A big thanks to our GM, Dani, and Coach Sarah for overseeing some of the latest improvements in our space — namely a new (and gigantic) AR logo banner, paint trim, re-finished & repainted HSPU wall, accent walls, and playroom paint. Some projects are still in the works, including trim for the HSPU wall a la Connecticut Street OG Arena Ready, and some cool little finishing touches here and there — so thanks for your understanding as we install a few new items and complete some odds & ends.

Finally settling in for real and it feels (and looks) great!

Thanks, Dani & Sarah!

WOD For 02-27-19:

“Team Christine”

With a Partner, 3 Rounds For Time:

1000m Row

24 Deadlifts @ 185/135 lbs

42 Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 in

*Only one athlete working at a time, switch whenever you like.

*Reps do not have to be split equally but, as usual, the fastest strategy is likely equal or roughly equal reps.

OK, as a break from all of the CrossFit Games Open talk…

The Oscars on Sunday night got me thinking (and I didn’t actually watch them, but still) — what was the WORST movie you can remember that won BEST picture?

Here are my top 3 picks (and I realize the second one will make some of you mad, and that Titanic actually won that year… but really it’s same same, no?):

Everyone just calm down. You can submit your hate comments to me in the private Arena Ready Facebook group and I’m happy to address them one at a time.

HOW ABOUT THEM APPLES?!

WOD For 02-26-19:

Back Squat:

15 Minutes to Build to a Heavy Set of 8, Then…

5 Minutes For 2 “Drop” (or ‘Down”) Sets @ 85% and 80% of Your Heavy Set

If possible add to your top set from last week 02-18-19

-then-

For Time:

21-15-9

Overhead Squats @ 115/75 lbs

Lateral Bar Burpees

Reminder to SUBMIT YOUR 19.1 score to the CrossFit Games website by the deadline of Monday at 5pm.  We cannot submit your score for you so if you're reading this just do it now so you don't forget!

Just a small portion of our Open 19.1 athletes from Saturday!

Hey look, a Monday with no wall balls! But see here’s the thing… pull-ups and double unders are like winter… THEY ARE COMING. They may not be in 19.2 — or they may be — but either way they’re coming in one of the next four Open workouts. And who are we kidding, we do both movements every week at Arena Ready anyway, so this is sort of old hat.

This time around we’ll do chin-over bar to practice that specific movement requirement, even though our default Rx is chest-to-bar — it should make for bigger sets for many of you, but keep the total volume in mind as well when approaching this Monday met-con.

Enjoy!

WOD For 02-25-19:

Alternating EMOM 5 Rounds (10 Minutes):

MINUTE 1:

1 Power Clean + 3 Push Jerks

MINUTE 2:

3 Scap Pull-ups + 1 Max L-Sit

Climb in loading on the barbell every round. The Max L-Sit is one attempt hanging from the pull-up bar and is performed immediately following the scap pull-ups (without dropping off to re-set the grip). Scale the L-Sit to a Chair (or “Tuck”) Sit if you cannot hold the L position for at least 15 seconds.

-then-

For Time:

BUY-IN:

170 Double Unders

THEN, 5 Rounds of…

17 Pull-ups

7 Push Jerks @ 135/95 lbs

Open Athletes - if you haven't already, please watch the 19.1 standards video below, and read the workout details here on the CrossFit Games website.  This will ensure that everyone is on the same page with movement standards and expectations (both Rx and scaled) prior to every athlete and judge starting their workout/heat. This one is about as simple as it gets , so it should be smooth sailing for us.  

You'll also need to enter your score on the CrossFit Games website before the submission deadline at 5pm on Monday.  You can still register for the Open up until the 19.1 submission deadline, so if you do the workout this weekend and decide to enter afterwards make sure to have someone judge you so you have an official score.   

As we've covered previously in this post here, we'll be running the Open Workout ("19.1") during rolling heats in all of our Saturday morning classes.  Please sign-up for class in advance and plan on doing the workout AND judging another athlete while in the gym (no, you do not have to be a certified judge who has taken the judges course).  

For those new to Arena Ready please note that these Saturday morning classes will be very different from our usual protocol.  The warm-up will be self-directed and written on the board for you to follow.  Please plan on showing up 10 minutes early for class if possible, so that you can sign-up for a heat time when you arrive and get yourself situated for warming-up.  Among other things, you're going to want to get your shoulders & hips nice and warm, your heart rate elevated, and your blood pumping so that you put yourself in a good position to crush this workout.

19.1 is a great 15-minute AMRAP couplet designed to be simple yet potentially brutal for those who can really rack-up the reps.  Strategy is not all that complicated — you mostly need to know your goal, the pacing required to get you in the neighborhood of that goal, keep the transitions between movements disciplined and quick, and pick a rep scheme and row pacing that suits your capacity.      

AND YES, wear your weightlifting shoes if you have them — they will help for both movements of this workout.

Wall Balls

It should go without saying but moving well will be rewarded and sloppy movement will compound into a nightmare of fatigue here — since the combination of the movements don’t allow same clearance of fatigue as some other "complimentary movement” workouts (think “Diane” or “Fran” where one movement allows a recovery of sorts from the other movement) any deviation from clean, efficient reps will build fatigue in spades as this workout progresses. For most of us, being a little more deliberate pays off more than being a little faster with the reps.

There are 3 categories of athletes for wall balls in this workout:

1. You will do the wall balls unbroken for the whole workout (or close to it)

2. You will intentionally break the wall balls 1 time per round (maybe 2 times if needed as fatigue sets in during the later rounds)

3. You will break the wall balls 3 or more times per round for most of the workout (AKA the wall balls are challenging for you)

If you’re in category 1 then you’re pretty fit (or VERY fit), you’re good at wall balls, and you likely know your abilities well. You’re also going to row fairly “fast” at roughly 80-85% effort from the start. What that means in terms of calories/hour pacing depends on each individual athlete (check the graphic below to help set your expectations and strategy) but the “feeling” of the pace should be approximately your 2K row pacing. Still don’t know what that feels like? It’s a similar exertion level you would use for running a mile for time, give or take.

If you’re in category 2 then the row pacing will need to come down a bit into the 75% effort range (possibly 70% range if you’re “reaching” a little with your wall ball ability). Back off of that 2K pace to start the workout by just a little bit and then try to settle in during rounds 3 and beyond. Remember that rounds 1 and 2 will LIE TO YOU and will let you believe that you can hold an 80-85%+ pace for 15 minutes. I’m here to tell you that I love you, and that you can’t. If you could then you’d be in category #1 instead, and most of us (myself included) are just not at that level at this moment.

If you’re in category 3 then this is a wall ball workout for you, plain and simple. Use the row to try and recover a bit before you get back to the wall balls — meaning don’t “dog” it on the rower but don’t think that pushing the pace fast on the row will help (reserve that for the final 2-ish minutes when you get there). Remember, however, that because we’re using calories here and not meters that if you go too slow it will feel like an eternity before that monitor says 19 — since calories don’t accumulate in a linear fashion the way meters do you want to hold some form of a moderate pace to give yourself “more credit” on the row than just going through the motions would yield. Think measured, smooth, but actively trying — and focus on recovering your breath.

A few other notes on wall balls (although this section sort of turned into a section about rowing LOL):

• A good starting place is approximately an arms distance away from the upright. If you stand too close you might get some air balls (which don’t count) or some face smashes. Stand too far back and you’ll get pulled forward on the catch. Focus on getting a nice mini-arc on your toss and letting the target give your ball a little bounce back as it comes down.

• If your shoulders generally fatigue during wall balls consider lowering your hands/arms momentarily while the ball is in the air. No need to do the big swimming arms you see some people do, just bring your hands back down in front of your chin quickly to give your shoulders a quick break from tension on each rep. I would also consider using your upper chest and/or chin as a third point of contact in the front rack position if it feels comfortable for you (practice it in warm-ups if you like).

• Remember that your judge may also be your friend but he/she does you no favors by “giving” you reps. If they no-rep you because you didn’t get your hips below your knees or the ball didn’t touch the middle of the target then believe them (they’re not workout drunk so their vision is clear and they’re likely right). Correct it quickly and move on, and then thank them afterward for keeping you honest.

Row (Yay!) 

For many of us we'll spend more than half of this workout on the rower.  Which means that knowing your max sustainable rowing pace is key if you're going to get a good score relative to your individual capability (being fit and having a terrible strategy on pacing can render you a score much lower than you deserve).  If you watched Sam Briggs at the announcement you saw one of the fittest humans on the planet (and someone who is literally a lightweight record holder in indoor rowing) nearly achieve 10 total rounds. She easily passed both of the athletes next to her who were bigger, taller, and stronger (and plenty fit) not because of her stature or strength advantage — she simply rowed better, with better technique (thus less suffering) and better pacing.   

Now most of us are not competing at a Games level, so while the Briggs example is not exactly analogous to us the main idea remains the same — your row pace and ability to hold that pace (or even increase it in the last quarter of the workout) will have a big impact on your score, almost regardless of your capability on the wall balls.

So what pace do you use?  Well hopefully you've paid attention to the Cal/Hour number on the monitor during any one of the hundreds of row for calories workouts you've done at Arena Ready (do those Alternating EMOMs with 21, 20, and 18 calories sound familiar now???).  That's the BIG number in the middle of the screen— you know, the one that's constantly changing, and often going down as you get more tired.  Here's a nice chart that gives you the pacing lowdown:   

(Courtesy of our friends at Beyond The Whiteboard)

I'll make it easy for you since we coaches basically know everyone's relative capacity on the rower (and on the wall balls).  Highly competitive "Black level" AR athletes will be gunning for 7-8 total rounds or more.  The "Red level" may generally be in the 6 to 7+ round range, give or take.  The "Gray level" may likely be in that 4 to 5 round range, give or take, dependent on the individual's proficiency with wall balls should they choose to do 19.1 Rx using a 20/14 lbs ball (yes, you should).  The "White level" athletes will likely span the range of 3 to 6 rounds if doing Scaled using a 14/10 lbs ball, with the exception of those who are determined to fight (safely) for an Rx score. These of course are rough approximations to help with the setting of realistic expectations and a strategy in line with those expectations — but by all means please blow those out of the water if you have it in you and can crush it beyond what’s written above. To that end, here’s a helpful pacing chart from our buddy Jeremy “JJ” Jones:  

(Shout out to JJ, former head coach of the NPGL’s San Francisco Fire!!!)

A few notes on rowing:

• Use the fan/flywheel setting you normally use and don’t overthink it too much. I don’t encourage changes to your routine on game day so unless you’re a tiny person who has been setting the fan to 10 I won’t be saying too much. But remember that the 2K world record was performed using a fan setting of 2, and for about 90% of my workouts I use 3 — so for those of you wondering if jamming it up to 9 or 10 all the time (like you see some people often doing) is helpful I’m here to tell you that often it is not.

• Don’t mess with the straps. Set the strap at a tension where you can slide your feet in and out quickly during the transitions but that you don’t need to loosen them or tighten them with your hands ever — set them once before the workout starts and then leave them alone. They won’t be completely snug but if you row halfway decent it won’t really matter, and the transition time saved by not fussing with the straps and un-intentionally giving yourself 5, 10, 15 seconds of rest every single round will pay off over multiple rounds (do the math and you can see how you would easily lose a whole minute playing patty cake with the straps every round)

• JUST GET IT MOVING. You will be temped to do a lot of things other than getting the rower moving but you’re just wasting transition time that could be spent getting the fan/flywheel moving. You can breathe while starting, you can recover by starting slower for a bit, but get moving and start ASAP. Moving slowly is always better than nothing, especially when that nothing is the excuse of “well, I had to adjust the straps and they were being fussy” (see bullet point above)

• Yes, your judge can and should re-set the monitor for you every round. Remind them nicely.

The Universal MUSTS for EVERYONE Doing the Workout      

1) If even just ONE rep (or several) can be performed safely at Rx then you have the option of spending as much time as needed (up to 15 minutes!) getting as far along in the Rx workout sequence as you can with good mechanics and movement (e.g. you're being safe & smart while trying really, really, really hard).  Remember that even an Rx score of 1 rep ranks higher than every scaled score in the world, so if you can safely fight for that one good rep it may be a battle worth fighting.  If you're not officially entered in the Open then ask a coach on site to help you decide on a reasonable scaling for the workout — it doesn't necessarily need to be one of the exact weights listed by CrossFit HQ for the Open.

2) Be smart and move well.  You know what that means, I don't have to explain that one to you.  The gym will be here tomorrow... will you be?    

3) Cheer for your fellow athletes, and be a good judge.  We do things the right way at Arena Ready — with integrity and to the standards of the competition.  Our movement is clean, our technique is admirable, our effort is 100%, and our members know the difference between intent and accomplishment (e.g. giving your fellow athlete a respectful but deserved no-rep when they're working their ass off but simply didn't accomplish a valid rep).  The spirit of the Open is amazing— there's nothing like the energy and positive family vibe of these 5 weeks.  Many of your buddies will do things they never thought possible, some will fall short of what they wanted and be frustrated for a bit, and others will have experiences on both sides.  But in the end this is our community, and our AR family, and we support each other in success and in failure... knowing that we're all just trying to get better every day.

GO TIME!

WOD For 02-23-19:

“Open 19.1”

AMRAP 15 Minutes:

19 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft

19 Calorie Row

*Scaled workout uses 14/10 lbs to 10/9 ft

I literally laughed out loud when this workout was announced.

If you’ve been at Arena Ready for more than a year or two (which is nearly all of you reading this) you’ve probably done at least twenty workouts that look closely related to this gem…

The first workout of the 2019 CrossFit Games Worldwide Open ("19.1") was released on Thursday evening, so if you're going to be completing the workout this weekend at Arena Ready (either during the fun craziness of our Open Heats during all Saturday classes, or during Sunday Open Gym) then please start by reviewing the workout details here and watching the standards video above (which covers only the Rx workout, and not the scaled version) - thanks!

It's not too late to register for the 2019 Open!  Join in on the fun and register here on the CrossFit Games website (make sure to select Arena Ready as your affiliate).  You'll be able to register up until the online score submission deadline for 19.1 on Monday at 5pm (i.e. you can come in and do the workout this weekend and then register & enter your score afterward, as long as that's before Monday at 5pm… just make sure your performance is judged!).

On the fence? Read this and this and this. And then just do it already. Particularly if you’re planning on working out during any of the next 5 Saturdays anyway. Duh.

The beauty of the simplicity and brutal elegance of 19.1 is that it leaves us with some interesting complimentary movements that can be programmed the day before without too much interference with the movement patterns you’ll be crushing on Saturday. Either way, you can choose to go HAM on Friday (particularly if you’re not entered in the Open) or take more of a methodical approach to the met-con — but either way you’ll get a good, well rounded workout and a deft dose of intensity if you so choose.      

WOD For 02-22-19:

Weighted Strict Pull-up:

3-2-1-1-1

-then-

3 Rounds For Time:

20 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

15 Hang Power Cleans @ 155/110 lbs

10 Toes-to-Bar

This year I’m doing the Open mostly because I really believe what we say each year: that the Open is a chance to benchmark our fitness in the context of our lives, and to reflect on our current level of fitness, and how we feel about our #gainz or lack thereof.

On the eve of Open 2019, I’m conscious of the monumental contrast between last year, Open 2018, when I was weeks away from delivering our brand new baby girl, and the year before, Open 2017, where I managed to earn the last spot to the California Regional (my sixth trip) and ended up finishing 13th despite there not being a barbell in sight. This year, I expect to finish somewhere in between after a year of reprioritizing nearly everything about my life - relocating and developing Arena Ready 3.0, finishing a Masters’ Degree in Nutrition & Human Performance, changing positions at Territory, and most importantly learning how to be a mom.

If I’m being honest, there is also a part of me that does not want to do the Open at all. This is the part of me that deeply misses the capacity I once had, the dreams I had of making the Games or the Olympics, the intensity of those competitive moments. Knowing there’s no possible way for any of that to be in the cards this year stings a little (especially because my original grand plan was to be back in the running for a spot in the Masters Games at this point). But, the reality is that this year I needed to create space to nurture our kid and our business with the same dedication I once gave to sports.

So, this year, I’m doing the Open to go back to the simple joy of having fun with my AR fam. I hope to exercise semi-competitively, to pace myself appropriately, to push myself a little harder than I normally do, and to see whether in any small way, I’ve still “got it”. I hope to find out whether I still have a muscle up, and I wouldn’t mind trying to set a current era PR or two. I plan to join in a little friendly banter, try not to get double lapped by Cassie, and to shoot a text or two about how many water breaks I took across the country to A. Woods. And when I put it that way, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

WOD For 02-21-19:

2 Rounds For QUALITY:

400m Run

40 ft Handstand Walk

8 KB or DB Turkish Get-ups @ pick load (4 Right / 4 Left)

*This is FOR QUALITY and not for speed or loading -- much like yesterday's Part 1, move with intent and focus on position. 

-then-

EMOM 12 Minutes:

MINUTE 1-4: 3 Power Snatches

MINUTE 5-8: 2 Power Snatches

MINUTE 9-12: 1 Power Snatch

*Climbing is allowed (but not required), however the goal is technical consistency with NO MISSES.

*Miss during any of the first 3 singles (Minutes 9, 10, 11) and you're DONE!

You still have time to register for the 2019 CrossFit Games Open at Arena Ready!

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, or for some reason you just found out that your gym has a daily blog which (among other things) posts the WOD and some helpful gym news, here are some helpful links:

Click here to get the 411 on what the Open is all about. You can also register on that CrossFit Games website (registration is $20 and make sure to select Arena Ready CrossFit as your affiliate… no need to select a “team” this year).

Click here to read more about the Open at Arena Ready, and click here to get the details of how we’ll run our Open Saturdays for the next 5 weeks.

If you’re still on the fence then click here or talk to a coach at the gym.

If you’re not sure you can do the Open because you won’t be here for any of the next 5 Saturdays then WE HAVE GREAT NEWS FOR YOU:

• We will have 2 alternative options to do the week’s Open workout if you cannot make it on Saturday morning:

  • Thursday evening @ 6pm

  • Sunday Open Gym @ 9am or 10am

• Also, there are over 15,000 CrossFit affiliates around the world and it’s highly likely that one of them is close to where you’ll be traveling and that they too will be doing the Open for their members:

  • Use the CrossFit Affiliate Finder Map here to find a gym

  • Read this blog post first to make sure you’re not inadvertently being an A-hole when you drop-in (I know you’re not an A-hole, but they may not know that)

As Open 19.1 approaches we change gears a little mid-week… Monday and Tuesday’s “meat & potatoes” of strength endurance work, intensity pieces, and bodyweight & barbell cycling makes a transition into a Wednesday program of pre-hab/shoulder recovery plus some station rotation aerobic work with the skill element of double under volume built-in. Enjoy!

WOD For 02-20-19:

Alternating EMOM For 3 Rounds (Minutes):

8 Light (or Empty) Barbell Upright Rows

8 Kettlebell “Bottoms Up” Kneeling Presses (8 each side)

4 PERFECT Inchworms to Plank

*This is FOR QUALITY and not for speed or loading — focus on moving perfectly and with intent

-then-

4 Rounds For Reps (0:45 Seconds Work Per Movement / 0:15 Seconds Rest Between Movements):

Russian Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs

Double Unders

AbMat Sit-ups

Row Calories

(Rest 1:15 Between Rounds)

*Score this workout like “Tabata” by noting your LOWEST rep count for each of the movement across all 4 rounds.

The 2019 CrossFit Games Worldwide Open officially starts on Thursday with the 5pm announcement of the first of five workouts ("19.1").  For a number of reasons -- not the least of which being the incredible environment at Arena Ready every year around this time -- it’s going to be an awesome ride these next five weeks.  As we've covered previously we will be doing the Open workouts as rolling heats during our Saturday classes over the next five weekends (just as we have done in previous years), so the energetic "Open Saturdays at Arena Ready" will be in full swing during this next month. 

In previous years, we’ve shared stories of AR members and coaches (and athletes from other affiliate gyms) and their reasons why they’re doing The Open… and why exactly they want to take part in the largest global competition of fitness.  I thought I'd share my thoughts once again this year as we approach the 19.1 announcement. 

I'm doing The Open for many reasons.  

First of all I'm doing The Open because I believe in measuring things.  What gets measured gets done.  What doesn't get measured becomes anecdotal speculation - "I could have...", "I would have...", "I was this..." or "I was that..." blah blah blah.  In those cases you'll never really know.  It's kind of like Uncle Rico saying he could throw that football over those there mountains, and if only coach would have put him in they woulda' won state.  I don't want to BS myself, I want to know.  I want to see where I am at this point in time, what I'm able to accomplish, and what I still need to work on moving forward - I want real numbers, not talk.  I understand that my scores don't define me as a person, they are simply data points which tell me how I'm doing right now - relative to others in the fitness world, relative to my friends at the gym, relative to my buddies in the broader CrossFit community, and most importantly relative to myself.  Am I fitter than I was last year, three years ago, five years ago?  Can I point to things/events/developments in my life that have influenced my training and fitness in positive or not so positive ways?  Can I rationalize that major life events had an impact on my fitness, and am I ok with that - or do I want to change the course of things moving forward?  Some years have been better than others for me, and I would say that the last few have been some of the most challenging (read: I laid a few eggs during the last several years in The Open).  But every year I play anyway, because I want to look at that board and see what I'm capable of... even if I think my best is still ahead of (or behind) me.  Sitting on the sidelines isn't my style, even if I can't be the star.    

This year will be very different for me than any other year -- I'm 14 months post hip surgery, 13 months in on an exciting new career challenge that has enriched my mental focus, and Sarah and I obviously have the little one who was born just after the 2018 Open wrapped up.  So while last year I was severely limited by what I literally COULD NOT do (i.e. was not actually allowed to), I'm motivated this year to find out what it is I CAN do in light of what life has thrown at me (and blessed me with) since the close of last season… i.e. I’m healthy and cleared to do almost everything, but my training and fitness have certainly not been a top priority.   

This will be my NINTH consecutive Open (I've participated in them all), and before my first one I even participated in the Sectional qualifier competition which, at the time, was the feed-in for the Regional level.  I was fortunate enough to compete on a Regional Affiliate Team twice, even though I look back now and think I still had no idea what I was doing in many ways.  Thanks to The Open and Sectionals, and the workouts/events they challenged me with, I can tell you what my fitness looked like every year for the last ten years - I know what I could do well and what crushed me.  I remember movements seeming impossible that now seem routine, and alternatively I remember certain workout combinations being great for me that perhaps today, for whatever reason, are harder than they should be.  It's safe to say that I'm more skilled in movements now than I ever was, that I move better across the board, that I understand strategy and pacing and training better than I did, but that my engine (my ability to "go" or to hit that 2nd or 3rd gear) and strength levels have seen peaks and valleys over the years.  And I'm OK with that.  I'm not a CrossFit Games athlete, far from it.  I'm not even anywhere near the universe of what would have been a Regional-level athlete anymore.  Some days I entertain the idea of competing as a Masters athlete, and I used to think I had a little time since the Masters divisions started at 40 until they changed the Masters starting age to 35 in 2017.  THANKS A LOT CROSSFIT… WHERE WAS THAT SIX YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS KILLING IT AT 35???!!!  Kidding, I wasn't actually killing it.  But it’s fun to sometimes think I was.  

If I ever want to be serious about being a competitive Masters athlete I'll need to get the ol' hip strong once again and then step-up my training big time.  But for right now I'm cool with my athletic competition career taking back seat to my family, my career, and honing my coaching craft.  As my ability to teach and understand fitness has improved immensely, my ability to compete (or even just hang) with the big boys in CrossFit has declined proportionally (haha).  But hey, I'm 41 years old and can still sniff a 6-minute mile, deadlift 2.5x my bodyweight, and play for days (assuming the activity or sport is not in the water) -- I'm the fittest one by far in my circle of friends I grew up with (you know, normal people... non-CrossFitters).  And even though I'm no longer the wannabe firebreather I once was, I want to celebrate what I know I'm still capable of, be thankful for it, and continue to make small, incremental gains for as long as I can... even as life sometimes makes that difficult.  

I'm doing the Open because I love the sound of my wife's voice when she tells me, "good job, babe" as I'm lying on the floor in exhaustion after giving everything I had (even if this year it's not that much).  I can hear the sincerity in her tone.  She's the elite CrossFitter, not me, but she knows that regardless of level, or how fit I am versus how fit I once was, that this stuff is hard as hell... and she appreciates that I still do it so that I can be a better version of me.  A better husband.  A better father.  Sarah and Avery are my reason, not my excuse.

I'm doing the Open because Arena Ready is my home, and it's also home to a lot of people I deeply care about.  Just as I can hear the proud tone in my wife's voice when she's telling me I did great, I can also hear the supportive cheers and screaming of my friends who understand the pain of being uncomfortable -- and who understand the growth and change that comes with putting yourself in that situation over and over again.  Without challenge there is no change.  This is my my crew -- I've been to their weddings (and once was even honored to officiate); I've traveled near and far with them to compete, cheer, coach, and support; I've spent years with them, learning and understanding, trying to make us all better.  These are the people I would call if ever I needed real help in life -- and no doubt they would be there for me.  This is my family.  No fucking way I would ever miss this experience with them.  I want them to hear my proud voice too, because I know the challenge they are undertaking.  Being comfortable with uncomfortable is a noble pursuit, and I stand in their corner. 

I'm doing the Open because I like to talk shit to my friends, and I like it when they return the favor.  I used to flirt with the idea that JUST MAYBE every single workout would have muscle-ups and/or handstand push-ups and thus I'd somehow finish ahead of Big Tony for once when all is said and done (ain't gonna happen).  And even though Grant has long since moved and recently added child #2 to his family -- and (much like Grant) Walker has continued to stay fitter than I would sometimes like even during fatherhood -- I still have plenty of friends at Arena Ready to chase.  My current state of fitness also puts me in a fun situation where I'll be trying to essentially chase everyone who's entered, and that should be interesting as I attempt to strategize my way through the workouts in a fashion that maximizes my score but also keeps me safe.  We have a long list of men and women who work their asses off and (even when I'm training regularly) can school me in any given workout on any given day, and it’s their dedication to bettering themselves that pushes me harder, and makes we want to cheer for them to blow me out of the water.  I could go on and on about the folks at AR that push me, and how much I enjoy jabbing at them in good fun, but this post is already too long and I don't want to start naming the dozens of people who should be mentioned. 

Finally, I'm doing the Open because I was taught that NO MATTER WHAT YOU KEEP SHOWING UP, especially when it comes to something you love.  So even though my fitness may not be where I want it to be -- and even though there is a laundry list of things I still want to be better at -- I'm ready to participate and do my best.  I can't wait to cheer, and coach, and high five, and I feel blessed to able to experience it all in our own gym.  I'm ready to try hard, not take myself too seriously, and be happy for my friends that smoke me (after I insult their shitty taste in shoes or ugly workout face, of course).  I could get wrapped up in the "stress" of The Open that people sometimes create for themselves, but I've never really been that type of competitor.  This is my Open, and my fitness, and my journey.  And really, the journey is all there is.

Bring it on, 19.1.

WOD For 02-19-19:

For Time:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Power Clean & Jerks @ 155/105 lbs

***Complete 1 Round of “Cindy” after each set of Clean & jerks (for a total of 10 rounds of Cindy)

(Compare to 02-20-18, 02-21-17, 02-06-16 @ 135/95 lbs, 11-29-14 Gladiators, 06-10-13, 01-24-13, 10-11-12)

Last call for our gym Lost & Found — please be sure to check and see if any of your loot is in there before we donate the rest.

Also, a reminder about our Presidents Day holiday class schedule on Monday:

The 6:00am and 7:00pm CrossFit classes are cancelled.

A special 1:00pm CrossFit class has been added!!!

You never really know what the Open will bring each week, and now that Open 19.1 is just around the corner (the WOD will be announced on Thursday evening, and we’ll be doing it as a gym on Saturday morning) we front-load the early part of the week with some “meat and potatoes” — AKA strength maintenance/endurance work and short-medium domain intensity. We uphold that basic concept every year at this time and it has served us well…

Enjoy!

WOD For 02-18-19:

Back Squat:

15 Minutes to Build to a Heavy Set of 8, Then…

5 Minutes For 2 “Drop” (or ‘Down”) Sets @ 85% and 80% of Your Heavy Set

-then-

For Time:

42-30-18

Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft

21-15-9

Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

If you’re an Rx athlete then these wall balls should probably be unbroken. Don’t get too cute with your sets and gaming of the reps. Just sayin.

First of all, is this day written as a possessive? Does it belong to said presidents and thus should be written with an apostrophe? Or is it an adjective and therefore not in need of the possessive form? Someone help me out because I’m too lazy to use the Google machine and I’ve seen it written in both forms multiple times.

OK, now that we have that out of the way please note our holiday schedule for Monday, February 18th:

6:00am CrossFit cancelled

7:00pm CrossFit cancelled

***If the 12:00pm CrossFit class registration is is full by Sunday evening at 5:00pm we will add a 1:00pm CrossFit class as well (i.e. if you want another mid-day holiday class then please sign-up sooner rather than later)

Here’s the FINAL TEAM/PARTNER WOD BEFORE THE OPEN (aka the last one for the next month and a half)!

WOD For 02-16-19:

With a Partner, 5 Rounds For Time:

500m Row

30 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls @ 95/65 lbs

30 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

30 Overhead Squats

Only one athlete working at a time, switch whenever you like (reps do not have to be split evenly).

Sure, if you like burpees (and jerks!).

Happy Friday, everyone.

WOD For 02-15-19:

Push Jerk:

5-4-3-2-1-1-1

No rack, cleaned from the ground. Climb as your technique allows.

-then-

For Time:

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Push Jerks @ 115/80 lbs

Lateral Bar Burpees

Another reminder to please check the gym’s Lost & Found over the next several days before we donate the contents on Monday, Feb 18th.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you (several times) when you walk in next week and see Molly or Kate doing burpees in your favorite sweatshirt. Yes, that’s happened.

WOD For 02-14-19:

5 Cycles of 2:30 Work / 2:30 Rest:

15 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

15 Dumbbell Box Step-Overs @ 35/20 lbs (each hand) & 24/20 in

50 Double Unders

Goal is to complete all 50 double unders (DUs) every cycle within the 2:30 window, and your score is total DUs completed (best possible score = 250).

If you are cut-off on the DUs score that cycle by the number of DU reps completed.

If you are cut-off on the DB box step-overs then you picked the wrong scaling for the step-overs or the pull-ups OR both (not even close, in fact, so adjust on the next cycle!).