Monday, March 31, 2008

Feats of Strength



Here is a video of Ben doing 30 muscle ups for time. 
He set a new gym record today with a time of 7:47!  
If you don't have a muscle up yet keep working on your pull-ups and ring dips. 
 Combine the two with a little technique and voila!  Success!

Sunday, March 30, 2008

New Classes begin April 21st

Hi there!  We will be offering 3 new classes starting Monday April 21st.  New classes will be added to the schedule Monday, Wednesday & Friday at 5:30.  

New schedule effective April 21st.

Monday, Wednesday, & Friday 7:00 am
Tuesday & Thursday 10:00 am
Monday, Wednesday & Friday at 5:30 pm
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday at 6:30 pm
Saturday 8:30 am & 10:00 am

Hope to see you there!  Thanks to all the new people who joined us for class this week for the first time.  Erika, Casey, Tiffany & Cristina all did a great job with the workouts!  

Saturday, March 29, 2008

The weather outside is frightful






We had to stay inside today due to the snow falling outside.  
It is March 29th right?

Workout was:

with a running clock
1 minute at each station 
rest 3 minutes between rounds

row for calories
wall ball
kettlebell swings
slam ball


Can you say March 29th!  Do you know how much our your diet is derived from corn?  Here is a preview of a documentary airing on PBS called King Corn.  It is an entertaining and fascinating look at the American food system and how corn has come to dominate almost every facet of the modern food chain.  It starts with two college students planting a single acre of corn and following its path from seed to dinner plate.  Take the time to see it if you dare!  
It's an eye opener!


Here is another link to an article by author Michael Pollan about corn and it's prevalence in our food system.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Two is better than one







Today we did a partner workout and took it outside.  This was a fun one!  Congratulations to Casey and Cristina on doing such a great job with their first group workout!

Workout was:

1000 meter row
med ball partner passes around the block
100 dumbbell snatches
overhead walks 4 trips
50 ring rows
100 wall ball

you share the reps with your partner and only one of you can work at a time

Thursday, March 27, 2008

L-sits

Walking kettlebell swings


Congratulations to Meg and Katje who both got their first l-sit hold today!  

1 leg deadlifts

Katje demonstrating the gladiator


Tonight we took our time with the skill portion of the workout.

we introduced the dumbbell clean and then:

3 rounds at your own pace
windmills
1 leg deadlift
l-sits
hamstring pull-ins on the rings
walking swings

WOD
500 meter row

10 kettlebell clean and press (each side)
20 hand to hand kettlebell swings

Here is a link from Mighty Foods about Dove Vivi a new pizzeria on the Eastside.  
They've been getting a lot of press about their delicious pies.  They highlight fresh local ingredients on their menu and offer vegetarian and vegan options.  Mighty Foods is another great site to check for recipes and healthy cooking tips.  

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Cindy revisited



5 pull-ups

10 push-ups

15 squats

Tonight we warmed up with some kettlebell drills.  For workout we did the benchmark workout Cindy.  It's been about 4 weeks since we last did this one there was a lot of improvement in performance.  Way to go!

Workout was:

how many rounds in 20 minutes

5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 squats


Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Fractured Helen



Today in class we warmed up with windmills, 1 leg deadlifts, and turkish get-ups.  For workout we did fractured Helen.  Rest is programmed in so you can put out a max effort on each round.

Workout was:

Fractured Helen

3 rounds

run 450 meters
21 kettlebell swings
12 pull-ups

 Looking to breath a little new life into your diet?  Here are 10 foods that mark the arrival of spring and just may lead you to discover a new favorite.  Remember variety is the spice of life.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Women of Crossfit



Here are some pics from our Thursday morning class.  Thanks to Stephanie for visiting with us while she was in town on vacation.  She did a great job with the workouts.  

With so many women working on their first kipping pull-up I thought you'd enjoy watching this video of Helen from CrossFit Santa Cruz.  Watching them really drives me to improve my skills and endurance.  The workout is 3 rounds of 400 meter run, 21 kettlebell swings with the 16k and 12 pull-ups.  Happy viewing!



Sunday, March 23, 2008

What's your score?



Pets can have an impact on your activity level

We are so fortunate to live in Portland where we have access to parks, trails and endless choices for outdoor activities. (when the weather cooperates)  Here are two links worth checking out.  The first is a commentary on the importance of neighborhoods on fitness.  
It's My Neighbors Fault I'm Fat
The ability to walk to services, schools, shopping and restaurants as well as access to good public transportation has unmeasurable value to the quality of life.  Walkable neighborhoods support the local economy, encourages interaction between neighbors and is truly the best way to acheive the greener lifestyle that is so currently in fashion.  Portland is full of compact neighborhoods that supports all these ideals.   Walkscore.com is a website that takes your address and calculates a score from 1-100 that gauges the walkability of your neighborhood.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Spring Fever











Thanks to everyone for coming out to workout on such a beautiful Saturday.  This was the largest 8:30 am class we've had.   Both classes did the same workout today.

The ladder got a little trickier today with some backwards drills. We also warmed up with some med ball passes around the block.  

We all worked on kipping pull-ups/band pull-ups, ring dips and we tried kettlebell chops.  Katja astounded us all with her beautiful box jumps!  Julie I hope you enjoyed the bike ride!  Remember, pace yourself!  

Workout was:

40 seconds on/ 20 seconds off
4 rounds

dumbbell push press
d-ball squats
push-ups
box jumps
hand to hand swings
renegade lunge

Here is a review of the book "Eat This, Not That!"  from the NY Times. Bon appetit!

Friday, March 21, 2008

2 minutes of pain, 3 minutes of rest


Tonight we warmed up with ring rows, jackknifes, knees to elbows and ring push-ups.  Everyone did a great job, this was a tough one.  

Workout was:
 
5 rounds

1 minute of rowing for calories
1 minute of dumbbell thrusters

rest 3 minutes between rounds

Our local Burgerville has been recognized as a modern alternative to traditional fast food.  Mighty Foods is another great blog that offers healthy recipes and reviews.  Check it out!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Flip, catch and squat





Tonight we warmed up with ladder drills and then we took our time working on some skills.  Workout was a short metcon.

3 rounds

5 Windmills (each side)
5-1 legged kettlebell deadlift (each leg)
handstand push-ups
10 flip catch and squat
l-sits

mini metcon

row 500 meters
25 jumping pull-ups
25 ball slams

For the first time we tried the flip, catch and squat otherwise known as the wallball substitute.  You start with a mini swing as you flip the kettlebell upside down, catch the kettlebell in a full squat, then as you come out of the squat you throw the kettlebell back into a swing.  This one will get your heart rate up in no time!