Thursday night at 7:30pm is a CrossFit Express Class.  I hope to see you there. The Iron by Henry Rollins.  Trevor sent this to me last night, health and I had read it years ago.  But dammit, The Iron is something you should read regularly to “stoke the fire.”  There are some memorable one-liners in this essay.  Please pick your favorites and post to Facebook comments. Weighted Pushups Are you reading this a doing a double take?  Weighted “PUSHUPS”???  Oh, it’s a thing.  We haven’t done this in a while, but since we’re at the end of the pushups challenge, it seemed like fun.  To perform a weighted pushup, you lay on the ground, on your chest, at the bottom of the pushup position.  Have a partner, or 2, stack weight on your scapula.  Once they have hit the desired weight – PUSH.  I wouldn’t make the weighted pushup the...Read more

Wednesday’s Benchmark WOD is “Helen” – 3 rounds for time of 400m run, order 21 Kettlebell swings 53/35, unhealthy 12 pullups.  Helen is a classic CrossFit tester, advice I’m pretty sure it was the WOD that was used in one of the first CrossFit competitions in 2003.  Greg Amundson did the WOD in just under 10 minutes.  The CrossFit world dropped it’s collective jaw in 2007 when James “OPT” Fitzgerald went sub 7 in one of the great CrossFit videos of all time. Helen is a test of aerobic power and endurance, akin to running a mile and a half a fast as you can – how fast can you go and can you can you hang on. I have broken this strategy into 3 parts, those of you that have unbroken pullups, those of you that have pullups, but 12 unbroken is not possible and those of you that...Read more

Tuesday we will be testing the 5 rep max of the Back Squat.  We have done a heavy build of the 5 rep back squat across for 6 weeks, treat you should feel “comfortable” with how this feels and how to warm up for it.  Now is your chance to go for it.  Personally, buy I’m going for 315# as I got 305# last week.  In 20 minutes,  I will plan my warm up sets like this:  135 x 5, maybe a set of 165 x 5 if I’m feeling creeky, 185 x 5, 225 x 5, then I will go to sets of 3s, (245 x 3 if I don’t do the set at 165), 275 x 3.  I may jump to 315 for 5, I may try a set of 3 at 295 before attempting 315, but in total I’m doing about 30 reps, half of which I...Read more

The pushups challenge is coming to a close.  Monday is day 56.  The final event will be announced in the coming days. The Plank Challenge has started.  Sunday is 50 seconds, order Monday is 60 seconds. Tuesday will have Muscleups in the WOD.  The Muscleups will be easily scaled to ring dips, malady jumping ring dips or banded ring dips. Wednesday’s benchmark WOD is “Helen.” Thursday at 7:30pm will be a CrossFit Express class.  CrossFit Total – Brag Time We had 14 CFO athletes tackle the CrossFit Total on Saturday (13 at the gym, order Bill W. did it at home).  By my count, CFO athletes had 41 PRs.  Read that again.  41 f’ing PRs!  We saw huge lifts across the board.  Louis pulled 500#, hitting a lifetime goal on a lift that has, literally, eluded his grasp for years.  Bob pulled 455#, and Paul just missed it after pulling...Read more

Saturday is our first “Totally Saturday” lifting event.  We will perform the CrossFit Total.  We will have 2 sessions, page at 9am and 10am.  The Total, no rx or CFT, consists of you best lifts of the back squat, the shoulder press and the deadlift.  Each lift will be scored, then added up.  For example, you score may look like 300/155/405/860.  You squatted 300#, pressed 155# and deadlifted 405# for a 860# CFT. There is some strategy involved.  You will be given a chance to warm up each lift, then when lifting time starts you will call for your opening lifts.  You will get 3 chances on each lift, and only 3.  If you miss, you get a 0.  Your score will be your best lift in each event.  We will talk more about this, but my advice is for a conservative lift first – something you KNOW you will...Read more