When I saw that the workout yesterday involved setting new deadlift one rep max's, I knew it was going to be huge. We haven't done a one rep max test in a long time. I had NO idea that it was going to be EPIC! Sheesh, I have to just talk about the ones I remember, but there were a LOT of circles on the board. Jenni dead lifted 105kg's like it was light. She definitely had more in her, but since it was a 55kg PR, I cut her off. Shaffer with his ram-rod tight form also set a new PR. Then we have Nick and Mike sharing a bar. I watched Nick deadlift 160kg's like a champ, and he almost got 170! Mike was successful in pulling 170kg's off the floor which gave him the highest PR of the day - it was a PR by 60kg's! Great job everyone!
After our new PR's, we did this little WOD:
3 Rounds of:
15 Deadlifts (60-65% of 1RM)
20 Pull-ups
Again, everyone did great! I was super happy to see Coral do so many pull-ups. She wanted to scale, but at the last second she went the full RX version. Atta girl!
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Thursday was another day full of PRs. Congratulations to all of you who put up a new single rep max on the press. KTUCK had a great unexpected PR. I think she has phenomenal pregnant power! Ok, fine…you’re right, even when she wasn’t pregnant she was pretty powerful. Atta girl! 
The WOD left you racing to get off the rower and get to your rack and put up as many push presses as possible.
3 Rounds for total Push Press:
With a 3:00 clock:
500m Row
Push Press (50/35)
3:00 Rest
This was a total mental metcon. You had to keep your cool on the rower so you didn’t fall to the floor gasping for air once you completed the 500m. After all, your score for the WOD was the number of push presses you accumulated. So, if at the end of 3 minutes you’re still lying on the floor trying to catch your breath, you scored a ZERO. Wha wha. 
I’d like to make mention of Nick E’s efforts in this WOD. He moved through both movements with ease tallying a LARGE number of final reps. Way to rock it, Nick! I also saw Doreen putting everything she had into her push presses. You did an awesome job, girl!
Attention LADIES: be sure to check out The 2011 Winter War of the WODs link on our events page. This is YOUR opportunity to compete with some BA female athletes from the Northern Illinois area. There are still a few spots left, but be sure to register soon the event is just 7 short weeks away!
Sorry men, if you haven't registered already you missed out, your division is full. Maybe you can get in on the action next year! Or just ask Bill REALLY REALLY nicely to add some more sports to the registration. 
I hear he takes bribes.
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If you are interested in a CrossFit Fire sweatshirt, we are offering two different options. The first is a Lululemon Hoodie. There is a ladies version and a Men's version. We will be ordering them in black and you will have the option to get the CrossFit Fire logo embroidered on them at no cost. The cost for these is $90 and we have to have 12 of each item in order to place an order. I know we have enough interest on the ladies side, we were just a couple guys short. If you want one of these please sign up next to a SIZE on the sheet on the whiteboard. Money will be due before we order.
Your second option is to order one of these unisex lightweight zip-up hoodies. These will come with silkscreening on the front and back that looks like this.
The cost of these sweatshirts is $40, and we need to get about 20 people signed up before we can order. Last I looked, there were 12 names on the sheet at the Fort, so we're almost there. If you're looking for sizing information, you can find the size chart here. Hopefully that helps clear up some of the confusion surrounding the sweatshirt orders! Let me know if you have any questions. I'd like to get orders placed asap so we can have these in time for Christmas.
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Our strength work yesterday was to set a new one rep max in the clean & jerk. Those of you who were visiting for our Friends and Family Funtastic Free week, you just worked on your hang power cleans. It's a confusing movement. 9 times out of 10 it feels weird but looks right. 
Heather set a new one rep max in the morning classes. Well, actually, she did it twice. She clean and jerked 64kg's, but in the process of getting it locked out overhead all the weights slid off one side of her bar! WHO TIGHTENED THE HEAVY COLLARS?! Oh...that was me. Sorry Heather! She was a champ though, and got right back on the bar and got her PR but this time she didn't dump the bar.
The workout was a long-y, but a good-y.
3 rounds:
30 wall ball shots
40 box jumps
50 kettlebell swings
Just looking at this I'm sure you can tell it was long. I have to give some props to Nick for this workout. None of these movements were "big guy friendly" but he CRUSHED this workout! Despite the fact that he was warning incoming CrossForters to "turn and run while you still can" he did fantastic.
We have some events coming up this weekend that are sure to be amaze-balls. Sunday morning is the December Hero WOD for anyone interested. This monthly tribute to our nation's heroes is always free. Sunday evening at 4:00PM there will be a soup cook-off and bonfire at Garth and Audra's house. In case you're concerned, there will also be a TV there which will be tuned into the Bear's game. I know you're all DYING to watch Caleb Hanie throw a few interceptions.....so we'll make sure to accommodate you. Sigh....Go Bears.
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It's great to see our classes so full again! Thank you to everyone for sharing the Friends and Family Funtastic Free Week! We've had 18 new people come give CrossFit Fire a try, and it's only been 2 days! Remember, if you LOVE the Fort, December ramp-up starts next week on Monday.
Register today - there's only 12 spots available.
Our workout yesterday was
3 Rounds of:
20 Goblet Squats
30 Knees to Elbows
Knees to elbows are definitely something I would consider "advanced". If you're able to do an entire workout with full range of motion knees to elbows you have a couple things going for you.
- You have amazingly strong hands
- Right behind your belly button there is a curtain of STEEL
- Your shoulders are well adjusted to the torture this movements puts them through
- You probably aren't 8.5 months pregnant
If you find that this movements hurts the front head of your shoulder, try reversing your hands. Instead of the standard pull-up grip, try doing them with the chin-up grip instead. It's magic!
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I walked into the fort last night and was greeted by tons of little circles on the white board. You know what that means…TONS of PRs!! It seemed like everyone jumped on the jerk-PR-train. There isn't enough space on this blog to comment on everyone's PR but I'd like to mention a couple. Both Jamie's got up 54kg and Tara put up a whopping 67kg. That’s gotta be body weight or more for Tara! Sammi and Nicole both shook up the record board with some outstanding lifts. Dang…we’ve got some SUPER strong girls up in this fort! A big shout out to the WOD Father for his stellar programming that is obviously helping his athletes get progressively stronger!
The WOD yesterday was:
3 Rounds for Reps of:
:60 C2B Pull-ups
:30 Rest
:60 Ball Slams (30/20)
:30 Rest
:60 Push-ups
:30 Rest
This WOD seemed to be a drencher. We had some pretty big sweat angels left behind after the evening classes! It got me wondering…who do you think sweats more, Neil or Andy? You two boys make soaking through a t-shirt look easy.
I was happy to see you guys brought a few new faces with you yesterday. Thanks so much for supporting our friends and family week. You all have some SUPER strong friends and family. Allie, Brittany and Cindy our visitors last night rocked this WOD. Way to go ladies and thank you for joining us. We hope to see you again soon!
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A new month begins and another Hero WOD will be conducted at Crossfit Fire on Sunday, December 11th at 9:00 am. For this Hero WOD my intentions were to once again pick a Hero WOD from the Crossfit main site. All this changed after I was approached by one of our members, Neil Wolfe. For those of you that don't know Neil, he was in the Army and served our country proudly. Neil was in a unit that went by the nickname of "Tiger Force". Neil asked me if I could do a WOD in honor of three of his friends that were killed in Iraq in 2007. Neil told me that it would mean so much more to him if we could do the Hero WOD in December because his three friends were killed on December 4th and 5th. So once again I set out to create a Hero WOD in honor of those that paid the ultimate sacrifice so we can live a life with Freedom. Before I get into the WOD I want to take the time to give everyone some insight into the "Tiger Force" unit and those that we will be honoring on December 11th.
Tiger Force is apart of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Tiger Force is one of the most highly decoraed platoon size elements in the U.S. Army. Tiger Force was created during the Vietnam War to conduct operations against the Vietcong utilizing unconventional , guerrilla type warfare. Tiger Force has been in many wars to include present day Iraq and Afghanistan. With war comes sacrifice, scars and the loss of life. On December 4th and 5th of 2007 in Iraq , Tiger Force members, Captain Adam Snyder (KIA 05 DEC 2007), Sergeant Eric Hernandez (KIA 04 DEC 2007) and Specialist Dewayne White (KIA 04 DEC 2007) gave their life to support and defend this great nation. Another member of Tiger Force who Neil would like to honor is Private First Class Jamin Moore (who still lives today with major burns to most of his body). The following is written by Neil giving us the summery of events describing the horrible events these men went through.
On the 4th of December, 2007: Tiger Force was called out on a QRF (quick reaction force) mission responding to a report that the IP (Iraqi Police) discovered an IED (improvised explosive device). Cpt Snyder, as well as many of the other members had a bad feeling that it was an ambush. It was common for the corrupt Iraqi Police to lure American Soldiers in with false accusations of enemy activity only to surprise attack the Soldiers. Little did they know that their intuitions were right.
These bad or gut feelings often don't matter in a time of war. The Soldiers can’t let their feelings get in the way of completing the mission, so they suppress them and drive on. Fear is not an option.
The Platoon proceeded on with the mission, prior to arriving to the objective, Tiger 6’s (Cpt Snyder’s) vehicle was struck by an IED. Now anyone that has been in Iraq and experienced an IED blast can attest to their sheer power and damaging effects. Many have lived through blasts large enough to cause a crater in the asphalt as large as a small car. But this IED was different, it was not a huge explosion like what they were use to. This one used propellant and diesel fuel to make a fireball that engulfed the entire vehicle inside and out. With this type of IED my friends were burning alive.
The next vehicle in order rushed to their aid, but could not get close enough due to the heat of the fire and the ammunition cooking off. Three of the casualties made it out of the vehicle, Soldiers from other vehicles tried to put the casualties out with fire blankets. SPC White didn’t make it out at all. It was a gruesome sight to see their fellow comrades in such a state, but there was no hesitation and they did everything they could to rush to their aid. CPT Snyder made it out and was walking toward the support vehicles while engulfed and charred. He survived to be medevac’d via helicopter to a larger base. He passed the following day from injuries sustained. PFC Moore was the only survivor of the four Soldiers. He suffered major burns over most of his body.
The Platoon continued on with the mission after the attack and continued their normal operations the next day. Determined to suppress the enemy and finish the mission they were tasked to accomplish.
CPT Adam Snyder, 26, of Fort Pierce, Fla. Tiger Force (Scout/Recon), 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. 2nd deployment to Iraq. He is survived by his mother and Step-Father, Larry and Fran Frazer, Father, Joseph Snyder, Brother, Evan, 15, and grandfathers, Bob Frazer and Bev Paulson (94)
SGT Eric Hernandez, 26, West Milford, Passaic County, New Jersey. Tiger Force (Scout/Recon), 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. 1st deployment to Iraq.
SPC Dewayne White, 27, of Country Club Hills, Ill. Tiger Force (Scout/Recon), 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. 2nd deployment to Iraq.
PFC Jamin Moore, 24, Bakersfield, CA(currently lives). Tiger Force (Scout/Recon), 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. 1st deployment to Iraq.
The suggestion I received from Neil was to try and make the WOD so that it would make you breath heavy or take your breath away like fire. So to honor these brave fine men who did so much and sacrificed so much for us I came up with the following:
"Tiger Force WOD"
4 rounds (one for each hero)
60 Calorie Row
50 Double Unders
40 Elevated Push Ups (24"/20" Box)
30 Pull Ups
20 Burpees
10 Thruster (40K/30K)
As with all WOD's there will be many scaling options available for those that don't think they can do the WOD as prescribed. This event is free and open to all, all we ask is that you register in advance.
So lets take the time out of our busy lives and help show our support to Neil and to his fallen friends both of which raised their right hand and swore an oath to "defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic".
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When I saw that the workout yesterday involved setting new deadlift one rep max's, I knew it was going to be huge. We haven't done a one rep max test in a long time. I had NO idea that it was going to be EPIC! Sheesh, I have to just talk about the ones I remember, but there were a LOT of circles on the board. Jenni dead lifted 105kg's like it was light. She definitely had more in her, but since it was a 55kg PR, I cut her off. Shaffer with his ram-rod tight form also set a new PR. Then we have Nick and Mike sharing a bar. I watched Nick deadlift 160kg's like a champ, and he almost got 170! Mike was successful in pulling 170kg's off the floor which gave him the highest PR of the day - it was a PR by 60kg's! Great job everyone!
