...and we were damned glad to have it, too. But anyway, that was hundreds of years ago. Now we have Facebook.com, and PVCF just joined. Please look us up ("Pioneer Valley CrossFit") and add us to your extensive friend networks.
Read more...Tuesday, May 6th, 2008
For time:
"Elizabeth"
21-15-9 reps of:
Clean 135 pounds
Ring dips
Post time to comments.
Articles
Finding Inner Strength (NYTimes--if only I could get the video to load)
Monday, May 5th, 2008
"Cinco de Mayo"
AMRAP in 20 minutes of:
5 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (115lbs)
10 Wall Ball (20lbs)
15 Double Unders
Guzzle una cerveza (optional)
Post load and rounds to comments.
Articles:
How To Shop a Farmer's Market (Mark's Daily Apple)
Why Your Elbows Must Be in Front of the Bar on the Overhead Press (Stronglifts.com)
Saturday, May 3rd, 2008
Shoulder press 1-1-1-1-1 reps
Push press 3-3-3-3-3 reps
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5-5 reps
Post loads to comments.
Two WODs in one day? Not to worry. Last night we posted HQ's workout, but with this morning's rain, "Murph" is looking a little impractical (you're terribly disappointed, I'm sure). Instead we'll do
"Tabata This"
Tabata Intervals ( 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest repeated 8 times) applied in turn to the Squat, Rower, Pullups, Sit-ups, and Push-ups with a one minute rotation break between exercises. Each exercise is scored by the weakest number of reps (calories on the rower) in each of the eight intervals. During the one minute rotation time allowed the clock is not stopped but kept running. The score is the total of the scores from the five stations.
Scoring Example:
A total score of 53 (Execllent score, BTW) is determined by adding up the lowest number of reps in any set of each exercise.
18 squats
4 pull-up
6 push-up
13 sit-up
12 row (use the calorie counter and call each calorie a rep)
This score is a 53.
Post score to comments.
Some tips from Mark Twight:
Read more...
- Lying down between exercises lowers HR faster than standing, sitting or walking, indicating better recovery in the short 60 second rest.
- Alternating upright exercise (squat, pull-up) with prone or seated exercises produces lower heart rates, and allows greater overall level of work
- Rowing first reduces reps on all other exercises
- Rowing reps are not seriously affected if done last
- Improvement happens really fast when the workout is done consistently (bimonthly).
- High number of reps may be maintained for greater number of sets as fitness improves. Rep totals do not necessarily improve per set, but now I can do 6 sets of 7 pull-ups rather than doing 11, 8, 5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, etc. which suggests that local area endurance and lactic acid tolerance improve with this protocol.
Friday, May 2nd, 2008
"Murph"
For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run
Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you've got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.
Post time to comments.
Rain Check! Don't worry, if it rains tomorrow we won't have you out there treading like ducks. Instead, we'll have something special set aside. We don't like to disappoint :)
Articles:
10 Commandments for Dropping 10 Pounds & 10 Years (Dumb Little Man)
The Ice Cream Diet (Your Total Health) (The article could use a fine tuning but the main point is this -- Yes, eat the ice cream! Just, you know, not the whole tub.)
Functional Fitness Takes to the Skies
The other week I found myself late for a connecting flight at the Dallas/Fort Worth International airport. As soon as I made it into the terminal I was informed that all the Skytrains and escalators were down. Not to be deterred I grabbed my bags, tied my coat around my waist and began to run. Not jog, but all-out sprint up stairs, around baggage carts, strollers, and cranky travelers. Much to the amazement of the flight crew I made it to my flight in 15 minutes flat. I looked like hell but I but I was grinning all the way to my seat. Thanks Pioneer Valley CrossFit for making that happen!
Rosie P.
Hey,
Just wanted to say thanks. I'm psyched about the lifts today (Jon had just hit 1000 lbs in his CF Total--ed.) and I couldn't have done it without you and Sandy. It's been the best 6 months of training I've ever had. Keep up the good work...
Jon Davine, firefighter, Northampton
I told Sandy that CrossFit was changing my life. She said, “Really? Your life?”
Really. Here's one example: two years ago, at the age of 55, I received a diagnosis of osteoporosis. In May of this year I started working out at Pioneer Valley CrossFit. Come early September, the results of a bone density test showed a whopping 6% increase in bone density in my lumbar spine. I've been getting my bone density tested for the last five years; this is the first time there has been an increase. Frankly the doctors would have been very happy to just see no further bone loss, but instead they upgraded my diagnosis to a lesser form of the disorder. The next time I am tested, two years from now, I fully expect to have no need for a diagnosis, thanks in large part to my training at PVCF.
Want another? A few weeks ago I traveled to the Cape with my friend Linda. We’ve gone almost every year for the past 20 years, and part of our routine is to bike through the rolling sand dunes on our way to the beach. Each year I have contentedly trailed behind, as I knew that around the next bend Linda would be waiting for me. This year we started out and without thinking about it I pulled ahead. I did notice that unlike other years, I wasn’t walking my bike up the steep hills, that I never shifted into my lowest gear, and that riding a bike was much more fun than I remembered. But it wasn't until I came to a confusing crossroads that I realized I'd lost Linda. I stopped and waited. Luckily, two cyclists came along after five minutes and said they were looking for me, because “...the blond woman a bit back on the trail was worried that you were lost.” Slightly stunned (this is a frequent reaction when the axis of your life does a quick tilt), I told them not to worry. I must have been smiling in a pretty goofy way, because the bikers didn’t move on. So I went on to explain, "It’s just that my new gym program really seems to be working.” Satisfied, they pushed off, assuring me that Linda would be along soon. A few minutes later she coasted down the last hill and found me waiting for her. It was a delicious moment.
So, yes, Sandy, working out at Pioneer Valley CrossFit is really changing my life.
Kathleen Becker, 57, Speech/Language Therapist, Northampton
I'm very, very glad to be part of the PVCF community. This is the best thing I've done for myself in years.
Greg Saulmon, editor, Easthampton
I started with PVCF in April '08, just last month, as a way to crosstrain for Ultimate Frisbee, but in that time working out at Pioneer Valley CrossFit has become something I look forward to all on its own. We'd have conditioning as part of practice in college, but that's nothing compared to the workout I get coming to Pioneer Valley CrossFit only 3 times a week. In the short time that I've been coming, I'm already more flexible, stronger, and better conditioned than I was after 4 years of exercise in college. CrossFit doesn't even compare to what I'd do in a regular gym; having Sandy, Sean and the other CrossFitters around helps me push myself harder than I would on my own: that's what makes PVCF such a great community and a great workout. It's not for everyone, but if it's for you, I doubt you'll ever go back to a normal gym again.
Paul Swartz, Software Developer (and Ultimate Player), Northampton
(After getting his first muscle-up): Thank you Sean and Sandy! To think that 2 1/2 months ago I could barely do 5 ring push-ups from my knees. I know I still have a long way to go but I'm getting there. You're doing a great job!
Andy Pelis, firefighter, Northampton
I am a different Mina. Not the Mina four months ago prior to CrossFit. I had no enthusiasm for working out, never mind physically getting myself to the gym. It only cost twenty dollars a month, but I was completely bored of my workout routines, bored of lifting, and bored on the elliptical machines...never mind fighting for machines when the gym was busy. Then my fiance introduced me to CF. He had been doing the WOD's on his own at the gym for two weeks while I watched and thought...what is he doing? why is he doing all those reps? and why is he doing it for time? No lie I thought it was nuts, but then he finally convinced me to try it one day. I will never forget that day. We did a scaled version of the workout for me that included squats, pull ups, and push ups....all for time. We tucked ourselves into the corner of the gym where dust was collected and off I went and off the stop watch went. It was awful, I took forever, it felt like forever, and my fiance had to "assist my pull ups" since i couldn't do even one of them on my own. Gym patrons were stepping over and around me just to get to the paper towels. I even got a couple puzzled glares. I finished with an overwhelming sense of completion, disgust of myself for being out of shape, as well as mentally fatigued and stimulated at the same time. My fiance then suggested I try a burpee next. Lets just say I did two and thought I was going to pass out on the floor. We left the gym that evening discussing how this could get addicting. How our limits we had set for ourselves were unrealistic and that there was so much more CF could offer to us. How my mundane gym routine was just that...a routine...getting me nowhere, no results, no mental progress, and no sense of goals or direction. So the Mina now, has lost ten pounds of fat, put on lean muscle, is fitting better in her cute jeans, is eating better to help performance, can do push-ups that kick ass, is realizing why form and balance are so important, and got her first non assisted pull up, (well two, actually). This is training for me. I have learned so much in the so little time since I started (at Pioneer Valley CrossFit, right, Mina? ;) -- ed.). It just feels good to know I've found something that has impacted my life in so many positive ways.
Mina Bahrehmand, Medical Esthetician, Chicopee
Let me be honest: I was scared to death to check out Crossfit. I have always been active, played team sports, and belonged to a gym, but I certainly am far from being an "extreme athlete" or "hardcore." I was very worried that I would be totally "out of my league" and have no business at Crossfit. I didn't have any experience doing many of the exercises so I was sure that I wouldn't be able to keep up. I am so grateful that I set aside my worries long enough to give Crossfit a try because it has totally transformed my workout experience and I can't imagine ever going back to a traditional gym setting again.
When I first walked into Crossfit, I was immediately relieved when I met Sean and Sandy. They were very welcoming, friendly, and encouraging. If I remember correctly, I could barely do any of the activities--pull-ups, push-ups, squats etc. However, all the exercises were scaled to my ability so that I could be successful and complete the activites. No one expected me to be an expert when I walked in the door and they took the time to teach me everything I needed to know. I also like the small group setting because it's great to have people that will help push me to reach my goals but also support me when I'm struggling. After just one short month, I have seen dramatic results in my confidence, strength, endurance, and even my appearance. As long as you have a positive attitude and are willing to work hard, you will love Crossfit. Give it a try--you won't be disappointed.
Loren Lauffer, Guidance Counselor, Holyoke
Where do the trainers train? At PVCF of course! PVCF is a first-class establishment; encouraging and supportive. Both Sean and Sandy know how to push and "pull" to help their Cross-fitters get results while having fun. Sean and Sandy also ensure that each person is working safely and at a level of intensity commensurate with their ability. Additionally, the CrossFit community in Easthampton is supportive, intelligent and non-judgmental. The intensity and weights are scaled to appropriate level too. So anyone can get started where they are comfortable.
I'm constantly amazed by my own gains and the gains of others at PVCF. I'm a trainer myself, but I too need correction with my form and a "kick" to the next level. From my experience, the only way to succeed is with a knowledgeable coach and a team of other positive supporters. PVCF doesn't leave room for slacking or whining either so you've got the best all around.
If you want to get fit without wasting time, get CrossFit at PVC!
Brandon Reed, Exercise Coach, Northampton
I have found Pioneer Valley CrossFit to be much more than I originally expected. I have worked out in the local gyms for years, doing the standard types of workouts, but have never been satisfied with my results. In my short time at PVCF I have made so many gains in overall fitness that it's difficult to even compare it to going to a regular gym. While the CrossFit workouts are certainly challenging, I equally enjoy the camaraderie that exists among members. Everyone continually supports, motivates and pushes each other to excel. I have met many great people there and always look forward to going. I can't wait to see what more I'm capable of, and I continually recommend Pioneer Valley CrossFit to everyone I know!
Brian Kazak, firefighter, South Hadley
THURSDAY May 1st, 2008
"Elizabear"
For time:
3 PVCF bear complex (deadlift, power clean, front squat, push jerk, back squat, behind-the-neck push press), 135lbs
21 ring dips
5 PVCF bear complex
15 ring dips
7 PVCF bear complex
9 ring dips
Scale weight as necessary. Post load and time to comments.
Articles
The Six Most Terrifying Foods in the World (cracked.com--not necessarily work/family safe)
Dieting Disasters (T-Nation--as above)
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
Complete as many rounds in twenty minutes as you can of:
65 Pound Thruster, 10 reps
10 Pull-ups
Post rounds completed to comments.
Articles:
You Name It, and Exercise Helps It (The New York Times)
“The single thing that comes close to a magic bullet, in terms of its strong and universal benefits, is exercise,” Frank Hu, epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, said in the Harvard Magazine.For skinny ##*^!! only: How to Gain Weight (Stronglifts.com)
A new variation on an old favorite. Ten minutes is the new twenty.
High-intensity work may also be superior to low- or moderate-intensity training for fat loss. The reason for this is in the profound effect of high-intensity work on post-exercise metabolism. Following any workout, your metabolic rate will be elevated. The degree and length of this post-exercise metabolic boost depends on the exercise intensity rather than its duration . Hard workouts then, even short ones, may end up burning more total calories throughout the day than lighter ones of longer duration. High-intensity work is more stressful and releases greater amounts of epinephrine and norepinephrine. These fight or flight hormones take time to be metabolized. While they remain in circulation, they result in many calorie-burning effects, such as increased heart rate and elevated body temperature.'Nuff said! Get ready for a smoker...
One minute for max reps at each station:
Box jump, 24 inches
Jumping Pull-ups
Kettlebell swings, 1 pood (16kg)
Walking Lunges
Knees to elbows
Push press, 45lbs
Back extensions
Wall Ball shots, 20lbs
Burpees
Double-unders
Monday, April 28th, 2008
Thruster 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps
Post load to comments.
Articles of note:
Maybe you need to rethink those eight glasses of water (Coach Gibbons)
Thatta boy, Davine! Get those purty legs up in the air.
Three rounds for time:
20 Hang Power Snatch, 95lbs
Run 800m
Scale weight as necessary. Post load and time to comments. If it rains, we'll do "Randy" instead...75 power snatches for time (75lbs).
Harry rips a beautiful triple extension. First time power snatching? No problem for this Marine!
Articles of note:
You Walk Wrong (New York Magazine)
Deadlift 3-3-3-3-3 reps.
Post loads to comments.
If you missed "Leviathan" yesterday, don't worry, you won't miss it today :)
Fig. 1: The Prophet "just warming up" at 415lbs.
Most of you did "Angie" on Tuesday. We don't want you to get bored, so today we're doing this:
"Leviathan"
For time:
10 barbell roll-outs
2 burpees
10 barbell roll-outs
4 burpees
10 barbell roll-outs
6 burpees
10 barbell roll-outs
8 burpees
10 barbell roll-outs
10 burpees
10 barbell roll-outs
12 burpees
10 barbell roll-outs
14 burpees
10 barbell roll-outs
16 burpees
10 barbell roll-outs
18 burpees
10 barbell roll-outs
20 burpees
Like Hobbes' description of man's natural life, this workout is nasty, brutish and short (shorter than "Angie", I promise). Post time to comments.
Articles of Note
CrossFit? I Heard That's Dangerous
Read more...
There's a kid named Brandon Oto who is a regular presence on the CrossFit messageboards; he's only twenty, but a font of useful information about all manner of things CF. Today he posted a list of fifty (50!) things he's learned from his year and a half of CrossFitting--it's well worth a look.
1. CrossFit is very, very hard. Unlike most things, it does not get easier and may actually get harder. This is a daunting prospect.Read more...
2. You can learn to CrossFit extremely well on your own with the internet as a resource. However, it will add 6-12 months to your learning curve and 1-2 injuries along the way.
3. You can work out on your own, but working out with others is almost always far better.
4. The impressive feat is not digging deep and pushing through pain at the end of the workout. Anyone can do that. The impressive feat is hauling *** as you reach the middle -- right after you realize what's ahead of you and how much you already hurt.
5. The impressive feat is not going balls-to-the-wall in a single workout. It's doing it the next day. And the next. And the next. Forever.
6. The hardest part of training is consistency. It is also the most important. You can do nearly anything if you show up every day.
7. Everyone needs to rest. Your body is not a machine. (Look at how many people take a week off and set six PRs when they return.) Your mind is not a computer. (As Garrett Smith likes to point out, continual stress is not actually healthy.) "Burnout" is physical, mental, emotional, logistical, and a little bit like combining ennui with despair. When you no longer want to work out, rest.
8. If your breaks start cropping up constantly, either take a longer one (or a different training focus for a while) or just slap yourself and stop slacking.
9. The fewer mundane obstacles to working out, the easier it is to be consistent. If there are two gyms in your area and one is a little better but farther, go to the nearer one.
10. Try music and see if it helps. Try planning out your workouts (picking a time to shoot for and breaking down how you'll get there) and see if it helps. Try the supplements and see if they help.
11. For 90% of us, diet is crucial to good progress. For the other 10%, diet is crucial to reaching elite levels.
12. Keep your nails trimmed short but long enough to comfortably cover your fingers and toes. Too long will get broken; too short will cause bleeding when, say, you use a hook grip. File your callouses every time you shower.
13. Chalk is better than gloves except to cover a wound, which tape does better than either except for holes in the web of your thumb.
14. You don't need as much chalk as you think. You keep rechalking because you're a spaz and the bar is scaring you.
Read more...
"Grindy"
For time:
10 clean and jerks, 135lbs
5 rounds of Cindy (5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats)
10 clean and jerks, 135lbs
5 rounds of Cindy
10 clean and jerks, 135lbs
Post time to comments. Thanks to our pals at CrossFitNYC for this one. Looks like a real barnburner!
Our new dip belt arrived last week. That means we're correctly equipped for today's HQ WOD, which is
Weighted pull-ups 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps
Post loads and body weight to comments.
As if regular pull-ups aren't difficult enough, right, now you get to strap on a thick leather belt with more weight hanging from a chain, and then do pull-ups. At least it's only one. And then another one. And then another. Here are some other variations:
Afterwards: Turkish get-ups for time. Or maybe wind sprints out back. Oooh, the suspense!
Monday, April 21st, 2008
Back Squat 5-5-5-5-5 reps
Post loads to comments.
Article of note:
The Toughest Two Minutes (Again Faster)
It's a beautiful day, but we miss our space. Why not mix it up?
For time:
Deadlift (your bodyweight on bar), 21 reps
Wallballs, 21 reps
Pull-ups, 21 reps
Run 800m
Deadlift, 15 reps
Wallballs, 15 reps
Pull-ups, 15 reps
Run 800m
Deadlift, 9 reps
Wallballs, 9 reps
Pull-ups, 9 reps
Run 800m
Post time to comments.
No rest for you, though! Today, we present
"Kazak"
During the time it takes one athlete to complete a 400m run, get as many reps as you can of
Read more...
Thursday, April 17th, 2008
"Elizabeth"
21-15-9 reps of:
Clean 135 pounds
Ring dips
Post time to comments.
Here are Annie Sakamoto and Greg Amundson of CrossFit Santa Cruz blasting through "Elizabeth":
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008
What a beautiful Spring day! So, you know what that means: we're heading outdoors for some fun in the sun! Lucky for the 6:00 PM class, they've been delegated the glorifying duty of hauling equipment outside. For those of you coming to the 7 & 8 PM classes, please meet us in the Manhan Trail parking lot behind our building; more precisely, it's adjacent to the house of American Legion. You can't miss us; just look for the 'nutty' crossfitters doing OHS outside.
And, don't forget to bring a sweater, water and some sun block. Come and get some!
"Nancy"
Five rounds for time of:
400 meter run
95 pound Overhead squat, 15 reps
Post time to comments.
TUESDAY 080415
To make sure you've got a little extra time to make it to the post office with your last-minute tax filing, we're only going to do a half "Murph" today.
"Murphette"
For time:
Run 800m
50 Pull-ups
100 Push-ups
150 Squats
Run 800m
Do this one "Angie" style: all reps of each exercise must be completed before moving on to the next. Post time to comments. Read about Lt. Michael Murphy, the Medal of Honor-awarded Navy SEAL who invented the original "Murph" workout, here.
Articles of note:
Repent, the end is nigh. From the NYTimes:
Fears about the Brookhaven collider first centered on black holes but soon shifted to the danger posed by weird hypothetical particles, strangelets, that critics said could transform the Earth almost instantly into a dead, dense lump.
Read more about the supercollider that could destroy the world.
Monday 080414
Hang power clean 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps
Post loads to comments.
But of course we're not going to let it go at that. Expect some metcon fireworks to follow.
Articles of note:
16 Superfoods (Mark's Daily Apple)
What happens when you convince a small, remote town to modify their diet to restrict carbohydrate? (Weight of the Evidence blog via CrossFitNYC)
Reaction Time Test (BBC)
A confession: I'm a HUGE book nerd. And last night I had a dream that I was literally a "book pig"; I had a sty (which must've been based on my old apartment, before Sandy straightened me out) that was completely filled with books. You remember that movie, "Indecent Proposal", when Robert Redford gives Woody from Cheers a million dollars so he can sleep with Woody's wife (played by Demi Moore) and Woody and Demi pour the cash on the bed and wallow in it? That was me, just filthy with books. The upshot is that it gave me an idea: The PVCF Book Exchange. We'll keep a box of books at the gym; they're free for the taking, as long as you replace each book you take with one of your own. Here's the catch: you have to include a note about why you think the book you've donated is worth reading. Don't just drop off your old V.C. Andrews paperbacks--contribute some of your favorite stories, the ones you wish more people would read. You'll get some blessings in return, guaranteed.
Read more...Saturday, April 12th, 2008
Run 10 K?
Nah...it's wet and slippery out, which leaves us with a Bear of a Saturday...
In 20 minutes, complete as many rounds as you can of:
Bear Complex (95lbs)
Bear Crawl (forward)
Bear Crawl (reverse)
Post time to comments.
Friday, April 11th, 2008
With a continuously running clock do one pull-up the first minute, two pull-ups the second minute, three pull-ups the third minute... continuing as long as you are able.
Use as many sets each minute as needed.
Post number of minutes completed to comments.
Guts and glory: The aftermath...
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