CrossFit Thrive

We've moved!

2009-10-23T10:58:00.001-07:00

We've climbed up in the virtual world!

CrossFit Thrive's new Blog & website is "http://www.crossfitthrive.com"

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Nothin' But Love

2009-10-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

awwwwwwww

WOD

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 reps for time of

Box Jumps

Pull-Ups

Squats

Sit-Ups

Push-Ups

*****warning....hippie-groovy post follows*****

Do you love? No, really truly love? When you're with your real friends, do you feel the love that is coming from them? Do you feel the love of yourself that's evidenced by showing up for class? Does your body know you love it enough not to go easy on it, to demand more of it? Can you love something after it's over, and see the lesson, even if in the middle all you want is to make it all stop? Are you opening to the greater you that's trying to emerge? Are you fueling that focus in your life? Are you willing to give up things in your life to be able to extend a greater heart space to all those around you? Do you feel love for the air in the middle of a workout? Is that passion inside of you fueled by a desire to shower the world with your love? Does your love in one part of your life ignite the love and passion in other parts? Are you reacting to life, or active looking for opportunities to share your unique gifts to the world? Do you know when your loving is beaming out of you? Do you hear the music trying to escape the confines of your mortal being? Have you loved today?

Obviously

2009-10-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

I'll take........2..no wait...4...no...3! Yes 3!

Technique work -- Pull-Up (on the new sweet rig!!!)

10 rounds for time of

5 Pull-Ups

10 Back Squats

15 Sit-Ups

Enjoy using the new pull-up system! Thanks Kevin!

Wet morning hoping for a dryer afternoon

2009-10-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Should I go to the office? No pants fishing? Why choose?

Technique work -- Squat Clean

WOD "Elizabeth"

21-15-9 Reps for time of

Squat Clean

Ring Dips

There will be workouts today, even if it rains. There's a rumor that it's going to let up in the afternoon as well, so for Reyna's sake let's hope it's true!

Happy Tuesday!

2009-10-13T08:06:00.001-07:00

ummmm......?

Today-- Technique work -- Hang Power Snatch

WOD

7 rounds for time of

7 Hang Power Cleans

7 Ring Push-Ups

7 Wall Ball

I really have nothing to say about the above picture. Really, I got nothin.

Monday Morning

2009-10-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Man, this coffee tastes like...wait a minute..

Technique/Strength Work

Deadlift 5x5

Cashout ...

"Fran"

21-15-9 reps for time of

Thrusters

Pull-ups

Hope you all had a great weekend, and are ready for a week of fun, exhilerating workouts!

Hey honey, look at the cute...OH MY GOD THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!

2009-10-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

ONLY ONE CLASS TODAY --@ 6:45 AM!!!!

Technique work -- Push Press

WOD

5 rounds

1 min Body Weight Rows

1 min choice of Push Press/HandStand Push-Ups

1 min Sumo Deadlift High Pull

The Snatch

2009-10-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

ONLY ONE CLASS TODAY -- at 4PM!!!!

ONLY ONE CLASS TOMORROW -- at 6:45 AM!!!

Technique Work-- Snatch

WOD

5 rounds for time

15 Overhead Squats

Run 500 m

The snatch is a highly technical movement. We'll work it today.

Be Safe

2009-10-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

could you hand me that screwdriver?

Technique - work the clean.

WOD (CrossFit Benchmark)

5 rounds for time of

5 DeadLift

10 Burpees

Keeping your midline stablized and your core tight keeps you both more safe & more powerful. This means a nice "straight" back. Of course, your spine has a natural curve, this is actually what we mean by a "flat back"or "keep the curve." Your back should maintain this, its strongest, position anytime you pick up a weight. Even if it's just a paperweight! This is the first "rule" for CrossFit, and for life! Keep it straight, push through the heels and get to those deadlifts!

put it behind you

2009-10-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

Technique -- Back Squat

WOD (nod to CrossFit Football)

5 rounds

Max Back Squats

7 Jumping Burpees (to box)

Do the back squats until you literally can't do any more. Then rack the weight, do the burpees (stay focused!), and return to the bar.

Tons of fun.

For the LFL....we got lot's of fun comin'!!

Get Cleaning!

2009-10-05T07:57:00.001-07:00

Yeah...I posted this pic...good morning to you too.

Today.

Technique work...Clean & Jerk

Work up to a "good weight".. about 60-70% of your 1 rep max

Then

WOD

30 Clean & Jerks for time

These are full squat cleans. You must lock out the weight on top.

Nice to have you stop by :)

More improvements coming soon to the facilities at CFT!

Overhead workout

2009-10-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

the other white meat

WOD

Heavy Overhead Squats(OHS)

4 sets of 5

Then

5 rounds

5 Body weight rows

10 Overhead Squats

30 Sit-Ups

The OHS should be comfortably heavy.

Lookin' good.

2009-10-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

more...more...beautiful...work it..

WOD

Work the Jerk

Push Jerk 3 sets of 3 at 80% max

Cash out..

5 rounds

1 min row

1 min max Sit-Ups

Lookin' good (for us) is actually a byproduct of chasing performance. We all know people who may look great, but who can barely lift a bowl of cereal. Look at olympians, or any professional athlete. They aren't concerned with how they look, but how well they play the game. Turns out that the better we play, the better we look. That's an added benefit for us CrossFitters. We change our perception of which numbers we're chasing. We're chasing a sub-5 minute Fran, or 20+ rounds for Cindy, or a 2x bodyweight deadlift. By chasing these numbers, we find we have to align the rest of our lives. We taper our lives because it might affect our workout tomorrow. Turns out, it affects our life tomorrow as well. Being prepared for your workout translates into the rest of your day in nothing but a positive way. It has to. How many other people worked so hard today, by choice, that they weren't sure they were going to finish? Only those who know what a thruster is. (okay, alright, and maybe that squirrel bolting across the street....no wait he stopped...he's going back..stoppped again...right! Left! Make up your MIND!)

So let's keep checking performance, not the scale, not the mirror. Just that little number that gets written on the white board at the end of every workout.

Hmmmmmm

2009-09-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

WOD

Front Squat

5x5

then

5 rounds for time

15 Thruster

200 m run

Well done morning crew!!!

Front Squat

2009-09-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

1 rep Front Squat

5 rounds

1 min Push-Ups

1 min Row (calories)

Pushing it.

2009-09-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

bad time for some crunches.

WOD

Work the Snatch...5 sets of 3

then

5 rounds for time of

15 Overhead Squats

30 Sit-Ups

When we're pushing our limits, sometimes we crash. This is a result of going after a bigger and greater goal. If we think we will make the gains we do without the occasional setback, we may be surprised when the CrossFit gods have other plans. As CrossFitters, these setbacks keep us humble and remind us to be grateful for our capacity for healing.

In the past year, I've had a back weirdness spasm that got pissed when I did pull-ups. I also have an old leg injury that sends tingles up my left leg when I'm sprinting really hard. One of CrossFit Thrive's first, Charlie, is anxious to get back from a back tweek himself.

What kind of setbacks have you had?

Good Fighting!!

2009-09-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

Come on you lousy bar!

WOD

Warm-Up (12 minutes)

Technique check/work - Deadlift (5-7 minutes)

Find your 1 rep max Deadlift (15 minutes)

then

7 rounds for time

7 Thrusters

7 Body Weight Rows

7 Sit-Ups

FGB Tomorrow!

2009-09-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

Be here at 9am tomorrow for the Fight Gone Bad workout! See you there!

(307 PCH, Hermosa Beach, 90254)

who needs a mini-van?

WOD

5 Rounds for time of:

5 Deadlifts

10 Box Jump

15 Squat Thrust

Don't look for my time....I'm resting up for tomorrow!

By the way, a big shout out to Jennifer, Sonny, Gina, & Mike, who all had intro sessions this week. Way to rock the rower!!

Determination

2009-09-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

Fight Gone Bad IV is happening this Saturday at 9am at Hermosa Boxing Works! We'll be putting out a bucket for donations for prostate cancer research! All are welcome!

WOD

AMRAP 15 minutes

5 Ring Push-Up

10 Wall Ball

15 Sit Ups

Post rounds completed HERE.

It takes determination to do what we CrossFitters do. It's not easy. And that's why many of us like it. We like facing that self doubt before, or sometimes in the middle, of a workout. It's fun to face it and beat it on a regular basis. I'm looking forward to this weekend's Fight Gone Bad, where we will see how people face their own limitations.

Mmmm...Jumping Back Squats

2009-09-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

WOD

7 rounds for time of

7 Jumping Back Squats

7 Heavy Bag Flips

7 Kettlebell Swings

Make sure you have a full depth squat on the jumpers.

Nutrition -- PS Fight Gone Bad

2009-09-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

WOD

5 rounds for time

9 Squat Clean

15 Push-Ups

21 Double Unders

Went to a great Paleo nutrition seminar this past weekend. Here it is in a nutshell "Eat meat & vegetables, nut & seeds, some fruit, little starch & no sugar." Cut out the bread & pasta, cut out the wheat. You'll look, feel, & perform better. Almost immediately.

PS. Fight Gone Bad is happening this Saturday at CrossFit Thrive. If you want to be on the "team" go here to find us & sign up. If you just want to come by to check out a brutal workout, there will be a donation bucket for you to drop some $$ into. Looking forward to seeing many of you there!

Hold on!

2009-09-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

no, seriously, I have to pee

WOD

5 x 5 rep Overhead Squat

then

"Hold It"

5 rounds of

30 Second Pull-Up Hold

30 Second Wall Ball

30 Second Plank Hold

30 Second Squat (active depth) Hold

post total number of fails breaks in holds

Mmmm...carbs

2009-09-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

It tastes so good on your lips!

WOD

AMRAP 17 minutes

10 Sumo-Deadlift High Pulls

10 Kettlebell Swings

10 Walking Overhead Lunges

200 Jump Rope (singles)

The great thing about the Zone diet is that you can have alcohol. You count it as a carb. So if you're headed out for a night on the town, have the wings, steak, or chicken, but leave the potatoes & bread & have beer instead!

Uss Bud Light

2009-09-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

Oh man, not again!

WOD

5 x 3 reps Push Press

Cash-Out

2 rounds

500 m Row

max reps Body Weight Row

Soar!

2009-09-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

WOD "Barbara"

5 rounds

20 Pull-Ups

30 Push-Ups

40 Sit-Ups

50 Squats

Rest 3 minutes between rounds.

You can do it!

More Fun!

2009-09-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

WOD

As Many Rounds as Possible in 20 minutes of

15 DeadLifts

12 Push-Ups

9 Tuck Jumps

Beach Day!

2009-09-12T16:17:00.000-07:00

WOD

1 set of Stairs

50 m Med Ball Throw & Chase

10 Push Ups

Great day at the beach. Richard did a great job pushing through his first rounds with CrossFit Thrive!

Thanks for inviting him Charlie!

Day 3!

2009-09-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

WOD (From CrossFit FootBall)

5 x 1 Push Press

then

4 rounds

Max Rep Push Press @ 65% 1 rep max

30 Double Unders

Enjoy & post your times to Beyond the White Board!

Modified Malibu

2009-09-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

James (Jimmy) Martin "enjoying" yesterday's workout :)

WOD (modification of CF Malibu's first workout)

500m Run

25 Cleans

25 Push-Ups

500m Run

25 Pull-Ups

25 Box-Jumps

500m Run

Thanks to all show showed up yesterday, it was great to have all of your support!

09/09/09 @ 9:09 AM--Official Opening Day WOD!

2009-09-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

"The Whole 9 Yards"

CrossFit Thrive Opening Day WOD

9 wall balls

9 push-ups

9 squats

9 body-weight rows

9 broad jumps

9 pull-ups

9 box jumps

9 burpees

99m run

3 rounds or 9 min 9 sec

Thank you to our inaugural workout CrossFitters: (from left) Serena Kwan, Jenn Murphy, Steven Merriweather, CrossFit Intrepid Owner Ruth Yu, CrossFit Thrive Owner Max Shippee, Avelyne Malonzo, & Boxing Works Owner Bryan Popejoy!

There's... a ... Place for Us... :)

2009-09-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

WOD

We will be doing a very special in house workout on 9/9/09. You will have to stop by to find out what it is!!!

To let us know you're coming please click here to put your name on the list!!

I look forward to meeting all 4 readers of this blog very soon!!

I will post times & the workout after the 9:09am official first workout!

'till then!

Coming to Life!

2009-09-07T08:15:00.001-07:00

WOD -- from CrossFit.com

"CrossFit Total"

Back Squat-1 rep max

Shoulder Press-1 rep max

Deadlift-1 rep max

These should all be 1 rep max lifts. Only your last successful lift counts towards your total score. If you're fierce, you're going to have a score up around 1000 lbs, if your like me, it'll be closer to 47.

Very soon, CrossFit Thrive will have a class schedule available online! You will be able to make appointments for your 1-on-1 intro session, or once you're in the mix, to sign up for classes online!

Looking forward to seeing many of you in the gym soon!!

OPENING SOON!!

2009-09-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

We will have our first workout on 09/09/09, there will be a warmup workout at 7am, and then the official opener at 9:09 am....hey if you're gonna do it, do it all the way, right?

Any suggestions for 9 rep exercises?

Moving!

2009-09-04T00:13:00.000-07:00

WOD

"Elizabeth"

21-15-9

Squat Clean (135#, 95#)

Ring Dips

Over 1700 lbs of weights & equipment was delivered today to 307 Pacific Coast Highway in Hermosa Beach. We are moved in. There is still some feng shui-ing that needs to go on, but I think that we'll get a handle on it tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, I have my first one-on-one intro session tomorrow! Let's hope all goes well!

PS. Is this guy drinking, or puking?

Stop Sitting, Start Upping!

2009-09-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

WOD

5 rounds for time

60 Sit-ups

60 m Bear Crawl

1 min Plank

Yes the abs. We all want to look good. But do we want to do the work? Surprisingly to some, you don't have to do thousands of crunches to get abs like Mr. T. Much of what we do (overhead squat, thrusters, deadlift) require a large amount of "mid-line stabilization." Keeping your core tight during an overhead squat is doing more functionally for your abs then all those crunches you used to do. Not to mention the fact that your back is balancing you out as well, and you don't end up with awesome abs, but still pull your back out.

Every so often, we'll "target" the abs, but for good heavy functional movement, they feel like their the target everyday!

PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR FIRST CLASS HAS CHANGED TO 09/09/09!!!

Soon! (UPDATED!)

2009-09-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

WOD

3 rounds

1 min Thrusters

1 min Plank

1 min Jumping Burpees

1 min 45# Bumper Plate Throw

1 min Rest

Score is total # of reps (Plank is active rest)

ABove is the logo for the new home of CrossFit Thrive(CFT). We will be coming into the sweet space that is Hermosa Beach Boxing Works (HBW). Bryan Popejoy, the owner of HBW, is not only a bad-ass at his chosen sport of Muay-Thai, he's also a hella nice guy who offered to give CFT a home while we build the business. Bryan said he's excited about working up a sweat CrossFit style while I expressed my desire to not hit like a girl. (though the girls in his gym look like they hit pretty, well, yikes!)

We are looking to have our first official class on 09/09/09 at 7 am. I will be updating the calendar (to the right) with more workouts as I figure out where to place them. The more people & demand there is for workouts, the more we'll schedule. I look forward to making new friends in both the CrossFit and Muay-Thai/Boxing communities as we work together to make people fiercely fit!

Oh, and a shout out to Alan, who I''m looking forward to shaking hands with once we're open!!

Three Wolf Moon

2009-08-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

WOD

14 Squats

14 Push-Ups

14 Sit-Ups

14 Pull-Ups

7 Rounds

Find a chin-up bar and get too it. A shout out to Giu-D, who will love the squats & sit-ups, push herself through the push-ups, and may need to scale the pull-ups. (You can do this by finding a box, and using it to jump up into your pull-up, like this.)

Click here & scroll down to read the reviews of the incredible shirt these real men are wearing.

Old Man Time

2009-08-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

WOD

15 KB Swings

30 M Med Ball Throw & Chase

15 Push-Ups

30 M Med Ball Throw & Chase

5 rounds

Though it may not be quite as easy as the picture would have you believe, turning back the clock is possible. It takes a bit of work and blissiplin', but it can happen. Having proper nutrition is one of the keys to get you there.

Your nutrition can actually be a quite good mechanism for turning genes on & off. Good nutrition means that the good genes are firing, but the opposite is also true. Spend your time with a Coke & a Snickers and wonder why your feeling not so hot, or even end up with hyperinsulinemia? I got a pretty good idea, it's in the genes.

I dare you to keep a food journal. A place where you keep track of everything you eat. It may surprise you.

Bail Out

2009-08-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

WOD

One Minute Each of:

Med Ball Throw & Chase

Push-Ups

Sit-Ups

Burpees

Pull-Ups

Lunges

Rest One Minute, repeat (12 minutes of work total)

Knowing when to bail out of a lift is key to going heavy. If we are indeed pushing ourselves, the only way to do this safely is to know how to get out of the way when a weight isn't doing what we want. A fail in a lift is a small victory, you've found your edge, and gone just ever so slightly over it. Great.

After today's workout, throw some 25's on the bar, and just practice bailing out of a front squat, back squat, push press, clean, and anything else you can think of.

Knowing how to bail out keeps you safe, so like anything else, every so often, you should practice it.

Go Heavy!

2009-08-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

Beach WOD

10 PVC Overhead Squats

30 m Med Ball Throw & Chase

10 Push-Ups

30 m Med Ball Throw & Chase

10 rounds for time

Don't forget to go heavy!

Some people (ahem, ladies) dislike the idea of going heavy. They think it'll make them "big." Surprisingly, that's not necessarily true. Your diet, more than anything else will make you big. At the CrossFit Games this year there were many women who were both strong and slender. Don't be afraid of the heavy weights. Once you learn proper form, you'll have no better friend.

And a quick hello to Jennifer (if memory still serves) who is training for the NY Marathon. Here's the link I promised (sorry about the late post!) CrossFitEndurance

Lookin' Good

2009-08-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

WOD (From CFSB "Burrito")

For Time

50 Sit-Ups

50 Double Unders

50 Sit-ups

50 Walking Lunges

50 Sit-Ups

50 Burpess

50 Sit-Ups

However you look. Own it.

Does Slow & Steady Win the Race?

2009-08-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

WOD

40 m Medicine Ball Throw & Chase

1 Trip up & down Ave C Stairs

10 Push-Ups

5 rounds for time

What if it wasn't slow & steady that won the race, but efficient & fast? Efficiency of movement is something that we consciously choose to explore with our workouts. Many people would acknowledge that even though they may be able to swim, they are probably not the most efficient swimmers. If you put them in a pool, and had them do 100 meters, it may take them a full minute. Coach them for an hour, and they could may cut that time in half, even while expending less energy!

Swimming is a great example of a functional movement many people realize must be coached to become both efficient and proficient. Believe it or not, the same applies to running, squatting, push-upping, whatever you're doing in life. CrossFit has found that the POSE running technique is the most efficient & fastest way to move your body across dry land.

Below are links to a video from the CrossFit main site, it's part two of a piece of a lecture on POSE running.

A big shout-out to Monica, who is doing her darnedest to stay in shape in spite the fact that her knees hate her! :)

POSE Running Preview Part #2 .mov

POSE Running Preview Part #2 .wmv

Link to Running Exercise & Demo page from the CrossFit Main Site, in case you want to check out part one as well.

Have a great weekend!

Use your head

2009-08-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

WOD

21-15-9 reps for time of

Cleans

Sit-Ups

Wall-Ball

Push-Ups

Our body tells our brain that we're experience pain. It is up to us to discern whether this pain is something we should push through, or if it's time to take a break. Sometimes, even us CrossFit types can push it too far. That doesn't mean that we don't stop, there is a time and a place to stop. I know of three people who had to step out of the CrossFit due to injuries while there competing.

Basically if it feels like your muscles are screaming, take a breath, or a few breaths, and push on. If it feels like a bone, tendon, ligament or anything else. Stop & assess what the real problem is. Injuries happen at the gym, just like they do in everyday life. The trick is to listen to your body and make smart decisions so you can get back to whuppin' ass as soon as possible.

Turn Around!

2009-08-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

WOD "1K both ways"

10 Rounds for Time of:

25m Sprint

25m Backward Sprint

25 Sit-Ups

25m Bear Crawl

25m Backward Crawl

25 Sit-Ups

We live in the world in front of us. There is, however, a whole world behind us. Our muscles work in two directions, both forward & backwards. We should train in two directions. It's great for the mind body connection & muscle recruitment.

Clear out a nice path of 25 meters and get to work!

Blame your Parents!

2009-08-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

WOD

5 rounds

20 Lunges

10 Pushups

20 SitUps

There are a lot of things we can't blame on our parents, and some things we can. We are gifted, for better or worse, with the genetic code of our parents getting it on some lucky night many years ago. There are some great things, no doubt, you've received from them. Maybe your height, eye color, or smooth skin is due largely to being genetically fortunate. There may be other things that you wish you hadn't got, like a propensity for heart disease, or certain types of cancer.

There's good news! It turns out that you can actually have quite a bit of control over how many genes manifest. Specifically the ones that cause our demise. The bad news is that your habits activate or deactivate these genes. And the area we have the most control over this control? The kitchen. You can beat (to a large extent) cancer & heart disease in the kitchen. Just ask Dr. Barry Sears, all of his male family died of heart disease in there early 50's, he is now 62, and still up and around giving lectures. It's not rocket science, it's dietary science.

There will be more about what exactly we should be doing about what we eat later in the week :)

Till then...

PS. Prepare for more intense workouts soon! We may have a surprise coming up!

Eat it!

2009-08-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

WOD

Find your 1 rep max Clean, then...

100 Burpees

If you wanna be fancy, you can take a nod from CrossFit Hollister and do Medicine Ball Burpees. (just hold a med ball for the entire movement)

Went to a really great Zone lecture & Q&A with the man Dr. Barry Sears yesterday. It reinvigorated my mind to the true connection that food plays in our overall health. It's the most powerful drug we take. And we take it three times a day or more. Suffice to say that the Zone principle, plus some fish oil, have shown promise with conditions ranging from weight loss to cancer. After doing some more refreshing with the Zone, expect some more info coming soon.

It was also great to connect with some really great CrossFitters after at the dinner. A shout out to all the people I got to shake hands with: Dr. Barry Sears, Mike, Doug, Greg A., Kaitlin, Tony, Don, Mike, Alex, Beth, Nicole, K(Ch?)ristine, Katherine, Kate, Will, Lisa, and, of course, Greg Glassman.

Drink It Up!

2009-08-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

WOD

21-15-9 of...

Front Squat (105#M, 75#W)

Sit-Ups

Double Unders

Push-Ups

About 20 minutes before your workout, have a nice big ol' glass of water. The 20 minutes gives the water time to get into your system before you really start raising your body temperature. Of course, you'll want to follow your workout with plenty of hydration, and unless you're playing for a professional sports team, water (not Gatorade or some other sports drink) is actually the best way to replace your lost fluids. Sports drinks can be full of sugar, and for the relatively short workouts that we CrossFitters do, our electrolyte loss isn't sufficient to warrant it.

Enjoy today's workout...it's super fun!

Welcome Back!!

2009-08-03T09:00:00.001-07:00

WOD

7 rounds of

7 Burpees

70 Meter Sprint

7 Tuck Jumps

When we're on break, or vacation, we often encounter foods that we wouldn't eat at home. I feel it's okay to bend the rules a little bit (or maybe a lot :) when you're out of town. If you're putting in the effort here at home, when you're off, be off. These past 10 days, I only worked out three times. I drank a bit, and ate a bit more. I know that I'm going to be sore the next few days, and I'm actually looking forward to getting back in the wagon. Here's to hoping peeps are looking forward to some good workouts together again!

PS. CrossFit Thrive may have some fun announcements coming up in the near future, it's all good!

Rack it up!

2009-07-31T08:08:00.000-07:00

(CFT is out of town, there will be 3 workout posted this week, one each for Monday, Wednesday & Friday, you should be able to do these on your own)

WOD

10 Squat Thrusts

10 Sit-Ups

16 Side-Plank-Ups (8 each side)

30 Ab-Bicycles

See you all on Tuesday at the House!! I miss you guys!!

Prowling!

2009-07-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

(CFT is out of town, there will be 3 workout posted this week, one each for Monday, Wednesday & Friday, you should be able to do these on your own!)

WOD

50m Bear Crawl

50m Long Two Foot Jump

5 Push-Ups

As Many Rounds As Possible for 15 Minutes

Post Rounds to Comments! (No need to sign in!)

Get your feet wet!

2009-07-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

(CFT is out of town, there will be 3 workout posted this week, one each for Monday, Wednesday & Friday, you should be able to do these on your own!)

WOD

Run 3K in Shin-Deep water

Start at the Redondo Pier & Run to the first jetty/pipe/walkway thing & back, TWICE

Be careful about your feet, if you have wet slipper/shoes, wear 'em!

The added resistance of the water is good for the adductors of our legs. Not to mention eeryone looks better running on the beach!

Post your time to the comments! (no need to sign in!)

Doubles!!

2009-07-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

(CFT is out of town, there will be 3 workout posted this and next week, one each for Monday, Wednesday & Friday, you should be able to do these on your own)

WOD

2 Squats

4 Burpees

8 Lunges (4 each leg)

16 Sit-ups

8 Rounds

Hit this one hard. Then go start your weekend early! Post your time to the comments!

Running & Jumping!

2009-07-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

(CFT is out of town, there will be 3 workout posted this and next week, one each for Monday, Wednesday & Friday, you should be able to do these on your own!)

WOD

50m Sprint

10 Tuck Jumps (pulling knees to chest)

10 Rounds

Running is good for, well, running. And the Tuck jumps are a great way to develop fast feet if you ever need to get up on top of something. The Tuck Jump also builds incredible explosive power for when you need to get under the bar for a snatch or a clean. So GET THOSE KNEES UP!!

Feel the Burn!

2009-07-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

(CFT is out of town, there will be 3 workout posted this and next week, one each for Monday, Wednesday & Friday, you should be able to do these on your own)

WOD

Tabata Something Else

Do 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest. (1 round)

8 rounds each of the following.

Squats

Push-Ups

Sit-ups

Pull-ups

The total workout should take exactly 16 minutes. 4 minutes of each movement before moving onto the next. (8 rounds of Squats, then 8 rounds Push-Ups....)

Tabata, called Chewbacca by some (don't ask), is a 20 second work, 10 second rest interval. The prescribed length of a "Tabata Drill" is 4 minutes, or 8 rounds. If you want to make this really interesting, "rest" at the bottom of the Squats & Push-ups (with muscles engaged, not resting with your but/chest on the ground) and "rest" at the top of the Sit-Up (without hugging the knees) & Pull-Up (with chin over the bar).

Your SCORE for the rounds is your LOWEST number of reps for the 20 second interval for that exercise. (If your squat rounds were 15-15-13-12-9-6-6-6, your score would be 6) You should be gunning for at LEAST a score of 15 for all of these!

Do what you can, if you can't do Pull-Ups, find a good substitution.

Enjoy!

The World's Fittest Woman

2009-07-15T10:14:00.001-07:00

Full credit to CrossFit HQ for the pic & Full Story.

This is Tanya Wagner. She is the world's fittest woman. If you saw the post yesterday, she did basically the same thing. Slightly lighter weights for the women's competition, but very bad-ass none the less. GO TANYA! Way to define fitness & feminism so wonderfully!

WOD

20 Lunges

20 Push-Ups

30 sec plank hold

5 rounds

Fittest Man in the World...

2009-07-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

Credit to CrossFit HQ for the pic & Full Story

This is the fittest man in the world, Mikko Salo. No joke. This bad-ass Finnish dude can fly home to his land of Nokia & rightfully hold his head high. For this title in two days this man completed feats ranging from a 7.1 km run to a 495 lb deadlift. And A LOT of stuff in between.

I got him to sign my CrossFit hat. I have the first autograph from the world's fittest man. Yeah, that's how I roll.

Time for a workout :)

WOD

20 Pull-ups

20 Squats

20 Burpees

4 rounds

CrossFit Games Competition!!

2009-07-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

WOD (on the beach @ Ave C)

Start at the top of the stairs.

Top of the Stairs to the Water & Back

5 rounds.

Have fun!

Please check out the CrossFit Games. This is where some fierce athletes will be testing every facet of their fitness this weekend!!

Perceptions..

2009-07-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

WOD

7 Front Squat

7 Body Weight Rows

14 Sit-Ups

5 Rounds

Perception can have quite an effect on how a workout turns out. Many times, we're psyched to go to the gym, we're feeling good about ourselves, then we show up to workout and it's "Oh no, not _______!" Walking up to a bar for what could be a personal record, if you're thinking "I'm not going to be able to do this." you're not exactly setting yourself up for success.

Explosive Power!

2009-07-07T11:15:00.000-07:00

WOD

5 DeadLifts

10 Squat Thrusts

5 rounds

Having that explosive off the line power is important. The deadlift is a move that trains this one rep power quite effectively. The powerful opening of the hip at the "top" of the deadlift, trains the entire hip area, including the hamstrings, glutes, & adductors.

It's also incredibly functional. When you pick up anything, ANYTHING, you should be deadlifting it. Watch a child under 3, they do. They're bodies are using the most efficient way t0 pick up something heavy. We'll do some really good work on the dealift today, before doing the WOD.

Love the deadlift, it is your friend.

Oh Yeah!!!

2009-07-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

Check the new header!!!

I am now CrossFit Thrive!!!

Go Me!!

Thanks to the "ladies" who did a great job at the Redondo Beach 5K this morning! Everyone finished in less than 45 minutes, and even better, noone walked!!

Well done....now, since it's July 4th, and you already ran the 5K, it is safe to "cheat" on any diet you may be on!!

Now get to it!!!

Just Try!

2009-06-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

WOD

45 Double Unders

45 Squat Clean

45 Body Weight Rows

45 Double Unders

Sometimes, we feel pretty confident in our desire to fail. Does that mean we shouldn't even try?

Is there anyone reading this blog at all?

What is it?

2009-06-29T01:21:00.000-07:00

WOD

5 rounds

25 Jumping Jacks

25 Sit Ups

25 Squat Thrusts

25 Supermans

Sometimes, people are doing stuff that won't necessarily make them any functionally fitter. Like a door that isn't a door. Walking on a treadmill is fine if your rehabilitating, or if you live in Maine in the winter, and your lungs will freeze if you step outside. But wouldn't it be more than a bit better to just step outside and go for a walk. Unless you live in flats of Texas, there should be SOME terrain that you will walk over that will vary during your outing. Your legs actually work differently when your moving yourself across the ground, as opposed to the ground moving underneath you.

So, if you want to be more functional in your life, do the most functional exercise. Oh, yeah, you already are, 'cuz you're a CrossFitter!

Riviera Fair

2009-06-28T23:41:00.001-07:00

WOD

4 Rounds

5 Squats

5 Burpees

5 Push Ups

400 meters

We all want to be the star at the fair! And some of you were today! If you saw one of the local CrossFit stars, Murphy, & I working out in the middle of the Riviera Fair this weekend, thanks for checking us out!

You can learn a lot more about the CrossFit philosophy of fitness on the "main site" This site is for posting our local workouts here in the Redondo Beach area.

Shoot me a phone call or an e-mail so we can meet in person, and we can spend a bit of time exploring your own fitness goals and how CrossFit could help you attain them!

I look forward to hearing from you...unless I already have (Frank!)

Pain...

2009-06-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

WOD

5 rounds

1 Trip up the stairs
10 PVC Thrusters
10 Med Ball Slams

One of my super-hot lady clients showed up this morning with a headache. Not from a Friday night of too much partying, she's had it getting worse and worse since Thursday evening. Instead of doing the above workout, she timed out at 3 rounds.

I think this was a good choice on her part. There are certain kinds of pain that are "fun" to push through. Like the burning of your legs in Tabata Squats. Or the feeling of "there's no air" in the middle of Fight Gone Bad. Other types of pain aren't so much "fun."

A migraine, or the like, isn't something that we should feel like we need to push through. This kind of pain, just like a sprained ankle, or tweeked back, indicate that we need to take a bit of a rest. Or perhaps look at our life style, or diet to see where changes could benefit us.

Amber pushed herself a bit this morning and got through three rounds. If you've ever worked out with any kind of headache, you know that CrossFit can do one of two things. It can totally zap the headache, and when you're done, you've conquered both the workout, and the headache. Or it can make your head a pounding, throbbing appendage of pain. Today, it was the latter for Amber.

The interesting thing, is that she was a bit pissed about the whole thing. She was angry she couldn't get through all five rounds. But that's the kind of gal she is. She's CrossFit :)

Happy Monday

2009-06-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

WOD

10 Tuck Jumps

10 Jumping Burpees

10 Box (Bench, Curb, Whatever :) Jumps

5 rounds

Jumping is good for you. You where built for it. You've loved it since you were a kid. Now it's in your workout. Embrace it. Love it. Be grateful you have those gorgeous legs & JUMP!

Tires

2009-06-20T12:16:00.001-07:00

WOD

20 m Tire Drag

10 Push Ups

20 m Tire Drag

10 Kettlebell Swings

5 rounds, if your really hardcore, do it on the beach!

Ah, the good ol' tire. When we work out with tires. We're never rolling them. We're dragging them, flipping them, or swearing at them. Using resistance like a tire when running pumps up your fast twitch muscles, and gets you way more fatigued in much less time.

The best part, as Amber found out today, is to drag that tire in the sand, then run back on the pavement. You feel like you're flying!!

A special hello to Jennifer, who stepped over from Moses' class to try the tire once!

The Lunge vs Yeoow!!

2009-06-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

WOD (Idea thanks to CrossFitSouthBay)

Go from the "Hanging Tree" to the "Pole" & back

2 rounds.

10 Walking Lunges then drop and do

2 Push-Ups.

All the way there... & back. Twice **

We never know when a good lunge will come in handy. I'm sure we all could think of hundreds of examples :)

Keep the chest up & just kiss the knee with the back leg. You should be pushing straight up with your front leg, and just using your back leg for balance, not "pushing" with your back leg to get you up. This will activate your glutes a wee bit better (Lisa:) Your weight should be in the heel of the front foot, and to the outside of the foot, if anything. Do your best to keep that front knee in line with the foot, and keep it from collapsing inward when your driving upward! and Remember you're walk-lunging on railroad tracks, not a tightrope :)

Check out the video here (same as above)

This is a video of Luge, something completely different.

**The "Hanging Tree" is where we did the bodyweight rows. The pole is the one we ran around just the other day during warm ups.

Have fun!

Patience

2009-06-16T16:59:00.000-07:00

WOD

5 Rounds for Time

10 Wall Ball

50 Sit Up

100 Jump Rope

Be patient and do the work....you're getting there :)

(more later)

Cold is good.

2009-06-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

WOD

5 rounds for time

10 Tuck Jumps
10 Push Ups
10 Sit Ups
10 Super Mans
10 Pull Ups

Some days, that soreness can be a bit much. Even after a bit of ibuprofen. Ice is a great way to keep the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) in check. There's a reason we see pics of NFL guys in an ice bath after a huge game. It helps with swelling and pain.

If you're feeling really sore in a particular area after a workout, or new movement. Ice the place that's feeling off. If you don't have an actually bag o' ice, use whatever vegetables you have in the freezer. You can eat them once they've thawed. I prefer peas.

Work through the soreness!

2009-06-12T01:49:00.001-07:00

WOD

20m Med Ball Throw & Chase
25 Partner Plank Claps
10m Lunges
5 Push Ups
10 Overhead Squats

5 rounds

As people who work out like we should, we find that getting up in the morning can be a sore affair. This, to a degree, is good, since that soreness means you tore up a bit of your muscle, and it's rebuilding stronger than before. The bad part is the discomfort.

"Discomfort," of course, is a relative term, because depending on the day it's either a bit of, "oh, that's a little tender" or "my legs hate me." Just know that once that soreness subsides, you're going to stronger for it. And if it really bad, there's always ice.

7-11

2009-06-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

WOD

"7/11"

7 Body Weight Rows

7 Squats

7 Push Ups

7 Sit Ups

11 Rounds for Time

Life, believe it or not, isn't always about convenience. Usually, we learn the most about ourselves when we're doing something different, or harder than we're used to. This could apply to everything from childbirth to learning to swim to getting a promotion.

You should consider your workout a daily dose of that difficulty. If you get a little nervous before a workout, good. That hesitation that you push through is what makes you a more evolved person after a workout.

So get to it :)

2009-06-05T23:51:00.000-07:00

WOD

20m Bear Crawl
10-30lb Push Press
10m Crab Crawl
10m Lunges
15 Sit-ups

for a groovy post, go here.

Youth is Mobility

2009-05-21T06:04:00.000-07:00

Workout.

150 Squats

There are some things about our youth that we would prefer to forget :)

In fitness terms, youth is mobility. When people see someone who's been on the planet for 80 years still going up & down stairs, carrying their own groceries & headed to the dance hall a couple times a week, they often comment about how young that person seems. It's because they're still moving around independently. It's when we start needing help up off the couch at a family gathering that we start to seem "old" to people. It's that lack of mobility & independence.

The best way to combat that? Keep Moving! Especially your legs! I have a friend who is 85 years young and is still going strong. He said that he realized years ago that most people end up needing a cane or the like just from the muscle loss of age. So he does squats every day.

Yes, squats.

The squat is the most effective exercise for keeping you "young." You do some sort of squat every time you get up from a chair, a park bench, or the toilet seat. By doing multiple, full range of motion squats, these previous activities should never seem "hard."

So do your squats!

Here's a link to good squat form; keeping the lumbar curve, chest up, knees tracking over the feet, & weight in the heels. In the video, they are performing front squats with weight, but the comparison of good and bad is very good for any squat, even good ol' bodyweight squats.

Quicktime -- "http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_FrontSquats.mov"

Windows Media -- "http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_FrontSquats.wmv"

Add some weight!

2009-05-12T10:39:00.001-07:00

Today's workout.

20 x 50m sprints.

Sprint down, walk back & immediately go again, the walk is your rest!

Yesterday's post was about functional capacity. Today's will address the lifting of heavy things.

I think we can all agree that if you can lift 100 lbs off the ground, you can easily lift a 30lb box of copier paper. Many of the feminine half of the population worry about lifting heavy and getting too big & bulky. For the vast majority of the population, this need not be a worry. Since we are training functional, multi-joint movements, we are building coordination and agility as much as we are building muscle. If you just want to sit down and do bicep curls, then yeah, you'll probably put on size. But there are surprisingly "small" guys who can put 200 lbs over head. It has more to do with correct form and timing, than actual muscle contractile potential.

The purpose of the movements we do in CrossFit are not to build muscle, they are to efficiently & safely move a weight over a certain distance. That's why we get on you with your deadlift form. It's both more efficient & more safe to keep correct form.

In life, we my never approach our max lifts in the gym. We may never have to move a 100 lb anything anywhere. That's precisely why we do it in the gym. The gym is a place where we can safely push ourselves way beyond our comfort zone, and out on the edge of our capabilities. Wouldn't you rather try to lift that 100, 200, 300 lbs in the relative safety of the gym. Wouldn't you rather train your body for something bigger & better than what life may provide.

For some professional, you may be tested at the edge of your capabilities. Firefighters & police officers come to mind. For the rest of us, we may never approach our max deadlift anyehere in our daily life. But if you can deadlift 150 lbs, & are a mom of two, with an office job, stopping by the pet store on the way home, lifting that 20 lb bag of dog food out of the car got a whole lot easier, didn't it?

Functional Capacity

2009-05-11T12:13:00.001-07:00

Workout

150 Squats

50 Pull-Ups

There are a lot of things we read in health or fitness magazines, or see in the general media which may not apply to everyday life, or functional capacity.

Functional capacity is defined as your ability to do work. For the purposes of this post, we're considering work in the mathematical/mechanical sense of moving some load (mass) over a distance. That could be your stapler from the left side of your desk to the right side, carrying the groceries from the car, or putting 95 lbs on the bar and going overhead. These all demonstrate a certain measurable amount of work. Your ability to complete these task gives you a certain measurable work capacity.

My mother could never understand why someone would walk on a treadmill when you could step outside and actually get somewhere in the process. I feel similarly. It's better than nothing (though just) to spend 45 minutes on the elliptical, but have you trained your body to do anything productive? Will you use that motion, or anything similar, in the rest of your day? I suspect not. I suspect you would more likely, on a daily basis, to squat (ever get up from a chair?), lift something overhead (put a book on a high shelf?) or deadlift (pick up anything from the ground?).

Don't get me wrong, the elliptical machine is great for elliptical-ing, and perhaps for rehabilitation, but for most of us, it will not enable an easier time with any physical task in our day.

Most exercise media is just made for to fill up said media, and lacks true functional application. Which is fine if you just want to "sit like this" more effectively. But wouldn't our valuable time be better spent performing exercise that just might relate to the motions we're already doing on a daily basis?

Tomorrows post will address the benefits of lifting a wee bit heavy. I'm sure you already know it's functional :)

Beach Workout! (6 seconds!)

2009-05-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

Ah the Beach..

5 rounds for time of:

12 Med Ball Slams

15 Meter Lunge

12 Dumbbell Swings

15 Meter "long" Jump

Today, for the first time ever, Lisa beat her friend Amber in a workout....by 6 seconds! This is an incredible accomplishment. When they first started working out, Amber had a consistent lead over Lisa of anywhere from a minute to a minute and a half. Lisa has really been pushing herself, and has been slowly closing that gap.

Today, there was no more gap. Lisa-9:33, Amber 9:39. Woohoo Lisa!!

A Glimpse of Intensity. May 8, 2009

2009-05-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

Had two ladies really push themselves today.

5 rounds for time of:

10 Front Squats

10 Push Press

15 (each side) Medicine Ball Sit & Twist

Each used a "ladies" bar weighing 33 lbs, with a 9 lb med ball. . They both finished in under 10 minutes. Well done.

I call today a "good" workout because, I could see in both of them that there was a moment that they both felt like they couldn't do any more. At different times, they both stopped, took a breath, and kept going.

I'm not saying that every workout should be like this, especially when you're first starting out. This is, however, the kind of intensity you should be building to on some kind of regular basis. The great thing about this kind of intensity is that we can all get it from the same workout! Throw some weight in that bar, and hand it to a firebreather, and he'll be hitting that wall just like my two ladies today.

That intensity sure is a bear in the middle of the workout, but when you finish, the sense of accomplishment keeps you on a wee bit of a high the rest of the day.

About the picture....if this poor girl can get up and keep going after this, you can push yourself a little harder in your workout :)