from guessing what has happened and what is fact. It is up to me to make sure I always know where I have been, so I always know where I need to be.

I will be confident - I will be confident in my abilities, but not arrogant about them.

I will be humble - There are always things I don’t know. And also plenty of things I don’t know that I don’t know.

I will do the work - I will work hard. I will do what is asked of me as best I possibly can. And I will work on my weaknesses in order to be a better athlete and person.

I will be courageous - I will encounter leaps of faith almost daily. I will take them with an open mind and a heart full of courage.

I will be ambitious - I will push myself day on day, week on week, and year on year. I will push beyond my perceived expectations and limits.

I will be open to change - I will be open to new ideas and concepts, whoever they come from, and even if they go against what I currently believe. I may not agree, but I will decide that with an open and considered mind.

I will be competitive - But mostly with myself. I will harness my competitve spirit in ways that are healthy, hearty, and contribute to making me a better competitor and a better human being.

I will put form first - Before weight, before time, before distance, before anything else. I know that compromising on form is taking a chance on my future. I will train for tomorrow.

I will respect my coaches - I know that my coaches do their best each day to bring out my best each day. I will respect and appreciate this and will treat them as such.

I will give constructive feedback to my coach - I realize that coaching is a two-way process and will give constructive feedback to my coach in a suitable manner. I appreciate this will help my coach understand me better and help us both improve. I understand that all feedback, both ways, is for our ears and our ears only.

I will question all assumptions - I will question all assumptions, respectfully and appropriately. Sometimes this will mean asking questions. Sometimes this will mean reading and researching. It will always mean filtering any and all information through my experience and drawing my own conclusions.

I will encourage, and take pride in my peers - I will take just as much pride in the success of my peers as I do in mine, if not more so. When I finish my workout, rather than gloat in my own success or wallow in my own pain, I will encourage others of all abilities, whether teammate or adversary.

I will make mistakes and learn from them - I know mistakes are going to happen, both in practice and in competition. I know I will lose sometimes. I will smile, learn, and take it all in my stride.

I will be accountable for my own actions - I will be proud of my wins and responsible for my losses. I will act graciously after both.

I will be a positive example - Positive words breed positive actions, in me and in others. I will be positive in my words and my actions. I will be the person I want to be.

I will be coachable - I will put faith in my coaches. I will commit to all of the above to make sure that I am open and receptive to coaching that is provided to me in good faith and often voluntarily.

I will be committed - I will make a commitment to myself, my teammates, and my coach to be the best I can be. And when I say I will do something, I will do it.

I will enjoy myself - Above all, I will commit to having fun, enjoying what I do, and spreading good spirit and good word.

These are not just one-time pointers. These are commitments to being better every day.

Are you ready to be a better you?

Great video with some amazing displays of strength.  This was shot at a "Street Workout" event at a popular outdoor gym in Russia.  Some great stuff being done and would love to see a park like this here in the United States... of course it would have to be in California or somewhere with year-round good weather.  But then it would be ruined with ferns and mirrors everywhere...

Everything that we do in our modern world is targeting to destroy your thoracic spine mobility.  Driving your car, working at a desk, sitting on the couch and watching TV - all activities that will contribute to making your thoracic spine immobile and contribute to everything from headaches to numbness in your hands.  How important is this?  Important enough to do it every day...

Taking sides is a part of human nature.  God knows that politics and religion have spilled more blood and cost more lives than any other subjects in the history of man - but there is a close third: the distinction between exercise and training (I'm guessing the debate about squats might be in the top three as well).  Anyway, most people consider them the same thing while they are very, very different.  How different?  How about the difference between success and failure?

What is exercise (check out how Wikipedia defines exercise)? It's any activity that gets you physically active (I guess golf should be included here but is it really exercise or an activity?).  Exercise is not necessarily directed or goal driven and is more than likely a lone pursuit (think gerbils on a treadmill).  Exercise is what you see being performed at your local "globo gym".  Unfortunately people that exercise don't usually have the drive and support to continue at it for a long enough period to make a difference in their lives.

What is training (once again, see how Wikipedia defines training)? Training is goal driven (i.e., training to compete in an event or for a specific purpose) and is usually indicated by a high level of intensity or desire.  The training mentality is such that you are practicing skills, techniques, and movements that will get you closer to accomplishing your goals (big focus on skill-based work in training).  Mindless repetitions do not factor into training - it's about the development of good habits that lead you to great technical ability). Training usually occurs as part of a group or team that has similar goals in mind (kind of like martial arts or CrossFit).

So, which one do you do?  Do you exercise or do you train?  I know what my answer is - I train.  I train to get stronger, more mobile, and more efficient.  How about you?