The Northern California Regionals for the 2012 CrossFit Games start this Friday, May 18th, at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. After participating in the Games for the past three years, team ARCFit will not be competing after falling just outside the top-30 cut-off (too many ladies having babies around here!).  Just the same, I would recommend getting down to the Fairgrounds and taking in some of the best conditioned athletes in the most stacked Region in the world (even after Pat Barber had to pull out after having an emergency appendectomy).  The above video features 6 of the Region’s favorites, including Gy and T’s favorite, Gabe Subry of CrossFit 209.

You can check out what the  competitors have in store for them here:  Regional Workouts

If you plan on going: View Event and Venue Information

If you don’t: How to Follow Regionals: Week 4

Today’s WOD

Program A

Complete the following for time:

30 chest-2-bar pull-ups OR 10 muscle-ups Or 5 rope climbs (athlete’s choice)
50 kb swings (70/53)
1000 m row

Program B

Front Squat: 3 x 8

Then

“Mini Cindy”

AMRAP in 12 minutes:

5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 squats

Today’s mission is to examine your post-training practices.   Too many times I witness really good athletes perform an excellent warm up, perform heroic feats of strength and wattage, then well, do nothing.  People, after strenuous training, you’ve got to take care of yourself.  If you are competing in a brutally short event, you’ve got to do some cool down.  If you are an endurance athlete, you’ve got to do some cool down (obviously not 2x your workout length) .  If you are a strength athlete, you’ve got to perform some kind anti-stiffness protocol.  A ton of the problems we see start out as adaptation errors.  How do you think you got so stiff?  Why didn’t you “recover” from your last workout?  We need to control the things we can control.  For crying out loud, go to any olympic track and see how many of those athletes “cool down” on the other track.  Watch the swimming events and witness how many laps the athletes swim after the compete.  Racing horses are cooled down for crying out loud.  Obviously you don’t have to cool down for 40 min after a 20 min sprint piece.  But, are you performing any cool down?  Are you drinking and eating anything in the first 20-30 min window?  Do you go back to work or the couch?  In this video I’m referencing the fact that my athletes were about to compete in a 10 minute effort.  A simple guideline is for them to spend 15-20 minutes cooling down.  This could include walking, rowing, mobing etc.    Do it for a week.  Budget some time to actually cool down and see how you feel.

Today’s WOD

Workout A:

Front Squat: 5-5-5

Then:

AMRAP in 8 minutes
6 db split cleans (45/25)
7 db thrusters
8 push-ups

Speed walking is not only super cool, it's a great way to get warmed up!

Kelly shows off her true grit.

Today’s WOD:

“Cindy”

AMRAP in 20 minutes

5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 squats

Benchmark WOD to kick your weekend off right.

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Boston forwarded me this excellent T Nation article by Dan John on weighted carries: T NATION | The Secret of Loaded Carries

Big 'ol Pimp!

The other day Fancy Shoes Stephen rolled up to the box in this sweet pimp ride.  He said it was his girlfriend’s car and he was borrowing it.  I thought Stephen’s lady didn’t have any taste (she’s dating Fancy isn’t she?), until I saw what she rolls.  One word=JEALOUS!

Today’s WOD:

“Cindy”

AMRAP in 20 minutes

5 pull-ups

10 push-ups

15 squats

This is your exit exam from the ARCFit “Takin’ it to the Cave” Paleo challenge.  Six weeks ago you all did this same workout.  Time to re-test and see how far we’ve come since starting on the challenge.  Don’t forget to get yourself weighed and measured by Gina either Tuesday morning or any time on Wednesday so we can compare the before and after action.  Best of luck everyone!

Rhabdomyolysis Revisited by Dr. Will Wright – CrossFit Journal

Josh and Pukie, reunited again!

Ok, yesterday I put together a very nice post (yeah I’m bragging) on our May AOTM Josh H.  I even went as far as to say that Josh’s trips to the Pukie bucket have been cut back drastically.  No sooner do I say that and “Cindy” comes along and makes me look like a liar. Thanks to Ryan for being “Johnny-on-the-spot” and getting this great shot.  At least Josh cleans up after himself..

Today’s WOD:

Hang Power Clean

3-3-3-3-3

rest 5 minutes

AMRAP in 10 minutes:

6 Power Cleans (135/95)

12 Sit-Ups

24 Double-Unders

Well it looks like it’s official-Team ARCFit has qualified for the CrossFit Games Regional competition with a 22nd place finish.  The comp begins on Friday, June 3rd and runs through Sunday, June 5th.  Big congrats to Theresa J. who finished 59th in Northern California and qualified for the women’s individual competition.  Not bad for a 40 year-old!  The event is being held at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds which means it’s a relatively short drive for everyone.  So book your hotel, buy your new ARCFit merchandise, stock up on cold adult beverages, and be prepared to make some noise for Team ARCFit!

Speaking of merchandise, May 8th is the deadline for buying our new gear.  Click on the link below in the “updates” section to go on your spending spree!

Quiet.  Unassuming.  Reserved.  Three words that describe Josh H. when he’s inside the box.  But here are three more that are just as applicable: Determined.  Focused.  Gritty.  This guy never takes a night off when he comes in to train.  It doesn’t matter what he is facing in that particular WOD, he’s going to finish.  Period.  End of story.  Josh shows up consistently and goes about his business in a workmanlike manner.  And all of that dedication is paying off with new PR’s coming on a regular basis.

How hard does Josh train?  Recently he and the pukie bucket got to know each other better.  I think my favorite part of watching Josh hit the WODs is the almost inevitable grab-the-stomach-I’m-about-to-hurl-look!  Fortunately, it’s pretty rare these days for Josh to lose his lunch. But it does show just how hard this guy pushes himself.

I’ve been holding onto this video that I shot of Josh for a while now, just waiting for the right time to unleash it on America. Here he is finishing up round 7 of 8 of tabata bottom-to-bottom squats. For those who don’t know, instead of a true 10 second “rest”, you are required to spend your 10 seconds in the bottom of an air squat. Josh loved it, although he appeared to be drinking before the WOD (he wasn’t). I also love all of the support that his sister Sonic gives him as he struggles to walk again. Great stuff!

Congrats to Josh H. on being the ARCFit AOTM for May.  I must admit, I’m a bit frightened of the WOD he’s going to come up with (especially after unveiling this video)!

Congrats are also in order for the winners of our April Skill challenge for the longest standing broad jump.  Misty took top honors for the women with a leap of 89″, while Justin launched himself 111″ to grab the top spot among the men.  Keep an eye out for your prize package on the front desk.

The new month also means we need a new skill challenge.  For May, we are going with the fastest mile time.  Pretty self explanatory right? Line up at the roll-up door and run to the handicap access in front of Denny’s, then run back to the roll-up door.  Fastest time wins.  Remember to watch out for cars!!!

The “Takin’ it to the Cave” 6-week Paleo challenge kicks off today.  You will compare the results of today’s WOD to the results recorded 6 weeks from now.  Dig in, stay committed, use the new Facebook “challenges” page, and get after some meat and veggies.  Help each other over the next several weeks and the results will be awesome!  Best of luck to everyone!!

Today’s WOD:

“Cindy”

AMRAP in 20 minutes

5 pull-ups

10 push-ups

15 squats

-Or for those not taking part in the challenge-

In light of the news that the baddest military in the world eliminated the number one menace to society, do hero WOD “Murph”

Run 1 mile

100 Pull-Ups

200 Push-Ups

300 Squats

Run 1 mile

Only one week left to order ARCFit merchandise.  Click on the link in the “Updates” section and get to shopping!  Mother’s Day is just around the corner…

As of last night, Team ARCFit was in 22nd place in the CrossFit Open Sectional Qualifier.  The top-30 teams advance to the Regionals in Santa Clara on June 3-5th.  There have been some problems inputting scores and our top numbers are not in yet, hopefully we will hold on and advance to the next round.  When I know the final-final I will let everyone else know.

Newbies, oldbies, and everyone in between introducing themselves to "Cindy"

Today’s WOD:

Run 800 m

80 Double Unders

Run 600 m

60 Double Unders

Run 400 m

40 Double Unders

Run 200 m

20 Double Unders

Run 100 m

10 Double Unders

*double the number if you don’t have du’s

3, 2, 1…suck wind!

Catch your breath and then work on those handstands!  Check out this Handstand tutorial from Beast Skills.

And "Cindy" introduced herself to everyone!

I love it when a benchmark WOD comes around (except for Fran of course), and yesterday was no different.  Many of you experienced this WOD for the first time, while some got a second crack at this femme fatal. Top honors for the men went to Elijah with 21 rounds.  Theresa repped the women with 19 rounds of her own.  Congrats to the recent graduates of our On-Ramp program who got their first taste of a benchmark workout and survived.  How’s that butt arm Kelly?

J.P. shows off his new super manly running style for the gym

Today’s WOD:

“Cindy”

AMRAP in 20 minutes

5 Pull-Ups

10 Push-Ups

15 Squats

Benchmark WOD time people.  Make every rep count-chin over bar, full lockout and crease of the hip below the knee. Oh ya, and more push-ups!   3, 2, 1…rock the box!

It seems that watching others compete in the Throwdown has inspired many to register for CrossFit South Tahoe’s “Fittest of the Sierras” Competition on Saturday, April 16th. She doesn’t know it yet but Carl’i’ has graciously offered to hook us up with lodging while we’re up there. Thanks Carl’i'! Seriously, if anyone has a lead on a large rental house in South Lake Tahoe let us know so we can get on it. At last count we had ten ARCFitters heading up the hill in April to compete so don’t get left behind. Altitude, schmaltitude is what I say!

1 minute on, 1 minute rest for 10 minutes:

310 Double Unders

*For every 5 double unders short of 310, complete 1 round of “Cindy” at the end of class.

rest 5 minutes

1 minute on, 1 minute rest for 15 minutes

35 KB Swings each minute 55/35

*For every rep short of 35 swings, execute 1 burpee.

Megatron shows her love for "Stephan's" WOD

Our new On-Ramp program begins Monday, January 31st. There are only a few slots left if you know someone interested in signing up so have them email me ASAP. If they’re not sure about this ARCFit thing, have them come to our free intro workout tomorrow at 11:00 am-CN

Iowa Football Players Hospitalized With Rhabdomyolysis, School …

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.

5 Pull-ups

10 Push-ups

15 Squats

The leg of Urijah Faber after 5 rounds of punishment from Jose Aldo.

I had the chance to watch the “California Kid” Urijah Faber try to recapture the WEC featherweight belt from Brazilian stud Jose Aldo at Arco Arena last Saturday night.  It was not meant to be as Aldo systematically chopped down the UC Davis alum’s lead leg with a wave of vicious kicks.  Although it was a one-sided fight dominated by Aldo, it was amazing to watch the fortitude and grit of Faber throughout the 5 rounds.  It got to the point where he could barely stand but he continued fight.  There were many opportunities for him to quit and no one would have bad mouthed him for it, but he kept on going, ignoring that voice in his head to stop.

We often talk about that voice in our head as it relates to CrossFit workouts as well.  Those who are willing and able to shut it out and push past the limits imposed by the mind, are those known as the true “firebreathers”.  What do you do when that voice creeps into your head and tells you to stop?  Do you listen or do you push it away?  Have you noticed that you can ignore that voice for longer then before you started CrossFitting?  Are you able to “go there” for every workout or is it something you have to do selectively so as not to completely burn out?  The nice thing about CrossFit vs. fighting is that when we decide to keep on pushing forward, it doesn’t mean that we are getting kicked, punched or choked for our efforts!

Check out this article on Urijah’s performance as the author talks about ignoring the voice in his head: Urijah Faber and the Price of Pride-CN

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This Saturday (May 1st), CrossFit Genesis in Roseville will be holding a Clean and Jerk clinic from 9-11 am.  Paul Doherty, co-founder of the Hassle Free Barbell Club and weightlifting coach at Sacramento High, will be the instructor.  Cost is $40.00, go to the Genesis sight for more details.-CN