Our Team Friday event was "the Filthy Fifty with a Friend".  If you brought more than one friend, you were asked to do the "Sweaty Seventy with 2 Friends".  If you ever wanted a workout where you got to do EVERY SINGLE MOVEMENT we do, the Filthy Fifty would just about cover it.  I think the only thing left out of the workout are deadlifts.  Here's what we did for time:

50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings
50 Walking Lunges
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots
50 Burpees
50 Double unders

Which part of the Filthy Fifty do you like the least?  I know for me, it's always the knees to elbows.  Believe it or not, I dislike those even more than the 50 burpees in this workout!  

Clark and Amber were our champs! Nice job you two!

[Read more →]

Remember how I asked who likes rowing better?  Well now I'm going to ask who likes burpees better?!  Most everyone said rowing was better than burpees, but after yesterday's workout do you really still feel that way?  The workout yesterday was 30-25-20-15-10-5 of pull-ups and burpees.  Yeah burpees!  They're not so bad, are they?

[Read more →]

Wow Dad!  You're lookin' mighty spiffy deadlifting in your tall socks!  I guess tall socks aren't just for girls anymore! Some girls swear that tall socks and lip gloss give them magic abilities to pull huge numbers...I hope it works out for you.  

We worked our  sets of 5 on deadlifts  yesterday.  5 x 5, and work your way up to a five rep max.  I wasn't at class yesterday, but Bill told me about some of the numbers you guys put on the board.  You guys impress the heck out of me EVERY time!  Stacy did sets of 5 with what used to be her single rep max, and Kelly set a new PR by doing sets of 5 with weight that is 130% of her bodyweight! Great, great job!

Don't forget that tonight is firefighter Fran night!  Clark, what time will you be at the Fort?  We don't want to miss it!

[Read more →]

Remember how the other day I asked which you thought was worse; burpees or rowing?  Almost everyone I talked to thought burpees were the absolute worst exercise around.  You guys whole heartedly and passionately expressed your dislike of burpees. (or pain filled soul suckers as they are sometimes called) Fast forward to yesterday and Bill throws this little number up on the board:

Row 2000 meters
21 push press (body weight)
Row 1000 meters
15 push press (body weight)
Row 500 meters
9 push press (body weight)

I want everyone who was NOT at the Fort to visualize the layout of the gym for a minute.  Consider this to be your mental field trip.  First picture where the rowers are.   Now, visualize yourself strapping into the rower, and rowing for 2000 meters. Ok...very good.  What's that you say? Your legs aren't working?  No problem. Just head downstairs to where we keep the bumper plates...Bill will be waiting there with a stop watch to cheer you through your push presses. 

GOODLORDTHATWORKOUTMADEMYLEGSFEELLIKEJELLO is the official name for yesterday's workout.  Everyone did absolutely great despite half of your body not working propely. 

Nathan and Megan crank through the push presses

Does the look on Zach's face paint the picture for you?

[Read more →]

Ok, Bill....nice try.  You can't trick me into doing Fran just by calling it something else!  Back on January 7th I told Fran "F-you, I'm done with you".  If I went back on my word now, I'd look silly.  The workout yesterday was as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of 12 thrusters and 10 pull ups.  THRUSTERS AND PULL UPS.  It's like Fran, but for longer.  There's no finishing in 9 minutes; there's just 20 minutes of suck.  To everyone who completed it yesterday, you guys are amazing!  I looked at the board and was shocked at how many rounds everyone got!  Brittany, nice work girlfriend!  And Zach R....you are just unreal.  Not only did you go 10kg above the prescribed weight, you wore that 20lb weight vest again!  

There have been some adjustments to the class schedules - I think we went 5 days in a row with nobody at our 7AM or 8AM classes, so they are getting canned.  See the class schedule page for all the info.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Has anyone ever wanted to watch Firefighter Fran in person?  WELL I HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS FOR YOU! Clark has asked if he can come in this Thursday night and do Firefighter Fran!  If anyone would like to stop by and watch, please feel free.  We might even be able to convince Zach R to do weight-vest-fran-wearing-a-snorkel at the same time.  This is definitely an event not to be missed.  Times have yet to be determined, but it will likely be at either the 6PM or 7PM class.

[Read more →]

This whole "having other things to do besides CrossFit" is getting kinda old.  I had to miss the Saturday morning class due to a commitment with my full time job.  I'm going a little nuts here guys!  I'm going to have to start keeping a kettlebell in my closet in case of emergency.

The workout Saturday morning was team tabata fight gone bad.  We shifted the team workouts from Friday to Saturday this week because there was a bad snow storm on Friday.  We had a lot of empty classes, so we decided to issue a rain check on the team workout.  Anyways, that's besides the point.  Let's get back to the workout: Team Tabata Fight Gone Bad.  Make sure you read that part slowly so you can absorb the magnitude of the workout.  As if Fight Gone Bad wasn't already bad enough, now you do it tabata style.  Sheesh. 

Sorry for the lack of pictures from the Saturday class - the camera was riding along with me in my purse...a great spot for it.  So instead of posting a picture from Saturday's workout, I'll just post this LOVELY picture of Erik rowing. 

How are all my no-sugar challenge participants doing?  Hopefully you're starting to see and feel the effects of living without sugar.  I've had a few sneaky foods get me - I didn't realize there was sugar in them until AFTER I had eaten them.  Obviously peppermint ice cream is not a sneaky food, but Trader Joe's lunch meat is! Anyone else surprised by how many foods you eat contain sugar?  Did you find any sneaky foods? Post to comments so the rest of us can learn!

[Read more →]

January is all about mental toughness.  We have our 30 days without sugar challenge going on, and then we have workouts like Friday.  While the workout was a nice fast one, it was a mental battle to get through.  The workout was 3 rounds for time of: walking lunges (3 lengths of our gym), 50 squats, 25 supermans/back extensions.  Most people breezed through this workout in under 15 minutes, but we all had burning legs by the time we were done. 

One thing I have always loved about CrossFit, even from the beginning, is the group atmosphere. The group keeps things fun, and it keeps us motivated.  Anyone who does CrossFit on their own with an affiliate nearby is missing out on a great opportunity.  It's plain and simple; you will NOT push yourself as hard if you are working out on your own. 

Some things defy logic.  Take Zach's leg for example.  On New Year's Eve, he slammed his shin into a balance beam, yet his foot and the whole back of his leg are covered in dark black bruising.  Seriously Zach...just get bruises in the spot where you injure yourself like the rest of us, ok?

[Read more →]