Monday July 1, 2013

Today I say goodbye (in some ways) to a best friend. Mike Frost is leaving Local for a while. It would be pretty easy to say that this is one of the most bittersweet days in my career as a coach. Let me explain.

The Frost that you see today was not always so. Seven years ago, I was a wet behind the ears personal trainer at a globo gym. Mike was one of my first clients. I distinctly remember him vomiting during suicide sprints on his first day. He could barely do a single under. But what I also remember was that Mike had the heart of a lion. This guy was able to take a punch and get back up again. His desire to succeed far outweighed his current physical condition. I've yet to see his determination matched in another individual.

Even more impressive is his compassion for others. Whether it's backpacking together (where he has to practically drag me up a mountain trail) or watching him encourage every single Local athlete, I'm always proud of what Mike stands for. He is truly a fantastic guy.

It's obvious to people how Mike has changed physically on the outside since we first met. He's stronger, fitter, and just more badass in general. What isn't obvious though is how I've changed on the inside during that time. Frost has made me a better person and a better coach. You're all benefitting from the friendship I'm so lucky to have.

Mike we wish you well in your journey and we can't wait to have you back here at Local some day.

Workout of the Day

A.
Six sets of:
Power Snatch from Mid-Thigh x 6 reps
(these should be fast and continuous, like this.)
Rest as needed, work up as heavy as you can, but stay focused on barbell speed.

B.
Three rounds for time of:
185/135# Front Squats x 8 reps
400 Meter Run

Barbell originates from the ground.

L2: 135/95#

L2: 95/65#

Saturday June 29, 2013

CrossFit Local's Summer PR Challenge is finally here!!!

We are ending testing week today with our big PR Challenge! If you are NOT signed up for the PR Challenge, you may NOT WOD today. This is for competitors only! Although, we encourage you to come and cheer on your fellow Locals as a spectator, or better yet, come sign up & lift with them!

It is NOT too late to register! You can sign up on the sheet when you sign in to WOD today!

Workout of the Day:    

Max Snatch

Max Clean & Jerk

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THE DETAILS:

    Challenge Prelims:  TODAY – All Classes

    Challenge Finals:     Saturday, August 24

    Entry Fee:                 $30 ($20 goes for prize money)

    Prize Purse:              $20 x the number of participants

    Prize Categories:     Most Improved and Most Weight Lifted

*Challenge is open to ALL LEVELS*

Take the Challenge - How much can you improve?

Friday June 28, 2013

2 years ago I parked in an empty back lot, and poked my head into a warehouse and asked the shirtless guy rowing if I could drop-in on a class. Turns out he owned the place. I really liked the vibe, and convinced my girlfriend to sign up with me—and CrossFit Local quickly became my favorite place to be.

The folks that make up the Local community are the people I feel closest to in NC, and I’m going to miss being able to show up at my second home and see all of my friends. I had never coached before Chad gave me that opportunity, and now it is my favorite thing that I do. I get excited to go to a class, see who shows up, and help people get stronger, faster, and all-around more capable as human beings. I’ve visited many other CrossFit facilities around the country, and CrossFit Local is really special—the owners care deeply about doing good work, the coaches are incredibly talented and passionate about improving athletes. The community is a healthy, fun, supportive group that I will miss terribly.

We’re off to Philly for the next adventure, and I want to thank you all for making these couple of years so fulfilling. I was hesitant about moving here, and now I don’t want to leave.

Workout of the Day

A.
Spend 15 mins finding your 1RM of each:

Weighted Dip
Freestanding Handstand

B.
"Justin"

3 rounds for time:

10 Deadlift 315/205#
10 C2B pull-ups
10 Wall balls 30# to 11’/20# to 10’
50 Double-unders

Thursday June 27, 2013

Competing by Coach Audrey

This weekend I competed in the CAPITAL CITY CAROLINA CLASH. I signed up for it on a whim while watching Michael prep for Regionals, just got the itch. It consisted of a strength WOD and 2 Conditioning WOD's.

Event 1: 6 rep max front squat, from the floor

Event 2: 4 minutes to complete 200 Double Unders and as many kettlebell snatches as possible 35# in the remaining time.

Event 3: Three 4 minute AMRAPs:
Part 1: 6 x 185# Deadlift and 8 x abmat sit ups
Part 2: 6 x 115# Hang cleans and 8 x air squats
Part 3: 6 x 105# Shoulder-to-Overhead and 8 x hand-release burpees

I was excited when I found out the WOD's a few weeks ago. I was capable of completing all 3 and it was a good atmosphere. The girls I was competing against did as good or better than me in the Open. I PR'd in event 1 and 2 in comparison to how I performed in practice. I PR'd in Part 1 and 2 of Event 3 and then ran out of gas.... The burpees were tough, but this is the beauty of competitions, they show you where you need to work harder so you can be better.

From the Clash I have some positive take-aways:

1. My olympic lifting work has paid off and I was able to preform well in WOD 1.
2. I still the love the kettlebell we will be BFF's for life.
3. Don't ever underestimate the burpee. Sure you just fall down and get back up, but sometimes it feels so good down there on the ground, you don't really want to get back up and that was my problem. My burpees were sloooooooow.
4. Also, need to work on longer WOD's. The one I slipped on was 14 minutes, with the "rest" minute just giving you enough time to change plates.
5. In addition, I think a limiting factor that can go unrecognized is the mental aspect of a WOD. I was perfectly capable of doing those burpees and the shoulder to overhead felt light. It was my mental game that failed me. I wasn't fully invested and let the pain sink in. The best competitors are those who can keep the pain at bay, ignore it, or use it as fuel. 6. I finished 6th, 9th, and 10th. So overall I am happy that I was consistent.

Putting yourself in this type of situation - competing in front of a crowd, throwing it all on the line - can be intimidating. You maybe thinking, "I can't do that," but you can and you will be glad you did. You will learn so much about yourself and your training.

Plus, there was a scaled version of this competition. The women/men still did WOD 1 the same but were scored separately from the Rx men/women. They completed WOD 2 but with 200 single unders and a lighter kettlebell. They completed WOD 3 with the same rep scheme but lighter weights.

Don't worry I have already done the research for you....

July 13th Superfit Games at Crossfit Invoke in Raleigh, NC
This is a PARTNER Competition with Rx and SCALED divisions for men/men, women/men, or women/women teams! I would love to see some Locals compete in this. http://www.rxcompetitions.com/2013/03/superfit-games-team-superfit-raleigh/

Find a partner and get after it!

Workout of the Day:

A.
Within 20 mins, establish a max for each of the following:

L-sit
Toes-to-Bar
Muscle-ups (or C2B Pull-ups)

B.
For time:
Row 1000 Meters
10 Shoulder to Overhead (135/95 lb)
20 Squat Cleans (135/95 lb)
30 Burpees Over the Barbell

Lateral jump over is fine, but must be two foot jump and two foot land. Post times to comments.

L2: 105/75#

L1: 75/50# & Power Cleans

Wednesday June 26, 2013

This week at Local is testing week so we want you to be audacious and set some amazing PRs! Not only do we want you to set them, we want you to ring the PR bell to celebrate them, and write them on the PR board to acknowledge and share them!

We're going to be ending testing week on Saturday with our big PR Challenge! If you are NOT signed up for the PR Challenge, you may NOT WOD on Saturday. This is for competitors only! Although, we encourage you to come and cheer on your fellow Locals as a spectator, or better yet, sign up & lift with them!

 Key Points about the PR Challenge:

• This is testing week and we assume you want to know your new max snatch and clean & jerk so you might as well try to win some money in the process! PR and money? Yes, please! 
• Many of you want to sign up but haven't because of the dates. We will have make up days for both the prelims and the finals. You may test before or after Saturday as long as it's done by Monday evening, July 1. You MUST have a judge.
• There has been some confusion about the categories, people saying things like no one can snatch 1¼ of your bodyweight and that's beginner level?! Of course not! Beginner, for example, is <1 ¼ x bodyweight (i.e. your total snatch + clean & jerk weight is less than 1¼ of your bodyweight). An example: if you weigh 120#, your snatch weight + your clean and jerk weight would need to equal less than <150# to be beginner level. If you clean 95# and snatch 65# that makes you Intermediate level.
  
•  Preliminaries are THIS Saturday, June 29. This is to establish a baseline snatch and clean & jerk weight that you will try to improve upon in 8 weeks.
• We have clinics arranged to help you improve your skills. Last night's Snatch Clinic with Coach Kelly Sold out! There will be a clean & jerk clinic on Wednesday 7/31 at 6 PM. This clinic is included with your registration fee so it's FREE for those signed up for the Challenge!
  
• If you remember the last PR Challenge finals, we had free beer for the competitors, a food truck & DJ! Don't miss out on the fun!
  
• You must be registered before this Saturday to be eligible to win cash prizes! Some of the money goes to the winners, but 60% of the money will go to most improved participants. The more people who sign up and participate, the more money you can win!!! Our last PR challenge had total prize money = $840!!!

THE CHALLENGE:
   

Max Snatch

Max Clean & Jerk

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THE DETAILS:

    Challenge Prelims:  Saturday, June 29 – All Classes

    Challenge Finals:     Saturday, August 24

    Entry Fee:                 $30 ($20 goes for prize money)

    Prize Purse:              $20 x the number of participants

    Prize Categories:     Most Improved and Most Weight Lifted

*Challenge is open to ALL LEVELS*

How the Challenge Works

1. GET REGISTERED – The sign-up sheet is located on the upcoming events board. Indicate which division you want to compete in and how you will pay your Oly PR Challenge entrance fee of $30 (and remember that $20 goes into the purse for prize money).

2. CHALLENGE PRELIMS - Saturday, June 29. Set your preliminary Oly PRs. This will be the weight from which we calculate your improvement.

3. TRAIN – CrossFit, attend barbell club and the snatch and clean & jerk clinics for 8 weeks with the intention of improving your oly lifts

4. SHOW UP FOR THE FINALS – Saturday, August 24. Join your fellow Locals in an event intended to blow you away as everybody attempts to set new PRs!

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CATEGORIES

Snatch + clean & jerk weight = Total

Beginner:    <1 ¼ x bodyweight (i.e. your total snatch + clean & jerk weight is less than 1¼ of your bodyweight)

Intermediate: 1 ¼ - 2 x bodyweight

Advanced:    >2 x bodyweight

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PRIZES

1. Greatest Overall Improvement for male and female in each category - 60% of the prize money will go toward this category

2. Most weight lifted by a male and female in each category

3. Most weight lifted as a percentage of bodyweight by a male and female in each category

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Take the Challenge - How much can you improve? 

Workout of the Day:

A.
In eight sets or fewer, build to a 1-RM Strict Press
* Set 1 – 50% of possible 1-RM x 5 reps
* Set 2 – 65% of possible 1-RM x 4 reps
* Set 3 – 75% of possible 1-RM x 3 reps
* Set 4 – 85% of possible 1-RM x 2 reps
* Set 5 – 90-95% of possible 1-RM x 1 rep
* Sets 6-8 – Test 1-RM
Rest 60-100 seconds between sets 1-4, and then 3-4 minutes between
attempts over 85%.

B.
Eight sets for max meters of:
30 seconds max effort row sprint
Rest 2:30

Post total number of meters rowed to comments.

Tuesday June 25, 2013

Stephanie W says hi from San Fran!

Summer Lovin' by Coach Kelly

The start of summer means travel season is officially here! I want to provide a few quick tips so you can take care of yourself outside the box during your travels.

1. Stay hydrated. It’s hot out there so drink some extra water.
2. Mobilize. Hours on a plane and sitting in cars are bad for you! Undo some of it with a foam roller and a lacrosse ball, both of which are small and easy to travel with.
3. WOD. Either find a local CrossFit where you’re going to be staying (many charge a nominal drop in fee & you get a t-shirt) or do some of these bodyweight WODs. Take your jump rope with you so you can work on those double unders!
4. Rest. Wait, what? Yes, rest! Make sure you are taking rest days. Participate in active recovery (i.e. mobilizing) or enjoying a new activity on your rest day. I promise you’ll come back faster and stronger!

Have fun and be safe on your travels! Be sure to take a cool photo wearing your Local shirt wherever you go and we’ll post it on the blog. At the end of the summer, we’ll vote on the best photo and that person will win some sweet Local gear from the pro-shop!!!

Workout of the Day:

A.
Four Rounds:
Weighted Pull-up x 1
Rest 30 sec
UB Double Unders x Max
Rest 2 min

Try to establish a max weighted pull-up and unbroken double under set by the end of the fourth round.

B.
Four Rounds:
15 Slam Balls (30/20#)
Max distance Farmer's Carry (32/24kg)
Rest 1 min

Farmer's carries will be done outside between two cones set 25m apart. Score equals total meters.

L2:
15 Slam Balls (20/10#)
Max distance Farmer's Carry (24/16kg)

L1:
10 Slam Balls (20/10#)
Max distance Farmer's Carry (16/10kg)

Monday June 24, 2013

Congratulations to Coach Audrey on finishing 7th in the Carolina Clash!

Workout of the Day
A.
In eight sets or fewer, build to a 1-RM Back Squat
* Set 1 – 50% of possible 1-RM x 5 reps
* Set 2 – 65% of possible 1-RM x 4 reps
* Set 3 – 75% of possible 1-RM x 3 reps
* Set 4 – 85% of possible 1-RM x 2 reps
* Set 5 – 90-95% of possible 1-RM x 1 rep
* Sets 6-8 – Test 1-RM
Rest 60-100 seconds between sets 1-4, and then 3-4 minutes between attempts over 85%.

B.
For max reps:
60 seconds of Pull-Ups
Rest 2 minutes
60 seconds of Strict Handstand Push-Ups
Rest 2 minutes
60 seconds of Kipping Handstand Push-Ups
Rest 2 minutes
60 seconds of Ring Dips

Remember, this is a testing week! Please perform the workouts . . . AND POST YOUR RESULTS!

There are only TWO SPOTS left in the snatch clinic tomorrow night. Sign up here or on the events board at the box!