CrossFit Santa Cruz

Sweat:Good Workout!

Lucas during the workout we posted yesterday.

Sweating during CrossFit is part of what we do. For some people, how much they sweat during a workout is an indication of how hard they trained, or maybe even how much they got out of their workout. After a difficult workout, I think we CrossFitters find some sort of twisted gratification in knowing that what we just completed was so demanding on our bodies, that we are now sprawled out in a pool of sweat! If nothing else, being comfortable sweating profusely with a group of other people says a lot about the trust and friendship within CrossFit!

Workout:

21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Pull-up
Overhead squat (Men use 95 pounds, women use 65 pounds)

Burpee Challenge: 18 burpees today! 171 to buy-in.

Group Therapy

Casey and the Boys

Overcoming a difficult workout is rewarding in itself, but there is
something special when you have friends around to share.
Yesterday at the gym, a couple of our heavy hitters showed up at
the same time. Pat, Jonji, Brent, Casey and Lucas. The competition
was fierce. The pressure to not be DFL was palpable.
The workout was "Ms. Sage." Thank you Coach Mike Burgener.

-H

Do you have a workout partner? A workout nemesis?

Workout: "Ms. Sage"
5 rounds for time of:
110 Pound Snatch, 10 reps
15 Pull-ups
35 Pound db thruster, 20 reps

Burpee Challenge: 17 burpees today! 153 burpees to buy-in.

Hanging Ten

Cindy split grips.

How we grip the pull-up bar is not of large importance. Reaching full lockout at the bottom and clearing the bar with your chin at the top is our standard. The bear grip, the monkey grip, the split grip, are all acceptable. Is there a preferred CrossFit grip? NO! If there is a grip you are comfortable with, switch grips and use a different one.
Can you switch grips in the middle of a workout? Next time "Helen" is the WOD, use each round to try a different grip. Make it not matter, just grip it and rip it.

How do you grip it?

-H

Workout:
5 rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
25 Burpees

Burpee Challenge: 16 burpees today! 136 burpees to buy-in.

The Jerk

Amy and her Jerk.

Why do we Jerk?

There are many reasons, but here are two:

Reason one:

The productive application of force. CrossFit gives
the athlete the ability to use their fitness. Elite Fitness
demands among other things, coordination, balance,
agility, and flexibility. The skill set required to learn
the Jerk is the reason to learn the Jerk.

Reason two:

An increase in work capacity. A well integrated
athlete will be able to Jerk 30% more than they
Push Press, and Push Press 30% more than they
strict Press. The Jerk could be considered the
weightlifting equivalent to the kipping pull-up. The
hips generate the lions share of the load and very
efficiently and elegantly pass it to the arms.

-H

Workout:
3 rounds for time of:
Run 400
15 Push Jerk, 3/4 bodyweight

_________________

Burpee Challenge: 15 burpees today! 120 burpees to buy-in.

Standing Tall

Hannah pushes her shoulders into her ears as she locks out her arms and holds the top of the push press.

Workout:
Push press: 5-5-5-5-5

Burpee Challenge: 14 burpees today! 105 burpees to buy-in.

Oly Expert

Saturday and Sunday, October 18-19, Greg Everett is giving an Olympic Weightlifting Seminar in Chico, Ca at CrossFit NorCal. Don't miss this opportunity to learn how to snatch and clean and jerk from expert Coach, Greg Everett, and National Champion Weightlifter, Aimee Anaya.

Workout:
5 rounds for time of:
1 Squat snatch + 10 overhead squats (men use 95 pounds, women use 65 pounds)
15 pull-ups

Watch the above workout done at the old CrossFit Santa Cruz gym by Annie and Eva of CrossFit Santa Cruz Central and Jolie of CrossFit One World! wmv, mov

Burpee Challenge: 13 burpees today! 91 burpees to buy-in.

Slow and Controlled

Jon gets his knees all the way up to his elbows and makes it look easy!

Because of the body control and core strength needed to do knees to elbows properly, it is very difficult to put this movement in a timed workout. The stronger your mid-line is, the faster you will be able to perform knees to elbows without being tempted to swing or kip. Being able to completely stop yourself at the bottom while fully extended can be just as taxing as getting your knees up to your elbows without swinging.

Workout:

21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Kettle bell swing (men use 24 kg, ladies use 16 kgs)
Knees to Elbows

Go as fast as you can on the knees to elbows without using momentum to complete the movement. You will get more out of being slow and controlled, then fast and all over the place!

Burpee Challenge: 12 burpees today! 78 to buy-in.

Hands On

Duffy gets some pointers from Hollis

You have probably noticed that CrossFit is very hands on! When we want you to straighten you back, we make you think about it by touching your back exactly where it needs to be tightened. When we say "knees out," we place a hand on the outside of your knee and make you feel exactly what part of your knee needs to be pushed outward. And, at one time or another, you have probably almost landed on your butt as your Coach pulled your hips back as you squatted down and were forced to feel what it feels like to stay on your heels and push your hips back and down.

The reason we encourage the tactile approach, is that we all have to rely on what our body feels to tell us if we are moving correctly or not. When you drop something on the floor and your Coach is not there to tell you that your back is rounding as you pick it up, or you do not have a mirror in which to check your form, you need to FEEL that it is right or wrong. The more aware of your body you are, the better CrossFitter you will be!

Workout:
How many rounds can you complete in 15 minutes of:

10 Power squat cleans (men use 95 pounds, women use 65 pounds)
10 Ring dips

Burpee Challenge: 11 burpees today! 66 to buy-in.

Line 'Em Up

Kettle Bells, all lined up and ready for a workout!

Workout:

Run 800
20 Kettle bell swings
Run 600
30 Kettle bell swings
Run 400
40 Kettle bell swings
Run 200
50 Kettle bell swings

Burpee Challenge: 10 burpees today! 55 to buy-in.

"KICKING IT UP A NOTCH"

Leif working for a 100 pound pull up

This past weekend I attended the first CrossFit Nutrition
Certification hosted by SFSC presented by Rob Wolf
It was phenomenal.

On Saturday July 26th at 9am I will report some of what
I learned as well as give a follow up talk to the Zone
Competition.

Due to our focus on nutrition, our clients and trainers have
had some phenomenal results over the past few months.
Some of those changes have been posted on the website
while others are still being discovered.

The seminar helped re-spark my desire to help all of you
and I learned some new ways to tweak the Zone for our individual
needs. The food we choose to put in our bodies directly
effects how we feel when we workout and thus the results we have.

The Zone Competition made our gym buzz with talk of food,
performance gains and how to stay balanced. I want to continue
that enthusiasm and help you all take your nutrition to the next
level, whatever that level may be for you.

I believe there is a wide spectrum of reasons we
come to CrossFit that are related to what we hope to get out of our time here.
Some of us are looking to compete at next year's CrossFit
Games. Some of us are hoping to look better in a wedding dress.
While others, are training for a college sport. But, all of us want to
live longer, fuller, happier lives. Nutrition is the building block
of our fitness pyramid. Let’s keep pushing each other to eat
better, feel better, perform better and go harder.

See You Saturday at 9am.

Coach D

Workout: “Cindy”

How many rounds in 20 minutes of:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats

Burpee Challenge: 9 burpees today! 45 to buy-in.