"Nate"

(20 min. AMRAP)

2 muscle ups

4 handstand pushups

8 kettle swings (70lbs.)

Becky loves her burpees. Here she is mid "Dilemma".
The Browns

CFHQ

Rest Day

-or-

TEAM WOD

50 Thrusters @ 95 lbs

50 Pullups

10 Box Jump penalty for every time the bar hits the ground

All reps to be shared among two partners

-or-

"Jackie"

1000m Row

50 Thrusters 45lbs

30 Pullups

This weekend I went to watch the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra perform Strauss's "Also Sprach Zarathustra", you may ask yourself what that has to do with Crossfit.

It made me think of Virtuosity. A professional orchestra is if anything a collection of virtuosity. Each player must play in tune and in concert with the others in the orchestra. One discordant note instantly ruins the effect. Let us say that the orchestra represents your body, if your muscles aren't working correctly your entire body is affected. Which is why we've started to strongly recommend stretching, foam rolling and other soft tissue work. We're looking for a glorious harmony of muscle and sinew. Which sounds a little weird, but I think it make senses.

A symphony is really only as good as it's conductor. We can think of the conductor as the brain. If your brain is unduly fatigued (from stress or lack of sleep), unsure of the movement or confused than we will see a lose of virtuosity in the movements. It's important than you guys know what we're looking for in these movements and try to emulate them, that may mean studying them, working on them at home with a broom stick. We're asking that in practice you try to come as close to the movements' ideal as possible.

It may seem a little strange to take lesson from Strauss and apply it to Crossfit, and it is. But these lessons are global. Take what you learn in here and apply it to the outside world, take what you know from the outside world and apply it in here.

-Paul Siegel

Double Unders from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.

"Tommy V"

115 lbs. Thruster 21 reps

15 ft. Rope Climb 12 ascents

115 lbs. Thruster 15 reps

15 ft. Rope Climb 9 ascents

115 lbs. Thruster 9 reps

15 ft. Rope Climb 6 ascents

-or-

"Becky's Dilemma"
21-15-9

Front Squat (95 lbs./75 lbs.)

Pullups

Burpee's

Rainier Crossfit has "10 things I believe in" :

"I believe CrossFit is about people and relationships. Fitness comes as a result of having great people and solid relationships in a place where the right tools are available. A gym without great people is simply a room full of weights.

I believe CrossFit selects for great people. A co-worker once wondered how a guy he knew got a ride to a distant city overnight. He said he didn’t think any of his friends would do that for him. Our response: we have a gym full of friends who wouldn’t hesitate AND they’d even buy coffee for the trip

I believe you can tell a lot about a person by how they approach the bar. Confident. Questioning. Unsure. Determined. Reckless. Cautious.

I believe you can tell even more about that person when they leave the bar. Exuberant. Angry. Self depreciating. Impressed. Proud. Contemplative.

I believe burpees were designed by the same guy who invented pantyhose.*

I believe getting your diet nailed down is the hardest thing you’ll ever do. And you’ll have to do it everyday. Somedays it will be easy to make good food choices, other days it will seem impossible. It comes down to how important it is to you. If its important enough, you’ll do it and the benefits will pay in spades.

I believe we have a duty to our kids. I have a responsibility to raise them in an environment where food is fuel and not celebration, a cure for the pity pool, or something to turn to in boredom. In other words, I have to know that my view of food is all screwed up and I have to instill in my kids something different.

On the topic of kids, I believe they need to grow up knowing exercise if fun, rewarding, and its an enjoyable pursuit for life. Luckily, they get to grow up in a CrossFit gym where they are surrounded by great people, heavy weights, PR’s and all of the makings of a positive, welcoming, healthy environment.

The best gift we’ve ever received was a card that simply said “Thank You for saving my life”

Lastly, I believe in family. My family is just a little bigger these days."

What are your "Ten Things I believe"? Or give me one thing you believe about Crossfit. Or life. Or whatever.

Sunday class is at 11:00

Rest Day

Early morning stroll
plus some double unders

CFHQ

Rest Day

or

CFSS
5 Rounds:
30 DUs

200m DB Carry

Andy should have been foam rolling...see what happens when you don't stretch? Once again Andy's mouth writing checks he can't cash.

Jarrett and Chad lunging it out in the pre-dawn cold.

4 rounds for time of:

Walking Lunge 50m

50 Situps

A few thoughts I've been ruminating on:

• 
  
  Physiological markers of endurance decrease in 3 days, where as absolute strength (1Rm's) show signs of decrease in 3 weeks. The converse of this is true as well. You'll see signs of improvement in endurance in as little as 3 days, where as strength will take longer approaching 3 weeks to see improvements in lifts. What does this all mean? If you've been taking some time off it is especially important to hit the strength days. Strength is one of the hardest, but longest lasting, attributes to develop and will carry over better to everything else. For most of us in here it is nearly impossible to be "Strong enough". Endurance comes relatively quickly. This is also important for those of you who don't come every day. If you haven't picked something heavy up in awhile let us know and we'll try and make it happen.


• 
  
  Buddhist's have a state called "child mind". Everything is simple and transparent to a child. There is no future, the past is but a dim memory and there is only the present. Where does this state apply in the gym? When you're in the middle of a WOD try and focus on only the present. Don't think 10 reps down the line or even 10 feet ahead of you. Focus on making each rep as perfect as possible and then quickly move on to the next.


• 
  
  We recognize that life gets in the way of fitness every now and then. We respect the need to take time off, deal with family, work and whatever. However it is important to remember that you've made an investment of money and sweat equity in yourself. Don't let that equity go to waste on the couch. If you haven't been in awhile, drop us a line. Let us now how you're doing, what's up and when you expect on getting back in here. Otherwise, Nate will stalk you and his is very good at what he does.


• 
  
  If you have been stressed out, not coming to the gym, etc. the best thing you can do is perform a sort of triage on your life. Their are only so many things you can eliminate that are stressful, what you can do is make sure you are eating as well as possible and getting more than enough sleep. This alone is enough to get you back on the path to pursuing your goals in here. Speaking personally this step makes a huge difference in how you feel and how you approach the world.

-Paul Siegel

Saturday Morning Muscle-Ups

The Browns Are Back

"Tabata Something Else"

8 Rounds each of 20 seconds work/10 seconds rest of:

Pull Ups

Push Ups

Sit Ups

Squats

Goal Setting

What are your fitness/CrossFit goals? I know we all joined CrossFit to look better naked, but seriously, you may train for health, weight management, or to get really friggin' huge, but these are the reasons for your training, and not goals per se. Goals need targets. Goals need to be SMART:

Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely

Read more about SMART goals.

It is important to have general goals or reasons for training to give you a framework for setting your specific goals and to give you focus, but SMART goals are what will keep you on track to continuously improving. So what are your SMART goals? Even if something seems unattainable, or unrealistic let us know what that goal is and we can work to break it down into a series of shorter, realistic goals that work upon each other to move towards completeing that task.

Weighted pullups 1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Becky getting after some back mobility drills
Foam rollin': it will make a Man out of you

21-18-15-12-9-6-3

Hip-Back Extensions

400 Meter Run

This Cold and Flu season help us to keep our gym and y'all as healthy as possible. We've distributed Clorox wipes around the gym. Please make sure to wipe down any surface you touch and any equipment you've used as your putting it away. This along with vigilant hand washing will help to cut down on germs using our gym as a breeding ground for contagion. Not to mention it's just good gym manners. Remember if you're feeling sick, it's best to stay home and not workout through the sickness. Help us keep this place as tidy and as clean as possible. Thanks!

-Paul Siegel

There will be no Sunday class.

A big 4 o'clock crew getting Frannish yesterday

5 Rounds for Time:

15 Hang Squat Cleans, 135 lb.

30 Push Ups

CFHQ

Rest Day

-or-

CFSS

"FRAN"

(Did you really think you were going to miss this?)

"The only time LSD (long slow distance) is necessary is if your going to compete in a sport that requires it. It is far inferior to CrossFit-type metcon for producing an increase in VO2 max, it interferes with power and strength production, it can be quite catabolic and immune-suppressive in high doses, it destroys muscle mass, and the people that do it usually wear silly clothes."
-Mark Rippetoe

If you get a chance go to yesterday's comments and check out what Ryan had to say about Fran.