Bring it on

When Shannon came to us just over two months ago, she had a clearly defined goal: to pass the firefighter Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) on December 1. She’s been utterly committed, dedicated, and focused on training her body and mind for it, and on Friday she met her goal, passing the test easily!

Congratulations, Shannon! We are incredibly proud of you.

CrossFit is excellent training for firefighters and prep for the CPAT, which is essentially what we call a “chipper”-style workout: a series of physical tasks performed once through, for time. Through a combination of consistent CrossFit classes, more focused CF-style personal training, and independent work (including climbing stairs with a 75-pound weight vest), Shannon set herself up well to rock the event. Now, that is strong work.

Metabolic pathways

There are three metabolic pathways that provide the energy for all human action. These “metabolic engines” are known as the phosphagen (or phosphocreatine) pathway, the glycolytic pathway, and the oxidative pathway.

The first, the phosphagen, fuels the highest-powered activities, those that last less than about ten seconds.

The second pathway, the glycolytic, dominates moderate-powered activities, those that last up to several minutes.

The third pathway, the oxidative, dominates low-powered activities, those that last in excess of several minutes.

Total fitness, the fitness that CrossFit promotes and develops, requires competency and training in each of these three pathways or engines. Balancing the effects of these three pathways largely determines the how and why of the metabolic conditioning or “cardio” that we do at CrossFit.

--From "What is Fitness," CrossFit Journal, October 2002

Incrementalism

Kilo plate set by Werksan.

Weight increments allow progressive resistance to be added to your lifts over time. Patience, discipline, and focus on a task will yield success.

Milo of Croton, legendary strongman of the 6th century B.C., had a foolproof method for incremental progress: "Legend has it that he would train in the off years by carrying a newborn calf on his back every day until the Olympics took place. By the time the events were to take place, he was carrying a four year old cow on his back."

Thankful for friends, family, and community

Great turkey day turnout, everyone. Strong work; amazing team efforts. Strength in numbers.

Three teams worked together to devour a smorgasbord of tasty morsels. Through combined efforts everyone was successful, and no one was left behind. We are thankful for each and every one of you for being part of our lives and our passion. Here's to continued progress, growth of our CrossFit family, and a great coming holiday season.

The powerful pull-up

The kipping pull-up is fundamental to CrossFit. Hip-driven, this pull-up variation allows for more work in less time, improving the power and intensity of the dead hang pull-up and the athletic potential of the athlete. Ade Miller, our in-house pull-up connoisseur, confesses the extent of his relationship with pull-ups on his blog (and offers a photographic taxonomy of the various species thereof).

Medicine ball squat clean

Although the clean as a technical lift comes from the specialized sport of Olympic weightlifting, the mechanics of the move are applicable in everyday life. In essence, it is nothing more than the safe, effective way to lift a heavy object--here, a medicine ball*--from the ground to a supported position at the shoulders.

Standing above the medicine ball, the athlete squats into the setup position, arms straight, back and shoulders rigid and set. She squeezes the ball off the ground slowly, without bending the arms at all, and continuous, controlled momentum elevates it past the knees. The hip has yet to straighten. As the ball passes the knees, the hip and shoulders extend rapidly, accelerating the ball upward enough that, in the moment of hang time as it reaches its apex, the athlete can quickly pull herself under it into a full squat. From there, she completes the lift by rising immediately to a standing position.

The ball remains close to the body at all times, rising in a straight vertical line from the floor along the thighs and belly until it is just high enough for the athlete to get under it. Neither the ball nor the hands ever arc out in front of the body. In no way is the movement a biceps curl; in the photo sequence, note that the ball itself does not rotate at all. A person standing directly in front of the athlete, only a med-ball’s width away, would never get hit by the ball.

Done with some weight and/or for reps, it requires and develops an ability to generate power through coordinated, full-body core-to-extremity movement that is also essential for sport. (Not to mention significant cardiorespiratory capacity.)

*Issue 25 of the CrossFit Journal contains an article on the benefits and fine points of the medicine ball clean.

CFES Thanksgiving week schedule, 2006

Mon-Wed: regular schedule

Thurs 11/23: one class only: 9:00-10:00am, everyone welcome

Fri 11/24: CLOSED

Join us on Thursday morning for a pre-gustation workout. The morning folks, the evening folks, the daytime folks, the just-back-in-town-for-the-holiday folks—all y’all come out for this one. We promise not to just set the rowers to 1,000 feast calories and say “go.”

Go Mo, Row

Arms straight, drive with the legs, finish the pull into the upper abdominals. On the recovery, hands pass over the knees before the knees break. Reach forward and go again. Some of the common faults are shown here.