Summer Challenge

We are starting a summer challenge.  The beginning of summer started this past weekend and wow, was it hot.  If that's an indication of how the rest of the summer will be, then it could get ugly.  I felt like I was starting crossfit all over again after working out in the heat.  My body felt more exhausted than normal.  It also took me longer to recover than normal.  I woke up in the middle of the night on Sunday with one of those burning cramps in my calf that makes you yell out. I hadn't been drinking nearly enough water especially considering how much more I had been sweating. Our Summer Challenge is to drink more water. Atleast 1 oz. of water for every 1 pound of your body weight EACH DAY. That means if you are 80#, you will drink 80 oz. of water every day to complete this challenge. This is the minimum that you are to be drinking.  I usually try to drink 2oz for every pound.  The more you practice this and get in a habit of drinking water, the easier it will get.  Just like everything else right, it starts to become a habit the more you do it.  





Warm Up
3 Rounds
100m Run
10 Tire Flips
10 Flutter Kicks (L+R=1)
10 Air Squats
10 Sprinters
10 Push Ups


Skill
3 Rounds
5/5 One Arm Seated Shoulder Press (box/tire)
10 DB Swings


WOD
10 Minute AMRAP
8 One arm seated shoulder press (4 each arm)
10 Flutter Kicks (L+R=1)
12 Walking Lunges

Coconut Crusted Salmon

This recipe looks challenging and fancy but it is really easy.  If you invite company over for dinner, it's looks like a really nice crusted salmon.  They don't have to know how easy it really was! 
Ingredients
1 lb. Wild Caught Salmon
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
Directions
Remove the skin from the salmon.
Heat coconut oil over medium-high heat.
Dip salmon in beaten eggs in a bowl and then roll in shredded coconut until coated.
When the oil is very hot gently lay the fish in the pan and don't move for 4-5 mins or until outside browns.
Flip and cook the other side for 2-3 mins.
Place the fish onto a baking sheet and put in oven set at 400 degrees.
Depending on how thick the pieces are it will take another 5-10 mins.  
The fish will be flaky to the touch when finished.


Warm Up
Play on the rings and bars for 10 minutes.
(Kipping, pullups, toes to bar, skin the cat, ring rows, dips, etc.)


Skill 
5 Rounds
:30 Parallette L-sit
100m Run


WOD
4 Rounds
50m Farmer Carry
50m Sprint 
15 Burpee Box/Tire Jumps
10 Knees To Elbow/ Toes To Rope

Celebrating Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff of summer. It's also a time when family and friends get together for picnics and backyard barbecues. When celebrating Memorial Day weekend 2012 with your kids, don't forget to teach them about the meaning of the holiday.

When your kids ask, "What is Memorial Day?," be prepared to give them the proper answer. Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have lost their lives in our nation's service. Though some form of Memorial Day has been celebrated in various areas of the country beforehand, Memorial Day was officially proclaimed by General John Logan on May 5, 1868 and was observed later that month on May 30 when flowers were placed on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers who were buried at Arlington Cemetery.

Though it's great to use Memorial Day weekend as a time to get together and have fun with family and friends, you also shouldn't lose sight of the meaning behind the holiday. Over Memorial Day weekend, in addition to the fun and games at your backyard barbecue, you should also teach your kids about the history of the holiday and take part in community events such as parades and memorials. Enjoy the company of family and friends, and celebrate our nation's freedom. Deck out your backyard in red, white and blue and invite family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to spend the day celebrating.

Don't forget our only class on Monday will be at 9am.

Tuesday May 29, 2012
Warm Up
3 Rounds
1 Lap
5 Pull Ups
10 Push Ups
15 Air Squats
20 Sit Ups


Skill
5 Rounds
1 Rope Climbs
5 Deadlifts


WOD
Buy In: 5 Rope Climbs
21-15-9
Deadlifts
Box Jumps
Cash Out: 1 Lap

Memorial Day-Monday

9am class only and it is bring a friend class.  $5 cost for everyone with all the money going to the Marcus Hendren "Games" fund.

UNO

There's several ways to play this based on attendance at today's class.  The more kids who attend, the more fun it will be, but the game is set up so that it can be played with just one person if need be.
One way is to set up a square with a cone at each corner (one red, one yellow, one blue, one green). Give each color an exercise (i.e. red = squats, blue = sit-ups, green = push-ups, yellow=lunges). Assign a 1 lap buy in, then as they pass you hand them a card from our deck of cards. They continue running another lap stopping at the color card they have and completing that number of the exercise (i.e 4 red, run around the lap course stopping at the red cone and completing 4 squats before running the rest of the course back to get another card). Water breaks can be given and the exercises can be switched. (i.e red=db swings, blue=tire jumps, green=push press, yellow=tire flips) Play continues until time limit is up or...you decide its time.
Another way to play is as a whole group. One at a time a player selects a card and leads the group in the number of exercises designated by the number on the card. This way each kid gets a turn in the spotlight. This group setting also allows for emphasis on form versus speed. It could also be played where each kid or team is dealt a hand and they work to complete all the number of exercises as fast as possible.


Attention: Holiday weekend schedule change! We will be having a 9am only workout on Monday for our kids.  There will not be a 530pm kids class like usual due to Memorial Day. 


Warm Up
1 Lap
100m Tire Flips
(Total between everyone who shows up)



Game: UNO


Cool Down
Draw a Balanced Meal
Stretch

Challenge

Today's blog is a continuation of Friday's blog that was titled "Just ONE Thing." Your challenge for today is to practice MINDFULNESS for 10 minutes. What does that mean? It means that for 10 minutes, you will break from what you are doing and bring your attention to one thing and one thing only. You may start your day with it, do it mid-day, or finish your day with it. You may choose from the following list, but pick just one:

Journaling - Spend 10 continuous minutes writing. Some suggestions you might try to get yourself started -- Free writing on what's going on right now, what's working or what's not; writing about 1 positive experience you've had during your day; writing down 3 things you are grateful for, however simple, and say something about how each one impacts your life.
Mindful walking -- Take 10 minutes to quietly walk, bringing your attention to your breathing your steps and your surroundings. You do not have to be alone, but it must be quiet. No conversation.
Sitting in meditation or prayer.

In all of these things, the practice is in having the thing be the ONLY thing that you are doing. Other thoughts will creep in, other desires will pop up. Just quietly and gently bring yourself back to what you are doing.

This can be one of the most important parts of your practice of health and fitness.



Warm Up
Max Bar Hang
1 Lap
25 Sit Ups
20 Air Squats
15 Burpees
10 Toes To Rope
5 Stair Climbs
Max Bar Hang


Skill
7-5-5-3-3
Deadlifts


WOD
Buy In: 
10 Deadlifts
10 Bar Facing Burpees
5 Rounds
5 Broad Jumps
6 Sprinters
7 Air Squats
Cash Out:
10 Deadlifts
10 Bar Facing Burpees

Lessons From A Baseball Game

I like to spend Sunday evenings relaxing and during this time of the year, watching the Sunday Night Baseball Game of the Week! Maybe you saw some of it too, if not it's a great way to pick up on some great skills if you play baseball. With summer almost here, you can probably talk your parents into letting you stay up later to watch it! Last night the Dodgers played the Cardinals. The Dodger's pitcher, was having trouble from the start, and by the middle of the second inning, after he had loaded the bases with no outs, I was saying to myself that they should take him out! If you're a baseball fan, you know that this is something that you never do... take out a starting pitcher, unless absolutely necessary, prior to the 6th inning, because it messes with your starting pitcher rotation. None-the-less, I was thinking, for the sake of THIS game, TAKE HIM OUT! 

Well, their Manager, Don Mattingly, didn't take my short-term advice... and by the 7th inning, the Dodgers were behind by 2 runs. And just like that, in one swing of the bat, a pinch hitter drove a ball over the left field fence, bringing in 3 runs and giving the Dodgers the lead which they kept through the end of the game!

After the game, I was thinking about my knee-jerk, emotional reaction in the second inning, my desire to TAKE HIM OUT shortly after the pitcher started having difficulty, regardless of the consequences to the rest of the team, the rotation, the other pitchers, and his confidence. In that moment, there were a few things I forgot:

1. Sometimes when the going gets tough, the tough need a chance to stay in, stick it out, and get going. Taking the pitcher out, effectively forcing him to quit, could, quite possibly destroy his confidence and effect his performance for way more than one game. 

What do you tell yourself when things get tough? Do you give up, and look for your "reliever." If so, what are you saying about yourself, and how does it effect your confidence the next time things get tough?

2. There isn't always a back-up to get you out of sticky situations. Sometimes you need to "hold the line" and when it gets tough, DIG IN. 

When things get tough for you in your life, do you throw your hands up in the air and quit? If you're really in, truly committed, and you keep yourself in the game in spite of how difficult it is, you'll usually find that you have the ability to rise to the occasion, coming up with incredibly creative ideas that you never would have come up with otherwise.

3. When you're playing on a team, winning and losing is a TEAM effort. If one person struggles, on a winning team, the others pick up the slack. Team builds character and confidence. Team requires FAITH. 

Who is on YOUR team? Do you give your teammates the chance to support you, and pick up the slack when you're not at your best? Do you have back-up that you're confident in? Do you have faith in your team?

Warm Up
21-15-9
DB Sumo Deadlift High Pull
Tire Jumps
DB Swing
*100m Run after each round


Skill
3 Rounds
5 Medball Clean
5 GHD Sit Ups



WOD
3 Rounds
200m Run
10 Medball Cleans
1 Rope Climb 

Just ONE Thing

As kids, I know thinking about the future and the world aren't at the top of the list. It's all about the here and now and having fun, which is exactly the way it should be.  But for a few minutes I want you to do exactly that. What if you were to actually to do everything you told yourself that you wanted to do to improve your life now and in the future? Would it even be possible? When I think of the laundry list of things that I think would lead to a better life for me, it would mean significantly less time for personal time, work, and any sort of social life. And when I got to thinking about it, I wondered, when I make a laundry list of all these things, is it any wonder that I don't do ANY of them? I don't think so. So what I've found that works best for me, is boiling my list down to ONE SINGLE thing. 
I don't try to prioritize or decide which is most important. Rather, I listen to my intuition and make a gut decision... and I make a commitment to that ONE thing... and put all my attention on that over the course of 3-4 weeks. Just spend a few minutes on it a couple times a day and it won't seem overwhelming. Not only does this help me to accomplish that one thing, it helps me develop self-trust. So that my psyche starts to trust me when I say I'm going to do something. I may not be perfect, but I set myself up for as much success as I can this way. For me, my ONE thing for the next month is 5 minutes of meditation each day.
If you had to boil YOUR list down to just ONE thing for the next month, what would it be? 


Warm Up
Obstacle Course


Skill
Clean & Jerk 
Double Unders


WOD
10 Minute AMRAP
6 Pull Ups
20 Walking Lunges
6 Backward Burpees
20 Walking Lunges
6 Air Squats
20 Walking Lunges

Paleo Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Who doesn’t love pizza?

Imagine the best piece of pizza you have ever eaten.The crust has just the right texture, the sauce is delicious and flavorful, and it is topped to perfection with all your favorites. Yum. I can’t claim that this recipe rivals that thought I just conjured up in your heads, but when your tummy calls for the goodness that is pizza, but your mind knows it’s not the right time for a cheat meal, this cauliflower crust is sure to hit that pizza-loving spot.

Recipe:

• 3/4 Large head of cauliflower (or 3+ cups shredded cauliflower)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp onion powder

The steps to make the crust are fairly simple. First,shred your head of cauliflower with a grater. You can also use a food processor for this step, just make sure that the cauliflower is shredded and not pureed. Once all the cauliflower is shredded, place into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 8 minutes until cauliflower is soft. No water is needed for the cauliflower to steam in the microwave. Allow cauliflower to cool. Preheat the oven to 450° and prepare a baking sheet or pizza pan for the crust. Spread some coconut oil on pan to avoid sticking.  Mix your cauliflower crumbles with the egg and spices. When the mixture is thoroughly combined, pour onto baking sheet and “pat” into a round crust. Place crust in oven for about 15 minutes until golden and edges have become crispy. Remove from oven and top with organic or homemade tomato sauce and your favorite toppings. Turn oven to broil and bake for about 5 minutes. Ideas for toppings: turkey pepperoni and pineapple, zucchini, mushrooms, onions and black olives, hamburger crumbles and turkey sausage.

This is a great way to fill your kids up with vegetables without them even knowing. Load the healthy crust up with their favorite toppings or try the kid-friendly sweet Hawaiian mixture of pineapple and ham!

Warm Up

50 Single Unders/ 25 DU's

1 Lap

35 Tire Jumps

1 Lap

20 Single Unders/ 10 DU's

1 Lap

10 Tire Jumps

Skill

DogSled Push

WOD

12 Min AMRAP

1 Rope Climb

100m Sled Push/Pull

10 Tire Flips

10 Dot Jumps

10 Sit Ups

400 Percent

Forcing children into sport-specific training can be detrimental.  

A 400 percent increase—that’s huge. If we were talking about your deadlift, that would be spectacular. Instead, we’re talking about a 400 percent increase in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in children.
The rise is largely due to children’s lack of general physical conditioning and the increasing trend toward early sport specialization, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the organization Stop Sports Injuries.
What does this kind of knee injury mean long term for a child? Devastation. It isn’t just knee injuries, though. Career-ending elbow and shoulder injuries are on the rise. Concussions as well.
Career-ending injuries at age 12? How could this happen?
Little leagues have a pitch count for kids, right?  But this is only for games and doesn't include warm up pitches and throwing from other positions.  When you take into account practices and kids specializing in sports at earlier ages, all these throws add up quickly and take a toll on young arms.  I started playing baseball at age 8.  Now kids are able to sign up for tee ball at age 4.  
When I was in Kindergarten and Elementary school, I remember staying after school and playing different sports and games on the playground with all the other neighborhood kids.  That doesn't happen anymore with kids being rushed off to games and practices every day.  
Also fewer and fewer kids get a chance to have PE class in school as those are the first to be cut when schools struggle.  That is where kids learn functional fitness. (ie running, jumping, tumbling and gymnastics movements)
So the solution? Let your kids just be kids and let them make fitness fun and it will last a lifetime.  At a young age, let them play the sports that they want to play.  There is plenty of time later in their childhood to specialize in a single sport if they are talented, enjoy the sport, and want to play that sport in college.  Until that point, don't keep them away from general fitness and those long afternoons learning to throw, catch, shoot and run with friends.

Warm Up
3 Rounds 2:00/1:00 rest
3 Thrusters with Medball
5 Burpees
10 Air Squats

Skill
Thrusters with DB's/ Barbell


Test
400m Run For Time


WOD
6 Minute AMRAP
6 Pullups (Jumping if needed)
6 Box Jumps

Infant Swimming Resource

CrossFit Kids, a worldwide fitness program designed for children, is working with Infant Swimming Resource, the safest provider of survival swimming lessons worldwide, to teach children water-survival skills, safety, and confidence that will help children Prepare For The Unexpected.

“As the first ones on the scene, fire fighters and police officers know drowning tragedies all too well,” said Greg Glassman, CrossFit CEO. “All four of my children have successfully completed ISR’s Self-Rescue program, and I am a believer that a moment’s inattention does not have to cost a child his life. Through this initiative, CrossFit Kids and ISR will be teaching children to be survivors.”

"Many families do not realize the threat that drowning poses to their children. They don’t realize they won’t even hear a splash, and that a child can be properly trained to survive in the water alone," said Harvey Barnett, Ph.D., pediatric drowning prevention specialist and founder of Infant Swimming Resource. “When it comes to swimming lessons, everyone is in need -- together we are preparing children for the unexpected.

Warm Up

10 Supermen

20 Sit Ups

30 Dot Jumps

Skill

Toes To Bar

WOD

Buy In: 20 Wall Ball

3 Rounds

15 Sit Ups

10 Knees To Elbow

5 Toes To Bar

Cash Out: 20 Wall Ball

Marcus Hendren To The Crossfit Games!

What an amazing weekend it was! Amazing amazing job by all our athletes that competed and by the CFNA community for coming out and representing the best crossfit gym in the region.  So inspired by every single athlete's heart and never quit attitude that was put on display every single day.  Our very own, Marcus Hendren finished 4th overall and will be joining our masters athlete, Ron Thomas, in California in July for the Crossfit Games!  

Warm Up
Obstacle Course


Skill
Snatch


WOD
Snatch Ladder

No classes this weekend

Don't forget we don't have classes Friday, Saturday or Sunday because of Regionals.  Our Community Friday will be spent at the Fairgrounds inside the Celeste Center watching our 7 regional athletes compete.  Come on out and join us starting at 10am Friday and lasting all weekend!

Regionals

This is the weekend that all the blood, sweat and tears that our athletes have put in will pay off.  It's regionals weekend and we have 7 athletes that will be competing starting Friday morning at around 10am.  The competition lasts through Sunday and will be held right here in Columbus at The Celeste Center by The Fairgrounds and Crew Stadium.  The competition will feature teams, individual women and men competing for the right to advance to the Crossfit Games in July in Los Angeles, California.  We will not be having any classes Friday, Saturday or Sunday as everyone will be at the competition screaming their heads off for our athletes.  The atmosphere will be electric and the weekend is sure to be a blast so come and check out the action!

Warm Up

2 Rounds

3 Rope Climbs

10 Toes To Rope

20 Walking Lunges

Sprint To Dots

10 Dot Jumps

Skill

400m Run

Rest 2 Mins

200m Run

Rest 1 Min

100m Run

WOD

3 3:00 Rounds w/ 1 Min Rest Between Each

2 DB Snatches (1 each arm)

4 Burpees

6 DB Swings

*Start each round where you left off

You're Getting Smarter As You Work Out

Do you believe, as I do, that your brain, just like the other organs and muscles in your body, improves with use, and declines with underuse and age? To me, that makes perfect sense, use your brain, and keep it functioning well. But what surprised me is learning that your brain also responds to physical exercise, in and of itself. From a recent article in the NY Times How Exercise Could Lead to a Better Brain, in a study done with mice, "Animals that exercised, whether or not they had any other enrichments in their cages, had healthier brains and performed significantly better on cognitive tests than the other mice. 'Only one thing had mattered,' Rhodes says, 'and that’s whether they had a running wheel.” 

Whether you know it or not, you're physically strengthening the neural pathways in your brains when you work out - improving your ability to think clearly now and later in life!

How's THAT for great Wednesday news?!


Warm Up
3 Rounds
30 Mtn Climbers
20 Bicycles
10 Jumping Lunges


Skill
3 Rounds
5 Snatch Balance (PVC)
1 Minute Wall Figure 4
3 Skin The Cats



WOD
10 Minute AMRAP
100m Row
5 Thrusters
3 Pull Ups

Pan Seared Steak

Ingredients
Steak, about 1 inch thick (trim any fat away)
Salt and pepper
Coconut oil (Natural "good" fat & can withstand high cooking temp.)

Supplies
Stovetop
Oven, warmed
12-inch skillet
Tin foil (if necessary)

Directions
1. Dry the steak with paper towels and sprinkle salt and
pepper over both cooking sides. Warm your
oven to 150 F.
2. Heat the pan first to medium-high, then add oil.
Getting the temperature right is critical; know it
for your stove. It’s the point at which the coconut oil
is sizzling. Wait until that temperature is
reached to add the steak.
3. Place the steak in the pan and don’t move it. Flip it
at 3 minutes and, once again, don’t move it. Reduce
the heat to medium, and cook the other side for 4
to 5 minutes.
4. Move the steak to the warmed oven to let it rest for
10 minutes. You don’t have to keep it in a warmed
oven, but cover it with tin foil and let it rest before
carving or serving.

Notes
One should balance the factors of cost and fat content
when buying a steak. One of the best cuts in this category
is a boneless top sirloin steak. I usually get more than I
need for one meal in order to have some left over.
Lean steaks cook best at a high temperature. This is not
for the faint of heart: high temperatures call for keeping
your wits about you. These instructions are for mediumrare
steak.
If you use a thicker cut, you’ll require more cooking time. In
my experience, a steak 1¼ inches thick should be seared 4
minutes per side, and a steak 1½ inches thick for 5 minutes
per side (reducing the heat to medium at the 2-minute
mark on the second side). If you’re not sure, and as a rule
of thumb, undercook the meat slightly, as the cooking
process will continue after it’s removed from the heat
source, a phenomenon known as “carry-over cooking.”
If you want to be specific about your degree of
doneness—and test this method to figure out what works
best for you—use a meat thermometer. Testing at exactly
the moment you take the steak off the high heat, cook
as follows: 115 to 120 degrees for rare, 120 to 125 F for
medium rare, 130 to 135 F for medium, 140 to 145 F for
medium-well, and 150 to 155 F for medium well done.
Practicing this technique and getting it right can be
considered a basic life skill. Combine your meat with
tossed vegetables and a good fat. You’ll be glad you did.


Warm Up
5 Medball Clean & Jerks
Monkey Bars (Outside)
5 Tire Flips
5 In & Out Tire Jumps (In & Out=1)
100m Sprint
1 Front Roll/ Cartwheel


Skill
Hollow Rocks
Pistols



WOD
4 Rounds
10 Pistols (5 each)
20 Push Ups
10 Hollow Rocks
Max Handstand Hold (on wall)

Super Speedy The Flash

The things you do in daily life and sports require you to 


move in many directions, at many different speeds and at


 different intervals of time. CrossFit makes it easier for you


 to accomplish these things by conditioning your body and 


mind through constantly changing workouts that challenge 


you in every possible way. More speed, more strength, the


 ability to run a mile, all of these are within your reach if you


 continue to faithfully work to the best of your ability. 


Exercise is fun, and it can change every part of your life.




Warm Up
Obstacle Course


Skill
Squat Clean


WOD
5-4-3-2-1
Squat Clean 
HSPU

In case you were wondering

This is our new bank, deposit for a brand new floor. We have a bell sitting on top that we want you to then ring after you make a donation.  You've been asking and offering so now is the time.  You will see the bucket under the white board by the stairs.  We'd like to get the funds all set up by this weekend (as much as possible).  The bucket will stay there until the end of the month in case some people forget.

We will be having "Bring a Friend" Weekend on Saturday and Sunday this weekend at all the classes except the Olympic Lifting Classes which are Saturday at 8am and Sunday at 4pm. 

Warm Up
2 Rounds
200m Run
Stair Climb
5 Ring Rows
5 GHD Situps
5 GHD Hip Ext.
5 Burpees
5 Medball Ground to Shoulder(ie deadlift & clean)


Skill
3 Rounds
2Wall Walks/
Handstand Push Ups/
Pike Push Ups on tall box
5 Medball Cleans



WOD
10 Minute AMRAP
2 HSPU/ Pike Push Ups
4 Medball Cleans
6 DB Swings
8 Air Squats
100m Run

Fundraiser

If you haven't noticed we have set up a donation bucket under the stairs to help us get rubber stall mats in the gym to cover up the bare floor that we have right now.  The goal is to raise $2,000 and the quicker we do the quicker we will get the mats in the gym.  With over 200 people running around here it shouldn't be much of a problem if everyone chips in.  We will also be having a "Bring a Friend" WOD this weekend with a $5 charge for everyone to help with the fundraising.  We're making it a "community" driven program because all of the extra money has gone into opening more classes recently.  


Why this you ask.....  People have been asking for stall mats for quite a while now and when we move to a bigger place they are way easier to move than 12' x 55' pieces of turf.  We will have turf along with the stall mats at the new place to make everyone happy as well :)


Warm Up
8 Minute Amrap
1 Lap
100m Farmers Carry (choose db's, kb's, 10# bumpers)
10 Pullups


Skill
5 Rounds
Rowing Intervals
1:00 on
2:00 off (1 Rope Climb)


WOD
10 Minute AMRAP
5 Pullups
10 DB Swings
15 Wall Ball