June 2010

If you haven't been in yet this week you may have missed it. There is a new section on the board everyday. The "Stretching/Cool Down" section. I've been asked by a few members "Why don't we stretch after?" and I don't really have an answer. I know I just stretch and foam roll every night when I get home. But by seeing how flexible most people in the gym are, I would say that most of you are not making time for this. So I have decided to make it a part of the WOD.

After the WOD we will recover, cool down and stretch for 5-10 min. I will teach you proper stretching methods, and how to properly stretch each other out. I want you all to start getting after this mobility stuff with the same intensity and dedication as you put into the workouts. I guarantee that if you make it a habit and get after this stuff it will pay off huge in performance and recovery gains.

The "Pain Cave" is BACK!

Lets get after it boys and girls, like K-Star says "Spend some time in the pain cave". It's the low hanging fruit people lets get our fill.


WOD: five rounds for time of
5 Cleans (power/squat)
5 Shoulder to Overhead
10 KB Swings
Row 250m

John.

I want this gym to be successful, I want it to be the place that you and your friends want hang out. I want your friends to become my friends, and your family become a part of my family. I want you to want this too, because with out your help it probably will not happen.  I have a plan to make this happen, but I will need your help. I have a challenge for all the members, a Referral Challenge. '

I'll make it fun too. It will be a little competition. There will be prizes and rewards for the top three. This is how it will work. I will hand out business cards to all of you and on it we will write your name. You then talk your friends into joining you for a WOD. When they come in the card will be their free pass for a WOD and your name will be entered into the competition, the person with the most referrals at the end will be the winner. Easy as that. Just bring in a friend and do a WOD with them. No big deal.

The prizes are:
1st place - Free Unlimited package for a month, a  t-shirt (planning to have them made by the end of next month), a water bottle, and a foam roller.
2nd place - A t-shirt, and a water bottle.
3rd place - A t-shirt

So get on Facebook, on the phone or just kidnap a buddy and bring them in. Get the word out, who wouldn't want to come in with a friend and to work out?

Lets make this a community of friends and family that's my goal and I hope it will be yours too.

Thanks guys none of this would be possible with out you, the members.

WOD: 5 rounds for time of
15 Hang Power Snatch
12 Ring Dip
9 Squat
6 Sit Up

John.

We left off with Drae doing his medley with the odd object lifting.

Next After waiting around for what seemed like 3 hours it was my turn to move some ridiculously heavy chain and flip a tire twice. The event consisted of pulling a really big chain (620lbs) across the pavement 25 ft. then flipping a tire twice in 90 seconds, seems easy right? Wrong. The first guy from my weight class  only managed to pull the chain about 10 feet! I was second, pulling the chain took all my effort and Cam was right there shouting at me not to stop. My calves were burning and my grip was all jacked up but I got the chain across the line. I dropped the handle and hurried over to the tire. The tire I don't think was much heavier than the one we have in the gym, but it was way harder to hold on to. I was able to jam my tiny hands under the tire and flip it twice just before time ran out. The other two guys in my weight class were able to pull the chain the distance but could not flip the tire.

Cam's next event was running along side mine and he had no easy task. For his weight class he had to pull a 750lb Harley across the pavement on a sled, then flip a 660lb tire twice. Most of the guys who went before Cam had little to no luck pulling the sled and motorcycle. It was just too heavy. Cam had a good technique and was making good progress on the pull, but then the sled got jammed up on the uneven pavement and he had to pull the sled sideways a bit to get it unstuck. Back on track Cam was able to finish the sled pull and was onto the tires. He made one flip look easy but time was called before his second flip could be made. I think only one or two competitors finished that whole event.

Next it was back to Drae for some log clean and presses. The log was 70lbs and Drae had 90 seconds to get it from the ground to overhead as many times as he could. The kid made it look easy with a quick power clean and a easy push press. I think he rocked out at least 15 reps. The older kid unfortunately beat him out again by a rep or two. Drea looked out of breath after but it wasn't really all that hard. That was the last event for Drae and he got to spend the rest of the afternoon watching. He looked really board to me.

Next Cam and I were up for log presses. Our event was for max weight. I'll explain how my event went I don't really remember how Cams went but I remember him being pretty mad he didn't get his 205lb press. Any way it was pretty easy event the judges kept adding weight to the bar and we just kept lifting it until it was too heavy. Cleaning a log is a little weird but after a few goes at it I had an all right technique. The press just meant you had to get it from shoulders to overhead. So you could press, push press, push jerk, or split jerk. I was surprised that the other three competitors could not get 160lbs over their head. I made the lift and won the event. I was a little disappointed that I could not go heavier, but I had won so there really was no point.

The final part will be posted tomorrow. I promise.


WOD: "The Walls's"

Run 800m
30 Wall Ball
30 KB Snatch
15 Inverted Burpee
Run 200m
20 Wall Ball
20 KB Snatch
10 Inverted Burpee
Run 200m
10 Wall Ball
10 KB Snatch
5 Inverted Burpee
Run 800m

John.

Short post today.

Sorry I know I said I would get more into the Strongman competition that Cam, Drae and I went to on the weekend, but its late I got a ton of stuff to do.

Just wanted to remind you all that the CrossFitters for a Cure are showing up on Wednesday for the 6:45pm class.  Make sure you try your best to show up and support their cause. Also make sure if your in the Gym over the next few days to make a donation, that can is pretty empty.

WOD:
3 Rounds for time of
25 Double Under
20 Squats
15 Hand Stand Push up
10 Box Jump
5 Ring Dips

John.

Source: Flickr

Above: Randy and John rocking some snatches

By: Beth Walls

As the time draws nigh for Chris, Jake and I to pull out of town and head back to the flat lands, I have began to reflect on the things I will miss about Kelowna.  One of the biggest things is CrossFit Kelowna and the amazing membership we have.

Many of the evening conversations Chris and I have are about all of you. "Danielle deadlifted 215 lbs today," or "Randy CRUSHED that workout today," or "Michelle took your purple number."  I never tire hearing and seeing how well everyone is doing.  I will miss hearing daily about everyone's acheivements.

One of my favourite conversations that Chris and I have had a few times is just how great everyone that comes to CFK is.  We have been so fortunate to attract such awesome people. Chris has mentioned a few times how there is not a single person that comes to CFK that he would say, "Ugh! They're coming in today? I don't want to deal with them." I gotta say, for how much Chris and John punish us all, everyone still shows up with a smile on their faces ready to jump into whatever ridiculous torture they have posted for the day.

I am so thankful for how patient everyone was in our first year of parenthood.  Taking on a new business and a new family at the same time is not an easy task. Jake quickly became accustom to being at the gym several times a week and has made some very good friends. I know he will miss the fist bumps from A-team, and the doggy kisses from Buddy and many more.

I am so sad to leave Kelowna and all the wonderful people we have met, and I'm not exactly sure what Chris and I will talk about in the evenings, but we know the Gym is in good hands with John, and with a membership like this, it will be hugely successful in no time.

Please get into the habit of posting your PRs in the comments, so that Chris and I can watch and cheer you on from a distance.

Workout of the day:
lil' Mr Joshua
5 rounds for time of:
Run 200m
15 GHD Situps*
10 Deadlifts

*If you are not experienced in GHD situps do knees-to-elbows or toes-to-bars instead. And by experienced I mean doing a few sets of 10+ every class in your pre-warmup. These WILL mess you up if you are new to them. (and not in a good way)

Here is the 2nd installment of how to get out of the tight shoulder club. And it involves more stretching! (whoulda thunk it?)

Lats Stretch  
(From K-Star's blog of San Francisco CrossFit)
Grab a PVC pipe or a dowel and get your elbows close together while kneeling in front of one of your box jump boxes. Now, while trying to keep your elbows close together, slide your hands apart on the pipe to externally rotate your arms (remember lats are powerful internal rotators of the arm.)

Once you feel wound up in that awkward externally rotated position, and keeping elbows together, bring your arms into relative flexion by attempting to bring your chest to the ground. Keep your back straight and elbows together. If you can bang out a high rep Cindy, chances are that you are probably feeling a pretty good stretch about now. In the next photo, note that my elbows are coming apart a little, due to the ungodly force of the stretch I'm enduring.

Take huge breaths, hold at lease 90 seconds. Or, better yet, practice your contract relax here. Don't worry, the tearing sensation will go away.

Pec Stretch
Set up with one arm at a time against the corner of a wall or the edge of a doorframe. You use the edge to push the head of your humerus posteriorly (minimizing stress on the anterior capsule) and then simply turn your head in the opposite direction to intensify the stretch.

Pec Minor Massage:
Can use a med ball, tennis ball, lacrosse ball, etc to get in there.

Deep tissue massage all around the scapula; anterior, lateral and posterior shoulder; coracobrachialis, biceps brachii, and brachialis. (google these...)

Workout of the day:
21-15-9 reps for time of:
Wall Balls
Pull Ups
Ring Dips

Source: Flickr

Above: Rachel, proper aggression in the 2nd pull; triple extension.

One of the only concerns I have heard people come up with when I explain paleo eating is "where do you get calcium if you don't do dairy?"

Well there are a few things at play here, and calcium intake is only but a small part of this problem.

People who eat a completely neolithic diet (grains galore...) are living in an acidic state. This leaches calcium form the bones and makes for a very inefficient system to take in more calcium and build bones. We all know what drinking pop does to our teeth right? And it's not just the sugar, it's the acidity. Same deal here...

By going paleo, eating lots of veggies, you shift your system to a base state. Dairy is a net acid load so it really won't help you that much in putting more calcium to use. If you get 20-40% of your calories from veggies you will be getting in enough calcium to keep you happy.

This won't be as much calcium as "they" say you need, but "they" are dealing with acidic people who have leaky guts... We are not those people. Fix the gut, eat tons of veggies, get the required amount of protein (it increases calcium absorption) and quit the grains/gluten/processed crap that makes you acidic! This way you retain more of your bones, you make better use of the calcium you do take in, and if you need more a spoon of baking soda in the morning has been shown to be more effective at maintaining bone density than prescription bone drugs. Add to this some weight training and your bones will be fine.

I'm not a Doctor, and my information comes from trusted sources on the internet, but people were thriving and evolving without grains/dairy for many generations...

And now here's Henry Rollins and his take on fast food.

Don't sugar coat it Henry, tell us how you really feel!

Workout of the day:
For time:
25 Pullups
Run 100m
20 KB Swings
Run 200m
15 Burpees
Run 400m

Stress can ruin your day to day. It also can suck all your motivation for training, and kills recovery after the gym. Here are a few ways to De-stress.

1. Get things done
Make a to do list and start checking things off. Once there done they can't stress you out anymore.

2. Learn to say "NO"
If you already have enough on your plate and just can't do something, don't be afraid to say so.  When declining be firm and let the person know that you just can't fit it in at the moment. If guilt overwhelms you offer to do it when you have more time.

3. Work it out
Exercise can reduce stress. A 2003 study suggests that short intense bursts of exercise is most effective for reducing stress. But all exercise can be good, such as hiking, and yoga can help.

4. Peace and Quiet
It can be as easy to just find a quite place and relax and let all your problems go for a few minutes.

5.Natural Sunlight
Everyone feels a little happier when in the sun. So don't hold up in the house, get outside and enjoy the sun.

Drae. 14 year old and squatting 235lbs! Keep it up man.

WOD: 4 rounds for time of
10 Snatch
Run 200m
2 15' Rope Climbs

Run the runs hard and go heavy on the snatches.

John

Injury prevention should be your main goal every time you train. Think about it, if your injured your not going to be able to train or at least not at your full capacity. The easiest way to avoid injury is to know your limits, warming up and cooling down properly, stretching and addressing weakness and imbalance in the body. But as we all know now matter how hard we try to avoid injury, it happens. If you do get injured the most important thing is to learn from it and become a better athlete. But never stop training this will only lead to more injury.

An example of this is my Dad. He swears he has bad knees, and he does. Many hockey injuries have left him with one knee with no cartilage and the other that has been fully replaced. Because of this he avoids almost all activity that requires his knees. And that just about everything.  This only leads him into more injury and worse overall health, which leads to more injury.

I'm not saying that he should go run a 10 miler, or do some max effort box jumps, but not doing anything is just as bad for his knees.  The saying "If you don't use it, you lose it" really applies here.

The only way for his knees to get "better" is to use them. He will just have to ease into it and know his limits. When I blew my shoulder up a few years ago, when I did a belly flop off a ladder onto cement, I took a week off. Then got right back into CrossFit as soon as I could. At first I couldn't do anything with my one arm. For the first three week it was all legs, squats, box jumps, running, and some one arm stuff. Then slowly I added in jumping pull ups, presses, and push ups. I was back to normal in about 2 months. If I had just sat around and waited for it to get "better" on its own I think it could have taken 6 months at least.

Just because your injured or hurt doesn't mean you cant do anything. Still come into the gym and we will take it slow and easy and help you rehab the injury safely while still training.

WOD:
"Helen"
3 rounds for time of
400m run
21 KB Swing
12 Pull up


John.

Source: Flickr

Above: A view from CrossFit Kelowna, I think I know where the pot of gold is!

We are having a general town hall meeting tonight with the membership. It's at 6:30PM following the 5:30 class. Should be no more than an hour.

Topics will include, upcoming challenges/events/competitions, swag order, open floor for suggestions etc, and whatever else anyone wants to chat about. There will also be an announcement.

For those of you who can't make it, we will send out an email recapping the whole thing, and maybe even a blog post, we'll see.

And remember, you don't get stronger/faster in the gym, you get stronger/faster recovering from being at the gym... so listen to your bodies and take a rest day when needed.

Workout of the day:
3 rounds for time of:
Row 500m
21 Push Press
12 Box Jumps

CrossFitters for a Cure is a group of CrossFitters traveling to a bunch of Affiliates all over Canada (from Quebec to BC). Here is their mission statement:

"CrossFitters For A Cure is a charitable event, the purpose of this event is to raise funds and bring awareness to the Alzheimer’s Society . CrossFitters For A Cure’s participants will travel across Canada, from Quebec to British Columbia, visiting over 30 affiliates. The following challenge has been issued to the participating affiliates and their athletes:

“We will come to your gym and complete the proposed WOD. We are asking the participants of this event to raise/donate money for the Alzheimer’s Society; donations can be made through the link on our blog or cash donations will be taken with contact information so tax receipts can later be issued. ‘CrossFitters For A Cure’ t-shirt will be given to the athelte that acheives the greatest result during the workout as well as the athlete that raises the most money for the cause, if donating online please print out the confirmation sheet and bring it to the workout. “

 In the spirit of competition, perseverance, and community our hope is to raise a total of $10,000 for the Alzheimer Society. We are confident that with the support of the CrossFit(c) community this event will be a success. All proceeds will be donated to the Alzheimer Society."

Some more information on donating and whatnot:

"We will encourage all participants of the event to make donations to the Alzheimer Society, the person that donates the most will receive a free t-shirt. Following the WOD, the individual that achieves the best score/time/weight will also receive a free t-shirt. We will then sell the t-shirts as well and all proceeds will go towards the Alzheimer Society (price will be determined once we get them silk screened, probably in the range of $15-25 per shirt).

So along with selling t-shirts we have recently been a Tanda professional light treatment device which we will be selling tickets to win. The Tanda professional light therapy works by using infrared light to increase blood flow which in turn relieves pain, relaxes muscle, and improves range of motion. It is the first clinical strength device certified by the FDA for use in the home, regular cost over $300. We will have two products on use which we will demo at the gym. All proceeds from the raffle will go to benefit Alzheimer's Society, the tickets will cost $2 for 1 and $5 for 3.
 
I was personally skeptical about the device but I have used it for multiple session on my patella, which has been aggravating me for the past couple of months, and I have noticed a great deal of improvement. When we visit your gyms, you will have a chance to use the device and see for yourself.
 
For more information regarding the device please visit www.tandaprofessional.com"

They will be here for a WOD on June 23rd. Right now they have said they'd be in for the 12:30 class, but I'm trying to get them in for 5:30 as we have more people at that class time.


Functional Fashion... a Weightlifting Belt/Fanny Pack. You can store your pork chops and chalk and whatnot in it for quick access.

Workout of the day:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 KB Swings
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Burpees
100m Runs

So this one goes 10 KB Swings, 1 Burpee, Run 100m, 9 KB Swings, 2 Burpees, Run 100m... etc.