As we transition into a new decade, Rob and I have been doing the same reflecting that everyone else around the world seems to have been doing - thinking back about how we’ve changed in the past 10 years, all that we accomplished, all we failed to accomplish, and how we plan to take the lessons we’ve learned with us into the next decade.

As you can probably imagine, Arena Ready has defined the past decade for us. It’s been an honor to be part of so many firsts, to see you come in as newcomers a little intimidated, but hopeful, and watch you transform into confident athletes who know your way around the gym, know your limits, and know how to face both strength and weakness with wisdom and grace. You’ve humbled us, inspired us, tested us, and made us so much stronger. In the immortal words of Wicked:

“I've heard it said 

That people come into our lives for a reason

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow 

If we let them

And we help them in return

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you.”

Going into 2020, we still love CrossFit, and Arena Ready in particular. Our commitment to the pursuit of excellence, and to helping people to live happier, healthier lives hasn’t revealed a better methodology or mindset for helping people to achieve their best selves, both in and out of the gym. We’ve also cemented our philosophy that priorities must be prioritized, and there are certainly seasons for prioritizing fitness and seasons for just getting by a little healthier than you would have been otherwise. No matter the season, it’s so important to be intentional about your choices, recognize the inherent trade offs, and accept that it’s actually not possible to be in more than one place at a time. There is honor in striving for presence, and doing the best you can with the task in front of you, even though sometimes that means you’re missing out on something else you also value. That said, if you aren’t able to prioritize the things that are important to you, sometimes you have to consider reorganizing your life to make space for the thing you’re missing out on, whether that be professional development, health, community, family, or anything else you value.

Closing out this decade and heading into 2020 we’ve finally fully accepted that we need to make more space for things besides Arena Ready in our lives, and in order to do that we have to step back and give others the opportunity to carry the AR torch forward. We will always love Arena Ready, but to get cliche for a second, sometimes even if you love it you have to let it go. And, in the space we will leave open, we believe we finally have the perfect team in place. You already know and love our committed and wonderful staff of experienced coaches, plus you’ve likely met our wonderful recent addition Coach Alex, we’ve already announced Coach Katoa’s transition into the GM position, and as the final piece to the puzzle we’re excited to announce that Tony F has joined us as an Owner (adding a U.S. location to his gym portfolio already including three successful CrossFit gyms in Taiwan). We couldn’t be more grateful to or excited about the group leading us into the next decade.

We will continue to be owners, and we’ll still be around in person coaching and working out for awhile, although in the spirit of full disclosure we are planning a big move later this year (if you’d like more details you’re welcome to reach out to us). Even as we change our physical location, we plan to continue working closely together with the team on the ground to ensure the AR core values stay the same. The new team's goal is to make the AR experience even better, and we have faith that they’ll be successful. But, since we personally are nearing the end of this era, we wanted to take the opportunity to tell you how much we love you before the moment passes.

We’ve said it so many times throughout the years, but only because it’s true: thank you for giving us the honor of being part of your fitness journey. Thank you for trusting us, for believing in us, and for giving us the opportunity to follow this dream. You will always be part of our hearts, and again, back to Wicked:

“It well may be

That we will never meet again

In this lifetime [ok, maybe that’s a little dramatic…]

So let me say before we part

So much of me

Is made of what I learned from you

You'll be with me

Like a handprint on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have re-written mine

By being my friend…

Because I knew you, I have been changed for good ❤️💙”

WOD For 01-04-20:

With a Partner For Time:

100 Calorie Row (FM Pairs = 90 Cal / FF Pairs = 80 Cal)

50 Power Snatches @ 135/95 lbs

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

50 Power Snatches @ 135/95 lbs

100 Calorie Row (FM Pairs = 90 Cal / FF Pairs = 80 Cal)

One person working at a time, switch whenever you like.

On-Boarding for Newcomers: Saturday, Jan 11th

Our next free "Introduction to CrossFit" on-boarding class for newcomers is on Saturday (Jan 11th) at 12:00pm so if anyone you know has been wanting to join as a newcomer make sure to spread the word!

For more details on how & why we on-board newcomers in small groups at carefully chosen intervals throughout the year click here to read a previous On-Boarding" post which details a bit of the background on our philosophy.  To lazy to read it?  OK then, here's the basic scoop: we do what we do to maintain quality, an ideal coach-to-athlete ratio in every class, and a caring community composed of like-minded people who consider fitness a sustainable, long-term lifestyle.  

So tell your friends and family to sign-up and get started at Arena Ready (click here for more details and to reserve an On-Boarding spot… the class is already filling up!).

AR Holiday Party: Saturday, Jan 4th

OK friends, the 8th Annual Arena Ready Holiday Party is nearly here (click the link to RSVP on the event page)! We plan on getting started around 5:00pm, hopefully allowing those who have other obligations later that evening to still be able to attend.  We'll probably wind things down around 8:00pm.  Due to the popularity of the party over the years we expect that the space may get fairly full at times so please leave the furry friends at home.

Potluck: Paleo or Not!

Back by popular demand we will continue the tradition of making the party a potluck-style shindig, so feel free to bring a dish/treat/drinks to share if you like.  Healthy options are of course appreciated but by no means required, and for small fee I’m available for text message reservations of perennial favorites that go fast (e.g. Mini Rex Spam Musubi, K&K Asian Chicken Salad, Ribs De Paris, literally anything Chef Bob makes, Double Barrel Darrell Dungeness Glass Noodles, Team #RiceCracker Tater Tot Casserole, etc, etc, etc… there are far too many to list).

Bring The Fam!

Our holiday parties, like many of our events, are generally family friendly - so bring your loved ones (including little ones) if so desired. I hear that the coaching team once again has some hilarious trivia planned (and rumor has it that Coach Hillary has even created an Excel sheet with pivot tables and algorithms to organize said trivia).

Due to several close calls over the years, which nearly gave my wife a heart attack on a couple of occasions, we’re likely keeping the infamous “Bottle Game” retired from AR Holiday Party service. To pay our respects to many years of near misses, broken belts, ripped pants, belly flops, and out-of-context inappropriate snapshots here’s a short tribute - RIP BOTTLE GAME…

SOUND ON to hear the crowd since most of them are behind the camera (smart, LOL)

WOD For 01-03-20:

7 Cycles of 2:00 Work / 2:00 Rest For MAX CALORIES Rowed:

7 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

8 Deadlifts @ 245/165 lbs

9 Lateral Bar Burpees

MAX CALORIE Row

Your score is the total number of calories rowed.

REMINDER TO RSVP TO THIS SATURDAY’S HOLIDAY PARTY (click for details)!

Our annual Arena Ready “Healthy Habits Challenge” starts on January 6th — so for those of you who have been wanting to continue the tradition of building better habits in the new year, don’t fret. For those unfamiliar with the challenge we will post some information here prior to the start of the effort — and yes, this start date is intentionally after our holiday party, eliminating the need to have to peel off pre-awarded stickers during the party itself.

We hope everyone had a happy and safe New Year’s celebration!

WOD For 01-02-20:

With a Partner On a Running Clock…

A) From 0:00 - 17:00

For Time (With a 17 Minute Cap):

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

Hang Squat Clean @ 135/95 lbs

Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

*One athlete working at a time

*Athlete A completes one FULL round then Athlete B completes one FULL round

*For Example:

Athlete A completes 10 and 10

Athlete B completes 10 and 10

Athlete A completes 9 and 9

Athlete B completes 9 and 9

Etc…

B) From 20:00 - 30:00

Strict Press:

5-5-3-3-1-1-1

*If possible, add to your top set from 12-16-19

*Does the met-con beforehand help you add to your previous loading or hinder that pursuit?

An Arena Ready Holiday Tradition - "The Chief"...

***A TUESDAY 1:00PM CLASS HAS BEEN ADDED to the holiday schedule (thanks, Coach Katoa!)***

One of the coolest parts about CrossFit is that its workouts, and your personal results, are measurable, observable, and repeatable.  So once you've performed a WOD more than once you're able to look back and see how much better (i.e. fitter) you've become - either you went faster, used more weight, or achieved more rounds/reps.  It's not an anecdotal measure of your fitness level (e.g. "I think my pants look sexier on me this month" or "I'm pretty sure my abs look better now in the right light"), but actual data that supports your increased work capacity.  And sometimes, in the midst of all that nerdy exercise data, you weave a little story around certain WODs that just hold a special place in your heart.   

If you've been a member at Arena Ready for a while you knew it was coming... "The Chief."  We do this WOD every year at this time because it's one of my favorite workouts of all time, and since Jan 1st is my birthday it has become somewhat of a "Rob's birthday tradition" at AR.  We also ran this WOD on my (and Sarah's) wedding day in 2013, and a few other times over the last 8 years (we're good for it once or twice a year, haha).

The WOD itself is a spicy one - it has pulling, pushing, and squatting all included... and the rep scheme and work/rest ratio allow you to keep moving at a pretty fast pace for a fairly long (by CrossFit standards) period of time. 

The first time I did this WOD about 10 years ago I remember getting 16 total rounds, laying out on the floor in exhaustion after the final cycle, and thinking there was no way I could ever move any faster.  About thirty minutes later I watched Big Tony Miranda casually get 32 rounds (exactly double my score) and I thought surely he wasn't human.  Since then I think I've done the workout at least a dozen more times, and my goal for the WOD has evolved over the years.  Initially the gold standard of 20 rounds was what I wanted... after I hit that I aimed for 25 rounds... and after I made that goal I set my sights on 30 rounds, thinking it would be awesome but would probably never happen.  In 2014 I hit 29+ rounds twice and was SO CLOSE to the seemingly impossible (for me) goal of 30, and that's when I decided it HAD to happen in my lifetime.  New Year's Eve 2015 and 2016 was also just a little short of 30 rounds for me.  

Two years ago at this time I was four weeks post-hip surgery so I wasn't able to chase the 30-round mark as we closed out 2017 — and last year I was able to give it a modest year-end 2018 effort and celebrate being able to move through the entire WOD with full range of motion. Now, 12 months later, I’m ready to give the workout a go at Rx even if I know nothing close to 30 rounds will happen — it’s a process to build back to the high twenties for me, and I’m grateful I get to do so given all that my life has included over the last couple of years. And PRs or not, it doesn’t really matter… I’m going to give it all I have and enjoy working out with some friends as we all celebrate the anticipation of a new decade.

I turn 42 on Jan 1st and I ask all of you to come in on New Year’s Eve to do the WOD I have come to love (& hate) over the years - the one WOD I continue to measure myself against above nearly all others... "The Chief." 

After "The Chief" on our wedding day in September 2013

WOD For 12-31-19:

"The Chief"

Five 3-Minute Cycles For Max Rounds:

3 Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs

6 Push-ups

9 Air Squats

Each cycle is 3 minutes or work, and there is 1 minute of rest between cycles.  We will score this continuously, keeping one running count for total rounds, because that's how I like to do it (and it's how we've always done it) and it's my birthday.  So, in the end, your score is one number of total rounds + reps completed.

(Compare to 12-31-18, 12-30-17, 12-31-16, 12-31-15, 12-31-14, 06-30-14, 12-31-13, 09-28-13, 06-18-13 and 12-31-12)

We hope you are all enjoying your holidays, whether you’re here in SF or away visiting loved ones. We want to take a moment to THANK OUR AWESOME COACHES who have been running classes during this celebratory time so that our members who remain in town can get their workouts in at convenient times… Coaches Lisa, Alex, Kim, LGB, Angela, Alyssa, Kate, and Dani have all chipped-in to cover this last week of sessions starting on Dec 23rd up until today, Dec 30th — and we’ve been able to run a pretty full schedule thanks to their efforts.

Special thanks to Coach Katoa for keeping our full Monday (Dec 30th) schedule in play, and for ADDING a 1pm class on Tuesday (Dec 31)… which means MORE CHIEF TRADITION FOR MORE AR CROSSFITTERS!

Thank you, coaches, for all that you do.

WOD For 12-30-19:

Alternating EMOM For 4 Rounds (24 Total Minutes):

Minute 1) 21 Russian Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs

Minute 2) 18/15 Calorie Row

Minute 3) 15 Single Dumbbell Shoulder-to-Overhead @ 50/35 lbs (switch sides whenever you like***)

Minute 4) 12 Toes-to-Bar

Minute 5) 50 Double Unders

Minute 6) REST 

The goal is to maintain all 21-18-15-12-50 reps across the five movements for as long as possible and/or the entire WOD.  If you fail to complete the full prescribed reps of a movement within the given minute, immediately move on to the next movement and then attempt to maintain the reduced rep count for that "failed" movement for the remainder of the workout.  

For example, if you can only complete 13 DB Shoulder-to-Overhead (S2OH) within the given minute, move on to the Toes-to-Bar and then attempt to maintain 13 PDB S2OH for the remainder of the WOD.  Your score is the lowest rep round for all five movements, with best possible score being 21-18(15)-15-12-50.

Want to dial up the intensity?  Do everything unbroken and sprint the row & dubs.

***We recommend switching so that roughly half of the DB reps are performed R then L (or vice versa)

A friendly reminder that the 8th Annual Arena Ready Holiday Party is just one week away — Saturday, Jan 4th (click that last link to RSVP on the event page)! We plan on getting started around 5:00pm, hopefully allowing those who have other obligations later that evening to still be able to attend.  We'll probably wind things down around 8:00pm.  Due to the popularity of the party over the years we expect that the space may get fairly full at times so please leave the furry friends at home.

Potluck: Paleo or Not!

Back by popular demand we will continue the tradition of making the party a potluck-style shindig, so feel free to bring a dish/treat/drinks to share if you like.  Healthy options are of course appreciated but by no means required, and for small fee I’m available for text message reservations of perennial favorites that go fast (e.g. Mini Rex Spam Musubi, K&K Asian Chicken Salad, Ribs De Paris, literally anything Chef Bob makes, Double Barrel Darrell Dungeness Glass Noodles, Team #RiceCracker Tater Tot Casserole, etc, etc, etc… there are far too many to list).

Bring The Fam!

Our holiday parties, like many of our events, are generally family friendly - so bring your loved ones (including little ones) if so desired. I hear that the coaching team once again has some hilarious trivia planned (and rumor has it that Coach Hillary has even created an Excel sheet with pivot tables and algorithms to organize said trivia).

Due to several close calls over the years, which nearly gave my wife a heart attack on a couple of occasions, we’re likely keeping the infamous “Bottle Game” retired from AR Holiday Party service. To pay our respects to many years of near misses, broken belts, ripped pants, belly flops, and out-of-context inappropriate snapshots I’ll post a tribute to the blog later this week… RIP BOTTLE GAME.

For those who remain in town this weekend we have a spicy and fun partner WOD on tap for Saturday — this is Coach Katoa’s spin on a classic benchmark remix, with movements adapted for a proper Sweaty Saturday stimulus. Enjoy!

WOD For 12-28-19:

With a Partner, For Total Time:

400m Run TOGETHER

2 Rounds SHARED, ONE WORKING AT A TIME:

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

25 Pull-ups

400m Run TOGETHER

2 Rounds SHARED, ONE WORKING AT A TIME:

50 Deadlifts @ 185/135 lbs

20 Handstand Push-ups

400m Run TOGETHER

2 Rounds SHARED, ONE WORKING AT A TIME:

50 Squat Cleans @ 135/95 lbs

15 Bar Muscle-ups

After Thursday’s sprint repeats, Friday is all about a steady & even pace — working that aerobic system, getting the full body moving, and simmering on a sustainable (dare we say “restorative”???) cadence of movement.

Happy Holiday Friday, friends.

WOD For 12-27-19:

With a Partner, AMRAP 20 Minutes:

Partner A

Row For Calories

Partner B

5 Double DB Renegade Rows @ 35/20 (per side)

20 Med Ball Sit-ups @ 20/14 lbs

40 Single DB Hang Snatches @ 35/20 lbs (switch every 10 reps)

20 Med Ball Sit-ups

5 Double DB Renegade Rows

Partners switch after 1 round of 5-20-40-20-5 is completed

***Score = total calories rowed (also note total rounds of the 5-20-40-20-5 sequence completed)

***1 Rep of Renegade Row = Push-up on DBs + DB Row Right + DB Row Left

They taste like burning!

WOD For 12-26-19:

SIX Cycles of 2:00 Work / 2:00 Rest For Max Reps:

350/300m Row

14 Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 in

Max Reps of Air Squats

Score = total number of air squats completed

Many holiday seasons ago at the gym one of the most popular QoDs was about identifying one’s own favorite holiday film — and Seth (one of our longest tenured members) did not disappoint when citing his favorite festive cinematic piece, Die Hard.  Yes folks, Die Hard.

Well, technically it IS a holiday movie. Sort of... 

Well played, Seth. Well played indeed:

Most of you should recognize that catchy tune from my favorite festive Pandora station (which I hope someone has been playing while I’ve been gone): "Run-D.M.C. Holiday"

Zach had possibly the most creative favorite, stating that "if the holiday season extends this far then Groundhog Day is my favorite film."

I don't actually think that Groundhog Day is considered within the traditional limits of "the holiday season" per se, so I'm going to give him a red light on this one.  Sorry, Zach.  The movie is, however, the best Harold Ramis film that's been made, so it is worth posting a little clip of the original trailer.

I can hear many of you out there collectively talking to your computer screens right now in exasperation, and it sounds something like "What the f**k?! No way... best Ramis film?! You're out of your mind, Rob."   

Yeah, that's right, I said it.  Come at me, bro:

Relax, people. I'm not saying the others aren't great as well.  They are, obvi.  Well, except for Analyze This - that one was terrible.  At least we can agree on that, right?

And since the long awaited sequel to Anchorman was released 6 holiday seasons ago, we may be sitting around a yule log ten years from now saying something like, "Oh, my favorite holiday film you ask?  Well that's easy. Anchorman 2.  Duh."

I'm thinking Ron Burgundy would be a fan of our strong women at Arena Ready.  Exhibit A:

See, I tied this all into CrossFit eventually.  Patience is a virtue. 

And finally, since Home Alone has a big soft spot in my heart at this time of year, here's the one and only, Uncle Frank McCallister, with those famous words we all know so well:

Oh, Uncle Frank.

This ends my random stream of consciousness on the topic of holiday, and not-so-holiday, films vis-à-vis CrossFit.

Happy Holidays, everyone.

WOD For 12-24-19:

“Arena Ready’s Christmas Gone Bad”

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

American Jingle Bell Swings @ 53/35 lbs

Up on The Box Tops Jump, Jump, Jump @ 24/20 in

Deck The Halls With Wall Balls of Holly @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft

How The Burpees Stole Christmas

Row Santa’s Sleigh For Calories

(Rest 1:15 Between Rounds With Oat Milk & Gluten-Free Cookies)

John Konye put together a cool "vlog" a couple years ago covering the awesome STRONG women's clean ladder at SPS Gym in Oakland.  This clean ladder included the same weight increments that were used in the 2012 CrossFit Games Women's Clean Ladder event, and they even had Elisabeth Akinwale in the house (the athlete who won that event in 2012) to run the ladder along with Coach Sarah, Coach Hillary, Cassie, and some of our other strong friends from the area.

Check it out for some good footage of Cassie, Hill, and Sarah!

WOD For 12-23-19:

Clean & Jerk Triples:

12 Minutes to Build to a Top Set

-then-

AMRAP 12 Minutes:

BUY-IN: 30 Lateral Bar Burpees

… then, in the remaining time…

5 Power Cleans @ 115/75 lbs

4 Front Squats

3 Push Presses

2 Squat Cleans

1 Push Jerk

Please note our class schedule over the next two holiday weeks — we’ll be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, but open all other days with just a few modifications:

Saturday, Dec 21 through Monday, Dec 23:

Normal Class Schedule

Tuesday, Dec 24 (Christmas Eve):

6pm and 7pm Classes Cancelled

Wednesday, Dec 25 (Christmas Day):

No Classes

Thursday, Dec 26:

6am & 7pm Class Cancelled

Friday, Dec 27:

6pm Class Cancelled

Saturday, Dec 28 & Sunday, Dec 29:

Normal Class Schedule

Monday, Dec 30:

Normal Class Schedule

Tuesday Dec 31 (New Year’s Eve):

4pm, 5pm, 6pm, 7pm Classes Cancelled

Wednesday, Jan 1 (New Year’s Day):

No Class

Wednesday, Jan 2:

Normal Class Schedule Resumes

Thanks for your attention and please let us know if you have any questions.

WOD FOR 12-21-19:

With a Partner For Time:

60 Calorie Row (FM Pairs = 55 Cal / FF Pairs = 50 Cal)

50 Hang Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs

60 Calorie Row

50 Push Jerks @ 135/95 lbs

60 Calorie Row

50 Hang Power Cleans @ 155/110 lbs

60 Calorie Row

50 Lateral Bar Burpees

Only one person working at time, switch whenever you like.

Teams are responsible for changing their own weights.

That feeling you get when there are thrusters programmed into the WOD (like on Thursday) and someone next to you says, "I actually LIKE doing thrusters!" 

WOD FOR 12-20-19:

For Time:

BUY-IN: 800m Run

… then…

21 Deadlifts @ 225/155 lbs

21 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

7 Ring Muscle-ups

15 Deadlifts

15 Box Jumps

5 Ring Muscle-ups

9 Deadlifts

9 Box Jumps

3 Ring Muscle-ups