Total Throwdown on Saturday

Get ready for the 1st "Raw Fitness Maui Total Throwdown" this Saturday at 9:00 a.m.!


Max Press!!!
Max Back Squat!!!
Max Deadlift!!!

It's guaranteed to be HEAVY!

RUN, PUSH, PULL

Thursday 7/30/09

WOD:
Run 400m
21 Handstand push-ups
21 Sumo deadlift high pulls
Run 400m
15 Handstand push-ups
15 Sumo deadlift high pulls
Run 400m
9 Handstand push-ups
9 Sumo deadlift high pulls

Frank knocking out the handstand push-ups


Kats and Lori getting their pulls on

Results:
Frank 10:16
Kats 12:03
Lori 12:05

On a Tear

I know some of us have been having some problems with hand tears and sit-up scabs lately. Found this article about prevention on the CrossFit Invictus blog. Check it out.

Five Rules to Live By

Written by Michele Vieux of Crossfit Invictus

Have you ever found yourself in a potentially embarrassing or painful situation? Would you like to avoid future encounters? Well now you can! Just abide by these five, simple rules.
1. Remove necklaces before a workout involving any lift you must use yourself as a rack (i.e., cleans, front squats, back squats, shoulder press, push press and push jerk). The constant pounding of the bar into your chest or back of the neck can damage your skin. Yes, the bloody t-shirt looks tough but the scarring left behind is less than desirable – as is the painful stinging (followed by the scream of a pre-pubescent girl) you will feel upon entry into the shower.
2. Throw down the towel (or t-shirt) to avoid the AbMat raspberry. Some people are more prone to this phenomenon than others. I have never experienced it myself but I have witnessed many a raspberry on CrossFitting friends. This wound may initially go unnoticed, that is, until it reveals itself to you when your nice, warm shower washes over it. (See above re: high-pitched screaming)
3. Always pee before double-unders. Enough said.
4. Hygiene is great but NEVER wash your hands before pull-ups. I learned this one from a former weightlifter AFTER I tore badly at last year’s Games (pictured above). The water softens up the skin which can cause painful tearing of the hands.
5. And, the top rule to live by: To avoid the pain, you must maintain (your calluses). We use our hands a lot in CrossFit to move ourselves around objects (pull-ups) and to move objects around ourselves (kettlebell swings, cleans, snatches, etc.). The constant rubbing of the bar on the hands causes a callus buildup which can tear if not properly maintained. Everyone will eventually blister and/or tear at some point during their CrossFit journey but excessive tearing can be avoided. Go to your local drugstore and scope out the beauty aisle where they stock manicure/pedicure kits. Buy one. Use it often. You can purchase a variety of tools to help shave, sand and buff down your hands a couple times a week. Overzealous buffing is not recommend so don’t attempt to get rid of all the buildup in one sitting—this can be just as painful as the result of not maintaining. However, taking a few minutes here and there to address your problem areas will save you much pain and suffering.

(RFM note: get yourself a Ped Egg from Ross or Walmart and start shaving down your callouses regularly. It is the one "As Seen on TV" purchase that actually works!)

Wednesday 7/29/09

Why are we learning and practicing olympic lifts? The olympic lifts (snatch, clean & jerk) bring speed, power, coordination, agility, accuracy and balance to your strength training. A big part of our training philosophy is to regularly learn and master new skills. New skills not only provide a challenge for our bodies, but also challenge our minds and nervous systems by creating new motor patterns and neural pathways. The technicality of the oly lifts provide a tremendous stimulus for us. Plus they are just so much fun!

WOD:
Hang Clean and Jerk Ladder
With a continuously running clock do one Hang Clean and Jerk the first minute, two Hang Clean and Jerks the second minute, three Hang Clean and Jerks the third minute... continuing as long as you are able.


Results:
Kristi: 9 minutes + 6 reps (10# dumbbells)
Kehau: 9 minutes + 8 reps (25# barbell)
Kats: 9 minutes + 9 reps (45# barbell)
Lori: 10 minutes + 9 reps (10# dumbbells)

Monday 7/27/09

Warm-up:
Jump rope x 3 minutes (double under practice)
DROM
Burgener warm-up

WOD:
Run 400m
21 push-ups
3 sit-ups
18 push-ups
6 sit-ups
15 push-ups
9 sit-ups
12 push-ups
12 sit-ups
9 push-ups
15 sit-ups
6 push-ups
18 sit-ups
3 push-ups
21 sit-ups
Run 400m

This was one of those sneaky WODs that doesn't look so bad on paper, and then half way through it you go "WTF???". 84 reps each of sit-ups and push-ups....at least your legs got a break today.

Results:
Frank 9:04
Kehau 9:30
Tom 16:24

Welcome Frank and Kehau to Raw Fitness Maui!

What's On Your Plate?

Have you experienced a plateau in your fitness levels? Are you having trouble losing that layer of body fat? If you’re not paying attention to how you fuel your body then it’s time you do. We bust our asses for about an hour a day with our training. That leaves 23 hours to promote and perpetuate all that hard work you did, or to sabotage it. Nutrition is the base of the athletic pyramid. Everything else you do will build on that nutritional base. You must fuel your body with well-balanced meals and nutrient-rich foods before you can expect it to meet the demands you place on yourself everyday, especially with the extra demands of training. So why ruin all that effort by filling your body with junk?

Here are 5 simple tips for you to start on your nutritional journey:
1. Eat the correct amount of food for you. This is different for everyone and depends on your lean muscle mass and activity level.
2. Eat mostly vegetables, some fruits, lean protein, nuts and seeds AT EVERY MEAL.
3. Avoid sugar and processed foods.
4. Eat 4-6 smaller meals per day instead of 1-2 large meals.
5. Drink plenty of water.

CrossFit.com sums it up nicely: “Eat meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruits, little starch, and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.” The Paleo Diet and the Zone Diet are two nutritional plans that serve these purposes best. Now put down that bag of chips and check them out.

www.ThePaleoDiet.com
www.ZoneDiet.com

Friday 7/24/09

Warm-up:

Jump rope for 3 minutes, practice double unders
then
3 rounds:
5 PVC front squats
5 PVC push press
10 Sit-ups

WOD:

7 rounds for time of:
3 Thrusters
6 Pull-ups
9 Squats

Challenge yourself on the weight on thrusters. Use assist for pull-ups if needed.

Results:
Kristi 8:16 (45#, blue band)
Kats 13:25 (65#, blue band)
Lori 9:24 (45#, green band)
Robert 5:07 (95#, as rx'd)

Goals

“Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.”
Fitzhugh Dodson


Why are you doing this? Why do you subject yourself to those 15-20 minutes of agony three, four, or five times a week? The canned answer may be “to improve my fitness” or “to increase work capacity across broad time and modal domains.” While these are very good and valid reasons, they usually do not tell the whole story of why YOU are training this way.

Goals should be a vital part of your training as well as your life. Without goals we end up floundering about aimlessly with no purpose. Goals motivate us, drive us, keep us moving forward. They tell us where we are going and force us to figure out how to get there. One of the reasons many people fail at getting the results they desire is that they fail to define their goals. Your goals can be appearance related (”I want to fit into these jeans” or the classic “I want to look better naked”); performance related (”I want to run a 5k in 20 minutes” or “I want a sub-5 minute Fran”); or functional (”I want to be able to climb a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing” or “I want to be able to carry my sleeping kid into his bed.”); but as long as you have goals then you have a purpose. So set your goals, and then set your mind to achieve them. Once you do achieve them, celebrate! Reward yourself! But don’t stop there. Set new goals and start the process all over again.

What are your goals? Post your goals to comments.

Robert

Athlete's Creed

I found this on James (OPT) Fitzgerald's Optimum Training newsletter. Really impressive stuff and it's something we all should apply to ourselves and our training:

(Taken from www.optimumtraining.ca)

1. I will give 100% every workout for myself – whether or not its faster or better than the next person
2. I will be modest with my success and learn from my failures in exercise, nutrition and life
3. I will attract others to myself that want to live a bigger life with high expectations of sound nutrition and mental acuity – the more the merrier
4. I will take 100% personal responsibility for all of my actions
5. I will praise others for their achievements and create a competitive, healthy environment where we can all move forward
6. I will show respect for others in our exercise community and welcome everyone with open arms to fitness no matter who they are
7. I will stick my neck out to help others trying to succeed in fitness if I have the knowledge to do so
8. I will support fitness for all – no matter age/size/gender/ethnicity – and recommend all others do the same wherever they are
9. I will eat whole foods, workout intensely and smile more because I should
10. I will!

Wednesday 7/22/09

The snatch has been called the fastest lift in the world. It has also been said that the snatch is where beauty, grace, and elegance merge with brute force, blinding speed, and amazing skill.
Performing the snatch requires power, coordination, speed, and balance. It is a perfect example of an exercise that moves a large load over a long distance quickly. It may very well be one of the best movements to learn and master if you are seeking elite fitness.

Coaches Kristi and Robert hitting triple extensions (ankles, knees, hips)

Now all that's left to do is to stand with it.

Warm-up:
DROM with PVC
Burgener warm-up

WOD:
5 rounds for time:
5 hang squat snatches
10 overhead lunges
15 push-ups


Results:
Kristi 7:04 (15# hang snatches, 10# overhead lunges)
Lori 8:39 (PVC hang snatches, 10# overhead lunges)
Kats 9:42 (45# hang snatches, 35#/25# overhead lunges)
Robert 7:20 (65# hang snatches, 45# overhead lunges)

Tuesday 7/21/09

Warm-up:
Burgener Warm-up
Deadlift drills and practice

WOD:
Deadlift 5-5-5

then

10 Thrusters
50 Double-unders (x3 for single unders)
8 Thrusters
40 Double-unders
6 Thrusters
30 Double-unders
4 Thrusters
20 Double-unders
2 Thrusters
10 Double-unders

Results:
Lolo 6:44 (45# thrusters, single unders)
Deadlift 95-115-135

Katsutori 7:01 (65# thrusters, single unders)
Deadlift 135-185-205

Cheech 8:15 (45# thrusters, single unders)
Deadlift 135-155-165

DaBump 9:34 (115# thrusters, double unders)
Deadlift 185-225-315

Monday 7/20/09

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTI!

In celebration of Kristi's birthday we modified the workout "Filthy Fifty" to the "Dirty Thirty(Six)"
(workout courtesy of crossfit.com)

36 box jumps
36 jumping pull-ups
36 KB swings
36 walking lunges
36 knees-to-elbows (sit-ups as sub)
36 push-press
36 back extensions
36 wall ball shots
36 burpees
36 double unders (standard jump ropes as sub)

Results:
Kristi 18:59 (way to crush it Birthday Girl!)
DaBump 18:12 (as rx'd)
Grandma Irish 10:58 (scaled with subs)
LoLo 22:04 (with subs)
Katsutori 22:55 (with subs)

What Do You Think About?

Dutch Lowy is one of my favorite CrossFit firebreathers. He also happens to be a great coach who offers training seminars around the country. Here is something from his blog that I really found interesting and might help all of us in our training. You've probably heard me say stuff about managing fatigue and breaking things down into sub-sets. Well here is Dutch's take on that:

(taken from ducthlowy.com)
What do you think about?
In: Blog13 Jan 2009

Crossfit is Hard. When you are working out, it is hard not to wonder why you are doing it. What goes through your head in the middle of Fran, Cindy, or Helen? Do you dwell on the misery and feel bad for yourself? Do you look forward and think about what each rep should look like? Do you use your mind against you or do you keep it in check and let it work for you?

When I workout I am always segmenting the work. Greg Amundson wrote and article a couple months ago about breaking up each workout into sections that he can focus on completing. For example he takes the first set of 21 in fran and mentally breaks it into three sets of 7. Is 7 easier to do than 21? Of course! I have been doing this for the last couple years as well and it really helps. By not allowing yourself to rest until you have completed each section you will complete more work in less time, keep your mind focused on smaller parts and not be overwhelmed by higher rep schemes or longer time periods. Nothing makes Crossfit Easier, but this can help your mind ease the pain by conquering parts to make the whole seem less daunting.

I also try to “turn my mind off.” I pick a spot on the wall or on the horizon and let all my focus go there. No wasted energy feeling sorry for myself. In the double under thruster workout i did with Speal and John Brown in denver you can see me looking out to the mountains. It was nice to have terrain to look at and it really helped me get through that workout.
What do you do think about?

Coach's Workout Saturday 7/18/09

From crossfit.com:
30 muscle-ups for time

8:39 - new PR!

The first time I did this workout I finished in 17:37. The last attempt I managed to do 13 reps in 3:26 then pulled a muscle in my rib cage and couldn't finish, so I was a little anxious to see how this would go. The tips I got from the coaches at the Level 1 Cert really helped and I managed to cut my previous time in half!

Saturday 7/18/09

Warm-up:
Run 400m
Greg A. Warm-up
Burgener Warm-up

WOD:
AMRAP in 10 minutes:
7 hang dumbbell clean & press
14 box jumps



Results:
Mary (15#) 7 rounds + 5 cleans
Lee (15#) 9 rounds + 7 cleans + 4 box jumps
Katsutori (15#) 7 rounds + 3 cleans
LoLo (10#) 5 rounds + 7 cleans + 7 box jumps
Joleen (5#) 6 rounds + 3 cleans



The aftermath! Well done everyone!

Friday 7/17/09

Lily getting mentally ready for the WOD

WOD:
AMRAP in 10 minutes:
7 dumbbell clean & press
14 box jumps


Results:
DaBump (20#) 8 rounds + 7 cleans + 4 box jumps
Cheech (10#) 5 rounds + 7 cleans + 6 box jumps

Thursday 7/16/09

Warm-up:
50 Double unders
Burgener Warm-up 3x5

WOD:
Hang Power Clean 1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Results:
DaBump
95 x 3
135 x 3
155
185
205f
205f
205 PR!

Wed. 7/15/09

Warm-up:
Burgener warm-up x5

WOD:
"Nancy" (courtesy of crossfit.com)
5 rounds for time:
run 400m
15 overhead squats

Results:
TBJ (45#) 17:29
Katsutori (45#) 17:56
LoLo (15#) 19:33
DaBump (65#) 14:48

Tuesday 7/14/09

WOD:
AMRAP in 12 minutes:
7 dumbbell hang cleans
7 burpees

Results:
Justine - 15 rounds (10#)
Lori - 8 rounds + 3 hang cleans (10#)
Chad - 10 rounds (15#)
Kats - 8 rounds (20#)