CrossFit Oakdale now has 2 Athletes headed to the CrossFit Games NorCal Regional Qualifier.  Nick Z. qualified outright, illness and I was invited today.  There are many CrossFit gyms that did not qualify any athletes, more about and we have 2!  It’s just more energy and more excitement.  May 24-26 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds it all goes down.  We’re training hard to get ready. A System For Developing Competitive CrossFitters, sale Part 1 by Jacob Tsypkin.  This is an excellent essay and articulates many of my ideas on programming for CrossFit.  Jacob provides an excellent way to organize movements and your year to focus your training.  As you read the list, don’t overlook Tier 3.  Just because many of these movements are considered lower skill than say, snatching the barbell or muscle ups, doesn’t mean they won’t develop your fitness.  If you are thinking about competing you may find...Read more

With Open behind us (and the first taste of CrossFit competition for many) we can look forward to testing our fitness in different venues.  I would like CrossFit gyms to operate like a Club – yes, salve we want you to train with us.  But I would like all CFO Athletes to compete in some level at something.  Whether it’s a 5k, a softball league, a weightlifting event or, yes, the sport of CrossFit, we want you to get out there and test your fitness. With the growing popularity of CrossFit, it’s getting easier and easier to find competitions to test yourself.  I will keep my eye out for high quality, relatively local competitions.  As the sport grows, we are seeing more and more variation to the theme – Masters, Team, Partner to go along with standard individual competitions.  We even see some form of “invitationals” where you have to...Read more

Be Strong Athletics Podcast #2.  I was a guest with Casey Hutnick on the new Be Strong podcast.  We talked about the Opens as test of fitness, price picks for the the Games, site Olympic weightlifting shoes and some odds and ends.  It’s CrossFit nerd stuff, but I’m a CrossFit nerd.  If you actually listen to this for 42 minutes, you’re probably a CrossFit nerd, too. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6SjuAOjMEk?rel=0&w=560&h=315] In this video, Glenn Pendlay explains and demonstrates Position 1 of the Snatch.  We will be really drilling this position in the coming weeks and months. Workout of the Day Strength/Skill 3 Position Snatch (Pos 1 (High), Position 2 (Just above the Knee), and Position 3 (Ground). Build to a heavy set.  Focus on hitting position 1.  If this means going lighter than previous, go lighter. Metcon AMRAP 12 1 Suicide Sprint 8 Burpee Over Box Jump 24/20Read more

In case you didn’t hear on Facebook, try Vanessa and Bill are doing fine in Boston.  Vanessa finished the Boston Marathon in 3:37, page minutes before the explosions rocked the finish line.  I heard they were a block from the finish line when the bombs went off.  Let’s all wish them a safe and uneventful voyage home! Inside the Brains of People Over 80 with Exceptional Memory from NPR. How Exercise and Other Activities Beat back Dementia from NPR.  A walking book and wine club to maintain brain health?  Sounds amazing! Workout of the Day For time 30 Back Squats 135/95 15-12-9 Pullups Pushups Rest 1 minute 25 Front Squats 135/95 15-12-9 Pullups Pushups Rest 1 minute 20 Overhead Squats 135/95 15-12-9 Pullups  Pushups Your score is the total time it takes to complete chipper/triplet including rest.  This is a lot of work, so scale accordingly – use bands on...Read more

On Saturday, this several CFO athletes (and 1 CrossFit FTF’er) attended a weightlifting seminar put on by Charles Shipman of Be Strong Athletics.  It was a great day full of a ton of information, there new ideas and theories, patient heavy lifting and most of all, fun.  Charles, Danny Lehr and Casey Hutnick put on a great seminar and we’ll look into bring them back in 6 months or so. Charles was highly impressed with the lifts and the caliber of athlete at CFO.  Louis snatched a new CFO record of 245 (!!!), Chance hit 230 and Nick hit 225.  These are bigs lifts folks.  We saw PR’s all over the place – check out the board in the photo. This was the fourth weightlifting seminar (at least) I’ve attended in recent years.  Every time I do one, I come away with at least 1 major learning point that I...Read more