5k Row

In an attempt to put myself in your shoes, I keep racking my brain with the same question over and over. “Why does the majority feel it’s so hard to come back after a break?”

The answers I come up with are mostly psychological. In fact, the consensus on peaking for physical performance usually requires a stop in ones training. There can be benefits from rest.

Maybe it’s the fear of being sore. Well that’s not that hard to fix, the answer is scaling.

Perhaps is not performing in the same place as before. Well, that’s an easy one too, check your ego at the door.

Take today’s WOD. A 5k row. It’s an easy thing to consider if your training has been sparse over the last month. First option is to take your time, but get through it. If your pr was 20:00 minutes, averaging a 2:00 minute pace, than set a slower pace, somewhere between 2:05 and 2:10. If half way through you have some left in the tank than step it up. If not, keep it where you’re at. Or, consider the intensity you are trying to hit, that 2:00 minute pace, but only row for 3k. All easy scenario’s, and all can be decided before your workout. It’s something you and your coach will consider before the workouts.

And, Mads and I were thinking it’d be nice to get the gang together again, something fun like the Christmas pot luck. I’m just not sure what to do. Anyone have an idea????

Oh yeah

Friday 02/26/10

Row 5k

Jordan

Clean & Jerk

Today we’ll be working on our clean and jerks. We’ll do some skill work first, and then start loading up the bar. Yes Uncle Rob, that means the WOD and the skill work is the clean and jerk.

As part of my homework for the day, I’ve been researching weightlifting. In watching videos, I’ve been reminded of a few subtleties that it’s important for all of us to know. And that is that it takes very little weight to take a perfect looking movement, and make it impossible to accomplish. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to predict your absolute max lift, even when training is your life.

The perfect example is in the sport of weightlifting. You have 3 attempts, and usually there is around 10 kg difference between the lightest and the heaviest attempt. We do these things on a monthly basis, the professionals are living this by the minute. In watching their competition lifts, some lifters make all 3 look easy. Others make the first look it’s a PVC pipe, while 5 kg’s later, it looks like an impossibility.

Why am I telling you this? Yes, it is important to know that by adding 2.5kg to a bar is enough to make your lift fail. The margin of error is that small. In fact, we don’t have fractional plates here at the gym. They come as small as 0.5 kg. Imagine the feeling of adding those plates to the bar, and not being able to lift it. So, that feeling is common, it’s a part of the process. And just about everyone yesterday felt that attempting their crossfit total. The more we lift, the more we can feel when we are at our max. So please, log everything, there is no such thing as useless information.

Here’s a little video on one of weightlifting’s most accomplished athletes. Isn’t that what you use youtube for? Watching weightlifting and crossfit?

Wednesday 02/24/10

Clean and Jerk
5-3-3-1-1-1-1

2 benchmarks, 1 day

Sounds tough, but not at all. We’ll be warming up with turkish get-ups. The finisher will be Annie. Both results can get you on the board, giddy’up.

I was thinking of a few things that might spark attendance in March. Perhaps an attendance contest. With the gift being more than a T-shirt. Also, I will be getting as much info in regards to parking. Looks like the underground will not be ours full-time for a while. But we will be in the clear after 5pm, but before that, we are going to need to be creative. We’ve got a team on it as we speak.

Tuesday 02/23/10

Skills
Turkish Get-ups
Find your 1 rep max

Wod:
Annie
50-40-30-20-10
Double unders
situps

Jordan

And saw some awesome PR’s on the total! Be proud of them, they were earned, not given.

You had to see this coming

CrossFit Total

Back Squat 1 rep max
Shoulder Press 1 rep max
Deadlift 1 rep max

Since the new year we’ve been doing strength work on a consistent basis. We’ve taken our strength training and worked towards a 1 rep max. Now, here’s the workout that CrossFit use as a good measurement of overall strength.

You have 3 attempts to attain a 1 rm. You should know how to warm-up to do it. 5-3-3-1-1-1-1. Remember those workouts? Well, you’d consider all of that your warmup, including the first of the sets of 1. Then it’s go time. You have 3 attempts. Make or fail, it’s still an attempt. Use your workout log to help guide what weights you should shoot for.

Good Luck,

Jordan

A little confession……
I have to admit, I’m a little stressed these days. Every single person that trains here is more than a client to me. I take a genuine role in trying to help you reach your goals, and reach new heights. This “break” we find ourselves in can really be a good thing. Only if it is just that, a break. My fear is that it won’t be easy for ALL of you to put the Olympics behind you and start training March 1st. And the thought of losing just one of you doesn’t sit well. I promise to make the transition back as easy as possible, and your input can only help me help you. So lay it on me! Email, comments, anything.

Hail Maelle

I just watched Canadian Jon Montgomery win gold in the Men’s Skeleton Competition, pretty awesome! For so much emphasis placed on Canada never having one a gold medal on home soil, it really seems like a non issue. 4 golds later, with plenty of time time to add to that total, it seems like a strange thing that it had never been done before.

If all my Olympic talk, I can’t believe that I never mentioned Maelle Ricker’s performance. Her face should be familiar to those who have lived in Whistler. She writes an article in Whistler’s Pique Newsmagazine, and has been competing in the sport of boardercross for what seems like forever. I loved her quote on the weather at Cypress, and how it made her feel comfortable. If that doesn’t sound like a Whistler local talking, I don’t know what does. Low visibility, varying snow conditions, that’s what the west coast is all about! Oh, and where was the competition on that final run!

Saturday 02/20/10

Snatch
1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Now’s your chance to put those overhead squats to practice!!!!!!!

Jordan

Domination, period.

Did anyone see Shaun White dominate the men’s halfpipe? He is that good, period. What was comical is listening to the commentators debate whether he would perform his last run, which was completely unnecessary because he had locked up the gold medal. Seriously, it looked like just another day on the slopes for Shawn, him nailing his last run was no big deal, it was play time. And questioning whether he would do it? C’mon, he loves to ride, and he not only did the last run, but absolutely killed it! The guy truly is that good.

I type away, as I do every evening with the Olympics playing in the background. It’s been pretty amazing to be here, I hope all of you are enjoying it. A week into the games, and the gym is starting to feel lonely….. I hope all of you not here are having fun. Your Crossfit family have been asking about you…..

Friday 02/19/10
Skills:
Overhead Squat
5-3-3-1-1-1-1
Seriously, if you have issues in your squat, you can hide from them in the front squat and back squat. But there is no hiding HERE!!!! Shoulder issues aside, it’s time to face your weakness here. ALL squats must be below parallel, period. If you address your squat with weight overhead, it makes every other squat easier!

WOD:
“Cloud Nine”
3 rounds
45 seconds work
15 seconds rest
Box Jump 24″/20″
Wall Ball 20#/14#

Jordan

A Mads’ Creation

For those who don’t know, I am not alone in creating the workouts. Mads has had a HEAVY influence on what goes on here in the cave. The beneficiary of us working together is you! I’ve seen all, from the CrossFit veteran (Nils, Jay, Nick, Leddy, Yoko, myself, etc….) set new PR’s, and our newer cult members (Killer, Lidia, Michael, Roz, Mark, etc….) continue to get better daily! Keep pushing, keep those results coming.

What’s also important for you to know, is that as much as crossfit is about bringing intensity to the workouts to get those results, what’s equally important is how you move. Hopefully, this isn’t news to you. So much of my focus in your workouts is to watch your movement patterns. It’s not easy to change how we move, especially since these patterns have been ingrained since childhood. Keep on it! It’s a process, and can take some time. In fact, for some it’s journey that may never end, but without it, functional movements will elude you forever (overhead squat ring a bell), but more importantly moving correctly, is a way to assess that your joints and body is functioning properly. And that is a recipe to stay healthy, and be injury free.

The workout coming up today is one that Mads has put together before, and one that he’s always pushing to do in the gym. He finally got his wish.

WOD:
“Mads”
21-15-9
Back Squat @ bodyweight
Shoulder Press @ 0.5 x Bodyweight
Deadlift @ 1.5 x Bodyweight

Jordan

Speed!

For those who saw the downhill, can you say fast!!!! It was pretty crazy to see just how fast those guys were going, quite exhilarating. Especially since we’ve been on that run, over those features. Do you ever wonder what speeds you reach on the Dave Murray Downhill, and how it compares to best in the world?

Great work yesterday, that workout was not easy! A grind for sure. But yesterday was yesterday, and today is today……

Tuesday 2/16/10

Skills
Pistols
Handstand pushups

WOD:
“Grey Zone”
500 m row
10 pistols
20 pullups
30 box jumps 24″/20″
40 abmats
50 squats

Jordan

Time Change

Have a close look at the schedule, there are some subtle changes that have occurred, and that might continue to occur as the alpine races move around. For the most part, we are golden in all of our later starts. Not quite the case for the 6:15 am. I moved Mon, Tue, and Thurs this week to 6:00 am.

If I change a class you are already signed up for, I will email you to notify you of the change. Hopefully those who signed up afterwards don’t have their blinders on, and are aware it’s at a slightly different times.

I think there was a little misunderstanding as far as pass freezing is concerned. My number one goal is for you to come!!!!! And because of that, I am not looking at freezing your pass as an all or nothing scenario. I am being as lenient as I can, in hopes that even if you can make it once or twice a week, you still come. What I will do is look back at your attendance. If you missed 2 weeks completely, I will add them to the end of your memberships. If you come twice in 2 weeks, then I will add something like 10 days to the end of your membership. Make sense? My hopes is that you do not use the olympics or money as an excuse to not get the fitness you deserve. But, this is a crazy time, so I understand why I can’t have everyone in the gym as they normally do. Having said that, I am really open to modifying WOD’s, so don’t psych yourself out of coming if you’ve had a few too many days off, and things look tough, we’ll ease you back in;)

I am not all caught up to speed on Sunday’s Olympic happenings, although I know that Canada won their first ever Gold Medal on home soil. However, anyone watching Jennifer Heil’s Silver Medal performance? The media was all about her supposed to be winning a gold medal. Anyone else find this annoying. Spoken like a true champion when she said, she won a silver, she didn’t lose a gold. Much respect for an athlete that leaves it all on the table, earning a second place is something to proud of. I’m happy she didn’t let the media make her feel shame for winning a silver, because that was the story they were trying to tell. You go girl!

Rant over, hello crossfitters.

Monday 02/15/10
WOD:
Skill
Snatch

Your warm-up will now be MY warmup. Precisely 5 minutes after class start time, I will be doing your warmup with you. In those first 5 minutes, you should do your DROM (Dynamic Range Of Motion), get the body loose. I will teach you the snatch, while we warm-up.

WOD:
Hawaii five-O
15 minutes AMRAP
10 Box Jumps 24″/20″
8 Burpees
6 Front Squats 60kg/40kg

Jordan

GO CANADA

I am PUMPED! I can’t help but get a little emotional during the Olympics. I really can’t pinpoint why that is. Perhaps it takes me back to when I was a kid, dreaming of being an Olympic Athlete, cheering for my Country, and watching the athletes getting their medals……

After all that’s transpired, parking, construction, etc…… I couldn’t pick a better place to be than right here, right now! The skiing and riding is all to ourselves! No crowds for the first time in what feels like a decade. Getting to watch the best in the world compete in my backyard. I can even see them train in the gym that I train in too! Busses are everywhere, no need to drive anywhere. And, events galore. It truly is awesome, and I feel sorry for those still dwelling on being thrown from there routine. Take advantage people, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, make the most of it! And whether you are cheering for Canadians, of for athletes from other countries, you should all enjoy and be a part of the olympics.

Now back to reality. It’s sunday, and I promised to start a little running club. Today we’ll be going for a loop around the Whistler Golf Course. Meeting time will be at 11:00 am just outside the clubhouse. Please let me know if you’ll be attending, just leave a comment to let me know.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Jordan