…or as we must call him now, “Doctor Coach Steven, PhD.”

If you weren’t able to attend Steven’s PhD exit talk on Monday and want to watch the archived video you can check it out by clicking here — given how nerdy (and I mean that as a compliment) and awesome this group is I’d imagine many of you would find it just as cool as we did.

He does an amazing job explaining something extraordinarily complex in an approachable, interesting, and entertaining way. And his sense of humor shines through just as it does every day at Arena Ready (the AR community even got a super rad shout out in his presentation which made more than a few of us teary eyed).

Bravo, Steven, and congratulations on your incredible achievements! We are all lucky to know you, to train alongside you, and to be coached by you.

WOD For 06-05-19:

Alternating EMOM For 6 Rounds (12 Minutes):

1) Power Clean + Front Squat + Squat Clean + Jerk

2) 3 to 6 Reps of Toes-to-Bar Progression:

-Kip Swings

-Knees Above Hips

-Knees to Elbows

-Feet Above Hips

-Feet Above Chest

-Toes-to-Bar

*Barbell complex climbs ONLY as technique allows

**For the Toes-to-Bar Progression start at the first movement and progress to the next movement in the following round OR stay at the movement you can safely perform & repeat that for multiple rounds

-then-

5 Rounds For Time:

5 Power Cleans @ 155/110 lbs

10 Toes-to-Bar

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. If you don’t normally hookgip your cleans you’re going to wish that you started a long time ago.

Long long ago, as an aspiring hammer thrower at Stanford, I was fortunate to be coached by a very wise man. Time and again, I’d go to him complaining that my progress wasn’t fast enough, or that I was afraid someone was going to beat me at Nationals, or in general that I just wasn’t good enough yet.

Time and again, his patient response boiled down to: are you doing your footwork?

Now, things that are fun and exciting when you’re training to throw the hammer:

1. Throwing the hammer

2. Throwing light or heavy hammers

3. Throwing anything that’s sort of like a hammer

4. Weight lifting

5. Circuit training

6. Running sprints

Things that are not exciting when you’re throwing the hammer:

1. Turning left (i.e. footwork) over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

Yet, not unlike the air squat in CrossFit, the footwork forms the basis of everything else in the throw. Just like tiny flaws in the air squat magnify themselves as an athlete tries to add weight in back squats and snatches, flaws in the footwork take centimeters or even meters off of the throw itself.

When I think about virtuosity, which Coach Glassman defines as doing the common uncommonly well, I think back to those days next to the hammer ring. I think back to learning to turn left, to feeling the weight of my body through my feet, to paying attention to my posture for every degree of that 360 degree rotation, to trying to repeat exactly the same thing in each successive rotation, even though I was getting dizzy, and even as I added speed.

I have to admit, I didn't fully appreciate those basics at the time. Now, as a CrossFitter, a weightlifter, and even more so as a coach, I’m so grateful for that lesson because with the benefit of hindsight and a little more patience I understand that ultimately our success with heavy weights and high skill movements really does often boil down to how much effort we put into maintaining stability through the last centimeter of our range of motion, through truly KNOWING whether our ribs and hips are staying aligned throughout the movement, and through doing what’s needed to establish full functional range of motion in each of our joints. Meeting movement standards like passing below parallel, or achieving full lockout is of course one part making the rep “count” but the remaining parts are about striving to take responsibility for your body, and ultimately your success.

No particular inspiration for jumping on my soap box, but I do think it always bears a mention: how you do one thing is how you do everything. Get the basics right, and lay a solid foundation for success now and in the future.

WOD for 6-4-2019:

Three Rounds for Time:
Row 250m
16 KB Swings @ 70/53 lbs.
8 Burpee Box Jump @ 24/20 in.

A huge thank you to Laika, Annie, Gen and the other AR Mamas who put together an epic family day on Sunday. Complete with bouncy house and legit park permit, the day was super fun for the kiddos (and the adults too!) This should definitely become an annual tradition!

WOD for 06-03-2019:

Back Squat
4-4-4-4 ACROSS

Warm up to your working weight and try to complete four sets of four at that weight, without allowing technique to break down, of course.

THEN

AMRAP 16 Minutes:
4 Back Squat @ Bodyweight
8 Push-Ups
16 UNBROKEN Double Unders

To complete this workout as prescribed, if you miss during your set of double unders, stop, reset, and start your double under set back at zero.

A reminder & re-post from earlier this week…

A shout out to the fun mamas of AR who have scheduled a family day complete with bouncy house for Sunday morning, June 2 starting at 10am. Please message us or check the Facebook group to RSVP and for details about where and precisely when.

While the focus will be on the little ones, all are welcome, and rumor has it that adults are also welcome in the bouncy house as long as they don’t jump on any kids.

To make it a real party, please consider bringing drinks or snacks to share. If anyone knows how to make balloon animals I’m sure that would also be a big hit!

WOD For 06-01-19:

In Teams of THREE Athletes AMRAP 27 Minutes:

10/8 Calorie Row

8 Single Dumbbell Hang Clean to Overhead @ 50/35 lbs (4 R / 4 L)

6 Toes-to-Bar

*Complete ONE FULL ROUND then switch to the next athlete.

*During your “rest” period you MUST complete 8 burpee box jumps @ 24/20 in (facing the box) before you can go again.

Happy Friday, friends!

WOD For 05-31-19:

Alternating EMOM For 6 Rounds (12 Minutes):

1) 3 Power Cleans*

2) 3 to 6 Reps of the Bar Progression**:

-Scap Pull-ups

-Kips/Beat Swings

-Chin Over Bar Pull-ups (gymnastics kip, not butterfly)

-Chest to Bar Pull-ups (gymnastics kip, not butterfly)

-Belly near Bar Pull-ups (gymnastics kip, not butterfly)

-Bar Muscle-ups

*Power Cleans climb ONLY as technique allows

**For the Bar Progression start at the first movement and progress to the next movement in the following round OR stay at the movement you can safely perform & repeat that for multiple rounds

-then-

For Time:

12-9-6 of

Power Cleans @ 185/135 lbs

Bar Muscle-ups

If you’re a CrossFit Games fan, and you’ve been trying your best to navigate the new Games Season and Games qualifying process, then you may have read or heard a little bit about Hunter McIntyre. Hunter, who is NOT a competitive CrossFit athlete, does have an impressive record of athletic achievements:

• six-time Obstacle Course Racing World Champion

• four-time Obstacle Course Racing National Champion

• three-year Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Ranch Champion

• two-time Tough Mudder X Champion

But it’s Hunter’s claims (which he has often made boldly and in confident, boisterous fashion) that he can hang with the big guns in the world of competitive CrossFit that have brought much attention to this multi-disciplinary sport athlete. Here he is recently in an interview with Morning Chalk Up discussing why he deserves the newly minted “wild card” entry into the CrossFit Games:

Well, he officially got the nod this week and accepted the at-large wildcard bid to compete later this summer in Madison against the fittest in the world.

Many past and present CrossFit Games athletes have engaged in trash talking exchanges with Hunter (including some VERY heated words with perennial podium favorite, Brent Fikowski), but others in the CrossFit community have also welcomed him and offered to train with him to help develop some of the more technical aspects of the sport of competitive fitness.

What are your thoughts on this “wild card villain of CrossFit” — yay or nay? Are you Team Hunter or do you hope to see him fall on his face on the big stage? One thing is for sure, it makes for some interesting debate — and a lot of us will have our eyes on Hunter in a couple of months when the lights come on and the Games go down….

I don’t think anyone feels he has a chance to unseat the undisputed king of CrossFit, Mat Fraser, but the question is can Hunter make an impact in a field of athletes who train specifically for competitive CrossFit at the highest level?

WOD For 05-30-19:

3 Rounds For Quality (Not For Time):

10 Handstand Shoulder Taps (alternate)

10 Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Squats @ pick load (5 R / 5 L)

100m Single Arm Dumbbell or Kettlebell Farmer Carry @ pick load

-then-

A) With a Partner, MAX CALORIES in 6 Minutes:

Partner 1: 20 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 109 ft

Partner 2: MAX CALORIES Row, Ski, or Assault Bike

Partner 1 performs 20 wall balls while Partner 2 performs MAX CALS row/ski/bike.

Switch after Partner 1 completes 20 wall balls.

Continue switching in this fashion until 6 minutes expires.

Score = total # of calories completed by the team.

B) REST 4 Minutes

C) With a Partner, MAX CALORIES in 6 Minutes:

Partner 1: 36 Double Unders

Partner 2: MAX CALORIES Row, Ski, or Assault Bike

Partner 1 performs 36 double unders while Partner 2 performs MAX CALS row/ski/bike.

Switch after Partner 1 completes 36 double unders.

Continue switching in this fashion until 6 minutes expires.

Score = total # of calories completed by the team.

*** This is a FAST back-and-forth if your team is good at double unders, which means TRANSITIONS MATTER!

A shout out to the fun mamas of AR who have scheduled a family day complete with bouncy house for Sunday morning, June 2 starting at 10am. Please message us or check the Facebook group to RSVP and for details about where and precisely when.

While the focus will be on the little ones, all are welcome, and rumor has it that adults are also welcome in the bouncy house as long as they don’t jump on any kids.

To make it a real party, please consider bringing drinks or snacks to share. If anyone knows how to make balloon animals I’m sure that would also be a big hit!

WOD for 05-28-19:

Every Two Minutes for Six Rounds:

2 Hang Power Snatch + 1 OHS + 1 Hang Squat Snatch
Climbing, as technique allows

-- then --

3 Rounds for Time:
Row 250m
20 OH Walking Lunge w/ Plate @ 45/35 lbs
15 Box Jumps @ 24/20”
10 Plate Burpee @ 45/35 lbs

How’s that for the exact opposite of Monday’s “Murph” met-con?

WOD For 05-28-19:

On a Running Clock…

A) From 0:00 - 18:00

Deadlift:

15-10-5-3-3-3 

*Recommend starting at roughly 40% of current 1RM, and working up to 80% or more if technique allows.

B) From 18:00 - 20:00

Deadlift:

Max poundage in 2 minutes (you pick the weight)

*Score = reps x weight

***NOTE: We’ve added an additional class (8:45am) to the Memorial Day holiday schedule. Please reserve a spot in a class if you plan on coming in on Monday, make sure to cancel ASAP if you know you can’t make it (a few minutes beforehand doesn’t help), and don’t double-book yourself for multiple classes.

As we posted about last week, we'll be doing "Murph" as tradition on Memorial Day, and we wanted to take a moment (and a WOD) to remember the meaning of Memorial Day.  I saw this posted on Instagram several years ago just prior to Memorial Day (thank you @wolfgang2242) and really liked it: 

This [day] is for remembering and loving those that have gone before us.  It's also a great time to think of those that are with us now.  These moments can be fleeting, it all changes, sometimes sooner than we would like.  Enjoy those you are with, whether there are many or few.  Cherish what is right now.  It's the best way to love. 

Thank you to all who have served our country, and to those who are serving right now.  

Monday's WOD is a Memorial Day tradition (and in some years, for us at Arena Ready, a day-after Memorial Day tradition) for CrossFitters and CrossFit affiliates around the country, and around the world.  Here's the brief background on who "Murph" is, and how the workout was conceived.

"Murph" is in memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.

This workout was one of Mike's favorites and he'd named it "Body Armor". From here on it will be referred to as "Murph" in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.

- CrossFit.com (July 18, 2005)

And for those who have never done the workout at Arena Ready previously - don't worry, there will be scaling outlined and encouraged for those who are in a not currently in a position to perform this workout as prescribed, and there will be a time cap strictly enforced.  

As a reminder, push-ups only count when your chest actually touches the floor (intent does not equal achievement) - but on the flip-side, today is not the day to try and correct every single fault if you have less-than-ideal push-up ROM (i.e. don't strain on the eccentric portion of the movement). 

And no, you shouldn't wear a weight vest if you've never done this workout Rx as written without a vest in under 40 minutes - it's not honorable to do so, it's just plain dumb.

WOD FOR 05-30-19:

"Murph"

For Time:

1 Mile Run

100 Pull-ups

200 Push-ups

300 Air Squats

1 Mile Run

Our recommendation is to partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats as 20 rounds of "Cindy" (5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 air squats repeated 20 times).  If your PR is under 40 minutes, and you've been training consistently (4+ times per week) at the Rx/Black level, then wear a weight vest ("body armor") if you have one and so desire - but the same time cap will apply to you as it does to the rest of the group.

(Compare to 05-28-18, 05-30-17, 05-30-16, 05-26-15 and 05-27-13)

(Workout courtesy of CrossFit.com)

Memorial Day Monday "Murph"

As per worldwide CrossFit tradition we'll be doing the hero WOD "Murph"on Memorial Day Monday, May 27th at 10:00am and 11:15am.  Please sign-up in advance, and cancel ASAP if you know you cannot make it so someone else can take your spot (and we also ask that you do not double-book yourself in both classes).

Happy weekend, friends!

WOD FOR 05-25-19:

On a Running Clock in Teams of THREE Athletes…

A) From 0:00 - 15:00

AMRAP 15 Minutes:

7 Ground-to-Overhead @ 115/80 lbs

7 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in (facing the box NOT required)

*One athlete working at a time to complete one FULL ROUND then switch.

*Can your team keep its foot on the pedal and get 15+ rounds?

B) From 17:00 - 33:00

Back Squat:

15 Minutes For The Team to Establish a Top Set of 6, 4, and 2 Reps (each by a different athlete)

*For Example:

Hillary squats 255 x 2

Liz squats 225 x 4

Rob squats 205 x 6

The team’s score is 255 + 225 + 205 = 685 lbs

*Use the same barbell & rack, and load/unload the weights according to the team’s strategic plan for who is responsible for which rep set (and to account for warm-up sets)

It’s so weird not to be headed down to the CrossFit Games Regionals this weekend, just as we had every Memorial Day weekend for the last decade — usually with a very spirited (AKA impressively loud) group of 3 or 4 dozen screaming AR fans in tow.

In the 10 years of regional competition Arena Ready had at least one athlete and/or coach competing for 9 of those years — the only exception being 2018 when most of our longtime competitors were doing things like having babies, completing their medical residency, or moving across the country. And since the Regional is now a thing of the Games Season’s past we’ll never again be able to experience the amazing 3 days of some of the most intense and inspiring performances on the big stage.

Here’s a salute to the past via four of our most decorated competitors.

Coach Liz in 2014

Coach Liz in 2013

Cassie in 2017

Cassie in 2017

Coach Amy in 2013

Coach Sarah in 2016

Coach Sarah in 2017

WOD For 05-24-19:

4 Rounds For Time:

27/21 Calorie Row, Ski, or Assault Bike

21 Single Dumbbell Hang Power Cleans to Overhead @ 50/35 lbs

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

9 Toes-to-Bar

Switch hands on the DB whenever you like, but don’t do too many reps on just one side or you’ll kill your weak side gainz, homie.

… then this WOD would be a classic American meal — traditional, familiar, a little heavy, and might leave you with some mild heartburn.

Bon appetit!

WOD For 05-23-19:

On a Running Clock…

A) 0:00 - 6:00

1000m Run

You pick the pace (as long as it’s faster than 6 minutes LOL)

B) 6:00 - 15:00

Deadlift:

9 Minutes to Build to Your Working Weight For Part C (or slightly overload)

C) 15:00 - 25:00

For Time (10 Minute Cap):

21-15-9

Deadlifts @ 275/195 lbs

Box Jumps @ 30/24 in

D) 27:00 - 33:00

Weighted Plank Hold:

3 x 0:45 (Rest 1:15 Between Efforts)