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Rich and Janice tackle some Back Squats while Mary tries to rack the bar on her shoulders for a Front Squat.
Here's an interesting article on the importance of "self-talk": Weight Loss and Faulty Thinking.
Lastly, take a look at exactly how CrossFit Watertown got those new flippin' tires:
Shrug, Kirk, shrug! Kirk works the beginning of his Hang Power Clean in the dreaded 21-18-15-12-9 Deadlift/HPC/Front Squat/Push Jerk complex, while Melissa takes a break from "Baby Viking Helen." (Build that strength now, Kirk, because you two are sure to have some firebreathin' CrossFit baby! That kid will be doing Burpees in the playpen, rope climbs on the crib mobile, box jumps on the changing table . . .)
OK, this has nothing to do with CrossFit, but optical illusions are kind of head-trippy and fun, so read The Truth About the Spinning Dancer.
And just something else to think about:
CrossFit Watertown now has a giant tractor tire for flipping! We hauled it out of the water on Saturday, while we were cleaning up the Pin Shop Pond and River along with the great folks from CT Outdoors Kayaks and Canoes. (Dave is in the photo -- see him if you ever need a kayak.) We fished out 6 tires, along with 6 shopping carts, and 6 bags of trash. It looks a whole lot better and the ducks and geese that live there are a lot happier. (And thanks to Chris S. for appearing when we needed him and helping with the tires!)
Is there something in your community that needs to be done? Some way that you can help somebody out? Then, do it! For an inspiring story, read Do Something And It'll Come Back To You.
We're going to be doing something at the end of May: CrossFit Watertown will be running in the 5K Race for Fisher House in Bristol on May 24th and competing in the Trevor Win'E Memorial Day Challenge on May 26th, along with the fine folks from The Power Barn and CF Central CT.
We'll be posting more information in the coming weeks about these great events for military-related charities, but, in the meantime, take a look at a long but very funny video of the 2007 Trevor Win'E Challenge at CF Santa Cruz.
Kathrine (shown doing "Fran in the Mirror" here with Melissa) is, for the record, not a Cupcake. As a full-time student with two jobs, she does more in one day than many people do all week. And she's wicked funny. So that's why we pick on her, because we know she can take it. Thanks for being a good sport, K!
In other news, CrossFit Coastal came up with some interesting ideas on how to "go green" this month: Turning Off the Lights.
Lastly, at the heart of CrossFit is pure fun, stuff that a kid would want to do, not because anybody was making him but just because it was there and it was fun. Watch:
Mary's secret to her new deadlift PR of 100 lbs? Closing the eyes.
Becky hit 125 lbs but kept her eyes open.
Sue nailed 125 lbs and really worked to dial in her form.
You do good things; good things come back to you: Those are the inspiring words of an amazing man in this New York Times article called When Life is a Triathlon, Another Test is No Problem.
And, an article from Jon Gilson of Again Faster: A Case for the Upright Squat.
It was the first "Angie" for many of our members last night and, boy, did they have kind words to say about her: Like a spring day! Better than ice cream. I'd take this over vodka any day. (OK, so maybe we made that up. But really, who doesn't love doing 100 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 100 squats for time?)
Note: Among the hard workers was the fabulous Sue, but you won't see her in this video because Mystery Woman 
was near and you know we can't reveal her secret identity and weaken her superpowers! Sorry, Sue!
(The "colorful expression" added to Angie on the Whiteboard is courtesy of the always vocal K: you never have to guess at her opinion!)
And there's a comic strip over at Testosterone Nation that's pretty amusing, even if it does come from the bodybuilde
r's perspective. (Click on the thumbnail to read it.)
There's no way around it: the Filthy Fifty is a brutal workout. Chris P., with only a month of CF under his belt, made a great run at his first FF, screaming through five exercises and then he hit the Push Press . . . it's amazing, when your body is struggling in an extended anaerobic state, how difficult it becomes to push a 45lb bar overhead 50 times. And, as with most of CrossFit, until you try it, you just really won't understand . . .
But these folks get it. Here, heaving lungs and pounding hearts force a moment's rest from Wallball and Knees to Elbows, except for Chris S., who marches ahead with the KB Swing.
In other news, here's an article that has both the line "People change when they want it badly enough and when they feel strong enough to face the challenge, not when they're humiliated or coerced" and It's hard to go to Disney World with your family while you are shooting heroin. Check out The Surprising Truth About Addiction.
And, this one might be a little "Hallmark-ish" but sometimes we need that too. Take a look at "Don't Quit":
A little invention of ours, Slam Football is a great warm-up and just plain fun. Take a look . . . and post any new ideas/rules for Slam Football to Comments:
Modify CrossFit for a pregnant Firebreather and she takes out her anger at half-squats on a poor, defenseless slamball. Don't watch. It's not pretty.
Nate and Melissa enjoy some "refreshing" ball slams.
In the "Glad This Is Not Me" department, check out I Am an American and I Eat Hot Dogs. It may be utterly ridiculous (and bad for your health) but look how much joy this guy derives from hot dogs. Go figure.
And, finally, we're posting this one for one of our members who got up nice and early for the 6am class but then her car wouldn't start . . . maybe this video will remind her why she CrossFits:
The sign in front of our outdoor courtyard says it all. Or, as they cops like to say, "Keep it moving, people."
For today's reading, Mark Cuban (the infamous owner of the Dallas Mavericks) has some interesting words on where we're at as a society with the Internet, and how to control the oceans of information that threaten to drown you: If the News Is Important It Will Find Me.
And, some people might think we're crazy for doing CrossFit, but this guy is really nuts. Pull-ups off a 70-story crane? They should have a sign saying that's not allowed. Wow.
I may be foolish but I’m not timid.
The odds of me winning the CrossFit Albany East Coast Challenge are really, really small . . . but I’m going. I’m realistic about my chances as a fortyish female in very good (but not killer Kelly Moore-ish) shape. I’ll probably finish far away from the winners, just like I do in most triathlons and a good portion of the running and mountain bike races I enter. Where I finish never has anything to do with why I signed up in the first place. I am only peripherally competing against other people: mostly, I am competing against myself. It’s no different than having at the WOD: the others make me go faster just by the fact of them being there, and it’s nice to beat them, but the goal is to beat myself. Matt Williams, the baseball player, put it this way: “It’s not between me and the pitcher. It’s between me and the ball.”
Continue reading "Are You the Man (or Woman) in the Arena?" »
What's more fun than regular Wallball? Outdoor Wallball, that's what!
And, some backstory for ya: last month, in her New York Times article on CrossFit (God's Workout) Virginia Heffernan mentioned "a triathlete" named Tom Demerly and his article called How Fit Are We?
What Heffernan didn't mention was that Tom Demerly owns a Michigan bike shop and is one of the most respected voices over on Slowtwitch, a literate triathlon forum. (We used to spend a bit of time over there before we started drinking the Cross-Fit Kool-Aid.) Anyhow, Demerly has written some good stuff, so take a read through one of his best: Honor.
Whose photo is Becky placing onto the Cupcake of the Month poster? Hmmm. We might have to wait to see if a certain someone shows up this morning before we verify the award . . .
From over at SlowTwitch, we get the news that Disney is reshaping a popular ride because It Is NOT A Small World After All.
Finally, we didn't have the numbers for Slam Football last night but we did get in some good training with 5 rounds of running and Hang Power Cleans -- and we discovered that the window to our back room can be a door too. Look for Becky to disappear:
Um, what happened to Becky?
Big times last night at CF Watertown! We invented and played a new sport -- Slam Football. It was fast, furious, and a whole bunch of fun. Hopefully, we'll have some video of it up this weekend.
We also took the Tornado Ball outside. The TB is great for building rotational speed and strength -- and it's more fun than you should be allowed to have with something so violent. Check out Sue and Nate going to town:
And, lastly, this clip is really stupid (and too long) but it makes us laugh. Give it a minute and bail:
You’ve probably heard someone say it by now: “CrossFit? Isn't that dangerous?”
And they’re right. CrossFit is dangerous . . . if you don’t know how to do it. You could get hurt.
But, then again, you could hurt yourself while driving a car. And firing a weapon. Or cooking. In fact, if I didn’t know how to handle my toothbrush and stuck it in my eye and brushed my cornea, I’d bet I’d be in a world of pain. (Note to self: be very careful after having a few beers.) It's like that old Ani DiFranco line: "Every tool is a weapon, if you hold it right."
Continue reading "CrossFit Is Dangerous, But So Is Your Toothbrush" »
Kirk and Chris bang out some Overhead Squats during "Nancy" last night.
For some good words on why the OHS is so effective, read Dan John's The Overhead Squat.
And, if that's not enough, here's Nicole Carroll and Annie Sakamoto explaining and demonstrating at a CrossFit certification:
Sue cranks out thrusters during "Daniel" while Melissa resorts to the Woody Band for pull-ups. (Note to women: being pregnant really wrecks your pull-up numbers . . . the things we do in order to ensure the survival of our species! We deserve more than diamond tennis bracelets but, you know, those are a really good place to start . . .)
And, speakin of a different kind of labor, Frank DiMeo of CrossFit Gulf Coast has penned an article on the importance of hard work: The Lost Art of Manual Labor.
Lastly, have you heard of the Post Secret phenomenon? They've posted the latest crop here. It's got us thinking how amusing this could get with a CrossFit "spin" to it. Hmmmm. Something to think about . . .
Gin and tonic. Cookies and milk. Lucy and Ethel. Things that just go together. Like Mondays and Tabatas. Mmmm. Just makes you have that warm feeling inside.
Here, Sue and Rich enjoy the push press and wallball rotations, while Mary gets in some time on the AirDyne. 
And, you just have to watch this clip from the documentary Young at Heart. (The song starts slow but stick with it, once they hit the chorus, these folks start to crank.) Wonder how they'd like Tabatas?
Janice -- happy after the WOD.
Happiness is important to all of us, so much so that we think we can chase after it and catch it: after all, the Declaration of Independence even talks about "the pursuit of happiness." But that's a misleading catch of phrase: chasing happiness is a fool's quest. Here's an easier recipe: work hard and seek to help others -- and happiness will come tapping at your shoulder. Honest to God.
Yesterday, some of us from CrossFit Watertown made a road trip to the Sacred Heart University Olympic Weightlifting Championships, where we witnessed a whole lot of hard work and happiness among a fabulous group of Oly lifters and we even got to meet Sam, E.C., and Neil from CrossFit Boston.
You can get a better view of technique if you watch Oly lifting from the side of the platform, but we sat in front and, besides checking technique, watched the faces of the lifters. It was fascinating to witness the range of emotions present in women lifting some heavy weights over their heads. Fear, anger, fortitude, exhuberance, love, and -- you betcha -- happiness. It was all there. Just like in life. Do the work -- and happiness will come tapping at your shoulder.
For an example of that range of emotions, check out the face of Jin-Hee Yoon during and after her Oly lifts at another competition:
Kirk and Melissa hittin' the bars . . . the pull-up bars, that is.
Ben and Sue work the rowers in their new location in our back room.
And, finally, Muhammad Ali's Recipe for Life:
Rich bangs out some push-ups on the parallettes after hitting a new PR of 255 on the Deadlift. Go Rich!
Good work was done by all of the Friday night crew as they deadlifted their way to some new PRs. (If you're struggling with your deadlift form, go here and watch the video for some good examples of how to do it right.)
And, finally, from the essays of Dr. George Sheehan, Act Your Age!
After a long, snowy winter, it was absolutely gorgeous yesterday! A perfect day for 400m of walking lunges, as evidenced by the looks of utter joy on the faces of Mary, Kathrine, and Janice. (Well, it's not exactly Janice's face but she still looks good!)
Then, Mary started to catch K . . .
And opened up a lead!
Becky and Sue showed how the last downhill stretch can be tricky . . . 
And Nate neared the finish line, asking if he could go for another 400! (Well, not exactly. But we could print what he said, as opposed to most of K's and Mystery Woman's words.)
Ouch. You have this pain in your heel. It comes and goes, but it’s definitely worse when you first get up in the morning and step onto the floor. You’re not alone. Plantar Fasciitis (an overuse injury that affects the sole of your foot) is one of the most common injuries reported among CrossFitters. It’s not a result of CrossFit; blame our heel-striking society and the fact that, in the WOD, we tend to run.
Continue reading "What’s That Pain in My Heel? The CrossFitter and Plantar Fasciitis" »
Chris, Melissa, Becky, and Kirk doing "Kelly" last night. 
Nice work by all to hang in there on a brutal workout!
Becky, who struggled because she ate garbage. Still, she never quit: that tells you something about Becky.
Chris, being chased by the much-feared Melissa . . .
And, watch this video for some motivation:
And one more, because there is nothing on this earth like a good military cadence:
Here at CF Watertown, we like to strike a happy medium between intelligence and lunacy. Yesterday, we were a bit somber, so, today, we offer inanity: a new game, devoid of real content and meaning, but serving to remind you that repeated doses of CrossFit will shrink your butt. It's time to peruse our posterior photgraphic portfolio and play: "Whose A** is This?"
Post your guesses to Comments. The winner gets a free CrossFit Watertown sticker.
And, if you absolutely must have real, meaningful CF content today, here's Nicole Carroll and Zac doin' the CrossFit Total:
Nate/Sue: "20 Pieces of Angie."
In the "Interesting" Department, another blog entry from Slacker Manager: 6 Word Management. There are many to learn from here but this one seemed to capture CrossFit: Look, listen, learn. Lift, laugh, lead.
And, while this Operation Gratitude video might be a little hokey, the sentiment behind it is spot on. Or, in 6 words: Agree or disagree. Still, thank them.
So, we got these new agility hurdles and we've been playing around with them, thinking we're getting good and springy and all Catwoman-like, and then Chris comes in and jumps them backwards. Whaaat? Plus, he puts our vertical leap to shame . . . and he probably doesn't get as distracted by bright, shiny objects as we do.
Speaking of agility, check out these four basic agility ladder drills because we'll be doing them this week!
There's just something about a man swinging a sledgehammer.
Here, Kirk has at it, and Ben, while 
Chris finishes running with a 1-pood Kettlebell before he mans up the sledge too.
Do you know the Two Most Powerful Questions in the World? (And, no, they're not "Where is the bathroom?" and "Can I get another beer?") Anyhow, it's an interesting, quick read over at SlackerManager. Enjoy.
