CrossFit Santa Cruz

Signature

Chris, Pat and Adrian in front of the Luxor in Vegas.

Crossfit is a strength and conditioning program that is general and all-inclusive by design. At the heart of the program you will find some of its core values including intensity, power, and technique.  These same values are also at the heart of many sports and are critical focal points to an individual’s progress as an athlete. At Crossfit, a lot of time is spent learning technique to perform moves with safety and efficacy and through this learning process we become more and more in touch with our body as a whole. We discover or maybe even rediscover how our bodies are meant to move and find how each piece of our body is connected to the rest of our body. Many so called “athletes” are often surprised at how much they weren’t aware of as they go through Crossfit workouts that often demand our most focused energy.

-Jesse "Baz"

Workout: A Special Birthday Workout for Kristy A.
3 Rounds for time of:
31 Overhead Squat; empty bar
31 Hip extensions
31 GHD sit-ups

Go Faster

Dietrich getting triple extension.

One of the cornerstones of the CrossFit program is high intensity. We have found that putting your name on the white board and pulling out the stop watch will push athletes to a higher level of intensity that without. Another great way to motivate individuals to go faster is to put them into competing teams. Last week we witnessed some inspiring displays of intensity by athletes giving their all in an effort to not disappoint their comrades. 

What type of workout makes you go the hardest? Post thoughts to comments.

Some CrossFit achievements come easy, while others seem impossible.  Patience and due diligence will most often pay in the end.  Watch Dave get his first Muscle up.  7 years in the making!!!
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Athlete Achievements
Dave C's Muscle Up
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Workout:
20 inch box jumps, 50 reps
95 pound shoulder press, 21 reps
20 inch box jumps, 50 reps
95 pound push press, 21 reps
20 inch box jumps, 50 reps
95 pound push jerk, 21 reps

Virtuosity

The girls during spring break.
Fundamentals, Virtuosity, and Mastery
An Open Letter to CrossFit Trainers
CrossFit Journal August 2005
Greg Glassman

In gymnastics, completing a routine without error will not get you a perfect score, the 10.0—only a 9.7. To get the last three tenths of a point, you must demonstrate “risk, originality, and virtuosity” as well as make no mistakes in execution of the routine.

Risk is simply executing a movement that is likely to be missed or botched; originality is a movement or combination of movements unique to the athlete—a move or sequence not seen before. Understandably, novice gymnasts love to demonstrate risk and originality, for both are dramatic, fun, and awe inspiring—especially among the athletes themselves, although audiences are less likely to be aware when either is demonstrated.

Virtuosity, though, is a different beast altogether.

Why Food?

Sara early in the morning.

In October of 2002 "What is Fitness" was published in the CrossFit Journal. Below are two excerpts.

"Nutrition plays a critical role in your fitness. Proper nutrition can amplify or diminish the effect of your training efforts. Effective nutrition is moderate in protein, carbohydrate, and fat.  Forget about the fad high carbohydrate, low fat, and low protein diet. 70% carbohydrate, 20% protein, and 10% fat may work for your rabbit, but it won’t do anything for you except increase your risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease or leave you weak and sickly. Balanced macronutrient and healthy nutrition looks more like 40% carbohydrate, 30 % protein, and 30% fat. Dr. Barry Sears’ Zone Diet (http://www.drsears.com/) still offers the greatest precision, efficacy, and health benefit of any clearly defined protocol."

"Done right, fitness provides a great margin of protection against the ravages of time and disease. Where you find otherwise examine the fitness protocol, especially diet. Fitness is and should be “super-wellness.” Sickness, wellness, and fitness are measures of the same entity. A fitness regimen that doesn’t support health is not CrossFit."

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Workout: Sprint Heavy Chesty Partner Helen
200 meter run
2 pood Kettlebell swing, 12 reps
9 Chest to Bar Pull-ups
Each partner completes 1 round and rest while the other works for a total of 4 rounds

Measurable-Repeatable-Results

Rob staying calm.

At CrossFit Santa Cruz we truly believe that CrossFit is for anyone. Not everyone, but anyone who is concerned about their health and believes in hard work. Anybody who can put their ego aside and simply try, will have great success and most likely become hooked. One great thing about CrossFit is that you don't have do believe that it works, it just works.

Rob has been coming to CrossFit twice a week for a while. During the month of March he decided to  sign up for a month of a 5 on 2 off cycle.  The results are obvious and noticed by all. During the 1300 meter repeats Rob ran his fastest mile run in 25 years, not once, but four times. He has lost 12 pounds and just completed his first RX'd Fran with time of 7:20.  He is one of many success stories in the gym. 

What are your CrossFit stats? Does CrossFit work?   Post thoughts to comments.

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Athlete Achievement
Amelia's First Pull-up
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The Governor

What is Fatigue?

Scientists and athletes have always thought that your muscles tire because they reach some kind of physical limit. Ether they run out of fuel, or they drown in toxic by-products. However, The Central Governor Theory of Tim Noakes an exercise physiologist, argues that fatigue is an emotional response that begins in the brain that creates distressing sensations that you interpret as muscle fatigue. It has been long thought that the lactic acid by product of exercise and its build up is the cause of fatigue. I first heard about this when I attended a seminar at CrossFit LA a year ago. The speaker (forgot his name) had a volunteer hold a dumbbell out in front of him for as long as he could with one arm. His time was 30 sec. and then had him to try to hold the dumbbell with the other arm longer. I think he got 40 sec the second time, but this proved to us that body was holding back.

It is called The Central Governor Theory for the idea that there is a central governor that regulates or reduces neural activation to our working muscles to protect us from hypoxia or oxygen suffocation to any of our vital organs and cells Don't worry though, we have a really good regulation system that will stop us far from that point. This clip relates to this well. Post thoughts to comments.

-Dave
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WOD Video
"Fran"
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Workout: a Max Fit USA WOD
In 2 person teams:
One rows 250m
One throws wall ball shots
Continue to switch between stations until each person reaches 100 wall balls.

or

30 Muscle-up for time.

Max?

Jon in nice position.

Getting better requires effort. No one gets better at CrossFit unless they really try. Just showing up and getting sweaty is not enough. Hoping to get better is not good enough. Consistent, focused attention to the details is required. Day in and day out we must concern ourselves with the unpleasant chinks in our armor. That being said, we are simply looking for a very small amount of change daily, to affect a large change months and years from now. So no matter where we are trying to get to, the road is covered in small steps not giant leaps.

Workout: A Max Fit USA WOD
Back Squat (M=225lb/W=155lb)
Perform 3 reps on the minute for 15 minutes.

Complete 2 push-ups on the minute, increasing each minute until failure. Minute one, two push-ups. Minute two, four push-ups, so on. Score is highest completed round.

Groovin'

The look of hard work.

I was reading Self magazine the other day (don't tell anyone) and was inspired by research conducted by the University of Maryland that found that listening to your favorite songs can increase blood vessel diameter by up to 26%. I'm not a doctor, but I hypothesize that increased blood vessel diameter makes it easier for your heart to get oxygen to your hard working muscles and increases work capacity. This factoid lead to a google search on the benefits of listening to music during exercise and I found that it can actually improve brain function post workout (great news for the early birds and lunchtime crew!)

What this all boils down to is we should listen to good music. In an effort to build on the selection at the gym, I have taken it upon myself to compile a "CrossFit Santa Cruz Greatest Hits" volumes I, II and maybe more. I can't do it without your help.  I need your favorite songs so you can reap the benefits of this phenomenon. Please post, or email me a few of your favorite tunes to sweat to - artist and song name will be helpful, and soon they will be in the mix! Special thanks to CFSF for inspiring me to do this after reading it on their blog a while back, and to Kyle and Olivia for getting us started with "Kyle's Recipe for Booty Shakin'"

-Hannah

Workout: "Fran"
21-15-9
95 pound Thruster
Pull-up

Socializing

Sunday post WOD

When Kelly came down and talked about training the injured athlete one reason to keep on coming in was, deemed psycho-social. The benefits of getting out of the house, interacting with others being social are just as important as getting a faster Fran time. Today's team workout required a little extra communication and planning making it a social event. What is our next social event? Post your thoughts to comments.

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Schedule Notice.
We have added a 7pm class Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Community Night is being moved to the weekend.  Details to follow

Morning Time

Breakfast on a Sunday.

It seems that what ever nutrition plan you are on, even if it is just good old common sense, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The reasons are most likely related to hormones, and metabolism and other biologically significant factors. When it comes down to it though isn't it all about delicious food. The photo above while it is not precisice Zone, it does satisfy many of our requirements for nutritious eating. Protien, Fat, Carbs and Coffee.

What did you have for breakfast?