CrossFitValleyPark

Monday Strength/Skill Work: Bent Row 5 X 8. Alternate with a single leg movement. Some examples are single leg step ups, pistols, touchdowns, straight leg dead lift, box jumps, etc.

Daniel Hazelton is one of our newest members. He's a great athlete and a blast to have around the gym. Welcome Daniel!

Jake Howard took 1st place in the Weekly Challenge WOD offered from CF Santa Clara. Go HERE to check out the video! Awesome job Jake.

Sunday: Rest Day and time for some thoughts.  The recent tragedy at Sea World raises an interesting subject. Should animals be kept in captivity? What is the goal besides entertainment for humans? Are we doing significant study that in the long run, benefits the animals and us? Are these animals happier and better off being kept in captivity? Can we ask them? Is this our place to control nature? We can reflect on many tragedies with countless other species that ended in loss of life. On a personal note, I do not go to zoos and I believe animals belong in the wild. Thoughts?
 
 

Our CrossFit Games qualifiers got some great press!  "Preparation" with top performers from the 2010 CrossFit Games Midwest Sectionals - video [wmv] [mov]

Friday Stength/Skill Work: "Black Box"  Be nice to your coach!

 

 

 

Everyone say hello to Charley, Rebecca, and Christy! Our foundations group is getting strong. Look for them in our regular strength classes. Keep up the good work.

Thank you everyone for the warm Birthday wishes! It was truly flattering to walk into the gym today and see all the signs and gifts. The food was yummy! Thank you Stephanie and Tawn. You have all made this a very special day.

Everyone PLEASE take a look at CrossFit TNT's Rhesa Gieseke's story. One Year Later

Thursday Strength/Skill Work: Max effort Back Squat. Try and reach your bodweight within 3 sets. Then attempt 2 sets of max reps. at your bodyweight. Take time between sets to work on dead hang pull-ups and "skin the cats."
 
 
 

Big shout out to the Monday classes who got a taste of "Fran". Everyone did really well with this tough workout. We had some people try it Rx'd including Mike Shaw, Tawn Keener, Neil Zimmerman, and Trey Dowell. Awesome job everyone! 

It's worth noting Mike Shaw's positioning of the bar while doing thrusters. Thrusters are tricky combining a front squat with an overhead press. Ideal elbow position for both is very different. The "elbows up" position in the front squat helps to keep the bar high and balanced. The elbows drive the bar better for a press while under the bar. Positioning for the thruster may be best somewhere in between. Mike has the bar high enough to stay very balanced yet in a good line to drive the bar overhead. Mike always has very nice form!

Wednesday Strength/Skill Work: Lateral Lunges. Work the movement and when you have it, add weight. "Racked Kettlebells" work great. Alternate with Body Rows (ring rows). Work towards a more challenging flat position on the rings. Take a few minutes to try handstands.

W.O.D.

-Go in 2 heats if group is large

-Row 500 Meters

-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Box Jumps/Push-ups

 
 

Kevin and Bridget have been consistent in their foundations training. You may see some other new faces including Rebecca, Carrie, Gloria, and Charley. Everyone is doing great!

Tuesday Strength/Skill Work: Seated Dumbbell or KB Presses, 4 sets of 10. Alternate with Dumbbell or KB snatches, practicing the skill.

W.O.D.

10 Toe to Bar, 20 KB swings, 25 push-ups, rest 1 minute

15  Toe to Bar, 25 KB swings, 30 push-ups, rest 1 minute

20 Toe to Bar, 30 KB swings, 35 push-ups, rest 1 minute

100 Walking Lunges

 

Our Run/Row Challenge is this Sunday the 28th. Please arrive at 9 a.m. and teams will be selected. The event will start promptly at 9:30 a.m. Here are the details. Each team will have one male and one female. They will run a 2 mile relay with each person completing 400 meters at a time. Once the run is complete they will move to a rower where they will row 5000 meters as a team. Good luck everyone!

Monday Strength/Skill Work: OH Squat 5 X 5. Alternate with sets of max rep. ring dips. If you are strong on ring dips, use the weighted belt. If you have not learned to kip on ring dips, give it a try!

W.O.D. "Fran"

21-15-9 Thrusters, Pull-ups

 

Sunday- Rest Day!

Here's a great instructional video on learning the butterfly kip. As CrossFit battled to justify the kipping pull up as more powerful, faster pull-up, someone came up with the butterfly. This really stirred the pot and suddenly people were aksing, "what is a pull-up anymore?" It's simple folks. A pull-up starts from full extenstion and ends with your chin above the bar. How you get there is up to you. Without going into arguments on technique and work capacity, we apply all pull-ups to create fitness. Dead hang, kipping, L-pull, switch hand, butterfly, weighted, one arm, one arm with a beer in the other. It's all good.

The 2010 CrossFit Games Midwest Sectional Women's Sunday Workout - video [wmv] [mov]

This video is great! Take note of a couple cool things. First of all, the woman who was in 1st place ended up winning! She's short, heavy set, strong, and powerful! In a world where skinny fitness models grace magazine covers, it's nice to know you don't have to look like that to kick some butt! The inside of an athlete matters alot more than the outside. Then you will see the mother/daughter team. Quite inspirational. Go ladies!

Friday Strength/Skill Work: OH Lunge (use barbell) 5 X 12 (6 per leg). Work towards a max. weight that you can keep locked overhead. In between each set, work on 1 gymnastic skill of your choice.

How would you like to actually get out on a real rowing boat? Some of our athletes got a chance to meet instructors at the recent St. Louis Rowing Championships. The St. Louis Rowing Club offers rowing workshops and we'll be looking into a springtime event. Tawn Keener has inquired about actually having someone come here to work with us on technique as well. We'll keep you posted. Thanks Tawn!

Mid Western Sectional: WOD 3 Video ... [wmv] [mov]   Make sure you look for Josh's son Jack in the end of this video!

Cod Liver Oil: Setting the Record Straight

Thursday Strength/Skill Work: Deadlift 3 X 5 OH Press 3 X 5. Work back and forth as a couplet.