Category — Training Protocols and Strategies

It’s the middle of summer, and many of us have been away – vacations, honeymoons, work travel. Sometimes life gets in the way of our training regimen and we end up with an extended period where we’re not hitting classes, and maybe not getting any exercise at all. Heck, I myself had a three week hiatus from training this summer!

I know that it can be intimidating to return. You’re afraid you won’t be able to do it, won’t finish the workout, will be way too sore afterwards. So maybe you avoid coming back in, telling yourself you need to, but putting it off till another day? Well here’s a little primer on how to return to training after a break:

1. The first step is just to get your butt in here. We love you. We miss you. Chances are that someone here wants to see you, as I’ve been regularly asked, “Where has (insert your name here) been?” You’ll get smiles, maybe some hugs, people will be happy to see you. Get in your car, or on your bike, or whatever, and just show up at a class.

2. Plan extra time for your warm up. Arrive 10 minutes before class, get a general running or rowing warm up in, then start doing some dynamic stretching. If you’re not sure what stretches to do, ask us. Follow the prescribed warm up, then use the foam roller. A really, really thorough warm up is essential to anyone returning to training after a break.

3. Focus on the strength training portion of the class, not the WOD. Depending on what the strength workouts are the week you return, we may modify the rep scheme or the movements to get your body and brain back into the swing of things. This is not the time to go for any PRs; focus on form. The strength sets will feel good, and will fire up your neuromuscular communication so that by the end, you’ll feel ready to go into the WOD.

4. Take it easy! As I already said, this isn’t the time for try for a strength PR or to up your numbers. And if you happen to hit a named WOD, don’t think you’re going to beat your last time. Do the best you can, but stay focused on treating your body right, not on your score. Once you’re in the swing of things and have attended several classes over a few weeks, you’ll get back to your former performance levels.

5. Plan extra time for your post-workout stretching and recovery. Just as you should come in a little early, plan on staying a little later. Stretch with the class after the WOD, and then spend a little extra time on the areas you know will be or are tight. The foam roller is your friend!

6. As usual, drink plenty of water before and after working out, and avoid inflammatory foods – sugars, grains, alcohol, trans-fats and vegetable oils, maybe dairy or nightshades or any foods you know you’re sensitive to.

Ok? We’ll see you soon.

between heavy sets in our strength work.

Thomas and Emily both took first place in their weight classes at this weekend’s Redwood Empire Championships in Olympic-style weightlifting!

Emily lifted 29k in the Snatch and made a PR of 44k in the Clean and Jerk. In the process, she earned herself a new nickname – the “Mighty Ant” – after the event announcer noted that she had Clean and Jerked her bodyweight. Yes, folks, Emily weighs a whopping 97 pounds. Now every time a woman tells me she doesn’t want to lift weights because she’ll “get big” I’m going to point to this little woman. Here’s her third snatch yesterday:

Thomas made the heaviest Snatch of anyone in his session at 85k, then followed that with a 102k Clean and Jerk. Thomas’s training over the last six months has shifted to almost entirely Olympic-style weightlifting, and he’s put on quite a bit of muscle mass over that time (as anyone who knew him a year ago has noticed). He’s been working hard to produce this kind of performance, and it really paid off. Congratulations Thomas, hope it felt darn good! Here’s his second snatch of the day:

Congratulations to Thomas and Emily for their discipline and hard work! We’re proud of you two, and hope to see you on the competition platform again in the future!

First, a congratulations to Thomas for placing fifth overall and earning a medal in Los Altos this last weekend at the Bad Boy Open weightlifting meet. This is impressive considering the fact that no weight class medals were given, and so he was competing against dudes quite a bit heavier than him.

Next, an announcement, fresh off the competition platform. We’re opening a new class at CFSR: Olympic Lifting.

We write the program and coach, you show up and improve your snatch, clean & jerk, and their variations. In working on those lifts, you’ll be building explosive power, using practically every muscle in your body and especially working the core stabilizers, making your sprint times faster, building bone density, feeling badass, and, we hope, having fun!

You can also use this time for Open Gym – to make up a WOD you missed, do some strength work, hammer away at a skill you’re working on. You’re welcome to come in and do your own thing.

The details:
Olympic Lifting and Open Gym
Thursdays 5 pm-6 pm
Saturdays 11 am- 12 pm

See you there!

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…

All of you came into the gym with a goal in mind. You wanted to get stronger, leaner, healthier etc. Some of you had a more specific mark in mind; bigger total, muscle up, double unders.

If you are one of those people who have reached their goal, Congratufreakinglations! But may I suggest you establish another goal to set your sights on. Having a goal is an excellent way to stay focused with your training.

Some of us have changed our mind during our time at the gym. When you first came in you filled out a questionnaire. One of the questions asked you what your goals were. Do you remember what you put down? If so, high five. If you don’t remember then look at your sheet and see what you put down.

What if what you put down no longer matches your current thinking. TELL US! We are here to help you reach your goals. The more we know about where you want to be, the better we can facilitate your progress.

This is a classic side by side of two very different athletes. For various reasons, many hormonal, the body composition of an endurance athlete is much different than that of an athlete spending most their time in a shorter and more intense domain.

Which do you think is more apt to tackle life’s challenges?

Lots of questions have been brought up recently at the box regarding sleep. The most common of these is, how much sleep should I get?

If your waking up to an alarm clock your not getting enough sleep. Yes, that sounds ridiculous, but so did eating a side of broccoli when you were 12. The people who are telling you to get 8 hours of sleep are the same ones who say “eat 10 servings of bread a day”, these are not words of wisdom. Ideally you would sleep when its dark out, and further, coordinate with the seasonal changes and day/night ratio. You would be sleeping much more, some 10-12 hours a day, in the winter. And when it came time for summer, you’d put your party hat on. Now, I know people will stop listening to me if I tell them to get 12 hours of sleep, so let’s split the difference. Get 9.5 hours of sleep.

Why?

Before man invented artificial light (the light bulb and before that, fire) humans were sheltered in their cozy caves by nightfall, and if they weren’t then they were getting mauled by lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!). Man followed a circadian rythm like every other living entity on the planet. By introducing artificial light we have extended our awake time some 30-50% beyond what we were designed to handle, depending of course on how late you stay up. For more reasons than I care to write about, going rogue and running your engine 50% longer than it’s supposed to be run is going to lead to problems. Instead of more oil changes, you get things like radiation therapy and stents.

If you are getting less than 8 hours of sleep, your killing yourself. If your getting 8 hours of sleep, you can do better. Go to bed earlier!

Questions?

Most people come to CFSR with a goal of “losing weight”. Yes, there are you skinny folks who state that you want to get stronger and add more muscle mass. But mostly, people say they want to shed a few pounds. Nothing wrong with that.

You want to lose that spare tire, that muffin top, that pooch. You want to fit your skinny jeans. So you start training. CrossFitting. You’re working hard, and you want to see results. You step on the scale regularly – maybe even daily – to measure your results. And although your pants are feeling looser, the scale tells you you’re not losing much weight. Far less than you think you should be, anyway, for how hard you’re working and how well you’ve been eating. What’s going on?

You see, CrossFit helps you lose fat and gain lean muscle. That means that the scale, which measures your overall weight, won’t show you that you’re actually losing fat, losing inches around the waist, or gaining muscle. We’ve been so conditioned to think that our body weight, or even worse, the BMI, are important measures of health. The fact is that for CrossFitters, they’re not. So step away from the scale.

And then let’s reassess the situation. Instead of weighing yourself, pay attention to how you look, feel, and perform. Let’s say that again, all together now: pay attention to how you look, feel, and perform, in whatever order of importance you wish. These are the things that matter.

Try to forget the scale, or even our bioelectrical impedence thingy at the box that measures your body fat. Yes, those are objective measures that can be very helpful to track long term change, and especially to help those who are at high risk for obesity-related diseases. I’m not saying we should never use these tools; they wouldn’t be kept at the box if I thought they were useless. But relying on those numbers can sometimes end up being unhealthy and obsessive.

If you’ve got a scale at home, shove it in the closet or have a yard sale. Yes, we will still measure and record your weight and body fat every so often at the box. But if you’re feeling great, you’re getting PRs on the major lifts and benchmark WODS, and your clothes fit the way you like, those other numbers shouldn’t matter.