Groovin'

P3170407The 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

DSC03692Sunday 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

DSC03672Breakfast 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?

Crossover

DSC03531Chelsea standing strong.

We claim that CrossFit prepares you for the unknown and the unknowable. We believe that the skills you learn and develop learning functional movements prepare you for the world of ever changing demands. The capacities that we develop are fundamentally physical, however the psychology crossover maybe just as significant.

Has CrossFit affect your life outside of the gym? Mental, physical, or both?

Workout: "Unkown"

Welcome Back

DSC03468Annie returns.

The rigors of high intensity training can take its toll, and in turn require some rest and relaxation. Sometimes it is a good idea to take a few days off and allow our bodies to repair and rejuvenate. Most often we can return reinvigorated and ready for more. What happens however if we miss say a month? Do we return ready or are we starting over? Just like our first ever CrossFit experience, it is always a good time to start. We may need to modify a WOD or take some weight off the bar, but getting back in and starting anew is not as daunting a task as it may seem. CrossFit is about universal scalability. No matter where you are in your fitness journey, now is a good time to get better. 

What is the your longest CrossFit break? What happened when you came back?

Workout:
800 meter run
50 pound Muscle Snatch, left arm, 21 reps
200 meter run
50 pound Muscle Snatch, right arm, 21 reps
200 meter run
50 pound Muscle Snatch, left arm, 15 reps
200 meter run
50 pound Muscle Snatch, right arm, 15 reps
200 meter run
50 pound Muscle Snatch, left arm, 9 reps
200 meter run
50 pound Muscle Snatch, right arm, 9 reps
800 meter run

Work / Rest

DSC03402Alex waiting for go time.

The Tabata rest work protocol is 20 seconds for work followed by 10 seconds of rest. Repeat for a total of 8 rounds. The goal is to increase an athletes ability recovery from an all out effort. A forced rest allows the body to recover enough to return to a relative high intensity. Forgoing the rest necessitates a decrease in intensity. As with any aspect of our training, what ever work rest cycle is the most challenging is probably the one to work on the most.

What rest work cycle do you struggle with? Or do you enjoy a workout with forced rest?
Post thoughts to comments.

Address The Bar

DSC03354Coach D 

Addressing the bar is one of the most personalized aspects of lifting heavy weights. Every athlete has their own approach. Some stomp their feet while others quietly approach the bar. Hands first or feet first... how do you address the bar? What is the first thing you do when you are preparing to go heavy?

Workout:
Mermiad Mayhem
27 Pull Ups
27 Push Ups
27 Sit Ups
27 Squats
Rest exactly 2 minutes
As many rounds as possible in 27 minutes
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Happy Birthday Hannah!

Test & Re-test

DSC03231Before PNF
DSC03233 After PNF

Mobility is our best friend. The more mobile we are the more likely we are to generate force, the more likely we will be able to lift heavy weights, and the more likely we will be more bad ass. When spend time stretching for more range and greater mobility, how do we know it is working? Test then re-test. In the photos above you can clearly see the difference in pre and post stretching. Look closely at the angle of her leg. Did we affect change? Yes. And it only took about 90 seconds. With our Cool Policy this week, see if you can affect change. Need help? Ask your coach or your workout pal.  We should all be well versed at stretching and mobilizing our fellow athletes.
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Athlete Achievements
Kyle's First Kipping Pull-up
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Workout: "Diane"
21-15-9
225 pound Deadlift
Handstand Push-up

Coolness

IMG_8976 Thanks Kelly!

The last three weeks our WOD's have been particularly challenging. Some left their mark,like the Push Jerk-Squat, while others just left us gasping for air, remember the 4 x 1300 meters. The toll on the body has been noticeable. One of the biggest takeaways from Saturday was simple.  The body can only buffer so much silly BS before it breaks.  We can mitigate the toll of these workouts with two simple things, a proper warm up and quality cool down. So this weeks programming will be slightly different. We will not be taking it any easier on the WODS but we are going have quality movement prep and adequate time to cool down. Too often when a WOD wipes us out, we forget to properly cool down.  The effects on the body of not cooling down properly are too numerous to mention.  That being said for one week we are implement a new policy.  The Cool Policy.

Cool Policy Rules:
All athletes must spend a minimum of 10 minutes on a proper cool down. 
Cool Policy Penatly:
1. Your name will be written on the board
2. The next time you come to class you will be required to warm up with class.
3. You will not be allowed to do the WOD and will spend that time doing maintence.
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Workout:
Overhead Squat
3-3-3-3-3