It’s a Glute-Ham Developer, or GHD for short. The GHD is an incredibly effective core training tool. Some excercises that can be performed on a GHD are; GHD sit-ups, back extensions, hip extensions, hip-back extensions, russian twists, med-ball throw sit-ups, various isometric holds and so on and so forth.

The GHD is potent medicine and should be used sparingly when you are new to it. This guy has been known to leave people astonishingly sore for days and is also the number one cause of rhabdo in the CrossFit setting. Once you’ve been taught the use of the GHD, don’t be afraid to use it after your workout. If nothing else it will get you beach ready.

A few GHD movements…

The above graphic was developed by CrossFit founder Greg Glassman. The three components sandwiched in the middle are interchangeable based upon a person’s goals/abilities. The graphic does however portray the importance of nutrition in the development of a person’s fitness. The importance of having a solid nutritional base can never be overstated.

crap in = crap out

What you put in your body as “fuel” for these workouts can either severely hamper your efforts or give you a significant boost when it comes to energy level. Someone once said, “You wouldn’t put diesel in a jet engine, would you?” What equates to jet fuel will vary slightly from person to person, but it most certainly is not pizza and dr. pepper. When in doubt revert to the old…Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Most times, this summation of a “paleo diet” provides enough good wood for the fire.

Likewise, the speed and totality of your recovery from these workouts is also heavily dependent on what you eat. The movements and intensity in these workouts provide a very potent stimulus. The building blocks with which you repair the damage your body is incurring need to be of adequate quality and volume. Eat the good stuff and eat a bunch of it.

Oh, and please drink lots of water.

You know their faces. It’s Leah and Majid! And if you didn’t already know, they’re intern coaches and are student-teaching On Ramps, Private Sessions, and regular classes. We’re thrilled to welcome them to the staff of CrossFit Santa Rosa.

Leah Simmons-Davis holds a Level I CrossFit certification, fell in love with the engineering of the human body after getting Massage Therapy certification eight years ago, and has found for herself that quality of life is directly tied to physical function. Especially aware of how the mind, emotions, and body interact, Leah is excited to assist and encourage others in the life-long quest of becoming strong, healthy members of our communities.

Leah is a career firefighter for Cal Fire, currently working in Napa County and living in Santa Rosa.

Majid Zeinal is dedicated to helping others achieve balance in their lives through exercise, nutrition and bodywork.  Knowing the benefits of functional training from his chiropractic education and understanding of anatomy and physiology, Majid was in search of a more effective way to train for himself and his clients.  After years of trying other programs Majid found CrossFit and has never looked back.  He has a Level 1 CrossFit certification, and has seen profound improvements in his own health and the health of his clients – even people with chronic injuries – as a result of CrossFit training.  Majid also loves the team and community building aspects of CrossFit and believes that there is no better way to get motivated to get fit.

Majid is a Sebastopol resident with his wife Emily and owner of Vibrant Life Chiropractic and Family Wellness Center.  He graduated from Life Chiropractic College West where he received his Doctorate in Chiropractic and also holds a Bachelors Degree from U.C. Davis in Food Science and Nutrition.  Majid is very involved in his community as the Vice President of the Sebastopol Area Chamber of Commerce board and a member of the Sebastopol Sunrise Rotary club.  In his spare time Majid loves to go backpacking and just get lost.

Happy Anniversary to Carolyn, Eric, Josh, Tom and Kathy, TC, and Adriana, who have been training with us for one year!

CrossFit Sebastopol at West County Play Station officially opened its door for business on March 31st, 2009. Carolyn was training behind the closed roll up door before we were even open. In April, Josh and Eric, who both had prior CrossFit experience, showed up and joined on the spot when they saw our fliers at a couple local coffee shops. TC heard about us through the Santa Rosa Fire Department and jumped on board. Tom and Kathy had a CrossFitting son in New York who pushed them to join, which they did after coming to a free workout day. And Adriana, who knew me through our kids’ friendship, decided to give it a try…and loved it.

Congratulations to you all for a whole year of CrossFitting! You’re the OGs of our growing community at CrossFit Santa Rosa. Thank you for your dedication to your health, fitness, and us!

From the photo vault:

Carolyn doing some wall ball, before we had even built the pull ups bars! She showed up in sheepskin boots on her first day, because she was worried she'd be too cold. At the end of the WOD we had a good laugh about that.

If I remember correctly, Eric's first class was a snatch skill session, followed by some rowing. He was the only one there, which wasn't unusual that first month.

TC was hardcore, even from the beginning.

Josh working the hops. Another one of those one-man classes.

Kathy's come such a long way since the ring-assisted squats. Remember those Kathy?

Tom's very first day of CrossFit.

Talk about body transformations. Check out Dri in her first month. She has found her inner badass since then, and it definitely shows.

TC on one of his hunting trips.

Robb Wolf, one of the more famous purveyors and researchers of The Paleo Diet, has a podcast. Robb is also engrained in the exercise community which makes him particularly interesting to listen to, as he often relates the diet info he gives to increased athletic performance as well as all-around health. The podcasts are about an hour long and chalk full of useful knowledge laced with good humor.

Directions:

Under our Nutrition Links to your right, click on “Robb Wolf’s Blog”. Once on Robb’s blog, click on “The Paleolithic Solution” podcast link. Or just as easily, access it on iTunes, where you can even subscribe to receive each new episode.

Enjoy.

Congratulations to Suzy and Majid on their attendance and completion of the CrossFit Level 1 Certification! Nice job homies.

Find Suzy

Find Majid

Welcome to our latest On Ramp graduates: Anthony, Danny, Erin, Lauren, and Ryan. Looking forward to seeing you all in our regular classes!

This is a revised repost from our old blog.

Running shoes seem to be the default shoe for all general athletic activities. Going to get some exercise? Put on your running shoes. But as many of you have noticed, running shoes may be your poorest choice for the weightlifting we do at CrossFit. Let’s examine why.

Think of setting up for a deadlift. You bend down to grip the bar, set your back properly, and get ready to drive your heels hard into the ground to lift this heavy weight. You want the force generated by your legs to be transferred directly into the ground. If you’re wearing running shoes, however, that force is being partially stolen by the big old, squishy heel cushion. That heel cushion was made to absorb shock while running, but now it’s absorbing the energy you need to lift the weight.

Now picture yourself doing heavy jerks. Dip, drive, push yourself under the bar…and land, solid, with the weight locked out overhead. Same issue: you want that drive to be strong, you want to push off the ground and force that weight up! In this case, though, not only has the squishy heel stolen some of your power, but it’s also given you an unstable surface to land on. Instead of landing on hard ground, you land on the squish. With heavy weight over your head. Sound safe?

So what shoes do you want to wear while weightlifting? You want a shoe with a thin, non-compressible sole. And if you’re doing Oly-lifting, a wedge heel is preferred. Here are some of the options:

Weightlifting Shoes
You’ve seen these at the box, stacked in the cubbies. And you might think they’re ugly, but they do the job right. Weightlifting shoes have a non-compressible sole with a wedge heel. Keep in mind that weightlifting shoes can not be used for running, and aren’t so great for high rep box jumps and some other CrossFit exercises. (You’ve probably noticed that those of us with weightlifting shoes put them on and take them off depending on the workout.) If you want an all-purpose shoe for your time at the box, this isn’t it. But if you’re getting into Olympic lifting – lovin’ the Clean and Jerks and Snatches- or you have poor ankle flexibility or a hard time getting deep in your squat without rolling forward, consider investing in a pair of weightlifting shoes, as they will improve your performance. Check out the Do Wins available from Muscle Driver, which is offering some great deals or Rogue, two styles from VS Athletics- this one and this one, or the Adistar or Ironwork made by Adidas. They all do the job.

Men’s Dress Shoes
If you’ve got a pair at home, feel free to bring them to the box and try them out when we’re squatting, cleaning, and snatching. They’ve got a hard sole and a wedge heel – just what you need.

For an all purpose CrossFitting shoe, here are some options:

Low Profile Sneakers
“Low profile” simply means that there’s no big squishy heel, but rather a thin, even sole. Plenty of running shoe companies now make a low profile model, including Saucony, Adidas, Puma, and New Balance, calling them their “classic,” “original,” or “retro” lines, as the shoes are modeled after old school racing shoes from the 70s and 80s. Several people in our ranks wear the Nike Frees or something similar. There’s no one right shoe here; you’re just looking for something with a thin, even sole for a stable surface to land and push off from.

Converse All Stars, aka Chuck Taylors
These are a favorite of CrossFitters, and they’re what Thomas often wears. They’re cheap, and have even, non-compressible soles.

Indoor Soccer Shoes
Not as cheap as Chuck Taylors, but if you’ve already got a pair, these are perfect for CrossFitting.

Barefoot
If you show up for class wearing the running shoes with the big squishy heels, and we’re doing deadlifts or overhead squats that day, you can bet we’ll suggest you take your shoes off. This is an entirely acceptable option.

The bottom line?
We don’t want you going and spending a bunch of money on a new pair of running shoes. If you’re going to spend that money, invest in some weightlifting shoes. For basic CrossFitting, a pair of cheap, flat shoes like those described above is going to serve you just fine.

Have a question or experience to share about shoes? Post in comments.

If your going to watch videos of weightlifting on youtube, be smart about it. What you engrain in your head as “good technique” will play a role in the gym.

If you can already discern good from bad form when watching youtube, then you probably have some idea of what you should and should not be doing when lifting.

If you cannot tell the difference between good and bad form, then watching great weightlifting is an easy way to become familiar with the movements.

It’s cool too, all of these lifters have their own strengths, weaknesses, and styles. Theres great competition that takes place at these events too. These people are incredible athletes in a sport that recieves little or no attention in America.

When it comes to videos

some are great…

some are not so good…