Oh, Nancy…

So with a brief return of the last two weeks’ “mild” weather, I decided it was time for The Movement Program to meet “Nancy”.  She’s a classy dame, not like that broad, “Fran.”

How were those overhead squats?  Wrists hurting you? Yeah, that’s going to happen.  Think about it:  it’s a tiny joint compared to your hips or shoulders.  Throw that weight overhead and squat it means your wrists are going to be spending a lot of time under tension.  I recommend two options.  One, wrap your wrists with some athletic tape.  Cheap, easy, supportive.  Two, go to http://www.roguefitness.com and go and buy yourself a pair of these babies.  These will help you when ever we press stuff overhead.  I have a pair and they work great!

If anyone is feeling banged up, please don’t be a hero and work through it without letting me know.  Do extra mobility work for those nasty bits!

Terpak

WOD

“Nancy”

5 Rounds for Time

400 meter run

15 Overhead Squats (95/75)

Julia’s “Gimpy” WOD – Julia is on the injured reserved with a bum knee, but proved that one can always find ways to work out even when she is banged up!  Way to be committed to your fitness, Ghoulia!

5 Rounds for Time

10 Ring Rows

10 Ring Dips

Mea culpa…

Oh, the horror and tragedy!  I deprived The Movement Program from one day of looking at themselves in pictures!  Can you imagine the wailing and grinding of teeth?  I shall be damned for eternity to  Dante’s Eighth Circle of Hell for my fraud and treachery…I’ll just keep reading Louis Simmon’s Westside Barbell Book of Methods or Supertraining by Yuri Verkhoshansky and Mel Siff to keep me busy.

"Hell? At least they don't have to do burpees, Virgil."

Now, on with the show!

Today we worked on finding how high we could jump, as we tested max height box jumps.  Box jumps for max height really help develop not only explosive power, but also address glaring deficiencies in the hip and hamstring.  Want to jump higher?  Increase your range of motion; if you can’t get your knees high enough you will never get on top of that box!

After the max height box jumps we hit 5 rounds for time of push press, box jumps, and kb swings.  It’s good to be back people.  We got more fun in store for tomorrow!

Ice your nasty bits and get to sleep on time!

Terpak

Strength/Skill

Max Height Box Jumps

1-1-1-1-1

WOD

5 Rounds for Time

8 Push Press (95/75)

10 Box Jumps (24″/20″ – Regional standard.  Demonstrate full control at the top of the box)

12 KB Swings (20/16)

Clean and Jerks, Relays, and the Ghost of Alex Palmer

Legend has it, that if you listen carefully enough during a clean and jerk session here at The Movement Program, you can hear the muffled wailings of the ghost of Alex Palmer.  Booooo!  Spooky.  The clang of the steel and rubber awakens him from his slumber to haunt the living who lift heavy  sh*t up quickly.  Perhaps, one day this fiendish ghoul from the bowels of the Netherworld will walk amongst the Mortals of the Movement Program again, but for now it would seem that his spirit is here to stay, haunting us during thrusters and handstand pushups.

All speaking of ghosts aside, we hit some technical lifts and worked on establishing some PRs on the clean and jerk.  (Bang that bar, people!)

Afterwards we had a fun little cash out of a 3 x 400 team relay, twice.  Only catch was that the dudes got to run with a 20# med ball and the ladies got to run with a 10# med ball.  On the first round it was guys v. gals.  To keep it fair, we gave the girls a bit of a head start, but the gents would have none of it (way to be guys…beating up ladies).  On the second round we mixed it up a bit.  Much more suspenseful this time, with G-Unit almost catching Dragonball Z.

Who needs a Slim Jim for a little excitement when you have The Movement Program?

Back in action on Monday.  Go out and get some air on a 3 mile run this weekend sometime!  Preferably Saturday, but Sunday will be just as fine!

Terpak

Strength

1-1-1-1-1 Clean and Jerk

Work up and find a new one rep max

Cash Out

2 Rounds

3×400 meter relay with med ball (20/10)

 

Alex Palmer "Faces of Death."

 

 

Heavy Thruster Action

Disgusting.  Excruciating.  Humbling.  These are three words I would use to describe the dreaded thruster, an evil concoction of a front squat and a press.  Before we got nasty, we hit up four rounds of three push press working up in weight.  Remember to keep that sternum l0cked into your belly button and maintain a tight midline.  Dip the knees by pressing them slightly out, not straight ahead, as this will decrease the amount of sheer forces and increase the amount of positive torque in your knee.  As the bar is being pressed out overhead, make sure to “turtle” your head through the hole to achieve full lock out.

This one was a difficult one.  As I have said, thrusters suck.  Heavy thrusters really suck. Wasn’t such a bad workout?  You should have done heavier thrusters…

Until the next time, Movement Program!

Terpak

Strength

Push Press

3-3-3-3

WOD

For time:

15 Thrusters (115/75)

25 Pushups

35 Double Unders

10 Thrusters

20 Pushups

30 Double Unders

5 Thrusters

20 Pushups

25 Double Unders

“Nobody snuggles with Max Effort Pullups…”

How the words of Homer Simpson ring true (sort of) today!  There’s something so pure and simple about max effort anything that should appeal to all athletes.  How much of one thing can you do?  It should be an activity you eagerly await, shouldn’t it?  Alas, I am not one of those people.  Max effort anything especially before a WOD ain’t no fun…

Nonetheless, Team Movement Program still needs a lot of work on this oh so important gymnastics movement.  We did 3 rounds of ME pullups.  Kipping was strongly encouraged, but it seems that many of us just don’t have our “Cs” and “Ds” down yet.  No worries.  That will come with time.  But next time when we have a skill/strength portion like this, I would play with that ole kip of yours!

We had a shorter conditioning WOD today as Wednesday’s was a bit longer than usual.  Hit some running (how could you not, with the beautiful weather we’ve been having?), jumping ball slams, V-Ups, and push presses.

Enjoy the weekend!

Terpak

Strength

3 Rounds of ME Pullups

WOD

3 Rounds for Time

400 meter run

20 Jumping Ball Slams (20/16)

15 V-Ups

10 Push Presses

Bunch of jive sumo turkeys!

This post does not involve talk about the crazy love child of a sumo wrestler and a turkey.  No, ma’am.  This post deals with turkish getups and sumo deadlift high pulls!

This...plus...

...this. Imagine the possibilities!

 

Big core workout, that there turkish getup.  We kept it light and focused on doing it right!  A lot of you are having trouble on the old sweep.  Remember, once that leg goes back, your thigh should be almost perpendicular to the ground before you bring your torso to vertical and then stand up.

The Movement Program Gettin’ Up!

The WOD saw us with a long time domain and a Stairway to Heaven type AMRAP.  We hit sumodeadlift high pulls and some burpees.  Some of you probably could have gone up in weight on the high pulls, but I would rather you go through the WOD with good form.  Increased weight can wait!

Terpak

Skill/Strength

Turkish Getup Practice

WOD

3,3,6,6,9,9,12,12…. Up the Stairway as far as you can go for 20 minutes.

Sumodeadlift High Pull (65/55)

Burpees

Crunk Chalice Squats or Crunk Goblet Squats?

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh..for Goblet Squats!

Movement Program got mad up in this piece today, yo!  We does how we does, especially when heavy weight needs to be moved.  For the strength portion we hit 1 rep max effort front squats, followed by a Lil’ John 12 Min AMRAP of goblet squats and pushups.  Oh, how the crunk juice flowed today!  A lot of The Movement Program established some great one rep max PRs with Knick almost getting 215!  Saw a lot of great fight from everyone!

The WOD was a bit deceiving.  Most of you despised this one a bit.  Good.  Goblet squats are cruel, especially when you have to either pull, push, or press something with the arms immediately after.  For those of you who went through it, you know what I mean!  Stretch out those arms tonight!

Terpak

Strength

1-1-1-1-1 Front Squat

Work up to a new one rep max!

WOD 

12 Min AMRAP

10 Goblet Squats (20/16 kg)

15 Pushups

“What do I know about diamonds?…”

Snatch.  One of the best movies of all time!  I said it.  What will you do about it?  Nothing.  You can’t do anything.  You are reading the page, powerless to intervene as the words crawl into your brain like that worm that Khan dropped into Chekov’s helmet.  (Star Trek nerd?  Guilty as charged.  Star Trek II.  Best Star Trek ever…I digress).  While Guy Ritchie and Brad Pitt’s cinematic genius was ever present on the screen, the moving ain’t got nothing on THE snatch!

Remember, Micky, hit and catch!

On Friday, we worked on the most technical lift in Olympic Lifting:  The Snatch.  A potent cocktail of speed, power, agility, coordination, and strength, get good at the snatch and you are on your way to being a d*mn fine athlete!

Massive thanks to Glenn Pendlay and the boys at Cal Strength for perfecting the coaching progressions.  Kids, if you haven’t checked Cal Strength out, do so right now.  They are monsters and jokers.  (Study Jon North on the Snatch and Donny Shankle on the clean and jerk, specifically!)

As this was our first time, we spent a lot of time drilling the various starting and receiving positions.  Progressions and points on the snatch:

1. Grip the bar in the appropriate width.  Hook grip please!
2. Pull the shoulders back.  Stand tall.
3. Position one:  Bend at the knees until bar touches the thigh.
4. Jump and catch!:  Remember to keep the bar close to your body on the way up.  Receive the bar with pinched shoulder blades and elbow creases pointing skyward!  Land in the quarter squat.
5. Jump and catch to full squat:  All of the above steps.  However, land in the quarter squat, set yourself, and then drop into a full squat.  Stand up with the bar.  Reset the feet.
6. Position two:  The above set up, but now bend at the hips and trace the bar down past the knees, keeping the chest up and the head looking out towards the horizon.  The shins should be nearly vertical in this position.
7. Hang power snatch:  Start from position two.  Slowly trace the bar up the thigh, keeping the back tight and chest up.  Right before the bar reaches “pockets”, explode up on the bar, throwing the shoulders back and driving the hips into the bar.  Receive the bar as in previous steps.
8. Hang power snatch to full squat:  Same set up as in step seven, but now drop into a full squat after receiving the bar.
9. Position three:  Position one setup + position two setup.  Now trace the bar to mid shin.  This will be the position from where you will do a complete snatch.
10. Power Snatch:  All previous positions setup.  Pull the bar slowly up form the mid-shin, being sure to push the knees back allowing the bar to clear the knees.  Keep that chest up and back tight! Once the bar has cleared the knees, continue to keep the bar tight to the thighs until pocket position and then hit and catch as in previous steps.

Overall not too shabby for the first ever attempt at some snatching.  Patience with this one, people!  I have been doing this for a year and a half and am still a rank amateur.  Hell, it takes a good five years to be even remotely close to “mastering” this technique.   Once you do though, you’ll be able to rip the head off of a lion!

Enjoy the weekend!

Terpak

Snatch Videos

The Crew working the PVC!

Dora

Z Ball

The Destroyer

G-Unit

Kruzer

Fran is a…very nice lady.

The picture says it all.  Today, we had our first run in with the nasty girl known as “Fran”.  Fran is one of CrossFit’s classic benchmark workouts.  Crossfitters judge other CrossFitters by their Fran times.  It’s like going into a room full of meathead bodybuilders and asking “what’s ya bench?”  For the record, I hate Fran.  Give me “Helen”, “Cindy”, or “Kelly” any day of the week.

Some points on the dreaded thruster:  Feet shoulder width apart, point the toes slightly out.  Start in the rack position (elbows up and finger tips baby sitting the bar), then drop into a front squat making sure to keep the heels on the ground.  Squat up with the bar, being sure to drive the elbows up out of the bottom, and the moment you have reached full extension with the hips (squeeze your buttocks!), begin to press the weight overhead, locking out the elbows and then popping the head through the “hole”.  To reset for the next rep, bring the bar down to the rack position leading with the elbows in front of your body and high.  Squat down and repeat the above steps.  Brutal.

We need to continue to work on the old kipping pullups.  This is a workout where not having them sucks…big time.  Keep practicing your Cs and Ds before class starts.  Overall, solid effort by everyone.  It was great to see you all cheer each other on while waiting for your heat to go off!

Terpak

WOD

“Fran”

21-15-9

Thrusters (95/75)

Kipping Pullups

Some day…

Some day…I’ll be rich.

Some day…I’ll be happy.

Some day…I’ll be healthy.

Some day…

Some day is the biggest cop out ever invented by the human ego.  I’m guilty of this ruse, this giant lie to myself.  Be honest with yourself:  so have you.  I’m here to tell you that “some day” doesn’t exist.

“Some day” is a fantasy.

“So let me get this straight:  I can be rich right now?  I can be healthy right now?  I can be happy right now?”  The answer is, surprisingly, yes.

This may seem far-fetched, but little do we realize that with every passing moment we have the power to birth these goals, these distant dreams, into reality.  All that is required is attention to the moment and asking yourself, “what can I do right now to make my goal a reality?” Let’s take a specific measurable goal of squatting one’s body weight.  What are the little things that can be done right now to eventually reach that destination of awesomeness?  One, instead of going to bed at 12:00 am, how about 11:30 pm?  Two, instead of eating two gluten laden, inflammation causing cookies, maybe you have one (even better, NONE).  Three, instead of sitting around at the gym and blabbing to your friends about who is dating whom, you spend four minutes on mobilizing your hips and increasing your range of motion in the bottom of your squat.

Little things seem to have little impact on our lives.  Let us pause for a moment and consider The Shore, home not only to bronzed, fist-pumping douchebags, but also a great exemplar of one of life’s simple truths.

Life is a beach.

Consider the beauty and vastness of a beach’s expanses.  Endless stretches of sand as far as the eye can see.  However, what is a beach but a collection of simple, small pieces of supposed insignificant matter?  Combine all of these tiny grains of sand and what do you have?  Such, too, is the nature of living a life worth something.

So, abandon this idea of “some day”.  Embrace the here and now.  Figure out what it will take right now to make your far off goals seem attainable and start crawling towards them, one simple step at a time.

Terpak