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Posted by Andy Petranek :
Friday, Jul 01, 2011
Have you ever thought about the fact that it's really difficult to make a change without getting things out of the way first? Like those old "moving squares" puzzles where one square is open and you move the pieces around trying to get all of the pieces to line up. Well with only 1 square open, it really limits the moves you can make. For many people, that represents life - filled up to the gills with 'stuff' (things to do, people to please, jobs to get done, a todo list a mile long, and endless emails). If you try to make real change in that scenario without taking anything out of the picture, all you get is a re-arrangement of the same stuff... a shuffling of the squares. Imagine trying to re-organize your closet this way - can't get rid of anything or move anything out of the way, just shuffle things around... not so effective!
Want to make some real change? Get rid of stuff. Clear space. Make room. The real trick is figuring out where to start... and that won't be easy, especially since most of the things you're doing, you probably have good reasons for doing them. So take a deep breath, identify one area, and pick one thing to clear out, reduce, alter, adjust with the goal of more space, time, or room. Don't worry about making the change until you've got enough space that you're able to move around and breathe... and when that happens, aah, the puzzle pieces move easily and then fall into place.
Sean - determined!
Today's Workout
Box Squat 5-5-5
- max effort each set
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5 rounds
8 Dynamic Back Squats (75# / 50#)
8 Heaving Snatch Balance
- for the dynamic back squats - come up out of the bottom of the squat, accelerate toward the top, allow your feet to leave the ground at the full open position from your momentum
Posted by michael stanwyck :
Thursday, Jun 30, 2011
One night late last week,
in the midnight Alaska sun,
I skipped stones for no reason.
Waiting.
Today's Workout
3 min KB swing (24/16)
3 min Box jump (28/24)
2 min KB swing
2 min Box jump
1 min KB swing
1 min Box jump
Posted by Becca Borawski :
Wednesday, Jun 29, 2011
A lot of us have things that come up in life. Injuries, schedules, relationships, jobs. Sometimes things go smoothly, and sometimes...they don't. How we handle adversity is our choice. We can let it define us and limit us, or we can handle it, adapt to it, and keep moving forward.
Take two minutes to watch this video and then consider how you're handling whatever "stuff" you have going on today.
Today's Workout
60 Thrusters (75/55)
30 Burpee Pull Ups
1 Mile Run
Posted by Andy Petranek :
Tuesday, Jun 28, 2011
What sort of criteria do you use to decide whether something stays or goes in your life? Is it the money? Effort? Time? Resources? Difficulty? Logistics? Or does it have more to do with whether, at the end of the day, it leaves you satisfied and complete? That regardless of the cost, effort, time, challenge, etc, it was worth it. Is it sometimes that the struggle is the thing that keeps you in the game? That makes it exciting, fun, challenging, engaging?
For me... I can find a way to pretty much justify anything... if I want it badly enough... as long as I know that the result is one that I really want. But that begs another question... does the end justify the means? I mean does the process really matter... the journey? Is the 'how you do it' the thing that determines whether you feel satisfied and complete? What might you have to do to yourself in order to make getting the result you want possible? The answer to this question might vary from one thing to the next... like for a workout, the answer might be 'yes' - that the temporary pain and suffering is OK knowing the result you'll get down the road, where a similar amount of pain and suffering in a relationship elicits a very different answer.
My advice in this... don't stop asking these questions. We each can get out of balance when we're doing things out of habit, not asking questions... and forging ahead in spite of checking in. So take a few minutes (our hours) to really dive in... ask yourself these difficult questions about the job, workout, relationship, degree, project, boss, school, sport, etc... and remember, you don't have to do anything as a result... at first, it's only awareness that you're after.
Lani gets it overhead!
Today's Workout
Spend 20 minutes on plyometric drills
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“Grace”
For time:
30 Squat Clean and Jerks (135/95)
Posted by Andy Petranek :
Monday, Jun 27, 2011
I pretty much suck at dancing. I have gotten better, since I learned the Cupid Shuffle with our team before Regionals... but most of you, if you watched me dance for no more than 10 seconds, would definitely put me in the 'suck' category. See, the problem for me is my hips don't really move... the're frozen in place... so when I move, it looks like a robot. In my movement, there is not flow, nothing that looks natural or easy. Sure I have fun at it, but it definitely looks like I'm working, not flowing!
Here's the thing... dancing is so damn athletic... I would easily put it on par with martial arts or gymnastics, right? So if dancing is athletic, it could almost be classified as sport... the sport of coordinated movement. Huh... has a nice ring to it! And yes, I know it's not directly related to CrossFit, per se.... but one of CF's tenets is to regularly learn and play new sports, so what better a goal for me over the next 6 - 12 months - to improve my dancing? Mobilize, move, flow, hips... that's it... whether it's hip hop or the electric slide... I'll be workin' it - my goal is to show that you can teach an 'old dawg' new tricks!
Anyone else have a skill or sport they're working on not 'sucking' at?
Remember that workout from a few weeks ago... farmer's walk with 1/2 your bodyweight in dumbbells? Well, I believe Tanya was the ONLY person to make all 3 walks without ever putting her dumbbells down!
Today's Workout
Dynamic Effort Deadlift
2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2
- 50-60% 1RM
- use choice of rubber band
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5 rounds
15 dumbbell Power snatch - single arm (55/35)
60 Double unders
Posted by Andy Petranek :
Friday, Jun 24, 2011
It goes without saying, too much of something that is undeniably bad for you can have a seriously negative impact on your life... alcohol, sugar, partying, drugs, etc. But what about something that is good for you? Is there such a thing as too much being bad? Take exercise for example... sure, doing too much of it probably won't be as bad for you as too much alcohol, but then again, if you overdo it, will it really get you where you want to go? What about something like going on a crash diet? Great intentions, good short term results, but what are the long term ramifications? Will it get you where you want to be 10 years from now?
Try this... Small, bite-sized, one step at a time, manageable baby steps. Not sexy or glamorous, and no massively quick results. In fact, if you're doing it right, people won't even notice the change... but effective in the long term? You betcha! Want to improve your diet? Baby step - decrease the number of Diet Cokes you drink each day from 5 to 2. Want to get more flexible? Add 3 minutes of mobilizing to your workouts each day. TEENY changes. So teeny that they're EASY... SUPER easy.
Here's the danger - since they're super easy to do, they're also super easy NOT to do. So, you've got to hold yourself accountable to these little changes as if your life depends on it. If you're successful for 15-20 days, try another LITTLE bite. The key is LITTLE!! Remember, you're in this (your life) for the long term!
OK Lauren, instead of eating 5, limit yourself to just two!
Today's Workout
7 rounds for time of:
10 Hang power cleans (115/75)
15 Hollow rocks
200m run
