Monday, December 31, 2012

2012

Last WOD of 2012:
30 min AMRAP
*1k run buy in
1 rope climb 
3 wall climbs
5 clean and jerks
7 hspu
9 dubbs
11 kb swings
100 yard medball run



2012 Coming to and end. I was just thinking about how much weight was lifted at NoX the past year. I was trying to imaging how much sweat was worked up over the past year. I was trying to imagine all the work put in at the box over the past year. I was trying to remember how many PRs were set. I was trying to remember how many tears were shed at the box over the past year. I was trying to remember how many people got stronger and fitter over the past year. As a result my thoughts were overwhelmed because I could not even come close to guessing or even putting a number on those things. Time Lapse Video summarizing NoX in 2012 Coming soon.





Saturday, December 29, 2012

Snatch Saturday

Snatch, cleans, deadlifts, sleds, wallballs, toes to bar, pullups, thrusters, pushups, burpees... 
what more can you ask for on a rainy Saturday?

Thanks for coming out Juan and Jes from RC CrossFit.

Strength:
10x1 Hang Squat Snatch + 1 OH Squat
10x1 Hang Squat Clean + 1 Front Squat

WOD:
3 Rounds for time:
25 Wallballs (or 15 thrusters @ 95#/ 65)
15 Toes To Bar

-rest 3 min

3 Rounds for time:
15 pullups
15 hand release pushups

-rest 3 min

3 rounds for time
10 Deadlift @ 225
10 Bar facing burpees

Rest 5-10 min

WOD 2:

3 x Sled push (450#) 60 yards
3 x sled pull (135#)

225# Hang Snatch + OH Squat
























Friday, December 28, 2012

Deadlifts + Burpees = ______?

"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one."
- Henry David Thoreau



WOD 1:
4 Miles trail run

Strength/WOD 2:
Death by DeadLift/Burpees

Start the Clock the perform the following trend

1 deadlift + 1 Burpee on the first minute
2 deadlifts + 2 Burpees on the 2nd minute
3 deadlifts + 3 Burpees on the 3rd
4 deadlifts + 4 Burpees on the 4th
5 + 5
6+ 6
7+ 7
etc.

*all the way until you cannot finish the reps for that minute
**goal is to get as many rounds as possible
***Use 50-60% of your deadlift max






Thursday, December 27, 2012

NoXcuses

"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it." -Pablo Picaso



Warmup: 
3 minutes of non stop jump rope
mobility/drills

Strength:
10-8-6-4-2 Strict Press
*10 strict pull-ups between each set

WOD 1:
15 Min AMRAP
6 GHDs
9 KB Swings w/88# kettle/53#
12 WallBalls
15 Dubbs

 rest 5-10 min

Skill: 
10 x 5 Parallette HSPU (deficit)
*rest as needed btwn each set

WOD 2: 
10 x 100m Row @ 100% intensity
*30 seconds rest between each set


Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Machines and Fear


Warmup: 
1k row 
Mobility/ stretching/ dynamic warmup ( ask for specifics if you want to know) 

WOD:
2 min AMRAP strict pullups (or kipping if you cannot do +10 strict at a time) 
Rest 1 min
2 min AMRAP of Burpees
Rest 1 min
2 min AMRAP of back squat w/ 185# (or 50% of 3 rep max) 

Rest 5 min

Oly work:
1 power snatch every minute for 10 min @ 75 percent max
Straight into 
1 clean and jerk every min for 10 min @ 75% of max

Rest 2 min

7 dumbell bench press / 30 dubbs / 1 rope climb
6 db bench/ 30 dubbs/ 1 rope climb
5/30/1
Until you reach 
1 bench/ 30 dubbs/ 1 rope climb

Rest 5 min 

8 x 120 yard sprints every minute on the minute 
* your rest = remaining time of each minute. 
* *sprint 80-90% of top speed 
*** try to keep slowest interval no slower than 2 seconds of your fastest interval. 

Rest 5 min

Repeat 8x120 yd sprints every minute on the minute 
*same as above




My thoughts for day/ week:
*sorry to all grammar freaks - I did not go back and edit this. 

"Machines and fear"

You wont see any machines at NoX Training. I already know someone  out there is going to point out a picture with the rower and say that the rower is a machine. I would have to disagree and say that the rower is not a machine. What do machines do? they do  work! The rower is just a measuring device to measure work. They measure a persons power output. Calling a rower a machine is like calling a keyboard a printer. 

Machines are completely different from the rower or any body weight or free weight movement. Walk into a globo gym and you will find that 90 percent of the implements inside there are machines. What does that tell you? Basically it tells you that you cannot lift the weight without any assistance from machines and thus the machine ends up getting the best of the workout, not you. It also tell you that the gym does not want to hire people to educate people on how to get a better workout. 

The treadmill, stair climber, press machines, leg extension machines, bicep machine, etc ( for lack of better names)  all fit into this category and should be eliminated from the gym place in my opinion. 

Take the treadmill for example. You set it at a certain level and then the machine starts spinning without any effort from you. All you have to to is lift up your feet to stay on the machine. You are using hardly any muscles in the process. Running on flat terra firma on the other hand requires much more leg muscles and endurance. The ground is not going to start moving for you if you want to run. You have to move yourself. You have to create the force to propel yourself forward. If you want to run fast you have to do much more than pick up your feet faster as you do on the treadmill. You have to generate exponential amounts of force to increase your speed on flat ground or else you aren't going to move any faster. As a result you are getting a more beneficial workout. I guess if you don't want a beneficial workout from running then stay on that treadmill.  Other than injury rehab there is very little use for a treadmill.  so get off of that treadmill! why would anyone want to look like a hamster anyway? 

To continue,  take a machine that is used for chest presses or shoulder presses for example. What do you see attached to those weights? is that a pulley? What do pulleys Do? They were invented to make it easier to lift weight. Why would you want to make it easier to lift that weight when it comes to working out? Isn't the point of working out is to have some sort of struggle? or maybe the pulleys are there to give your ego a boost since you are able to lift more weight with the help of pulleys? or maybe the person that created the machine didn't think that you could lift the weight by yourself without any pulleys? any way you break down these scenarios means no good. These machines ( even the ones without pulleys) have a fixed range of motion which means that you don't have to use any balance, coordination, etc to move the weight. The machine is controlling the weight. You simply just push/pull and the weight moves in a predetermined path. While you still get a decent workout you are nonetheless missing out on numerous other critically important benefits that you can be getting if you were not using that machine to lift that weight. these benefits that are being missed out on are sometimes more important and beneficial to the benefits you are actually realizing. missing out on the  fitness elements of balance, coordination, agility, accuracy, etc. during your workout will result in a much less effective workout. Using machines means You are missing out in increasing flexibility, balance, coordination, agility, and even stamina as there are less resting point in using free weights and or body movements. 

I know its scary to lift free weights without the assistance of machines or even running outside in the fresh air without being in a secure gym on a treadmill. I still get scared every time I am about to lift free weights over head or put a huge load of weight on my back before I squat. Heck, I still get scared when I am about to do a body weight workout! I still get the butterflies everyday when the time comes where I suit up and get my workout clothes on to go to "the box". 
I still get scared every time I glance over to see what is on that whiteboard and see what I think is an impossible workout. I even get the chills on the days where I write my own workout (most of the time my brother and coach mike writes the workouts). 
I still get scared when I hear that clock count down to start off the workout. I doubt I would get scared if I was about to run on that treadmill or do a chest press or do work on any machine.  You know why? Because I already know I can do that.  There is little or no excitement in doing things I already know I can do. There is no scariness in doing what you already know you can do. 

Whens the last time your workout scared you? Did your last workout scare you? 

By scared I don't mean dreading your workout.  I mean, SCARED to the point where your heart rate is at a resting rate of 110bpm and you haven't even started to warm up yet. 

If you cannot answer the 2nd question above or if it has been a long while then you need to step it up. I can answer yes to this 99.9 percent of the time (we sometime do need easy and low intensity for recovery). And Yes I am talking to both athletes and everyday people who are working out for purposes living Healthy lifestyle. My parents aged 55 answer yes to the above question every time. Mario, a member in his 40's has answered yes to the question every time. Allyson, age 25 has always answered yes. Fernie, age 13, answers yes. Ashley, in her early 20s answers yes a few time a week. Even coach mike answers yes. Everyone at NoX Training and members of CrossFit gyms world wide answers yes. 

 There is no better way to accomplish fitness goals than fear (or any goals in life for that matter).   There is little or no fun or fear in doing things you already know you can do.  Fear comes with the unknown. Great things are born from doing things that you are either afraid to do or not knowing the outcome before you begin. For those of you who know about basic world history are aware that all of the great inventions/ discoveries/ accomplishments came from being faced with fear and overcoming the fear and unknown. Fear drives us. Intentionally engaging in Activities that cause fear leading up that activity is called Self inflicted fear ( im making up definitions here). This type of fear applied to fitness goals and life goals can help you accomplish BIG things! This is how coach mike came up with the motto of NoX Training: "real life fitness". This fear taps causes us to tap into our animal instincts. As such, we enter the activity/workout/ goal with large amounts of adrenaline fueled  energy which  causes us to do things we previously thought were impossible. 

When is the last time your goal scared you?do the steps you need to take to accomplish that goal scare you? 

 More specifically, when is the last time you made a goal that caused fear to enter your mind when you though what you needed to do in order to accomplish that goal? Again, if you cannot answer that or if it has been a while then you need to step it up! Of course the mini goals that are needed to accomplish the big goal is not as scary and easier to face. 
The first step is to get yourself around individuals who have the same goals or people that have qualities that you strive to achieve. Humans are competitive species and if you are  around like mined individuals you will compete to achieve goals faster than the person next to you. A goal being reached by the person next to you will push you harder to reach  your own. Straightforwardly, 100 percent of the people I am around on a daily basis have similar goals as myself and/or have qualities that I am striving so hard to achieve. 

Anyway, Back to fear..... fear chases many people away. Only certain people are mentally strong enough to place themselves in a position of fear. The people that face these fears and overcome their fear day in and day out experience greater success; much more than people who stay in their comfort zone as comfort zones create little or no improvement. You know the outplayed saying; in order to get better than today you need to stop doing what you did today. Don't get me wrong, I am not talking down on the people that are not taking on fear and doing things that are outside his or her comfort zone. Some people are comfortable with the status quo and there is nothing wrong with that as long as that person is happy. There are Some people who are not comfortable with their homeostasis. Some are the former and some are the latter. I am the latter. 

 Every time I arrive At NoX training I have butterflies and am fearful on what lies ahead. Every time arrive at the box feels like the first time being at NoX. 

 New members have an assumption that the fear will eventually subside and that it is going to get easier. Most people look at me as if I am crazy when I tell them that 1. its not going to get easier and 2. you're always going to have those butterflies and 3. That fear will probably never go away and I hope that it does not. I hope it does not because that is when it becomes boring. When things become boring means that you should not be doing that activity any more. Working out at NoX has not become boring. Maybe its because I am constantly facing and overcoming fear on a daily? Or maybe its because of the good people there with me facing the same fear? Or maybe both? I would say both for sure. 

The day that I face no fear when going to workout or when thinking of a big life goal is the time that I need to immediately reconsider what I have just done and turn around my actions/thoughts before i get into an unwanted negative trend. 







Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas




Christmas WOD (credits to RC Crossfit)

1.5 mile run
1 rope climb
2 hand stand pushups
3 muscle ups
4 pistols
5 chest to bar pullups
6 oh linges with plate
7 kettle bell swimgs (70/50)
8 burpees
9 plate squats
10 box jumps (30"/24")
11 dubbs
12 wallballs
1.5 Mile Run
* 250m row penalty if the is any no rep or if any set is broken up

Rest as needed
And/ or

Partner wod 

For time: 
One partner does 1 clean and jerk(135/95) + 1 strict pullup
Then rest while other works
 2 clean and jerks + 2 strict pullups
Then rest while other works 
3 clean and jerk + 3 strict pullups 
All the way until Set completed is 10 clean and jerks + 10 strict pullups

*10 burpee penalty for any set that is broken up. (Both partner performs 10 burpees first) 

Saturday, December 22, 2012

"How Bad Do You Want It?"

Strength:
5x 3 snatch high pulls @ 80% of max
3x 10 bamboo bench press w/ max effort hold on last rep of each set. 
   Video 


WOD 1: "End of the world"

3 min AMRAP
Rest 1 min
6 Min AMRAP
Rest 2 Min
Completetion (15 min cap)


10 Hand stand pushups
20 Hang Cleans (135/95)
30 Toes to bar
40 Front Squats (135/95)
50 hand release pushups
300m plate run (45/25)
*300m plate carry applies only to the completion portion of the wod 

-OR-

WOD 2:"12 days of Christmas" - (credits to outlaw crossfit)


*After completing the first movement go back to 1 and begin again adding a new movement each round. There are 12 total rounds with one new movement being added each round. I.E. do 1 C&J, then 1 C&J + 2 MU, then 1 C&J + 2 MU + 3 Box Jumps, etc. The WOD is complete when the 12 Front Squats are completed.
1 Clean & Jerk @ 185 #
2 Muscle-Ups
3 Box Jumps 30
4 Hang Squat Snatch @ 115
5 Bar Facing Burpees
6 Push Press @ 115
7 Pistols (alternating)
8 Toes to bar
9 Wall Ball 20
10 Chest 2 bar pullups
11 Hand stand pushups
12 Front Squats @ 185 (no racks)
Chuck Finishing off "12 Days of Christmas" WOD

Coach Mike Finishing "End of the World" WOD




To finnish off todays post  I'll leave you guys with a page ripped out from the philosophical pages of  NoX Training crew member... Ulises Araiza (Unedited)

"How bad do you want it" by Ulises Araiza
While some people dream of doing great things, some people are working for their goal and doing everything possible to get there. You see it's easy to say you want something, it's easy to deceive people and make everyone around you believe that you want it but at the end of the day it's you vs you! the amount of work you put forth is the result you get out. Greatness is not achieved by hoping and dreaming its by your effort and actions. In any aspect of life  whether it be sports, education, or relationships; if you want something bad enough you'll stop making excuses and start living it. It's not an easy road and that's why many succumb to the adversities that arise. But breaking barriers, overcoming thresholds, and reaching new heights will make you stronger; mentally and physically. You can't wait for someone to be your motivation, you have to search within and mold yourself to be that person. life gets tough but you just have to be tougher. If you want it bad enough stop feeling sorry for yourself and start working for it. I stumbled upon an interview that I reference constantly. In this interview Will Smith was asked how he overcame his adversities and became as successful as he is. He  described a story in which his dad asked him and his brother to build a brick wall in their backyard. They were about 13 and 15 and they looked back at their dad and told him that it was impossible, that it would take them years to finish it. But nonetheless they began building, brick after brick, layer by layer. Hours, days, weeks, and months had gone by and they were still working to build this wall that they thought would never be finished. About half way through Will and his brother stepped back and looked at the wall and realized that they were almost done. They realized that they were looking at it the wrong way, instead of looking at the wall they should have broke it down and looked at the bricks before they mentally told themselves it wasn't possible. In life this happens to most of us, we tell ourselves NO before we break down the situation into reasonable proportions. For example if the goal was to build the wall, instead of looking at the entirety, setting small goals and reaching them will keep you motivated and keep you working harder because even if its only one step, you're still moving forward. And this was the Lesson their dad was trying to show them. Eventually they finished the wall. They stepped back and saw how far they come. Will Smith became successful because he had a dream a goal that he didn't wait for but went out and worked for. This can be applied to any goal you aspire to achieve. with dedication, determination, and discipline all is possible! One day you'll step back and see your wall coming together. Never give up and be the best YOU that you can be! How bad do you want it?

Friday, December 21, 2012

What I was missing

“I tinkered around with some of the workouts for a few months and added them into my regular chest/back and bi/tri routine, but it wasn't until my Level 1 (CrossFit Seminar) that I saw just what I was missing.” 

         -Two-time CrossFit Games champion Rich Froning


Strength: 
Build up to 1RM Deadlift

WOD: 
20 Min AMRAP w/ 20# Weight Vest
10 Pullups
10 Ring Dips
10 Box Jumps @ 24"
*200yd medball run buy in
**200yd Medball run @min 10
***200yd medball run @min 20

Cooldown:
.65mile run/20 burpees during run


Stephen Lambert 445# Deadlift @ 150# Body weight



Coach Mike


Slick Nick Workin on his cool down burpees during .65 mile run


Thursday, December 20, 2012

2 Types of Work

Active Rest Day 

Warmup:
1 Mile Trail Run - Easy tempo

Strength/WOD:
8 x 50 yard steep Hill sprints w/20# vest -OR- Elevation Mask
Walk down rest

Then
100 Snatches w/ 50# Kettle




                                        


                                           

CrossFit is for everyone / any age / any capabilities/ both girls and guys. Crossfit is universally scale-able. CrossFit will help build characteristics that help individuals have a better quality of life. Not only do you become healthier physically, but also healthier mentally. The mental battle one faces during a CrossFit workout is similar to the mental battles our early human ancestors faced as a part of every day life just to survive. During the middle of an intense workout your mind is at a constant battle with itself. One thought enters your head such as, "I'm Tired I want to stop" or "I should slow down." Or even, "I'm done with this I'm quitting." The next thought usually is something like this. "I only have __ minutes left or ___ reps left. I can do this." 
"Keep going."
"Hold on just a little bit longer."
Then Immediately after that a stream negative thoughts enter your head such as "my legs are burning, i'm too tired to keep going".

These positive and negative thoughts go back an forward until the clock hits "zero" or you complete the reps required for that workout. 

Do you know what that means? 

A completed workout means that your positive thoughts over powered the negative thoughts.  Throughout the workout you went back and forward: positive thought, negative thought, positive, negative, positive, until the clock hits zero or you complete the task.  

Going through this mental battle on a regular basis can build a mental thought process and create a mental fortitude that usually cannot be built from average day to day activities in today's world. Early humans were faced with similar physical and mental battles that CrossFit workouts put you through. These Battles are what make us human.  The early humans could not stop running after its prey just because they were tired, or else they would face starvation. 

In Today's world people go to work, do routine work which takes little or no mental/physical battle to accomplish the  tasks. These activities that people face in Today's world, though they are mentally draining, create no human progress.  After work the majority of people go home, eat, and vegetate in front of the computer or in Front of the TV.  These actions take away from what it is to be human. 

Of course these activities are sometimes needed for rest purposes , but only after the days work is done.

A days work must include both "work" to pay the bills, and "work " helps build a better person out of yourself. 

With CrossFit we are able to get back in touch with what it is to be human. 

Many people reading this will not understand what I mean. Just ask those people who are already into CrossFit and they will tell you something similar in their own way. 

Also, ask the people over at SICFIT and how they came up with the phrase; "THOSE WHO KNOW ARE"

*apologies for any gramatical errors / fragments /run-on sentences as I did not go back and edit this. 


Tuesday, December 18, 2012

One Goal

Mikko Salo - 2009 CrossFit Games Champion. 




Everyone please watch this video. Mikko's goal is to win the CrossFit Games. Just by watching this short clip you can tell that he really does mean what he says. You can feel his passion and strive for his goal. 
What is your goal for today, tomorrow, this week, next year? 
I'm not talking only about CrossFit / fitness goals but goals in general, whether it be life, year , work, etc. 
What are you doing to reach that goal? 
Nothing? Too little? Too much ? 
Too little is better than nothing. Too much is better than too little. 
Working hard, even if incorrectly is always better than not working at all when trying to reach your goals.  
Goals  ARE NOT  'goals' merely  because you label it as a goal.  A goal is not a goal unless you are striving to achieve them day in and day out. Without striving for and attempts to reach your goals means that what you really want is not really a goal, only a hope, or a dream. 
So wake up and turn your dreams into a goal and start working towards it! 


Warmup: 500M Row x 3
Mobility

Skill: 3 Muscle ups every minute for 18 minutes w/ 20# weight vest/belt

Strength: 5x8 Dumbell press/ 5x6 Weighted Pullups (50#) /5x6 Dumbell Bench Press

WOD: 10 Min AMRAP
10 Wallballs
10 Back Extensions
10 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls w/88# KettleBell

       -Or-

"Helen"
3 Rounds for Time of:
400M run
21 KB Swings
12 Pullups

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Oly Work + Trail Run

Good Work during our Sat AM Lift Session @ NoX Training
Huge personal Bests by Coach Mike and Chuck (videos below).

Shout out to Uli, Chuck, Ryan, Stephen, Jamie, Nick, Coach Mike, Katie, and Allyson for putting in good work on a Saturday morning.

500m Run Warmup
Mobility/drills/Sprints

10x1 Split Jerk
*We ended up doing about 20 sets of 1
10x3 Speed Pulls
10x1 Front Squat

Then The hard part: 3-4 Mile trail Run thru Sycamore Canyon.

*Click Pictures to view full Size


















                                                     Michael Hernandez 310# Split Jerk PR

                                                      Chuck La Rue 245# Split Jerk PR

WORK!

Ryan Split Jerking

Speed Pulls