Grind

We took a break from Romancing the Barbell and went a bit longer today.  Here at The Movement Program, WODs ranging from fifteen to twenty minutes are seldom programmed.  Twenty plus minutes?  Forget about it…  I figured here was a chance to shock us out of the Old Routine.

Chippers are not for babies…

Remember, next Saturday, September 22, CrossFit Tribe in Pennsauken, NJ is hosting Beat the Streets.  This fundraising event benefits at-risk youth across the country and will be a chance for you to get out and get some competition outside the walls of The Program.  If you will need a ride, I plan on going.  Please let me know if you need a ride out to the event!

Terpak

WOD

For Time

60 Situps

50 Wall Balls

40 Ring Rows

30 Burpees

20 Power Cleans (135/95)

10 Box Jumps (30″/24″)

Scamming Strength

I can only imagine the level of scheming…

Daily, I am witness to the greatest con ever concocted.   Sucka muscles and mitochondria, you never even saw it coming.  Each and every day you are being fooled into doing so many weird things that you wouldn’t normally do by yourself.  Training sessions prod you each day.  Test you.  Heavy weights here, fast movements there, a veritable witches brew of destruction.  Some days you are left flat on your back, muscles battered and soul shocked.  Shuffling to the toilet from the couch is fraught with pain and agony.

But those days slowly fade off into the distance, memories only to be looked back upon with a chuckle and a smirk.  You grow stronger, faster.  You move with a level of confidence on par with that of a battled hardened warrior.  Work gets easier.

Therein lies the con:  while the barbells, wooden rings, and plyo boxes fully believe  that they are destroying you, robbing you of energy and spirit, you have all the while been out-conning the con-artists:  you show them that tight six pack, the before and after picture of you with nearly forty pounds of flab melted from your frame.  Your eyes flicker with a fierceness, inviting all to step forward, for you have faced your fears and the countless challenges, you have faced all the “scams” that have attempted to pummel you into oblivion…only to have risen, laughing maniacally, and then quietly speaking one word:  MORE.

Let the scam continue…

Terpak

Strength

Part I

Squat Snatches from Blocks at the Hang

Five sets of three.

Pick a lighter weight.  Focus on technique.  Be explosive.

Part II

EMOM 6 minutes

3 Front Squats (80% of 1 RM)

WOD

3 Rounds for Time

25 Double Unders (50 Singles substitution)

10 Push Presses (70% of 1 RM)

5 Box Jumps (34″/28″)

Volume, volume, and sweat.

A fitting phrase for today!

Apparently the humidity whore just couldn’t stay away from her boy toy, Philadelphia. Humidity. You just can’t seem to get away from it.  It is like that guy or girl at the party who goes on and on about how he or she is an artist and doesn’t think a job is a good idea until he or she finds his or herself, or talks endlessly about stamps or something else inconsequential, like the Philadelphia Phillies.

Enough complaining, some brave souls came out today, braving the elements and the hellish work which was required of them today.  Today’s focus was on volume, both in the strength portion and also the WOD.  A lift that we have never done, the strength portion of today’s class called for the Zercher squat.  The Zercher squat is good for two reasons.  One, as the bar does not rest on top of the back, weight bearing pressure on the spine is lessened.  Two, this type of squatting stresses the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors, lower back) a bit differently from the more traditional high bar and low bar back squat.  A good thing if you find that your squat maxes are stagnating.

Textbook form for the Zercher Squat courtesy of Morgan the Destroyer.

Once our squats were finished we hit a 20 minute grinder, AMRAP style!  The movements included in today’s WOD were movements that I have found are especially taxing on the cardiovascular system.  Besides the gross weather, what did you think?  What was the most challenging part of the WOD?

Keep hydrated throughout the day, both before and after your workouts.

Terpak

Strength

5 reps of 45% of 1RM DEadlift

5 reps @ 50% of 1RM ”

5 reps @ 55% of 1 RM ”

WOD

20 min AMRAP

15 Box Jumps (24″/20″)

30 KB Swings (20 kg/12 kg)

45 Double Unders

400 meter run.

Reflection and Renewal

Inspiration comes in many forms.   The expression of that inspiration is commensurately diverse.  How many times have you stopped and gazed in amazement at a beautiful painting or paused in appreciation of a delicate song?  Sucking the marrow out of a moment encompasses recognition.  Nothing more, nothing less.  From time to time, however, recognition should be complemented with reflection.

I’ve had twenty four hours to digest one such episode.  What did it involve?  Yeah, you guessed it:  kids exercising.  Call me a simpleton, but I find that it is the simple things that offer the best education.  Yesterday on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, six athletes of The Movement Program and six athletes from Steve’s Club in Pennsauken, NJ came together for a workout.  Here was the task facing the athletes.  You can find the results here.

The athletes from The Movement Program and Steve’s Club who participated in the Inaugural Art Museum WOD.

Some things I took away from the WOD.  One, it was challenging; only one athlete was able to finish under the fifteen minute time cap with the proscribed weight.  That was none other than The Movement Program’s, Nick Kinosian.  Splendid job, Nick!  His final time for the workout was 14:29.  Two, it was inspiring; these kids poured their guts out on those steps.  Each and every one of them.  Not only that, but in the midst of battling the elements and implements, they cheered each other on!  That’s class.  That’s maturity.  That’s character.  Those are three things that I hope I have instilled in my athletes since The Movement Program’s inception.  As an athlete, this WOD, and the subsequent efforts of its participants, has reinforced my determination to train myself with a new found intensity.  As a coach in charge of athletes who are willing to go through that kind of a meat grinder, I have renewed my quest to broaden and deepen my own knowledge of training.  It is an injustice to my athletes to provide anything less than the best.  It’s time to acquaint myself with the minutiae of this sport.  So, get ready, Movement Program, for some more intricately designed WODs and strength programming in the coming months.

Thanks again to Steve Liberati and athletes from Steve’s Club, Joey, David, Robert, Javier, Danny, Kevin, and CJ!  The event would not have been as monumental without you all!  Looking forward to visiting CrossFit Tribe later this summer and throwing down!

Terpak.

*Here are some pictures from the event, courtesy of Steve Liberati.  Video of the competition should be posted on the blog by the end of this week!  (Fingers crossed!)

Art Museum Throw Down

Movement!  I need a head count for this Saturday’s WOD which is to be held at 9:00 am on the steps of the Art Museum.

If you are interested in showing up for this WOD, you need to let me know by posting to comments by 7:00 pm, this Thursday!  The WOD will consist of gymnastics and barbell movements.  Get ready!  We will also be joined by some young studs/studettes from Steve’s Club out in Pennsauken, NJ.

Here’s what went down the last time The Movement Program visited the Art Museum.

Hope to see you all there!

As for today’s workout, the PM crew (No AM Crew.  Sup wit dat?) hit three rounds of Max Effort Handstand Holds.  I saw some real fight out of everyone to get a couple more seconds upside down!  Great work!  Keep that sternum locked to the belly-button and look straight across the room once you are in your handstand.  This helps prevent sloppy positioning i.e. overextension!

We then hit 5 rounds for time of HSPU, Supermans, Box Jumps, and Wall Balls and called it a day.

Welcome back J$$$$!

Terpak

Skill

3 Rounds ME Handstand Holds

WOD

5 Rounds for Time

5 HSPU

20 Supermans

10 Box Jumps (24/20)

15 Wall Balls (20/16)

15 minutes…12 minutes…10 minutes?

The latest video on Movement Program stud, Nick “Knick” Kinosian.  Watch out for this kid, ya’all.  He’s already d*mn strong.  Just needs some work on the technical stuff…

Sadness.  Pure sadness, people.  Babies wept and kittens sobbed uncontrollably throughout the land.  Why?  Unbeknownst to me, the school building was being shut down at 3:30 today.  As a result the glorious training session in store was never to be!  We cut out the skill work (Split Jerk 2-2-2-2-2 70-75% of 1RM) and went straight to the WOD after the warmup.  Originally set for a 15 min AMRAP of push presses, box jumps, and double unders, set up time and briefing took a while and in mid-WOD I decided to cut it shorter, first to 12 mins, then to 10!  Oh, the humanity!  Tack on another five minutes of work and it would have been quite nasty.  Good work done nonethless, youz guyz (and gal)!

Stay tuned here to see if we will have morning class at school at 9 am on Wednesday.  No class tomorrow.  Rest up, ice up.  See you (hopefully) on Wednesday!

Terpak

WOD

10 Min AMRAP

9 Push Press (95/75)

11 Box Jumps (24/20)

20 Double Unders